This semester we considered, researched and responded to educational technology issues: textbooks or laptops, elements of constructive learning lessons, artificial intelligence in education, interpretation of copyright laws. For each topic we read a scenario and then needed to choose a side, take a stand and write a coherent supporting statement substantiated by research. Now it is time for us to write our own itec scenarios.
I believe a good scenario should be:
Open-ended
Have a variety of possible solutions without one being clearly better than another.
Be on a topic that can engage students
Have information about it available
Have real-life application
With that in mind, I have decided to create a role playing scenario in which a middle school technology advisory committee must choose whether to purchase a COW (laptop computers on wheels) or inter-active white boards for the 6th grade.
This has prepared us for the next step to go out and live our own scenarios in the real world of educational technology. I’m ready!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Will Computers Replace Human Teachers?
In the early 90s, I instructed an 8-hour, hands-on class called Introduction to Microcomputers and MS-DOS. More than 100 times I said, “A computer is a device which can perform computations including arithmetic and logic operations, in a predetermined sequence without human intervention. …. Can computers think? No, a computers follows a predetermined sequence of instructions or a program….” We’d talk about computers lacking the quality of human compassion, and I’d tell students that I didn’t think that computers would ever replace human teachers in education.
Today, I’d say pretty much the same thing. I don’t believe that computers think , even though I accept that in a couple of years their computing power will surpass that of the human brain . Computers lack consciousness, free will, intuition, conscience. I don’t feel threatened by computers in education. How could a computer ever replace a caring teacher? Teacher’s kindness and encouragement can do so much toward motivating students to learn, to think, to stretch their minds. Put a teacher and motivated students together and there is a synergy with the potential for incredible new ideas to be generated that no machine could possibly match.
“The question of whether computers can think is like the question of whether submarines can swim.” Edsger W. Dijkstra
“Computers can prepare students for tests, but teachers prepare learners for life” - unknown
Today, I’d say pretty much the same thing. I don’t believe that computers think , even though I accept that in a couple of years their computing power will surpass that of the human brain . Computers lack consciousness, free will, intuition, conscience. I don’t feel threatened by computers in education. How could a computer ever replace a caring teacher? Teacher’s kindness and encouragement can do so much toward motivating students to learn, to think, to stretch their minds. Put a teacher and motivated students together and there is a synergy with the potential for incredible new ideas to be generated that no machine could possibly match.
“The question of whether computers can think is like the question of whether submarines can swim.” Edsger W. Dijkstra
“Computers can prepare students for tests, but teachers prepare learners for life” - unknown
Saturday, November 29, 2008
A New Take on Professional Development
"Teachers must become comfortable as co-learners with their students and with colleagues around the world. Today it is less about staying ahead and more about moving ahead as members of dynamic learning communities. The digital-age teaching professional must demonstrate a vision of technology infusion and develop the technology skills of others. These are the hallmarks of the new education leader."
—Don Knezek, ISTE CEO, 2008 (http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS)
I rather like this “take” on professional development - an evolution of self, but not by yourself - with others, a collaborative, social approach to constructing knowledge, taking turns being teacher and student, both: co-learners. Not a competition but a journey meant to last a lifetime, each new step building upon the last, unfolding, never-ending.
—Don Knezek, ISTE CEO, 2008 (http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS)
I rather like this “take” on professional development - an evolution of self, but not by yourself - with others, a collaborative, social approach to constructing knowledge, taking turns being teacher and student, both: co-learners. Not a competition but a journey meant to last a lifetime, each new step building upon the last, unfolding, never-ending.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
H Y P E R - - M E D I A , A W A Y ! ! ! !
With hypermedia I can leap tall tomes of information with a single click and swhoosh through cyberspace at swashbuckling speed to another world filled with still more information. But sometimes I wonder if maybe as I bounce from one screen to the next, I’m missing the depth of thought possible from reading and reflecting on an article or a book with chapters laid out in a purposeful way by the author.
I have been told that I am a free spirit. I admit I don‘t always think linearly. I like to have multiple ideas swirling around simultaneously. So, hyperlinks don’t bother me - much. I’m glad for them. Though I must admit I try not to click away until I’ve read the entire article through. But sometimes if I'm not really engaged in what I'm reading, I'll click - to be transported to another place. It's exciting.
I do worry, though, whether with Google and the explosion of hyperlinks, we may not be researching and thinking deeply. We grow impatient with articles that are more than a few paragraphs in length. It’s so easy to bounce from one idea to another, skimming through information, going off on tangents, until we run out of time and have to leave the computer. What do we have to show for the session? Have we researched in depth, have we reflected on what we have read, have we constructed knowledge or just skimmed the surface and picked up a few tidbits for tonight's cocktail conversation? Maybe we bookmarked a site or squirreled away some file, but aren't we just kidding ourselves? Will we ever come back to that information, and when we do, will we remember why we thought it was important in the first place?
I have been told that I am a free spirit. I admit I don‘t always think linearly. I like to have multiple ideas swirling around simultaneously. So, hyperlinks don’t bother me - much. I’m glad for them. Though I must admit I try not to click away until I’ve read the entire article through. But sometimes if I'm not really engaged in what I'm reading, I'll click - to be transported to another place. It's exciting.
