Coleman's expressions

Course Insights

2006-04-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

If you believe, as I do, that education is more than the transmission of content and learning is more than responding to a selected assessment tool, then you know that the experiences yielded from this last eight weeks in EME 5207 have been invaluable. The kaleidoscope of experiences to include Understanding by Design, online content, blogging (posting and conversations), and the building and sharing of technology rich-designed curriculum units has been very intense and extremely worthwhile as I continue to build on my understanding of creating excellent learning opportunities for students.

Though I commented on Dr. Dawson’s blog regarding specific issues, I wanted to share some other general thoughts that have evolved from taking this class…

I’m still intrigued by the curriculum model of UbD. It has a lot of depth of which I’ve yet to tap – even some of the more “obvious” sections are difficult to apply. For example, ‘thinking like an assessor’ begs for authentic assessment, just as problem based learning is best assessed with a rubric. The very nature of authentic assessment, to include rubric tools, dictates subjectivity and yet the accountability process usually desires objectivity. Even when you think of FCAT Writing, there is a rubric for scoring, but look at the criteria cells and much is subjective – which is, of course why there are multiple graders. So, how do we best balance these issues? I know for my curriculum unit’s PBL, I included a rubric – some of the criteria is clearly objective with quantitative measures, but almost all still has a subjective flavor. Though planning to discuss the rubric’s subjectivity and examples prior in conjunction with the PBL, as well as including peer- and self-assessments using the rubric, I still wonder if I’ll be able to measure the desired results in the intended ways of UbD.

Using blogs for this class (and others) has so much learning potential! It is a different kind of learning, more reflective in nature, than many have experienced. Because of that it is sometimes frustrating, confusing and resisted, but they offer such a personal and public (I know that sounds so contradictory!) platform for thinking about learning. Do we not owe it to ourselves to develop independent learning skills, as well as nurture that in our students? Struggling with concepts, demonstrating skills, ‘thinking outloud’ and connecting with others around the world are daily occurrences in the world of blogging. Though I would hope that could also be said about our typical classrooms, my experience tells me otherwise. So, not only will I continue to blog and read my ever-growing list of edubloggers’ posts, but I will introduce others, including students, to this format. Of course, there are legitimate concerns (to include privacy and safety, AUPs, etc.) that need to be addressed (my most significant one now is finding an effective tool that feeds me comments in addition to postings), but that should not create a barrier worth problem-solving. Also, with the rapid increase in Web 2.0 tools, I’m betting that the next generation of blogging (and yes, I believe it is here to stay!) will offer even more for learning!

Technologies and our changing world continue to impact education and learning. Moving beyond the mere transmission of content to the understanding of information and concepts and then on to the construction of knowledge demands that we continue to think about how we are learning and teaching…and more significantly how we will apply those changes and influence others to do the same.

Transforming...

2006-04-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Social software and web 2.0 are new terms that are being tossed about in the realm of educational technology these days. I’ve not only defined them (social software, web 2.0), but I’ve used them on a daily basis in the last four months, and I’m still not sure I truly understand the depth of their meaning nor their influence. That feeling is both disappointing and challenging, but it seems my neurons keep flashing in so many chaotic directions that I can’t corral my thoughts for a succinct concept.

The reason this appears so urgent is that these new ideas not only transform our present and future way of life in general, but they absolutely need to be a part of our curriculum and learning environments now! Alexander (2006) writes of using social bookmarking in post secondary education (among other things – great article) and I wonder how many people are even aware of del.icio.us, much less use it (or similar tool) to its full advantage. Add on tagging and RSS feeds to the basic concept and there’s a whole new world of resources and potential conversation – what a springboard for learning and understanding! This is only the tip of the iceberg as one explores the tools of blogs (check out this post about the future of blogging!), wikis, other collaborative writing tools (i.e., writely) to create and construct knowledge and understanding.

Alas, there are danger warnings that accompany these tools. For example, students need to have some parameters in creation – to include recognizing the public nature of social software (it is so very easy for all of us to view the contents of the computer screen as private when in fact the opposite if web-based) and making appropriate decisions regarding the use of knowledge-builders (i.e., privacy, safety and copyright issues). But can we as educators continue “business as usual” when our society is undergoing such a transformation? As mentioned in my introduction, I know I don’t have complete understanding (and maybe never will), but I know that as educational leaders we need to explore these tools and continue to keep our eyes on the horizon for emerging technologies that will influence our world (and our students)!

