Final Reflection

This term has been a strenuous one, but a learning process as well. There were many roadblocks along the way, but there was alway people who believed that I could continue the course and complete it within reason. Up until this past semester, my academic journey was fairly smooth with very few issues and then as this fall semester began, illnesses arose and took over the past 2 months of my professional and personal life. It began with a simple loss of voice which grew into a consistent silence, various tests, poking, prodding, sleepless nights, missing days of work, being sent home from teaching, and feeling as if no matter what I did, it wasn't going to get better. It is amazing how a simple illness can take over all aspects of one's existence. I think it is particularly hard when a person is a perfectionist and they have to deal with something they can't stop that keeps them from completing everything they are used to completing in a seamless way. Luckily, because of the support of my husband, family, professor and various peers such as Gary and T.Rhodes, who were wonderful throughout the past term in listening, helping, and working with me to complete my tasks within a reasonable amount of time. I think it is important to take a step back sometimes, look at the issues in front of you, and make the best decision for yourself and your family. Luckily, I also had a wonderful administrator who has empathasized with my situation and inability to teach without a voice, so I was able to take time off in the next week to get caught up on work, bills, and my first KAM, which I had almost completed before I got sick. At 29, it is hard to deal with being sick continuously year after year. Sometimes it does seem that it is one thing after another, with no rhyme or reason to it all. What has kept me going is the faith of my friends and family, my wonderful students who brighten each and every day, a love of the content I teach each day, a drive to keep going and do the best I can, and an acute awareness of what is really important. This last class helped me so much in how I incorporate technology into my daily classroom lessons. It has opened me up to all kinds of new tools that I can pursue and research and maybe even write a grant to obtain for my school. Since I am a member of my Technology Action Team at my school, it has also allowed me to take what I have learned and go back and share that information with others on the team at my school. I have also recently considered taking up the profession of teaching online, since I love teaching, I love the content and technology, and if my illness doesn't get better, it may solve the problem of having to vocalize all of my lessons. For right now, I am happy where I am, but in the future the possibilities are limitless. I hope to hear from everyone in the future and please keep in touch. I plan to continue using this blog into my next course and I would love to hear from everyone in their Ph.D journey!
Sincerely,
Heather Abbott

Week 11: Simulations or Simulation-Games in the Classroom

From: http://blog.core-ed.net/derek/2007/03/simulation_games_for_the_class.html
By: Derek Wenmoth
"There are five excellent activities listed on the WV simulation games page - I’ve registered and had a dabble with Eliminate - Child labour (experiencing life as a social worker with the goal to eliminate child labour in a community) , and with Frontline (Set in a conflict zone, teams face decisions that save lives and assist those impacted by conflict.)

I’m really impressed with the quality of these activities - both in terms of the way the activities themselves are devised and structured, and in terms of the interface. There’s quite a bit of reading involved - but hey, in a classroom group situation that becomes part of the activitiy, reading together to decode the instructions etc. Those looking for a Play Station or X-Box experience will be disappointed - but let them. These simulations are engaging in different ways. They’re especially useful for developing critical thinking, and exploring ideas and concepts at a deeper level than a superficial read of a magazine or text book article - especially when engaged in as a part of a classroom group activity. Like all good simulations - they’re intended to teach not through the imparting of lots of information, but through the understandings developed through the process of participation, problem solving and decision making."

I really like how the author of this blog and topic utilized various examples of different simulation infrastructures to show how they can be used in the classroom. They delved deeper than surface simulation programs and looked into the myriad of possibilities that can come along with using these systems. It is nice to see someone who is looking at something beyond video-gaming systems, which is what students are used to. The systems described go much deeper and allow the student to experience a higher level of thinking so that they can develop those critical skills necessary to reach their ultimate goal.

