Reflective Blog 8

What a wonderful beginning!! In the last few weeks I have learned some new ways to apply technology tools that I have previously studied and ways to utilize ones I haven't. I would have to say my biggest Aha! moment was discovering how to create my electronic portfolio. This was the first time I had ever created a portfolio and had never heard of Google sites until this class. I became so frustrated with trying to figure it out and was not a happy camper. I struggled with learning how to use the site in the beginning but when I finally figured it out.... whoohoo!!! I was so excited and now I am very pleased with my final product. I guess you could say I put my computer attack skills to test while working on my portfolio. What an awesome feeling! I have mentioned before that I am looking forward to developing my wiki further and adding more lessons to my lesson plan blog. Overall this class has been a pleasant learning experience and I have come away with some great resources that I can definitely use in both my personal and professional life.

In this reflection I wanted to incorporate something to signify what this course has meant to me. I would like to share the following video called A Brief History of Technology in Education by eduTecher.

Reflective Blog 7

I developed a lesson to create a restaurant business that focused on designing a menu, calculating expenses, and potential profit. My learning objective focused on giving students the opportunity to research in groups and create a business idea utilizing technology. I wanted the students to use and develop a group wiki in order to brainstorm their ideas. This allowed them to create a written documentation of what they wanted to do and everyone in the group could present a different perspective or build upon an existing idea. I created a list of Internet websites to get them started in their search for information. This list also included short video clips about starting and operating a restaurant business for possible resources. In order to demonstrate what they learned the students would develop a business presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint and Glogster EDU. Each group would present their findings in a professional manner (Microsoft PowerPoint) to the class and also have the opportunity to implement and use a new technology (Glogster EDU) which will allow them to design a digital poster. My expectations for the students are to learn basic business concepts along with effective ways to implement and use technology.

My idea of instruction is still under development because I am new to the field of education. I am open to all ideas and suggestions because I realize that this is a daily process and I find myself learning something new constantly.

Reflective Blog 5

When I started this week’s assignment I was not sure what I was going to use a wiki for or if I really had a need for a wiki. After reading and commenting on the posts of some of my classmates, I decided to develop a wiki I could use for exchanging ideas and information on ceramics. I have created the page but I have not added any information yet. I have some projects that I made and would like to take pictures of them and add to my wiki. I have a couple of sites that I need to check and see if I am still able to access them because I would like to add them on my wiki. I have even thought about making one for me and other teachers in my family that way we could use it to share and exchange ideas also.

Advantages I see to using a wiki is a common place where everyone can share and create their ideas on a particular topic or subject. Wikis may allow for better management of information because everyone can meet up and discuss a top in one place at anytime without having to worry about if someone didn’t see or get the information.

Disadvantages would be not everyone wants to use it because they do not like computers or having to learn how to use it. Someone changes or edits something that should not have been changed and the information is not correct. There may be a problem with accessing the technology such as no Internet connection or a problem with the site.

Depending on what they are used for I think wikis do have the potential for engaging digital natives. I think a couple of ways they could use them is to collaborate on homework or share ideas on a group project. Some may even decide to use them for after school purposes such as organizing a club or organization.

After exploring the eLearning Tools Wiki I am curious to learn more about the animation and visualization technologies. The one that really caught my eye was the Glogster site that talks about creating digital posters. I looked around on the site and some of them look really cool, I will be checking into this a little more.

Reflective Blog 4

This week I learned some differences between assessment for learning and assessment of learning. I had a general understanding but I’m glad I had the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the two concepts. I think out of the 10 assessment for learning my primary focus is on how students learn. I have often thought about the differences in how students learn and it took a little while for me to accept that we all learn in different ways. I think I always knew that but focusing on education and learning about the differences in all learners opened my eyes to that fact. Some of the things I have learned in my classes over the last couple of years have really changed my perceptions on education, teachers and students.

I believe portfolio assessment can be beneficial in two ways. One is as a way to display or show things you have done or created. The other is as a resource tool that you can continue to add more materials to. I think either of these has potential although the second is more along the lines of assessment for learning.

I think having a portfolio will allow me to see that I am able to catalog my works in one central place and that if I choose to do so, I can continue to add or change things around on my portfolio. I know if I continue on my path as an educator I can utilize this as a way to display things I have done and also share my ideas with my students.

Reflective Blog 3

The assignment this week was pretty interesting. I remember reading the article that talked about links and the validity of them but was glad to actually learn how to go about checking to see if they are credible. I am not surprised to hear about information on the Internet as untrue. I have found myself over time fact checking many emails or other information I receive from someone to see if it is true or not. In most cases it is not, at one time it amazed me how carelessly people sent this things out without knowing if it was true or not but now I’m no longer shocked. I am pretty confident about information I choose to use because of my concerns with information being valid, I often check information I use to make sure it is accurate. Although now that I know how to check links, I know this will aid in my search for finding even better sources.