Alexander, B. (2006). Web 2.0: A new wave of innovation for teaching and learning? Educause Review. 41, (2), pp. 32-44. Retreived April 9, 2006 from http://www.educause.edu/apps/er/erm06/erm0621.asp

On the Lighter Side...

2006-04-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

Check out this article in the New York Times! Can you relate? I can – screensucking and frazzing my way through the day! Though I’m not guilty of being a cellopain, I have suffered from logonorrhea! :-)

Podcasts and Wikis and Blogs - Oh My!

2006-04-10T17:20:00.000-07:00

The past couple of months have been a blinding compilation (at warp speed mind you!) of so many new technologies (podcasts, wikis, and blogs) and so much fresh and provocative information (from my RSS feeds of currently 121 blogs) that I wonder how I survived in 2005! And that doesn’t even include my experiences at FETC and our own class blogs! So much in so little time and yet it is surely a reflection of Moore’s law and of today’s flat world … furthermore, as an instructor of basic EME 2040, I am not content to teach yesterday’s content nor process (despite my ‘old’ age).

There are two items that seem quite noteworthy in my readings (and listenings!) today that I feel compelled to share, especially in light of Linda’s post about blogging. One is David Warlick’s post on his presentation to the National School Board Association (thank goodness they are paying attention – or at least putting him on the agenda!). I strongly advocate listening to his interview (podcasted by Tim Wilson) as well as to investigate 21st Century Learning Skills (there’s a link to Ken Kay’s speech, as well) if you’re not already familiar. Much of what is said not only emphasizes the new technologies, but more importantly spells the new world – which none of us really know, but more importantly all of us must consider as we think about learning, teaching and education. Our students, our children will not function in the “conceptual” age if we continue to teach in the industrial age and more than likely continue to operate our school calendars in the agricultural age.

OK, before I get off my soapbox…there’s another article that gives some tips for addressing the right side of the brain skills that Web 2.0 and the conceptual age seem to be serving. Doug Johnson’s article in Education World may also assist us as we find relevant learning plans for our curriculum units!

Curriculum Unit - UBD: Stage 3

2006-04-09T07:02:00.000-07:00

Continuing the curriculum planning for my unit on Ethical, Legal and Social Issues, I’ve selected a number of learning activities to meet the desired results and assessment evidence. In addition, I’ve incorporated technology as a supportive tool to enhance the activities. There are many web sites that supplement the textbook readings and provide not only updated and in-depth information but also applicable examples. I’ve also included a model WebQuest, blogs, wikis, technology productions tools (word processing and/or publishing, PowerPoint) and online quizzes.

Please note that since this is college-level course, many of the activities will be done outside of the allotted class time – in planning this unit, I’m using the old formula (that is often a ‘joke’) of expecting students to spend 2-3 times the amount of time outside of class as during class time.

Learning Activities

Hook with a typical educational technology scenario demonstrating legal, ethical social and human issues. (H)
Pose the essential questions and the culminating problem-based learning scenario and expectations (W)
Use KWL to assess knowledge of legal and ethical issues
Read applicable sections in textbook on Copyright, Fair Use and Plagiarism and on the following websites: (E1)
- U.S. Copyright Office
- Using the Internet in Education: Copyright Laws (UF EME 5405 Spring 2006 wiki)
- Creative Commons
- University of Texas Crash Course in Copyright
- Wired: The Economy of New Ideas
- The New Plagiarism (Jamie McKenzie)
- CyberBee
Role-play Point/Counterpoint: Students will debate “Copyright v. Copywrong” via groups of Pros, Cons, and Judges (E-2, R)
Take and submit online Quizzes (E, R)
- The Educator’s Guide to Copyright and Fair Use (Hall Davidson)
- What is Plagiarism? (Indiana University)
Blog and comment on one other’s post: How does what you’ve learned about copyright, fair use and plagiarism impact your role as a teacher in the classroom? (R)
Read applicable sections in textbook on Privacy, Ethics and Acceptable Use Policies and on the following websites: (E1)
- Using the Internet in Education: Internet Safety (UF EME 5405 Spring 2006 wiki)
- Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
- wiredsafety.org
- Internet Safety for Schools
- The Internet Safety Debate
- Child Safety on the Information Highway (Lawrence Magid)
Explore and discuss Playing it Safe (a WebQuest about Internet Safety by Stacy LeFevre) –
Design a handout or brochure for parents regarding Internet safety and privacy issues (E, T)
Research Acceptable Use Policies – AUPs (E)
Develop own classroom AUP (E, R)
Read applicable sections in textbook on Diversity and Access and on the following websites: (E1)
- Using the Internet in Education: Digital Divide (UF EME 5404 Spring 2006 wiki)
- Digital Divide (Wikipedia)
- Toward Equality of Access
Review PowerPoint presentation on Social and Human Issues: Diversity & Access (E1)
Blog and comment on one other’s post: Respond to “muddiest point” from PowerPoint presentation and discussion (E, R)
Work on Problem-Based Learning scenario with group members (E, R)
Present PBL results (to include wiki for collaboration). Peers and self complete rubric for assessment. (E2, T)
Complete "L" of KWL - what you have learned in blog (R)

