Using the Library of Congress to Access Online Learning Modules

In EDPD 640, we have been taught through the use of materials accessible online. Our professor, Jan, has provided us with good resources that support the weekly lesson topics.

However, as we were doing our group projects, I found myself being directed to many sites in my search. Some were not as good as others, of course. I began to wonder - how do we know what a good source of information is? There are many sites out there that have questionable authors. Wikipedia comes to mind (http://www.wikipedia.org/)... it's an interesting resource but, since anyone can contribute to it, one never knows what is accurate information. I posted this thought on the EDPD 640 discussion board. On June 11, 2007, Jan replied,

“Here are a couple of good resources:

Cornell University: http://www.library.cornell.edu/olinuris/ref/research/webeval.html

University of Maryland: http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/evaluate.html

Jan continued, “BTW...I heard an interesting argument for the validity of Wikipedia info. Essentially, it was the fact that 'democratically' edited sites are more likely in the long run to be accurate than ones in which only one or a handful of people determine what is 'correct'. Also, the history and discussion links for each article point out issues that are under contention so that when there are divergent views this becomes apparent.”

As I considered sources for good information, it occurred to me that I would like to elaborate on what the Library of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/index.html) has to offer.

Following are some interesting sources, using the Library of Congress, that are applicable to EDPD 640 class members. The teachers who created these sites were involved in the Adventures of the American Mind project (now called Teaching with Primary Sources) Go to http://aam.govst.edu/ for further information on this project.

“Professional Development Training using the Library of Congress.” This site, designed by Christine Boyadjian of Orland Park School District 135 has been developed for teachers, to assist them in creating lessons for their students. Included are primary sources from the Library of Congress along with ideas on how to use this rich educational site. http://aam.govst.edu/projects/cboyadjian/

“Arithmetic to Mathematics: A Look Back.” Dr. John Meyer from Governors State University has created a site that uses primary sources to teach math. Here is his home page. http://aam.govst.edu/projects/jmeyer/index.htm Note that he has a link for teachers and another for students. Check out the student link to see his lesson: http://aam.govst.edu/projects/jmeyer/student_page1.htm

Donna Zawisza-Dineen of Joliet Public School District 86 created a project called "Fun and Games: Then and Now." This project was created to help young students make a connection between the past and the present. http://aam.govst.edu/projects/dzawisza/index.htm

Interested in nursing? This project, “Nursing Licensure, Legislation and Nurse Practice Acts” by Shirley Comer of Governors State University, explores the history of nursing licensure and the parallels between the timelines of the advent of nursing licensure and women’s suffrage. http://aam.govst.edu/projects/scomer/index.htm

For those of you who are interested in Social Services, check out my project: “The Development of Psychoanalytic Theory in Historical and Cultural Context.” As a counselor educator, I wanted my students to understand how a one’s experiences influence the development of a theory. http://aam.govst.edu/projects/probey/

Here is access to resources for all teachers. http://memory.loc.gov/learn/

Clicking onto this link will bring you to The Library of Congress’ Learning Page, which will give you access to lesson plans, activities and other resources you can use to enhance both online and face-to-face classrooms. For example, check out “American Dreams” http://memory.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/dream/index.html

Or go to Features and activities, and click on “The Big Picture” to access interactive and fun instructional materials for kids. http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/puzzle/puzintro.html

I hope you will take the time to explore our country’s library, and that you will find these resources to be interesting and helpful in your own development of online learning modules.

Graphics sources:
FAQs: www.gradcollege.okstate.edu/faq.htm
Math symbols: www.lifelearning.org
Nurse: www.istockphoto.com
Library of Congress:www.constitutioncenter.org

Creating the Learning Environment

Look at the picture of the group sitting in the grass by the lake at Governors State University. What do you think they are doing?

Did you say they are having a class meeting? If so, you are among those people who understand that a learning environment can look very different from what we traditionally have come to expect – a classroom with chairs, students sitting quietly and expectantly, with a teacher at the front lecturing.

During this first phase of our online learning, we have come to realize that we can create an online community of learners without meeting face-to-face (f2f). But how can this be as satisfying as a f2f meeting? Can we really have relationships with one another through the written word? And if the answer to this question is “yes,” then how does this occur?

As we’ve experienced in the course so far, relationships are established in much the same way as in a f2f classroom. The program began with introductions and a request for photographs so we could put faces to names. Consider your experience in a traditional classroom. How many of your fellow students could you actually name?

Another way of connecting online is through experiential learning like group work, discussion boards, case studies and personal stories. Students take inventories, they learn about themselves and then share their results with others. The constructivist perspective on learning invites online students to shift their paradigms and create a new model of what creates a good learning environment.

Students are required to become more actively engaged in the learning process. The online environment itself is set up for people who think "outside the box." Without f2f feedback, participants online must learn to be more expressive with their language, and create pictures with words. They can no longer “hide” like they might in a traditional classroom. The constructivist approach allows for creativity in expression and generation of new ideas.

Facilitators of online learning create a good learning environment by addressing the different learning styles of participants. As we learned in our group projects, we can find online resources for visual/nonverbal, visual/verbal, auditory and kinesthetic learners. For those of us who appreciate flexibility in when and how we engage in learning, the online environment offers us many ways to create our favorite “classroom.”

Online classrooms also accommodate individuals with disabilities or special needs. Since they can be adapted for sound or video computer-generated learning can be a godsend for students who cannot access a traditional classroom. Students can repeat lessons as necessary, and there is less chance that students will miss a key lecture piece when it is presented online.

For kinesthetic learners, online training can be made interactive. As I mentioned in one of my discussion postings, I was recently involved in a project that involved using the Library of Congress (LOC) to find primary sources. There is an area on the LOC for children (http://www.loc.gov/families/) that is highly interactive.

Learning to effectively engage in online learning is fun, but time-consuming. It is not for everyone. Skill in keyboarding, computer usage, and access to high-speed internet will make the experience more enjoyable for the learner. As with most learning, attitude is everything. Approach the challenge with the mindset of an explorer, make it fun, accept the challenge, and go for the gold – or in this case, the “A!”


Graphic source:http://captology.stanford.edu/2003/

Learning group photograph by Patricia Robey