The issue was was in need of a solution was that a course needed to have an online platform on which students could work in teams and publish their research project.
The bigger issue was that these groups would swap every four weeks and their projects needed to be archived and the site needed to be made available for the next rotation.
This site needed to provide students a way to collaborate online as well as practice other 21st century skills.
The solution to this issue came in the form of Google Apps for Education, primarily the Google Sites feature. Google sites allowed me to manage a site on which students could work together and provide a creative way to publish their research findings. Google sites enabled both the students and teachers to engage in an online environment that could be available at any time, from any computer, home or school.
From a TPACK stanpoint, the technology made itself readily available to the teachers' pedagogy, as they were able to practice modeling and scaffold their content, and measured the students' understanding by the quality of work they published on their site as a team. It also lent itself to help teachers encourage collaboration with a dynamic group of students that would swap every four weeks.
The content and technology played very well together as students were able to use the web to research their topics. This made it very easy for the students to go by the questionnaire they were given and research from home or in the classroom. Since the topics covered varied, students had the freedom to use multiple media outlets, online and offline to compile what they found to be the best overview of their topic.
Teachers were able to put into play their pedagogy with the content as they asked questions while the students were working, such as "how is what you're doing right now possible for someone that would have the disability you are researching?" These questions re-enforced the content the students had been exposed to, and were able to create a relationship with the research.
Here is my presentation, it is an overview of the issue, the solution, what it took to put it into practice, and some of the things I learned along the way.
Thank you.
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Professional Learning Plan
Reflecting on what I have accomplished through the knowledge acquired in these initial courses, and the experience I have gained by applying such principles at my work, is an incredible tale. I have been able to become more knowledgeable about what technologies are available and when or where they are appropriate for use in the classroom.
At the beginning of my learning at MSU, I was starting to implement Google Apps for Education at my school. In the previous months, after projects, lessons, and lectures, I have become much more comfortable and knowledgeable in the ways that these services can be better used in the classroom.
Along with that, implementing them with mobile technology has been a goal of mine. I have used some of these services on mobile devices in some classrooms, but not all. I would like to expand these practices to more classrooms, so teachers can take advantage of the technology that is already in the palms of their students.
As part my future plans in learning, I want to further explore the practices of TPACK. I found this to be one the most important aspects of merging technology and learning. I am very interested in putting these ideals into practice on the projects I take on with teachers. By doing so I hope to gain a better understanding of what works, and what doesn't work in the dynamic classrooms at my school. We have a very diverse population, and the students' needs differ from one another. With TPACK in mind at the planning stages, I hope to help suggest better technologies when teachers are planning their lessons. More research and practicing is needed on my part to achieve this. There are plenty of resources online that can help me understand this topic, but I think that most of my learning will come from in-classroom implementation.
With the state of budgeting for schools these days, I find it that I will be challenged further in accomplishing more with less. Thankfully, with the tools and knowledge I have been equipped with from taking these courses, I am confident that along with the teachers I support, will be able to provide incredible learning environments infused with varying technologies.
At the beginning of my learning at MSU, I was starting to implement Google Apps for Education at my school. In the previous months, after projects, lessons, and lectures, I have become much more comfortable and knowledgeable in the ways that these services can be better used in the classroom.
Along with that, implementing them with mobile technology has been a goal of mine. I have used some of these services on mobile devices in some classrooms, but not all. I would like to expand these practices to more classrooms, so teachers can take advantage of the technology that is already in the palms of their students.
As part my future plans in learning, I want to further explore the practices of TPACK. I found this to be one the most important aspects of merging technology and learning. I am very interested in putting these ideals into practice on the projects I take on with teachers. By doing so I hope to gain a better understanding of what works, and what doesn't work in the dynamic classrooms at my school. We have a very diverse population, and the students' needs differ from one another. With TPACK in mind at the planning stages, I hope to help suggest better technologies when teachers are planning their lessons. More research and practicing is needed on my part to achieve this. There are plenty of resources online that can help me understand this topic, but I think that most of my learning will come from in-classroom implementation.