The Big Picture - UBD Readings

2006-04-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

I think I would have benefited from reading Chapters 12 & 13 at the beginning instead of the end (backwards again)! This ‘big picture’ really puts into perspective the concept of understanding by design. The example of a grade level history curriculum (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005, p. 277) and the schematic of a district level inter-disciplinary structure (p. 278) frames the entire model. The focus on essential questions really shines through and centralizes those higher-level thinking skills in a uniting fashion.

Through out the book (and workbook), the authors have exemplified their framework in various content examples, which are especially helpful for those who need to “unlearn.” One of their quotes I like, “Whatever the subject, we learn best by going through many part-whole-part learning cycles – trying it out, reflecting, adjusting. We learn just enough content to be able to use it, and we make progress by tackling increasingly complicated ideas and aspects of performance” (p.292).

Since I’m a huge proponent of “transferability” and the practical, real-world application of subject matter, I’ve focused on designing relevant learning activities. However, my purpose in designing curriculum has never consciously been geared toward the essential questions and big ideas. In reflecting on my readings and unit planning with this in mind, I expect I’ll be re-designing my course with UBD as a springboard. Thinking about the work is both exhausting and exhilarating, but terribly important as I attempt to model effective learning principles in a class for perspective teachers.

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed). Alexandria, VA: ASCD

CURRICULUM UNIT – UBD: Stages 1 & 2

2006-04-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

*Updated: Stage 2 - Performance Tasks (Situation)

Continuing the curriculum planning for my unit on Ethical, Legal and Social Issues for EME 2040 – Introduction to Educational Technology students using UBD, I’ve developed Stages 1 & 2. I welcome any suggestions for improvement, need for clarification, etc. This process of really thinking about Stages 1 & 2 was quite revealing. The big ideas I discovered were: balance, diversity and equity. This unit has always been last in the semester, and often due to time constraints, was not done well. Now, thinking about the importance of the big ideas, I'm thinking about introducing it at the beginning of the semester and infusing it throughout the semester...

Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals:
ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Teachers
VI – Teachers/Students understand the social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools and apply that understanding in practice.
Understandings:
Students will understand that…

· Applying technology in the classroom requires broad perspectives, such as, balance of privacy and control.
· The inequity of technology access and application impacts the growing ubiquity.
· Appropriate use of technology is guided by both written laws and unspoken rules.
· Educational diversity issues transfer to technology.

Essential Questions:

· To what extent do legal issues relate to educational technology?
· How is the teacher role related to ethical standards?
· What are the pros and cons of technology ubiquity and how does that impact educational technology?
· How can we balance the rights of individuals with the goals of society?
· What are the connections between technology resources and diversity issues?

Students will know…
· Privacy and copyright laws as they relate to technology.
· Standards of acceptable and unacceptable guidelines for technology use.
· Technology resources that promote safe use of the Internet.

Students will be able to…
· Analyze technology resources for use with diverse student needs.
· Model and teach legal and ethical practice.
· Research and facilitate equitable access.

Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks: Problem Based Learning (PBL)
Goal – Develop a plan to help your disadvantaged students access the power of computer technology
Role – You and your colleagues are teachers on your school’s technology subcommittee
Audience – Both the school’s administrative team and the school advisory council (which includes teachers, students, parents, and community members)
Situation – You and your colleagues share a belief in technology’s potential in the classroom. However, you are concerned about the best way to help student access technology once leaving the classroom on a daily basis. An increasing number of school-oriented activities are accessed only (or preferably) from the web. In addition, your students will need the experience of integrating technology in their lives after they complete school. After discussions with your principal in which you stated your concerns, your principal has offered to set aside a portion of the school’s budget and/or help obtain funding through grants or community organizations to assist in the access issues. You and your subcommittee colleagues need to develop a plan, backed by your principal’s support and funding to help your disadvantaged students access the power of computer technology. What will you do?
Product/Performance Purpose – Your subcommittee needs to convince the audience of your plan via an oral presentation supplemented with written and visual materials, including some form of technology application (after all that will be an important point to model!)
Standards & Criteria for Success – The plan needs to articulate
-Ideas for increasing technology access
-Method for spending the allocated monies
-Method for utilizing other resources (fiscal and/or human – others?)
-Technologies that should be made available to students outside the classroom
See evaluative rubric for additional grading criteria.

Other Evidence:
· Quiz on laws and standards
· Work samples: 1)Design a handout for parents regarding Internet use and safety; 2)Develop an AUP for your future classroom
· Reflections on equity and diversity via blog
· Use of wiki for formative checks for understanding, scaffolding/collaborating PBL scenario

Curriculum Unit - UBD: Introduction

2006-03-29T18:21:00.000-08:00

My first dilemma in scaffolding for our major assignment was to focus on one area (I vacillated between my chosen content, career research & decision making, college success skills, and developing a ‘model’ for use in the community college class).

I intend to teach EME 2040 part-time again in the Fall, so I reviewed my previous experiences and student evaluations and decided that the course outcome, “Evaluate/review ethical, legal and social issues regarding technology in the classroom” was probably the unit most in need of revision. This unit is generally last in the sequence of semester modules and priority. I think it is a good example for UBD as the vast amount of content mimics many of those K-12 classes where teachers sometimes feel obligated to mention all of them in a superficial way – thus, very little understanding occurs. I’m a little nervous about assembling all of the necessary parts, especially in our short time frame – but my attempts will be positive (and realistically, it will be continually tweaked as it is tested with students).

In order to commit myself to this topic, I’m blogging an introduction now and hope to develop my thoughts more fully in a future blog. So here goes…

Content area: EME 2040 – Introduction to Educational Technology

Title: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues

Audience: Community College students (heterogeneous student composition varied in age range, technology skills, teaching experience, college level) preparing to be pursue a major in Education (though I’ve also had students take this course as an elective for another major).

Desired results: The desired results (Stage 1) are a compilation of established goals (gathered below, but not yet “unpacked”), understandings, essential questions, and key knowledge and skills (the remaining of which I will develop in more depth by the end of the week)
Students understand the social, legal, ethical and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools and apply those principles in practice.

Model and teach legal and ethical practice related to technology use.

Apply technology resources to enable and empower learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics and abilities.

Identify and use technology resources that affirm diversity.

Promote safe and healthy use of technology resources.

Facilitate equitable access to technology resources for all students.

International Society for Technology in Education. (2005) National educational technology standards (NETS) for teachers - VI. Retrieved March 25, 2006 from http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/t_stands.html

Uses appropriate technology in teaching and learning processes.

Demonstrates awareness of and models acceptable use policies and copyright issues.

Models and teaches legal and ethical uses of technology.

Uses accessible and assistive technology to provide curriculum access to those students who need additional support to physically or cognitively access the information provided in the general education curriculum at each school site.

Florida Education Standards Commission. (2003). Educators accomplished practices: Teachers of the twenty-first century - 12. Retrieved March 29, 2006 from http://www.myfloridaeducation.com/dpe/publications/accomplished4-99.pdf

Methods of gathering evidence (assessment) for learning: The assessment evidence cannot yet be specified until my big ideas are fully developed, but I envision using problem-based learning with a rubric evaluation tool as a primary and culminating performance task. I also want to incorporate a “pre-test” and “post-test” of basic concepts, formative checks for understanding, and a quiz.

More later…

8,000 educators & technology

2006-03-25T13:18:00.000-08:00

Just returning from Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC) and sifting through the variety of presentations, vendor products, and networking opportunities – these events are invigorating and simultaneously tiring, both positive and frightening, and the contradictions don’t stop there – such is our way of life!

