ETL504 Choosing a Change Process Model to allay teacher concerns about a Web2.0 App

Assessment 1 Part B

Introduction
The purpose of this paper (presentation) is to show how teacher concerns, towards a Web2.0 App., can be addressed through them experiencing stages in a change process model. The model experienced will be The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM). The CBAM is a change model in which relationships between users and the resource system of an innovation can be examined. (Donovan, 2007, p.267). In this presentation the users will be a small group of primary school teachers and the resource will be a Web 2.0 App. The App chosen will be a Blog. The teacher librarian (TL) will be the facilitator of the change.

Description of a Web2.0App

A Web 2.0 App is characterised by three elements: information sharing, user-cantered design and collaboration (Crotty, R. 2012). A Blog is a Web 2.0 App

"Blog" is an abbreviated version of "weblog," which is a term used to describe web sites that maintain an ongoing chronicle of information. It is a publishing tool that allows authors to quickly and easily self-publish text, artwork, links to other blogs or Web sites, and a whole array of other content. (Crie, 2006)

In education blogs have many educational benefits. Some of these are:

Blogs work well for students because they can be worked on at virtually any time, in any place with an Internet-enabled computer.  A class blog opens the opportunity for students to discuss topics outside of the classroom. Students have time to be reactive to one another and reflective.

Teachers can also bring together a group of knowledgeable individuals for a given unit of study for students to network and conference with on a blog.

Blogs can be effective forums for collaboration and discussion.

Summary of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM)

The Concerns-Based Adoption Model, or CBAM, is a conceptual framework first proposed in 1973 by Hall, Wallace, and Dossett. It describes, explains, and predicts probable teacher concerns and behaviours throughout the school change process.

In today's new era of accountability in education, CBAM can help districts and schools respond to federal requirements for standards-based reform as well as fostering a culture of continuous improvement. (Intro)

The three diagnostic tools of the CBAM user system are the Stages of Concern (SoC), Levels of Use (LoU), and Innovation Configurations (IC). (Donovan, 2007, p.267). Stages of Concern (SoC) use a questionnaire to help identify and describe the concerns teachers have during the implementation process. They are a way of accessing information about people's attitudes, or reactions, or feelings about a new program or a new practice. (Hord , in CBAM Video SoC).  Levels of Use (LoU) use an interview protocol to assess the degree to which a teacher is using an innovation. Innovation Configurations (IC) is a tool for identifying and describing the various forms of an innovation that different teachers adopt. Intro what it does is to explicitly spell out what the new practice will look like when it is in operation in the classroom." (Hord in CBAM  Video IC Transcript.)

The first principal diagnostic dimension of CBAM is Stages of Concern.

There are seven different stages of feelings and perceptions that educators experience when they are implementing a new program or practice (SEDL)

The first three concerns are focused on self, the next concern is on the mastery of the task, and the last three concerns are around results and impact on others.

The second principal diagnostic dimension of CBAM is Levels of Use:

There are eight behavioural profiles that describe a different set of actions and behaviours that educators engage in as they become more familiar with and more skilled in using an innovation or adopting a change (SEDL)

The third principal diagnostic dimension of CBAM is Innovation Configurations.
Different ways an innovation may be implemented, shown along a continuum from ideal implementation or practice to least desirable practice

