What made me think "that’s so neat?" Electronic Training Jackets is a fascinating concept. The thought of being able to track and maintain someone’s progress and training with an ETJ is exceptional. I wonder how long before someone thinks of applying this to the civilian education system, if they haven’t already. How incredibly helpful it would be to have an electronic file on students that would follow him or her throughout their educational career.
When concepts and objectives are mastered it could be registered in some form on the ETC. The possibilities are boundless. I guess my concern comes with how much control will be the educators be able to maintain over instruction. I can see many pros and cons to ETJ’s; I wonder whether the advantages will outweigh the disadvantages.
My favorite activity of the semester was building the wiki. I enjoyed working with the other people in my group. It actually made the work interesting when working and collaborating with others. It also helped me to visualize what my students might go through if I used this as part of a project.
After being introduced to wikis, I started making a few of my own to help organize a couple of my classes and update my students as to where there should be in the assignment schedule. I have spent a good amount of time working on these. I have quite a few pages created consisting of assignment pages, handout pages, and link pages for several units. I have a number of students that have been utilizing these wikis because they have difficulty getting to class. Another feature I like with wikis is the discussion page. I can have students answer journal questions and respond to each others. Also, if they have questions, they can post them from home if they won’t be in for few days/weeks. It is a great communication tool for my students to utilize.
Also, a couple of teachers saw me working on them when I first started making them. I ended giving a presentation during one of our professional development days on wikis and using them in the classroom for a variety of purposes. One of the teachers I work, who was not able to attend the presentation because she was giving one at the same time, asked me to get her started. I helped her set up her account and gave her a quick overview. We worked on them together, periodically, if she had any questions. She now has five wikis set up for her classes, and her students love using them. She says they have made her life so much easier.
I haven’t reached that point yet because I don’t have a great deal of computer access in my classroom–but I’m working on it. I also plan on tweeking my existing wikis and creating more for other classes over the summer. I want to incorporate a more productive way of introducing them to students and teaching them how they can be used as a tool that will help them.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Week 13 - Reflection/Activity
Chapter 30 addresses concepts to help students with cognition and learning. I believe it is important for teachers to utilize a variety of instructional styles to improve students’ ability to learn and comprehend information presented. Students learn in a variety of styles; therefore, it is crucial that we, as teachers, provide them with a variety of activities to help them access and gain the knowledge they need to know. Some techniques I enjoy using in my lessons include small group and partner work, hands-on projects, partner dramatization analyzing, webquests, video, and music.
Another concept that can be applied to learning is repetition. When I refer to repetition, I don’t mean rote memorization, but students’ exposure to the same information in repeated episodes. The more interaction they have with repeated information, then the more likely students are to remember and comprehend what is being taught.
Regarding the online applications that I reviewed for this week, I examined Google Documents, Ajax, and Zoho office suites. I use the different tools for Google quite frequently. Google Documents I find to be useful at times, however, it does change my formatting–something I am working on overcoming. It is handy because I don’t have to worry about pulling out my jump drive all of the time–and then possibly forgetting to take it to work. The comparison between Ajax and Zoho was an easy choice for me. I like Zoho much better. It appears to be more user friendly and can be easily maneuvered. Ajax seemed to be cumbersome and required me to download programs, whereas with Zoho, I could use them through online access. I also like the ability to be able to work with the last handful of documents even though I might be offline. While reviewing Zoho, I also found some of the features that appealed to my husband. He is a salesman in the truss industry and keeping track of appointments and jobs can be interesting at times for him. He liked the idea of being able to access information easily.
Another concept that can be applied to learning is repetition. When I refer to repetition, I don’t mean rote memorization, but students’ exposure to the same information in repeated episodes. The more interaction they have with repeated information, then the more likely students are to remember and comprehend what is being taught.
Regarding the online applications that I reviewed for this week, I examined Google Documents, Ajax, and Zoho office suites. I use the different tools for Google quite frequently. Google Documents I find to be useful at times, however, it does change my formatting–something I am working on overcoming. It is handy because I don’t have to worry about pulling out my jump drive all of the time–and then possibly forgetting to take it to work. The comparison between Ajax and Zoho was an easy choice for me. I like Zoho much better. It appears to be more user friendly and can be easily maneuvered. Ajax seemed to be cumbersome and required me to download programs, whereas with Zoho, I could use them through online access. I also like the ability to be able to work with the last handful of documents even though I might be offline. While reviewing Zoho, I also found some of the features that appealed to my husband. He is a salesman in the truss industry and keeping track of appointments and jobs can be interesting at times for him. He liked the idea of being able to access information easily.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Google site - Week 12 Activity
The activity that I created with my Google site is a webquest, or at least the beginning of a webquest. Students will be using this webquest to create a powerpoint or website on one of The Canterbury Tales. They will have one partner that they can work with on this project. The webquest will provide them the parameters for the project, and they can also use the site to conduct research for their project. The pages I have added so far include Home, Introduction, Task, Process, and Links. I am going to add pages that include Evaluation, Conclusion, and Teacher Information.
Google site: http://sites.google.com/site/nwcpenglish12canterburytales/Home
Google site: http://sites.google.com/site/nwcpenglish12canterburytales/Home
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Week 12 - Reflection
Areas that I believe are strengths for me professionally are planning instructional methods and materials and stimulating and sustaining learner motivation. My ability to plan instructional methods and materials for courses I teach has changed dramatically this year. Switching from middle school to alternative high school was a huge change for me. My idea of teaching had to be adapted completely. My days of teaching in a traditional form have vanished. I had to change how I present material and my expectations for completion, understanding, and ability of student levels for achievement. I feel I have learned how to plan more appropriate lessons and allow my students the flexibility they need to achieve success in my classroom. I have adapted my instruction methods but also the materials I provide students to learn the objectives set forth. I have found materials that they can relate to and/or understand more readily. I still have work to do in this competency, but I feel the changes I have made are substantial.
Along with changing my ideas for planning instructional methods and materials, I have adapted how I motivate students. My students respond to extrinsic rewards – snag them with the reward and get them hooked on getting a good grade. Well, it works with some of them. I admit it, I am not above bribery. However, the motivation does not always need to be food; sometimes, I use a game for review–they love this–or they may get to help create questions for a test. I am learning that doing work on the two computers in my class is a reward in itself. Helping students to become self-motivated is more difficult and requires more consideration on my part. Usually, this amounts to a great deal of one-to-one conversations with a student; multiply this by 80 students, that’s a lot of time. I usually pick the ones that I think are ready to move on and grasp part of their future. Some students are just looking for someone to lend them a hand in the right direction.
