When I initially started taking CEP courses, I wanted to gain experience in some new resources that could help me on my way to becoming teacher. These courses have definitely taught me a great deal about incorporating technology into the classroom. One great resource that I have become accustomed to using now is RSS feeds of my favorite blogs. I use Google Reader, and I check it every few days to read my favorite edutech blogs which help keep me in the loop and prepare for my new job in August. I have completely gone away from using Microsoft Office products and have instead switched over the Google Docs due to its extreme ease of use and the collaborative features that allows for easier group assignments, editing, and eventual grading for the teacher. These are just two small examples of some things that CEP has taught me over the past 4 months. I do, however, want to keep learning. In the field of technology, staying ahead of the curve means everything. Dedicating yourself to continue learning, whether that be by going to educational technology conferences, reading blogs through and RSS feed, or buying new gadgets, is important in such a dynamic field as technology. I built a computer when I was in 8th grade and considered myself an expert when it came to hardware specifications that year because the depth of my research into what to buy was so extensive. Yet now, around 7 years later, I have no idea what a company like Intel is talking about when they unleash their new processor or video card lines. Staying in the loop is the only way to keep up, and I feel I have a good handle on that partially because of these courses.
One goal that I definitely have for the future is becoming more proficient at audio/video technologies. I would like to become proficient enough at these technologies that I could tape a school play on three separate cameras and then edit footage together to create a polished final product. Having skills like these are helpful to both a career and to the institution I will be working at. I have some experience with filming and editing, but I would like to learn more. I will be having my students use these technologies on projects that I will be doing with them this upcoming semester that will teach both them and I how to better use these technologies for educational purposes. All students in this day and age should have a good base of knowledge on A/V technologies because they are becoming so prominent, so I would like to get better at them so I can in turn teach better about them.
Another goal that I have is to solidify my knowledge in web design. I can design a functioning website from scratch, but my design aesthetics and overall final products are underwhelming because I have had very little formal education in the subject area. I just bought a few books on DreamWeaver and Flash design that I will be exploring in the near future in an attempt to become proficient in these technologies. Being able to create a professional looking web page, whether it be for personal, public, or professional use is another very sought after skill in the workplace. Having web design as a tenant to offer prospective employers makes me look like a better candidate for employment. I am planning on living and working overseas for at least the next 10 years, so gaining the two skills mentioned above will make me a candidate hard to pass up. For someone like me that enjoys exploring the World, gaining A/V and web desing knowledge will help further my career greatly.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Group Leadership Project
Our groups final presentation, a screencast of a Google Presentation, is available on youtube at the following here.
Our group used Google Presentation to make a slideshow that featured mostly images that acted as a guide for the eventual screencast done by Elise. We organized our script in a Google Document and also did our storyboard as a Google Presentation, making our project quite Google-centric in its setup and eventual finished format. We used a screencast because as a group we figured that doing a tutorial through a screencast was the easiest and most informative method available for us to use without going to deeply into video. Screencasts are easy to produce and there are many free creators available on the internet, so the technology worked in our group very well.
I learned a lot about Google Sites during my development of the final part of this project. I had used Sites once or twice in the past for CEP 811, yet I was by no means fully proficient with the software. I challenged myself by making a few websites by myself and editing a few templates, and found that Sites was easy to use yet difficult to tutorialize because it is such a powerful and in-depth program compared to the other Google Docs. Since I had limited time in our presentation, I really had to search for features that would be useful for teachers as opposed to concentrating on doing a full tutorial of Sites itself. I really got to know my way around the program well due to that fact, and I learned some great things such as the Google Docs embedding feature and collaborative features that allows for others to edit a created web site as well. I would also say that overall our group communication was pretty good and it was a learning experience keeping in contact and communicating with all of the group members. Our group was well organized and everything went pretty smoothly.