An Overview of a plan for implementation of Blogs

Stage of concern	Level of use		Innovation Configuration (TL as change facilitator)
	0. Non-Use There is no action or involvement.		The teachers in the selected group are not familiar with blogs
Level 0 Awareness There is no awareness of any change taking place			Use a questionnaire to help identify and describe the concerns the focus group has during the implementation process. Make the group aware of the characterisation of Web2.0 Apps through their three elements: information sharing, user-centred design and collaboration. Brainstorm if they know any. Refer to state guidelines and standards as to the expectation of the need to use Information Technology in a collaborative and interactive way. Explain that a Blog is a Web2.0 App. for the above reasons.
Level 1 Informational Seeking information			Send out a description of Blogs and their educational benefits by e-mail and also place a hard copy in their staff ‘mailboxes. Ask the members to peruse the information and to highlight or record any insights or concerns. Encourage them to send questions to you via email or through mailbox.
	0I. Orientation There is a general interest and group members are taking an initiative to learn more about the innovation.		Provide workshops to share insights and to address the concerns from the previous literature. Provide opportunity for other members of staff, with previous experience with blogs, to come to the workshop. Share state and national guidelines and acceptable use policies (AUP) regarding the use of school and other computer networks and the Internet.
Level 2 Personal How will using it affect me?			Conduct demonstrations of setting up different blogs for different purposes. Provide time management on a personal basis.  Allocate varied times for each group member. Choose times that are convenient for group members.
	II. Preparation There are definite plans to begin participating with the innovation. The members are learning the processes and skills needed for successful application.		Model and practice with teaming strategies and form a consensus on area for group to focus. It could be on an interest level, for example, Recipes or on an educational level. Encourage the group members to blog on a regular basis.
Use begins
		III. Mechanical Early stages of application. Emphasis is on day to day use of the innovation with little reflection	Encourage study and research to deepen content knowledge about blogs. Promote team members regular self-assessments of their teamwork
Level 3 Management How can I master the skills and fit it all in?			Provide suggestions for time management for blogging in the classroom. Organise some release time to gather and organise materials and walk through procedures. Provide logistical help and support Review policies and guidelines pertaining to student access
		IVA.Routine Few or no changes are being made. There is limited though given to improving the use of the innovation.	Encourage further study and research to deepen content knowledge about blogs. Take the necessary steps to inform parents of procedures and secure parental permission before using the blog in a participatory manner. Determine that all students' AUPs are in place and up to date. Teach students safe, acceptable, and sensible behaviour as online authors and readers. Teach the non-posting rules of no complete names, e-mail accounts, or references to reveal location. Set clear expectations regarding tone, respect, and consequences.
Level 4 Consequence How can I refine it to have more impact?			Provide or organise professional development focused on areas where teachers want to enhance student learning. Remember to form a consensus on area for group to focus. Provide discussion around suggestions for broadening students’ participation and motivation.
		IVB.Refinement Changes are being made to the innovation to increase impact and consequences.	As a group develop and use joint instructional strategies. Allow for group members to observe each other using the instructional strategies. Examine student work- are the using safe, acceptable, and sensible behaviour as online authors and readers.
Level 5 Collaboration How can I relate what I am doing to what others are doing?			Organise opportunities for collaborative teaching and use of demonstration lessons.
		V. Integration Intentional efforts are being made to collaborate with others to have a combined impact.	Share blog activities and information across the school community. Work with colleagues to further develop joint instructional practices
Level 6 Refocusing I have some ideas about something that would work even better			Review the key elements of blogs. Engage students in self-assessment of how well they are using blogs and what could they do to strengthen it.
		VI. Renewal Group members reflect on the innovation and investigate ways to make the innovation effective to achieve greater impact.	Provide consistent and regular support

 

Planned on-going support
In the book Taking Charge of Change (Hord, Rutherford, Huling-Austin, & Hall,1987), the authors propose that before change can happen in schools, teachers need to pass through several stages of concern. Only when teachers reach the top “impact” stages of concern will the innovation be implemented appropriately.

It can take a long time for the CBAM process to conclude, sometimes even years. Teachers will be at various levels of the model. At times various outside factors can prevent the initial target group from completing the change process. As new technologies are made available sometimes a Web2.0 App. might be superseded by something more user –friendly.

The initial focus group could be encouraged to collaborate with the TL in presenting the blog, using the CBAM they experienced, to another group of teachers that are at the lower levels of concern and use. As more teachers became confident they could then continue the process.

The TL could adapt the CBAM to another Web 2.0 App or another educational innovation.

The focus group could join a professional blog and share their knowledge with other teachers in other parts of the world. The TL is to continue to support focus group as well as new groups, through the use of the CBAM and its diagnostic tools of the Stages of Concern (SoC), Levels of Use (LoU), and Innovation Configurations (IC).