I do worry, though, whether with Google and the explosion of hyperlinks, we may not be researching and thinking deeply. We grow impatient with articles that are more than a few paragraphs in length. It’s so easy to bounce from one idea to another, skimming through information, going off on tangents, until we run out of time and have to leave the computer. What do we have to show for the session? Have we researched in depth, have we reflected on what we have read, have we constructed knowledge or just skimmed the surface and picked up a few tidbits for tonight's cocktail conversation? Maybe we bookmarked a site or squirreled away some file, but aren't we just kidding ourselves? Will we ever come back to that information, and when we do, will we remember why we thought it was important in the first place?
Monday, October 13, 2008
Copyright
I have been on both sides of copyright issue. I’ve written educational software and owned a computer store for 15 years and now I am preparing to be a purveyor of ideas and knowledge as a school library media specialist. As a small business owner I understood the business-end of things. If people illegally copied software, then the programmer, the publisher and the store owner don’t make money which would eventually result in fewer quality programs being released, prices going up, companies going out of business. I understood the ethical side of things – unauthorized copying is cheating. I understood the legal consequences – those illegally pirating software risked fines and imprisonment. In the 1980s public domain software and shareware provided legal and free or low-cost alternatives to commercial software. As a sponsor for a computer user group, I educated users about copyright and made the free software available as a way for customers to broaden their software libraries.
Just as I appreciate the need and the right of authors and publishers to make a living and be compensated for their creative work, as an instructor I feel passionately about using every possible tool to educate students. I want to share the wonder, the excitement of learning that certain images or videos, audios or movies, stories or songs can evoke. If I have the chance to make an idea crystal clear in their minds, to bring about wonder and awe, how can I not grab that opportunity? Fortunately the Fair Use guidelines for education recognize and protect those desires of teachers, who operating in good faith, use works created by others in the classroom. As a SLMS I will again educate about the responsibilities of copyright and also the rights of educators to use resources with the copyright permissions of Fair Use.
Just as I appreciate the need and the right of authors and publishers to make a living and be compensated for their creative work, as an instructor I feel passionately about using every possible tool to educate students. I want to share the wonder, the excitement of learning that certain images or videos, audios or movies, stories or songs can evoke. If I have the chance to make an idea crystal clear in their minds, to bring about wonder and awe, how can I not grab that opportunity? Fortunately the Fair Use guidelines for education recognize and protect those desires of teachers, who operating in good faith, use works created by others in the classroom. As a SLMS I will again educate about the responsibilities of copyright and also the rights of educators to use resources with the copyright permissions of Fair Use.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Collaborative vs. Cooperative Groups
Recently, I heard it said that when you collaborate, the group result is smarter than the smartest member. And to me that’s a pretty good reason to collaborate! When each member of the group brings with him/her a different set of experiences and is willing to contribute ideas and respectfully consider others’ thoughts, the stage is set. Then, when there ensues discussion of the ideas, debate, questions, clarifications, and building upon the initial ideas, it becomes a collaboration. The group agrees upon a course of action and then writes, edits and revises the final report. The result of a successful group collaboration is more robust, more complex, and more complete than what one member would have been able to produce.
Cooperative group work, on the other hand, lacks the same degree of social interaction, the evolution of ideas, the construction of knowledge. The cooperative group cuts the task into pieces, farms out the work to members, and each member goes off and does their task, and somehow at the end they cobble the pieces back together.
Our group strove to follow the collaborative approach. We met in Palace three times and used the discussion forum and wiki. We emailed a lot - sharing ideas and revising versions of the text. I felt that during this exercise I learned about the learning process and learned new approaches to teaching and preparing lessons from my team members.
Our group idea was that Janice would do an interdisciplinary, technology-infused unit on the presidential election using constructivist principles. Within this unit students would do various individual and group activities including Internet research on the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, participate in an on-line kids election and online computer election simulations, write blogs, create a class wiki, devise campaign slogans and signs and create a brief campaign video. For the culminating project, Janice would facilitate a debate with students taking the roles of the candidates.
Cooperative group work, on the other hand, lacks the same degree of social interaction, the evolution of ideas, the construction of knowledge. The cooperative group cuts the task into pieces, farms out the work to members, and each member goes off and does their task, and somehow at the end they cobble the pieces back together.
Our group strove to follow the collaborative approach. We met in Palace three times and used the discussion forum and wiki. We emailed a lot - sharing ideas and revising versions of the text. I felt that during this exercise I learned about the learning process and learned new approaches to teaching and preparing lessons from my team members.
Our group idea was that Janice would do an interdisciplinary, technology-infused unit on the presidential election using constructivist principles. Within this unit students would do various individual and group activities including Internet research on the presidential and vice-presidential candidates, participate in an on-line kids election and online computer election simulations, write blogs, create a class wiki, devise campaign slogans and signs and create a brief campaign video. For the culminating project, Janice would facilitate a debate with students taking the roles of the candidates.
