Learner Autonomy and the LMS

Recently, I shared my internal conflict, "domain of one's own" versus "LMS as a personal learning environment." Creating and cultivating one's digital garden is the self-actualization of digital fluency. The LMS can positively support skill development and digital ascension. These two concepts do not have to be mutually exclusive. Credit Aaron Davis for extending this conversation with this question shared in the blog comments.

"To what degree can an LMS, such as Schoology, support student autonomy and personal learning?"

Stephen Downes is considered one of the prominent thought-change leaders in the area of personal, socially networked learning. He identifies the following essential activities for developing and sustaining an effective personal learning environment (PLE):

Curating
Content creating
Connecting and interacting
Sharing and reflecting

Coincidentally, "Schoology as Personal Learning Environment" was my presentation topic at Schoology NEXT-2016. My driving question was, if Schoology is utilized as a personal learning place, then students will be more engaged in learning. Participants analyzed their internet usage based on David White's "visitors and residents" research and mapping exercise. We discussed resident web behaviors and the benefits of interacting in a digital, social learning place. We then mapped student usage of Schoology and compared this map with the original. The group concluded if the LMS is perceived and utilized more as a place than a tool, students would experience greater relevancy and increased engagement.

Our next step identified the Schoology features that best support autonomous, personal learning based on Downes's recommendations.

Resources and Portfolios for curation and sharing of materials
Groups and Discussions for connecting with other learners
Pages, Blog, and Media Albums for content creation and reflection

In addition to the learning places created by these features, each can be enhanced with embedded media; graphics, audio, and video. The open API (application program interface), permits the integration of third-party apps like G-suite and Office 365. These integrations increase interaction, creativity, and personalization while keeping learners close to the designated online meeting place, the digital hub.

Whether it's a blog, website, or wiki, building a PLE from scratch supports the 4 C's of 21st-century learning (communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking) in exemplary fashion. Planning, creation, reflection and revision require time and perseverance. Many of the traditional school practices, such as schedule, calendar, and evaluation don't seem conducive to this longitudinal type of personal learning. Schoology, while not being a completely blank slate, provides places for creativity and connection. It fits the parameters of our existing school structures. An LMS can provide learning places for digital literacy, digital fluency, and networked contribution, adding transparency and autonomy with emerging competencies.

Are you using an LMS at your school? If so, how are you using it to support autonomy and personal learning?

What Teachers Can Learn From Effective Coaches

In my educational world teaching and coaching involve the same processes. The people that impacted my own learning most significantly were coaches. Could it be that great coaches were ahead of their time with respects to instructional best practices? Let's take a look at ten coaching practices that thankfully have found their way into the classroom. http://www.coachwooden.com/files/PyramidThinkingSuccess.jpg Standards-based Grading - coaches aren't concerned with arbitrary measures of success such as letter grades. Great coaches identify a requisite set of skills that are necessary for advancement and success. Promotion and achievement are based upon clearly identified levels of skill mastery. Authentic assessment - coaches are looking for their athletes to demonstrate their skill mastery under game-like situations. The best coaches incorporate game simulations and competitive, game-like drills into their practices. Winning coaches will use the contests as assess

Board Games in the School Library: 3 Reasons Why It's a Winning Play

"Play is the highest form of research." - Albert Einstein “Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori In our recently remodeled school media center, we have a space dedicated to active engagement in fun learning activities. Part maker space, part literacy lounge, board games are being incorporated to promote a culture of joyful learning. Whether it's a game of Rummy , Yahtzee , or Scrabble , family game night serves as a communication elixir and solidifies our domestic climate of togetherness. Shouldn't similar opportunities for interaction, challenge, and fun exist somewhere in our schools? Broken families, cultural fragmentation, and poverty are impacting opportunities for children to play. As we unpacked and tagged our new media center games, I was more disappointed than shocked by the number of students who had never played Monopoly , Boggle , or Sorry . One skeptical teacher commented, "Oh great, now we're letting students pl

Self-Directed vs. Self-Determined Learning; What's the Difference?

"We need to move beyond the idea that an education is something that is provided for us, and toward the idea that an education is something that we create for ourselves." - Stephen Downes In this age of abundance of information, shifting classroom pedagogy isn't nearly enough to make learning in school more relevant and authentic for the learner. Self-directed learning ( andragogy ), and self-determined learning ( heutagogy ) are the ideals necessary in making students " future ready " to live and learn in a web-connected world. While original research applied these concepts to mature learners, it has become apparent that even young children have an abundant capacity for recognizing and directing their learning. Anyone who has observed toddlers learning how to walk and talk understand the motivation and skill development that quickly develops during these processes. Considered by some to be on a learning continuum, self-directed learning, and self-determined

Nocking the Arrow

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