A funny thing happened while using technology a few years ago.
Here is the clip:
I created this sound file with Audacity, then I uploaded to podbean and then embeded it with the code to here.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
CEP812 Video Introduction
Below is a video that I created as an introduction for my CEP812 Course at MSU.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
CEP 811 Final Reflections
It's been a quick eight weeks and I'm just about done with my CEP 811 class at MSU. Now I'm 2/3 of the way done with the Certificate portion of the Education technology program. If my math is right, I have 27 more credits to go and I'll have my masters. Or maybe it's 30, either way, I'll be a lot happier this time next year when I only have 4 classes to go.
Here's my final reflection on this class.
What are some things that you have learned about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology?
One very important think that I learned about teaching effectively with technology is that you need to create resources that can be used as if you were teaching face to face. This means that you need to provide students with all of the information and help that they will need. Another way of explaining this is "breaking down barriers in learning"
How did integrating web-based technologies help you think about and evaluate uses of technology?
I think that using some web based technologies in this course helped me realize their effectiveness in the classroom. I began using Google Sites to create a class webpage and many of my students have found it to be a very useful classroom resource. I have also integrated a Google Calendar for my class (learned in CEP 810) and I have been able to help many of my co-workers use this same resource.
How have you met your own personal goals for learning about technology integration?
Do you have any new goals?
I have continued my goal of learning new programs that I can use in my classroom. I want to continue to find new technologies that I can use in my class to help students learn. An additional goal is to find a way to have students collaborate online. I have the means for their collaboration, but I need to find the right lessons, and motivation for them to spend time out of school thinking about school.
What are your plans for reaching your new goals and your long-term goals after this course is over?
As long as I am in this Masters program, I will continue my goal of learning about new technologies and learning strategies. After this program is over though, I will continue to utilize resources that I have learned about in this course that will help me in my classroom. Resources such as MCAUL Space, MERLOT and other websites that I have found will help me reach these long term goals of gaining further knowledge.
Here's my final reflection on this class.
What are some things that you have learned about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology?
One very important think that I learned about teaching effectively with technology is that you need to create resources that can be used as if you were teaching face to face. This means that you need to provide students with all of the information and help that they will need. Another way of explaining this is "breaking down barriers in learning"
How did integrating web-based technologies help you think about and evaluate uses of technology?
I think that using some web based technologies in this course helped me realize their effectiveness in the classroom. I began using Google Sites to create a class webpage and many of my students have found it to be a very useful classroom resource. I have also integrated a Google Calendar for my class (learned in CEP 810) and I have been able to help many of my co-workers use this same resource.
How have you met your own personal goals for learning about technology integration?
Do you have any new goals?
I have continued my goal of learning new programs that I can use in my classroom. I want to continue to find new technologies that I can use in my class to help students learn. An additional goal is to find a way to have students collaborate online. I have the means for their collaboration, but I need to find the right lessons, and motivation for them to spend time out of school thinking about school.
What are your plans for reaching your new goals and your long-term goals after this course is over?
As long as I am in this Masters program, I will continue my goal of learning about new technologies and learning strategies. After this program is over though, I will continue to utilize resources that I have learned about in this course that will help me in my classroom. Resources such as MCAUL Space, MERLOT and other websites that I have found will help me reach these long term goals of gaining further knowledge.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Michigan Merit Curriculum
For our latest assignment, I read the Michigan Merit Curriculum Online Experience Guideline Companion Document. This helped me learn about online learning and it's usefulness in my classroom.
One of the technologies that is an online experience that I'd like to use with my students would be a videocast/podcast. What I'd like to do is begin to tape my lectures and then upload them to my class website so students can download links to what I talked about in class. This could be very helpful to students who miss my class - or to students who just want to hear everything again. I think that lecture is something that kids either get or they don't - and it's difficult to make up - even if the students have the notes. Missing out on stories, anecdotes and information cant be made up by just copying down another student's notes.
What's great about video or podcasts is that it would help me teach just about any lesson. If I were able to record instruction, students would be able to play it back, or download it anywhere
I think there are many teaching strategies that you could use - and they all differ depending on what online technology you use. If you create a podcast, you could provide guided notes. If you had a webquest, you could provide the students with questions to answer. If I used a blog, I could have my students comment on it, and read the posts of others and agree or disagree. The possibilities are limitless, like the technologies that are available.
