EDTECH Challenges

  For my challenge, I chose the lack of faculty development for digital media literacy.  In the New Horizons Higher Education report, this was the first challenge they spoke of. They touched upon how important digital media literacy is in every discipline and profession. The challenge teacher training and support for these skills and techniques is rare.  

      My video animation represents a cartoonish take on one solution I purpose.  That solution is to have a set faculty development and professional growth training road map in place for all teachers, professors and lecturers. Part of that road map to digital literacy success should include strategies and techniques to better help them understand their students own digital literacy, and build upon that skill set to prepare them for the careers in which they are pursuing. Careers where digital literacy is just as important. 

      How does this relate to my own school or classroom?  One large component of keeping the very best adjunct instructors in front of the students is our Professional Growth process we have in place to continually train and grow the instructors. One aspect of our learning environment is incorporating content experts. Part of our accreditation is using not only education equivalence such as a master’s degree and 18 credits in the subject they are teaching, but also experience in the field they are teaching as well. For example, a Psychology instructor must have a master’s degree and 18 credits in Psychology. They also must have 3 years experience teaching psychology in a secondary or post secondary setting. Another example is a Labor Relations instructor must have a bachelor’s degree in labor, and 3 to 5 years labor relations experience in field.  The idea is to put a value on the instructors real world experience and education first and foremost and their actual "teaching" experience secondary.  The hardest thing about hiring adjunct instructors is their ability to stand and deliver a lecture. When it comes to labs or the hands on work the adjunct draws from his or her work experience.  When it comes to the actual teaching or delivering a meaning lecture, we see a drop in the quality of the class.  Finding an instructor that fits both molds is rare. In an effort to support those with a strong content expertise find their inner teacher we have adopted an aggressive faculty training program.  The challenge is the instructors are learning the very basics of classroom management.  I have included an example of one of these faculty-training courses below for reference. 

ED101 - Effective Teaching Strategies

      This introductory course covers the essential roles of a teacher and the competencies required to be a successful instructor in the career college setting. Proven techniques and strategies for planning and preparation are presented and discussed. In addition, the course offers effective methods for conducting the first class meeting and delivering course content. This course provides a solid foundation for new instructors and serves as an excellent refresher for more experienced instructors.

Module 1: Developing as an Instructor

Recognize the different roles instructors' play in the educational process. 

Identify competencies needed for instructor success. 

Describe different instructional styles and their impact on learning. 

Form a professional image of a career college instructor. 

Create a professional development plan. 

Module 2: Planning and Preparation

Describe commonly used instructional terms. 

Utilize different instructional tools for delivery of course content. 

Create strategies for preparing for the first class meeting. 

Recognize ways of selecting supportive instructional material. 

Write goals and objectives for courses. 

Develop a course syllabus. 

Analyze learning environments. 

Module 3: Meeting the Class for the First Time

Explain the role of the instructor during the first class meeting. 

Identify strategies for a successful first class meeting. 

Recognize ways of introducing class requirements to students. 

Create a to do list for instructional planning. 

Select content and activities for starting a new class. 

Decide on instructional supports to improve student motivation. 

Module 4: Delivering Course Content

Utilize different methods of organizing and presenting class content. 

Select appropriate content delivery options. 

Recognize categories of learning styles. 

Identify different lecture formats. 

Select lecture format appropriate for class being taught. 

Plan ways to use demonstrations to deliver content. 

      That is an example of the very first 4-credit course all instructors must take.  As you can see it is geared towards introducing them to the role they play in the classroom. Now I am going to jump ahead for a more advanced course all instructors take within the same professional development program.

ED106 - Enhancing Student Learning

This course provides methodologies and examples to help instructors increase content retention and application by students in need of support. The course starts by covering the skills needed by instructors to be clear communicators. We then discuss ways instructors can become effective in monitoring students and using student groups as learning tools. The course concludes by covering techniques and strategies to instruct diverse learners, including learners with disabilities 

Module 1: Developing Your Communication Skills

List different ways of delivering clear presentations. 

Identify different ways of reinforcing new content. 

Use reinforcing strategies to assist students with content retention. 

Create a plan to refine your communication skills. 

Module 2: Organizing Student Learning Groups

List ways of becoming an effective monitor. 

Organize student-learning groups. 

Use student groups as learning tools. 

Module 3: Instructing Diverse Learners

Identify the different categories of diverse learners. 

Describe the characteristics of diverse learners. 

Use the strategies suggested for working with diverse learners. 

Module 4: Instructing Learners with Disabilities

Identify the different categories of students with learning disabilities. 

Determine the characteristics of students with learning disabilities. 

Use the strategies suggested for working with students with learning disabilities. 

      The thought process is by the time an instructor takes ED106 they should have taught at least 20 classes.  Having a passion for technology and its potential uses in the classroom, I can make suggestions for different software and web based tools to aid in all of the objectives ED106 is teaching about.  However, the content within those modules is tried and true pedagogical practices. The main focus is incorporating group activities and group work.  The student with disabilities section is a example of a prime opportunity to incorporate newer strategies for Faculty training that help increase digital literacy, but misses the mark.  At this point in our adjuncts career, they have been in front of students for 20 classes. That is managing a classroom for 12 weeks 4 times a week. I think it is imperative at this point in their development we build on their digital literacy. The students with disabilities module should include a section dedicated to the free resources available to use through educational technology that helps students with IEPs. Such examples are online study aides and audio components for notes. From there we can build on instructors own digital literacy by introducing them to web based grading aids, and then prepare them for the importance digital literacy plays in the career fields today’s student body wish to enter.