My First Week

     This week was very challenging.  I learned lots of new terms like "MOOC" and "Andragogy."  I sent my first Tweet this week and wrote my first blog.  It is a bit daunting, but exciting.
     I found the article "Overcoming the Goverence Challenge in K-12 Online Learning" to be very interesting.  I currently work at a college where we are just beginning to seriously explore the possibilities of on-line math class.  In fact, I have been asked to become the on-line tutor for our first semester (this fall).
     One question that kept popping up in the article was regarding the delay in K-12 implementing on-line teaching, versus higher education implementations.  I think that the financial bottom-line would explain a lot of the delay.   I talked to a couple of elementary educators.  There were surprised about the types of technology I use every time I teach,  They said that they use hardly anything.  Students at the college level expect technology.  Public school students would like to have more technology, but often do not have a say.  We even have a charter school in the Mat-Su Valley that has eliminated technology from the walls of its building.  The parents of these students believe that their child would benefit from an old fashion approach to education.
     After I read the article, I then read the review of the article.  The review was not a good one.  Basically the review stated that the article presented no foundation and assumed virtual learning was more effective than the in-class approach.  The writer of the review felt that the article was in denial of the current documentation.
     I then read the article "Why Social Media Should Be Taught in Our School Systems."  I didn't not realize that our Tweets were being saved in the Library of Congress.  I did enjoy the idea of using Twitter in the classroom, instead of clickers.  As I learn more about Twitter,it will become easier and I will discover for it.
     On to the next article "Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States."  The article was less bias than the first article I read.  The author wrote about how online education is still considered to be inferior.  I do agree that students who are working through a on-line course need to be more disciplined. One of the suggestions of the Goverence article was to start students early with on-line courses.  That might help students to learn to be more disciplined, so that they may be successful in an on-line class.
     In the article "Characteristics of Adult Learners with Implication for Online Learning Design," learning style of adults are discussed.   As an instructor at a college I recognize many of the characteristics that were listed.  I even copied some of the items for later reference.
     I tried to watch the FERPA webinar, but could not access it.  I do know about FERPA, as it is a requirement of my employment.  My favorite part of FERPA is the restrictions on parents access to their child's records.  I have had parents call me at my home asking about their child. I tell them I can't tell them anything.  I get the, "but I paid their tuition".
    Instead of the FERPA webinar I was able to access the #oltak webinar.  It was extremely informative.  I am glad I had the chance to view this.
    Which bring me back to MOOC and Andragogy.  A MOOC is a Massive Open On-line Course, still not sure what that exactly means to me, but I now know the term.  Andragogy has to do with the learning theory designed to meet adults needs.  The theory is based on the idea that there is significant difference between the way a child learns and the way an adult learns.
     I am looking forward to my opportunity to build on-line material.  I am nervous, but excited.  I am not entirely certain as to what I will build my course around.  I do know it will be adults and math.  I guess that is a start.
     I finally got to the FERPA webinar.  I thought I was comfortable with FERPA, now I am nervous about it again.  I will work through the various rules and try to make sense of them.  I thought it was interesting that the speaker admitted that he was still finding "gray areas" in the FERPA rules.  That doesn't make me feel any better.  I am really interested in "Creative Commons," I will looked into the site.  I have several documents that I have created that keep ending up in the public school system.  The documents are not that spectacular, but they are my creations.  

My introduction

Hi all,
   I am a teacher.  Specifically, I teach math at Mat-Su College. I have had this position for fifteen years and love almost every minute of it.  I also tutor in the Learning Center at the college.
   I have lived in Alaska all my life.  My youth was spent in Anchorage and my adult life in Wasilla.  I have two adult children.
   In my spare time, I attempt to play musical instruments.  I play the viola in the Mat-Su Orchestra and the tuba in the Mat-Su Concert Band.
   I am pursuing a Masters in Math Education.  I am not really sure how long I have been working at it.  It has been a long time, as I am taking one class a semester.  I should finish around 2015.
   Not much else to tell about me.  I spend most of my time being a teacher.  I prepare material, I grade material.  I am currently teaching two classes at the college during the Summer session.