With 8,000 attendees, the variety was representative of levels, subject areas and technologies. Due to my diverse interests, I tried to sample a bit of everything. Podcasts presentations were probably the most popular from individual classroom applications to Apple’s sales pitch. After exploring this concept in 5405 last term, I was already “hooked” on the technology, but wanted to further my exploration. Unfortunately, the sessions were all SRO and spilling out into the hallways upon my arrival. Thus, I moved along…

Interestingly, some of the sessions I attended were podcasted (to be posted at http://web.mac.com/fetc2006 so be on the lookout, if you’re interested), including David Thornburgh’s Visual Learning and Generation M. Among other things, he talked about the need for doing different things versus doing things differently, i.e., the need for metamorphic, rather than incremental, change. There was definitely an atmosphere of reform in the air…unfortunately, I feel like I’ve been hearing that for two decades and have seen little evidence of the metamorphic transformation. He reminded me of a wonderful website, Visual Thesaurus and shared a new one Grokker (once you submit, use the zoomable map) for visual representation. Before I leave this visual learning train of thought, David Warlick also shared an interesting website, Buzztracker, depicting a map of the daily news.

John Kuglin based much of his transformative thoughts on the 21st Century Skills (high school reform) to include core subjects, 21st century content (global awareness, financial/entrepreneurial literacy, wellness awareness, etc.), learning and thinking skills, ICT literacy, life skills, and 21st Century assessments (i.e., more than standardized tests). He encouraged us to “change the way we think.” I enjoyed his examples of integrating digital technology in the learning environment with the use of search engines (a new and free search portal is Answers, which includes citation references at the bottom) and Google Earth with various overlays.

One more…at least for now! Chris Dede’s NeoMillenial Learning Styles focused not on the typical view of learning styles (i.e, sensory-based, personality-based, aptitude-based), but on what he calls: media-based. He describes this as either mindlessly accumulating information or seeking, sieving, and synthesizing information; as either superficial, easily distracted data gathering or a sophisticated form of synthesizing new insights. This is interesting to ponder as we think about learner’s needs for curriculum models – often so different from the digital immigrants’ view.

Models of and Technology in Curriculum

2006-03-20T10:40:00.000-08:00

Though I’ve had a number of years of formal education and hands-on teaching experience, I’ve never taken a class specifically in curriculum development, so the models of Tyler, Taba, and Wiggins/McTighe are new to me. However, all of them have elements that are demonstrated in my educational experiences.

Since one of my focal points is “learner-centered,” I was immediately drawn to Tyler’s recommendation of incorporating learner’s needs when selecting objectives. Tools such as pre-assessments and KWL can offer valuable insight in developing curriculum at the classroom level. Focus groups and surveys at the school, district or community level can offer similar opportunities.

Selecting objectives is one of the first steps of all three models – and an important one. As a teacher focusing on teaching activities and instruction, the objectives (the “desired results” as described by Wiggins & McTighe) are often a second thought and do not get the needed attention. I believe that most teachers think about objectives, but don’t necessarily develop them or articulate them to the degree that includes the six facets of understanding and the essential questions.

Integration among traditional content areas and with “unintended consequences” involves an additional view of curriculum models. Whether it be done in a thematic sense, an interdisciplinary approach or as problem based learning, I’m a firm believer in curriculum integration. That appears to happen rather naturally at the elementary levels, but is much more difficult to reproduce at the secondary and post-secondary levels. And that is a shame, since not only does integration increase the likelihood of learning, but it is more representational of our reality. If you throw the ubiquity of technology into the mix, curriculum integration is even more vital.

My experiences of infusing technology in the curriculum have been productive and fun – though, like most, I’ve had to modify them after the first go-round! Some of the ways:

Integrating productivity tools such as word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, and publishing software is almost a ‘given’ anymore. For example, in an integrating technology lesson plan, The Keys to Your Dream Car, students developed decision-making skills, filtered web-based information, applied math skills in determining fuel costs, and used a spreadsheet for organizing information in a chart format in selecting their “dream” car – and found out the costs of car ownership! This was part of a large unit on Career Research & Decision-Making.

Use of web-based multimedia programs, such as the Interview game for practicing tips on job interview skills and Career Key for self-assessment tools.

Created and used WebQuests and online Filamentality Scavenger hunts: Show Me the Software is in need of a make-over, but much of the content is still acceptable and Hunt for Integrating Technology was used to demonstrate their use to a EME2040 class, as well as give them a review and application of a textbook chapter.