Areas that I would like to continue developing include using media and technology to enhance learning and performance, communicating effectively, and promoting transfer of knowledge and skills. I have come a long way this year in utilizing media and technology; however, I would love to be able to apply a lot of what we have learned during this class in my classroom. For my students, technology can be a great link for them achieving understanding of objectives. I have started using wikis with two of my classes, and quite a few of my students are using them because they cannot make it to class for a variety of reasons. Fantastic! I also have teachers who are asking me for help with their own wikis because somehow I have become the resident wiki professional.
Communicating effectively to my students is key for their ability to achieve success. I am still at the point where I can explain/model something, review it, ask for questions to clarify–then, one or two students will ask me what are we supposed to be doing. Great! Then, repeat the process. As I float around the room, I still need to clarify and reexplain what they need to do.
What a great competency! Promoting transfer of knowledge and skills is what all teachers do. I want all of my students to be able to apply what they learn in my classes to other classes or in their lives. It is important to me that my students realize they don’t attend my class just for the grade and that’s it. They attend my class to learn skills that will help them in other parts of their lives. To put it simply, I love helping students learn and making technology a part of this learning process is a bonus.
Along with changing my ideas for planning instructional methods and materials, I have adapted how I motivate students. My students respond to extrinsic rewards – snag them with the reward and get them hooked on getting a good grade. Well, it works with some of them. I admit it, I am not above bribery. However, the motivation does not always need to be food; sometimes, I use a game for review–they love this–or they may get to help create questions for a test. I am learning that doing work on the two computers in my class is a reward in itself. Helping students to become self-motivated is more difficult and requires more consideration on my part. Usually, this amounts to a great deal of one-to-one conversations with a student; multiply this by 80 students, that’s a lot of time. I usually pick the ones that I think are ready to move on and grasp part of their future. Some students are just looking for someone to lend them a hand in the right direction.
Areas that I would like to continue developing include using media and technology to enhance learning and performance, communicating effectively, and promoting transfer of knowledge and skills. I have come a long way this year in utilizing media and technology; however, I would love to be able to apply a lot of what we have learned during this class in my classroom. For my students, technology can be a great link for them achieving understanding of objectives. I have started using wikis with two of my classes, and quite a few of my students are using them because they cannot make it to class for a variety of reasons. Fantastic! I also have teachers who are asking me for help with their own wikis because somehow I have become the resident wiki professional.
Communicating effectively to my students is key for their ability to achieve success. I am still at the point where I can explain/model something, review it, ask for questions to clarify–then, one or two students will ask me what are we supposed to be doing. Great! Then, repeat the process. As I float around the room, I still need to clarify and reexplain what they need to do.
What a great competency! Promoting transfer of knowledge and skills is what all teachers do. I want all of my students to be able to apply what they learn in my classes to other classes or in their lives. It is important to me that my students realize they don’t attend my class just for the grade and that’s it. They attend my class to learn skills that will help them in other parts of their lives. To put it simply, I love helping students learn and making technology a part of this learning process is a bonus.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Screencasting
I finally got my screen cast to work. My computer has been on the blink lately because of a Windows Service Pack update.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Screencasting
The screencast I have designed will be for students to learn how to post a journal to the class psychology wikispace at psychology-schoenborn.wikispaces.com. I actually created a screencast, but I was unable to post it to both Google and Youtube. For whatever reason, my computer/internet will not allow it to happen.
The screencast begins with students gettin onto Internet Explorer. Secondly, students will go to psychology-schoenborn.wikispaces.com. Once this page loads the home page, students will click on Unit 1 - The Mind at Work on the Navigation Bar. When the Unit 1 page loads, students will click on the discussion tab at the top of the this page. Students will then sign in using their school username and password. Finally, students will be able to click on Journal 1 and type their journal entry in the reply section of this page. The last step will be for students to click Post. Students will be using the journaling feature in class to participate in discussions that will take place. This will also hold them accountable for this portion of the class grade.
The screencast begins with students gettin onto Internet Explorer. Secondly, students will go to psychology-schoenborn.wikispaces.com. Once this page loads the home page, students will click on Unit 1 - The Mind at Work on the Navigation Bar. When the Unit 1 page loads, students will click on the discussion tab at the top of the this page. Students will then sign in using their school username and password. Finally, students will be able to click on Journal 1 and type their journal entry in the reply section of this page. The last step will be for students to click Post. Students will be using the journaling feature in class to participate in discussions that will take place. This will also hold them accountable for this portion of the class grade.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Week 11 Reflection
In Chapter 14, Human Performance Improvement was discussed as systemic change to increase the performance of organizations. HPI is something that all businesses, educational or industrial, should include in their system plan. It is important that all employees work toward improving their skills, training, and work input and output. We are always looking for ways to make things work better and more smoothly.
When considering HPI for the P-12 educational systems, it is important that people in these organizations work together to improve the quality of education that we provide for our student population. I have been in many professional development meetings and workshops where people are not interested because they do not believe in the basis of what is being covered. They are set against the project before it even begins. This attitude makes it difficult to encourage systemic change because for this to occur, we need everyone to grasp the changing policies in order for them to be successful.
In Chapter 22, Reiser and Dempsey presented essays from a variety of people who work in higher education. I found this chapter to be very interesting and actually enjoyed reading how these people spend their days, the frustrations they deal with, and the aspects of their positions that are fulfilling. Instructional design in this setting sets an example for p-12 education systems to model after. The professors that discussed helping other personnel create and organize the technology aspect of their programs or classes was enlightening. They ask and take into consideration the needs and desires of how the people want their classes to work and then provide suggestions and/or solutions that will help the classes to run as smoothly as possible.
The P-12 educational systems need to take direction from the example that higher education has set forth for instructional design, system design and implementation, in general. It is important that school boards and administrations consider the needs that teachers and support staff recognize within the school systems. Schools should consider these needs to implement change on a holistic level.
Both HPI and the higher education designs approach the changes from a systemic viewpoint. It is extremely important that more p-12 school districts get on board with the systemic change and discover ways to implement change that will have a lasting effect. One of the technology changes my school district has been pushing are computerized classes. The gist of these courses, at present, involve the students staring at computer screens, taking notes, and answering questions. I realize there is a real need for online courses, but these classes are not interactive, and most of the students realize very little growth in learning from these courses. It appears to be a way to get them quick credit and get them out of school. I believe it would be more important to have online courses set up more in line with the type of course we are currently involved in with this class. One were students are interacting with other students and the instructor. Also a course where students are producing output where they can apply their learning and put it into practice.
