CEDO 525 - Enhanced Learning - Week 2 Electronic Response Tools

     Ok, so here we're supposed to compare and contrast electronic response tools.  We all know about Google Forms and yes it's pretty slick.  Lots of options, some nice designs to choose from, and output into Google spreadsheets all the whilst being FREE.  The only problem with tools like Google forms is that it requires a bit of training and the setup of Google accounts and it's infrastructure.  Sooooo...I'm going to go in a different direction with my comparison/contrast.  I'll take a quick look at response tools that provide immediate feedback within the walls of the classroom.
     I'll start with one called iClicker.  These are simply little remotes with a few impressive capabilities.  The teacher has a more advanced unit that can set up true/false, multiple choice, and yes/no questions on the fly.  The students then have receivers that they enter their responses with.  It's a great way to get quick assessments of the classroom's level of understanding.  The teacher clicker then displays the results on a little LCD screen so the teacher can adjust their focus or reteach certain concepts.  The teacher clicker can also remotely control slideshows or other simple presentations.  The knock on something like this might be the need to buy lots of these little clickers, which might get costly.
     Some other examples, which are very similar to iClicker, are the handheld response systems from SMART Technologies.  SMART has a lot more to choose from and seem to have some software options which provide a nice structure for later analysis.  These gadgets can also be tied into the SMART whiteboards, which have become prevalent in schools as of late.  There is even an option for students using mobile devices.
     The next one is called QuestionPress.  This one is a strictly web-based audience and classroom response/assessment tool.  That means that it is essentially available on any Internet connected device.  I'm going to use a quote from the creator because it sums it up beautifully: "QuestionPress is one of the few response web sites that allows you to offer a fully live session where you can control which questions are asked, when they are asked, in what order they are asked, and when and how results are sent to the responders’ screens. Questions can also be served at the responder’s pace with options that allow for the scores and correct answers being displayed upon completion."
     The  last one is actually an app for the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.  It's called eClicker Host.  The nice thing here is that you only have to buy the Host app ($9.99) and anyone else can install the free eClicker iOS app.  Obviously the "catch" here is that your school would have to have iPads or a similar device in order to make use of it.

CEDO 525 - Enhanced Learning Materials - Week 2 Feedback

     This week we read the article Feedback That Fits and were asked to provide a brief response.  In the past few years I have been bombarded with in-services on certain hot topics.  Bullying and Differentiated instruction are the top two but Assessment practices and strategies easily comes in third.  I think what made this article more interesting than the in-services and training I've had is that I was trying to figure out where technology fits into the equation.  While reading the article I jotted down a few things that I could take away from the article.
     Students deciphering feedback and possibly reading the feedback in an unintended way was one thing that I thought was interesting.  I think that writing comments on a writing or research project can be very useful but there is still room for error.  Teachers have to be very careful about what they write, just as with emails.  If it is not face to face communication where a student can hear voice inflection, facial expressions or body language then there is room for false interpretation.
     Finding something positive, no matter how small, for struggling students was another thing to note. This is certainly not a new concept to me, but it is still an important one to remember.  It is especially important to set the tone with something positive when interacting with a struggling student because they probably haven't had too many compliments.  Starting with a positive can possibly open up a line of communication that wouldn't normally have been there if the conversation started with a criticism or advice for improvement.  Parent teacher conferences are another place that I like to set the tone with a positive for the same reasons.
     Being specific about positive feedback is the last nugget that I will take away from this article.  I will admit that sometimes I get a little lazy with my positive feedback.  It is so much easier to walk around and say the same three phrases (good job, nice work, looks good) while looking over students' shoulders.  The article pointed out that while it might make a student feel good for a brief moment, the student doesn't benefit from the comment in the long run.  Being specific will help students identify exactly what they are doing well (their strengths) and perhaps improve my retention of what the students are proficient in.

CEDO 525 - Enhancing Learning Materials - week 1 blogs

First things first...I hope Kristine Deiner(our teacher for this class) recovers from her hospital visit as she was missing from our week 1 class.  Louie was our sub and did great but I just wanted to express well wishes for Kris.  On to this week...we were supposed to do two separate readings and then give a brief reflection on each one.

