Final Reflection Blog for CEP811

I have learned so much in this class about technology, teaching and about myself. I have learned that I have strong technology skills and that I can adapt easily to the various programs and applications. I have learned many different pedagogical strategies that I never knew existed. Since I do not have the foundation of teacher education, I felt quite isolated in the course and at a disadvantage not understanding pedagogy or having the experience of being in a classroom. Despite this "differentness", it was good to be exposed to so many teachers and their methods in the classroom. Hearing about the current challenges in classrooms helps me to create solutions to some of the teaching challenges that exist today.

I learned that something called "WebQuests" exist and provide a wonderful tool for group learning. WebQuests seem like engaging, fun-filled tasks that teachers can turn to in order to engage their students in effective and productive learning. I also found that web 2.0 technologies can be integrated into a simple power point presentation in order to make it engaging and much more effective as a learning tool. Before this course, I had no clue what "web 2.0" meant and now I am using it effectively to enhance the learning of the students I advise and the employees in my office. I hope to continue to add to the web site I've created in order to create an online training resource for the student workers in my office.

My goals for this class were to learn more about technology and how it is used in classrooms. Though I am familiar with many different technologies and I am able to learn new technologies quickly, there are a vast number of teaching technologies that I do not know anything about. It is my goal to stay on top of the newest technologies that can be easily applied in classrooms and training environments. In this course, I was able to find out about these new technologies and actually use them in my own setting. It was quite challenging at times to adapt group classroom applications to a training environment in an office, and it was good for me to be stretched in that manner.

Taking this class has also helped me to refine my long term goals. The more I am exposed to new experiences, the more I can decide what interests me and what does not interest me. I can now imagine myself in the role of a technology trainer for adult learners. I really enjoy the one-on-one training and teaching environment and I especially enjoy working with adult learners. The tools I learned in this class (WebQuests, STAIRS, and wikis) could easily be used to create training modules for adult learners. I am hopeful that I will be able to apply my new skills in my current environment and in future positions.

Michigan Merit Curriculum - Got Bucks??

I was very interested to read the Michigan Merit Curriculum Guidelines for the Online Experience. Since I am not a teacher, I have never had to read the curriculum guidelines and requirements for K-12 schools, so this was a good opportunity for me.


It was encouraging to see requirements for online experiences in the K-12 curriculum, but I am wondering how school districts are supposed to fund their technology enhancements in order to meet these requirements. I understand that the Curriculum Guidelines are not meant to spell out funding options and requirements, but the absence of any mention at all of funding was starkly apparent to me. I hope that funding support has been mandated or at least addressed in some way, but I’m not sure that it has been addressed properly.

While digging around for information on funding the Michigan Merit Curriculum, I found an interesting research article and report that assesses how Michigan is doing regarding the implementation of the MMC: http://closup.umich.edu/policy-reports/13/mandating-merit-assessing-implementation-of-the-michigan-merit-curriculum/  This article and research clearly shows that funding the MMC has been a struggle. I think that if “we” are going to mandate policies that will require funding, that we need to make provisions for the funding as well.

Google Docs Evaluation

As an occasional user of the Google Docs, I have found very useful aspects of the software and some frustrating aspects. The most useful aspect, of course, is the ability to collaborate online without having to email a document from person to person and then back around again to each person after revisions are made. Google Docs enables groups of all kinds to have a central location and a single document. In addition, I recently found an especially useful tool within Google Docs. If more than one person is online at a particular time, they can then use the chat window to the right of the document to have a live discussion of the document, or whatever else they need to discuss. The ability to add written comment "bubbles" also further enhances the online collaboration process. I am currently working on a conference proposal that I hope to present with three colleagues across the US. The first thing I did was to create a Google Doc so that the four of us could start sharing and so that I could get input on various parts of the proposal. This has worked extremely well for the most part.

One of the greatest advantages to using Google Docs is the ease with which individuals can share documents. Users can either email the document itself, email a notification that revisions have been made or that a document has been created, export the document to a hard drive or network, or add their document to the Google Docs Template Gallery. In addition, users have the option of granting editing access to their documents, just viewing access or blocking access, depending on their project requirements and privacy considerations.

The negative aspects of using Google Docs are mostly centered around the individuals' comfort levels and frequency of use when accessing the collaborative document. Users must gain access to the software, sometimes requiring the creation of a new Google account, and the users must actually access the document. It can be very frustrating to create a collaboration document online and then not have the collaborators collaborate. The individuals in the group must take personal responsibility and make sure to access the document and participate in the collaboration. Of course, this is not truly a negative aspect of Google Docs, but a potential pitfall of any collaborative effort.