When considering HPI for the P-12 educational systems, it is important that people in these organizations work together to improve the quality of education that we provide for our student population. I have been in many professional development meetings and workshops where people are not interested because they do not believe in the basis of what is being covered. They are set against the project before it even begins. This attitude makes it difficult to encourage systemic change because for this to occur, we need everyone to grasp the changing policies in order for them to be successful.
In Chapter 22, Reiser and Dempsey presented essays from a variety of people who work in higher education. I found this chapter to be very interesting and actually enjoyed reading how these people spend their days, the frustrations they deal with, and the aspects of their positions that are fulfilling. Instructional design in this setting sets an example for p-12 education systems to model after. The professors that discussed helping other personnel create and organize the technology aspect of their programs or classes was enlightening. They ask and take into consideration the needs and desires of how the people want their classes to work and then provide suggestions and/or solutions that will help the classes to run as smoothly as possible.
The P-12 educational systems need to take direction from the example that higher education has set forth for instructional design, system design and implementation, in general. It is important that school boards and administrations consider the needs that teachers and support staff recognize within the school systems. Schools should consider these needs to implement change on a holistic level.
Both HPI and the higher education designs approach the changes from a systemic viewpoint. It is extremely important that more p-12 school districts get on board with the systemic change and discover ways to implement change that will have a lasting effect. One of the technology changes my school district has been pushing are computerized classes. The gist of these courses, at present, involve the students staring at computer screens, taking notes, and answering questions. I realize there is a real need for online courses, but these classes are not interactive, and most of the students realize very little growth in learning from these courses. It appears to be a way to get them quick credit and get them out of school. I believe it would be more important to have online courses set up more in line with the type of course we are currently involved in with this class. One were students are interacting with other students and the instructor. Also a course where students are producing output where they can apply their learning and put it into practice.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Google Map Activity
For this week's project, I chose option 2. In this activity, students would be required to map the course of the Anglo-Saxon ancestors. There are three groups of people involved in this migration of people: Angles, Jutes, and Saxons. Students would have to determine where each group of people originated and their destinations. The map is a demonstration of a sample student assignment. Along with creating a map demonstrating these sites, students would also have to research and report why each group of people migrated to a new location, what impact this had on their way of life, and how they integrated with other groups of people.
Students will be completing this project as part of their introduction into Anglo-Saxon life and Beowulf. I like the idea of them creating the map because it will help them to remember locations and reasons why these people moved and how it affected their lives.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106922762046610726497.000464f3241c46733ce5c&ll=54.239551,1.186523&spn=11.648416,27.905273&z=5
Students will be completing this project as part of their introduction into Anglo-Saxon life and Beowulf. I like the idea of them creating the map because it will help them to remember locations and reasons why these people moved and how it affected their lives.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106922762046610726497.000464f3241c46733ce5c&ll=54.239551,1.186523&spn=11.648416,27.905273&z=5
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Week 10 - Reflection
"Trends and Issues in Various Settings" was an interesting chapter for me. In my opinion, the school district in which I work needs to implement new ideas for improvement. The piecemeal change idea is what we have been using for the past several years. It appears as though our district sees the smaller, more immediate problems and chooses to make changes to fix these. However, many times these changes work only as a band-aid and not a true solution to the problem. It has happened quite a few times that a new idea is implemented that is going to solve many problems--The Save-All and Solve-All Solution. However, then the next year these ideas have been remodeled once again to fix the problems encountered that year. It seems like we never really give one idea a fair chance to be fully implemented before it is replaced with another current solution. Sometimes when ideas and policies are changed, we need to make sure everyone is on board and will stay there for a set duration to see if the changes implemented actually work. Personally, the piecemeal theory of change has not worked well in my experience. Although, it may not be due to the theory, but the way it has been implemented or not.
Systemic change sounds like the ideal format to implement change in a school district. Just as Reiser and Dempsey mention, for many districts, including where I work, this would be difficult because of the up-front cost and the need to maintain funding for improvements. While reading this section, I was visualizing some of the changes that could be made and getting people involved. I think for schools/districts with many difficulties and problems, possibly, a complete overhaul is the best way to help solve the many issues that plague the school systems. It may be easier to get more people on board and involved in implementing new policy when a complete change is presented with all possible advantages and disadvantages.
The "Step-Up-To-Excellence" methodology presents itself as systemic change. The steps in this process appear to be key in implementing change for many types of businesses. I specifically like the idea of having everything and everyone aligned and in place before the actual changeover process takes place. All people involved in the implementation process should be well versed and trained in what the process will be. The more prepared people are for change, the smoother the transition should be.
I also like the idea of having all levels of people involved in creating and implementing the steps of the process. If the only people involved in the decision-making process for transition, then it is very possible that their vision of what is needed/required to be changed is tunneled through their own interests and concerns. If many people from different departments and levels are involved in this process, then more ideas for needs and necessary changes is quite a bit broader. Many different people provide a variety of perspectives and experience from which people can offer their ideas.
Systemic change sounds like the ideal format to implement change in a school district. Just as Reiser and Dempsey mention, for many districts, including where I work, this would be difficult because of the up-front cost and the need to maintain funding for improvements. While reading this section, I was visualizing some of the changes that could be made and getting people involved. I think for schools/districts with many difficulties and problems, possibly, a complete overhaul is the best way to help solve the many issues that plague the school systems. It may be easier to get more people on board and involved in implementing new policy when a complete change is presented with all possible advantages and disadvantages.
The "Step-Up-To-Excellence" methodology presents itself as systemic change. The steps in this process appear to be key in implementing change for many types of businesses. I specifically like the idea of having everything and everyone aligned and in place before the actual changeover process takes place. All people involved in the implementation process should be well versed and trained in what the process will be. The more prepared people are for change, the smoother the transition should be.
I also like the idea of having all levels of people involved in creating and implementing the steps of the process. If the only people involved in the decision-making process for transition, then it is very possible that their vision of what is needed/required to be changed is tunneled through their own interests and concerns. If many people from different departments and levels are involved in this process, then more ideas for needs and necessary changes is quite a bit broader. Many different people provide a variety of perspectives and experience from which people can offer their ideas.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Week 8 - Reflection
Reiser and Dempsey presented a few different forms of instructional design/technology that I believe would be useful where I teach school. The first is technology-based training delivery. In the past few years I have been through a few different types of training that implemented through the internet. I believe this is an effective use of training personnel, time, and resources. Also, a nice benefit of training through the internet allows the trainee to be able to receive training according to their own schedule. The training I received allowed me to complete the sessions in a reasonable amount of time; I also received instant feedback which was beneficial to my learning and application of the training I received.