 References

1. Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Video: Introduction to the CBAM http://www.sedl.org/cbam/videos.cgi?movie=Intro.  Retrieved from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL504_201260_W_D
2. Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Video: Innovation Configurations http://www.sedl.org/cbam/videos.cgi?movie=IC. Retrieved from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL504_201260_W_D
3. Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Video: Levels of Use http://www.sedl.org/cbam/videos.cgi?movie=LoU. Retrieved from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL504_201260_W_D
4. Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Video: Stages of Concern http://www.sedl.org/cbam/videos.cgi?movie=SoC. Retrieved from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL504_201260_W_D
5. Crie, M ((2006). Using Blogs to Integrate Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47
6. Crotty, R, (2012) ETL 504 Wiki Retrieved from http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/ETL504_201260_W_D/page/48cd9b13-d594-413b-00e2-10148aa9c4d3
7. Donovan, L., Hartley, K & Strudler, N. (Spring, 2007) Teacher Concerns During Initial Implementation of a One-to-One Laptop Initiative at Middle School Level. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 39(3), 263-286. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/detail?sid=2ea02c8a-882d-46b3-86a4-9a2ecbba0e6f%40sessionmgr113&vid=1&hid=113&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=tsh&AN=24840241  

Changing views of the role of teacher librarian

ETL401 Assignmment 2

Task C

A critical synthesis of your reflection on how your view of the role of the teacher librarian may have changed during the subject. This should include examples captured from your personal blog and from participation in the ETL401 forum.

In my first blog I muse about how the family is like a mini-library with all its collections and about the importance of consultation when planning. In the blog there seems to be a hint of my general awareness of the intricacies of a library. However the terminology is not library appropriate. As the course progresses I am continually bombarded with more appropriate terminology.

Kukielka E. Beginnings Retrieved January,30. Retrieved from http://www.elazofia.blogspot.com/2011/11/beginnings.html

In ‘Website Labyrinth’ I am going, inadvertently, through Kulthau’s ISP model. I am frustrated and I need assistance. When I think about it the whole course has really been an aspect of IL models or ISP processes. The feelings aspects are quite important. There have been areas where I have required more assistance than in others.

Kukielka E. Website Labyrinth. Retrieved January,30. Retrieved from

http://www.elazofia.blogspot.com/2011/11/website-labyrinth.html

An important aspect of a TL is being to locate information. Rather than relying on Wikipedia or Google it is important to look at professional literature and research articles. The section about using journal database was most informative. I was able to understand that you need to rely on a variety of sources. It also helped me understand the importance of key words and narrowing the field. I was able to compare Academic Search versus Informit.

Kukielka E. (2011, November 21) [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub3_forum

In Topic 2 we looked at the role of TLs. I was able to compare a statement from a school where I once worked to other professional documents. I discovered that some items were exactly the same. Late in the course, through another subject, I understood the need to acknowledge sources.

Kukielka E. (2011,November 25). [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?task=frameset&forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub4_forum&message_id=5482728 

Kukielka E.Copyright. Retrieved January,30. from http://www.elazofia.blogspot.com/2012/01/copyright.html

There was also discussion regarding prioritising the role TL play at school. Purcell promoted the concept of time study. I shared my experience of working at a library as a casual teacher and noting down everything I did during an administration block. I noted this down before I had commenced this course. Actually this was one incident that inspired me to learn more about being a teacher librarian.  Those days made me realise how other teachers perceive the role of the TL .

Kukielka E. (2011,November 25. 9.44pm)). [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?task=frameset&forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub4_forum&message_id=5482728 

( I cut and pasted the link and it came up the same as above.)

I also wrote about how the role of the TL is being downgraded  and the importance of teachers to  collaborate with the TL when selecting resources. At this stage I was unfamiliar with the term ’collaboration’ in relation to TLs.

Kukielka E. (2011,December 2). [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?task=frameset&forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub4_forum&message_id=5491638

In Topic 3 I wrote about the need for change. It is important to be flexible from year to year. As the world changes we need to keep up with developments. Students coming into our care will have been exposed to various technologies while still at home.

Kukielka E. (2011,January18). [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from

http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?task=frameset&forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub5_forum&message_id=5532682

In the TL and the curriculum I wrote about how some classroom teacher are resistant to change. The more I read professional and research articles the more I am aware of  new concepts regarding teacher librarian initiatives. In addition to what I wrote I feel that all teachers should be encouraged to access professional readings. The readings should be not just about teachers but also about the importance of other specialists within the school. During this course we have read about how the teacher role of the teacher librarian is misunderstood. AS a former ESL, Reading recovery teacher I fully understand that those roles have also been misunderstood.