Week 10: Free Access to Educational Materials

Many states such as New Jersey have created development plans to enhance their technology support within their schools. They see the need for free access for all students and they are taking steps to make that happen in the near future. Many schools have adapted "Technology Action Plans" which outline goals related to technology that the school would like to reach within a given time period. With the ever changing society we live in, many are looking to outside resources for funds to continue their technology programs and to also keep up with advancements in computer-related fields. They are also looking to outside grant programs that allow them to get the funds they need to equip all schools with at least the basic technological tools to meet the standards they have set forth in their plan. To view a sample plan, click here: http://www.state.nj.us/education/techno/state_plan.htm.

LMS, LCMS, & Learning Objects in the Classroom: Week 9

Text from: http://elearningandlearningmanagement.blogspot.com/2007/02/lms-vs-lcms.html
By: Don McIntosh
"LMS's designed to serve the education market like Blackboard, Desire2Learn and Moodle tend to be quite different. Education LMS's are usually just for eLearning and don't include classroom course management because those capabilities already exist (as registration systems) in education. Education LMS's are actually more like LCMS's because they provide course authoring tools and some content management. (Just to add to the confusion some education LMS's call themselves Course Management Systems and some call themselves LCMS's). Education LMS's are usually stronger than corporate LMS's with using communication tools like e-mail, discussion groups, and now even wikis and blogs. This is because in education, the model is that an instructor builds the course and then is available by e-mail while students take the course. In the corporate environment, the emphasis has been more on asynchronous, self-directed courseware and there is usually no "instructor" available."

I felt that this person specifically took their time to research and compare the use of LMS and LCMS systems. They clearly knew about these systems from experience not only in the educational classroom but in the professional settings as well. I liked how they gave various examples and provided some insight into what the pros and cons of each were. They did this without a depicted bias which was nice and their summarization gave each topic a sufficient amount of attention to show how each could be used.

Week 8: Wireless Technologies in the Classroom

There are many benefits to utilizing wireless technology in the classroom and it can be used to enhance the learning environment in many ways. There are three major networking tools one can use in school. They are below.
"Access points: These devices connect the wireless network to the wired network. They have a standard 10-base-T connector and IP routing capabilities. They also control access to the network and load bearing of all access points on the network. Some are programmed to supply seamless roaming.
Station Adapters: These devices connect desktop computers to the access points via wireless communication. Station adapters connect to the computer using a 10-base-T connection, which means it is necessary for the computer to have a network card. Station adapters connect to either one or four depending on the version of the device purchased.
PCMCIA Adapter: These devices connect laptops and any other PCMCIA Type 2 compatible devices to the access point. This device is connected to the computer sing a PCMCIA Type 2 connection, which is standard on current laptop computers and can be an accessory for some palmtops. PCMCIA adapters are usable with only one computer."
The information above was found at: http://dmit.asu.edu/r&d/wireless/wireless.html. The use of these networks requires very little instruction and many find it easy to use and set up. With the ease of use and the strict safety guidelines that are already integrated in the networks because they originated in military areas. Because of that, schools find that the comfort level is already there so they can feel better when utilizing these tools each day.

My Multimedia Presentation: "Utilizing Videos in the Classroom"

Below is my video for my multimedia presentation in my doctorate class at Walden University. The video entails an introduction into the possibilities in using various forms of video in the classroom as well as teaching students to personally use these tools as well. The video was made using the program "Sony Vegas 7.0" and all credit is given to the appropriate sources referenced. Feel free to leave comments or feedback as I value all opinions to allow me to enhance and better any future videos!

"Utilizing Videos in the Classroom"

By: Heather Abbott

Effectiveness of Synchronous Channels

"Eroding the Effectiveness of Synchronous Channels"

Quote from: http://blog.assembla.com/assemblablog/tabid/12618/bid/3126/Warning-Synchronous-communication-tools-can-slow-you-down.aspx

"The most effective communication is synchronous communication (meeting and talking) between people who work in the same office. This works better than any of the asynchronous channels. However, if you aren't in that situation, then synchronous communication quickly loses its effectiveness for software teams. Let's consider the issues that erode the effectiveness of synchronous channels:

* Frequency. More frequent communication is better. It's hard to bring people together for a call or meeting, and it doesn't happen very often.