A laptop for every student
A laptop for every student ...... Tool for education .... Connection with the global learning community. The opportunity to participate in a global thinktank - float an idea, others build upon it and just watch what happens next. Sounds pretty exciting to me. If we want the knowledge explosion, the next revolution - an intellectual revolution based on constructive collaboration, then I think we need to get computers into the hands of kids eleven and twelve years oldnow and see where they take it. Let them start early and grow with it and shape their relationships with computers their way - as they see fit. Each child will go in a different direction and that's o.k. It won't always be where the teachers or parents expect or maybe not in the way that they always approve of, but with proper guidance and filters, I believe that the results are likely to lead to a greater good and yield unimaginable results.
My 11 year old is teaching herself HTML, driven by the desire to design her own website. When I had to do that for a class this summer, it was an intimidating task for me, I questioned my ability. But she has a goal, no fears, no limitations, and she's forging ahead. What will she learn? What will that knowledge and confidence allow her to do next? I'm anxious to find out.
Of course we worry about the durability of the computers - the maintenance costs. Will the students be responsible enough to handle the computer properly? Will the investment losses be too great. But then I think how we allow 5th and 6th grade children to take $700 trumpets, $2000 saxophones, $800 violins on the bus to and from school each day with little mishap. So, maybe it will be o.k. to put a laptop in every backpack.
Will the benefits outweigh the costs? I think the risks of not providing laptops, (i.e., what we might miss out on) are just too high to chance.
My 11 year old is teaching herself HTML, driven by the desire to design her own website. When I had to do that for a class this summer, it was an intimidating task for me, I questioned my ability. But she has a goal, no fears, no limitations, and she's forging ahead. What will she learn? What will that knowledge and confidence allow her to do next? I'm anxious to find out.
Of course we worry about the durability of the computers - the maintenance costs. Will the students be responsible enough to handle the computer properly? Will the investment losses be too great. But then I think how we allow 5th and 6th grade children to take $700 trumpets, $2000 saxophones, $800 violins on the bus to and from school each day with little mishap. So, maybe it will be o.k. to put a laptop in every backpack.
Will the benefits outweigh the costs? I think the risks of not providing laptops, (i.e., what we might miss out on) are just too high to chance.
It's a ill wind that blows nobody good
Recently, when a subtropical depression, spawned from Hurricane Ike, blew down trees and knocked out power to a million homes and businesses in Cincinnati, I was forced to find alternative ways to do most things - cook, clean and communicate. However, I must admit, life became almost idyllic, I grilled out, read in a lawnchair on the front porch, talked with neighbors, played board games with my daughter, and reveled in the quietude. It was like a nature-imposed camping trip – when the sun went down, our flashlights came out. We all realized how lucky we were – everything is relative. I thought about how my ancestors, farmers in northern Ohio, had lived in the 1800s. Only thing, though, they weren’t accustomed to life with electricity and they didn’t take online graduate classes.
Through this experience I learned firsthand what it is like to be without a computer with Internet connection at home. For a week, I was placed on the other side of the digital divide. When the public library’s power was restored, I used the computers there. It wasn’t quite the same. I had to make a reservation on the computer, for an hour at a time, a clock in the corner of the screen counted down the minutes. I didn’t have the luxury of long leisurely Internet searches, where I could investigate subjects in depth, and jump from one topic to the next. I just stamped out the hotspots – answering urgent emails and reading about assignments that I would have to do sometime later, and checking energy forecasts for any news about when our power would come back. For me there was the hope that “the power” would return any minute, but that’s not the case for so many families and students.
I took away many lessons from the windstorm about what really matters and the benefits of leading a simpler life. As a result of this experience I will be more compassionate toward students who may not have access to a computer at home. I better understand how that may impact their academic life. When I begin teaching, I’ll remember this week, and try to help all students find times and ways to use the computer – perhaps by extending the hours of the media center and ensuring that it is a welcoming, inviting place for all students to come to study and learn.
Through this experience I learned firsthand what it is like to be without a computer with Internet connection at home. For a week, I was placed on the other side of the digital divide. When the public library’s power was restored, I used the computers there. It wasn’t quite the same. I had to make a reservation on the computer, for an hour at a time, a clock in the corner of the screen counted down the minutes. I didn’t have the luxury of long leisurely Internet searches, where I could investigate subjects in depth, and jump from one topic to the next. I just stamped out the hotspots – answering urgent emails and reading about assignments that I would have to do sometime later, and checking energy forecasts for any news about when our power would come back. For me there was the hope that “the power” would return any minute, but that’s not the case for so many families and students.
I took away many lessons from the windstorm about what really matters and the benefits of leading a simpler life. As a result of this experience I will be more compassionate toward students who may not have access to a computer at home. I better understand how that may impact their academic life. When I begin teaching, I’ll remember this week, and try to help all students find times and ways to use the computer – perhaps by extending the hours of the media center and ensuring that it is a welcoming, inviting place for all students to come to study and learn.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thanks!
Thanks to everyone in the class for helping me to learn about instructional applications of the Internet.