Kukielka E. (2011,January28). [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?task=frameset&forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub5_forum&message_id=5541531

TLs understand the importance of IL strategies to enable students to transfer this knowledge to other situations. They are finding it hard to implement this across the whole school due to time allocation. I gave an example of one way to be able to do this.

Kukielka E. (2011,January26). [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from

http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub6_forum

Kuhlthau, Caspari and Maniotes (2007) look at the difference between assessment and evaluation in Guided Inquiry. They write about on-going assessment and not just looking at content but how students access the content. In response to this I wrote about the way projects were researched and presented about 15 years ago. This can be compared in relation to the various IL models and ISP processes

Kukielka E. (2012,January26). [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from

http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?task=frameset&forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub6_forum&message_id=5536064

On the 25^th January there was a discussion between Amanda Davis, Helen Tindall (Mandie) and myself about Langford’s article. We were looking at is there a time when someone is fluent in information literacy. Through the discussion we covered some of the stages of IL. There is a need, you use various sources to locate the information and then you can present the information in a variety of ways. A person in a western culture would be information literate differently to a person living in the Amazon basin. I am only including the link where the discussion starts. There are six links in all.

Davis A. (2011 December 16) [Online forum comment] Retrieved from

http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?task=frameset&forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub6_forum&message_id=5539393

There are quite a few challenges to collaboration. Some factors could be: not understanding fully the strengths of the teacher librarian, some class teachers finding security in working in a class with their own students or only one class teacher from a grade collaborating with the TL and the other teachers not fully understanding the importance of what has been planned.

KukielkaE. (2012 January 12 ). [Online forum comment] Retrieved from http://forums.csu.edu.au/perl/forums.pl?forum_id=ETL401_201190_W_D_Sub7_forum

I have a better understanding of the role of the teacher librarian. I was aware of some aspects of it however other roles have been clarified. It is also important to promote the roles overtly and to inform classroom teachers, specialist teachers and school leadership teams of any new insights into the role and the benefits that this role can be in promoting information literacy.

References:

Isbell., D., & Kammerlocher, L. (1998) Implementing Kuhlthau: A new Model for Library and Reference Instruction . In RSR: Reference Services Review, 26(3-4)  p33- 44. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/journals.htm?issn=0090-7324&volume=26&issue=3

Kuhlthau, C. C., Caspari, A. K., & Maniotes, L. K. (2007). Introduction to guided inquiry – What is it, what’s new, why now?. In Guided inquiry: Learning in the 21st century. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited. Retrieved from http://cissl.rutgers.edu/guided_inquiry/introduction.html.

Langford, L. (1998) Information literacy: a clarification. School Libraries Worldwide, 4, 1, 59-72. Retrieved from http://www.fno.org/sept98/clarify.html

 New South Wales Department of Education(n.d) .Smartcopying: The Official Guide to Copyright Issues for Australian Schools and TAFE. Retrieved from http://www.smartcopying.edu.au/scw/go. 16/01/2012

Purcell, M.(2010) All Librarians Do Is Check out Books, Right? A Look at the Roles of a School Library Media Specialist. Library Media Connection, 29(3) p30-33 Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=57fcd5e0-a7a5-4522-ab78-a2675710bbae%40sessionmgr104&vid=2&hid=125

Changes

I am from NSW so my youngest (a girl)starts High School next Monday. The other 2 (boys) are in their early 20's.

It is amazing how much technology and schooling has changed over the years.

When my youngest boy was a baby (very early 1990's) I was doing a DE course. I was using an electronic typewriter for my assignments. You would ring the 'lecturer' at given times Or leave a message for them to ring you.

All materials were sent out, including tapes.

We did not have webinars, podcasts, online resources, forums and a great support system from our subject coordinators. I had to go to the nearest Uni to access materials (books).

There were no laptops from work. Every now and then I used to haul the computer home on the weekend to complete programs or worksheets.

We did not buy a computer until the boys were 6 1/2 and 9 years old.
There was one computer in the classroom.

The youngest one grew up with a computer at home. She had access to computer when she was at pre-school. Daily events were recorded and parents could watch at the end of the day. AT her school for some reason they decided against Interactive Whiteboards but she is heading there next week. There are computers in everysubject area. The students get a laptop for 4 years and something else in Year 11. They said a new laptop, but where will technology be at that stage.

