Skype has been used extensively for my technology course as a communication tool. I've used it to communicate with classmates for class material and socially. It's been a great communication tool allowing me to better connect with classmates developing relationships outside the realm of basic discussion questions. It's also proved to be an invaluable tool to discuss assignments to ensure understanding of requirements and concepts.
Skype could be a great way for students to communicate concerns, questions, and misunderstandings. Skype would give students a way to access the instructor outside of class time, especially when they are working on their assignments.
22 November 2008
Entry 12 - Blogging
Over the past 12 weeks I've been using this blog as a reflection of my course, Computer Technology and Multimedia. This has been a valuable tool to reflect upon the course discussions and as a communication tool.
I see using it in my mathematics class as a venue for reflection and discussion of newly learned concepts. Students not only have a place to reflect upon their learnings but also a vehicle to collaborate on the development and understanding of concepts.
I see using it in my mathematics class as a venue for reflection and discussion of newly learned concepts. Students not only have a place to reflect upon their learnings but also a vehicle to collaborate on the development and understanding of concepts.
16 November 2008
Entry 11 - Gaming in Education
Alexandra Matthews' 12 April 2008 blog entry, "doof.com - integrating gaming with social networks", provides an overview of this particular social gaming site. Social gaming juxtaposes online gaming with social networking sites providing a more interactive form of gaming.
A recent Pew Internet research study shows that almost all teens (97%) play some sort of game. Only a 24% play games completely in isolation demonstrating the need for education to tie into social gaming.
So how do we tie into social gaming to benefit learners; to provide a more pervasive access to education? I think this is an area that educators everywhere need to tap into.
Yes, most of the games are ever consuming voids inhaling moments of free time, but isn't that want we all want, even in the most minuscule way: a moment away from reality and all of the aspects of life we cannot control; a moment to breath.
A recent Pew Internet research study shows that almost all teens (97%) play some sort of game. Only a 24% play games completely in isolation demonstrating the need for education to tie into social gaming.
So how do we tie into social gaming to benefit learners; to provide a more pervasive access to education? I think this is an area that educators everywhere need to tap into.
Yes, most of the games are ever consuming voids inhaling moments of free time, but isn't that want we all want, even in the most minuscule way: a moment away from reality and all of the aspects of life we cannot control; a moment to breath.
Handheld Wireless Data Devices
Here's a 10 minute presentation I created on hand held wireless data devices in the K-12 classroom. Being that this is a vast area with much room for exploration, this video, in order to maintain a reasonable length, introduces these devices, touches on the reasons why educators should be interested in this emerging technology, and provides some information on how they can be used in education.
09 November 2008
Entry 10 - Learning Objects
Like the term "object" from the concept of "object oriented programming", learning objects are "digital entity intended to further the achievement of a specific learning objective" (Harvey 2005). This means any multimedia item, such as a diagram, video, sound clip, animation, or block of text, could be considered a learning object.
Imagine the impact on education if educators had global access to repositories of "learning objects"; hundreds of thousands of small pieces of information which could be strung together to meet the needs of an individual student at the time of need. Suppose you are studying Binomial Theorem in your foundational algebra class. You could type in the topic and related objects would appear allowing you, as the teacher, to quickly construct multimedia lessons. Objects may include:
Now imagine all of these objects available to anyone, world-wide, at any time, at no cost, and that contributions to expand and improve the available body of knowledge could be made globally. Yes, the gain is pervasive beyond the world of education but the benefit to our students may be. Not only would it increase efficiency in teaching but the information contained has the potential be the one piece which sparks interest in a student to become a life long learner. We as educators are no longer islands contained within the bounds of our classroom walls; we must not only reach out to our students but reach out to each other to support learning at a global level.
Brian Harvey's full article on learning objects can be found at http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/227/310
Imagine the impact on education if educators had global access to repositories of "learning objects"; hundreds of thousands of small pieces of information which could be strung together to meet the needs of an individual student at the time of need. Suppose you are studying Binomial Theorem in your foundational algebra class. You could type in the topic and related objects would appear allowing you, as the teacher, to quickly construct multimedia lessons. Objects may include:
- Pictures of Pascal's Triangle from several of it's cultural iterations
- Historical notes
- Presentation slides demonstrating the process of using Pascal's Triangle in order to perform binomial expansion
- Sample problems including solutions
- Pre-made hand outs for student notes
- Animations showing the construction of Pascal's Triangle
- Worksheets for skill practice
- Audio files reviewing the process of creating Pascal's Triangle or the process of binomial expansion
Now imagine all of these objects available to anyone, world-wide, at any time, at no cost, and that contributions to expand and improve the available body of knowledge could be made globally. Yes, the gain is pervasive beyond the world of education but the benefit to our students may be. Not only would it increase efficiency in teaching but the information contained has the potential be the one piece which sparks interest in a student to become a life long learner. We as educators are no longer islands contained within the bounds of our classroom walls; we must not only reach out to our students but reach out to each other to support learning at a global level.