If I had to do a similar project again, I don;t think that I would change that much. We used Google Presenter to do our presentation portion, which was great because of the collaborative features. Everyone could see what each other was doing, which was great for editing and creating the best possible product. Google products are especially great for that aspect. We also had a few chat discussions within the docs themselves, which is another feature that was incredibly cool because we could all follow along as work was being done.One thing that I would do differently is to change the main method of communication from email to something else. Email is a great method of communication but the organization of it isn't the greatest. Having a sort of discussion forum like the one on Angel (but not Angels) would be preferable. All in all the project went smoothly, I enjoyed working with my group members, and that translated into a good experience overall.
Online Teaching Experiences
I have yet to be in a classroom as an actual teacher at this point in my career. I will be starting a teaching job in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in August teaching elementary school computers at an international curriculum school, yet a main goal of mine is to be a high school history teacher at some point in the near future. History is my subject of choice to both learn and to teach, so I was looking at this list of online resources from a perspective of a history teacher. I found that one great resource to use in a history classroom would be online field-trips. Online field trips allow students to experience different parts of the world without ever having to leave the classroom. As technology keeps on getting better, the quality and interactions between virtual and real life will undoubtedly continue to be blurred, making for some unbelievable educational opportunities. All that a student will need is an internet connection and a computer, and an entire World of information in the state of audio, video, words, and other mediums is right at their fingertips.
A lot of virtual field trips and explorations are already available on the internet as was apparent by the online experience guide. I checked out some of the links and found that many great tours of both geographical and historical features were available free of charge. I then did a few Google searches of virtual tours of some famous sites in history and found that a vast percentage of them have virtual tours available. Gettysburg, Auschwitz, the Taj Mahal, and the Smithsonian all offer virtual tours of their museums and areas. There are now applications available online, like Google Earth and Google Street View, that allow users to basically visit portions of cities through some simple searching and mouse clicking. These types of programs and virtual tours have many many applications inside of the classroom. Students can learn a lot about the physical appearance of something that they may have read about many times but never actually seen. I visited Auschwitz when I was around 14 or 15 years old and it surprised me how serene and almost neighborhood-like Auschwitz was. I associated my knowledge of Auschwitz with what I assumed it was going to look like, giving me a perspective that the death camp was going to feel and look like an evil and vile place, but that was far from the case. Seeing it gave me an entirely new perspective. Visiting Auschwitz from the U.S on a class field trip would cost at least 2,000 dollars, which is beyond the reach of most schools and families. A computer can take you to Europe in seconds, and while the experience isn't exactly the same as being there, it is definitely the second best thing. Using virtual reality with students could be used as parts of projects, explorations, or any number of assignments.
One type of resource that I could see as being problematic for students would be educational online gaming. In my experience with gaming, especially at the primary and secondary levels of education, students can easily get addicted to games to an extent that it begins to hamper their other classroom activities. While online learning games can be a good thing, I think that overall the possibilities of problems it presents wouldn't be worth implementing them in a classroom unless the software was excellently designed and organized.
A lot of virtual field trips and explorations are already available on the internet as was apparent by the online experience guide. I checked out some of the links and found that many great tours of both geographical and historical features were available free of charge. I then did a few Google searches of virtual tours of some famous sites in history and found that a vast percentage of them have virtual tours available. Gettysburg, Auschwitz, the Taj Mahal, and the Smithsonian all offer virtual tours of their museums and areas. There are now applications available online, like Google Earth and Google Street View, that allow users to basically visit portions of cities through some simple searching and mouse clicking. These types of programs and virtual tours have many many applications inside of the classroom. Students can learn a lot about the physical appearance of something that they may have read about many times but never actually seen. I visited Auschwitz when I was around 14 or 15 years old and it surprised me how serene and almost neighborhood-like Auschwitz was. I associated my knowledge of Auschwitz with what I assumed it was going to look like, giving me a perspective that the death camp was going to feel and look like an evil and vile place, but that was far from the case. Seeing it gave me an entirely new perspective. Visiting Auschwitz from the U.S on a class field trip would cost at least 2,000 dollars, which is beyond the reach of most schools and families. A computer can take you to Europe in seconds, and while the experience isn't exactly the same as being there, it is definitely the second best thing. Using virtual reality with students could be used as parts of projects, explorations, or any number of assignments.