Recently I got a list of textbooks. She will be getting an ebook for Maths.

I learn a lot from my children about technology.

I used to complain about mobile phones initially and about texting. One day when my eldest was in high school he wanted to go on the home computer. I told him that I needed to type from a draft. He said that he would type it for me. I came back 15 minutes later and he was doing his own work. I started to be annoyed but he stopped me and showed me mine finished work. The speed was amazing, all due to texting. Luckily his spelling skills are great even though he uses shortcuts when texting.

Good luck with your day tomorrow. Don't forget the tissues AND camera.

The journey is important

The students are assessed on learning about learning. Ongoing assessment allows the teacher to guide the student in their area of need.

They clearly identify 'Five kinds of learning in the Inquiry Process'.

In many cases the end result is what is assessed. As a teacher I have had many discussions with parents around report time. The discussion was usually about the grade given. They did not fully understand that I was also assessing the process by which the information was retrieved.

When I first started teaching students were given 'projects' to take home. Then they had to present the project to the class. Usually there was a question/topic and then sub-topics. The students were given approximately 2 weeks to complete the 'project.

Marks were allocated for the final presentation as well as the reporting back to the class. There were some interesting results.

It was obvious that in some cases it was the 'parent's
homework that was on display. In some cases the work was obviously created mainly by the parent, but the parent had worked alongside their child. When it came time for the oral presentation the child knew the topic well and was able to answer questions related to the topic.

There were other cases where the work was also of a high standard but the child relied heavily on reading the material and experienced great difficulty doing this, especially if there were technical terms involved. Also, the child had difficulty answering questions.

About 10 years, or so, ago, the process somewhat changed. Activities were completed at school. Students could still bring information from home. Students worked individually, in pairs or small groups. The groups also varied- same, ability, mixed ability, friendship groups, interest groups (students interested in one aspect of the topic).

The task was pasted in the in the students homework book as well as their research book so that parents knew what was being assessed.

Many parents still are concerned about curriculum content. As long as the end result is great the rest is not really important. This has been an on-going issue.

There have been students who only relied on the computer for gaining information. Student who have brought outdated sources from home. There were students who did little research during their group time. Then they would arrive on the day of the presentation with their own work and insisted on presenting their work separately. The other group members were stumped. They were not prepared to share this with their group during the weeks of research. As this was a group activity I had to write in the half-yearly report that the student needs to be an active group participant (or something to that effect).

The other aspect of this is that many schools try to inform parents of changes in education. There have been information sessions on 21st Century learning: Guided Inquiry, Cyberspace Bulling and many more. Information is printed in bulletins, newsletters and information sheets are sent home. There have been day and night opportunities for parents to become involved.

Unfortunately, it is the same small parents who come all the time. (In one case 3 parents RSVP to an event.) Yet, it is the parents who do not read information or attend meetings that complain the most. Many still think back to when they were being taught.

Even though I have been in the education system for quite a while I still made/make time to attend sessions at my children's schools. It is good to hear something from a different perspective or to have ideas reinforced.

It is the also the journey not just the final destination that is important. (Paraphrased from a talk by Bishop David Walker to the youth that were going to WYD 2011, Madrid)

Copyright

When I first started teaching over 25 years ago everything was recorded, though in different forms.

In most public schools there was, and in some cases is, a person responsible for printing and copying all material. Whether it was a fordigraph - remember the purple paper- or photocopy, it was that person's responsibility. Items that needed to be copied had to be handed in at the office by a given time and then they were delivered to the classroom or pigeon hole. The person recorded all things that had been copied in a special book. If there was a copyright issue you were informed.

In those days there was really no high level of printing as there were textbooks  at schools. Usually there was an input session and then: Please turn to page ... and complete activities..... A lot of what was printed had to do with teacher materials.

Gradually as there were more photocopiers within schools the teachers were able to do their own photocopies. There was a book near the photocopier where you had to record your name, the name of the author,book name, publisher, page number(s), the number of copies,the starting number on the photocopier and the the final number.

Later , you just had to record your name,the name of the book, number of copies , and the photocopier numbers. Over time these books disappeared in many schools. Some schools now do not even have pin numbers. It is difficult to tell what was copied and by whom.