The biggest frustration of the software's functionality is in the internet aspect of it. There were many times when I would notice a delay in my typing as the software was presumably communicating with the server. This would often cause typos and other errors as I could not see what I was typing until 2 or 3 seconds after it was typed. There also seemed to be other oddities such as not being able to move the cursor to the exact location desired. I'm not sure why this happens, but it can be quite annoying.

If teachers decide to use Google docs in the classroom, they would need to make sure students set up Google accounts and, of course, make sure that use of the application and accounts adheres to the school's AUP (Acceptable Use Policy). Students and the teacher would need to be familiar with the Microsoft Office Word program since much of the toolbar setup is based on Word. If users are not familiar with typical word processing software or MS Word, all they would need to do is to refer to the Google docs help menu. Of course, the most critical ingredients for classroom usage of Google docs are computers and a high-speed internet connection. Many schools do not have computers in the classroom and must compete with other teachers and administrators for use of a single computer lab in the building. The difficulty of obtaining or reserving equipment and having reliable internet access would be huge factors to consider when designing a lesson around Google docs.

In the classroom, I can easily see this application being used to teach just about any subject. Most curricula and most subjects now include collaborative learning exercises and Google Docs provides a free, easy and quick way to enable project collaboration. I can even envision a debate team creating a document that shows pros and cons to an argument with collaborators adding comments, paragraphs, images, videos and using the live online chat in a spirited exchange about any topic of interest.

In order for the teacher to encourage and assist students, he/she should prod students as necessary if they are not contributing to the project as much as they should. In fact, the teacher could certainly make contributions and extent of collaboration a part of the student's grade (as many teachers already do). Teachers will also need to make sure that the students understand how the program works and that students have adequate internet access time at school since some students may not have access at home. Teachers can also encourage students to use the computers at the Public Library, assuming that is a possibility.

Overall, I would have to give Google Docs a "thumbs up" in online collaboration tools. I fear that the typing delays and internet glitches are a function of the increased popularity and usage of Google Docs, but I am hopeful that Google will overcome this productivity hindrance as they continue to advance and improve their technology.

Blogging versus Web Pages

Once again, I somehow completely missed this assignment! Now that I have less on my plate, there should be no additional missing links!
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CEP811 Session 1 Blog Assignment:

"Discuss the differences between traditional web pages and blogs (1 paragraph)"

     In order to make sure I understood the difference between web pages and blogs, I did a little digging and found some interesting information presented by Internet expert Dave Taylor in his blog: http://www.intuitive.com/blog/whats_the_difference_between_a_blog_and_a_web_site.html .
Dave says "Search engines positively love Weblogs because they're content-centric and because they're typically updated with great frequency. Put those together and it's true that organizations with Weblogs are far more findable than those with just a Web site". I was really interested to hear this information because I didn't realize that "searchability" was a big difference between websites and blogs. I thought that a blog was just a babbling journal by people who liked to talk and write, and that a website was really the place to find information. Well, maybe when blogs first started they were just one-person journals, but now blogs are interactive information sources. Blogs are somewhat similar to wikis in the sense that anyone can start one and anyone can add information. Websites can be started by an individual also, but they can be more difficult to update and are typically not seen as an ongoing stream of continuously updated information. So, this new information about content and "searchability" makes me wonder about adding and updating content on our office website. We currently use twitter and have an RSS feed, but we have not yet added a blog. I think I will bring this up in future tech meetings. As blogs have evolved, they have become more of a source of interactive information exchange as opposed to a one-person journal.

Computer-Based Instructional Objects

Well, somehow, I completely missed this assignment last week so I'm just now blogging on this topic.

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Session Two Blog – CEP811

Questions regarding computer based instructional objects (from the CEP811 Angel sessions):

1. "What additional considerations have to be made when creating computer-based instructional objects (e.g., StAIR projects, WebQuests) for students to use independently?"

