otl201 – Post 1

My name is Javad. Passionate Educator is my blog’s name. I am teaching chemistry. Besides, chemistry and sciences, I love literature and poem. In this post, I would like to share with you a haiku that I like a lot. I hope you enjoy it too.

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An old silent pond…
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again.

– Matsuo Bashō

JM2016

Thank you for visiting my blog.

JM

 

otl101 – Post 2

Herein, I would like to share my opinions about the following questions:

  • What do you know now that you did not know prior to starting the course?

What I found very interesting when I was working on this course and throughout reading this article and I didn’t know before was the concept and definition of the Community of Inquiry (CoI) in blended learning environments. The CoI framework in its core highlights the role of collaborative learning as well as individual learning and cognitive independence. After starting this course, I also get to know better about shared responsibilities of learners and teacher in establishing meaningful discussions and critical discourse for achieving desired learning outcomes.

  • What gaps or discrepancies do you notice between your ideas in post 1 and what you have learned since then in Lesson 1?

My ideas in post 1 are mainly related to the challenges of online learning due to the lack physical presence and synchronous face-to-face communication. However, with the insights that I learned from reading this article and reflecting on my own experiences, it is clear to me now that despite the lack of face-to-face presence, there is a need for reinforcing the cognitive presence and promoting a sense of exploration  through interaction and communication among the community of learners in an effective distance education.

  • What questions would you like to explore on the topic of cognitive presence?

Now that I know more about the importance of cognitive presence in forms of continual reflection and construction of meaning, how should a teacher provide a learning environment in support of cognitive presence?

How should learners be engaged in constructive discussion without the fear of being judged about what they say?

 

Post 1 – Part 2 – otl101

My favorite vacation spot is Melbourne, Florida. I love the relatively small city with long beaches and cozy restaurants. My uncle lives there too. I love talking to him about local plants and growing vegetables at home. The last novel I read was a family drama about a lady who got recently divorced and has…

My favorite vacation spot is Melbourne, Florida. I love the relatively small city with long beaches and cozy restaurants. My uncle lives there too. I love talking to him about local plants and growing vegetables at home.

The last novel I read was a family drama about a lady who got recently divorced and has come back to her parents’ home. She is try to find peace and meaning her life in her childhood home. I was really touched by the story and how vulnerable the lady was before coming back home and how she later appreciates the value of her family.

And here I am sharing my thoughts briefly about the proposed questions in the first lessons:

  • What is the most important characteristic of high quality online learning environments and why it is important?

In my opinion, the most important feature in a high quality online learning environment is the degree and quality of connection between the learner and the educator.  An efficient and reliable online system will also promote learning in a distance education platform.

  • What is one thing that you have learned about teaching online (or face-to-face if you haven’t taught online) in the last year and how has it impacted your practice?

I think it’s very important to build a solid rapport with the learners and encourage them to be active and keep their learning momentum throughout the course.

  • What questions do you have about online teaching and learning?

How can we make sure students are following the recommended timeline in a self-paced online course? In an online environment we lose the face-to-face interactions with students and in-class course delivery and activities. What measures can be implemented to reduce the impact of these shortcomings?

A beginning; A wordle

Hello peers and colleagues! My name is Javad. I am very excited to take this journey of learning with you and I would be thrilled to learn from your insights and experiences. In the coming weeks and months, I will strive to share my thoughts and opini…

post1

Hello peers and colleagues! My name is Javad. I am very excited to take this journey of learning with you and I would be thrilled to learn from your insights and experiences. In the coming weeks and months, I will strive to share my thoughts and opinions on online learning and teaching.