Teaching in an online environment: What does it mean to dance in an online environment?: Some suggestions

Monday, 12 May 2008

Some suggestions

The following readings provided insights for selecting activities:
• Online Teaching Strategies is a web site created through the Ministry of Education's Grassroots initiative. The site features descriptions and practical examples of online teaching strategies that you could incorporate into your content module.
• Constructivism: Knowledge building in the secondary classroom is a series of self-paced modules that will introduce you to the world of the Wu Li Masters.
• Authentic activities and online learning is a paper that proposes ten characteristics of authentic activities, based on a substantial body of educational theory and research, which can assist teachers to design more authentic activities for online learning environments.
• Introduction to WebQuests will introduce you to the basic theory and design of WebQuests. Information about WebQuests can also be found at The WebQuest Page. WebQuests have proven to be a highly motivating and challenging approach to online teaching strategies.

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WELCOME

The design and creation of teaching in an online environment requires a great deal more thought and effort than the development of didactic, content-based instruction or traditional education. However, if we are to use the capabilities and advantages of technology, together with the findings of recent research and theory, to improve learning outcomes we must endeavour to examine more closely the role of student activities and tasks in the learning process. This Module emphasizes on students activities in light of interaction, cooperation, collaboration, examining the task from different perspectives (from selected authors, readings, videos, links) and promoting active participation and involvement of students. Thanks to University of Regina and Dr. Stephen Kemp we have enjoyed authentic activities and we have learned about the new paradigms in education. We have researched, designed, developed and evaluated our Module with Wiki resources and this Blog to illustrate teaching in an online environment by using WebCt. Should you have any questions about this site, please do not hesitate to contact E-mail: Nelson_Dordelly@yahoo.com

What is our philosophy about "dancing in an online environment"?

According to Zukav the development of authentic power requires choosing harmony over discord, cooperation over competitions, sharing over hoarding, and revering life instead of exploiting it. This means for education in the 21^st century that educating pupils means to “dance” with them. As in ‘dancing with the stars” TV program, the teacher, the expert in dancing, enjoys with the learner all the steps and skills to be able to make the learner dance in his/her “own way,” which is Wu Li that comes “alive” with “patterns of organic energy”, displaying imagination, creativity and enjoying what s/he is doing. In this sense, exploration of the physical world is “the development of external power—the ability to manipulate and control.” Similarly, “dancing with an on line student” means that I should be providing opportunities to the student for learning, enjoying new skills through the exploration of “the physical world into perception that is not limited to the five senses and evolution through the alignment of the personality with the soul.” It is a more intelligent, humours and coherent way of learning and it can be developed into a permanent way of life.

We agree with Zukav that, “the alignment of the personality with the soul is the creation of authentic power.” It is accomplished through responsible choice with the assistance and guidance of non-physical guides and Teachers. “The soul seeks harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for Life. Choosing these things aligns your personality with your soul, and creates authentic power.” As you make these choices again and again, those parts of yourself that are in opposition to your health begin to lose power over you, and you begin to gain power over them. Eventually, they disintegrate.” In this sense, holding a learning-centered perspective in which the student can feel that s/he is going in his/her own way, learning in his/her own pace, is really the best way to define online education. In this sense, instructional designers can incorporate the Zukav “new” paradigm into web-based instructional models and approaches by offering opportunities for creativity, imagination, cooperation, sharing, harmony, humour and enjoinment of life. In this sense, my understanding of post-modernism is that it rests on the idea that no art has true intrinsic value only that which one, person or culture, bestows on it. My understanding of Zukav is that learning is art because it is creation. That is, art has true intrinsic value when one person or culture, values it. This leads to the idea that the teacher should provide opportunities (using excellent materials and resources) so that the student as a person, as a soul finds their intrinsic value. In my teaching practice “dancing” with the student is also “playing” with the student (as actually do in Tennis Teaching). I like to integrate both science and art because I believe that education should be holistic, which tries to develop students in different areas: (a) Whole Brain learning, which attempts to integrate analytical, imaginative, language skills into each activity,(b) Multiple Intelligences (or learning styles. They are visual, linguistic, logical & mathematical, musical, bodily & kinaesthetic, naturalistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal, among others, (c) Emotional intelligence, recognizing how people react in different situations. My philosophy of education based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to the people, to the natural world, and to spiritual values such as “compassion and peace". In short, I believe in holistic education, nurtures a sense of wonder. It aims to call forth from young people an intrinsic reverence for life and a passionate love of learning. This is done, not through an academic "curriculum" that condenses the world into instructional packages, but through direct engagement with people and their environment.

Teaching in an online environment: What does it mean to dance in an online environment?

Monday, 12 May 2008

Some suggestions

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