Strategically Yours
A graduate student's reactions, discussions, and reflections about Strategic Communication topics for Troy University's Strategic Communication terminal degree program. Please free to read and contribute too!
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Monday, October 23, 2017
Saturday, March 4, 2017
"The Climb" - Just Like Miley Cyrus Said
What a ride, and what a climb this term has
been. I’ve turned in my final assignment
for COM 6691 Strategic Communication Inquiry & Research and soon will log
on for the two-hour final exam for COM 6630, Strategic Communication and
Emerging Media. As both of these classes,
and Term III, come to a close I realize I will have completed 60% of the degree
requirements for my Master of Science in Strategic Communications. It feels so good to be over that halfway mark,
yes I can relate to “The Climb.” But
interestingly enough I have started entertaining the doctoral program idea once
more. I still have a bit, a couple of
years, left on my Post 9-11 G.I. Bill and my work on this Master’s program has
renewed my passion for Communications.
Although it would be nice to have an opportunity to do something “in passing”
it is unfortunate that Troy University doesn’t yet offer doctoral programs in Communications. In fact, I think the only PhD program there
is at Troy is in Sports Management. Like
I said, I’m “entertaining” the idea.
Perhaps I could add a graduate certificate in Digital Media Skills from
U.C. Berkeley. They offer a graduate
level certificate program that focuses on the strategic production and
implementation of digital media content for a “web facing and mobile-first
audience.” Sounds interesting. No matter which direction I end up going it’s
like Miley Cyrus said in “The Climb” – “Ain’t about how fast I get there. Ain’t about what’s waitin’ on the other
side. It’s the climb!”
One thing I
do know, I have really enjoyed this blogging experience and I plan on
continuing to update this blog throughout the remainder of my degree program
and beyond. I’ve just registered for my next
term so coming soon will be a combined JRN 6615, PR and Strategic Communications
and a COM 6635, Strategic Organizational Communication blogging experience. I think that continuing to share my responses and thoughts related to coursework will also add to my knowledge base for the not-too-distant Comprehensive
Exam. So this isn’t goodbye, it’s see
you real soon.
Strategically Yours,
Autumn
I just love a good inspirational quote - so I'll leave a few right here for you to enjoy!
Friday, March 3, 2017
"Upside Down" - Just Like Jack Johnson Said
"Upside
Down" is a song that was written, played and sung by Jack Johnson. It is
the first track on the album “Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies” from the film Curious
George, which was released in February 2006. My kiddos loved this movie and this song in
particular. The movie was in their
regular rotation of “please can we watch” requests. I must admit I enjoyed the movie and continue
to enjoy the song. My favorite lyrics
are:
“…And as my mind
begins to spread its wings
There's no
stopping curiosity.
I want to turn the
whole thing upside down
I'll find the
things they say just can't be found…”
These lyrics really remind me of the
direction I’d like to take this week’s blog.
Our assigned readings covered different aspects of today’s youth in
relation to the digital age. We, as a
class, were given latitude to focus on any emerging media trend or topic and
the effect on youth. Instead of “Upside
Down”, I’d like to take the spirit of the lyrics and look at the digital
content based Flipped Learning educational movement. Often simplistically described as “school
work at home and home work at school,” Flipped Learning is an approach that
uses digital content to allow teachers to implement various methodologies in
their classrooms. There now exists a
Flipped Learning Network (FLN) comprised of a governing board, key leaders, and
experienced flipped educators. Together
they have composed a formal definition of “Flipped Learning.” They did so in the hopes that many of the myths
that were being spread by teachers, media, and researchers could be dispelled.
The Four Pillars of F-L-I-P™:
In a recent
article for www.emergingedtech.com ,
website founder Kelly Walsh said about Flipped Learning that he “…quickly realized
that this was one of the most meaningful ideas I’d come across for using
technology in the instructional setting.”
Mr. Walsh is a leading expert and also a frequent contributor to Flipped
Learning Network outreach initiatives.
“As a big fan of the flipped classroom and the possibilities it offers,
I am delighted to see this grassroots movement continue to evolve.”
One of the primary
reasons why technology is being integrated into the classroom is due in large
part to the “grassroots movement” to disrupt traditional education. “The traditional classroom, with an emphasis
on lectures and rote memorization, does not take into account the experiences
of the students. It was all about discipline and punish.” Flipped Learning, in stark contrast, then
allows students to take control over their learning process. Digital technology
plays an essential role in Flipped Learning.
By using digital technology the students and teachers are able to
collaborate in an often called “more productive and interactive environment.”
Just a few
weeks ago, for the 5th year, the Alliance for Excellent Education launched
its “Digital Learning Day (DLD)” campaign on Thursday, February 23, 2017.
This year’s
day-long charge was to “Get your #DLD17 on by Flipping Your First Lesson!” Digital Learning Day was marketed in the
hopes of getting teachers to embrace the potential of “digital learning”. Defined, digital learning is any
instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s
learning experience. It emphasizes high-quality instruction and provides access
to challenging content, feedback through formative assessment, opportunities
for learning anytime and anywhere, and individualized instruction to ensure
students can reach their full potential.
Digital
Learning Day 2017 was all about raising awareness, encouraging innovation, and
celebrating the good things that can come from embracing the power of
technology to “strengthen a student’s learning experience”. The Alliance even helped with suggested
methods and varying levels of Flipped Learning for teachers new to this movement. The following excerpt is from 2017 Digital
Learning Day’s information on FLN’s website:
“Have
you thought about possibility of trying flipped instruction in your classroom,
but just haven’t gotten around to figuring out how to start? Well, we here at
the FLN are embracing DLD 2017 as an opportunity to get started! Dipping your
toes in the waters of flipped learning can be as easy as flipping one lesson.
