Instructional Design - concluding thoughts.

As we finished up our projects, I thought continued to pop up in my mind. How often is instruction redesigned? Are there 10 groups across the country coming up with materials on how to ..... All with the same goal in mind?
Maybe the audience varies, the details in the objectives vary, or something to make each design valuable.
Makes me think of the value of the internet and sharing resources. A design can be adapted to fit a specific audience or objective without recreating the entire wheel.

Evaluation

Evaluation: important but not always easy. There have been times when I can critically look at something and have an opinion. There are other time when I can know I don't like something, but can't even pin point what it is. There are yet other times when i know what I don't like and I know what could be done for improvments. Not all of us in are a critically thinking place at the necessary time.
I think of a time when my son noticed a negative exchange between two people. All the previous times I observed this type of behavior I was uncomfortable, but didn't understand my feelings. My son said, "When they treat each other that way, it makes me not want to be with or near them." BINGO! A fresh perspective makes things clear. I've felt that way all along too.

Developing Instructional Materials

There have been many comments throughout this course about teachers not being trained in instructional design. It seems many wished they had been trained in ID. As I read chapter 9, section "The Designer's Role in Materials Development and Instructional Delivery" I noticed a connection. As teachers we create lesson plans, units, semester and yearly goals. We do this process, just in a different way. Since we are creating our own materials with the use of state core curriculum, school curriculum and other resources, we create the design for our classes.
Much of this process of analyzing our learners, materials etc. is part of the process that we have learned as we studied to receive our edication degree.

Developing Instructional Strategy

Different learning goals require different strategies. I think most of my teaching I consider which way I haven't taught for a while, and try to mix that into a week of lesson plans rather than what strategy is best for each outcome. I think this remind to match intentionally is a good idea.

Dick and Carey on Methods and Media

I'm looking forward to our discussion tonight in class to followup our online discussion about Methods and Media. As I read Dick and Carey's Chapter 8 on Developing an Instructional Strategy I couldn't help but say AMEN! to their comments on Methods setting a foundation for the Media. Read on:

• page 165 Macro strategy (methods) vs. micro strategies (media)
• page 166 "Delivery systems and instructional strategies are not synonymous. A delivery system (media) is only part of an overall instructional strategy, and novice instructional designers must guard against being seduced by flashy technologies and ending up ascribing far too much weight to how instruction is packaged and delivered at the expense of the careful planning of the teaching-learning activities that should be included in the instruction."
• page 195 "This example illustrates the point of view in this chapter that media are useful to the extent that they effectively carry required learning components of an instructional strategy."
• page 195 "First, research on effects of media on students' learning...generally concludes that the medium itself does not make s significant difference in how much students learn. Clark's (1983) review of research established the basic argument that the design of instruction rather than the medium used to deliver it determines student learning."

Performance Ojectives

"Mager first used the term behavioral objective in 1975 to emphasize that it is a statement describing what the student will be able to do."(Carey, pg. 113) In reading this quote, I was brought back to my education classes at Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I can still hear Professor Postma saying, "Students Will Be Able To, SWABT." We had to put this statement on each of our lesson plans for tutoring elementary students in nearby schools. This was ingrained in my head since the 90's. I could understand this chapter well with this background still in my thinking and way of doing things. I liked the additional tips of considering not on ly the actions, but also the conditions that the student will perform in and the criteria for evaluation.

Assessments

Variety, balance, purposeful choices all come to my mind when I think about preparing assessments for the material that students need to know. Sure a written test could be used in every and all situations. But is it the best option? I think it is a great idea to stop and pause to think about the best way to assess student learning. How effective would role-playin or simulations, or observation of performance fit with the material learned?
I'd love to think that I use variety in my testing, but maybe this discussion will raise awareness for me and nudge me to be purposeful and add some variety in my assessments.

Analying Learners and Context

Analyzing Learners and the context they bring with them to the classroom is the basis for the first few weeks of school for a classroom teacher. As we get to know our new batch of students, we figure out where they are coming from academically, emotionally and socially. All these bits of information become factors on how we set up our learning situations to be the most effective they can be.
As I wrote up my lesson plan for teaching my first graders computer next week, I realized that my hope for my learners, may not fit what their learning possibility is due to the current situation in the computer lab. Let me explain further. They have been typing "ABC in word" with a program called MAX WRITE. Many of them have completed it and started fussing with the font. I wanted them to print them next week. When we try to print from Max Write, we get a default message. I could take them through the steps to print it through Microsoft word. But I think my first grade learners would get lost in the additional steps. I will wait until our tech guy can fix the problem before I attempt to get those projects typed.