* Time commitment. Team members lose valuable working time when they sit in meetings. It takes less time to go through a stack of messages with equivalent information. You may or may not consider it a good thing, but modern workers have learned to process messages quickly.

* Sharing. If you share information with your entire team, people can adapt and contribute more easily. A phone call or two-way synchronous communication is not shared.

* Precision. More precise communication is better. Written tickets need to be precise. Mockups and prototypes that are actually committed and reviewed are precise and accurate descriptions of a system. Synchronous conversations are often not precise." (Singleton, 2007).

My Reflection:

Singleton (2007) brings up some interesting points in the loss of effectiveness when dealing with synchronous tools in education. He discusses the issues of bringing people together to communicate at specific given times and that most often this does not happen which can lead to a lapse in understanding and depiction of reciprocal ideas. He also looks at the advantages of meeting with everyone all at once rather than one or two people at a time. Within that lapse of time, information may change, comprehension may decline and memory of specific items to discuss may be lost. When everyone comes together to bounce ideas off one another or look at a problem with all minds working at once, the chances of a problem being solved are greater and can be done in less time. Also, without the real-time initial conversation, details may also be lost which may offer possible crucial information on the topic given.

References:

Singleton, A. (2007, December 27). Warning: Synchronous communication tools

can slow you down. Message posted to

http://blog.assembla.com/assemblablog/tabid/12618/bid/3126/Warning-Synchronous-communication-tools-can-slow-you-down.aspx

"Podcasting in the Classroom"

The use of podcasts in the classroom has dramatically evolved over the past five years and today more and more classrooms are being turned into creative and artistic environments engaging students to explore new possibilities and to think outside the box. As educators, we are constantly trying to come up with new and innovative ways to reach each student and motivate them to want to become more independent in their own academic journey. However, many students lack the confidence to try new things and creatively portray their own personal opinions on higher level topics.

Utilizing technological tools such as podcasts allows the students to reverse their roles in the classroom and actively debate their thoughts with their other peers and bounce ideas back and forth to see a topic from a different perspective. Podcasts are sometimes seen as "radio stations in the classroom" and this aspect uniquely sets apart the traditional teacher-directed classroom from a more discussion oriented one. In the sidebar of my blog, I have posted a sample podcast created projects created by 3rd grade students who were reading the book "Tuck Everlasting" aloud in class. I also study this novel with my students in 6th grade but on a more independent level. I utilized the project podcast that I have shown you to depict to my students the possibilities of what even younger students are capable of creating when they are determined and motivated to do so.

I then provide them with 3 possible project choices to create as they are independently finishing the novel and use this sample as a model for them to follow when we work on them in our computer lab at school. The possibilities are endless and there are so many great sites available that serve as references and indexes full of reading and novel related podcasts. One of these indexes can be found at: http://bklnkids.podomatic.com/entry/2006-03-22T12_41_23-08_00. It is such a great resource for educators and the lists of varying podcasts are growing by the day.

Discussion of PLE's

Excerpt From:

"Growing, Changing, Learning, Creating"

http://growchangelearn.blogspot.com/2007/06/ples-are-power-tools.html

"In this context, PLE's are power tools. They empower the powerless to break out of their boxes. PLE's invites self-directed learning. PLE's become a source of discrepancy and deviation from the "party line". It becomes possible to think for oneself and disagree with the groupthink. Learning from a PLE makes it possible to see patterns of abuse, exploitation and neglect in the workplace. PLE's undermine the imposed, top-down, command & control kind of power. PLE's put distributed and democratized power in the hands of the individual. It counteracts the conformity pressures without confrontations or insurrections. PLE's are politically radical and perfectly natural. "