The second form of ID/T that I think is useful in business is globalized training. This form of training is most likely a great benefit to large companies that have employees in many different locations. For instance, one of my brothers and his wife both work for an oil/chemical company located in the midwest. They both have had jobs that have taken them all over the country and the world. Many times they receive or give training sessions that are online and occurring in more than one location at a time. If they were not able to conduct globalized training, the cost of the trainings and the amount of time needed to get every person trained would rise significantly.
I believe that technology-based training will be very useful in the years to come in the educational world. Many of us are already involved in receiving such training. The globalization of training is an idea that I believe can be implemented for educators if we want to share ideas with other people in the United States or across the world.
As far as the assignments that we have completed thus far, I have found all of them to be interesting. I love working with technology and the internet. I believe I have learned a great deal already and find the pacing to be very reasonable. I have been working on setting up a couple of wikis for two of my classes–information basis mostly– psychology-schoenborn.wikispaces.com and schoenbornenglish12.wikispaces.com. Actually, in two days another teacher and I are conducting a technology presentation; my portion is going to introduce my wikis. Then, we will be helping other teachers get started on their own. I am enjoying myself immensely.
A few of the projects I was a little bit intimated by at first but found myself able to get into them with little or no problem. I definitely am finding ways to incorporate some of what we have learned into teaching already. My favorites are wikis, bookmarking, and the photo site, but I think all of them will be useful for me in education. I love the fact that I am able to apply what I am learning so quickly. As my first course for the Masters in EDT, I believe it to be a good start.
I think all of the technology tools and skills we are learning are fantastic. However, I also believe we are learning through the way this course is set up–on-line learning and blogging. These are ideas I would love to utilize eventually with some of my future students.
The second form of ID/T that I think is useful in business is globalized training. This form of training is most likely a great benefit to large companies that have employees in many different locations. For instance, one of my brothers and his wife both work for an oil/chemical company located in the midwest. They both have had jobs that have taken them all over the country and the world. Many times they receive or give training sessions that are online and occurring in more than one location at a time. If they were not able to conduct globalized training, the cost of the trainings and the amount of time needed to get every person trained would rise significantly.
I believe that technology-based training will be very useful in the years to come in the educational world. Many of us are already involved in receiving such training. The globalization of training is an idea that I believe can be implemented for educators if we want to share ideas with other people in the United States or across the world.
As far as the assignments that we have completed thus far, I have found all of them to be interesting. I love working with technology and the internet. I believe I have learned a great deal already and find the pacing to be very reasonable. I have been working on setting up a couple of wikis for two of my classes–information basis mostly– psychology-schoenborn.wikispaces.com and schoenbornenglish12.wikispaces.com. Actually, in two days another teacher and I are conducting a technology presentation; my portion is going to introduce my wikis. Then, we will be helping other teachers get started on their own. I am enjoying myself immensely.
A few of the projects I was a little bit intimated by at first but found myself able to get into them with little or no problem. I definitely am finding ways to incorporate some of what we have learned into teaching already. My favorites are wikis, bookmarking, and the photo site, but I think all of them will be useful for me in education. I love the fact that I am able to apply what I am learning so quickly. As my first course for the Masters in EDT, I believe it to be a good start.
I think all of the technology tools and skills we are learning are fantastic. However, I also believe we are learning through the way this course is set up–on-line learning and blogging. These are ideas I would love to utilize eventually with some of my future students.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Week 7 - Reflection
As I was reading Chapter 14, I couldn’t help but think about HPI in relation to my students and myself. I teach a broad range of students who produce an output that covers most levels of achievement from very low to the very high. The "Human Performance Improvement" for my students can vary a great deal from one day to the next. Tapping my HPI can be dependent on many variables–who I am teaching, what I am teaching, and how many different ways I have attempted to help students achieve the desired objectives.
I found the fact that Thomas Gilbert was a student of B.F. Skinner. I am currently teaching psychology and extremely enjoy teaching the different theories of psychology–especially behaviorism.
I believe Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering model could be useful in designing lesson plans because it is important to understand what the environment is and what the individual is capable of. For me, this model is similar lesson planning–both include objectives, resources, knowledge, and incentives. The model could easily be adapted to help design a unit or lesson.
The HPT model on page 141 could also be useful in designing units or curriculum. I believe this model has the ability to cover a broader scope that Gilbert’s model. For instance, I can see the staff at my school using a model such as this to help us outline a safe learning environment in our school. We have looked at all of these areas throughout the school year. Sometimes, some of the steps seem to be decided after the fact–incentives. This design may help us to create an appropriate plan up-front. I can also see this model being used by individual teachers for lessons or units. I find it important to reflect on my teaching to determine what works and what doesn’t. This is helpful if I teach the same unit again or utilize the same technique for another lesson–if need be I can tweek specific points of lessons/units.
I like to use different forms for presenting the same information and have students compare what they have found out. "Podcast for Teachers" is another one that I chose. I liked this podcast because it has a variety of tips for technology that I find useful. The last podcast I chose is the "American Writers.com - Creative Writing Podcast." I find this podcast may be use to use when working with my students on writing projects–some of these topics can help inspire my students to think about writing in from different perspectives and in different ways. It also helps for them to hear what I tell them being reiterated by someone else.
I believe that podcasts can be very useful in an educational setting. My students could either utilize podcasts on an individual level, or I could use a podcast for the whole group depending on what the lesson is trying to achieve. I also like the idea, if technology is available, for students to work cooperatively in creating a podcast as a group project. I think many of my students step up to the plate in accountability when they know their assignment will be put on the internet for others to view or listen to.
I found the fact that Thomas Gilbert was a student of B.F. Skinner. I am currently teaching psychology and extremely enjoy teaching the different theories of psychology–especially behaviorism.
I believe Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering model could be useful in designing lesson plans because it is important to understand what the environment is and what the individual is capable of. For me, this model is similar lesson planning–both include objectives, resources, knowledge, and incentives. The model could easily be adapted to help design a unit or lesson.
The HPT model on page 141 could also be useful in designing units or curriculum. I believe this model has the ability to cover a broader scope that Gilbert’s model. For instance, I can see the staff at my school using a model such as this to help us outline a safe learning environment in our school. We have looked at all of these areas throughout the school year. Sometimes, some of the steps seem to be decided after the fact–incentives. This design may help us to create an appropriate plan up-front. I can also see this model being used by individual teachers for lessons or units. I find it important to reflect on my teaching to determine what works and what doesn’t. This is helpful if I teach the same unit again or utilize the same technique for another lesson–if need be I can tweek specific points of lessons/units.