With the state of budgeting for schools these days, I find it that I will be challenged further in accomplishing more with less. Thankfully, with the tools and knowledge I have been equipped with from taking these courses, I am confident that along with the teachers I support, will be able to provide incredible learning environments infused with varying technologies.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Mobile Learning
Analyzing my use of Poll Everywhere and navigating through the discussions in Classroom 2.0 have offered me more insight into what is possible in a classroom with the use of mobile technologies. In a post at Classroom 2.0, I found a resource that I could use with smart phones to deliver tests. The resource Mobile Study provides a way to create and distribute tests tailored for mobile devices using web technologies. This stood out to me because I have been working with one of the teachers at my school in creating paperless quizzes. We have been using Google Forms to offer students a way to take these quizzes on a computer or on their mobile phones. This method has proved to be a hit with the students. They enjoy taking the quizzes online and being able to utilize their own devices if they want to. As my interest in Mobile Study grows, I want to see how flexible it is and in what other ways it can be used. Perhaps it will only work on certain web browsers, or maybe not work on all phones, I have yet to sift through those issues.
In using Poll Everywhere I found that it is limited in how versatile it can be without paying a premium. Although I can definitely appreciate the ability to use it in a live conversation during class. Engaging students with this audience response type of system can be an effective way to get everyone involved and think about what everyone else is expressing.
In my experience you can never have too many resources, especially in technology. Being able to pick and choose from all the different platforms available makes it easier to provide students an effective and engaging learning experience. With newer mobile technologies coming out one right after the other, it is interesting to see how we in education can take advantage of them without losing focus on the objective of a well structured lesson.
Here is a screen capture of my reply in Classroom 2.0
In using Poll Everywhere I found that it is limited in how versatile it can be without paying a premium. Although I can definitely appreciate the ability to use it in a live conversation during class. Engaging students with this audience response type of system can be an effective way to get everyone involved and think about what everyone else is expressing.
In my experience you can never have too many resources, especially in technology. Being able to pick and choose from all the different platforms available makes it easier to provide students an effective and engaging learning experience. With newer mobile technologies coming out one right after the other, it is interesting to see how we in education can take advantage of them without losing focus on the objective of a well structured lesson.
Here is a screen capture of my reply in Classroom 2.0
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
PART B - Storyboard and Script
Angelica and I have made some serious progress in our Group Leadership Project, with collaborating on a storyboard and script for the video we will be creating. When we first talked about the topic we would be covering, Google Apps Scripts, I knew very little about it and felt unfamiliar with the platform. Throughout research and help from Angelica, I finally came to appreciate our tool. I needed to know what I was facing and how I could suggest and teach it to those I support at my school. In addition to our research, brainstorming what our video would look like in the storyboard and scripting stages helped to further understand not only what we were showcasing, but also how to present it from the learner point of view. This was very valuable because as we were learning, we took into account what worked and how we could improve it when presenting it.
We began the scripting portion on Google Docs, with a shared document that Angelica and I collaborated on to get the ball rolling. In it we sectioned off what areas we would each cover, she would take care of application of the tool, where as I would write the theory and ideas behind the tool. She was practical, I was theoretical, a neat combination. I wrote on what technologies power the tool, and explained them, as well as made an effort to set familiar comparisons for learners. Angelica and I began to go back and forth near the end of our scripting when we got to the practice portion of the lesson. At this point, you can say, we shared the stage in presenting in tandem during the overview of how to get scripting started for first time users.
Once we had a base for our script, we began to story board using a Google Site that Angelica created, which by the way looked great in both aesthetics and function! We had six main storyboard sections. Each covering a different aspect of the video that one of us would cover with our script, slides, and sound effects. It is on this site that we conveyed our intentions for the look and feel of the video, in a static representation of course. The sections were divided like so: Angelica and I both open up the presentation, I take sections two and three, she takes four and five, and we join back up on the sixth section to deliver an example.
Creating a storyboard on Google Sites is a great and creative idea, I owe Angelica all the credit for thinking about that. It not only offers us an easy and familiar platform to collaborate on, but it is also a very flexible vessel to convey our information and ideas through. It could also be used as together with, or as an alternative to the video.
The visual and sound ques are listed and described above each graphic, which represents a slide or section of the video. Where there are transitions, sound effects, and speaking or animations, there are text ques for us to remember what goes where.
Here is a link to our Google Site storyboard:
https://sites.google.com/site/groupleadershipproject2011/home
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
PART A - Description of Need or Opportunity
Background:
Currently we teach one course that is split into two, developmental disabilities and mental wellness. In this course the two swap students every four weeks. Each will have about 20-30 students. These students are then split into research groups, in which they will compile information about their assigned physical disability or mental health issue. After the four weeks, the groups will swap, be assigned to new research groups on a new topic covered in their new rotation, and again compile their research data and findings. The research project is based on a questionnaire that will cover FAQ's, daily living information, and information on advocacy groups for the disability.