One type of resource that I could see as being problematic for students would be educational online gaming. In my experience with gaming, especially at the primary and secondary levels of education, students can easily get addicted to games to an extent that it begins to hamper their other classroom activities. While online learning games can be a good thing, I think that overall the possibilities of problems it presents wouldn't be worth implementing them in a classroom unless the software was excellently designed and organized.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Wicked Problem Project: Part D - Findings and Implications
I am creating a presentation on Prezi, the online Presentation tool, and gearing the presentation towards teaching how to use Prezi to collaborate with other people and groups in making professional level presentations. Cloud computing has given the World the ability to collaborate and share information at a level never before seen. Taking advantage of those opportunities both in the classroom and in the workplace will be vital to keeping up with technological advances and paradigm shifts in whatever areas of concentration. Prezi is a great looking, streamlined presentation tool that acts as an idea web for brainstorming and a powerful presentation tool that can use audio/visual media as a method of information sharing and presenting. Some things that I have learned during the beginning stages of implementation during this project can be seen below.
Formative
Thus far the implementation of the program has gone smoothly for the most point. I needed to gain more experience with Prezi in general before I could really teach the technology as a collaborative tool, but once I sat down and explored the technology for 2 hours, I found my grasp of it was strong and teaching it would not be difficult.
Summative: Evidence of success in addressing the problem of practice
The problem of practice for me was the fact that collaborating on projects in my experience can be quite difficult coming from the perspective of a recently graduated college student. Working around peoples schedules and busy lives often leads to people missing group meetings, differences in workload, etc. After working in Prezi and learning the software well, I have discovered its real usefulness as a collaborative tool that could easily be used outside of the classroom to create professional presentations for inside the classroom. Collaboration can be done on Prezi in real time through chatting and real-time editing, which addresses my problems well. Contributors can be invited from anywhere and contribute as long as they have an internet connection.
Approach How would you approach another project of this type differently given what you’ve learned here?
I felt that my approach to the project was well done and thought out. I initially came up with the problem of collaborating online to benefit groups of busy people with busy schedules, and then thought about a possible solution from there. Prezi came to mind because I have seen a few presentations and they were remarkably well done and professional looking, and after talking with people about them I was told that it is relatively simple and easy to create them and collaborate with them. One thing that I would have done differently would have been to learn Prezi before I started the project to see if I could use and liked to use the technology. I choose Prezi quite quickly without doing any research and it worked out for me in this project, but next time a will do some more research on my tool of choice.
Lessons
When it comes to teaching technology, tutorials need to be dumbed down as much as possible so that people at all skill levels can understand and implement the knowledge that they are learning. If someone only understands a fraction of vocabulary, technology jargon, or other such aspects, their understanding and eventual learning of the intended skill will suffer. This can be especially possible when TPACK is brought in to the equation. Understanding Pedagogy as it relates with technology and content is often not the easiest thing to do, which is why specificity should be a large concentration when integrating TPACK.
Changes
I have done many presentations in the past and have found a good recipe in doing them that works for me. I choose a problem first and then a technology to fix that problem. I think that when it comes to technology, the opposite method where you first find a technology and then figure out a way to use that technology to solve a problem could also work as well, which I would definitely think about doing.
Formative
Thus far the implementation of the program has gone smoothly for the most point. I needed to gain more experience with Prezi in general before I could really teach the technology as a collaborative tool, but once I sat down and explored the technology for 2 hours, I found my grasp of it was strong and teaching it would not be difficult.
