A to Z Teacher Stuff E-Community - Learning Events and Activities - Case Study Example

Learning E-community Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: Introduction Teacher learning community refers to a group of teachers who incessantly investigate into their practice in order to negotiate, create, and discover new meanings that improve their practice (NCTE 2010). The communities improve the quality of the teaching practice, which is a significant factor in enhancing student performance. Participants may include a school committee, teachers, grade level teaching team, school district and teachers’ association. As a form of informal learning, a learner is presented with a unique learning opportunity comparable to that offered by formal learning (Nwana 2012; (Yucel 2006). From a reflective perspective, the e-community presents greater learning opportunities to teachers as it is more adaptive, flexible, collaborative and interactive. This report analyses my experiences as a learner and participant in A to Z Teacher Stuff e-community. A to Z Teacher Stuff e-community Initiated in 1997, Atozteacherstuff.com is a teacher-centered website designed to assist educators to locate online learning resources hands down. The online resource presents teachers subscribed to the site with a platform to hold discussion forums and download teaching materials. Teachers can also locate thematic units and lesson plans as well as download a range of resources such as printable worksheets, eBooks, emergent reader books and blacklines at no cost (AtoZTeacherStuff.com 2012). The site’s key objective is to enable teachers in various career stages to learn from their peers. New teachers can gain knowledge from the more experienced and seasoned colleagues, as a result bringing recent training in technology and pedagogy capable of informing and refreshing older teachers. Among the webpage targeted for these purposes includes word shape worksheet generator, science experiments and handwriting worksheet generator. Through these tools, teachers are able to share knowledge, problem ideas and solutions. Among the available teaching aids include books, pictures and games (AtoZTeacherStuff.com 2012). The target audience for Atozteacherstuff.com includes teachers in active teaching practice as well as those still undergoing training. The site values diversity of perspectives and seeks to enable the educators at their various levels of experience to contribute to ongoing conversations on student learning. To this end, resources are section based on the level of learning. This classification technique is aimed at enabling members to locate the resources of interest (AtoZTeacherStuff.com 2012). Learning events and activities at Atozteacherstuff.com According to NCTE (2010), teacher learning communities are mostly effective when focused on participant inquiry into student learning and instructions. Additionally, when based on a foundation of trust and accommodation of differences, they can present participants with a platform to discuss emerging issues within and outside classroom experience. I was able to discover that Atozteacherstuff.com is built on a similar premise. It presented me with an opportunity to participate in a range of learning events and activities. As a participant, I was able to post inquiries as well as post concerns on student learning or instructions for the colleagues to read. In addition, other members or participants could comment or present their feedback on any issues posted. One thing I realized is that the topics explored are essentially connected to the teaching practice. Among the most striking feature for learning is the discussion forum. The platform permits members to propose a topic for others to comment and share opinion. Its interactive natures promotes a unique way of learning where teachers from different cultures, knowledge and experiences become informed on ongoing topics related to their areas of specialty. Members can also take online exams through the forum. The exams are intended to test teacher skills in a range of subjects (AtoZTeacherStuff.com 2012). Research surveys can as well be posted on the forum, where teachers can participate in the study. Chat room services allow teachers to connect to their peers to classrooms for collaborative learning. The adaptive and interactive nature of the site makes it appropriate for participants from diverse backgrounds to establish networking. Overall, the site’s rich stock of activities provides an alternative to the traditional apprentice/mentor relationship that positions beginner teachers to contribute limitedly to discussions. The e-community positions all members as potential contributors as a result fostering interactive resonance that allows teachers to work collaboratively towards transformative teaching (AtoZTeacherStuff.com 2012). Analysis of role as a learner/participant Basal (2002) noted that the transition to online environment from traditional teaching has influenced the role of teachers significantly. Jethro and Ajisola (2012) commented that by enabling participants to be more active participants, e-community experience has the potential to motivate the participants to engage more with the content. The interactive learning feature changes focus from being a passive teacher-centered model to one that is participant-centered. Based on these two perspectives, it is clear that as a participant and a learner, the site enabled me to assume a more proactive role in discussions with older and more experienced peers. The site influenced my role greatly. I became an active participant in group discussions. For instance, I took a lead in proposing topics for discussion. In one occasion, I took part in a discussion group that sought to inquire the criteria that can help rename the categories of tools in "kid language". I also took the role of a facilitator in small group discussions, by leading a discussion on collaborative inquiry projects, such as using ICTS to teach children. In one of the discussion sessions, I assumed the role of an expert researcher. I was prompted to research on how to develop lessons that can adapt to textbook resources for varied learning abilities. Later, I had to lead the discussion as more suggestions streamed in from other participants. I also took the role of a learner or inquirer, after shooting a question on how to create lessons through literature that incorporates critical thinking with language arts and social studies. As a learner, the site gave me an opportunity to reflect on my development. Analytical and focused reflection encouraged me to perceive how to