I like to use different forms for presenting the same information and have students compare what they have found out. "Podcast for Teachers" is another one that I chose. I liked this podcast because it has a variety of tips for technology that I find useful. The last podcast I chose is the "American Writers.com - Creative Writing Podcast." I find this podcast may be use to use when working with my students on writing projects–some of these topics can help inspire my students to think about writing in from different perspectives and in different ways. It also helps for them to hear what I tell them being reiterated by someone else.
I believe that podcasts can be very useful in an educational setting. My students could either utilize podcasts on an individual level, or I could use a podcast for the whole group depending on what the lesson is trying to achieve. I also like the idea, if technology is available, for students to work cooperatively in creating a podcast as a group project. I think many of my students step up to the plate in accountability when they know their assignment will be put on the internet for others to view or listen to.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Week 6 - Reflection
Clearly, I believe we are already realizing that the Internet/Web are going to have a major impact on higher education. For me, personally, I was a bit skeptical about an online class, and I love technology. I was wondering how I would adapt to learning through the internet; I have always been one who enjoys sitting in a class and learning (strange, I know). After these first few weeks of class, my opinion and fears have had a complete change. I am enjoying this new learning experience immensely.
The impact of the internet on higher education is most likely just beginning. I was first exposed to this format at GVSU with their Blackboard system. Eventually, I believe most professors will include some form of internet usage in their class format. The elimination of paper pushing is a great plus. Professors/instructors won’t have to keep track of papers and returning them. This usage also allows for better communication if students are not in class, they can still participate in the assignment.
College online courses are most likely going to continue growing in number of classes and participants. After all, we are in the “Technology Age.” Many of the future students are very comfortable with the idea of using technology and may not have the concerns that I did about online classes.
I also believe that Internet incorporation into education will filter down from higher education to the K-12 school systems. Just as many other subjects in schools have had to be reconfigured–so will technology. A part of this change may come from those who are being educated in teaching programs now and in the future. These future teachers may be learning through and on technology; therefore, I would not be surprised if they naturally began to incorporate such forms of instruction into their repertoire of teaching techniques.
Actually, I have been trying to utilize some internet tools into a few of my classes. Currently, I am in the process of getting two student computers in my classroom (yeah!). With this addition, I will be able to help my students learn in a completely different format than what I have been using. Also, I have been talking with some of the teachers I work with about what we are learning, and they are excited and want me to show them what I’m doing. I think they will have to wait awhile, at least until I feel more comfortable with all this new technology myself.
As for adult education, businesses and government/military will probably continue to grow and exercise their use of Internet usage in instruction. Many organizations are fully embedded in the usage of the internet, and I can’t see this changing anytime soon–at least not until something more amazing is invented. (My husband calls it the Davinator–he believes people will have small computers put in their brains that they will be able to do everything a cell phone or computer can do.) Frankly, I’m sure there will be something more advanced than the Internet in the future; although, I can’t imagine what will be able to do this.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
The Pardoner's Tale - Animated
This is the video that I show to my English 12 class to help in learning "The Pardonder's Tale." This video is almost a perfect match to the actual tale. Watching this video helped my interested students to do very well with this tale.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Week 5 - Photo Sharing
The photo sharing site we had to create was hard for me to get into. At first, I felt like my pictures were very personal, but then I decided that it was a fantastic way for me to share my pictures with family and friends. I have pictures from my family Christmas of my parents and all of their grandchildren. I’m supposed to get everyone a copy of the picture–to say the least, I haven’t done it yet. This is the perfect way for me to take care of that task–so easy. Thank you.
It took me a while to figure how I would incorporate photo sharing into a lesson plan or activity. I believe it would be great to share photos of historic places for a history or social studies class. Also, if I ever get the opportunity to travel and visit places that famous authors lived, I would definitely find a way to include this in a unit plan. Having great visuals can really help students to understand concepts more readily.
Having students utilize the photo sharing service makes me a bit more uneasy. Where I teach, we have a difficult time controlling a lot of behaviors with students. If they had this tool as part of the class, I have no doubt that it would eventually be misused to distribute inappropriate materials. There would have to be severe consequences for such actions, of course. I do think in many educational settings, photo sharing would be a great asset. Especially if a class is working on group projects–photo class, drama, yearbook,–all would be great classes to use this tool. This is another tool where students could benefit from another student’s material and knowledge. They would be able to help each other through the sharing of ideas and pictures.
Chapter 2 - What is instructional design? I felt very comfortable with this chapter. The ideas presented in this chapter have been prevalent in educational settings in recent years. Analyze, Design, Implement, and Develop all circle around Evaluate. Along with the revisions that are constantly taking place between and within these areas. All paths lead to evaluation and assessment. I easily agree with many of the topics in this chapter. An instructional design should be learner centered; the students/learners are the main focus of why we are teaching. I can appreciate the team effort of this design. Many tasks in education become much easier when tackled with a collective group of individuals working together to achieve a goal. This brings us to the goal-oriented focus; if we don’t have goals to direct our instruction then a few instructors may be leading in many different directions.
As far as developing my own lesson and unit plans, I have found that I use a very similar procedure as the authors. I determine unit objectives/goals based on curriculum and student needs, develop assessments to be administered, determine the best activities and lessons to teach these concepts, design and select materials, teach/assist students in learning unit concepts, and evaluate students for mastery. During this whole process, revision is an element that is ongoing and constant, even during actual instruction time. I have discovered that even during one class period, I adjust my teaching strategy several different times depending on which student I am working with at that time.
I found this chapter to be reassuring because it purports that same ideas that I use when creating units for my classes. The steps or procedure may be slightly different but the main concepts remain the same.
It took me a while to figure how I would incorporate photo sharing into a lesson plan or activity. I believe it would be great to share photos of historic places for a history or social studies class. Also, if I ever get the opportunity to travel and visit places that famous authors lived, I would definitely find a way to include this in a unit plan. Having great visuals can really help students to understand concepts more readily.
Having students utilize the photo sharing service makes me a bit more uneasy. Where I teach, we have a difficult time controlling a lot of behaviors with students. If they had this tool as part of the class, I have no doubt that it would eventually be misused to distribute inappropriate materials. There would have to be severe consequences for such actions, of course. I do think in many educational settings, photo sharing would be a great asset. Especially if a class is working on group projects–photo class, drama, yearbook,–all would be great classes to use this tool. This is another tool where students could benefit from another student’s material and knowledge. They would be able to help each other through the sharing of ideas and pictures.