In my opinion, it is important to start teaching children at an early age to get into a habit of checking or verifying information. If students are not taught how to check information they view or use on the Internet they will run a chance of using inappropriate or unreliable information. As an educator we can warn students that most of the information on the Internet is not always valid and show them how to look up information correctly but in the end it will come down to the individual student. Some will listen and fact check and others unfortunately will not. I think it would be wonderful if all students would verify information they find on the Internet with a teacher or parent. As a parent I try to teach my child how important it is to verify information that he finds on the Internet or receives from another person, and that includes his teachers.

Some advantages of organizing information are it is easier to find later when needed, you can have access instantly to what you want to know about instead of having to search through various places, and it’s easier to relate it to similar topics. Some ways I could use Delicious in the future is as a resource for websites that I like to use in my classroom and having them immediately available to me in one central location instead of having to search for them individually on the Internet. I can continue to build onto what I already have and also share these with other teachers that I have a common interest with.

Reflective Blog 2

After exploring the different resources over the last week the meaning of educational technology in my opinion is varied because depending on whose point of view you are considering it takes on a whole new meaning. I am slowly realizing that learning about educational technology can take place almost anywhere there is some form of technology available. I still agree with the philosophy that I drafted and feel that in some ways they do align.

After watching the videos my opinion on the use of some technologies in schools has changed. I think there is room to use more than what is offered in some areas. I think that too many teachers are uncomfortable with the idea of trying to include technology into their lessons but would greatly benefit from it if they did. I have personally spoke with a few who flat out refuse because they lack the skills to teach the material using technology and others are do not like computers or having to do anything with a computer. Both videos do make you pause and think about what are doing to contribute to the increasing rise of technology and are we doing enough to help keep our students engaged and interested in what we are teaching. I think it would only help and I would like to explore the possibility of using podcasts and ipods more in a classroom setting. In the videos there were quite a few things I didn't know but I look forward to learning ways to address some of these during my course of study.

Reflective Blog 1

Potential uses for blogging I see are ways to connect with others by keep a journal of personal ideas, interests, current events and news. According to Downes, I believe that we have met this potential but to a certain point. I personally think that if the author of the blog feels like they have nothing to discuss or say that the blog will not be continued as is the case with many blogs being required in some classrooms. I have to admit, unless I truly had a purpose to keep up with and continue a blog; I probably would not do it.

The article goes on to talk about how some students experience frustration with writing a blog, what the importance of blogging is and what blogging is about. I like the part of the article where it talks about blogging is really not about writing but actually first reading what is of interest to you. That point gave me pause because as a future teacher I want to find ways that positively affect my student’s technology use. It got me to thinking about how to focus on a student’s interests so they would want to create and use a blog other than as a requirement for a class.

I think one of the things that prevent this from being met is the disengagement some students experience with blogging. I like what the author says about engaging with content and other authors you read to connect with the larger part of the world in order for blogging to be successful in education. I can relate to this statement because what it says to me is that this person needs to find their voice by exploring or seeking out information and once this happens it provides them with something to discuss that is their own idea and not something prompted by a teacher.



After reading November’s article, a few of them stand out to me. I thought about it for a while to see if there was one over the other but I think it is pretty equal. To start the first one that talks about students believing everything that is on the Internet. I found this one interesting because I know from my own experience I am constantly telling my children as well as some adults that everything on the Internet is not true. You have to search and basically fact check the information to make sure it is valid. Although before reading this article I had never heard of the search engine called “link”, which sounds like it is a very useful tool when it comes to verifying information on the Internet. Informing students that they need to verify any information sources found on the Internet should be standard practice among educators. I also think November’s suggestion that every educator should look at The Hate Directory to gain an overall view of some of the material that is out there.

The second one that stood out was the idea of live cameras in classrooms. As I thought about the idea, I admit I like the sound of it to a certain point. I like the idea that parents could have instant access to what is going on in their child’s classroom. I also like the idea that it may make some teachers evaluate what they are doing in the classroom. It makes me wonder would this have any impact with the behavior of some students if they knew their parents were watching them and would the impact be positive or negative. I can understand why some teachers may not like the idea especially if they feel like they have something to hide. On another note I can understand why some may feel like it is an invasion, and others may not want the added criticism from some parents that do not agree with their teaching methods. Overall I think there would be more positives that could arise from live video classrooms than negatives.

In the automating vs. informating section what stood out for me was the point he made about schools may actually end up playing a part in the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer without realizing this is happening. I too thought that technology would provide an equal playing field for everyone; I don’t think I really ever considered the latter and the impact it would have. Also the part where he talks about high schools requiring students to take an online class is interesting because I just recently spoke with someone about how more and more colleges are moving from the face to face courses and going to an online only system.

The last thing that stands out to me is when he talks about not training teachers to use technology without bringing students along to take part in the training process and teaching teachers after school in a computer lab and how it can be counterproductive. The article was very interesting, it touched on many things I have either thought about personally or discussed with someone else. His approach and ideas are enlightening and it would be nice to see some of his views actually implemented throughout the education system.