I continue to be surprised at how much work goes into quality instructional design. I'm sure poor lesson plans don't, but in order to be effective, efficient, engaging, the teacher must to substantial prep work. As I read through the two texts, abotu the steps required to do this. I know I can do it and appreciate the instruction step by step guiding me. It's something I want to dive into. I equate it to my inability to draft a good marketing plan or write a solid CapitalOne powerpoint deck. For that, I didn't care about finding out how to do it. But for the purposes of presenting & teaching & working with an audience fo students, I'd be much more interested. As long as I'm not trying to influence the audience to my recommended strategy for a marketing problem, I'm in.
As I was reading for tonight's class, about implementation and execution of lesson plans/tasks, I appreciated Vella's idea that a new role for teachers is to sit still & keep quiet in Chapter 7. It resignates with her statement that learning and teaching are not the same thing. How true. But what a new novel concept. I wonder how accepted this idea is in today's education/training industry. In my experience of undergrad & public school, which albeit is near 20 years old, lecture and teacher-giving-insights was the norm.
I'm confused by Vella's very brief discussion on Epistemological questions on page 78... I'll need to do some further research here. She puts significant weight on it, but fails to explain it -- simply says it's "those pricipals and practices" that apply to all educational events.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Feb 12th Class discussion/commentary
I was surprised to hear that many in our class did not enjoy the Piskurich text.
I loved it. I like Vella as well. Guessing because Piskurich is so not school of education, he's definitely more corporate america... training. But it works for me. I appreciate the structure.
I was very pleased and proud that my version of my first draft at the teaching philosophy was in line with what was expected than the rest of the class. Made me feel like I might be in the right place. The idea of finding a job/career somewhere inbetween corporate business and academia. I hope so.
As I was reading Piskurich, I've realized I should clarify/define some of the concept terms for myself:
I loved it. I like Vella as well. Guessing because Piskurich is so not school of education, he's definitely more corporate america... training. But it works for me. I appreciate the structure.
I was very pleased and proud that my version of my first draft at the teaching philosophy was in line with what was expected than the rest of the class. Made me feel like I might be in the right place. The idea of finding a job/career somewhere inbetween corporate business and academia. I hope so.
As I was reading Piskurich, I've realized I should clarify/define some of the concept terms for myself:
- Insturctional Design - is just the formal name for a lesson plan
- Instructional Design theory - ex: adult learning theory, learning styles, cognitive science
- Instructional Design methods - ID software, learning objective-based design; rapid prototyping; performance support based design; the ADDIE model
- Training Delivery Methods - tactics: on the job training; tech/web based (CBTs); self-instruction; classroom; lecture...
Another area of interest to me in my 13 years of marketing experience has been market research. It was good to see that the same research tools apply in education, i.e. Piskurich's needs assessment discussions. Another transformational skill I can bring from my old career into a new one. Good.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Class #4 Feb 5, 2009
I was glad to have the class time to devote to a small bit of curiculum development in small groups. I continue to be surprised at how much time is required. As a past learner, recipient, student, trainee... I had no appreciation or understanding at how much preparation was done by the trainers/teachers (or should have been).
In the class exercise, each break out group was tasked with teaching exactly the same material to very different audiences. After my years of marketing training, where I do understand how important the target audience characteristics are to the channel/tone/delivery/crafting of the message, I should not have been surprised by the significant differences in teaching method to these different audiences. The exercise was illuminating to me. The information to be taught to each "target audience" is exactly the same, but the way to grab attention, to get engagement, to inspire integration within each audience group must be addressed differently. I'm quite excited to realize this - that much of what I've done (& my skill set) thus far in my career should feed nicely into some type of training role should I find a way to get there. Transferrable skills.
I am very much enjoying reading the Vella book. Nothing is brain science she writes - its actually quite intuitive, but its nothing I would have thought to do without direction. Good teachers are not simply subject-matter-experts who decide to share their knowledge. In a way that's what I've grown up thinking because that's what Dad did - not intending to become a professor but enjoying school so much that it became his career. But I'm excited to realize how intentional instructional development must be. It's challenging and difficult and time consuming. It's not easy. Realizing this makes me even more upset at our society that doesn't reward this intense effort in public schools financially.