Chapter 2 - What is instructional design? I felt very comfortable with this chapter. The ideas presented in this chapter have been prevalent in educational settings in recent years. Analyze, Design, Implement, and Develop all circle around Evaluate. Along with the revisions that are constantly taking place between and within these areas. All paths lead to evaluation and assessment. I easily agree with many of the topics in this chapter. An instructional design should be learner centered; the students/learners are the main focus of why we are teaching. I can appreciate the team effort of this design. Many tasks in education become much easier when tackled with a collective group of individuals working together to achieve a goal. This brings us to the goal-oriented focus; if we don’t have goals to direct our instruction then a few instructors may be leading in many different directions.
As far as developing my own lesson and unit plans, I have found that I use a very similar procedure as the authors. I determine unit objectives/goals based on curriculum and student needs, develop assessments to be administered, determine the best activities and lessons to teach these concepts, design and select materials, teach/assist students in learning unit concepts, and evaluate students for mastery. During this whole process, revision is an element that is ongoing and constant, even during actual instruction time. I have discovered that even during one class period, I adjust my teaching strategy several different times depending on which student I am working with at that time.
I found this chapter to be reassuring because it purports that same ideas that I use when creating units for my classes. The steps or procedure may be slightly different but the main concepts remain the same.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Week 4 - Bookmarks/Definition
Utilizing social bookmarking in education will be of great value to students, teachers, and administration. To begin with, teachers will be able to provide bookmarks for website that they want their students to use for purposes such as a research project. In this same regard, students could bookmark websites that they found useful, so as to share them with other students. Administrators and teachers could also mark websites that they recommend for professional utilization.
I am already impressed with the idea of social bookmarking. I found sites that I would have love to have known about earlier this school year. It was exciting for me to find a couple of these because they will help me present some information in a new and different way. They have also given me ideas for varied lessons so I can reach more students. I have already spoken with a teacher who teaches some of the same classes that I do about some of the websites I have tagged.. Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, and Macbeth are all literature that we have been teaching so far this year. This curriculum is very difficult for some of our students and some of the websites I have found will add to our repertoire of tools. She thought this would be useful because we can just add to the website instead of emailing every time we find a site that is useful.
The definitions for instructional technology in chapter 1 of Trends and Issues seem to become broader with each definition. When I first thought of a definition for instructional technology, I figured it would be somewhat along the line of the 1977 definition, which included the process but also people, procedures, devices, ideas, and organization. The definition I am more familiar with because of the educational aspect is the most recent one involving "facilitating learning and improving performance." In today’s education system, we hear definitions along this line frequently that include facilitating learning and improving performance through creative means.
Personally, I like the 1977 definition better because it actually gives more descriptive detail. The more recent one is broad and may involve technology being implemented through appropriate curriculum design. I believe both definitions have the same goal – the integration of technology into the education curriculum our students receive. The definitions have probably changed over time to match the consistently changing field of education. It seems as though every year or two there is a new definition for an old teaching strategy, lesson plan design, or application process to better the learning of our students. If it works or not, we don’t change it completely–we just modify it to make it sound better.
The definition that the book is using appears to cover the whole range of instructional design and technology, almost a complete definition. The one thing that I find lacking in all of these definitions is that none of them mention "students" or "learners." How can we talk about defining learning in any concept unless we consider who we are teaching? The whole basis for the development of instructional design and technology or any other type of curriculum should always mention and consider the learner in its definition.
I am already impressed with the idea of social bookmarking. I found sites that I would have love to have known about earlier this school year. It was exciting for me to find a couple of these because they will help me present some information in a new and different way. They have also given me ideas for varied lessons so I can reach more students. I have already spoken with a teacher who teaches some of the same classes that I do about some of the websites I have tagged.. Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, and Macbeth are all literature that we have been teaching so far this year. This curriculum is very difficult for some of our students and some of the websites I have found will add to our repertoire of tools. She thought this would be useful because we can just add to the website instead of emailing every time we find a site that is useful.
The definitions for instructional technology in chapter 1 of Trends and Issues seem to become broader with each definition. When I first thought of a definition for instructional technology, I figured it would be somewhat along the line of the 1977 definition, which included the process but also people, procedures, devices, ideas, and organization. The definition I am more familiar with because of the educational aspect is the most recent one involving "facilitating learning and improving performance." In today’s education system, we hear definitions along this line frequently that include facilitating learning and improving performance through creative means.
Personally, I like the 1977 definition better because it actually gives more descriptive detail. The more recent one is broad and may involve technology being implemented through appropriate curriculum design. I believe both definitions have the same goal – the integration of technology into the education curriculum our students receive. The definitions have probably changed over time to match the consistently changing field of education. It seems as though every year or two there is a new definition for an old teaching strategy, lesson plan design, or application process to better the learning of our students. If it works or not, we don’t change it completely–we just modify it to make it sound better.
The definition that the book is using appears to cover the whole range of instructional design and technology, almost a complete definition. The one thing that I find lacking in all of these definitions is that none of them mention "students" or "learners." How can we talk about defining learning in any concept unless we consider who we are teaching? The whole basis for the development of instructional design and technology or any other type of curriculum should always mention and consider the learner in its definition.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Week 3 - Wiki Reflection
This week’s project was interesting for me. I believe the hardest part was summarizing the material that I chose to work on. I felt like I was covering what others might also be working on, but as it turned out, the information was different enough that we provided separate concepts/ ideas.
I love creating and designing things. I have always enjoyed coming up with ideas for brochures, cards, stationary, and many others. Designing stuff through using the computer is right up my alley. The technology aspect keeps me working on it longer than if I were doing something by hand. During my undergraduate work, I had to create a web quest. I thought this was a fun and creative way to have students interact with lessons. I enjoyed myself so much, that I went back after the class had finished and continued to make modifications.
One of the best parts about this assignment was working with my group. It’s great to work with people that jump right in and will do anything. I felt like it was no problem if I needed help, all I had to do was ask. Thanks everyone. After reading all of the conversations that went on, it seems like most groups worked very well together. The discussion board works great for this – the only benefit of the traditional classroom would be the instant response during a discussion. I find myself to be a bit impatient, especially when I have a difficult time waiting until I am home from work.
The wiki page is a good way to share information with each other and web users. Even though I have had minimal experience with web design, I was still a little leery about my technology skills when contributing to this page. Those feelings went away quickly once I logged in and began looking at the different tools and what I could do with them. The wiki editing/building page is very user friendly. I felt like modifications were made very easily.
