Reflection 8

I cannot believe the end of this semester is here. It's been a wonderful eight weeks of learning a subject matter that I find extremely interesting and never a dull moment.
The biggest impact on me has been the knowledge that has been shared by my classmates. It's awesome to be in the company of individuals who are open-minded and freely share what's in their heart.
I hope I can change the mind-set of teachers I work with and gear them towards using technology. Many are veteran teachers, I'm afraid to admit, who are not comfortable with change.
My "aha" moment would be when I triumphantly succeeded in working with Jing! I was very hesitant at first to use the software, thinking I would not understand it and make it work. But the Internet is a marvelous tool, not to mention YouTube with their many videos on how-tos.
I hope to continue my class blog, Dr. W, as a means to measure my growth in educational technology. I hope to experience and learn a new technology frequently and document it.
Thank you, Dr. W, for a great course and an awesome learning experience.
Hasta la proxima!

Reflection 7

For this week’s assignment on creating a lesson/training plan that incorporates technology, I decided to create a lesson on collaborating on a Google Docs Presentation. The lesson is geared towards the teachers I work with at my district. Each teacher will be asked to create a slide for their program area on Google Docs Presentations. I’m envisioning the final product will be used as a recruiting tool for our department. I began the Presentation, creating the title page and a sample slide. I used Jing to record a video of the instructions, uploaded it to Screencast.com and embedded the code given by Screencast into my blog’s HTML screen. I reduced the size of the video screen so that it would better fit in the blog screen. Creating the assignment in Jing was a challenge for me as this was the first time I used Jing.  I didn’t realize Jing recorded sound as well.  Surprisingly, Jing was simple to use and fun to work with. 

Pretty impressive data is on the videos, and surely I don’t want to be part of the 63% not using technology to help our students of the 21^st century. I feel students can improve learning by using technology to help master content. Technology makes learning fun and keeps the students motivated and interested and returning for more. But technology can be intimidating especially for the novice digital learner.

I attended a training this week on the Promethean Board. Most of our district classrooms have one. My training was not on how to use the Board but what to look for in a teacher’s lesson to ensure he/she is using the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. Not an easy feat but a challenging one. A PowerPoint presentation with slides containing bullets is not enough for learning anymore.  It’s about questioning the student’s prior knowledge on the subject and then helping the students learn to compare, contrast, define, analyze, create, all the while using the Board to build on this knowledge.  The Board is powerful. The Board is technology. Technology is powerful. But we need to know how to use technology to unleash its power.  After watching the videos, I know I need to improve my knowledge of technology and feel confident about using it. Courses I undergo in this master’s program will help me achieve this, making me better prepared to help improve student learning. 

Below is my tech project.

Reflection 6

I created a podcast recapping a meeting I held this week at one of our high school campuses.  Our department meets with our teachers at each of our high schools (we have eight campuses) at least once a month. We are limited to 20 minutes in the morning, yep, only 20 minutes, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:50 a.m., so we have to keep our agendas short (which our teachers prefer), or talk fast (and lose everyone from the get-go).  

Podcasting our meetings is a great idea, which I continue to do.  It lets me discuss items I don’t have time for during the regular meeting.  However, on the down side, just like not every one of our teachers attends our meetings for this reason or that, not all of our teachers listen to the podcasts.  :(

I think keeping the podcasts short in length helps capture learning, especially in showing steps on how to perform functions, such as in math.  I know I really enjoy the podcasts that contain embedded videos that help me learn technology. No podcast is over 10 minutes long.

I use Audacity to record my podcasts and podbean.com to host them. Both are user-friendly and very simple to use.

Podcast of High CTE Dept. Meeting on Feb. 24th

Reflection 5

I Mapped the following websites, “Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus” and “Dihydrogen Monoxide” and was I ever taken for a ride! Times 2!

At first glance I thought the website on the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus is interesting. The home page is striking. It contains information about a topic that is new to me. And why wouldn’t I believe it?  I don’t have any prior knowledge on tree octopus. The domain indicates it is a network and there is no personal name in the URL. I searched for the main idea, tree octopus, in several search engines and each one took me to the original home page. But, if it wasn’t for the activity in this lesson on Mapping I wouldn’t have known differently.  A research of the website in “Whois” and also into the author led me to learn that the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus is a science fiction parody website that has existed since 1998 whose inventor is an author and web publisher by the name of Lyle Zapato, also known as a hoaxer!