"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. - Seneca
"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult. - Seneca
Sunday, July 27, 2008
I, Q Instructional Website
On Friday I ordered books to sell for our school's upcoming author visit with Roland Smith. As the conversation unfolded, I found that I was talking with the author's pr person who is developing the website for his new I,Q espionage series. As she described the site, I realized that her website incorporated all the elements of a really good educational site!
Information - videos of the author answering questions, a section about revision and the writing process ala Ian Fleming, information about the locations described in the book
Interactivity - Q&A with the author, a forum where readers can discuss the books
Connectivity - links to other websites like the CIA, FBI, and Mossad
something to make tweens and teens want to come back to the site - 2 games and also contests with the prizes of pre-release books or technology
The website won't be up until the first of September, but the opening screen is already on the author's site at http://www.rolandsmith.com/ and it looks great.
I am finding that more and more authors are including curriculum tie-ins, standards driven information on their websites. Our K-4 buildings are hosting Debra Frasier in the Fall, and she encourages schools to have vocabulary parades where students dress up as a word. Her website is http://www.debrafrasier.com/ . In advance of her visit she sends schools copies of her books and notebooks with classroom activity ideas.
Information - videos of the author answering questions, a section about revision and the writing process ala Ian Fleming, information about the locations described in the book
Interactivity - Q&A with the author, a forum where readers can discuss the books
Connectivity - links to other websites like the CIA, FBI, and Mossad
something to make tweens and teens want to come back to the site - 2 games and also contests with the prizes of pre-release books or technology
The website won't be up until the first of September, but the opening screen is already on the author's site at http://www.rolandsmith.com/ and it looks great.
I am finding that more and more authors are including curriculum tie-ins, standards driven information on their websites. Our K-4 buildings are hosting Debra Frasier in the Fall, and she encourages schools to have vocabulary parades where students dress up as a word. Her website is http://www.debrafrasier.com/ . In advance of her visit she sends schools copies of her books and notebooks with classroom activity ideas.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Exciting Webquest Feedback
Applications of the Internet for Education are pretty incredible.
For my webquest, "Ask Roland Smith", I asked students to research an author's life and works and then write an introduction and develop questions to ask the author when he visits our school in March. I emailed the author the link to my wq and was pretty excited to get this response a few minutes ago:
I absolutely love your “Ask Roland Smith”… In fact, with our permission I would like to put a link to it on my webpage (with full credit going to you of course). I think it is a great resource for educators and students. Thank you for your hard work.
Best,
Roland
www.rolandsmith.com
Check out the new series I,Q @ www.iqtheseries.com
For my webquest, "Ask Roland Smith", I asked students to research an author's life and works and then write an introduction and develop questions to ask the author when he visits our school in March. I emailed the author the link to my wq and was pretty excited to get this response a few minutes ago:
I absolutely love your “Ask Roland Smith”… In fact, with our permission I would like to put a link to it on my webpage (with full credit going to you of course). I think it is a great resource for educators and students. Thank you for your hard work.
Best,
Roland
www.rolandsmith.com
Check out the new series I,Q @ www.iqtheseries.com
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Podcast - Benefits of Author Visits
In the upper-right-hand corner of the page is my podcast, "Benefits of a School Author Visit".
The music is Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 (Italian). My son, Robbie (two days after he had his 4 wisdom teeth extracted!), narrates the introduction. I thought that his voice would provide good contrast to the author's (Andrea Cheng). Andrea recorded her comments on gcast (www.gcast.com) - it's free and as easy as making a phone call (no other technology required).
Funny, when I tried to use Audacity a year ago, I wrung my hands and gave up. But now, this summer, after watching a few vodcasts on how to use Audacity, it seemed pretty easy. Certainly easy as compared to Dreamweaver, anyway. It is quite helpful to me to see someone using the software while they are describing what they are doing. Then when I go to do it myself, I know where the menus and buttons are.
“Benefits of a School Author Visit – An Author’s Perspective” is just one in a series of podcasts about the educational advantages of author visits in schools. Within this series, author visits are described from the viewpoints of a teacher and curriculum coordinator; a PTO parent volunteer; a student; and a visiting author. The goal of the podcasts is to describe the positive impact that author visits have had in our district in such a way as to encourage other school districts to try them.
I think if you scroll through my podcasts, you can hear some of the "raw" data from the other participants.
I plan to incorporate this into my website about How to Do a Meaningful Author Visit.
The music is Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 (Italian). My son, Robbie (two days after he had his 4 wisdom teeth extracted!), narrates the introduction. I thought that his voice would provide good contrast to the author's (Andrea Cheng). Andrea recorded her comments on gcast (www.gcast.com) - it's free and as easy as making a phone call (no other technology required).
Funny, when I tried to use Audacity a year ago, I wrung my hands and gave up. But now, this summer, after watching a few vodcasts on how to use Audacity, it seemed pretty easy. Certainly easy as compared to Dreamweaver, anyway. It is quite helpful to me to see someone using the software while they are describing what they are doing. Then when I go to do it myself, I know where the menus and buttons are.
“Benefits of a School Author Visit – An Author’s Perspective” is just one in a series of podcasts about the educational advantages of author visits in schools. Within this series, author visits are described from the viewpoints of a teacher and curriculum coordinator; a PTO parent volunteer; a student; and a visiting author. The goal of the podcasts is to describe the positive impact that author visits have had in our district in such a way as to encourage other school districts to try them.
