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.