Day 5 of EDUC 730! We covered augmented reality...mind blowing. On one hand, I'm overwhelmed at the advancements technology has made, like using Google Goggles. It's almost like x-ray vision. Google Goggles are glasses which provide information at every turn; temperature, restaurant locations, friends whereabouts, etc. The GPS intuitively provides directions and can reroute your path even if you're on foot. On the other hand, it kind of freaks me out that people have become so "trackable" and personal information is easily accessed.
The technological advancements permeate society and bring up some moral issues. What are the boundaries on privacy? Where do you draw the line? I want to be able to track my kids when they are away from home, but I don't want to be tracked when I go on vacation and my home is left empty. Pros and cons to everything. A lot to think about.
Group presentations went well. It was interesting learning about the various topics and seeing that they all share similar trends.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Yesterday was a wonderful discussion on the multitude of uses for the iPad. Loved it! There are so many apps, many times I don't know where to start because the choices can be overwhelming. It's nice to get recommendations for useful app to help you sift through the many choices. Dr. Dunn mentioned several apps that I could utilize personally, professionally, and for my children.
My son is in second grade and has dyslexia. There were several apps that would be great for him to increase his reading ability in a non-traditional way. I also have a kindergartener who would get a lot out of the phonics games, which were both fun and helpful.
My partner and I created our instructional video on Voice Thread. We found Voice Thread fairly easy to utilize. It is a really interesting program, and I can see the value of this program. However, we did struggle with using Screenr. Unfortunately, with technology sometimes it's more difficult getting to the program than actually using it. (Java this, download that, this isn't compatible, yada yada yada...) Once we were able to get Screenr going the video began to fall into place. We struggled with the sound too. It took about 2.5 hours, but we finally got it and that was a great feeling of accomplishment!
My group and I spent the afternoon working on our literature review presentation. I am so thankful for my group. They are all great collaborative workers, intelligent women, and were really enjoyable to work with.
This has been a challenging, exhausting, stretching experience. I have learned so much. I wish I could take this course once a year to keep current!
My son is in second grade and has dyslexia. There were several apps that would be great for him to increase his reading ability in a non-traditional way. I also have a kindergartener who would get a lot out of the phonics games, which were both fun and helpful.
My partner and I created our instructional video on Voice Thread. We found Voice Thread fairly easy to utilize. It is a really interesting program, and I can see the value of this program. However, we did struggle with using Screenr. Unfortunately, with technology sometimes it's more difficult getting to the program than actually using it. (Java this, download that, this isn't compatible, yada yada yada...) Once we were able to get Screenr going the video began to fall into place. We struggled with the sound too. It took about 2.5 hours, but we finally got it and that was a great feeling of accomplishment!
My group and I spent the afternoon working on our literature review presentation. I am so thankful for my group. They are all great collaborative workers, intelligent women, and were really enjoyable to work with.
This has been a challenging, exhausting, stretching experience. I have learned so much. I wish I could take this course once a year to keep current!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Today's discussion put into perspective that the dissertation process is right around the corner. This conversation was so helpful for clarifying the purposes of the upcoming courses: 919, 980, 989, 990. Also, it made me begin to think about looking for a Chair soon so that I can check for their availabity.
An interesting tip I hadn't heard before is to hire an APA expert to edit the dissertation. This is a great idea and I would absolutely take advantage of this advice.
This course has been amazing. It truly is INTENSE. I have been exposed to so many technological resources, it can be overwhelming. I have heard of Webquest but have never experienced it. It was great to evaluate strong and weak Webquests in order to understand the purpose and capabilities of a Webquest.
An interesting tip I hadn't heard before is to hire an APA expert to edit the dissertation. This is a great idea and I would absolutely take advantage of this advice.
This course has been amazing. It truly is INTENSE. I have been exposed to so many technological resources, it can be overwhelming. I have heard of Webquest but have never experienced it. It was great to evaluate strong and weak Webquests in order to understand the purpose and capabilities of a Webquest.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
"If we want them to learn it, we have to invest in that area." - Dr. Dunn
I played with Glogster this afternoon and created a snazzy document which I would share with my undergrad students. As an adjunct faculty member for the School of Education, I am constantly striving to create interesting and engaging lectures and materials. Glogster is a fun, attractive way to display information that can be mundane and heavy.