I think if you scroll through my podcasts, you can hear some of the "raw" data from the other participants.
I plan to incorporate this into my website about How to Do a Meaningful Author Visit.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
I want more....
Yesterday I had an epiphany about websites and website creation. You see, I have never created a website - ever - at all. I've always been on the outside looking in. I had thought that I'd be satisfied to use freewebs or a similar hosting service for my website project, but now I'm beginning to think that won't give me the interactivity I need. I want more.
I read Bill and Heidi's Moodle post about how they make websites with ease and with a variety of tools. So why am I making this into such a big deal? Bill and Heidi are good models, and sometimes that's all it takes, someone to give you a nudge and then pull you along. Internet blogs and forums are famous for encouraging and helping people with all sorts of things - from car repair to losing weight.
I started wondering if there is a predetermined evolutionary process that schools go through in regard to technology. At our school, the majority of the teachers don't use computers with students, and they only use Blackboard infrequently - usually entering grades once or twice a quarter. There are no podcasts or teacher websites. I wonder what the next developmental stage is and how to speed things along. Can I act as a catalyst?
I had thought that this summer I was going to stay in the shallow end of the website creation pool with my ducky floatie, but now I want to go further, to learn a bit about how to use Dreamweaver or Expressions - to swim in the next part of the pool. I know there will be times that I will feel like I might drown, but I have faith that there are always the sides to hang onto, Chip is the lifeguard on duty and classmates will throw me a line, if I ask, so although I know I'll feel like I'm in over my head at times, I think I'll be okay.
Oh, my free trial Expressions' download is 97% done! Wish me luck - SPLASH
I read Bill and Heidi's Moodle post about how they make websites with ease and with a variety of tools. So why am I making this into such a big deal? Bill and Heidi are good models, and sometimes that's all it takes, someone to give you a nudge and then pull you along. Internet blogs and forums are famous for encouraging and helping people with all sorts of things - from car repair to losing weight.
I started wondering if there is a predetermined evolutionary process that schools go through in regard to technology. At our school, the majority of the teachers don't use computers with students, and they only use Blackboard infrequently - usually entering grades once or twice a quarter. There are no podcasts or teacher websites. I wonder what the next developmental stage is and how to speed things along. Can I act as a catalyst?
I had thought that this summer I was going to stay in the shallow end of the website creation pool with my ducky floatie, but now I want to go further, to learn a bit about how to use Dreamweaver or Expressions - to swim in the next part of the pool. I know there will be times that I will feel like I might drown, but I have faith that there are always the sides to hang onto, Chip is the lifeguard on duty and classmates will throw me a line, if I ask, so although I know I'll feel like I'm in over my head at times, I think I'll be okay.
Oh, my free trial Expressions' download is 97% done! Wish me luck - SPLASH
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Bloggers Block
Yesterday, at the bookstore I saw a book called Best Bloggers. In it ,one seasoned blogger said that he never had to think long and hard for topics to write about in his blog, they just found him. I keep hoping that two topics will find me each week!
There was an interesting story about tweens cheating, lying, and stealing in online virtual worlds. The producer of Whyville said that kids are basically good, but she hires monitors to watch what is going on in the site. If a player is caught saying a bad word, a piece of duct tape is placed over the offending avatar's mouth and s/he cannot talk for several days. But kids have figured out that they can say words on the forbidden list by inserting a few extra spaces and capital letters. Some steal points and bend rules, saying that no one know who they are because they use made-up names, and hey, it's not real, after all, it's virtual. That raises an interesting question about the social consciousness these sites like Neopets, Club Penguin and Whyville may be instilling in our youth. And then I wonder..... How true are we to ourselves in SL?
There was an interesting story about tweens cheating, lying, and stealing in online virtual worlds. The producer of Whyville said that kids are basically good, but she hires monitors to watch what is going on in the site. If a player is caught saying a bad word, a piece of duct tape is placed over the offending avatar's mouth and s/he cannot talk for several days. But kids have figured out that they can say words on the forbidden list by inserting a few extra spaces and capital letters. Some steal points and bend rules, saying that no one know who they are because they use made-up names, and hey, it's not real, after all, it's virtual. That raises an interesting question about the social consciousness these sites like Neopets, Club Penguin and Whyville may be instilling in our youth. And then I wonder..... How true are we to ourselves in SL?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Homage to Olive
With this blog I'd like to pay homage to Olive Riley, the world's oldest blogger, who passed away on July 12th, at the age of 108 in Australia. Olive had a great zest for life and her blogging interests certainly kept her mind fresh. According to a great-grandson she enjoyed communicating with people all over the world - including some in Russia and the U.S. This reminds us that instructional computer applications are not just for the young, but can be shared with and prepared by people of all ages. In her final blog Olive wrote of singing a happy song every day of her life - pretty neat advice.
Monday, July 7, 2008
webquest templates
I constructed my webquest called "Ask Roland Smith" at zunal.com.
Here is the link http://zunal.com/webquest.php?user=13865.
