APP4: Spotlight on Emerging Technology: Online Learning in K-12 Schools

Kevin Richstad
Walden University
 
  
Instructor: Christopher Calvin
EDUC-6715-3: New and Emerging Technologies
March 28, 2010

 
 
 What Is Online Learning?
• According to Cavanaugh & Clark (2007), online
learning is education in which instruction and
content are delivered primarily via the
Internet.
• Through the support of a Course Management
System (CMS), educators can use websites
such as Moodle to create specialized learning
modules for their students.
 What is Moodle?

• Moodle is a free web application that

educators can use to create effective online
learning sites.
Why Should Today’s Educators Integrate
Online Learning Into Their Classrooms?

Online learning
Today’s
provides instant
students are
feedback and
immersed in a
gives access to
society full of
endless
technology.
information.

With this type of high- Online learning

paced atmosphere, it is provides an efficient
essential for educators
and easy way to
to adapt their teaching
styles to the learning organize resources
needs of the students and post upcoming
they are working with. class/school events.
 How Can Educators Use Moodle to Support
Their Classrooms?
• Today’s technology helps to support each of the different learning
styles including: Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic .

• Through the support of Moodle, teachers can better meet each of

these learning styles.
 What Are Some of the Features Found On
Moodle?
Moodle allows educators, students and parents
to easily share digital resources
 How Does Online Learning Benefit Our
Students?
Collaborative
Immediate
Instant access
24/hour to
access to
any postedfrom
feedback
learning
support from both
peers and teachers
assignments
teachers
atmosphere

Ea
sy
ac
ce
ss
to
su
gg
es
te
d
re
se
ar
ch
w
eb
sit
es
 How Does Online Learning Benefit
Educators?
• Teachers can easily store anything digital (i.e. media files, podcasts, word
documents, etc.)
• Teachers have the capability to create online quizzes that can provide
immediate feedback to students, and reduce the amount of time for
grading.

• Teachers can embed both audio/video clips to help reinforce a lesson’s

concept.
• Students/parents have easy access to view online grade books, upcoming
projects and class events.
More Benefits for Teachers
Helps to reduce the amount of paper used by the
school while also eliminating the exchange of paper
between student/teacher.

Teachers can post blogs to keep both students and

families up to date on class assignments.

Teachers can guide their classes through Virtual Field

Trips to help enhance their lesson content.
 Some Areas to Consider About Online
Learning
• Some students may have limited access to the
internet outside of the school setting.

• Integrating a course management system

(CMS) may be an overwhelming task at first,
but the information is instantly saved, and can
easily be used and edited for future use.
 Final Thoughts

• Technology has become a central aspect of today’s culture.

• It is our jobs as educators to support this lifestyle by adapting our

teaching styles.

• Online learning through the aid of websites like Moodle can provide us
with this resource.

• Online learning gives students access to the 21st century learning skills
they will need to be successful members of today’s society.
 References
• A Collaborative Learning Community.: RCampus.com Open Tools for Open Minds . (n.d.). A
Collaborative Learning Community.: RCampus.com Open Tools for Open Minds . Retrieved March
28, 2010, from http://www.rcampus.com/

• Cavanaugh, C., & Clark, T. (2007). The Landscape of K-12 Online Learning. In P. Adamson, B.
Adamson, & N. Clausen-Grace, et al (Eds.), What Works in K-12 Online Learning (Chapter 1, pp. 5-
19). Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved from the Education
Research database.

• Lemke, C., & Coughlin, E. (2009). The change agents. Educational Leadership, 67(1), 54–59.
 
• Moodle.org: open-source community-based tools for learning. (n.d.). Moodle.org: open-source
community-based tools for learning. Retrieved March 30, 2010, from http://moodle.org/

• Young, J., Birtolo, P., & McElman, R. (2009). Virtual success: Transforming education through
online learning. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(5), 12–17. Retrieved from the Education
Research Complete database.