By the end of the day, I was overwhelmed with content, tackling the literature review project, and planning the instructional video. I can't believe there are only two more days. I wish I could take this class for an entire semester and focus on one program or resource one week at a time!
Monday, December 30, 2013
Lilly the mouse said it best when she stated, "Wow," that was just about all she could say, "wow."
That is about all I can say about the first day of Education 730. I entered this course with an attitude of I don't know much, but I'm ready to learn as much as possible and apply it immediately! One statement Dr. Dunn made first thing this morning shifted my thinking of technology in education, " It’s not about the technology, it’s about the pedagogy. Everything is about the pedagogy. They’re teaching tools. It’s just a way to help students and meet their needs.” This was huge for me. He went on to break down the four elements in teaching technology; three of those are basically good teaching.
I have not been a classroom teacher since 2008. A lot has evolved in the way of classroom technology use. Needless to say, re-entering the classroom as an instructional coach I feel out of the loop and lack resources to provide for my teachers. I was so excited to hear about great resources like Mind Node, Poplet, Google Drive, Prezi, Padlet and End Note. My only hope is that we will have the opportunity to implement some of these tools during the week so once I get home I will feel confident in utilizing them.
That is about all I can say about the first day of Education 730. I entered this course with an attitude of I don't know much, but I'm ready to learn as much as possible and apply it immediately! One statement Dr. Dunn made first thing this morning shifted my thinking of technology in education, " It’s not about the technology, it’s about the pedagogy. Everything is about the pedagogy. They’re teaching tools. It’s just a way to help students and meet their needs.” This was huge for me. He went on to break down the four elements in teaching technology; three of those are basically good teaching.
I have not been a classroom teacher since 2008. A lot has evolved in the way of classroom technology use. Needless to say, re-entering the classroom as an instructional coach I feel out of the loop and lack resources to provide for my teachers. I was so excited to hear about great resources like Mind Node, Poplet, Google Drive, Prezi, Padlet and End Note. My only hope is that we will have the opportunity to implement some of these tools during the week so once I get home I will feel confident in utilizing them.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
My Relationship with Technology
Describing one's relationship with technology, in present day, is like describing one's relationship with water. It's ubiquitous. Every morning at 5am Siri announces our agenda for the day. I then check the iPhone for the current temperature and decide how many layers the kids need to wear to the bus stop. Checking emails, using the GPS, playing Wheel of Fortune on the iPad...all part of an ordinary day.
I don't consider myself tech savvy, nor do I feel inept. I'm frequently reminded of my mom. At seven years old, I always had to operate the VCR for her. My seven year old son now guides grandma through the various remote controls to operate the DVD player or access Netflix. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I'm not a crackerjack technician, but at least I can work the VCR.
I tried something new to communicate with my student teachers this year. As a student teacher supervisor, regular communication is important. Every Friday night my preservice teachers would post their highs and lows of the week on a Face Book page I created just for us. It became a great tool for encouraging, brainstorming, venting, but most importantly, communicating. I am highly interested in utilizing social media for educational purposes, whether in a university lecture hall or a second grade classroom.
I don't consider myself tech savvy, nor do I feel inept. I'm frequently reminded of my mom. At seven years old, I always had to operate the VCR for her. My seven year old son now guides grandma through the various remote controls to operate the DVD player or access Netflix. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I'm not a crackerjack technician, but at least I can work the VCR.
I tried something new to communicate with my student teachers this year. As a student teacher supervisor, regular communication is important. Every Friday night my preservice teachers would post their highs and lows of the week on a Face Book page I created just for us. It became a great tool for encouraging, brainstorming, venting, but most importantly, communicating. I am highly interested in utilizing social media for educational purposes, whether in a university lecture hall or a second grade classroom.
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