     When creating computer-based instructional objects, the author must ensure that what is created will be usable in the classroom. Therefore, it is critical to consider the classroom situation and the teacher’s perspective when creating such lessons. In order for students to be successful when they work independently on computer based assignments, the most obvious requirement is often taken for granted. The students must have access to ALL of the technology required to complete the assignment. It cannot be assumed that today's students have all the computer technology required. With the incredibly fast pace of today’s technological advancements, it's almost impossible to keep up with the changes. When choosing a computer-based assignment, educators must verify that all students will have easy access to the technology required, especially high-speed internet if that is required for the assignment. Unfortunately, many of today’s school districts still do not have even the minimum technology required for students to participate in technology learning. In order to make the lesson accessible to the largest number of students and schools, authors of computer-based instructional objects must employ the mostly commonly used software and the most easily accessible technology, including shareware, freeware and internet-based resources.
     If the students do have access to the technology (computers, internet, and updated programs), teachers must ensure that students know how to use the tools given to them. When teaching with traditional books, blackboards, and overhead projectors, teachers do not have to worry about the students’ abilities to use these items (although reading comprehension and ability must be a consideration). Even if individual students are not at the same reading level as others in the class, they still know how to use the “equipment” given to them (textbooks, etc). Students who do not have access to technology at home (video games, computers, home electronics) may need additional instruction at school in order to successfully operate the technology provided to them. That means that teachers must be technologically savvy and must also double as technology teachers at times. Therefore, when creating a computer-based instructional object, the author should be careful to choose technology that will be user-friendly and as intuitive as possible so that the teacher will be able to focus on teaching the lesson rather than teaching the technology.
     Another item to take under consideration is the time it will take to complete the lesson. Time is also a consideration when using non-computer-based instructional objects but it seems that the time to complete a computer based lesson could end up being much more variable than a traditional lesson. There are additional variables beyond the teacher’s control that could greatly lengthen the time it takes to complete the computer based lesson, including technology failures or glitches, scheduling time to use the school’s computer facilities, and students’ varying levels of technological competence. Because of these additional considerations and variables, teachers must be even more flexible and must always have a “Plan B” for their day’s lesson. Authors of computer-based instructional objects should ensure that the lesson is not unnecessarily lengthy and that parts of the lesson include non-computer-based activities.
     Finally, one of the most important considerations when creating or teaching a computer-based lesson that is often overlooked is that of copyright permission. When a teacher has a textbook in the classroom, she or he does not have to worry about getting permission to use the book. With the logarithmically expanding volume of information that is available to us on the internet, teachers now have to consider whether or not they have permission to use the lessons in their classrooms. Some sites and resources openly list their policies on sharing to those who post to the site and to those who use the resources on the site. Other sites and resources are not so forthcoming with their sharing and copyright policies, so teachers must be especially diligent to ensure that no copyright permissions are violated when using computer-based or internet-based resources. In order to create a user-friendly and teacher-friendly lesson, authors should clearly state their policies on copyright permission, sharing and use of the lesson. In addition, authors can choose sites and online communities that best fit the lesson and the audience to whom the lesson is targeted in order to best publish and share their work.
     While there are some similar considerations in creating non-computer-based lessons and computer-based lessons, there are certainly several additional variables and items to consider when creating computer-based lessons. While technology provides us with a myriad of teaching and learning possibilities, these opportunities could easily be wasted if careful and thoughtful consideration is not employed in the creation of computer-based lessons and instructional objects.

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     One of my favorite WebQuests is “Blue Skies All the Way to Japan: A WebQuest for the Purpose of Experiencing a WebQuest”. You can find this WebQuest at the following site: http://www.emints.org/xmodres/addresources/japanwebquest/ . One of the characteristics I like best about this WebQuest is its simplicity. In my search to discover and experience WebQuests, I had a difficult time truly understanding just exactly what a WebQuest was. The “Blue Skies” WebQuest is specifically designed to teach the student about WebQuests. This is accomplished by not making the WebQuest unnecessarily complicated and by not overburdening it with more information than it needs. A complete review of this particular WebQuest can be found in one of my previous blog posts.
     Another good WebQuest I found was for adult learners, which is one of my areas of interest. This particular quest takes the learner through the steps of finding a job. What is interesting is that the quest starts the learner off by bringing them to a short online quiz that helps the learner determine their career interests. This seemed an especially good use of internet resources. After the quiz, the quest brings the learner through the actual steps of finding an employer, filling out and application, creating a resume and cover letter, interviewing, and finally, following up on the interview. What is great about this WebQuest is that it is thorough, useful and user-friendly. To try the career quiz and to see this WebQuest, follow this link: http://www.altn.org/webquests/ .

Blogging

Well, it looks like I have some catching up to do with this course, CEP811. I also think I need to add some more course related posts rather than using this more as a personal blog.

That should be a little bit easier now that I have created a new personal blog with an online community that I've recently joined.

More to come in the days to come....

WebQuest Evaluation – CEP811

Mary M. Gebbia-Portice
CEP 811, Second Summer Session, 2010
July 12, 2010

WebQuest Evaluation

Note: The following is an evaluation of a publicly available WebQuest and represents only the opinions of the evaluator.

WebQuest: "Blue Skies All the Way to Japan: A WebQuest for the Purpose of Experiencing a WebQuest"; http://www.emints.org/xmodres/addresources/japanwebquest/

WQ Author: Michelle Kendrick, eMINTS National Center staff
(Enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies; www.emints.org )

Evaluator: Mary Gebbia-Portice, Educational Technology Graduate Student,
Michigan State University

Synopsis: The purpose of this WebQuest is to teach educators and other adult learners about WebQuests. The subject matter is presented in a simple, clear and concise manner with the purpose of educating the user about WebQuests as well as about teamwork and problem-solving. The scenario presented is that of an individual competing for a job at the fictitious Blue Skies Advertising Agency, and is entitled "Blue Skies All the Way to Japan: A WebQuest for the Purpose of Experiencing a WebQuest".

