Internet Learning Resources

Our latest class, CeDO520, is all about Internet  Learning Resources.  Considering that our first three classes have already introduced us to numerous tools and websites that could be used in a classroom setting, I was curious about the type of new resources we would encounter.  The class started right away with a tool that we have yet to use, namely a Wiki.  Wiki's have been around for many years, and I have used them previously at work.  They are especially good for collecting knowledge of a group of people, in our case, programmers and engineers who understand our computer systems.  We have used Wikis to collect the knowledge of some of our key computer systems.  By creating a page for each system or component, we can then make links to all of the systems that are related to the original.  Sonce

Applying Technology to Learning

This class has certainly given me a lot to think about, and there are many take aways that I can use in the future.  However for me I think it really came down to 4 key lessons:

1. Use what is available - There are so many great free programs out there.  Teachers do not need to spend a lot of money to add technology to their lesson plans.  From free documents to free graphics to readily available search engines, teachers can do a lot not very little cost.
2. Allow time for planning - Because there are so many options, teachers will need time to figure out the best way to add them to a lesson plan.  This includes on thinking about how the technology might distract students instead of helping them.
3. Don't do it all at once - There are so many options, and technology changes so fast, that teachers might feel overwhelmed and not be able to keep up.  Instead they should just add one new technology based activity to each class.  As they get more experience and learn more, then they can add more in the future.
4. Be flexible - Just as technology is constantly changing, teachers need to be ready to always re-think their plans to better use that technology.  It doesn't have to be a big change, but even small additions can help students and improve the overall learning environment.

Above all NEVER STOP LEARNING.  We live interesting times, and we will need to change with them.

Putting It All Together

I found the title for this week's lesson very interesting, as it has helped me to collect my thoughts about both this class and this program.  We have covered a lot of material in this class, and have been exposed to many new technology tools.  We have looked at graphics and presentations, spreadsheets, word processors, and online calendars.  We have also read a very interesting book called Supporting Learning with Technology  which has talked about the ways technology can both help and inspire students, or limit them if it is used the wrong way.  One of the key points of the book is that educators must plan in advance to truly take advantage of technology.  It can not just be an activity that is added to an existing plan.  Teachers must think about the goals for a lesson, and then incorporate technology that truly supports those goals.  It should allow the students an opportunity for creativity, and if possible allow them to choose their output, rather than forcing them into a one size fits all solution.

For me personally one of the big lessons for this class has been the power of Google Sites to summarize, collect, and present a number of different types of information.  Documents, spreadsheets, presentations, calendars, and many other types of information can all be collected and displayed in a related hierarchy.  More importantly students and learners could use this type of technology to create original responses to homework assignments.  I will be using this technology myself to collect and summarize all of the work that I do for the rest of the Masters program, so that I will have easy access to it at the end of the session.  Here is my personal site that will contain most of this information:  https://sites.google.com/a/wolfmail.stritch.edu/cedo515-site-lyons/home.  I hope that in the future having all of this information in one place will help me come up with more creative and unique ways of teaching students.

In Time Video and Teaching with Technology

As part of our lessons on production this week, we were asked to look at the In Time video site.  Production implies asking students to produce a project based on a problem or activity.  The students must design their output, learn the technology tools that can create it, then actually create the output using the tool.

In Time Video has a very good search tool that will allow teachers to search for videos based on content area, teaching level, and several other criteria.  Then they can look at videos that match their interests and get ideas of how to incorporate technology tools into their classroom experience.

Although I found the site very interesting, at this point I encountered a problem.  Not being a teacher, I had a hard time finding a video lesson that was specifically related to my job.  I hope to apply my experiences in this program to adult learning opportunities surrounding my career.  However I was able to find a video lesson that was related to a specific interest of mine, namely cycling.