reflect on how to reshape the classroom teaching practice and to draw on imagination as well as action research. More specifically, when the participants set aside time at the end of discussion to reflect on what was discussed and the challenges experienced, they developed essential ideas and perceptions that can be carried into their shared tasks (Alonso & Blázquez 2009). As a participant, I also learnt that one of the ways through which the e-community or teacher communities can improve student learning is through demonstration and using teaching aids. For instance, the teachers within the community collaborated to create norms for work within a particular school district to make learning expectations more clear or explicit for all students. Through active participation in the forums, I learnt that self-consciousness is learning that stems from the site and also creates connections between instruction and assessment. In particular, the group forum I participated in on “3rd grader with bathroom accidents” promoted classroom culture of assessment that can shape student learning. AtoZTeacherStuff.com community as a vehicle for learning From participation, I established that AtoZTeacherStuff.com community creates appropriate professional and social forces. Participants from various grade levels can share knowledge in creating assignments or teaching special education to the disabled students. I learnt that the site also closes the gap between instructional practice and educational research. Teachers who tend to feel that research does not relate to their area of practice are presented with an opportunity to actively inquire from others the areas of concern that have not been researched. Additionally, they can suggest topic areas for research as well as reflect deeply on researched areas. Knowledge generated in this way has the potential to directly affect their teaching practices. Additionally, the downloadable information resources such as eBooks allow teachers to supplement their knowledge on areas of interest (AtoZTeacherStuff.com 2012). Supplementary information on the site, such as tips, allows members to learn new skills on how to approach student learning uniquely. Overall, it improves quality of learning experience by extending reach to peers. It also removed barriers to learning by engaging learners interactively. Learners also acquire knowledge through differentiated learning as the site offers a wide range of tools (Basal 2002). Despite the strengths, I realised that a number of shortcomings on the site may hinder learning. The site is rather restrictive or discriminative. This is since it is strictly for teachers hence participants have a limited scope of study areas to explore. Older participants who lack advanced knowledge on internet use or who are not technologically savvy cannot participate in the community in a rather satisfying manner. Additionally, participants cannot comment or review some essential aspects. For instance, while not every member is allowed to contribute learning material unless peer reviewed, they cannot also comment on downloaded materials (Nwana 2012). Further, the learning or teaching materials are not tailored to each user’s needs since participants come from different backgrounds. The forums and chatting sessions may hinder effective learning processes, as they require participants to actively participate. This limits their concentration on classroom teaching (Jethro and Ajisola, 2012). Critical reflection on your personal experiences On reflection, the e-community offers an effective way of learning collaboratively. On personal review, it enabled me to review and renew educational material based on accuracy and suitability to the areas of interest. The interactive platform was very influential in motivating my learning experiences. They made the learning process attractive. At some point, I could engage in discussion forums for the fun of it and in the end, acquire some useful knowledge. The e-community gave me a chance to decide when to learn or engage in any forum enabled me to organise my study and learning time conveniently. To this end, it is clear that other users are also presented with a unique opportunity for more flexible and adaptive learning. Other users can participate in forums and contribute or share knowledge on student learning or teaching practice. While this presented me with an opportunity to network with peers from diverse backgrounds, it is clear that other users are presented with a similar opportunity. Conclusion The idea of improving learning by creating teacher learning communities is an important constituent for promoting student learning and teacher practice. Atozteacherstuff.com teacher learning community is a teacher-centered website designed to assist educators to locate online learning resources hands down. Among its most striking feature for learning is the discussion forum. The platform permits members to propose a topic for others to comment and share opinion. Its interactive natures promotes a unique way of learning where teachers from different cultures, knowledge and experiences become informed on ongoing topics related to their areas of specialty. Overall, the site improves quality of learning experience by extending reach to peers from diverse backgrounds. It also removed barriers to learning by engaging learners interactively. Learners also acquire knowledge through differentiated learning as the site offers a wide range of tools. References Alonso D, & Blázquez E 2009, “Are the Functions of Teachers in e-Learning and Face-to-Face Learning Environments Really Different?” Educational Technology & Society, 12(4), 331–343. AtoZTeacherStuff.com 2012, Welcome To A To Z Teacher Stuff, viewed 24 March 2014, http://atozteacherstuff.com/ Basal, A 2002, "ELT Teachers as Online Material Developers," The Online Journal of Distance Education and e-Learning, Vol. 1, Iss. 2 Jethro, O, Grace, A & Ajisola, T 2012, E-Learning and Its Effects on Teaching and Learning in a Global Age," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Vol. 2 No. 1, 203-210 NCTE 2010, Teacher Learning Communities: A Policy Research Brief produced by the National Council of Teachers of English, viewed 24 March 2914, http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/CC/0202-nov2010/CC0202Policy.pdf Nwana, S 2012, "Challenges in the Application Of E-Learning By Secondary School Teachers In Anambra State, Nigeria," African Journal of Teacher Education, Vol. 2 No. 1, Yucel, S 2006, "E-Learning Approach in Teacher Training," Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 7 No. 4. p.123-130 Read More