As far as using wiki in my classroom, I would love to develop one for each of my classes. I can see many benefits and uses. Prior to this class, I had been talking to one of our teaching coaches about creating a web page, and she actually suggested a wiki. I just have not been able to contribute the time to one as yet. Uses of a wiki in one of my classes may include a calendar, assignment page, handout source, and website links. I also think it would be beneficial to have students do something similar to what we have done this week–work together as a team and create a wiki for a project in class and use it for a presentation. I excited about all of the ideas running through my head and frustrated that it will take me so long to implement them. (because most of my students don’t have access to technology.) Hopefully, in a weeks I will have more access to our school lab.
I love creating and designing things. I have always enjoyed coming up with ideas for brochures, cards, stationary, and many others. Designing stuff through using the computer is right up my alley. The technology aspect keeps me working on it longer than if I were doing something by hand. During my undergraduate work, I had to create a web quest. I thought this was a fun and creative way to have students interact with lessons. I enjoyed myself so much, that I went back after the class had finished and continued to make modifications.
One of the best parts about this assignment was working with my group. It’s great to work with people that jump right in and will do anything. I felt like it was no problem if I needed help, all I had to do was ask. Thanks everyone. After reading all of the conversations that went on, it seems like most groups worked very well together. The discussion board works great for this – the only benefit of the traditional classroom would be the instant response during a discussion. I find myself to be a bit impatient, especially when I have a difficult time waiting until I am home from work.
The wiki page is a good way to share information with each other and web users. Even though I have had minimal experience with web design, I was still a little leery about my technology skills when contributing to this page. Those feelings went away quickly once I logged in and began looking at the different tools and what I could do with them. The wiki editing/building page is very user friendly. I felt like modifications were made very easily.
As far as using wiki in my classroom, I would love to develop one for each of my classes. I can see many benefits and uses. Prior to this class, I had been talking to one of our teaching coaches about creating a web page, and she actually suggested a wiki. I just have not been able to contribute the time to one as yet. Uses of a wiki in one of my classes may include a calendar, assignment page, handout source, and website links. I also think it would be beneficial to have students do something similar to what we have done this week–work together as a team and create a wiki for a project in class and use it for a presentation. I excited about all of the ideas running through my head and frustrated that it will take me so long to implement them. (because most of my students don’t have access to technology.) Hopefully, in a weeks I will have more access to our school lab.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Week 2 - Reflection
I enjoy using a blog. In my undergraduate students, I had a couple of classes in which we had to use the blog as a discussion tool, also. It is a great way for students to communicate with each other, especially in the situation where we are participating in an online course. I find it interesting to read other people’s reflections. Actually, it seems as though it is more polite than the traditional classroom because students’ cannot interrupt each other. I did have difficulty with my first post. It took a long time for it to go through; therefore, I thought it didn’t and posted it a second time. Both posts then ended up on Marilyn’s blog.
If I were given the opportunity for more access to technology in my school, I would definitely use blogs in my classroom. These could be used for students to complete their journals on and have other students respond to journals. They would also be great for an online discussion, much like we do, for novels or other forms of literature. My students love technology and seldom get to use it for education. I would love to expose them to this form, and I think they would enjoy it immensely.
In regards to RSS Readers, I was amazed by how much information one can accumulate in just a few hours. Especially on a Thursday afternoon when a plane crashes into the Hudson River. Within just a few hours, I accumulated almost 400 different pieces of information. I would find the RSS Reader useful, especially when there are specific types of information I am looking for.
Categorizing what level of Dale’s cone RSS Readers and blogs fall into was difficult. The use of each comes into play as to what category I would assign each one to. For instance, if a student is using an RSS Reader for doing research and getting up-to-the minute/day information, this is a more hands on application than if events happened in the past where the student is more removed from an actual memory of the event. I may classify this scenario to Demonstrations or Educational Television depending on the information. The categories are broad in this sense. The blog was also difficult to categorize. Many students could taking blog responses to a very abstract level depending on the topic and those that they are having a discussion with. If a blog were to be used for presentation of photos, video, or audio, then classification would be much simpler. The cone level would be towards the top – possibly Recordings, Radio, Still Pictures.
As mentioned earlier, I believe a blog could be used for a journal and response tool. Another possibility for a blog is using it as a story builder. This is when each student would take turns adding a specified amount to a given prompt. I used these before in the paper form, and I believe it would be fun for students to utilize the computer to compile their stories. Using a blog would allow all students could watch it develop, envision the different directions the story will go, and find out if they were thinking as other students do. In regards to Siegel’s concept, a RSS Reader could be used for research of information.
Postman would probably consider the blog to diminish the use of writing along with socializing with one’s peers. An RSS Reader, in Postman’s view, may deplete a student’s ability to develop sound research skills because information will be to readily at hand.
Personally, I can see the benefit for both of these applications in an educational setting. However, I do think that students need to conduct many forms of research; one of them could definitely utilize the RSS Reader.
If I were given the opportunity for more access to technology in my school, I would definitely use blogs in my classroom. These could be used for students to complete their journals on and have other students respond to journals. They would also be great for an online discussion, much like we do, for novels or other forms of literature. My students love technology and seldom get to use it for education. I would love to expose them to this form, and I think they would enjoy it immensely.
In regards to RSS Readers, I was amazed by how much information one can accumulate in just a few hours. Especially on a Thursday afternoon when a plane crashes into the Hudson River. Within just a few hours, I accumulated almost 400 different pieces of information. I would find the RSS Reader useful, especially when there are specific types of information I am looking for.
Categorizing what level of Dale’s cone RSS Readers and blogs fall into was difficult. The use of each comes into play as to what category I would assign each one to. For instance, if a student is using an RSS Reader for doing research and getting up-to-the minute/day information, this is a more hands on application than if events happened in the past where the student is more removed from an actual memory of the event. I may classify this scenario to Demonstrations or Educational Television depending on the information. The categories are broad in this sense. The blog was also difficult to categorize. Many students could taking blog responses to a very abstract level depending on the topic and those that they are having a discussion with. If a blog were to be used for presentation of photos, video, or audio, then classification would be much simpler. The cone level would be towards the top – possibly Recordings, Radio, Still Pictures.
As mentioned earlier, I believe a blog could be used for a journal and response tool. Another possibility for a blog is using it as a story builder. This is when each student would take turns adding a specified amount to a given prompt. I used these before in the paper form, and I believe it would be fun for students to utilize the computer to compile their stories. Using a blog would allow all students could watch it develop, envision the different directions the story will go, and find out if they were thinking as other students do. In regards to Siegel’s concept, a RSS Reader could be used for research of information.
Postman would probably consider the blog to diminish the use of writing along with socializing with one’s peers. An RSS Reader, in Postman’s view, may deplete a student’s ability to develop sound research skills because information will be to readily at hand.