I think some technologies that may be harder to use would be Moodle and Blackboard. At our school, we have issues with large sites and download times aren't too fast. I hate getting involved with programs that make students log in. It always seems to take forever.
One of the technologies that is an online experience that I'd like to use with my students would be a videocast/podcast. What I'd like to do is begin to tape my lectures and then upload them to my class website so students can download links to what I talked about in class. This could be very helpful to students who miss my class - or to students who just want to hear everything again. I think that lecture is something that kids either get or they don't - and it's difficult to make up - even if the students have the notes. Missing out on stories, anecdotes and information cant be made up by just copying down another student's notes.
What's great about video or podcasts is that it would help me teach just about any lesson. If I were able to record instruction, students would be able to play it back, or download it anywhere
I think there are many teaching strategies that you could use - and they all differ depending on what online technology you use. If you create a podcast, you could provide guided notes. If you had a webquest, you could provide the students with questions to answer. If I used a blog, I could have my students comment on it, and read the posts of others and agree or disagree. The possibilities are limitless, like the technologies that are available.
I think some technologies that may be harder to use would be Moodle and Blackboard. At our school, we have issues with large sites and download times aren't too fast. I hate getting involved with programs that make students log in. It always seems to take forever.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Wiki's!
In our latest session, we learned about Wikis. For this unit, I made a wiki, and also added something to wikipedia.
Here are some examples of things that I have done in this session.
1.) Create a wiki - http://www.nmssocialstudies7.wikispaces.com/
2.) Added NMS to Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Middle_School
Here are some examples of things that I have done in this session.
1.) Create a wiki - http://www.nmssocialstudies7.wikispaces.com/
2.) Added NMS to Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Middle_School
Thursday, February 10, 2011
UDL LAB
I just finished learning about the UDL Lab, which enlightens teachers to potential barriers in their classroom. There are many things you might not think of when creating a lesson. The lesson might be instructional, engaging, and hammer home benchmarks, but there still might be problems with it.
Using the UDL checklist, educators are able to identify barriers in their instruction and provide means around them. Below are a list of barriers, and what I've done to take them out of my plans.
I've inserted it as a picture to provide for best readability.
Using the UDL checklist, educators are able to identify barriers in their instruction and provide means around them. Below are a list of barriers, and what I've done to take them out of my plans.
I've inserted it as a picture to provide for best readability.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Evaluating Resources on MERLOT
The web resource that I found on MERLOT that I could use in my classroom is a neat website on the Reformation. It can be found HERE. This site has a lot of information that would be very useful to my students. It is also a good example of a STAIR.
I will now evaluate the site using the same evaluation criteria as MERLOT uses.
Quality of Content:
Does the software present valid (correct) concepts, models, and skills?
Yes, the software (website) gives correct information to teach students about the Reformation.
Does the software present educationally significant concepts, models, and skills for the discipline?
Yes, the website is geared to teaching students about the importance of the Renaissance.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
What stage(s) in the learning process/cycle could the materials be used?
This resource could be used for an introduction, review or webquest. Students could use this in the Explanation phase, to learn the information. They could also use this in the Practice phase to test their knowledge, or in the Applying phase - and use the information to formulate an essay.
What is(are) the learning objective(s)? What should students be able to do after successfully learning with the materials?
Students will be able to understand the power of the Catholic Church, and the struggle between the church and Martin Luther during the Reformation. Students will be able to explain how the power and scope of the church changed during and after the Reformation.
What are the characteristics of the target learner(s)
The characteristics of the target learners can differ depending on which page being used. While students in middle school classes can find the information written at an appropriate level, there is also more in depth information that could be used in high school or college.
Does the interactive/media-rich presentation of material improve faculty and students' abilities to teach and learn the materials?
The interactive-ness of the material allows students to make choices as to what they'd like to learn more about. It isn't fully interactive, but students are given a list of in depth information that the can learn more about. This allows the learner to tailor the site to their needs.
Can the use of the software be readily integrated into current curriculum and pedagogy within the discipline?
This site would be very easy to use into my current curriculum and teaching methods. I could have the students go on a web quest, or I could use this as an additional link on my web site that would help them get additional information.
Can the software be used in a variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning goals?