Summative: Evidence of success in addressing the problem of practice
The problem of practice for me was the fact that collaborating on projects in my experience can be quite difficult coming from the perspective of a recently graduated college student. Working around peoples schedules and busy lives often leads to people missing group meetings, differences in workload, etc. After working in Prezi and learning the software well, I have discovered its real usefulness as a collaborative tool that could easily be used outside of the classroom to create professional presentations for inside the classroom. Collaboration can be done on Prezi in real time through chatting and real-time editing, which addresses my problems well. Contributors can be invited from anywhere and contribute as long as they have an internet connection.
Approach How would you approach another project of this type differently given what you’ve learned here?
I felt that my approach to the project was well done and thought out. I initially came up with the problem of collaborating online to benefit groups of busy people with busy schedules, and then thought about a possible solution from there. Prezi came to mind because I have seen a few presentations and they were remarkably well done and professional looking, and after talking with people about them I was told that it is relatively simple and easy to create them and collaborate with them. One thing that I would have done differently would have been to learn Prezi before I started the project to see if I could use and liked to use the technology. I choose Prezi quite quickly without doing any research and it worked out for me in this project, but next time a will do some more research on my tool of choice.
Lessons
When it comes to teaching technology, tutorials need to be dumbed down as much as possible so that people at all skill levels can understand and implement the knowledge that they are learning. If someone only understands a fraction of vocabulary, technology jargon, or other such aspects, their understanding and eventual learning of the intended skill will suffer. This can be especially possible when TPACK is brought in to the equation. Understanding Pedagogy as it relates with technology and content is often not the easiest thing to do, which is why specificity should be a large concentration when integrating TPACK.
Changes
I have done many presentations in the past and have found a good recipe in doing them that works for me. I choose a problem first and then a technology to fix that problem. I think that when it comes to technology, the opposite method where you first find a technology and then figure out a way to use that technology to solve a problem could also work as well, which I would definitely think about doing.
Group Leadership Project: Part B - Storyboard and Script
The link for the Google presentation, which was submitted on 4/15 on Angel, can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cVFOZOwLBNOv1-aUZGVssLaKn08zo6e6sPx5KE8LgoY/edit#slide=id.gd290852_0_59
We decided to do our storybook on Google Presenter, with a fairly straightforward format that was easily duplicated and repeated throughout the entirety of the Presenter document. The final project will be presented in a Google Presenter doc as well, but a more polished and artistic version will be used to better tutorialize the software that we decided to focus on which was Google Docs and Google Sites. I did the last section regarding Google Sites. Google Sites is a relatively advanced and in-depth on-line web editor, so I had to pick and choose carefully what data to include in the short 2:30 that I have for my part of the presentation. I choose to focus on templates and just a few of the editing features in the program, as it is far too vast to describe fully in 2:30. I wanted to give teachers a good idea of how they can use a program like Google Sites instead of how to use it generally. The final product will be a Recorded Google Presentation on Jing (or another similar program) that will be read aloud by Elise.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cVFOZOwLBNOv1-aUZGVssLaKn08zo6e6sPx5KE8LgoY/edit#slide=id.gd290852_0_59
We decided to do our storybook on Google Presenter, with a fairly straightforward format that was easily duplicated and repeated throughout the entirety of the Presenter document. The final project will be presented in a Google Presenter doc as well, but a more polished and artistic version will be used to better tutorialize the software that we decided to focus on which was Google Docs and Google Sites. I did the last section regarding Google Sites. Google Sites is a relatively advanced and in-depth on-line web editor, so I had to pick and choose carefully what data to include in the short 2:30 that I have for my part of the presentation. I choose to focus on templates and just a few of the editing features in the program, as it is far too vast to describe fully in 2:30. I wanted to give teachers a good idea of how they can use a program like Google Sites instead of how to use it generally. The final product will be a Recorded Google Presentation on Jing (or another similar program) that will be read aloud by Elise.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Web-Conferencing