The lesson that I reviewed was called Le Tour de France.  This lesson showed students in a high school French class using the internet to research the cities and towns that the the Tour de France would be visiting that year.  They then had to research these areas using the internet, and prepare a PowerPoint presentation and a brochure as if they were a travel agent selling a trip to that town.  In the last step, the students were asked to present their projects to the class, and the winning presentation was also presented over the internet to another class in a different school. This gave me several ideas of how to apply this technique to the technology classes that I am likely to teach in my job.  Although the classes that I teach are more likely to be about networking and computers, I could still have my classes create presentation explaining their specific subject.  They could also then present these to the group to demonstrate their mastery of the subject.  I also like the idea of having them produce a brochure as if they were trying to sell the component or tool that they are learning about.  This would require them to have a strong mastery of the features or benefits of the item, and would still allow them the ability to use creativity in their expression.  This will help improve overall retention of the material, in addition to being a lot of fun.

Spreadsheets and Education

This week's assignment has been around spreadsheets and how they might be used in an educational setting.  I have been using spreadsheets for many years.  Although I can't claim to have used VisiCalc, the first PC spreadsheet, I did use the early versions of Lotus 123.  Lotus was the IBM PC version of VisiCalc, and as the PC took off Lotus 123 replaced VisiCalc as the most common spreadsheet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_123

Since then I have continued to use spreadsheets for all parts of my job.  Although we don't often think about it in this manner, a well crafted spreadsheet can actually be a very insightful tool.  It can help you organize your thoughts, compare pieces of data that might otherwise not be viewed together, and can help you reach conclusions.  Spreadsheets are a very common tool in scientific work, and the most interesting times are the ones where the numbers on the spreadsheet lead you to a totally different conclusion that what you were expecting.

The Google Docs spreadsheet also brings another aspect to this traditional data tool, namely collaboration.  Suddenly you can share your spreadsheet in real time with many other people, and compare the data together.    This would be a great tool for classroom discussions about what the data from a particular science experiment might mean, or how a family might be able to trim their budget to fit into their available income.  It also has the added functionality of Forms.  This allows you to create a survey, distribute it via email or a webpage, and then collect the results automatically in a spreadsheet.  I can think of many uses for this, including providing foundational information for a class discussion, or to compare information from classrooms around the country.

Spreadsheets can be a very powerful tool, and one that all educators should keep in mind as they develop their lesson plans.

Word Processing and Online Learning

In a technological classroom, The written word becomes much more important, as it is usually a very common way for a student to interact with a teacher.  Most assignments will involve some sort of writing, and will then be delivered to an instructor for evaluation.  These assignments will take many forms, including essays, short answers questions, or even blog entries.

Students will need to become familiar with word processors in order to make these interactions successful.  This will start with the earliest grades, as students can start completing vocabulary and reading assignments on a computer.  As they progress, there will need to be more emphasis on sentence structure and grammar.  Finally in high school the students will need to understand how to construct a logical written argument and present a compelling document that will hold a reader's attention.  The student will need a knowledge of word processors through all of these stages.

Of all of this weeks assignments, I especially enjoyed our group discussion of "What constitutes skilled writing in a technological classroom?" We started by talking about how technical knowledge of word processors was a requirement, but that many student use this knowledge as a crutch in place of having good writing skills.  They will use poor spelling, grammar, or will not construct logical documents in support of their ideas.  They may instead use technical jargon or abbreviations for their texting experience, instead of correct English.  Word processing will increase the need for students to be coached in proper writing skills.  I also very much enjoyed the reading from the book, specifically using technology to foster critical thinking skills in students.  I think this is one area where technology could easily lead us away from the desired goal.  Namely, too many exercises will only involve the regurgitation of information.  As teachers we will also need to make sure that our lesson plans allow students to come up with new and creative ideas.

Curriculum and Computers

This class is a change from the previous one.  While the last class was mostly about technology, this class is really getting into the details of how to use that technology to help students learn.  It is more about the considerations that a teacher will need to address when designing technology based activities.  These include making sure that all students have access to the technology, and evaluating the effectiveness of the tools in aiding learning.  Another one of the key topics that we discussed in our study group was how computers should be laid out for a study environment.
Although I am very comfortable with technology, I am less familiar with these concepts, and I am looking forward to learning about these considerations, and incorporating them into the classes that I teach.   I am especially interested in all of the roles that technology can play in the learning process.  From helping with scheduling and goal setting, to assessing student skills, to engaging students and providing methods for research, and finally to evaluating students and how well they have retained the material.  It will be very interesting to try and create content that will achieve all of these goals.