This resource is limited in the ways that it can be used. It is mainly text. While it can be used reach some teaching and learning goals, it cannot reach all.
Are the teaching-learning goals easy to identify?
Yes, it is very apparent the goal of the resource is to teach the Reformation.
Can good learning assignments for using the software application be written easily?
Yes, there is so much information on the website, and it is organized in such a good way, it would be easy to create good assignments using this resource.
Ease of Use:
Are the labels, buttons, menus, text, and general layout of the computer interface consistent and visually distinct?
Yes, the site is visually appealing and easy to navigate. It may not be eye catching, but it is not hideous.
Does the user get trapped in the material, Can the user get lost easily in the material?
The site is easy to navigate and the user should find it easy to return to the most basic menu if they find that in their explanation for more knowledge they've dived too deep.
Does the module provide feedback about the system status and the user's responses?
The site does have a quiz, and provides a correct, or incorrect label, but it does not provide extensive feedback.
Does the learning material require a lot of documentation, technical support, and/or instruction for most students to successfully use the software?
The website does have a contact us, and help feature, but I would stop short of calling it tech support.
Does the material present information in ways that are familiar for students?
Yes, the site provides information in text and in pictures - both ways that are easy for students to understand.
Does the material present information in ways that would be attractive to students?
It may not be as interactive and as exciting as some students would like, but it is more interesting and interactive than learning from a book.
I will now evaluate the site using the same evaluation criteria as MERLOT uses.
Quality of Content:
Does the software present valid (correct) concepts, models, and skills?
Yes, the software (website) gives correct information to teach students about the Reformation.
Does the software present educationally significant concepts, models, and skills for the discipline?
Yes, the website is geared to teaching students about the importance of the Renaissance.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
What stage(s) in the learning process/cycle could the materials be used?
This resource could be used for an introduction, review or webquest. Students could use this in the Explanation phase, to learn the information. They could also use this in the Practice phase to test their knowledge, or in the Applying phase - and use the information to formulate an essay.
What is(are) the learning objective(s)? What should students be able to do after successfully learning with the materials?
Students will be able to understand the power of the Catholic Church, and the struggle between the church and Martin Luther during the Reformation. Students will be able to explain how the power and scope of the church changed during and after the Reformation.
What are the characteristics of the target learner(s)
The characteristics of the target learners can differ depending on which page being used. While students in middle school classes can find the information written at an appropriate level, there is also more in depth information that could be used in high school or college.
Does the interactive/media-rich presentation of material improve faculty and students' abilities to teach and learn the materials?
The interactive-ness of the material allows students to make choices as to what they'd like to learn more about. It isn't fully interactive, but students are given a list of in depth information that the can learn more about. This allows the learner to tailor the site to their needs.
Can the use of the software be readily integrated into current curriculum and pedagogy within the discipline?
This site would be very easy to use into my current curriculum and teaching methods. I could have the students go on a web quest, or I could use this as an additional link on my web site that would help them get additional information.
Can the software be used in a variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning goals?
This resource is limited in the ways that it can be used. It is mainly text. While it can be used reach some teaching and learning goals, it cannot reach all.
Are the teaching-learning goals easy to identify?
Yes, it is very apparent the goal of the resource is to teach the Reformation.
Can good learning assignments for using the software application be written easily?
Yes, there is so much information on the website, and it is organized in such a good way, it would be easy to create good assignments using this resource.
Ease of Use:
Are the labels, buttons, menus, text, and general layout of the computer interface consistent and visually distinct?
Yes, the site is visually appealing and easy to navigate. It may not be eye catching, but it is not hideous.
Does the user get trapped in the material, Can the user get lost easily in the material?
The site is easy to navigate and the user should find it easy to return to the most basic menu if they find that in their explanation for more knowledge they've dived too deep.
Does the module provide feedback about the system status and the user's responses?
The site does have a quiz, and provides a correct, or incorrect label, but it does not provide extensive feedback.
Does the learning material require a lot of documentation, technical support, and/or instruction for most students to successfully use the software?
The website does have a contact us, and help feature, but I would stop short of calling it tech support.
Does the material present information in ways that are familiar for students?
Yes, the site provides information in text and in pictures - both ways that are easy for students to understand.
Does the material present information in ways that would be attractive to students?
It may not be as interactive and as exciting as some students would like, but it is more interesting and interactive than learning from a book.
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