The issue:
How can the projects be compiled in a collaborative group setting, published in a single place (platform), archived for later review once the groups swap, and be rebooted for the next course rotation?
This issue is more commonly expected at the end of a normal course semester, when the instructor or an admin archives and re-establishes course templates in an LMS or CMS type of environment. Our situation is different as we don't currently use an LMS or CMS due to budget, though we do have access to Google Apps for Education, and the student rotations are fairly often in this course.
The solution(s):
With cost, available resources, and time in mind, I plan on using Google Docs, Video and Sites as the platforms on which students can collaborate to collect their research, store notes, and publish their findings. Docs will be used as place where they can access a questionnaire shared by their teacher with their group. In Docs, the students can also store resources such as links, and other notes regarding their research. Docs allows group members to work on a document simultaneously, from different computers. Google Video will allow those students that wish to use videos they have found or they have edited themselves and uploaded to the school's Google Video account. Finally, Sites will be the final compilation of their efforts, showcasing what they have learned, and their skills in using various technologies.
The supporting technologies would be a laptop cart to enable student research, flip cams to allow students to film if they decide so, iLife software to edit the videos, and the student's school assigned Google accounts to enable access to the online tools.
The Sites tool will host a site created and designed by the teacher. It will contain three main sections, a home page with a description of the site's purpose, developmental disabilities, and mental wellness. The latter two are the two that will swap student groups. These two main categories will contain sub pages listing their appropriate disabilities. It is here where the students will publish their work. Enabling the site to become a central resource containing all of the information regarding any topic covered in the course.
The students will be granted edit rights to the site, that way their group can make edits to corresponding page. Sites will allow multiple users to make edits simultaneously, this is optimal for this type of project, where there are different groups, in different classes, at different paces. The course will run every four weeks. The way to reset the website would be to create site and page templates that can be applied to the site to start fresh. In order to keep an archive of the work from a previous rotation, the site can be copied entirely onto another with a different URL, thus enabling the work to still be accessible via a descriptive URL. The main site that will be rebooted every four weeks will maintain the original URL. To provide students an easier to remember URL, a URL shortening service, such as Bit.ly, will be used.
Every four weeks, this process will be repeated, using the Google Apps for Education platform. The plan is to provide training during the second week of their research on how to edit the site, this will provide students some knowledge as to what to expect once they are ready to publish. I should be able to implement the project within the duration of this course, CEP812. As the course will rotate at least twice during this time.
As the project is implemented, I will analyze how the students collaborate in assigning roles and infuse creativity into their topic page using different types of media.
Thoughts and expectations:
While I have some experience with Google Apps at our school, this will most likely be the more intensive project because of the time restraint, and the number of different student groups that will need to be supported. The success of this plan will be measured in the interaction that the students experience with both each other and their research content. I have piloted individual portfolio websites for our ninth grade class, and that has shown promise as they have added their own content. Though this will be a true test as many different content from different perspectives will be housed under a single site.
Resources:
Here are some links regarding Google Apps for Education, and some examples of Sites in use.
http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/
http://edu.googleapps.com/
http://www.google.com/support/sites/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=153055
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRYRbPCHTck
Currently we teach one course that is split into two, developmental disabilities and mental wellness. In this course the two swap students every four weeks. Each will have about 20-30 students. These students are then split into research groups, in which they will compile information about their assigned physical disability or mental health issue. After the four weeks, the groups will swap, be assigned to new research groups on a new topic covered in their new rotation, and again compile their research data and findings. The research project is based on a questionnaire that will cover FAQ's, daily living information, and information on advocacy groups for the disability.
The issue:
How can the projects be compiled in a collaborative group setting, published in a single place (platform), archived for later review once the groups swap, and be rebooted for the next course rotation?
This issue is more commonly expected at the end of a normal course semester, when the instructor or an admin archives and re-establishes course templates in an LMS or CMS type of environment. Our situation is different as we don't currently use an LMS or CMS due to budget, though we do have access to Google Apps for Education, and the student rotations are fairly often in this course.
The solution(s):
With cost, available resources, and time in mind, I plan on using Google Docs, Video and Sites as the platforms on which students can collaborate to collect their research, store notes, and publish their findings. Docs will be used as place where they can access a questionnaire shared by their teacher with their group. In Docs, the students can also store resources such as links, and other notes regarding their research. Docs allows group members to work on a document simultaneously, from different computers. Google Video will allow those students that wish to use videos they have found or they have edited themselves and uploaded to the school's Google Video account. Finally, Sites will be the final compilation of their efforts, showcasing what they have learned, and their skills in using various technologies.
