Distance Learning Stories
How are our customers using
EdPro Distance Learning resources?
  
Washington State University - Custom Clips in Distance Learning Course
EdPro helped Jeanie Pittman at Washington State University put together a custom clip collection for her course on Learning & Guidance in Early Childhood. She chose an assortment of video clips from our Reframing Discipline series, our Preventing Discipline Problems series, plus some clips from the TrainerVision Video Library. These clips were reproduced by WSU’s media department onto a DVD, and each student in the class received this loaner DVD as part of their course materials.
Comments from Jeannie Pittman on using EdPro video in her online course:
“The EdPro videos I've selected are representative of the concepts I intend for students to learn in each lesson. I ask students to watch the video clip and then answer a set of questions. Students support their answers with readings from texts, NAEYC documents, readings on reserve, etc. Students are required to post their answers and then read another student's answers and give feedback. I have found that students are thinking and writing more in this online course than in any other I've developed and/or taught. I think it is because they have these wonderful illustrations (your videos)….
The video clips are a wonderful asset to the course. As a teacher, I appreciate the videos because they are perfect illustrations of the concepts I want students to grasp. Students respond to the videos and engage in rich conversations on the online discussion forum. Again, thank you for your contribution to the success of this course.”
Portland Community College - ¡Adelante Maestros! Project
Project ¡Adelante Maestros! was designed to meet the unique challenges and needs of Migrant and other Head Start Spanish-speaking teachers who have limited-English proficiency. The goal of the program is to provide a venue for Spanish speaking students to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Early Education and Family Studies while learning college level English. This project includes bilingual ECE courses, and ECE courses with English-language support, Classes are offered via distance education and utilize both Interactive Television and web technology. An important resource for this course is the collection of EdPro clips from videos that are available in both English and Spanish.
EdPro Distance Learning Courses
Beginning in 2005, EdPro developed and delivered 8 distance-learning courses as teacher professional development courses in partnership with 18 colleges and universities. Each course includes a variety of activities, exercises and readings built around video interactions in EdPro videos. More than 300 students took these courses during the 18 months they were offered.
Courses were delivered in a correspondence class model, with students receiving course workbooks, loaner DVDs and all reading and assignments via mail. The students completed courses independently with periodic check in from the instructors. Both colleges and students gave the courses high marks.
Cynthia Cosgrave was one of the instructors of record for
an EdPro Distance Learning Course. She had this comment on student’s experiences with the course based on The Power Of Positive Communication:
"The students I worked with who took the Power of Positive Communication course had diverse educational backgrounds with varying levels of experience working with children. They took the course through partner universities for a range of credit options: some for graduate level professional development credit, others for non-credit CEUs. Courses had a range of requirements for completion, but for each one the key learning experience were the lessons and practice opportunities on the CD-ROM.
I believe that the Power of Positive Communication is an exceptional learning tool. It presents authentic experiences that allowed all students, regardless of their educational backgrounds, to see and reflect on teacher and student relationships in new ways that encouraged them to adopt or modify their communication strategies. Uniformly, they could see the value and effectiveness of using positive communication to increase children’s understanding, help them build language skills and foster cooperative behaviors. It is a magical experience to read and learn about a concept and then see it in action. PPC is a virtual learning lab that students can visit as many times as they want until they master the material. Their self-evaluation at the end of the course showed that they experienced growth in their knowledge and skills."
Comments from students who completed the EdPro Distance Learning Courses:
Because I am a visual learner, the videos that were paired with the exercises were a valuable tool to me. Seeing the actual technique put into practice was extremely helpful to me. The various examples of each technique shown in the videos were excellent and had me making lists of the times during the day when I could use them…. As I reflect on some of the students I have worked with in the past, these young children seemed to need more from my teaching than I knew how to give. I now think I have filled some of the missing links to my teaching by what I have gained from this course.
Susan
Ashland University
This course was an excellent reminder that one can have all the educational tools they need but one needs to tune into the child’s feelings and anxieties. The video was a valuable tool that allowed me to observe what teachers are able to do in the classroom with the children at various stages of learning. It showed examples of activities, routines and conversation that work with children where they are at.
Kelli
North Dakota State University
The information presented was clear and the video was very nicely done. I liked the teacher comments - a lot of what I do with my class was validated by this course. I was very impressed with the training.
Debra
Wayne State
I thought the videos were very insightful and the workbook provided questions where I could be very reflective on my teaching practices.
Jo Ellen
Wayne State
I liked going at my own pace. I could listen to the videos as often as I wish and I had the time to think and reflect on issues.
Linda
Portland State University
I feel this course provided wonderful information to support professionals in the field. After taking this course, I would like to observe additional classrooms via video. It was very helpful.
Jessica
North Dakota State University
* A study on the efficacy of the interactive training CD-Rom, the Power of Positive Communication, gives evidence of the learning outcomes of these EdPro course. Read more about this study.
Gateway Technical College - Interactive CD-ROM in Practicum Course
The Power of Positive Communication, EdPro’s interactive training CD-ROM was used in a practicum course taught at Gateway Technical College by Brenda Pirstill, beginning in Spring of 2005.
Comments from Brenda Pirnstill on her use of the CD-ROM:
“The class included 20 students working toward an AA in Early Childhood Education. The experience level ranged from none to many years in the field. As a group, we spent approximately l-l/2 hours in three different classes working through learning activities on The Power of Positive Communication. This amount of time only allowed for using some of the video supported interactive exercises on the CD. I estimate that we completed about a third of the learning experiences included in the CD’s lessons.
My experience: to be perfectly honest, I had mixed emotions throughout the three weeks I was using the CD. I thought the format and exercises were better than the kinds of learning activities I had used previously, but I wasn’t sure if more than a handful of students were invested as I hoped they would be. However, as part of the class, I spent many hours each week observing students in their student teaching practicum.
In the weeks following our work with The Power of Positive Communication, I observed and heard students using strategies and techniques taught on the CD! (I think the expression “the proof is in the pudding” applies here.) When I met privately with students following my observations, it was a mutually affirming experience to be able to say, “Wow! I noticed how clearly you explained to that child what you wanted her to do.” Students frequently commented that they were practicing the skills and techniques they learned from our work with the CD, and that they were using them not only with children in their classes but with their children at home.
Follow-up:
Prior to and since using The Power of Positive Communication, I have used video training programs, and I can honestly say that the interactive learning experiences on the CD resulted in more student engagement and more in-depth discussion than video alone. I believe that this CD does a remarkable job of providing a critical piece of the background students need to be able to understand and practice positive guidance.
In informally evaluating student performance after using the CD, I know it was an extremely effective tool. The focus is on building skills and students are able to identify their strengths and areas where they need more work. They learn how to use new skills in a variety of situations and have guided practice with exceptional video clips to try out what they are learning.
Recommendation:
Although my own use of The Power of Positive Communication was in a technical college class, I think the CD would be a fantastic investment for child care centers to use with staff, either individually or in staff meetings. I know each state has its own regulations, and I believe in some instances, the use of the CD could easily be documented and used as continuing education hours.
| 
