Motivating Secondary Students in an Online Learning Environment

The irony of my video presentation is that in it I mention how students lose motivation when they find the task to be too difficult. That was me up until about an hour ago, ready to call it all quits and just walk away from it, when I was finally able to pull the audio and slides together. That was after pairing down my original plans to something simple just to get it done. Regardless, I really enjoyed this project. It forced me find meaning from materials I had difficulty comprehending and provided me with the chance to synthesize prior knowledge of classroom instruction, skill instruction, and intervention strategies for the traditional high school with newly acquired knowledge of effective online instruction, environment, motivational strategies, and teaching in order to create a foundation for academic intervention for online high schools.

Here is what I have put together Motivating Secondary Students in an Online Learning Environment

Technology and Media for Distance Education

The classification of static and dynamic technologies with the inclusion of those considered "middle of the road" (Moller, 2008) proved to be more difficult than I had anticipated. I had to keep asking myself whether the technologies, when used in educational settings, would be considered teacher driven, student driven, or teacher facilitated. In doing so, it became evident that existing educational technologies can be modified to meet the growing needs of learners and educators since some tools reside within more than one classification.

While technologies evolve to meet varying needs, I find myself stuck in the middle of the road. I want to be able to implement dynamic technologies in instruction but find myself in a place where it is that I am having difficulties navigating such technologies myself. Web 3.0 or semantic web, I get the premise yet I don't understand it. I do understand that it is all semantics (couldn't resist) but I'm not certain what that means as far as how I interact with the Web let alone the implications for my students. With that, I now understand why teachers sometimes refuse to embrace new instructional methods. I love my Web 2.0 world, it's safe there because I know how to navigate it, however, I do not want to go by way of the dinosaur so I must continue to interact with these new technologies.

Moving Toward Dynamic Technologies - Concept Map

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AXeZgatDfDm4ZGZiM3dtZjZfMWM0NWhjdmM2&hl=en

Engaging Learners with New Strategies and Tools

The tools for promoting student engagement have to include those that learners are currently using today and those that have demonstrated effectiveness when used in the online learning environment. In implementing the tools, focus should be placed on obtaining the predetermined learning outcome as opposed to trying to fit as much technology as possible in each experience. Doing so increases the effectiveness of the instruction and decreases the likelihood learners will become overwhelmed with the various representations.

Is there 'an app for that'?
Consideration must also be given to the mobility of the technology used for instruction. Smartphones, iPads, iPod Touch(s), netbooks, and other mobile devices dominate the technology hardware market. It is through these devices that many learners, especially the digital native, experience the world so educational organizations and its educators must meet them there.

Graphic representation of tools for engaging learners:
https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B3eZgatDfDm4MTA3YWU4OGYtN2FhZi00YjhkLThkYjAtNGQ5NDgxYjZhNTBk&hl=en