The URL address of “Dihydrogen Monoxide” looks authentic. It ends with “org,” which stands for an organization. Everything about the home page looks real, but, once again, if it wasn’t for this activity on Mapping I wouldn’t have known differently!  After going through the steps outlined in the activity I learned Dihydrogen Monoxide is a synonym for water and the website is based on an urban legend founded by college students and in circulation since 1988. I also learned the host of this website is a Hollywood filmmaker!

This activity makes me think twice about information found in the Internet, but, it gives me the tools I need to authenticate a website from now on.  I am not worried about articles I download from college databases, but I am concerned (and not feeling very confident) about Internet websites I have used in the past to prepare college work.

This activity on Mapping is a must-have tool for any Internet user, starting from Pre-K (not kidding).  Without this knowledge on how to authenticate a website, believing anything is very possible. I am sure the Holocaust and Martin Luther King websites discussed in this activity are only two of the many that exist in the Internet.

My Delicious account is http://www.delicious.com/ygarciaetec524. I am not sure if I correctly linked to Dr. Wickersham, although I clicked on “RSS Network” and I inserted her Delicious account name. I did sign up for various stacks and are shown on my “Feeds,” but once again, I am not sure how this works.

I am in the learning phase for bookmarks. I think websites that become “bookmarks” are invaluable to people who are linked together for the purpose of sharing their bookmarks. Certainly this is another great way to interact in the Internet with people of similar interests.

Reflection 4

I recall the first time I heard the phrase, “change is constant, and so is learning.” I was working at a law office at the time and the senior partner was making changes in our work duties.  I wasn’t too happy about the changes, even though I would be working on and learning something new.  Of course, much time has passed since then, but one thing has remained the same, change is still constant and so is learning.  However, I have come to welcome and accept change as I get older.

The articles I’ve read on e-Portfolios, including “Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep Learning,” are interesting pieces of reading. They’ve helped me to understand what an e-Portfolio is and why its importance in our lives, including educationally and professionally growth. I’ve also come to understand the difference between Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning, which is, basically, about the changes in learning.  I feel I grew up in the era of Assessment of Learning.  Learning was non-negotiable. I was told what I needed to learn and how, period. I’ve been learning about Assessment for Learning since I began my pedagogical studies when I first entered teaching. And grant it, this manner of learning is a much better way of learning for all of us. Here, learning is purposeful, it is motivating and concentrates more on guiding, improving, reflecting, self-managing our learning.  The beauty of an e-Portfolio is that it helps us recognize where we are in the learning curve, where we need to be and how can we get there. The main idea is that e-Portfolios are an assessment for our learning and not an evaluation of our learning. I like that!

I think all ten of the research-based principles of Assessment for Learning are needed for a well-rounded assessment for learning for any of us. I do not see one principle having more impact upon or for learning than the other.  But, one principle of Assessment for Learning that I can most relate to is that it should be regarded as a professional skill for teachers. Before I can impart this learning (about e-Portfolios, for instance) upon students, I need to be knowledgeable about it.  I need to know what it is, how it works, what it does, where it goes, etc. I need to have practiced it and feel pretty comfortable about using it, before I even attempt to teach about it in the classroom. I feel as teachers of Assessment for Learning we need to undergo annual professional development in this area so as to get a better grasp on its concepts and continue doing so for the duration of our tenure for the full benefit of our students. Hearing about it (Assessment for Learning) and working with it once or twice is not good enough for me. My learning in this area, and any other area of interest to me, needs to be constant. I need to feel growth in the learning.

I am finding out that e-Portfolios have existed for quite some time. Prior to my knowledge of e-Portfolios I would have considered it a wave of the future, but, whoala, the future is now!  My husband is a photographer and years ago he purchased a huge folio from a local art store. In the folio he keeps a sampling of his studio work (prints) which he displays at interviews. After viewing these prints several times over he sees in some of them what he could have done better and he jots down notes for the next time. Clearly I see the correlation between his prints folio and the e-Portfolio I will be working on for my major. I am excited to display a visual of my learning, growth and reflection not just for others to see but so I (and others) can assess my work for learning.

