Why MOOC's Are Just a Phase

It’s new, it’s “innovative,” and it’s big, the thinking goes. So it must be the answer.

Siva Vaidhyanathan suggests this as the main rationale that comes with universities' decisions to implement MOOCs in the article "What's the Matter With MOOCs."   Vaidhyanathan goes on to point out the problems that are inherent in today's current MOOC-crazed edunet. MOOC's basically reproduce lectures for passive consumption while leaving little room for what truly constitutes education:

Education is the creation of habits of thought and methods of inquiry that yield unpredictable results. We offer diplomas to people upon completion of a rigorous and diverse set of intellectual experiences—not the mere accumulation of a series of facts and techniques. Education is certainly not an injection of information into a passive receptacle.

I tend to lump the uprising popularity of TEDTalks into the same category of MOOCs. They're interesting (sometimes!) to watch or listen to, but I'm not going to list them on my CV. These two edumedia trends work great in our fast-paced world just as audio books do. But is there any real educational value in MOOCs?

No, and that's why they represent a phase. MOOCs are either a soon-to-be dying phase as universities realize the folly of spending money to produce free lectures, or perhaps they are the next phase towards a more substantial piece of our educational future. Now I'd like to think they are leading toward a tertiary education that truly is open and free to more people in America. I would love to receive credit from a Harvard MOOC but alas, Writing the Novel is an online course that costs $1250 ($2200 for graduate credit!).

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EdTech Preview: ThingLink & Google Apps

In the spirit of Connected Educator Month (yes, it's Connected Educator Month!) I watched a webinar sponsored by ThingLink.com:  "Transform Teaching and Learning with ThingLink and Google Drive." The presentation featured Susan Oxnevad, an expert on using ThingLink and Google Apps to create interactive images for classroom research projects. She is a teacher and facilitator from Chicago who is also a contributor at Getting Smart, a"community passionate about innovations in learning."

Oxnevad shared sample research projects (rainforest exploration, Civil Rights Movement) to show how teachers can use Google Apps and ThingLink to help students construct knowledge and create meaning. Basically, ThingLink offers a teaching tool to make the dissemination of research sources more engaging for learners. Depending on what you pay for (I tested out the free version), you can embed images with a variety resources that students would then use in a collaborative or independent research project. 

I created my own embedded image for a 7th grade media unit.
 Red Bull: Safe or Reckless? 

Here are some pros and cons that I noticed after a quick test. 

PROS: 

• Quick creation: I created my page in about ten minutes.
• Easy to figure out: I'm a figure-it-out-as-you-go person as opposed to a tutorial watcher, but there are tutorials available if you need them.
• Student accounts: you can create and invite students to join ThingLink through your master account (I have not done this yet, but if it's like other sites it shouldn't be too difficult.

 CONS:

• Upgrade costs money: you can upgrade for $35/year if you're an educator. This gives you access to annotating video and you can "easily add students." (Now I'm wondering if it's difficult to initially add students!)
• Is it really that big of a deal? Sure, it looks cool aesthetically, but does it result in deeper learning than creating a packet of resources or a GoogleDoc with links?

Go to ThingLink.com and test it out for yourself!

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Cheers To Passion!

One of my biggest inspirations is my sister, Katy. She recently fulfilled a dream by opening an art bar in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Years of hard work has led her to this accomplishment: she has spent time slinging drinks for the bar scene and researching artwork for a local gallery. Now, she has opened her own establishment, Mainline Art Bar.

Kelly Knowlton and Katy Eagleston in their artistic paradise AKA Mainline art bar.  (Photo by Matt Cauthron)

Katy inspires me because she is pursuing her passion and I hope that I can say (some day soon!) that I am 100% focused on doing the same. For me, it would involve creative writing. Sure, I write but not nearly as much as I should be. That 's the hard thing about life...sometimes it's hard to make time for your passion. That's why I want to thank my sister for reminding me that yes, you can pursue your passion as your career.

Please read the interview in The Tulsa Voice.


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