A basic premise of TOEP is to encourage self-discovery in a safe environment while promoting a community of learners. TOEP recently received funding through a SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grant (IITG). In addition to supporting the further development of the project, research will also be conducted to determine if this form of professional development is effective to provide faculty with the knowledge they need to be able to use the new technologies for the purpose of communication and collaboration and to provide skills to allow the development of meaningful and engaging assessments to gauge student learning.
TOEP requires faculty to develop a personal blog to reflect on what their new knowledge about the tools means for them personally and how it relates to their discipline. As the main PI on the project I am disqualified to be considered for incentives available to faculty from participating institutions, however, I will also document my reflections through my own blog entries.
The first TOEP activity asks to view a video about lifelong learning and comment on which habit is the most appealing and which is most difficult. The most appealing to me is to play. This is what drives some of the successes that the many projects that TOEP is modeled after have achieved. In a safe and non-threatening environment I'm free to explore, make mistakes, learn from my mistakes, and succeed.
The most difficult habit for me is habit #3 - viewing problems as challenges. The video points out that we often learn the most as a result of the curve balls life throws at us. This can loosely be interpreted as being able to easily adapt to change. Once I'm comfortable with a process I'm afraid to change to something I'm less familiar with. However, this trait is most useful to be able to grow to become a transliterate person in today's technological society. Transliteracy is defined by Sue Thomas as, “the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and films, to digital social networks.” Since technologies change so rapidly many established technologies are often phased out and replaced with something new. A trait of someone who is transliterate and tech savvy is someone who is able to adapt to change in relation to mastery of new tools.
The most difficult habit for me is habit #3 - viewing problems as challenges. The video points out that we often learn the most as a result of the curve balls life throws at us. This can loosely be interpreted as being able to easily adapt to change. Once I'm comfortable with a process I'm afraid to change to something I'm less familiar with. However, this trait is most useful to be able to grow to become a transliterate person in today's technological society. Transliteracy is defined by Sue Thomas as, “the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and films, to digital social networks.” Since technologies change so rapidly many established technologies are often phased out and replaced with something new. A trait of someone who is transliterate and tech savvy is someone who is able to adapt to change in relation to mastery of new tools.
So, this concludes first blog entry for TOEP. I will track the successes of my peers as they make progress and try to comment on some of the entries submitted by others. Although I am personally already quite familiar with a number of the technologies in TOEP I will strive to reach new understandings that challenge my current level of understanding. I will explore how these tools can be useful in relation to my personal needs and in relation to my responsibility to provide effective support for faculty who I work with on a day to day basis as an instructional designer. My progress will be based on my own intrinsic motivation to succeed. I hope everyone has personally rewarding experiences progressing through the discovery-based learning activities in TOEP.
Robin, I enjoyed reading your post. I love the idea of "transliteracy" - a new word for me, and something I'd like to strive toward. Your post was very informative for me... I'm new to all this and out of my comfort zone, to be sure. Its nice to be on this learning journey with you, with all your knowledge in this area. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Robin,
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that, until I read your blog entry I had not tried the blogroll. I have been connecting to other blog entries by using the TOEP spreadsheet. Although the blogroll seems easy to access, I avoided it because I wasn't familiar with the term....something I tend to do with new technology. Unless I have heard of it, and have used it, I tend to shy away from it (e.g. RSS newsfeeds). I will start using blogroll to comment on other blogs, thanks!