Reflection 8: March 8, 2012

I learned this semester to relax and let the technology sit in the passenger side.  I am the driver. The one who determines the route taken. The pitstops. Technology travels with me and enjoys the ride but more important enhances the experiences. I am even enjoying travel with techonolgy!

Thanks, Dr Wickersham

March 2, 2012

This week’s assignment pushed me to review this semester’s work. I reviewed my previous blog postings and technology projects. I think that this week helped me to begin creating an action plan to move myself into integrating technology into my courses both content and assessment. Furthermore, my technology proficiency level is moving to the comfort zone and I am becoming confident to try technology without embarrassment of failure. 

I changed my home page to !google and love it! I check daily on my fish. I read through several quotes of the day then play a couple of word games, and read a few newspapers! Then, I end by editing my to do list!

The 2 videos posted on the reflection prompt bothered me but I could not figure out why. I watched them 2xs before my light bulb moment occurred. Teachers are not the gatekeepers for integrating technology in their classrooms as the videos messages are pushing. In this era of high-stakes testing, the gatekeepers are administrators and politicians who continue to push for high stakes accountability forcing teachers to teach to the test through paper and pencil practice.  Many teachers stand up to this mandate but many teachers be not feel the context of their work allows for standing up to these mandates leaving teachers and students frustrated.   

Friday, Feb 24, 2012

I teach mainly web-enhanced and I allow the face to face meetings to facilitate the online meetings, therefore, only rarely include a podcast or vodcast. After reading my article and discussing articles with peers, I think that I may have a backwards approach to this issue.

 

I think that I need to include video and audio in my web-enhanced sections as to facilitate this format. Occasionally, I teach completely online and struggle to re-fresh my technology skills. If I used vodcast regularly I would find myself mastering this tool. 

 

When I worked on my vodcast, my skills were rusty...I am embarrassed to admit, but I after posting help on the sounding baord, I found a utube video to help figure out what I was doing wrong!

Week 5 Reflections

The MAPping information activity was eye opening this week. I consider myself a critical consumer of information, so I do not automatically trust the reliability of my internet searches. However, what I realized is that I do not utilize the internet fully. At times, I will conduct a quick search using general terms without quotations or specific abbreviations, as mentioned, in this activity, so I may miss important information or become frustrated with the information I find.

I believe that we do not teach our students and/or children to be critical consumers of all information including internet sites, commercials, and even textbooks. As a society we tend to want to protect our children instead of teaching them to fend for themselves. I believe that there are some sites we need to block, but others that educators and parents should teach their students and children how to use wisely.

Organize websites is a useful tool for those who very organized. I tend to like to through my favorites sites into a file folder with an overreaching theme. I think that the organizing is unique to the individual, and each person has to figure out what works for him/her. I like liverbinder…just because a can create a folder on a topic and insert information.

However, as I played with the social bookmarking websites given in class this week...I found it easier to use delicious.com than the first time I used. Also, I loved Toobla, social bookmakring site, because I am a visual person. I liked the idea of capturing images from websites (also video clips). Maybe this will challenge me to organize myself. I learned how to conduct a cleaner internet search and learned the increasing number of variety in organizing my websites. 

February 10, 2012

The section of the article, Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep Learning that I connected with was discussion of assessment for learning. This helped me see technology as a means for students to share their learning. How many times have I walked into a classroom and students use worksheet to show mastery? I remember the fun that I had making a diorama of a book I read. The diorama allowed me to share my learning in a way that was creative that included share and form and not a one dimensional worksheet. The Digital Age presents a new type of “diorama” for our students. A blog or wiki of a book read and enjoyed to share with other. Pictures and video and words share the same space to reflect learning!    

I am so excited this week with my wiki creation! Okay...you can think of me as a nerd now! I have created a wiki before that was not very meaningful. I think because I let me fear of the unknown guide my technology learning or maybe with time the technology makes more sense and is easier to accomplish. For this project I could slowly and methodically put together my wiki. I viewed the instructional videos as I developed my wiki and moved back and forth between seeking help and creating my wiki.

My wiki will be used 3 interns that I am responsible for supervising. On Monday, 2-6 I have class again and at this point, I will meet with my students and share the wiki I created and how we can communicate throughout the semester via our common wiki.

This is the first time I understand the role a wiki could play in teaching/learning. My fears are truly subsiding as I continue to use and learn technologies. With that said, my students still have limited uses of academic use of technology. I think that at the college level a department needs to all agree to integrate certain technologies so students have multiple interactions with technology throughout the project. One does not automatically fall in love with technology---it is a long courting period.