Brian Harvey's full article on learning objects can be found at http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/227/310
02 November 2008
Day 3 - Assessment Summit - ATL
Day three of The Solution Tree's Assessment Summit in Atlanta provided even more compelling evidence and generally applicable methods of reforming assessment to become methods of instruction and learning for both teachers and learners.
Anne Davies provided methods to make students involved in the assessment process including student driven and developed assessments. Once students understand the assessment process and are able to provide positive feedback to others, they develop a deeper understanding of their own metacognition. Honestly I could have listened to her for 8 hours as she was so informative and practical.
Though Dylan Wiliam reinforced what many other presenters provided, he gave a sound discussion on why investing in teacher professional development is critical to the improvement of education. This was a discussion that every superintendent, board member, and principal needed to hear. Again, like Davies, his presentation needed to be longer but done through a workshop fashion instead of a lecture. He presented much information on standards and assessments but I feel we would have benefited more if given the opportunity to participate and experience the processes described.
I was disappointed in one presenter, whom I will not name, as he spoke against several other presenters' works. Not only did he provide no documentation or data to back up his claims but he tastelessly projected their work in his presentation with a giant X over it! This turned me off to the rest of his presentation. If you are going to state that something needs to be changed, present evidence to support your claim. If you are going to state that someone is wrong, defend your position with data - OTHER PEOPLE'S DATA, don't just reference your own writings. In fact, I would say limit references to your own work; it's tacky and gives the perception that you are just there to sell your own books.
Over all The Solution Tree's Assessment Summit in Atlanta, Georgia was excellent. I walked away with volumes of useful information that is not only directly applicable to me as a secondary classroom teacher, but also is information I can put into place immediately. I wish every classroom teacher could attend something of this nature as it reinforces much of what we do and yet demonstrates the paramount nature of change. Much of the information presented can be found in the book Ahead of the curve: The power of assessment to transform teaching and learning by Ainsworth, L., Almeida, L., Davies, A., DuFour, R., Gregg, L., Guskey, T., et al.
Anne Davies provided methods to make students involved in the assessment process including student driven and developed assessments. Once students understand the assessment process and are able to provide positive feedback to others, they develop a deeper understanding of their own metacognition. Honestly I could have listened to her for 8 hours as she was so informative and practical.
Though Dylan Wiliam reinforced what many other presenters provided, he gave a sound discussion on why investing in teacher professional development is critical to the improvement of education. This was a discussion that every superintendent, board member, and principal needed to hear. Again, like Davies, his presentation needed to be longer but done through a workshop fashion instead of a lecture. He presented much information on standards and assessments but I feel we would have benefited more if given the opportunity to participate and experience the processes described.
I was disappointed in one presenter, whom I will not name, as he spoke against several other presenters' works. Not only did he provide no documentation or data to back up his claims but he tastelessly projected their work in his presentation with a giant X over it! This turned me off to the rest of his presentation. If you are going to state that something needs to be changed, present evidence to support your claim. If you are going to state that someone is wrong, defend your position with data - OTHER PEOPLE'S DATA, don't just reference your own writings. In fact, I would say limit references to your own work; it's tacky and gives the perception that you are just there to sell your own books.
Over all The Solution Tree's Assessment Summit in Atlanta, Georgia was excellent. I walked away with volumes of useful information that is not only directly applicable to me as a secondary classroom teacher, but also is information I can put into place immediately. I wish every classroom teacher could attend something of this nature as it reinforces much of what we do and yet demonstrates the paramount nature of change. Much of the information presented can be found in the book Ahead of the curve: The power of assessment to transform teaching and learning by Ainsworth, L., Almeida, L., Davies, A., DuFour, R., Gregg, L., Guskey, T., et al.
Entry 9 - Learning Management Systems
On of the most useful discussions I've found on Learning Management Systems (LMS) is written by Tony Karrer (link). His participation in eLearningGuild's Learning Management System research report provides a good overview of the reaction to products in use at various levels of industry including the educational sector. Being able to graphically see the satisfaction levels of users for various LMS packages gives a good understanding of which products to lean towards when beginning an investigation into these tools. He also provides some background information as to why some of the perceptions may be inflated, such as Moodle being open source, thus cost not being a factor. He also presents information on certain products which provide limited usage, thus being good starter programs but not being final destinations. Thank you to all of those out there that provide well linked and cross linked blogs which provide not only solid information but also provide easy access to more information on topics of interest.
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