For our brainstorming session, we used Vyew online web conferencing software. The software is free to use (ad supported). It works great. We all used our microphones and had a detailed discussion of Web 2.0 applications, and eventually decided to do our group presentation on Google apps. We used Vyew to upload the rubrics for the project so we could all review them, and we some sample projects were also uploaded so we looked at those too and got a good idea of where we wanted to go. Elise took notes using Vyews built in note taking tools, which are easy to use. The best thing is that our session is saved, so when we go back and meet tonight all of our notes, timeline details, and uploaded data will be there waiting for us. The only thing that did not work well was that sometimes our conversation would not flow well due to accidental interruptions, which would sometimes lead to both parties involved waiting for the other to talk for extended periods of time. I would like to see a hand raising tool like in adobe connect, so everyone is cued up that wants to say something to prevent interruptions which will happen in groups of 4. In a classroom, I could see Vyew being a great tool for use in a classroom. For group projects, students could easily meet online and do some planning and work away from school using the application. Provided all students owned a computer, it could be a great tool for group projects. Also, if students needed to miss extended school time due to natural disasters, school damage, or other unforeseen circumstances, a teacher could conduct short lesson plans from home to keep the curriculum moving forward. Vyew is a great application, and I would and will be using it again.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Wicked Problem Project: Part B - Application of TPACK
I have decided to to do my Wicked Problem Project on Prezi, the online Web 2.0 presentation tool. I have found in my recent university stint, that collaboration and effective utilization of resources and manpower during group projects can be very difficult to achieve with the collection of different schedules and skill-sets of the members. More often than not, one or two students take the reigns of the projects and end up doing a larger percentage of the work. This makes for and unfair work environment as well as a weaker final product due to the work being handled often more quickly by a smaller minority of the group. The use of a cloud computing and collaborative software like prezi will make for a better product. The group planning stage of the initial assignment is important when addressing a new project, but once an idea and timeline is set, the use of Prezi will make for more efficient usage of group members time and resources. I will now be taking a look at the TPACK aspects of my Wicked Problem Project.
What is the TP knowledge for the solution?
From a technological perspective I will be using Jing and Prezi itself to teach the uses and effectiveness of Prezi as a tool in presentations and especially group projects. I will be implementing the uses of videos, screenshots, and other images to more effectively tutorialize the use of Prezi as a collaborative tool. I will also be presenting the final product in Jing. I hope that my video portions of my presentation will benefit the visual and auditory learner. This project emphasizes problem-based learning, and I hope to bring in a solution based on collaborative-based learning. The technology of Prezi will be used to present my presentation which is about Prezi in the first place, giving a very tutorial-like quality to my project. The Jing portion will serve as a tutorial on Prezi as well, benefiting those who learn best from seeing and hearing.
What is the TC knowledge for the solution?
The use of Prezi to present on the benefits of using Prezi is a good way make a tutorial because it shows the features of the program and how they can best be used as a presentation tool. Prezi is a very powerful tool in presentation and collaboration. I will be using imbedded youtube videos that promote the use of Prezi over other presentation software. I will be making a Jing presentation that guides the user through the presentation.
What is the PC knowledge for the solution?
The usage of video and images makes the learning of Prezi more accessible to students. Seeing a program in action before you use it is a great way for a person to wrap their head around the possible uses. While playing with Prezi from the start, learning through exploration, is another way going about the problem, I find that learning about the tools at hand before you use a software keeps the mind more open and willing to explore the program once given a chance.
What is the TP knowledge for the solution?
From a technological perspective I will be using Jing and Prezi itself to teach the uses and effectiveness of Prezi as a tool in presentations and especially group projects. I will be implementing the uses of videos, screenshots, and other images to more effectively tutorialize the use of Prezi as a collaborative tool. I will also be presenting the final product in Jing. I hope that my video portions of my presentation will benefit the visual and auditory learner. This project emphasizes problem-based learning, and I hope to bring in a solution based on collaborative-based learning. The technology of Prezi will be used to present my presentation which is about Prezi in the first place, giving a very tutorial-like quality to my project. The Jing portion will serve as a tutorial on Prezi as well, benefiting those who learn best from seeing and hearing.
What is the TC knowledge for the solution?