The supporting technologies would be a laptop cart to enable student research, flip cams to allow students to film if they decide so, iLife software to edit the videos, and the student's school assigned Google accounts to enable access to the online tools.
The Sites tool will host a site created and designed by the teacher. It will contain three main sections, a home page with a description of the site's purpose, developmental disabilities, and mental wellness. The latter two are the two that will swap student groups. These two main categories will contain sub pages listing their appropriate disabilities. It is here where the students will publish their work. Enabling the site to become a central resource containing all of the information regarding any topic covered in the course.
The students will be granted edit rights to the site, that way their group can make edits to corresponding page. Sites will allow multiple users to make edits simultaneously, this is optimal for this type of project, where there are different groups, in different classes, at different paces. The course will run every four weeks. The way to reset the website would be to create site and page templates that can be applied to the site to start fresh. In order to keep an archive of the work from a previous rotation, the site can be copied entirely onto another with a different URL, thus enabling the work to still be accessible via a descriptive URL. The main site that will be rebooted every four weeks will maintain the original URL. To provide students an easier to remember URL, a URL shortening service, such as Bit.ly, will be used.
Every four weeks, this process will be repeated, using the Google Apps for Education platform. The plan is to provide training during the second week of their research on how to edit the site, this will provide students some knowledge as to what to expect once they are ready to publish. I should be able to implement the project within the duration of this course, CEP812. As the course will rotate at least twice during this time.
As the project is implemented, I will analyze how the students collaborate in assigning roles and infuse creativity into their topic page using different types of media.
Thoughts and expectations:
While I have some experience with Google Apps at our school, this will most likely be the more intensive project because of the time restraint, and the number of different student groups that will need to be supported. The success of this plan will be measured in the interaction that the students experience with both each other and their research content. I have piloted individual portfolio websites for our ninth grade class, and that has shown promise as they have added their own content. Though this will be a true test as many different content from different perspectives will be housed under a single site.
Resources:
Here are some links regarding Google Apps for Education, and some examples of Sites in use.
http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/
http://edu.googleapps.com/
http://www.google.com/support/sites/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=153055
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRYRbPCHTck
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
CEP 811 Reflection
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| Robert Wechsler, School desk, chrome rear view mirror, 2004 |
CEP 811 opened up my eyes to different aspects of teaching with technology. Incredible insights into effective teaching strategies were shared with us and gave me the ability to practice some of these in implementing technology with the teachers I support. The theories and guidelines that have made an impact in my approach to integration, have been with initially assessing what the needs, objectives and goals are of the lessons and outcomes for both the teachers and students. With the UDL guidelines, I learned how to open up the lesson plans to a wider audience, and in doing so providing students with different learning styles to take advantage of the content in a way that best fits them.
Along with UDL, web technologies have offered me a way to better evaluate what is best for different students and teachers. Having used the various platforms such as social networks, blogs, glogs, wikis and webquests, allows me to better suggest a platform for teachers depending on their content and overall style of teaching. Getting to know these platforms, along with the different teaching strategies, empowers me to know how it is best to deploy in a classroom depending on the class demographics.
With these things in mind and newer knowledge about best practices and expectations, I have been equipped with more resources that have furthered my understanding about edtech strategies and tools than when I first began this course. As a main support for technology at the school I support, It has been very valuable to me to acquire to benefit both my students and teachers, and the overall improvement of the school's learning environment.
By taking these new methods and strategies, I would like to keep advancing my understanding of lesson design. I think I can improve as a resource for teachers if I have a better understanding of how they expect their lessons to unfold in their classrooms. I would like to plan some more time to meet with teachers and assess their current lessons and activities, to see how I could help improve them and learn from their experiences with successes and failures.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tools and Functions
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| Ethernet Noose by Dan Solo http://www.flickr.com/photos/donsolo/2855854548/ |
As a technology coordinator, my role has been to study the different arrays of technologies available, and help facilitate instructors in incorporating the appropriate one into their lessons and help improve the students develop their skills. So far my contributions have been in multiple content areas, each requiring different functions from technology. One size does not always fit all, therefore I keep an open mind when suggesting technologies, but maintain objectivity to ensure the lesson's goal is not blurred by the bells and whistles of the "tool".