This was the first webquest I've ever done. I looked at a number of webquest templates and chose this one because it looked easy to work with and because it has separate pages for each stage of the quest. Also, it was free. It is kinda neat to be "published" and have a URL that can be accessed by anyone anywhere. But while I was working on it, there were times when I regretted not having the freedom to add graphics here and there or to differentiate the text to made something stand out. It was simple to make, but then I couldn't customize it. Isn't there always that sort of trade-off in life? I wondered if I could just make the webquest in a wiki or something from scratch. I wasn't sure if that was ever done. Then Alex shared his wonderful PowerPoint solution. Now that I've done a webquest, I feel more confident about experimenting with out avenues next time. Isn't that was learning is all about!
Here is the link http://zunal.com/webquest.php?user=13865.
This was the first webquest I've ever done. I looked at a number of webquest templates and chose this one because it looked easy to work with and because it has separate pages for each stage of the quest. Also, it was free. It is kinda neat to be "published" and have a URL that can be accessed by anyone anywhere. But while I was working on it, there were times when I regretted not having the freedom to add graphics here and there or to differentiate the text to made something stand out. It was simple to make, but then I couldn't customize it. Isn't there always that sort of trade-off in life? I wondered if I could just make the webquest in a wiki or something from scratch. I wasn't sure if that was ever done. Then Alex shared his wonderful PowerPoint solution. Now that I've done a webquest, I feel more confident about experimenting with out avenues next time. Isn't that was learning is all about!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Web 2.0 and politics
Today's political candidates and their campaigns must be techno-savvy.
Last night I got a phone call from my congresswoman explaining that she was conducting a live townhall meeting and asking me to please stay on the line so I could participate in the event. I really didn't have time, but I was tempted to see how it works.
John McCain's website includes the candidate's blog and "McCain Space Community" where you can sign up for your own site. The senator encourages his supporters to "get the word out" by posting on social networks.
Meanwhile Senator Barack Obama's website has "Obama Everywhere" with links to facebook, my space, you tube, flickr, digg, twitter, eventful, linkedin, BlackPlanet, Faithbase, Eons, Glee, MiGente, MyBatanga, AsianAve, and DNC Partybuilder. You can sign up for text messages from him and even download ringtones with Obama greetings in which you hear the phone ring and then, "Hello, this is Barack Obama......"
Candidates at all levels of govenment can interact with their would-be constituents through blogs and websites. Technology and Web 2.0 is changing the political landscape. Informed citizens must be techno-savvy, too. And there-in lies another reason for teaching students to use technology in school.
Last night I got a phone call from my congresswoman explaining that she was conducting a live townhall meeting and asking me to please stay on the line so I could participate in the event. I really didn't have time, but I was tempted to see how it works.
John McCain's website includes the candidate's blog and "McCain Space Community" where you can sign up for your own site. The senator encourages his supporters to "get the word out" by posting on social networks.
Meanwhile Senator Barack Obama's website has "Obama Everywhere" with links to facebook, my space, you tube, flickr, digg, twitter, eventful, linkedin, BlackPlanet, Faithbase, Eons, Glee, MiGente, MyBatanga, AsianAve, and DNC Partybuilder. You can sign up for text messages from him and even download ringtones with Obama greetings in which you hear the phone ring and then, "Hello, this is Barack Obama......"
Candidates at all levels of govenment can interact with their would-be constituents through blogs and websites. Technology and Web 2.0 is changing the political landscape. Informed citizens must be techno-savvy, too. And there-in lies another reason for teaching students to use technology in school.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
NM Schools test podcast teaching
I ran across this article, "Schools help test podcast teaching" in the Sunday Cincinnati Enquirer. It tells about a pilot study in which Microsoft gave Zunes (analogous to Apple's ipods) to 100 students at a rural New Mexico high school. Students were encouraged to be linked to their devices at school, on the bus and on fieldtrips. They watched videos and listened to podcasts that their teachers recommended or had recorded. Test scores and data were shared with Microsoft.
I thought a couple of things were interesting - Teachers were given $400 monetary incentives to develop podcast lessons or recommend 20 relevant downloadable lectures. It may take ncentives like that to push teachers off their perch into using new technologies.
Yes, the school instituted a "grandma rule" to keep students from uploading to the devices anything their grandmothers would find objectionable, and teachers could designate "No Zune Zones".
I'm sure this was a novelty at first, but I could easily see this becoming an everyday part of students' learning. I think these podcasts could be particularly helpful for students who are poor readers or visually imparied, since they could listen to teachers reading or summarizing texts or review lectures.
I thought a couple of things were interesting - Teachers were given $400 monetary incentives to develop podcast lessons or recommend 20 relevant downloadable lectures. It may take ncentives like that to push teachers off their perch into using new technologies.
Yes, the school instituted a "grandma rule" to keep students from uploading to the devices anything their grandmothers would find objectionable, and teachers could designate "No Zune Zones".
