Reflection on "Technology Tools for Educators"

I have really enjoyed “Technology Tools for Educators,” and it has helped me to become less of a “technophobe.” This course opened my eyes to a wide array of technologies that could be incorporated into a K-12 classroom setting. I was familiar with some of the technologies used/discussed in class, while others were new to me such as Second Life. As I have stated, I am not overly technology savvy. However, this course brought to my attention the impact technologies have in today’s world and that students are growing up not knowing a world without them. I think this would be a great course for parents to take to make them aware of what technologies their children are exposed to and using on a daily basis. Just as students go through learning about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, they, and their parents/guardians, need to know the dangers of various technologies and how to be safe, smart, and responsible with them. Great class!

Reflection for week 11

I watched an interesting television program last night on the Discovery Channel entitled “Rise of the Video Game” (http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/video-game/video-game.html). This was the second in a series of five episodes which chronicles the history and future of video games and the overall industry. It’s funny to reflect on when the Nintendo Entertainment System, for in-home use, came out in the 80s. I remember the parents of one of my friends said that for Christmas they were getting one of the systems. We went insane! I think for weeks, or maybe it was months, all we wanted to do was play Super Mario Brothers. Thinking back, I cannot explain why we were so enthralled with the Nintendo ES. The only explanation I can come to is that it brought the video arcade into our homes. Whereas before the only time we were able to play video games was when we went out to a restaurant that had them and we had to beg our parents for a few quarters. It’s amazing to see what a huge part video games, whether they are pc or home gaming systems or just games on cell phones or PDAs, have become of our lives, which will most likely continue into the future.

Reflection for week 10

I found a news clip online entitled, “Facebook Gets Boy In Worcester Busted By Boss” http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/247.1/popup/index.php?cl=5001441, on Yahoo News. It talks about a young man who told his boss that he couldn’t work a particular night for various reasons, but posted some photos of himself on Facebook at a party during the night he said he couldn’t work. His boss found the photos online and confronted the man. I’m dumbfounded that many "young" people do not think of possible consequences, present day or future, of what they post online—blogs, video, photos. It’s like they think only other “young” people post information and look at those sites. I think we definitely need to step up the issue of “virtual” appropriateness and inappropriateness and get them to understand that what they post online today, may well still be online twenty years from now.

Reflection for Week 9

I reviewed a number of the top 100 Web 2.0 websites and realized that I currently use some of them, but never knew they were “Web 2.0.” One particular website is http://www.kayak.com/, which provides a search of numerous travel sites. I think this website is very helpful because I enter my departure city, arrival city, and dates/times I want to travel and it searches other travel websites, such as http://www.orbitz.com/, http://www.expedia.com/, and http://www.cheaptickets.com/, for best available rates. I can then select the travel website through which I want to purchase airfare, hotel, car rental, etc. http://www.kayak.com/ saves me from having to go to various individual travel websites to search for the best deal. It’s a one-stop-shop!

Reflection for week 8

At the current moment I am extremely upset with the Internet and Web 2.0 technologies because of a horrific tragedy that occurred last week to a student I worked with over the summer and early fall. She had answered a nanny ad posted on Craigslist.org for a family whom indicated on Facbook.com that they recently moved to the area. She and the “family” arranged a meeting location and time, which sadly lead to her death. What is currently known is that a 19-year-old man placed the ad and is now being held in police custody for her murder. Details of how she died have not yet been released.

I am disgusted and appalled that someone would use this technology to prey upon the trust and good-nature of people to commit such a senseless act of violence. It is interesting that while people look to technologies such as Craigslist.org and Facebook.com to add convenience, flexibility, and social connectedness to their lives, the truth of the matter is that people can be or not be who ever they want on these sites. I am not saying that people shouldn’t trust everyone and everything on the Internet; however, in another way I am. In general, people can never be overly cautious because their safety is what is at stake.

Reflection for week 7

Big Question: What impact does Web 2.0 have on teaching and learning? Over the last couple weeks with in-class discussions and readings and my own “googling” of Web 2.0, I think I have a better grasp on it. Overall, I see Web 2.0 offering more dynamic website experiences, allowing end-users to have an impact on how they view and interact with websites, blogs, wikis, etc., and promoting collaboration between people. Additionally, people do not have to have extensive expertise in technology to “do” or “use” Web 2.0 technologies. I can also see why people are drawn to popular media such as Youtube, My Space, and Facebook because they are learning how to communicate and network with others, which in turn helps them to create and join social communities. People are now becoming more interactive versus passive users of web technologies, which in the end allows them to form what and how they teach and learn.