Now
this is not to say that flipping is a simple and takes no effort … putting the
flipped model to effective use on an ongoing basis takes effort and requires
time and professional development, but taking a first step to help get you thinking
about the longer term doesn’t have to be hard.
Here
is a pretty simple approach to flipping a lesson. You get to decide how tech-y
you want to be with this be selecting from 1 of 3 different levels of tools or
techniques.
Find
a great video on a topic to introduce it and make that the homework the night
before you want to start exploring this topic
Require
engagement and gather feedback that can expose areas that require further
exploration, or simply raise fun questions, by using one of these tools or
techniques:
(Low
Tech) Have your students complete a “WSQ”: The “WSQ” is a simple idea that
requires students to Watch the video
and then write a Summary that
includes a Question. You give the
student guidelines on what’s expected in the summary (how long it should be,
for example). As for the question, this can be a question that students think
you might ask about the material, or it could be something they want to ask
about regarding the material.
(Medium
Tech) Use ed.ted.com to build a more complete lesson around the video:
Ed.Ted.Com is a great way to turn any video into its own lesson. You can add
questions, provide additional links to explore, and more. This article provides
more insight into using Ed.Ted.Com.
(More
Tech) Use EdPuzzle to build required questions into the video. EdPuzzle is a tool that lets you insert
questions right into a video – questions the students have to answer in order
to continue watching. This is a powerful tool to make the most of using videos
for teaching and learning.
Each
of these approaches addresses several very important elements of good flipped
lessons. First, they require engagement. Students have to do something while or
right after they consume the learning content. They can’t just “zone out” and not
pay attention while watching (and if they do, they’ll have to go back and
really watch so they can do the work). Next, it gets them thinking about the
content. By asking or answering questions, they have to make the effort to
develop some understanding. Finally, those questions will likely help to expose
misunderstandings or areas that really require further review. They can also
provide some great feedback and thoughts that are fun to explore.
Of
course, you can also give a shot at the “hi tech” approach of creating your own
video, which is strongly recommended if you decide to move forward with more
flipping, but it isn’t really necessary for this first go round. It can also be
pretty time consuming to do this the first few times, depending on your approach.
Students generally appreciate and expect their teachers to be the ones creating
the content (assuming you do a decent job and don’t make the videos too long).
But for your first flipped lesson, using someone else’s content is a great way
to get started!”
So now that
we’ve looked at a few of the various ways in which teachers might be able to start
flipping lessons, let’s take a quick look at some feedback from students who
have been involved in Flipped Learning. In
a recent survey published by Flipped Learning educator and science teacher,
Steve Griffiths, he shared his high school students’ responses to their
experiences in the Flipped Learning environment:
“88.9%
of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they preferred the flipped
classroom for learning science. Some of
the reasons cited by students include; that more class time is spent doing
experiments, they can work at their pace, they can learn their own way and they
can learn with each other. Ultimately,
it appears that students prefer the flipped classroom because it is more
student centered. As a powerful support
for flipped learning, 88.9% of students reported that they wished that more of
their subjects used flipped learning.
Students
believe that it is easier to take notes from the videos. This is because they can pause, rewind and
watch the videos at their own pace. Also,
it is very important to teach students how to take notes and interact with the
videos. I have my students watch the
video twice. First at normal speed, then
they watch it again to take notes, pausing and rewinding as required. I have my
students watch a video on how to watch a video and I also send a video home for
parents to watch as well. I don’t assign
homework videos until I am satisfied that students are taking effective notes.
Consistently,
students commented that they liked how student centered the learning was. For example, one student commented “students
get to work it out themselves instead of being told” and another student said
“we have freedom to learn the way the want to learn”.
The
question that the respondents agreed most strongly about was being able to
catch up on work when they are away from class. All of the video lessons and learning
experiences are on the web based learning management system. So students can access the lessons at home and
on family holidays. Because flipped
learning is more student centered, and students like and trust the process,
they are empowered to keep up and catch up.”
"It's
really, really important for teachers to realize that flipped learning isn't
about the videos — it's about what you can accomplish in class that adds value
and engagement for students," said Jon Bergmann, one of the pioneers of
the flipped class concept and a board member of the Flipped Learning
Network. Many practicing educators feel
the most important part of the flipped lesson is the ability to use the
additional time in the classroom to reach every student every day. This is accomplished by designing activities
that are engaging, interactive, and collaborative.
Ultimately,
the Flipped Learning movement is all about being willing to take risks and try
something new. In our current period of
innovation through rapid advances in technology I can think of no better time
than now to try turning it all “Upside Down” or in this instance to try Flipped
Learning in education.
Strategically Yours,
Autumn
Works Cited:
Walsh, K.
(2016). “Flipped Educator Spotlight.”
Retrieved from http://www.emergingedtech.com/2016/12/flipped-educator-spotlight-videos-flipped-learning-org/.
Griffiths, S.
(2016). “The Students Have Spoken – Student Perceptions of Flipped
Learning”. Retrieved from http://flippedlearning.org/learning_culture/student-perceptions-of-flipped-learning/.
Lisi, J. (2016).
“4 Fascinating Trends in Education Technology”.
Retrieved from https://www.livetiles.nyc/blog/4-fascinating-trends-education-technology/.
n.a. (2017). “Flip a Lesson for Digital Learning Day 2017
(Thursday, Feb 23)”. Retrieved from http://flippedlearning.org/intentional_content/flip-lesson-digital-learning-day/.
Pierce, D. (2015). “5 Keys to Flipped Learning Success”. Retrieved from https://campustechnology.com/articles/2015/04/29/5-keys-to-flipped-learning-success.aspx.
Bergmann, J.
(2016). “Students Liked Flipped Homework More!” Retrieved from http://flippedlearning.org/syndicated/students-like-flipped-homework-more/.
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