The first reading was from HERE.  The article is broken into two parts: Theory and Research Based Principles of Learning and Teaching Principles.  I'd like to reflect on the principle of learning that states: "Students' prior knowledge can help or hinder learning."  I agree that prior knowledge influences how students interpret the information that we present to them.  I also agree that prior knowledge can impede or enhance their learning experience but I'd like to expand on a few other thoughts pertaining to that.  When discussing topics that can be considered opinion-based (politics, etc) it is important to present both sides of things and let the students initiate the discussion.  The teacher must act simply as a moderator and remain as neutral as possible in order to get an honest discussion from the students.  It may be necessary to provide guidance during the discussion but the students should not know what your opinions are as that can influence students and often the tone of the discussion.  Another important role that prior knowledge plays relates to how much trust a teacher has garnered from students.  A student that has inaccurate or insufficient prior knowledge wouldn't necessarily be impeded by it.  If the teacher has shown themselves to be a trustworthy source of information the student will have no problem adjusting what they "thought" they knew to the newly presented information.

The second reading came from HERE. This was a 2003 study about the effectiveness of teaching and learning with technology on student outcomes.  The conclusion basically stated that technology had a moderate positive effect on the students tested.  It also emphasized that more research needed to be done to gain a better understanding on how technology is truly effecting student learning.
     Here is my take:  Research is fine and dandy and helps to illustrate trends but the nature of educational research is such that when it is finally published there is a good chance that things have already changed.  I also find a flaw in the way that this research was presented.  I think the role of technology is being underestimated.  I find it hard to believe that the control group didn't use technology.  I'd be interested to see what qualifies as using technology and what qualifies as their traditional methods.  Students learn better when using technology because technology is a part of society and their everyday lives.  It's that simple.  Technology helps students find information that they would never have available to them if it weren't for technology.  Technology also helps students find faster, more efficient ways to get things done.  To say that technology only has a minor or moderate positive effect on learning is like saying that books and libraries were only a minor improvement over leather parchment and quill pens.  It just doesn't make sense.  I think that technology simply being available is not necessarily going to make students smarter or better learners but the technology is there, and it keeps evolving.  It is the teacher's or integrator's job to guide the students on how to USE this technology to enhance their learning.

CEDO 520 Final Post

This week's main topics included copyright issues and keeping our students safe on the internet (in addition to ourselves.  As the state of things exists right now, there is a lot of unknowns when it comes to copyrights and their use.  This is especially true in education as it seems that some exceptions are made when things are used for educational purposes.  Not everyone's intentions are clear, however.  I'm referring to both the originator and the user when I say that.  That's why something like Creative Commons was created.  Creative Commons exists to help clear up any confusion when it pertains to what exactly the owner is willing to share.  Creative Commons provides an infrastructure of choices while allowing the creators to also customize the conditions of sharing their property.  Even with something like this trying to take hold around the world there is still a lot of gray area.  I'm not sure what the solution is, but I'll always err on the side of caution when using electronic content by giving credit to the original source and using other's work in an acceptable manner to the best of my knowledge.

Internet Safety has really come to the forefront lately and rightfully so.  As proven by even high profile individuals, not being careful of what you share online can have some disastrous results.  Last year was the first year that I put together a unit strictly dedicated to Internet safety and it will be a hot topic as long as the Internet maintains its status as a social networking venue.  The more that people use the Internet to communicate and do everyday activities, the more likely that people will exploit that whichever way they can. Staying up to date with social networking sites and demonstrating safe computing practices to students when it comes to using the Internet will help keep students safe but it will ultimately depend on parental assistance.  Parents cannot ignore what their kids are doing on the Internet anymore.  Just like my parents probably checked my dresser drawers or bedroom closets from time to time, parents of today need to be knowledgeable about what their kids are doing online.  Maybe that means they take a few classes to help them figure out how to check the browser history or they make their children show them their Facebook page from time to time.  Regardless, add that to the many parenting responsibilities that already exist.

