| Discussions | |
| Week 1 | |
| 1.1 Please introduce yourselves. I would
like to know where, what and which grades you teach. How long have you
taught? Why are you a teacher? What's your experience in educational
psychology? Please also relate an anecdote of a meaningful classroom
experience and explain why it was meaningful to you.
1.2 For this week, please read Chapter 2
How Experts Differ from Novices
& Chapter 3
Learning and Transfer
from the online text How People Learn:
Brain, Mind, Experience, and School
(you will find this book in the Doc Sharing too). What are some ways in which classroom teachers can transmit their expertise to their students who have limited knowledge. Please try to go beyond the traditional strategies... think ed-psych and be creative. Also related, explain how you would get students to transfer their knowledge to other disciplines and situations. In other words, we've all heard students say something like, "Does spelling count?" or "This isn't math, why should we have to learn that?" How does real transference take place? You are expected to post your answer and then respond to at least 3 or 4 others. Quality of interaction with each other is desired. "I agree" is poor interaction.
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| Week 2 | |
| For this week, please read Chapter 4
How Children Learn & Chapter 5
Mind and Brain from the online text
How People Learn: Brain,
Mind, Experience, and School (you will find this book in
the Doc Sharing too). What are some practical ways we can apply brain research to how children learn? How can you apply the brain theory to your everyday classroom practices? You are expected to post your answer and then respond to at least 3 or 4 others. Quality of interaction with each other is desired. "I agree" is poor interaction. |
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| Week 3 | |
| For this week, please read Chapter 6 “The
Design of Learning Environments” & Chapter 8 “Teacher Learning” from the
online text How People Learn:
Brain, Mind, Experience, and School
(you will find this book in the Doc Sharing too).
Share ways you could design a learning environment that is both learner-centered and allows the teacher to grow as well. I have found that teaching and learning are really the same. Eager learners are also eager teachers. Poor teachers were also poor learners. What are ways we can foster and support both students and teachers in our classrooms? Use the text for support. You are expected to post your answer and then respond to at least 3 or 4 others. Quality of interaction with each other is desired. "I agree" is poor interaction. Next week we will be reading from the other text, The Psychology of the Internet . So have it on hand. |
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| Week 4 | |
| For this week, please read Chapter 1 “The
Internet in a Psychological Context” & Chapter 2 “Your Online Persona: The
Psychology of Impression Formation” from the text The Psychology
of the Internet.
The Internet has brought revolutionary access to information. Ironically, the use of the Internet is also a barrier to the most basic of information we take for granted in a Face-to-Face (F2F) environment. Age, gender, race, gestures, facial expressions are no longer available. What benefits and what challenges does the online environment proffer for education? What are some ways you can creatively use the Internet as part of your classroom? Use the text for support. You are expected to post your answer and then respond to at least 3 or 4 others. Quality of interaction with each other is desired. "I agree" is poor interaction. The next reading will be chapters 3 & 4 in, The Psychology of the Internet. |
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| Week 5 | |
| For this week, please read Chapter 3
“Online Masks and Masquerades” & Chapter 4 “Group Dynamics in Cyberspace”
from the text The Psychology of the Internet. Given the ability that people are able to completely change themselves and the likelihood that a face-to-face will not likely occur, what challenges are there for online teachers, students and classrooms? What group dynamics are enhanced online? Which become greater barriers to learning? What's your experience? You are expected to post your answer and then respond to at least 3 or 4 others. Quality of interaction with each other is desired. "I agree" is poor interaction. |
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| Week 6 | |
| For this week, please read Chapter 5
“Intergroup Conflict and Cooperation” & Chapter 6 “Flaming and Fighting:
The Psychology of Aggression on the Net” from the text The
Psychology of the Internet. What possible conflicts can online classrooms and hybridized classrooms experience online? How would you solve them if you were an online teacher? Some APU classes have experienced online conflicts, can these be helped? You are expected to post your answer and then respond to at least 3 or 4 others. Quality of interaction with each other is desired. "I agree" is poor interaction. |
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| Week 7 | |
| For this week, please read Chapter7
“Linking and Loving on the Net: the Psychology of Interpersonal
Attraction” & Chapter 7 “Psychological Aspects of Internet Pornography”
from the text The Psychology of the Internet. As ed tech experts in your in your schools, you will find that every school practices censorship in the form of filtering Internet, email, chats, Instant Messages, etc. No one thinks student access to violence, hate, and pornography is a good thing. However, is filtering the answer? These two chapters deal with subjects that schools fear the most: Internet relationships and pornography. Since these are available on the WWW, are schools justified in censoring the web? Are there alternatives. Please be creative and see if you can come up with a viable alternative to censorship. You are expected to post your answer and then respond to at least 3 or 4 others. Quality of interaction with each other is desired. "I agree" is poor interaction. |
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| Week 8 | |
| For this week, please read Chapter11
“Gender Issues on the Net” Gender issues are of great concern in education within our classrooms. For example, in the 60s and 70s, the girls in our classrooms were under-performing. Today the boys are under-performing. Many groups, even ETS, are very concerned and are doing research in this area. Gender is also of concern for the Internet, yet I believe the Internet is in the process of redefining this concern. Chapter 11 provides an introduction to many of the issues regarding gender. Please highlight a few of these concerns in your responses. Question: How has the Internet redefined gender issues? In what way has the Internet improved gender concerns and in what way have they been exacerbated? You are expected to post your answer and then respond to at least 3 or 4 others. Quality of interaction with each other is desired. "I agree" is poor interaction. |
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| Week 9 | |
| For this week, please read Chapter12
”Nurturing Life on the Internet" from the text The Psychology of the
Internet. In conclusion of this class and your program, what have you learned? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the online world? What concerns and encouragement do you have for online education? What adaptations do you think you will make in your traditional classrooms in light of what you learned in ed psych? You are expected to post your answer and then respond to at least 3 or 4 others. Quality of interaction with each other is desired. "I agree" is poor interaction. |
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