Ahhhh! This technology thing has been so difficult for me. I have downloaded numerous programs the past few weeks, and now my computer hates me. This is the first time I have been able to add anything to my own blog because my computer kept giving me error messages when I tried to add a new post. Good news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My husband has a computer and doesn't need it tonight, plus the best news of all, I bought a new one today. I can't pick it up until tomorrow though, but for only $99 extra they will fix at least 2 more old computers free. I will have an iPad that I am learning how to use, an old computer, and now a new one. I wonder if it will help me become better equipped with technology? Moving on to more serious topics.
Through one of my Instructional Technology classes, I was introduced to a communication tool called Voice Thread. It is completely on-line and allows users to communicate from all over the world. Amazingly, images, videos, and documents can be incorporated into the conversation. Viewers can leave comments through text, video, built in audio, audio files, and even through the phone.
Presentations can be created in other programs and then utilized within the Voice Thread program. Viewers can interact within the presentation through a doodle feature, so their comments can be directed to the actual presentation. My professor, Dr. Z, introduced us to this new form of communication through having us use it to respond to his video. It was really interesting, and I can't wait to learn more about it.
As with all the new material that we’ve been exposed to, it will take time to experiment with how I might use Voice Thread in my classroom. I also can't wait to experiment with adding pictures, links, and videos to my blogs. My classmates are so very talented.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
My Experience With Podcasts
My experience with podcasts available on iTunes has been
time consuming without much in terms of benefit yet. First of all, the amount of podcasts makes
finding an appropriate one that matches my interests difficult. I also noticed that the introduction isn’t
sufficient to fully understand the content which is very time consuming. Personally at this point, I wouldn’t spend a
great deal of time sorting through these.
The first podcast that I chose was a voice only and was a
section of Aesop’s Fables. I thought it
had video attached, but was just the reader.
It would have been much more interesting if illustrations were included. I was grateful that it was very short.
The second podcast dealt with reviews on apps for the iPad. It was interesting, but the speaker had an
accent, so I wonder how applicable the recommendations will prove to be. It was interesting, but the speaker’s voice
was annoying. It was just over three
minutes and seemed helpful providing the apps are available and not outdated.
The third podcast was just the voice and music. It was supposed to give tips for photography,
but the music at first was very annoying. I also think that with this particular podcast
some background in photography is critical. I had no idea what they were talking about.
After having such disappointing experiences with the above
podcasts, I looked at one that dealt with the use of iPads. Again, very boring and the presenter was not
interesting and very annoying. I would
rather read about the iPad rather than look at him or listen to him.
While my initial response to the use of podcasts is very
poor, I don’t plan on shutting the door on them yet.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Distributed Learning Communities & How Can They Be Made Effective
In my technology cohort, we were divided into teams, based
on the distributed learning model, and asked to work together on two separate projects. Upon completion of those projects, we’ve been
asked to reflect on our experience, as well as on some information that was
presented by Dr. Chris Dede from Harvard University.
The idea behind DLC’s is collaboration where everyone has a voice and role in an effort to share their resources to gain understanding and eventually learn through the support of others. On paper, this sounds amazing! However, pitfalls exist when people work together. Dede refers to them as challenges. Competition and an inattentive attitude might take over, and not everyone gets that voice or comes away feeling successful.
The idea of learning through this virtual classroom excites me. The diverse nature of the members adds to the quality of support that each of us receives. In a truly functional DLC, the work load is lessened because everyone has a role. The classroom goes where you go, as long as the Internet is available. This experience was very positive, but communication was difficult at times. I am a piece by piece learner and enjoyed my roles. However, I have to understand how the completed project got to its final point, so gaps exist in my mind. For me, I have to actually put all the pieces together to understand the whole. The activities were very challenging for me, but felt by stepping outside the box, I learned a great deal.
As I close, I am left to ponder some questions. Why do we still have proficiency levels if we are supposed to value differences? Are we sending the wrong message through our grading standards, even in groups? How does inquiry based learning fit with mandated student learning expectations because all children are expected to meet those?
The idea behind DLC’s is collaboration where everyone has a voice and role in an effort to share their resources to gain understanding and eventually learn through the support of others. On paper, this sounds amazing! However, pitfalls exist when people work together. Dede refers to them as challenges. Competition and an inattentive attitude might take over, and not everyone gets that voice or comes away feeling successful.