The use of Prezi to present on the benefits of using Prezi is a good way make a tutorial because it shows the features of the program and how they can best be used as a presentation tool. Prezi is a very powerful tool in presentation and collaboration. I will be using imbedded youtube videos that promote the use of Prezi over other presentation software. I will be making a Jing presentation that guides the user through the presentation.
What is the PC knowledge for the solution?
The usage of video and images makes the learning of Prezi more accessible to students. Seeing a program in action before you use it is a great way for a person to wrap their head around the possible uses. While playing with Prezi from the start, learning through exploration, is another way going about the problem, I find that learning about the tools at hand before you use a software keeps the mind more open and willing to explore the program once given a chance.
Group Leadership Project: Part A - Brainstorm & Web-Conferencing Blog Post
Our group, consisting of Amy Palmer, Liz Klein, and Elise Feichtner, decided to do our brainstorming session using the Vyew online web conferencing software (www.vyew.com). My evaluation of the software was that it was extremely effective and quite simple to use as well. My full review is after the posted screenshots and links to our Vyew conference which saved for us to go back to and add to, another great feature of the software!
The link to our conference is located here: http://vyew.com/room#/907910/Part_A_Group_Leadership__Brainstorming_Session
Vyew does not support a recording feature, so screenshots taken of our brainstorming meeting can be seen here (Thanks to Amy for taking these!):
As should be apparent, we choose to focus of collaboration using Google Software. We all choose an app that we will be reviewing and giving tutorials on for their usefulness in the classroom and their collaborative potential.I will be focusing on Google Sites, Googles WISYWIG html editor and publisher.
On to the questions regarding the Vyew software.
What web conferencing tool did your group use?
We used the Vyew online conferencing software, which is a free to use (albeit ad-supported) conferencing software. Vyew allows for chat, voice, or video web conferencing as well as white-boarding, screen-sharing, and file-posting.
What were the advantages to using the web conferencing tool to discuss this project?
This software has so many advantages for our group. One advantage was the ease of posting content like our angel rubrics and other word documents. We all needed to look at certain pages together, and this software allowed for the posting of these important documents in seconds, in a nice page display format that is simple to navigate. Another nice feature was obviously the Voice-over-IP feature that we used. All of turned our microphones on so we could talk to one another. This was a lot simpler than perhaps chatting in text would have been. This allowed for more bouncing around of ideas, which eventually led to us finding a topic that we all agreed on. The note-taking aspect of Vyew was also a nifty feature. Elise volunteered and took notes on what we were saying and deciding on. These notes could easily be saved and referenced and gone back to review later. It put our ideas in writing. The fact that the room we used is saved indefinitely on the Vyew servers is my FAVORITE feature about the program. When we go back and have our second meeting on Wednesday night, all of our stuff from the first meeting will already be there, which is a huge time saver. We never got around to using the webcam chat, the whiteboard, or the screen share features, but I could see these features being great in other settings such as directing a tutorial on new office software. Oh, and did I mention this software is free! Overall a fantastic Web 2.0 application.
What were the disadvantages to using the web conferencing tool to discuss this project?
One main disadvantage to Vyew was the that we could not record our presentation in a video. This hampered us on this project a little bit because it was one of the suggested requirements. Screenshots though do the program justice in my opinion. We all know what we said in the session and have notes on our progress and our presentation is saved, so not having a recording feature was more of an annoyance than anything. Another thing I would like to see would be a sort of hand raising tool. Sometimes, 3 of us would start talking all at once and the awkwardness of not knowing each other would result in a lot of silent moments waiting for each other to go first. A simple cuing button would help Vyew a lot.
The link to our conference is located here: http://vyew.com/room#/907910/Part_A_Group_Leadership__Brainstorming_Session
Vyew does not support a recording feature, so screenshots taken of our brainstorming meeting can be seen here (Thanks to Amy for taking these!):
As should be apparent, we choose to focus of collaboration using Google Software. We all choose an app that we will be reviewing and giving tutorials on for their usefulness in the classroom and their collaborative potential.I will be focusing on Google Sites, Googles WISYWIG html editor and publisher.