I'm sure this was a novelty at first, but I could easily see this becoming an everyday part of students' learning. I think these podcasts could be particularly helpful for students who are poor readers or visually imparied, since they could listen to teachers reading or summarizing texts or review lectures.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Effective Interactive Websites
Last class we said that instructional websites should interactively engage learners. This week I think I found an example at http://www.nationalgridfloe.com/ . This is part of a New England power company's website. I believe it does an outstanding job of getting kids (and grown-ups, too) thinking about the environmental impact of our actions and simple changes we can make in our daily lives that will help the Earth. This site's superb graphics makes it even more compelling. It's all experiential learning. There are no screens of text to read. Instead there are educational games, quizzes and polar bear cubs that you can adopt and play with.
By way of comparison, here’s another site that covers similar material and allows students to calculate carbon footprints http://www.carbonfootprint.com , but it is not nearly as effective a teaching tool.
I also wanted to share a web quest that makes good use of incorporating student produced videos:
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/kearny/greatgame/
By way of comparison, here’s another site that covers similar material and allows students to calculate carbon footprints http://www.carbonfootprint.com , but it is not nearly as effective a teaching tool.
I also wanted to share a web quest that makes good use of incorporating student produced videos:
http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/kearny/greatgame/
Sunday, June 22, 2008
I support the Web 2.0 socially-constructed-knowledge revolution
I’m for the Web 2.0 socially-constructed-knowledge explosion. At first I was wary of wikipedia - Breezing in there seemed too easy, it wasn’t like ploughing through the pages of Compton’s Encyclopedia. Could I trust the information? Was it accurate? Now, after a few years, I have relaxed a little, and I must admit that I often use Wikipedia as a “jumping off point” for my research. I have become more comfortable taking a collaborative approach to learning in general and trust others and at the same time myself a little more. I can deal with different opinions and a little ambiguity now and again. That uncertainty may push me to think harder, research more sources, form my own theory that I’ll go back and post to the site, and in that way I’ve benefited and have constructed a little knowledge in the process.
Last week, as I was looking for images showing Bennnington, VT street sculpture, I first ran across flickr www.flickr.com . Here people can upload their photographs and add comments. Last night I read that the Library of Congress has uploaded several thousand photos from their collections from 1910 and also from the Depression era and are inviting people to tag and comment on them. I looked at some of the responses and was amazed at the range and depth of comments. Some folks provided historical documentation, others asked questions about details in the photos that I hadn’t even seen until they mentioned them. I love how this project is bringing historical resources into an accessible popular forum.
http://flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/collections/72157601355524315/
Last week, as I was looking for images showing Bennnington, VT street sculpture, I first ran across flickr www.flickr.com . Here people can upload their photographs and add comments. Last night I read that the Library of Congress has uploaded several thousand photos from their collections from 1910 and also from the Depression era and are inviting people to tag and comment on them. I looked at some of the responses and was amazed at the range and depth of comments. Some folks provided historical documentation, others asked questions about details in the photos that I hadn’t even seen until they mentioned them. I love how this project is bringing historical resources into an accessible popular forum.
http://flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/collections/72157601355524315/
Friday, June 20, 2008
I think I could use a Second Life
Not only could I get more done, I could be blonder, taller, skinnier, maybe even smarter in the virtual world. It was fun having the assignment of signing up for Second Life – games are fun, students like something different from reading texts and writing papers. But then the computer glitches began and my computer kept crashing. ARGGGGG. So I tried loading the SL software on two other computers around the house with even worse results. Chip said that memory and video cards are often to blame – I updated video drivers and at 1:30 a.m. things started working. The Rocky theme song “Gonna Fly Now” started running through my head. I felt invincible.
“Where’s the Beef?” How could I justify spending time playing a game? I knew there was an educational component here somewhere…… I just had to find it. I couldn’t even begin to fathom the educational possibilities of this medium until I read The Educational Possibilities of a Massively Multiplayer Virtual World (MMVW)
http://www2.kumc.edu/tlt/SLEDUCAUSESW2005/SLPresentationOutline.htm
This paper was written by ed tech people who work at a medical college. It explains,
“Where’s the Beef?” How could I justify spending time playing a game? I knew there was an educational component here somewhere…… I just had to find it. I couldn’t even begin to fathom the educational possibilities of this medium until I read The Educational Possibilities of a Massively Multiplayer Virtual World (MMVW)
http://www2.kumc.edu/tlt/SLEDUCAUSESW2005/SLPresentationOutline.htm
This paper was written by ed tech people who work at a medical college. It explains,
"Students engaged in educational games and simulations are interpreting,The authors discuss the benefits of constructivism and social collaborative learning and present simulations (online videos) showing medical students role playing doctor-patient interactions in a medical clinic they created in SL . Another video shows how a student might use her design skills to beautify a city space. I thought of Heidi building the Roman Forum and inviting her students to speak at the rostra or Bill’s students at Antietam…..Now I understand that the educational possibilities are boundless.
analyzing, discovering, evaluating, acting, and problem solving. This approach
to learning is much more consistent with constructivist learning, where
knowledge is constructed by the learners as they are actively problem solving in
an authentic context, than with traditional instruction."
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Blogging Is Good For You!