Personally, I can see the benefit for both of these applications in an educational setting. However, I do think that students need to conduct many forms of research; one of them could definitely utilize the RSS Reader.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Week 1 - Technology Transformation
This week’s articles appear to cover opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to technology and education. Neil Postman presents the idea in "Of Luddites, Learning, and Life"
that technology is overwhelming everyday aspects of life, especially in education. "Beyond Technology Integration: The Case for Technology Transformation" by Charles Reigeluth and Roberto Joseph advocates the usage of technology in education. Both articles make some important points regarding education and technology; however, my beliefs tend to align with Reigeluth and Joseph.
Postman stresses that education needs to revert back to the basic elements that people need to function in society – "share everything, play fair, don’t hit people, put things back where you found them, clean up your own mess, wash your hands before you eat, and, of course, flush." While I believe all students need to learn these, I also believe many or all of these should be taught in the home and reinforced in a school environment. I also consider school to be a place for students to develop the mental skills necessary to participate in and contribute to the community in which they live.
Another area in which I don’t agree with Postman is the idea that technology may be disruptive to the education process. I believe that technology can aid teachers in presenting concepts to students. As a teacher, I enjoy using technology in my classroom. There are many times when I can use it to emphasize a concept or lesson to students. Next week with one of my classes, I begin teaching The Canterbury Tales. One of the tales, "The Pardoner’s Tale" is interesting, but my student population struggles with meaning and interpretation. I found an animated video on the internet that demonstrates a great depiction of the tale. My students will be able to relate well to the video and when they read the tale will be able to comprehend the meaning more clearly. I can’t wait to see their reaction.
On the other hand, Reigeluth and Joseph express the necessity of technology in education. However, it is to be only a part of the entire program. They stated that "Technology is important, but it would be a mistake to look only to technology." The basis they present appears to involve a wide array of aspects for student learning. In their learning-focused paradigm for education, the principles presented hit on very key elements that make up education today. Some of the principles, however, may be difficult for each child to attain. For example, not every child will master every task or skill given to him or her. Possibly, in considering guidelines for a paradigm such as this, the powers-at-be could create a continuum of mastery depending on a student’s continued success or lack thereof. One downfall is the time that it takes to develop the information needed on each child will probably increase over a traditional education style. Budget crunches are already hurting many districts.
I agree with Reigeluth and Joseph that each child develops at his or her own pace and the education system needs to accommodate these differences. An example of this is my youngest daughter. When she was in first grade, we began to notice the struggle she had in reading. She was the oldest student in the class, but had the most difficulty in decoding words. Through much time, special services, and a great deal of practice, she finally began developing a stronger reading aptitude. Probably around the middle of fourth grade she finally achieved grade level performance some of the time on standardized assessments. My daughter loves to read and will be a developing reader for a long time. I believe part of her achievement comes from her desire to stay the same reading level as her peers. All of them had achieved mastery long before she even came close. Her reading skill is developing towards mastery. I believe mastery learning is working for my daughter. However, one question I have is -- what do we do with the children are unable to achieve mastery? Should the education system hold a student back because he or she is only developing or proficient and has not attained mastery?
Reigeluth and Joseph mention several different ways in which technology can be used, such as project-based learning, simulations, and self-regulated learning. I enjoy using technology when appropriate in my lessons. Web-quests and I-searches can be very useful when trying to help students visualize concepts and understand key elements of lessons. The world today is filled with technology. Students today need to be prepared to live and work in an adult world. An education without technology exposure would be detrimental to our future adults.
that technology is overwhelming everyday aspects of life, especially in education. "Beyond Technology Integration: The Case for Technology Transformation" by Charles Reigeluth and Roberto Joseph advocates the usage of technology in education. Both articles make some important points regarding education and technology; however, my beliefs tend to align with Reigeluth and Joseph.
Postman stresses that education needs to revert back to the basic elements that people need to function in society – "share everything, play fair, don’t hit people, put things back where you found them, clean up your own mess, wash your hands before you eat, and, of course, flush." While I believe all students need to learn these, I also believe many or all of these should be taught in the home and reinforced in a school environment. I also consider school to be a place for students to develop the mental skills necessary to participate in and contribute to the community in which they live.
Another area in which I don’t agree with Postman is the idea that technology may be disruptive to the education process. I believe that technology can aid teachers in presenting concepts to students. As a teacher, I enjoy using technology in my classroom. There are many times when I can use it to emphasize a concept or lesson to students. Next week with one of my classes, I begin teaching The Canterbury Tales. One of the tales, "The Pardoner’s Tale" is interesting, but my student population struggles with meaning and interpretation. I found an animated video on the internet that demonstrates a great depiction of the tale. My students will be able to relate well to the video and when they read the tale will be able to comprehend the meaning more clearly. I can’t wait to see their reaction.
On the other hand, Reigeluth and Joseph express the necessity of technology in education. However, it is to be only a part of the entire program. They stated that "Technology is important, but it would be a mistake to look only to technology." The basis they present appears to involve a wide array of aspects for student learning. In their learning-focused paradigm for education, the principles presented hit on very key elements that make up education today. Some of the principles, however, may be difficult for each child to attain. For example, not every child will master every task or skill given to him or her. Possibly, in considering guidelines for a paradigm such as this, the powers-at-be could create a continuum of mastery depending on a student’s continued success or lack thereof. One downfall is the time that it takes to develop the information needed on each child will probably increase over a traditional education style. Budget crunches are already hurting many districts.
I agree with Reigeluth and Joseph that each child develops at his or her own pace and the education system needs to accommodate these differences. An example of this is my youngest daughter. When she was in first grade, we began to notice the struggle she had in reading. She was the oldest student in the class, but had the most difficulty in decoding words. Through much time, special services, and a great deal of practice, she finally began developing a stronger reading aptitude. Probably around the middle of fourth grade she finally achieved grade level performance some of the time on standardized assessments. My daughter loves to read and will be a developing reader for a long time. I believe part of her achievement comes from her desire to stay the same reading level as her peers. All of them had achieved mastery long before she even came close. Her reading skill is developing towards mastery. I believe mastery learning is working for my daughter. However, one question I have is -- what do we do with the children are unable to achieve mastery? Should the education system hold a student back because he or she is only developing or proficient and has not attained mastery?
Reigeluth and Joseph mention several different ways in which technology can be used, such as project-based learning, simulations, and self-regulated learning. I enjoy using technology when appropriate in my lessons. Web-quests and I-searches can be very useful when trying to help students visualize concepts and understand key elements of lessons. The world today is filled with technology. Students today need to be prepared to live and work in an adult world. An education without technology exposure would be detrimental to our future adults.
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