Onward into another week of learning......

1-23-2012 Blog Posting

Texas Computer Educator Association (TCEA) http://www.tcea.org/

“The Texas Computer Education Association is the largest state organization devoted to the use of technology in education. Founded in 1980, the organization has been very active throughout its history supporting instructional technology. Our primary focus is on integrating technology into the PreK-12 environment and providing our members with state-of-the-art information through conferences, workshops, newsletters, the Internet, and collaborations with higher education and business.” From http://www.tcea.org/

I share information about TECA because this is a Texas organization that supports effective uses of technology in classrooms for instruction purposes. Texas teachers can attend sessions that demonstrate technology that can be used in their classrooms.  The mission of TECA supports my developing technology philosophy, also.

Center for Children and Technology (CCT)  http://cct.edc.org/

“We investigate how technology can influence and enhance teaching and learning by conducting basic, applied, formative, and summative research using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methodologies.”  From http://cct.edc.org/

I searched through many websites until I could decide on a second technology organization to share on my ETEC 524 blog. I am not sure that everyone will connect with this organization, but if you are interested in research to support technology use for academic gains this may have some useful information for you. The website was flashy and you have to search for the important information, but well worth you efforts here.

In my position, as an assistant professor, I enjoy reading how research projects are built around technology use in the classroom. This supports my educational technology philosophy because I am searching for meaningful uses of technology not superficial uses---here today---gone tomorrow.

Today, Educational Technology according to Merry Boggs is technology that that can be integrated into four main classroom areas: classroom management, instructional delivery, student practice, and teach professional development. Technology can be used to manage students through connecting to students, playing games for transitional periods. Technology that supports student’s learning whether through meaningful practice or motivates students to learn.  Additionally, educational technology includes teachers’ uses of technology to present instructional lessons.  More importantly, teachers can stay current through professional development activities and meeting teacher throughout the world.

Week 1 Reflections

I am playing with multiple ways to post for ETEC 524. I posted my first draft of my educational philosophy in a separate post. Now, I am going to think about this week's readings. I connected with articles for this week. November's article with simple ideas to think about in regard to schools and technology. When I was a principal in 1994---I spend tons of money for technology that was used very little. I am sad to report the gaps in technology uses today in classrooms.  In my work I visit classrooms with lots of technology for teacher's use but little for students. Other classrooms have students using technology. November reported research that cannot report a connection between teach and higher achievement. I do not want to get on my soap box but at times, learning cannot  be reduced to a quantitative score to be measured. What about motivation--student agency--student satisfaction? Can you measure all these factors with a number? When you see students actively engaged in learning activities with technology---you know that is a connection and an impact. Educational blogging article really helped me to envision a classroom that has integrated technology with learning. Reading the students comments helped me realize that I have to work to get to that point in my teaching career!

In my work as college professor, I still have to take my class to a computer lab instead of having computers in my classroom for students use. My favorite point in November's article is the importance of collegiality---on my tech journey I have learned that working with peers helps me with technology use!

This semseter I hope to gain confidence with my teachnology use. Not to be afraid to try and fail and try agian. I also would like to find balance. How technology and print can intertwine and support student learning!

Philosophy

My first draft of my educational technology philosophy:

My philosophy of education is built on two theories: pragmatism and reconstructivism (i.e. critical theory). From the reconstructivism, I take the belief in individuals and to questions everything. Also, that life is not simple. One must examine the complexity of life to make meaningful change. With that said, reconstructivism believes that no one single person has great insights than other individuals. Impacting the relationship of teacher/students, they should work to co-construct learning.  Pragmatism weaves itself like a virus through an email attachment to my whole belief system.  Luckily for me, there is not program remove the pragmatism virus from my belief system.  I love theory but at times theory alone does not help improve teaching/learning process. I found that linking theory to practice my major goal through principles of pragmatism help me.

When I approach technology, I want to find a place for technology in my teaching practice. However, I do not want technology simply to become a passing fad as most innovations do in education. At this point in my career, here is what I understand about technology. Technology has a place in my instructional delivery and student practice. The only problem I face is what does this technology look like in my instructional delivery and what technology helps teachers/students practice. One major obstacle for me is that in my work as teacher trainer many times technology has not found its way into a majority of classroom in meaningful ways.