I’ve admired people who enjoy blogging, but I've thought it just wasn't my cup of tea. Did I really want to go public with my thoughts and reflections? Well, I did a little research, and I must admit that a 2 minute youtube video “Blogs in Plain English”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI bolstered my confidence, Maybe we could all inspire and motivate each other through our blogs. And then when I read the Scientific American article, “Blogging, It’s Good for You” http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-healthy-type&sc=rss which states,
Blogging gives everyone the opportunity for knowledge sharing, debate and reflection. One day through blogs, we could be sharing ideas with students in another country.
I started off the week certain that our Moodle discussion board is a better forum for sharing ideas on a particular topic. It’s easy to chime in and follow up on Moodle. With a blog we have to rotate through the revolving door of 7 or 8 blogs spaces in order to link up with all our classmates. Yet, the more time I spend reading others' blogs, my ideas are shifting. Having our own personal space allows us to choose the issues that mean the most to us. Maybe in that way we can reflect best on our own learning and learn from each other. Discussion boards die off at the end of a course. Blogs (especially when written about something we’re passionate about) can live on forever. I think with time blogging might grow on me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN2I1pWXjXI bolstered my confidence, Maybe we could all inspire and motivate each other through our blogs. And then when I read the Scientific American article, “Blogging, It’s Good for You” http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-healthy-type&sc=rss which states,
"besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, expressive writing produces many physiological benefits. Research shows that it improves memory and sleep, boosts immune cell activity and reduces viral load in AIDS patients, and even speeds healing after surgery“.Well, I decided there might be some merit to blogging besides gaining course credit.
Blogging gives everyone the opportunity for knowledge sharing, debate and reflection. One day through blogs, we could be sharing ideas with students in another country.
I started off the week certain that our Moodle discussion board is a better forum for sharing ideas on a particular topic. It’s easy to chime in and follow up on Moodle. With a blog we have to rotate through the revolving door of 7 or 8 blogs spaces in order to link up with all our classmates. Yet, the more time I spend reading others' blogs, my ideas are shifting. Having our own personal space allows us to choose the issues that mean the most to us. Maybe in that way we can reflect best on our own learning and learn from each other. Discussion boards die off at the end of a course. Blogs (especially when written about something we’re passionate about) can live on forever. I think with time blogging might grow on me.
How has education changed since www dot?
[Last week due to a family emergency, I had to drive from Cincinnati to Massachusetts, and I’ve been catching up in my classes, so I apologize for being behind in my posts.]
During our first class meeting, Chip mentioned that the www dot protocol has been around for 15 years, and he asked how much has changed. We agreed that there's been "a ton" of change. During my 24+ hours of driving I thought about how the Internet has changed my life. Top of the list was that the very route I was driving was suggested by my computer and mapquest. I took my laptop with me, and the first thing my kids and I looked for when we checked into the hotel was the wifi Internet connection to check emails, get news, and of course my 11 year old needed to check on her neopets. I’m amazed at how independently she can use the computer. She types, solves problems and makes “economic decisions”. But if I were to think of one personal example of how the Internet has changed education, this story comes to mind. In 1995 Oma was quite upset. She had tried to help her granddaughter with a high school civics assignment to name the Supreme Court Justices and the Chief Justice . Oma called the public library for help, but unfortunately the reference librarian looked it up in a book and gave her outdated information. The granddaughter got a low grade on the assignment. Where did the blame lie? Today I did a Google search for “Supreme Court Justices” and got 1,190,000 results. Of course, to be sure, one has to be information literate enough to choose a reputable site (maybe check two or three to be sure you get the same answer)the website maintained by the Supreme Court of the US seems pretty good - http://www.supremecourtus.gov/security.html and the information there is amazing - biographies of the justices and the docket, decisions. I am wondering...Do we expect more of our students now that the Internet provides us with instant information? Are students learning how to organize and assimilate the information they acquire?
During our first class meeting, Chip mentioned that the www dot protocol has been around for 15 years, and he asked how much has changed. We agreed that there's been "a ton" of change. During my 24+ hours of driving I thought about how the Internet has changed my life. Top of the list was that the very route I was driving was suggested by my computer and mapquest. I took my laptop with me, and the first thing my kids and I looked for when we checked into the hotel was the wifi Internet connection to check emails, get news, and of course my 11 year old needed to check on her neopets. I’m amazed at how independently she can use the computer. She types, solves problems and makes “economic decisions”. But if I were to think of one personal example of how the Internet has changed education, this story comes to mind. In 1995 Oma was quite upset. She had tried to help her granddaughter with a high school civics assignment to name the Supreme Court Justices and the Chief Justice . Oma called the public library for help, but unfortunately the reference librarian looked it up in a book and gave her outdated information. The granddaughter got a low grade on the assignment. Where did the blame lie? Today I did a Google search for “Supreme Court Justices” and got 1,190,000 results. Of course, to be sure, one has to be information literate enough to choose a reputable site (maybe check two or three to be sure you get the same answer)the website maintained by the Supreme Court of the US seems pretty good - http://www.supremecourtus.gov/security.html and the information there is amazing - biographies of the justices and the docket, decisions. I am wondering...Do we expect more of our students now that the Internet provides us with instant information? Are students learning how to organize and assimilate the information they acquire?
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