Innovative Pedagogy Report for 2013

In the Innovative Pedagogy Report for 2013 ten topics were highlighted. I decided to focus on "Crowd Learning". I decided to talk about this topic because it relates a lot to the course I am taking at the University of Akron. Times are changing and as an educator I need to be aware of the most effective ways for my students to succeed. Technology plays a much bigger role in education then when I was growing up. 

What is it?

Crowd learning is a fast growing way for people to become quickly educated on a specific topic. People work together and share opinions through online social spaces, websites, and activities. Crowd learning is a spontaneous way of learning! It can be constructed to follow set goals or just go with the flow. 

Why is it important?

As teachers we strive make our lesson relevant to each student, a very hard task for many especially when you have 30+ students with a wide array of likes and dislikes. Crowd learning is always relevant to its learners. The learner is self- motivated and responsible for their achievements. Learners decided what they need to learn. A teacher’s role is to help guide them in figuring out what their needs are and providing them with support. In a crowd learning situation the roles of teacher and student become blurred because everyone brings a contribution to the discussion. 

How can it be used?

The course I am currently taking is a great example of crowd learning. We participate in twitter chats. The instructor posses a question and we the students answer and feed off of others responses. Students participate in things like this and do not even realize what is taking place. I could see a high school teacher incorporating something like this into their courses via wikis. Elementary students could do this as well. Creating a class blog and have the student on the week post a question related to the class curricula and allows other to respond would be a wonderful learning experience. 

Challenge...

Like everything related to the internet a teacher must be aware of what is being posted. For younger students having most structured chats is wise. You also need to instruct students how to look at responses. Making sure that a response is genuine and credible. 

Three helpful links

http://blog.ideascale.com/2013/04/18/5-reasons-why-crowdsourcing-is-beneficial-for-online-education/

http://k12.wiki.nmc.org/Crowd+Sourcing

http://gcn.com/pages/trending/elearning.aspx

About Me!

Hello my name is Alexandria. I am 27 and currently working on getting my Masters in Literacy from The University of Akron. I am the mother of a beautiful little girl Peyton! She is four going on 14, and aspires to be a Disney Princess! We both are very lucky to have Bob (my fiance) in our lives. The three of us are currently planning our wedding which will be taking place in October 2014. I love crafts, scrapbooking, cooking/baking, the outdoors and FOOTBALL! My favorite season is Fall, my fiances as well!. The crisp breezes and beautiful colors make us both very happy. 

I graduated with my bachelors in education from The University of Akron in May 2012. I currently do not hold a full time teaching position. I have experience working with grades K-3. If I could pick a grade to teach it would be second. My student teaching was done in the Tallmadge School district. I currently work at The University of Akron, in the graduate office. This allows me to get my Master for a fraction of the cost. I am still actively looking for a permanent teaching position. 

Technology is not one of my strong areas. I can use the basic functions on my smart phone, laptop, Ipad, and Smartboard. My four year is better with each of these tools them Bob or myself. This is my first blog! I am on Facebook, instagram, and now Twitter. I am taking a course called Transliteracy which I hope will help me become more evolved with incorporating technology in my future classroom and lessons. I have already learned how to create this Blog!! I want my students to be aware that the Internet can be a great resource if used properly. My students need to be aware of how to properly utilize the web and be conscious of what they post for the worlds viewing pleasure.  

Literacy is the focus of my Master's degree. I have a personal connection to the area of focus. Growing up I struggled to read. I was tormented by peers of mine throughout my elementary years for not being a strong reader.  It was not until I was in the third grade that my teacher discovered I was Dyslexic. I never learned how to associate a letter with a sound because the letters always looked different. It took a lot of help from both my teachers and parents to help me over come this disability. It is my hope to take my personal experiences and my education to help students strive to be life long learners and gain a love for reading!