As this class comes to a close I can't help but notice the similarities between this one and the previous class (can't remember the title off the top of my head).  This class seemed like a lighter, less in-depth version of it.  In fact they were so alike that I even found myself tempted to use some of the assignments that I had created in my prior class for this one.  I can't help but think that this class would've been more beneficial later on in the grad program considering that resources change so quickly.  The separation between the two classes might have helped...having these two classes back to back just felt redundant at times.  Just my humble opinion...

CEDO 520 - week 3

This week we got a chance to work with our groups.  The main assignment was to analyze some web tools on their potential use in the classroom as they pertain to promoting learning.  We looked at Adobe's online word processor(Buzzword), 280Slides online presentations, some cartooning applications(toondoo, pikikids, extranormal), Google Sites and Forms, along with some survey tools(Poll Anywhere, Survey Monkey).  I enjoyed working with 280Slides and I particularly liked its integration with MS PowerPoint.  The toolbar had huge graphics and was really easy to use so it made me think of its potential uses in grades 1-5.  I like the cartooning applications - they provide a fun alternative to doing assignments or presenting material for students who may become bored with traditional methods.  The survey tools are always useful.  We used survey monkey to get feedback from our staff a few times last year and it worked well but to be honest I really liked the idea of creating some surveys in Google Forms.  I can keep my forms stored in Google Docs and easily tweak them each year to fit my needs.  I especially like the responses being output to a spreadsheet...even the narrative answers.
The second thing we did was look at Tools for Online Classes and Virtual Schools.  ooVoo, AdobeConnect, and elluminate were the reviewed tools.  ooVoo was essentially Skype except with a few variations to their pricing plans and the capability for HD video calls.  I've used vRooms in elluminate before and they work well minus the video capabilities.  The advantage there is that it has classroom management tools that the others don't have.  AdobeConnect was a cross between those two but I didn't get a chance to test it out.  I actually have a new one that I'm going to test this weekend too...Google Hangout.

CEDO 520 - week 2

This week was mostly spent on Internet Search strategies and techniques and looking at ways to evaluate online resources.  I liked playing around with the Noodle Tools website which enables you to focus your search a little bit by providing search tools that match up with your informational needs.  It also provided a nice tool for citing sources in both APA and MLA styles.  It is hard to find a resource that offers both styles...for free.  Another interesting thing that we explored was Google Alerts.  I really liked the idea of getting one central email containing multiple links to the topic of my choice instead of having to check a few sources each day or subscribe to several feeds.  I could see using Alerts for current news on interesting topics or for something that changes often like Interest Rates on home loans.  Wikipedia became one of the topics when evaluating resources and the opinions on its validity as a source are as varied as you can get.  Some educators say it is never to be used, some say that its a good starting point, and some say that an entry can be reliable with proper editing and citing of sources.  In other words the verdict is still out.  Perhaps the most useful tool that we stumbled upon this week was Google Forms.  We created forms for evaluating internet resources and I found it to be extremely easy.  The options were great and the output generated simply migrated to a Google Doc spreadsheet.  They even allow branching of multiple forms, which was great.  I plan on using them for teachers and staff but I also would like to use them with the students.  Add that to my ever-growing list of "things to incorporate this coming school year".  haha

Internet Learning Resources CEDO520 - week 1

This is another class that I am excited to take because of its potential to immediately impact what I use in my teaching and more importantly how I teach.  The 4 week guide of topics include Internet Learning Resources, Search engines and Research, Tools to Support Learning, and Internet Safety, Ethics, Privacy, Fair Use.  I thought the week 1 assignments were a good way to ease into the class by making us evaluate how we perceive Internet Learning Resources and things such as Web 2.0.  I'm particularly interested in acquiring some more resources about Internet Safety, Ethics, Privacy, and Fair Use because that is something that I officially incorporated into the curriculum for the first time last year.  I had always talked about it in the past but now it is a concrete unit.  With all of the new ways that technology allows people to communicate and reveal personal aspects of their life it is important that students understand how to use these avenues responsibly.  Maybe the government and sports organizations should offer some training in regards to that, too, haha.