In the class exercise, each break out group was tasked with teaching exactly the same material to very different audiences. After my years of marketing training, where I do understand how important the target audience characteristics are to the channel/tone/delivery/crafting of the message, I should not have been surprised by the significant differences in teaching method to these different audiences. The exercise was illuminating to me. The information to be taught to each "target audience" is exactly the same, but the way to grab attention, to get engagement, to inspire integration within each audience group must be addressed differently. I'm quite excited to realize this - that much of what I've done (& my skill set) thus far in my career should feed nicely into some type of training role should I find a way to get there. Transferrable skills.
I am very much enjoying reading the Vella book. Nothing is brain science she writes - its actually quite intuitive, but its nothing I would have thought to do without direction. Good teachers are not simply subject-matter-experts who decide to share their knowledge. In a way that's what I've grown up thinking because that's what Dad did - not intending to become a professor but enjoying school so much that it became his career. But I'm excited to realize how intentional instructional development must be. It's challenging and difficult and time consuming. It's not easy. Realizing this makes me even more upset at our society that doesn't reward this intense effort in public schools financially.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Response to Class #3 January 29th
I've observed a Manager Fundamentals 2-day workshop this week at the office, I've notices several parallel theories/directives to what I've heard in class thus far and the readings we've done.
It's karma a bit. Again making me think further about how I might find a career doing something related to teaching/training/facilitating... And the basic premise I'm seeing is representative of what I've learned in marketing framework:
Regarding the reading by LONG on the adult learner, I felt it was very basic information presented on the learners itself. But I appreciated their recognition that the typical teacher doesn't do #1-4 that well - that the typical teacher is a lecturer - a giver of information and hopes the audience receives it. I like and am impressed by the fact that there is this apparenly new body of AdultEd teaching research recognizing that marketing framework to teaching can aid in knowledge transfer.
The HARVARD video clip was amazing. Realizing there are so many other smart adults out there that know lots of important facts, but missed the boat on the basic structures (electric current; solar system mechanics). I believe that's one reason I decided to take some business classes - after being in the biz world for 10 years, I knew there was much foundation I didn't have and wanted to. Not everyone is a sponge like me, but from that video, looks like they should be.
In my Info Systems class last night, we heard a fellow student, probably 24 years old, talk through his game plan on his new internet startup business. He mentioned that he's kept a journal of all he's learned, thought in the past 6 months. He said he'd started journaling in middleschool and has kept it up. Hoping I can convert this blog into that type of tool for myself to use in the future to look back on the development of my ideas.
It's karma a bit. Again making me think further about how I might find a career doing something related to teaching/training/facilitating... And the basic premise I'm seeing is representative of what I've learned in marketing framework:
- tailor your message to your audience
- make sure what you're offering is something that the audience needs/wants/demands
- deliver it to your audience in a language that will be understood by audience
- you must prepare and think carefully, to craft this message so that you have the highest chance that you'll offer it to someone who wants it, has access to it and will use it
Regarding the reading by LONG on the adult learner, I felt it was very basic information presented on the learners itself. But I appreciated their recognition that the typical teacher doesn't do #1-4 that well - that the typical teacher is a lecturer - a giver of information and hopes the audience receives it. I like and am impressed by the fact that there is this apparenly new body of AdultEd teaching research recognizing that marketing framework to teaching can aid in knowledge transfer.
The HARVARD video clip was amazing. Realizing there are so many other smart adults out there that know lots of important facts, but missed the boat on the basic structures (electric current; solar system mechanics). I believe that's one reason I decided to take some business classes - after being in the biz world for 10 years, I knew there was much foundation I didn't have and wanted to. Not everyone is a sponge like me, but from that video, looks like they should be.
In my Info Systems class last night, we heard a fellow student, probably 24 years old, talk through his game plan on his new internet startup business. He mentioned that he's kept a journal of all he's learned, thought in the past 6 months. He said he'd started journaling in middleschool and has kept it up. Hoping I can convert this blog into that type of tool for myself to use in the future to look back on the development of my ideas.
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