DLC’s are not new in education. We’ve called them different names. However, I think the way they should be
implemented could be new and exciting. As
educators, we’ve all gone through professional development activities that used
cooperative learning tools for the sake of cooperative learning. They aren’t always effective and positive for
everyone. I think this negative
experience happens to our students more than we really realize. As educators, we need to really think about
how to use cooperative learning tools to benefit, not just use them for the
sake of saying we implemented cooperative learning into our classrooms. We need to really teach children what it
looks like to work together. We need to
help them value differences in their peers. If we truly want it to work, we have to live
it and model it.
The idea of learning through this virtual classroom excites me. The diverse nature of the members adds to the quality of support that each of us receives. In a truly functional DLC, the work load is lessened because everyone has a role. The classroom goes where you go, as long as the Internet is available. This experience was very positive, but communication was difficult at times. I am a piece by piece learner and enjoyed my roles. However, I have to understand how the completed project got to its final point, so gaps exist in my mind. For me, I have to actually put all the pieces together to understand the whole. The activities were very challenging for me, but felt by stepping outside the box, I learned a great deal.
As I close, I am left to ponder some questions. Why do we still have proficiency levels if we are supposed to value differences? Are we sending the wrong message through our grading standards, even in groups? How does inquiry based learning fit with mandated student learning expectations because all children are expected to meet those?
Monday, May 14, 2012
Learning At All Ages
I am currently working on my second project for one of my grad classes for instructional technology. As a fifty-two-year old who did not grow up with or might I say, on technology, this has been a struggle. I have felt every emotion across the board, but the most crippling one is fear. My professor asked me to explain what I meant in our on-line classroom. This is my attempt to help the younger generation understand some of us who appear to be set in our ways.
No, most of us are not set in our ways! We too enjoy learning and want to be the best teachers that we can be. However, with the onslaught of adding to the educational plate, it is difficult to find the time to learn new things because you see, technology has not been a way of life for us. It takes massive amounts of time to do the teaching job well, let alone trying to learn a new language and way of life. I compare it to putting you into a foreign country with no understanding of the language or background into the culture. This has been such a good lesson for me as an educator because I can now see into the world of children who speak a different language, those who live in poverty, those who struggle to read, and those who don't share my background knowledge. Wow, what a horrifying experience for a child. No wonder we have so many drop-outs!!!!
My classmates and teachers in this cohort have been so supportive of me, and they don't even know who I am. I just ask for all who read this to remember that if a teacher appears to be set in his/her ways, it probably has a great deal to do with fear of failure or feeling like they can't compete in this age of technology. As an educator, I hope I never forget that empathy and patience help children to learn, just as much as my lesson.
This is so appropriate for all of us who have fear of failure!!!!!!!!! Things might not be as they appear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSrAJsWvEIc&feature=related
No, most of us are not set in our ways! We too enjoy learning and want to be the best teachers that we can be. However, with the onslaught of adding to the educational plate, it is difficult to find the time to learn new things because you see, technology has not been a way of life for us. It takes massive amounts of time to do the teaching job well, let alone trying to learn a new language and way of life. I compare it to putting you into a foreign country with no understanding of the language or background into the culture. This has been such a good lesson for me as an educator because I can now see into the world of children who speak a different language, those who live in poverty, those who struggle to read, and those who don't share my background knowledge. Wow, what a horrifying experience for a child. No wonder we have so many drop-outs!!!!
My classmates and teachers in this cohort have been so supportive of me, and they don't even know who I am. I just ask for all who read this to remember that if a teacher appears to be set in his/her ways, it probably has a great deal to do with fear of failure or feeling like they can't compete in this age of technology. As an educator, I hope I never forget that empathy and patience help children to learn, just as much as my lesson.
This is so appropriate for all of us who have fear of failure!!!!!!!!! Things might not be as they appear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSrAJsWvEIc&feature=related
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Balanced Literacy
Literacy and how to teach all children to read is my passion. Recently, I have been working on a project dedicated to balanced literacy. Each time that I have started to read an article, I have found that I didn't own a particular source, so have purchased it. It seems that through interpretation and language, researchers, writers, politicians, and some educators are making it more complicated by rehashing old debates. Through reading the research and available literature, I have found that an effective approach was introduced in 1996. However, through philosophical intrepretations and differing points of view, it has taken a decade to implement. Currently, I am reading a book with a copyright date of 1996 which supports current trends in reading. It seems to me that many children could have benefitted over the years if we could have come to consesus sooner.
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