Each of the resources mentioned in the Michigan Merit Curriculum Online Experience Guideline have offered me, at one point or another, a platform on which to help teachers plan engaging activities in their different content areas. Wikis and electronic portfolios have been the two that I believe have been more effective. Wikis, in my experience, have been a great way for students to participate in collaborative group work, where they engage their content directly by doing research, organizing content, and publishing their cumulative work. This has specially been helpful in science courses. The electronic portfolio has been a way for students to publish their best and strongest proof of their work. Using Google Sites has facilitated this at my school, allowing each student to initiate a log of their work from when they enroll, until they graduate. Currently this is implemented in ninth grade, where students incorporate work from various content areas, although it primarily promotes literacy and reinforces knowledge taught in their English course.
Through the use of wikis and electronic portfolios, teachers can practice a multitude of strategies. Scaffolding is an important part of wikis, where students are made to think further about the topics they are involved in, and synthesize from their research and experiences. It is also a great way for students to work on similarities and differentiation from their research, a great way to help them compile their final thoughts on a topic. In helping students design and create their online portfolio, modeling and independent instruction are prevalent as teaching strategies. Modeling to the class by either metaphoric or by hands-on example are common ways to broadcast the information to large groups, while independent instruction is more effective for those target students that need additional attention. Both are teaching strategies that are familiar to non-tech teaching.
I am not sure that there is a specific resource listed that would be harder to implement from the other. Each online resource has a different function and might not fit all required aspects of a specific content. Since I float around from one content area to another, I have to assess the strengths and weaknesses depending on whichever content I am focused on at the moment. Though for all intents and purposes, I would say that online projects in general offer obstacles. Whatever the platform, wiki, online research, online simulations, or interactive online collaborations all offer their own characteristics that can come with obstacles that can make it hard to incorporate initially. Planning how to educate the students on their proper uses and practices would be a key component in deciding which tool is the more difficult to implement. By focusing on the needs of the content area, it is more possible to better choose the right tools for the job. Hence, not allowing to get wrapped up in a technological noose over instruction.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wikis
I personally use wikis as both a source of information, and a way to allow students and teachers to work together on common projects.
Here are a few screen captures of this week's labs:
The university I attended before MSU had a focus on computer science degrees, though they have now expanded their academic reach by opening a charter high school with curriculum centered around technology. I visited the university's wiki page, and saw that there were no links to their new venture, so I added it under "External links". Here is a link to the page: Coleman University's Wiki
 | |||
| Without link |
 |
| Wikipedia's "Edit Page" interface |
 |
| New "External link" added |
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Personal Learning Reflection
As I look back at the different sessions, I can't help but realize that I have been exposed to a lot of valuable information. Not only in the form of new tools, but in how to effectively administer and plan with these tools and concepts. The first assignment we were given was one that allowed us to define what it was that we wanted to learn, explore, and share. Throughout the course of these lessons I was able to experience these modules with my background knowledge and acquire new perspectives from my classmates. As the weeks passed I kept looking back at the initial assignment to see where these new tools could fit in with the goals that I set for myself.
How can I bring this knowledge into a classroom, and help instructors share with their students and collaborate with colleagues using technologies that are already available, and look into acquiring new ones to help implement these ideals? I quickly noticed that a lot of these web 2.0 technologies were already being used in our classrooms, but not to their full potential. As we were introduced to GoogleApps in our initial weeks, I too was working on deploying Google's educational services at our site. Being able to learn from the different assignments, and collaborating with my team to produce the different components of the SIG assignments, allowed me to learn at a pace and hands on experience that excelled my understanding of how the suite of apps works. I quickly realized that the content we were learning had much more of an impact and stuck better as I took what we learned and applied it in every day practices of its use.
This is a concept that I believe can be introduced into the classroom to induce a productive environment. As teachers can learn and use the tools for various functions, they can be more comfortable with them and more easily present them to their students and provide support without fearing the unknown. Where there is an unanswered question, there is a search query that can be carried out in a matter of seconds to find a solution. The vast amount of internet research I did during this course is an example of how the internet can't be ignored and is a valuable resource for a class environment, online or offline.
The main objective of my initial goal was to introduce the use of a student's personal technology as a more prominent role in their learning experience. Utilizing their mobile phone, laptop, or other mobile device could be used as one of their, as it was said on the tv show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, lifelines. Throughout the course I was able to learn how any browser, mobile or desktop, can emulate a classroom and carry out the message that a teacher would like to get across. Whether it is a blog, a published Google Doc, a wiki, a glog, or a VoiceThread, there are various forms through which a teacher can interact with a student at any time and in any place. Regardless of the setting, the technologies we explored in these past weeks have given us the ability to teach and learn anywhere. I carried out some professional development meetings while learning some of these tools myself, and I found it amazing how empowered the teachers became as they themselves explored and allowed their creativity to flow on how to implement these tools in their respective subjects.