Pedagogy: The primary pedagogical strategy employed in this WebQuest is simulation and problem-solving. Learners are actually interacting directly with the technology that they are to learn (WebQuests). Though the WebQuest appears to be about landing a job in an advertising agency, the creator of the WebQuest tells us in the conclusion: "You might have learned a little about Japan, PowerPoint, and poetry. But I truly hoped you learned about a WebQuest and what it might be like for your students when they work on a WebQuest". In addition, the learner is also receiving help using the pedagogical strategy of scaffolding throughout the learning process. The WebQuest itself is a scaffold that guides the student through the lesson in a very clear and concise manner. The actual subject matter in the WebQuest is somewhat irrelevant but for this WebQuest, the subject matter also allowed the use of collaborative learning, role play, and discussion as additional pedagogical strategies. This WebQuest has the learner first choosing one of three roles in a small group, then working in large groups in these individual roles, and then returning to the original group of three to discuss what was learned in the large groups. This WebQuest is very effective in achieving its goal of educating adult learners about WebQuests in general because of the use of multiple pedagogical strategies, the clear and concise manner in which the material is presented and the simple and attractive interface that keeps the learner engaged.

Technology: This WebQuest makes good use of technology to educate the adult learner about the technology and pedagogy of WebQuests. The author could have used additional interactive technologies throughout the WebQuest such as video or audio clips; however, additional multimedia may have distracted the learner from the actual lesson. The purpose of the WebQuest was not to showcase internet or even interactive technology. The purpose of the WebQuest was to demonstrate a WebQuest. I believe that the author was very successful in achieving this purpose without cluttering the lesson with unnecessary "fluff". I also believe that the lesson could not have been taught as effectively by just lecturing to the class or writing up an explanation of a WebQuest. I am actually a good example of this statement because in order to complete this evaluation, I spent many hours exploring individual WebQuests and reading definitions and explanations of WebQuests without coming to a clear understanding of what they really are. It wasn't until I went through the WebQuest described here that I actually understood and that the concept of a WebQuest actually clicked. I'm somewhat surprised that there was such variability in the quality and design of WebQuests to the point that I could not even understand the concept until I stumbled upon such a clear, concise and interactive lesson.

Mechanics: For the most part, this WebQuest functions quite well with minimal technical glitches. All links are active, but the pictures on one of the links do not appear without additional action by the learner. The website with picture malfunctions is located at the following link: http://www.outdoorjapan.com/areaguides/prefecturehokkaido.html. In addition, there are no links back to the main page of the WebQuest. There are links back to the introduction page, but not to the primary, or index, page itself. Finally, it is difficult to tell if the author needed to provide credits to others or not. The only additional material on the WebQuest was the links to other sites, so I did not see any information that looked like it needed to be credited to additional authors. Other than the minor problems listed, the rest of the WebQuest worked very well and I was impressed that the links were kept up to date and that the evaluation rubric was so well detailed and thought out. Overall, this was an excellent WebQuest and achieved its purpose easily by walking the learner through a clear, easy-flowing and uncluttered example of a WebQuest.

Changes: The only suggestions I have for improvement of this WebQuest are to correct the mechanical glitches as listed above. For your reference, an additional evaluation of this WebQuest can be found at Tom March's BWQU site (Best WebQuest University): http://bestwebquests.com/bwq/wqdetail.asp?wqcatid=9&edid=6&siteid=122

Previews: Primary or Index Page: http://www.emints.org/xmodres/addresources/japanwebquest/
A portion of the Evaluation Rubric: http://www.emints.org/xmodres/addresources/japanwebquest/evaluation.html

Back in the Saddle Again...

Yup, here I am, back at work! Thank goodness it's a four day week!!

Well, by CEP822 class starts today so now I have two online accelerated grad classes for the summer. I hope I can keep up with them both without too much stress!

Had a great Fourth of July weekend and I feel a little refreshed. Hopefully, I can keep up with this positive attitude and let it carry me all the way to Friday.

On another positive note, tomorrow is our wedding anniversary!! A whopping three years and looking forward to many, many more with my awesome perfect match of a hubby. :-)

Happy "Monday" Everyone on this Tuesday after the holiday!

Fish Food

So, I like my little fish bowl! Try it out: just click on the water where the fish are (to the right of the posts) and watch them go for the "food".

Happy Independence Day, USA!!

A new beginning

Alrightythen...so here's the first blog post. I'm actually doing this for CEP811 and I'm planning to do most of the post about the class and about my MAET program at MSU.

So, first step is to set up the blog, then email the address to the instructor and to the group.

Talk to you soon!
-Mary