On to the questions regarding the Vyew software.
What web conferencing tool did your group use?
We used the Vyew online conferencing software, which is a free to use (albeit ad-supported) conferencing software. Vyew allows for chat, voice, or video web conferencing as well as white-boarding, screen-sharing, and file-posting.
What were the advantages to using the web conferencing tool to discuss this project?
This software has so many advantages for our group. One advantage was the ease of posting content like our angel rubrics and other word documents. We all needed to look at certain pages together, and this software allowed for the posting of these important documents in seconds, in a nice page display format that is simple to navigate. Another nice feature was obviously the Voice-over-IP feature that we used. All of turned our microphones on so we could talk to one another. This was a lot simpler than perhaps chatting in text would have been. This allowed for more bouncing around of ideas, which eventually led to us finding a topic that we all agreed on. The note-taking aspect of Vyew was also a nifty feature. Elise volunteered and took notes on what we were saying and deciding on. These notes could easily be saved and referenced and gone back to review later. It put our ideas in writing. The fact that the room we used is saved indefinitely on the Vyew servers is my FAVORITE feature about the program. When we go back and have our second meeting on Wednesday night, all of our stuff from the first meeting will already be there, which is a huge time saver. We never got around to using the webcam chat, the whiteboard, or the screen share features, but I could see these features being great in other settings such as directing a tutorial on new office software. Oh, and did I mention this software is free! Overall a fantastic Web 2.0 application.
What were the disadvantages to using the web conferencing tool to discuss this project?
One main disadvantage to Vyew was the that we could not record our presentation in a video. This hampered us on this project a little bit because it was one of the suggested requirements. Screenshots though do the program justice in my opinion. We all know what we said in the session and have notes on our progress and our presentation is saved, so not having a recording feature was more of an annoyance than anything. Another thing I would like to see would be a sort of hand raising tool. Sometimes, 3 of us would start talking all at once and the awkwardness of not knowing each other would result in a lot of silent moments waiting for each other to go first. A simple cuing button would help Vyew a lot.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
UDL Notes
| I designed a lesson plan that was a research and presentation project centering around insects. The lesson is designed for students in grades 1 or 2. The initial lesson plan was more designed for teachers to look at as opposed to students. These UDL principals are a fantastic idea when analyzing assignments and projects for students. They make sure that every student regardless of intelligence or background has the opportunity to succeed and excel at a lesson plan. I will be editing my lesson plan to include some of these guidelines in the future. |
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| http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=642055&newcontribution=1 |
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| 1. Provide options for perception | |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Customize the display of information | Barrier: The lesson design is simple 12 point font on a white background. |
| 1.2 Provide alternatives for auditory information | Barrier: No auditory information is provided |
| 1.3 Provide alternatives for visual information | Barrier: No video or picture links are provided. I plan on including these when I edit this lesson plan |
| 2. Provide options for language and symbols | |
| 2.1 Define vocabulary and symbols | Feature: Big ideas are presented in single or 2 word phrases |
| 2.2 Clarify syntax and structure | |
| 2.3 Decode text or mathematical notation | Feature: This lesson plan's language and symbolism is straight forward |
| 2.4 Promote cross-linguistic understanding | Barrier: No translations available for deaf or ESL students |
| 2.5 Illustrate key concepts non-linguistically | |
| 3. Provide options for comprehension | |
| 3.1 Provide or activate background knowledge | Barrier: No background info is given with the lesson plan |
| 3.2 Highlight critical features, big ideas, and relationships | Barrier: No critical features or big ideas are especially highlighted |
| 3.3 Guide information processing | Feature: The lesson plan is well organized |
| 3.4 Support memory and transfer |
| III. Provide Multiple Means of Engagement | Your notes |
|---|---|
| 7. Provide options for recruiting interest | |
| 7.1 Increase individual choice and autonomy | Feature: Students will be presenting their work in front of class, making autonomy and success desirable |
| 7.2 Enhance relevance, value and authenticity | Feature: Students are allowed to choose their own path and presentation points |
| 7.3 Reduce threats and distractions | |
| 8. Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence | |
