Technology is being used for our everyday lives. There are so many different kinds to choose from that research has to be done to know which one will be of use for the kind of end result that an instructor may want. With any instructional activity heavily invested in technology for the delivery of content, the choice of types of tools is important (Simonson, Smaldino, Albright, Zvacek, 2012, 204). This leads to instructors having to think creatively to design instruction that will allow their students to interact while learning material.

There are so many questions that one might ask themselves when trying to choose the right kind technology for distance learning. It is important that there be work done on the front end to ensure that the technologies that will be used will benefit all learners. Technology used in distance learning should be considered as a tool to deliver the instruction and not as a method (203). You have to plan how you would use the technology to present information to your learners and you also have to learn how to use the technology so that you can get the best end product. Using the distance education technologies should not limit the choice of strategies used by instructors, but should open new possibilities for those wishing to enrich their teaching (Smaldino, Lowther, & Russell, 2011; Westbrook, 2006).

The example that I chose to focus on is example 2 interactive tours. It reads “A high school history teacher, located on the west coast of the United States, wants to showcase to her students new exhibits being held at two prominent New York City museums. The teacher wants her students to take a "tour" of the museums and be able to interact with the museum curators, as well as see the art work on display. Afterward, the teacher would like to choose two pieces of artwork from each exhibit and have the students participate in a group critique of the individual work of art. As a novice of distance learning and distance learning technologies, the teacher turned to the school district’s instructional designer for assistance. In the role of the instructional designer, what distance learning technologies would you suggest the teacher use to provide the best learning experience for her students?” In this case there are two things that need to be accomplished. The first is the teacher would like for the students to take a tour of these two museums and interact with the curator. A virtual field trip combined with video conferencing equipment would be one of the best kinds of technologies to use for this part of the assignment. Not only are the students able to tour the museum, but they can also ask the tour guide “curator” questions pertaining to this assignment.

Next, it says that the instructor would like for the students to critique two art pieces. This can be obtained from the museums website or sent as a picture file to the teacher to display for his or her students. This could be used as a collaborative assignment where students could be put into groups and maybe linked to have a video conference with a New York City school that was able to view the display. This is a great interactive piece for high school students to hear viewpoints of students from another side of the country. A well-designed distance education course can be as easy to deliver as a traditional face-to-face course (205).

References

Education world. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech071.shtml

Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.

Video conferencing for education. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.ivci.com/education-video-conferencing.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8BSzQG2Ti0

Wk1

When I first started in a distance learning course I said to myself "this is going to be the hardest thing that I ever do in my life." That was about 6 years ago. To me the thought of distance learning made me cringe because I didn't think it was possible to learn without a teacher in front of me. Every time I logged in for class I had the hardest time staying motivated and getting myself together in order to finish assignments. My personal observation for this course is that it will teach me how to appreciate the luxury of learning from a distance. I hope to gain a lot of knowledge on how to teach a course from a distance to a group of learners from all age groups. Upon reading the information for this class I learned many things. One of those things is that distance education is becoming more world-wide. Because of the availability or access to internet that the world has been experiencing, everyone now has the chance to learn from a distance. Anywhere in the world now, you can be given a quality education from a great teacher. This has given many an opportunity to receive diplomas or degrees. Distance education has a major and varied impact worldwide (Simson, Smaldino, Albright, and Zvacek). In the United States in particular the ability to receive an education from a distance is always advertised. This has changed my feelings of distance learning. I have begun to feel that distance learning is the new way of giving those who are unable to go into a school building to learn a chance to learn. This is also done at the students pace or when the student is able to complete the assignments. This has taken off some of the load and self-esteem issues that people have suffered with which makes me happy to be a part of such a wonderful concept of learning that will bring in a brighter future. There are many hopes that I have for distance learning. One being that I hope it is able to help children in other countries to be educated by teachers in the states. In many countries students are unable to receive the quality education that students who are born in the states receive "free education." This would allow these students more options for higher education and even allow them to attend school here as well. To conclude, my experience with distance learning then and now has changed dramatically. From being terrified of it, to wanting it to help others it has become the way to get an education nowadays. Resources Simonson, M., Smaldino, S., Albright, M., & Zvacek, S. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (5th ed.) Boston, MA: Pearson.