I really like how Cammy Bean (2007) began this section of her post with "PLE's are power tools." It stuck out to me right away when I read it! It made me want to know why this individual felt so strongly about the utilization of personal learning environments today. It does seem evident that these types of tools provide the student/user with a new sense of personal directed learning without the immense need for a concrete instructor guiding them along the way. These environments do seem to go against the social norms and structure that many were so used to. It's independent nature is depicted as a means of using your own thoughts and learning modes to complete tasks successfully and without the outside distractions that accompany many of the standard workplace classes today. The worker is given the power to determine their own rules at a pace that allows them to be more successful. This may not always happen when being taught in a group like setting where individual "outside of the box" type of thoughts are often discouraged. Overall, even though there are always going to be advantages and disadvantages to any new development, for some, it may be the key to reduce the anxiety of trying to keep up with others that may not encompass the same perspective as themselves.

By: Heather Abbott

Integration of Blogs & Wikis in Education

The integration of blogs and wikis over the last decade has increased dramatically. It has evolved so quickly because of it's appeal to students looking to be presented with new ways of acquiring and communicating views and information to others. It has opened up so many ways to supplement teaching with a variety of uses and value that can allow instruction to be more meaningul to the student. When this happens, the teacher may experience not only a better environment for relating information, but a new sense of motivation as well.

A lot of the times, when the students are utilizing the tools to complete a given task, the teacher may also be learning right along with them. In fact, many students today know more about how to use these tools because of the advancements they grew up in. It is that connection and correlation that can create better sense of community and that can provide a more positive outlook when learning about any subject. Lastly, "because of their ease of use and rapidity of deployment, they offer the opportunity for powerful information sharing and ease of collaboration" (Boulos, Maramba & Wheeler, 2006). It is that confidence that empowers us all to further our learning process.

References:

Bolous, M.N., Maramba, I., & Wheeler, S. (2006). Wikis, blogs and podcasts: A new generation of web-based tools for virtual collaborative clinical practice and education. BMC MedicalEducation, 6(41), from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6920/6/41.

CBT's and WBT's for E-Learning

Review and Discussion of Lekan Quadri's Blog

"CBT/WBT can be used as alternative or supplement to expensive conventional courses and lectures, seminars, trainings or workshops. Adapting the framework for evaluating the effectiveness of instructional multimedia is that of extend version of Kirkpatrick’s (1996) four levels of evaluation introduced by Schenkel. It begins to appear in academic institutions using for instruction. The evaluation show various recommendation for computer base/web base learning from assessing learning, reaction and attitude, behavior change in the intended environment, and assessing results and return on investments (ROI)."

My Summation

I think that this student did a great job focusing on specific aspects and utilizing examples of various sample CBT and WBT programs. I think many would agree that these programs offer a useful and meaningful suppemental value in relation to supplemental practices. Many pertinent companies and academic institutions have caught on to the advantages that can increase when using various modes of instruction to meet the needs of all individuals. I thought it was good that the author of the blog above included statistical and informational data to back up their claims and statements, which showed that the author did research their topic in one way or another. It does seem that it is very important to evaluate the workers reactions and attitudes towards these types of programs to continually make them better and more engaging for the future.

References

Quadri, L. (2007 September 24). Computer based and web based education and training.

Message posted to

http://lekanquadri.blogspot.com/2007/09/wk-3-personal-reflection-computer-based.html.

Evolution of Technology In Education!

I think it is amazing how far we have come as a society when it comes to the evolution of technological tools and use in education. Many theorists have such innovative ideas on how to utilize technology in new and vibrant ways to reach all of the learning styles and modes of each and every individual student. Walczak (2003) has many wonderful depictions of what a truly engaging classroom can be in her ideas on "Adventure Learning." This type of learning allows students to become more independent in their thinking and processes to complete given tasks. It also allows a wide variety of technological tools to choose from to best fit the way that they retain and acquire new information. Overall, these ideas show promising prospects of what is to come in the future and I cannot wait!

References:
Walczak, D. (2002). Encompassing education, pp. 60-64, In Department of Commerce. (2003).
Visions 2020: Transforming education and training through advanced technologies.
Government Report. Available at: http://www.technology.gov/reports/TechPolicy/2020Visions.pdf