I feel that I have widened my knowledge with the variety of assignments I took part in, especially the SIG assignments. These helped me in practicing the GTD model to have a constant effective work flow and stay on top of things. The process of creating the different parts of the SIG project allowed me to flex various mental, creative and organizing muscles. I am really proud of the what we created as a team. The theories and goals behind the proposal, the resources we collected, and the presentation embody an amazing example of collaborative work between members in two different geographical location, all while maintaining great communication.
While I feel I still have more work to do to effectively teach both teachers and students on how personal technology can be an asset to learning, I think I have much more ammo on my side to battle the notion that these devices are merely distractions. I plan on keeping my eyes and ears to the net and seeing what other innovative solutions are made available to work in synergy with traditional teaching models.
How can I bring this knowledge into a classroom, and help instructors share with their students and collaborate with colleagues using technologies that are already available, and look into acquiring new ones to help implement these ideals? I quickly noticed that a lot of these web 2.0 technologies were already being used in our classrooms, but not to their full potential. As we were introduced to GoogleApps in our initial weeks, I too was working on deploying Google's educational services at our site. Being able to learn from the different assignments, and collaborating with my team to produce the different components of the SIG assignments, allowed me to learn at a pace and hands on experience that excelled my understanding of how the suite of apps works. I quickly realized that the content we were learning had much more of an impact and stuck better as I took what we learned and applied it in every day practices of its use.
This is a concept that I believe can be introduced into the classroom to induce a productive environment. As teachers can learn and use the tools for various functions, they can be more comfortable with them and more easily present them to their students and provide support without fearing the unknown. Where there is an unanswered question, there is a search query that can be carried out in a matter of seconds to find a solution. The vast amount of internet research I did during this course is an example of how the internet can't be ignored and is a valuable resource for a class environment, online or offline.
The main objective of my initial goal was to introduce the use of a student's personal technology as a more prominent role in their learning experience. Utilizing their mobile phone, laptop, or other mobile device could be used as one of their, as it was said on the tv show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, lifelines. Throughout the course I was able to learn how any browser, mobile or desktop, can emulate a classroom and carry out the message that a teacher would like to get across. Whether it is a blog, a published Google Doc, a wiki, a glog, or a VoiceThread, there are various forms through which a teacher can interact with a student at any time and in any place. Regardless of the setting, the technologies we explored in these past weeks have given us the ability to teach and learn anywhere. I carried out some professional development meetings while learning some of these tools myself, and I found it amazing how empowered the teachers became as they themselves explored and allowed their creativity to flow on how to implement these tools in their respective subjects.
I feel that I have widened my knowledge with the variety of assignments I took part in, especially the SIG assignments. These helped me in practicing the GTD model to have a constant effective work flow and stay on top of things. The process of creating the different parts of the SIG project allowed me to flex various mental, creative and organizing muscles. I am really proud of the what we created as a team. The theories and goals behind the proposal, the resources we collected, and the presentation embody an amazing example of collaborative work between members in two different geographical location, all while maintaining great communication.
While I feel I still have more work to do to effectively teach both teachers and students on how personal technology can be an asset to learning, I think I have much more ammo on my side to battle the notion that these devices are merely distractions. I plan on keeping my eyes and ears to the net and seeing what other innovative solutions are made available to work in synergy with traditional teaching models.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Differences Between Websites and Blogs
The web is filled with many great resources such as websites, blogs, wikis, profile pages, and many other forms of user published content. Essentially, these are all categorized as websites, but what separates them are their purpose, and their function. A traditional website acts as a landing point from which visitors can access other information relating to the site via the site's map, or link framework. Usually, on a site you have a set of links that help visitors navigate. A home, contact, about, multimedia, news, and events or product pages are fairly standard on websites.
A blog, or web-log, is a page usually consisting of three elements: a landing page which lists the latest updates or blog entries, an archive page in which visitors can access older postings, and an about or profile page listing information about the blogger and the purpose of his blog. A blog gives anyone with an interest and the will to write, the means to publish their thoughts for the world to see. Blogs services like Blogger have given people the ability to not only share their idea, but also bring people with the same interests and passions together and help create online communities. Online tools like blogs allow people to collaborate by sharing editing permissions, or by commenting on a published entry, creating a bi-directional flow of information between editors and readers.
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