Journal #9

"Massive and Open"
Fasimpaur, K. (n.d.). Massive and open. (2013). Learning and Leading with Technology, 40(6), 12-17. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-leading/digitaledition/digital-edition-march-april-2013

Massive Open Online Courses are online classes that are open to anyone and are usually free, but some charge for certain courses, and are online, yet some have face to face components.  Massive Open Online Courses have some variations to how the course is conducted since some Massive Open Online Courses are very in depth and require a great deal of participation, projects, and assessment.  Others focus on mastery and are more disposed for independent study.  Some people claim that this type of learning is very distant with no sense of community.  With some sessions having a massive amount of people on them and the testing being done mechanistically, some say that these atmosphere lack support, encouragement, and collaboration. Some Massive Open Online Courses are specifically geared towards K-12 educators for professional learning and are very useful in teaching things like digital citizenship and professional development.    Massive Open Online Courses often use a participatory peer driven style of learning which is uncomfortable to those who are used to the traditional top down style of learning.  Building community with    Massive Open Online Courses seems to be a challenge and is a major complaint by many critics of this style of learning.  Another criticism of these  Massive Open Online Courses is that there is a high drop out rate for the courses.  In the end, like it or not, these   Massive Open Online Courses are the new wave education and to some are a great relief from the traditional classroom setup and face to face meetings.

Question #1  What are the ways in which  Massive Open Online Courses can be used by traditional educators?
For those kids who fail to make it to school on time consistently, for those who can not manage their time properly, for those who have anxiety disorders and are scared of public places, for those with sleeping issues, for athletes when school becomes a burden to their practicing a sport, and for those in remote locations for who traveling is a nuisance, this could be a great answer.  I know many lazy people who have trouble getting out of bed in the morning and this could be the answer to their sense of entitlement and lethargy.  They could do this type of schoolwork in their underwear and in bed and never need to shower or practice any other type of annoying hygienic practice.  Since it is always impossible to cheat the system, this could be a great way to teach and assess students without having to worry about teaching children all of the other things that are learned in a public setting.  I wish I would have had this type of thing when I was in high school, I wonder if they will soon have online proms, that would have saved me a lot of embarrassment. 

Question #2 What are the benefits of Massive Open Online Courses?
They can be tailored for certain professional training and are generally free to the public.  They are a great way for interested people to learn about certain subjects.  They can be peer driven so that the learning is applicable to the students life and they can choose where the course goes.  They allow for thousands of people to come together and share a learning experience.