Reflection for week 6

For the last week, my attention has been completely focused on the technology purchase project and the web design project. At first both projects seemed daunting because I am not a licensed teacher with my own classroom. However, after I took sometime to reflect on both, I came to the conclusion that I need to “think outside the box.” For the technology purchase project, I decided to take the standpoint as if I were working fulltime at a museum. My idea is to assemble a “technology” art cart through which children would use a computer to create artwork with interactive arts software. For the web design project, I decided to create a website that would serve as an “electronic” artist portfolio for me. Areas I chose to highlight include about the artist, artist’s interests, and artwork galleries. So far, so good.

Admittedly, I am unknowledgeable of Web 2.0. I felt the Frencken, Jacobi, and Jager article helped me to understand Web 2.0 a little better in the sense that it has to do with encouraging educators and students to use technologies such as blogs, podcasts, interactive television, and wikis to facilitate interactive and collaborative learning environments. However, I did google Web 2.0 and learned from Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org) that it does not necessarily mean there is going to be a new version of the WWW, but that it “refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities…which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users.”

My brief experience with e-learning technologies has included blogs, WebCT, and interactive television, although not on an international level. I can definitely see today’s students being drawn to using Web 2.0 technologies more often because they most likely have been exposed to them in one form or another since they can remember and thus may not feel apprehension towards them. However, I have concern for school districts and families who are unable to afford such technologies. What does lack of exposure to Web 2.0 mean to their learning? Is their education at a major disadvantage?

I can definitely see Web 2.0 fitting in a constructivist classroom because its purpose is to get students to interact and collaborate through the use of the technologies. However, I think educators need to put forth effort to create structured learning experiences for students because I see potential for them to stray with particular tasks they may find uninteresting. I believe set structures, boundaries, and outcomes are necessary when using Web 2.0 in a constructivist classroom.

Reflection for week 5

To teach in a constructivist way make sense to me. However, I can also see where some teachers would find it difficult to incorporate into their classrooms. (This weeks reading really forced me to acknowledge positive and negative sides of implementing a constructivist approach in the classroom.) When I reflect on my undergraduate career, none of my professors/TAs taught in a constructivist way. I feel to try and learn I had to “hunt and peck” for information/facts that they wanted and feel I really didn’t digest and reflect on information because I had four to five other courses for which I was doing the same. At that time I just tried to remember what I thought would be on midterm and final exams. Then as soon as a semester was over, that information was purged from my head. Professors/TAs didn’t ask me to reflect on the information in their courses because they seemed to be preoccupied with focusing on information they felt was important.

Now in my M.Ed. program, I feel that almost all of the courses I have thus far incorporated and embraced constructivist theory, on some level, and have asked me to reflect on current and past experiences—professional and educational. I feel that I am really understanding and learning information for the first time in my college career. However, I also wonder if because I am taking courses geared specifically to my personal interests, art education, if that is the reason why I am retaining and learning better. Could it be because I am focusing on specific information I find intriguing that makes me feel that I am learning better?

Reflection for week 4

Do people surround themselves with technologies so they don’t have to “think” and “question” as much, or do technologies encourage people to “think” and “question” more? I’m on the fence with these questions because while I see current and potential benefits of technologies, I also see how they have made people lazy. Additionally, is it really laziness or do people expect technologies to be developed ongoing because they like the novelty of them? In my opinion it is both. I do feel computer-based technologies have the potential to serve as mindtools. However, I also see minivans with DVD players and children being taught to “zone-out” so Mom and Dad can drive. My point is that I think technologies, no matter their form, are motivating and debilitating at the same time. What has become main-stream to people today, was implausible over one hundred years ago. To think that my great-grandparents would not have had an automobile is inconceivable to me now. For the children I may have in the future, I can see them not able to image a world without laptops, cell phones, podcasts, and internet. People have come to rely heavily on technologies. While I applaud the innovative thinking, I also think that people are ultimately to blame for their own demise/laziness because of it. I believe my interactions with technologies are well balanced. I know enough about the technology areas in which I have interest and utilize them accordingly. However, if I do not have a real reason to use a type of technology, I do not go out of my way to buy it, use it, or pay attention to it. Is that wrong?

Reflection for week 3

I found the website presentations very insightful, in particular the http://docs.google.com/ site. What a useful tool students can use when collaborating on a group project. Not only would it be useful for K-12 and college students, but I could see utilizing it’s capabilities to team on a group project for work. I already told some of my colleagues and my student worker about it. Overall, I’m pleased that each week a couple people in our class will present on various websites they use. What a great way to see “what else” is out there and what people are using via the internet.

Inspiration is a wonderful visual learning resource; one that I never knew existed before this course. I am a person that learns better using visuals and audio versus just reading material in a textbook. I strongly desire graphics, text, charts, etc., when trying to learn new information, and see Inspiration as a tool that can deliver just that. However, after I read Tufte’s article regarding Powerpoint, I can see some individuals who may “over” use Inspiration to a point where students become distracted by an over abundance of visual/audio material. The individual creating a diagram in Inspiration definitely needs to achieve a balance between essential information and visuals/audio. Inspiration also reminded me of Microsoft Office Visio, a program I have used in my job at the U. However, I see Visio as more of a tool used in the corporate versus educational world.