| 8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives | Feature: Goal is partially stated, could use a bit of improvement |
| 8.2 Vary levels of challenge and support | Feature: The student can make this more difficult and in depth or less so |
| 8.3 Foster collaboration and communication | |
| 8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback | Barrier: This project concentrates on solo-work. Some group work, or at least help, could be included |
| 9. Provide options for self-regulation | |
| 9.1 Guide personal goal-setting and expectations | Barrier: Little goal-setting and timelines are given, a must to a project of this size |
| 9.2 Scaffold coping skills and strategies | |
| 9.3 Develop self-assessment and reflection |
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Wicked Problem Project Part A - Description of Need or Opportunity
Since I have no real teaching experience of any sort at this point in my life, I have no other perspective to look at a project like this than through the eyes of a student. I was just hired for an elementary school computers teaching position starting this August, yet I just graduated from MSU undergraduate not even four months ago. I have not had the time or experience to undergo the paradigm shift that inevitably happens when a student becomes a teacher. I look at my viewpoint as a student as a positive aspect going into this project. I have a fantastic grasp of student to student interaction. I have noticed that in a group work setting for classes, getting things done can be difficult. I have embarked on many a group project adventure and more often than not working around everyone's schedule is a difficult if not impossible task. Inevitably, some people get stuck with doing more work while others remain in the background going along for the ride, so to speak. Technology has become a part of daily, or even hourly, life for the modern college student. We are connected 24/7 with our laptops, iPhones, and gaming systems. My generation is the face of the technology revolution. Yet I don't think that the usage of technology in education has achieved the sort of popularity that social interaction via technology has. Web 2.0 technologies and social media networks will become the future of technology in education, but they haven't yet gathered a mass following by students or teachers. My project will aim to increase awareness of the collaborative possibilities that are presented by Web 2.0 applications by outlining, summarizing, and promoting their usage in a classroom setting.
I firmly believe that many teachers have not fully embraced Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom, which is why the usage of these programs is nearly non-existent in College, at least in my experience. The majority of my technological exploration in College was using the archaic Angel system (It's not all bad! but it is severely lacking in many aspects such as its forums design and overall layout just to name 2) to respond to questions or submit classwork. I have found, especially after taking CEP 810, that there is a world of free applications on the internet that allow for access from anywhere and collaborative contact with group members that are more tailored to specific purposes (presentations, tutorials, etc). My project will aim to present some of these applications and their usages and how they can benefit students and teachers. The best way to have these apps gain popularity is through teachers emphasizing their use, which will be one concentration of this presentation. I will also hope to show students how much easier collaborative projects could be by using these applications. I hope to have a great tutorial in place as my final WPP presentation. I then hope to introduce my future elementary students to these technologies at an early age so they can see the possibilities Web 2.0 possesses for the future of educational technology.
I firmly believe that many teachers have not fully embraced Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom, which is why the usage of these programs is nearly non-existent in College, at least in my experience. The majority of my technological exploration in College was using the archaic Angel system (It's not all bad! but it is severely lacking in many aspects such as its forums design and overall layout just to name 2) to respond to questions or submit classwork. I have found, especially after taking CEP 810, that there is a world of free applications on the internet that allow for access from anywhere and collaborative contact with group members that are more tailored to specific purposes (presentations, tutorials, etc). My project will aim to present some of these applications and their usages and how they can benefit students and teachers. The best way to have these apps gain popularity is through teachers emphasizing their use, which will be one concentration of this presentation. I will also hope to show students how much easier collaborative projects could be by using these applications. I hope to have a great tutorial in place as my final WPP presentation. I then hope to introduce my future elementary students to these technologies at an early age so they can see the possibilities Web 2.0 possesses for the future of educational technology.
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