Analysis

So once a goal is classified, the goal analysis continues by determining the subordinate skills as well as the entry skills needed to complete the goal. The Instructional Designer's method of noting this is with diagram or a flow chart, like Professor Monson has said early on, and often.

The idea of entry level skills is one that often presents struggles to teachers. We have a classroom full of a certain age level of children with varied abilities. To teach the bulk of the group effectively, we often choose an ability level to teach to. If we go with the lower entry skills/knowledge students we leave the higher entry skills/knowledge students without much engagement and vice versa. I appreciated Dick, Carey, and Carey's idea of using "several starting points within the instruction." A classroom teacher can start instruction with one group, and pull in the others when the group has received the entry skills needed.

Instructional Design

As I'm reading and thinking about what is "Instructional Design" a number of thoughts are coming to my head.
1 - My husband is a civil engineer with specialty in the materials used to build our roads. When he talks about his job, he uses some of the words I continue to read: problem solving, analysis, specifications, and evaluation. I see him using some of the processes of Instructional Design in his line of work.
2 - In the Schiffman article on "Instructional Systems Design, Five Views of the Field," I appreciated this note about ISD: "a blend of psychology, education, communications, management, systems theory, and social science." This fits with the thoughts I had about my husband's work and the use of ID.
3 - The Schiffman artcile also recommended that rather than getting hung up on a specific title for this academic field or using specific terms for exact meanings within the field, one should balance each aspect of Instructional Design within the process.

Speaking My Language

This week's readings were speaking my language, teacherease. I'm understanding the "Backward Design" process to be
1 - identifing learning goals: including the learners, their final tasks, the situation the task will be completed and the supplies the learner will use for task completion. (Dick, Carey, Carey)
2 - determining what the evidence of the goals learned will be: How will we know the students have arrived?
and
3 - setting up the learning plan: creating "minds-on" lessons that effectively achieve the learning goals.
As I thought about the clear goals and outcomes being in front of the lesson planning, I thought about a number of instances in my life where I have been using goals first, then how will it look, and then setting a plan. One of those situations is about the accreditation process my school is going through this year. We are looking at how we've been doing with our goals and outcomes that we've been working on for the last 6 years. The process helps us to keep a big picture goal in the midst of our smaller daily, weekly, or monthly goals.
Another situation this fits is how I use goal setting and communicating that within my family. My husband and I have 3 kids: 11, 9 and 6. If we start out the average day with them knowing what is happening, and what is expected of them, we have much more success having them come along with us in the cleaning, homework, piano practice, etc. They know what is expected of them. If we spring the responsibilities on them, they have a harder time accepting their tasks.
I have also thought about the times I have been in class as a student and an instructor asked us to read material for a specific purpose. It guided my reading in such a way that I learned more because I was looking for something.
Question is, in these processes have we really figured out the "assessment evidence" as Wiggins calls it, or is it just setting clear goals?

Foundations of Instructional Design and Educational Technology

The course has begun and the search for meaning to the title of this course is agenda item number one for me. Here's to hoping the readings will help me in my quest.

Smith and Ragan explain there are multiple types of Instruction. One can be education. This is where our life experiences teach us. Another can be training. This is where a specific, quickly usable skill is passed on. A third type of instruction is teaching. This is where a live person is passing on the information.

In Chapter 1 of our text by Dick and Carey, they refer to instruction, education, training and teaching as interchangeable words.

As I read their different approaches to these words, I thought about how I use them. I'd say that I have not differentiated between them. I call myself an instructor, a teacher, and an educator. I don't think I consider myself being a trainer very often.

Putting those words into the idea of "Instructional Design," I'm thinking about it being a structure for setting up learning that includes 3 main steps:
1 - Gathering information about your audience and the tasks they will perform
2 - Deciding the methods to meet your goals with your specific audience and their topic
3 - Reviewing and improving the previous steps.

As I was reading I was trying to figure out the reason for Instructor (or should I call him "Teacher" since he is a live teacher?) Monson's comment during class stating that Instructional Design is not just a lesson plan. What does that mean for me as a teacher who regularly creates lesson plans? It seems to me that I use parts of this process as a teacher, but I don't use them in a "systematic" approach. After this semester's class, that may change as I see the benefits to working through this thorough process.

In a quick internet search I found an interesting site: http://www.instructionaldesign.org/
I liked their main paragraph that explains instructional design and connects it with technology since so many designers use technology for their instruction. It is beginning to make more sense.

Rank 3 Internet Safety Sites

Which internet safety site gave the most helpful information to you? Rank the 3 sites I had you explore and defend why would you put them in that order.

Technology in the Classroom

A collegue and I have been talking about how she can have her middle school students blog assignments. I'm going to send her this link so she can see one of the options. I liked the idea Chrissy had in class about inviting students and parents via email.
Seems very usable.