Then teachers were given pin numbers and sometimes limited number of total copies. It was at the discretion of the principal. It was on the onus of the teacher to keep a record of work photocopied.

In most schools nowadays there is a big sign above or near all photocopiers about COPYRIGHT. The TL and the IT person at my former schools continually reminded us about copyright.

Some teachers are conscientious about this and about the copy of materials that they had created.

However, many are still very laid back towards this. I am certain that Copyright is broken every day, especially from the net.

Teachers and children take an image from the net, paste it on their computer and then it is viewed on the interactive whiteboard (IWB) or used in a presentation.Very rarely is reference or acknowledgement made to the origin of the image.

I know teachers who have paid a low price for a 'CD' at a fete or a DVD. The cover looks suspicious. One teacher said that it does not matter that it is not the original. If it is watched a number of times or is lost it would not have cost her much. What about the rights of the artists to get their fair share of the proceedings?

At times it is not easy to keep copyright. It can be annoying and time consuming. I know that some journals that I have accessed have a warning label. I mostly read them on-line. However, spending too much time in front of the computer can affect eyesight and posture, especially if the article is long. I try to skim and get to the main points.

Many articles are free to download for educational purposes. These are the optimal ones.

Assignment 1 - each mark counts

Got my first assignment back. Result was more or less what I expected. Room for improvement.

After handing in my assignment and the when I got it back,I went over where I could have improved ( or lose marks).

I had thought more about the assignment contents than about the presentation. We were sent so much information but that got lost among the readings and the forums. There was no official cover page and no footer  with relevant information and page number. I think of what could have happened if something had gone wrong with the printer. The pages could have been thrown on the floor and no one would know (except for the first page) that the assignment belonged to me. This omission cost me some marks. Not a lot, but then each mark counts.

I spent more time on one part then on the other (this showed up in the marking for that part.) I did not double check the URLs. I did not answer some aspects of the question.

Roy kept writing something to the effect: always go back to the question, read over what is required, critically analyse what is required. I did do that but I should have done more. I got caught up with end of year activities, school and personal.

Referencing was another area that needed to be addressed. I need to record references in correct format as I read anything. Any interesting quotes need to be recorded  with page. numbers next to them. I spent ages looking things up again or not being able to find a URL because the link had been copied down incorrectly.

The experiences learnt here have added points to my next assignment , unless the content needs improvement.

Remember: Cover page,footnote with name,course number, student number, page number.
Double check your references, make sure the URLs work.

Organise your time to allow for family, work, study, play, rest and good eating habits. Stay hydrated.

Time, Time, Time

Time flies. Kept meaning to get to blog more often but had many things on my mind.

It took me some time to work my way around the my.csu website.

 After not studying for over 15 years distance education is different. Last time most of the major outlines were sent to me. I had a study guide that explained amongst other things all the referencing, quotes and so on.  Each subject had its own booklet. Tapes of lectures were also sent, then had to be returned.

I was aiming to commence study in February. Fate had a hand in all this. How was I supposed to know that the date for enrolment for session one was the same as late enrolment for session 3? I sent the enrolment in one week and a week later was notified that I had been accepted, as a late entry into session 3. The course was to start in 1 week.

I was thrown into this whirlwind world. I kept navigating throughout the site. It took me quite a while, and I am still finding out new things, to ensure that my knowledge of what was expected was accessed. There were  subject outlines, modules, EASTS, student services, assessments, forums, sub-forums, podcasts, webinars and so on.

I did not know how forums worked properly. (My last distance education course had no such thing.) I did not understand at first what the '+' and '-' signs meant or what was the meaning of the blue numbers after the subject heading . ( I though that it meant that it was the number of people that had read my comment.

I thought that my questions were being ignored. I was starting to get frustrated. the course was getting on. The school year was coming to a close and I thought there was little support. I couldn't have been more wrong. 

Once I worked out the meaning of the different symbols and meanings I realised that the answers had been there all along. The staff and other students were most supportive.
There was just so many places that had to be accessed to find relevant information.

It would have been good to have an introductory booklet on hand. Writing assignments has changed over the years and it is assumed that students have a great knowledge of uni websites. Each uni is different in the way it sets things out. Under each subject it might be good to have an introduction section that explains each area briefly.

On the other hand it was a quick way to become more fully aware of the technological world we live in. How time flies!!!