I have enjoyed the threaded discussions in WebCT regarding the weekly class readings. Although it can be intimidating sometimes to let others know what you think, especially through writing, it seems like everyone has been engaged in them. They say “practice makes perfect.” I say “practice allows for improvement.”

Reflection for week 2

A BLOG! What an interesting tool! Admittedly, I was not overly excited about having to create a blog and then have to keep submitting posts, but actually it is fun. I realized that to create and post to a blog required a fairly sizable time commitment. However, the amount of time depended on how detailed the blog became. Being a visual person, I really took the time to “play” with the look and formatting of my blog to get it to a point that I felt good about its aesthetic quality(ies). I even added a photo, a list of favorite art education websites, and RSS feeds to each CI 5351 students’ blog. I thought “Blogger” made it fairly easy for someone who had never experienced a blog, yet along blogging, to figure out how to create and maintain one. I googled “blog layouts” and found an array of website that have cool features that can be downloaded to assist with the design of a blog. One such website was “My Spacefetti” (http://www.spacefetti.com/). I was overwhelmed with all the page layouts, “glitter graphics,” and “generators.” I kept thinking how amazing it was that people actually create this kind of stuff for their careers and how fun, yet challenging, that would be. Additionally, I realized that blogs and blogging can be great tools for teachers to use in their classrooms. Technology has become an integral part of how society communicates/interacts. I can definitely see blogs and blogging as a great way to expose students to different ways of connecting with other students studying similar subjects. They can create forums to contemplate and debate subjects, and also engage in deep, reflective thought. I believe that they might not feel as intimidated conversing with other students, versus teachers, about their questions or thoughts.

Inspiration (concept mapping) was introduced during class period 2, and for the brief time I worked with it, it seemed like a practical and manageable tool. I look forward to working with it further.

Blogging

I'm really starting to get used to the idea of blogging as a means of communication--friends, family, staff, students, faculty. It's pretty fun! My main concern is about listing too much personal information on the blog. This might be "the glass is half empty" kind of comment, but it is inevitable that someone will negatively take advantage of people/information--especially through the Internet. I know individuals who post all kinds of personal information on MySpace. While I think it's a great tool people can use to keep in touch or make new friends, I would not feel comfortable posting that kind of information for the world to see. Additionally, people can totally misrepresent themselves. To me it seems that people are using the Internet more to socialize, which is good, but there comes a point that they should get off their computers and try to physically interact with real humans. (Don't get me wrong, people can misrepresent themselves in-person, but it doesn't seem as easy as through the Internet.) However, the Internet can open up the entire world for some people who may not live in a large city, which is a positive. They can then experience people, places, and things they didn't know existed before.

Hmm... Just stuff I think about.

Reflection for week 1

I can honestly say that I am excited about this class and the topic. From reading the class “introductions,” it seems we all have general technology knowledge—Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.—and it is interesting to learn that people have experimented themselves with and within their classrooms with more complex technology (in my opinion). I am generally interested in using technology and its capabilities; however, I’m embarrassed to admit that there is a mountain of information on technology out there with which I am unfamiliar. Although I work in education, my role is as an administrator verses K-12 teacher, so I do not develop curriculum for the classroom, but support U of M staff, students, and faculty. I see it as a necessary and on going part of my job to be familiar with and literate of technology, no matter the format—podcasting, Interactive Television (ITV), WebCT/Vista, FileNet. I do see many similarities between K-12 and my job as far as how technology can be incorporated and its limitless possibilities.

This is the sixth class I have taken in the M.Ed. program, and the first that has requested all assignments and feedback be dealt with through WebCT. I am a bit intimidated, but look forward to learning how to work with the technology. I can then take my experiences back to the instructors I work with to see if they are interested in incorporating it in to their curriculum.

I found the Jonassen reading and the Greenhow reading interesting and thought provoking. With regards to Jonassen’s piece, to think of computers as Mindtools that facilitate learning for students, I found myself in a topic and using a term I had never experienced. I felt particularly drawn to the use of computers as Mindtools because I am a person that can not just read to learn. I have to engage with content—read, write, discuss—to fully develop and understand meaning. It is exciting to think there are various computer applications that can assist learning and knowledge development for people such as myself. With regards to the Greenhow piece, I was drawn to how the constructivist theory stresses that the teacher and/or learner be an active part of the process to make meaning. I believe that teachers serve an integral part of the learning process, but agree that if they take the constructivist standpoint in their classroom, they will help to support “a learner-centered classroom.”

Overall, I look forward to learning and experimenting with various technology tools/software/programs in this class.

First blog ever!

Wow, this is my first blog!