Reflection 3

This week, you explored the concept of wikis and created a wiki for a specific purpose. What purpose did you have in mind when developing your wiki and have you started to implement your ideas yet?

The purpose for my Wiki is two-fold: so I can keep my teachers up-to-date with information on activities and news pertinent to their profession, and, so my teachers can share thoughts, ideas, lessons, and/or highlight their students’ work with each other. I envision the Wiki to take the shape of a teacher's corner as time progresses and the Wiki develops. Yes, I’ve begun to implement my ideas in the Wiki and I've edited it many times already!

What advantages do you see in utilizing wikis? What disadvantages do you see? Think back to the digital natives reading. How do wikis have the potential for engaging them?

Advantages:  Wikis are another great Web 2.0 tool enabling people to edit and collaborate on pieces of work, perhaps creating an even stronger piece of work; simple; user friendly. Disadvantages:  work can be edited by anyone, risking the removal of important pieces of information; can be biased.

In exploring the eLearning Tools, what other web 2.0 technologies did you uncover that you want to explore further?

Jinga webcasting and screen casting are new to me as is camtasia. I haven’t yet researched these technologies but I plan to.

Reflection 2

Organizations that align with my educational technology vision and philosophy:

Texas Computer Education Association, http://www.tcea.org/ 

This is a large state organization devoted to educational technology. It was founded in 1980 and has a membership of about 12,000. I selected this organization to showcase in this activity because I have been a member of it since I became involved in career and technical education. Its annual convention brings many session and booth presenters who offer information and leads on new and innovative techniques in educational technology.

Mission

The Texas Computer Education Association is dedicated to the improvement of teaching and learning through the use of computers and technology.

Purpose

The Texas Computer Education Association is devoted to the use of technology in education. Its primary focus is on integrating technology into the P-12 environment and provided its members with conferences, workshops, newsletters, the Internet, and collaborations with her education and business. It is affiliated with the International Society for Technology Education, which provides a two-way channel of information throughout the world.

Goal

The goal of Texas Computer Education Association is to become the dominant force in education. To accomplish this, it follows a long range strategic plan which includes the following three goals:

Goal 1: TCEA will provide services and resources that meet the changing needs of educators.

Goal 2: TCEA will build capacity for the organization through the board, staff, facilities, and strategic partnerships.

Goal 3: TCEA will lead in advocating for education at the state and national levels.

Career & Technical Association of Texas, http://www.ctat.org/

The Career & Technology Association of Texas (CTAT) is made up of a diverse group that shares one  common goal—preparing students for the high-tech, high-skill careers of the 21^st century.  I selected this organization to showcase in this activity because, like TCEA, I have been a member of CTAT since I became involved in career and technical education.  I strongly believe in the preparation of our youth for the 21^st century.  Our youth must be educated today in the very best possible way in order to meet the technological demands of tomorrow. Educators, too, must prepare in order to teach our youth. Texas educational technology organizations such as CTAT (and TCEA) help us prepare and meet the technological demands of the future.

Mission

CTAT is the leading advocate for career and technology education, enabling educators to prepare students of all ages for successful careers through rigorous academic and work-based learning programs, promoting instructional partnerships with business and industry, and increasing public awareness of the career opportunities available to students.

Purpose

To provide leadership in developing an educated, prepared, adaptable and competitive workforce.

Strategic Priorities

Professional Development
Advocacy and Awareness
Awards and Scholarships for Leadership and Excellence

My Definition of Educational Technology

Educational Technology integrates technology into the curriculum, applying the most current tools (computers and other electronic technologies) to address educational needs. With this in mind, Educational Technology motivates students to attend school daily, connecting and relating; it enhances their instruction, interacting, visualizing, and accessing; and it helps students learn 21^st century technical skills so that they can be prepared for the workplace.  

In brief my educational technology philosophy embraces technology in the classroom, reaching out to the globe, interacting, accessing, visualizing, connecting and relating.