Taught a face-to-face class with online support through WebCT as the platform tool – utilized assessement tools, assignment drop-boxes, and discussion boards and developed content modules

I tried blogs as a communication tool for a Problem-Based Learning project in my Intro to Educ Tech class a few years ago – It was not terribly successful, but knowing what I know now about blogs, I would revamp it entirely!

As well, I tried to get an e-mentoring group of high school juniors when I was a high school guidance counselor. The goal was to mentor incoming 9th graders and help them adjust to the high school environment and responsibilities. It didn’t get off the ground, but I still think it has validity, especially if incorporated within curriculum (most likely English) and classes with teachers willing to embrace!

So, What is Curriculum?

2006-03-15T06:06:00.000-08:00

Curriculum is content, in simplistic terms. Then, what is content and is curriculum really limited to content? Content is the substance or meaning of our learning, but I do think that narrowness of just “subject matter” is limiting and tunnel-vision. The definition that suits me best is (naturally!) a combination: Curriculum is “the weaving together of subject matter (“both intended and unintended” – from Sowell, E.), the statement of the ends (objectives/goals), sequencing of content, and preassessment of entry skills required of students when they begin the study of content.” – from Gagne, R.

This definition is more reflective of my teaching and learning as it includes a

wholistic view (looking at more than traditional content, including that inadvertent information or environmental/social influences)

a systematic approach (I’ve always included standards/objectives and being fairly linear, mapped out a trail of some sort – even if there are diversions – though I don’t always like the ‘prescriptive-like’ nature), and

the scaffolding needed to try to meet diversity while still instructing groups (a learner-centered model, though not pure by any means).

Upon further review of Gagne’s Conditions of Learning, I realize that he is somewhat eclectic, as well. His work stretches across behaviorism, cognition, and constructivism! Although he doesn’t appear to tap into the social side of constructivism, he does represent a bridge among realism, idealism, and pragmatism – at least from my perspective!

Self-assessment is an effective starting point for considering one’s own philosophy on education. Each time I take those tests, I’m finding something else to reflect upon. My “types” ended up pretty much the same as they always do, but I always re-discover an area of myself that I’ve neglected for awhile, so it brings it back to focus. It occurs to me as I write this post that my formal educational background in psychology and counseling and that my experiences in education (both teaching and learning) indeed influence my philosophy and views on curriculum. There is a solid underpinning, but due to my nature of change, I’m indeed flexible to incorporate new ideas and concepts!

Philosophical Reflections

2006-03-12T12:43:00.000-08:00

Philosophy is sometimes construed to be negative due to its abstract, indistinct and broad nature. I would not argue with that…and being a very practical and application-oriented person, I often disregard philosophical discussions. But they are important – connected to our core values and beliefs. In education, our philosophy serves as a foundation for our teaching, thus, inextricably tied to the essence of our day-to-day career.

I’ve always been an eclectic one – not sure whether that is because I truly do interconnect the various (and some seemingly opposite) views or because I just can’t commit to one or two!?! My actions and experiences indicate that I’m definitely more in the pragmatism camp than either the idealism or realism. I draw heavily from progressivism for three tenets: 1) learner-centered approach; 2) social issues and action (for me this is reflected in continual growth and change and not as singly aggressive as reconstructionism); and 3) active experiential learning – that of experimentation and practical application. That stated, I’m not a believer that the scientific method and other systematic approaches should be the sole emphasis in schools (though I am a proponent of problem-based learning) nor that the relevance should be limited to work and society’s needs.

Existentialism (though not in our presentation) is another general philosophy from which I draw, primarily because of the elements of social interaction and the humanist concepts of developing the human potential, intuitive personal understanding and responsible choice. In addition, Paulo Freire’s work is intriguing (again I’m not congruent with all of the radical decrees) - I agree with his concept of “banking” as a negative influence on education and with the relationship of teacher-student as well as student-teacher in learning. Constructivism and social constructivist theories fit well with my beliefs, as well.

My post on Curriculum views will follow … Part 2

Introduction to EME 5207 community

2006-03-07T17:57:00.000-08:00

For those who already know me from EME 5405, not much has changed in the last couple of weeks, so my posting is repetitive to that of January, except for the addition of "experience with curriculum" which is that I have had experience being on curriculum committees at the college level, developing curriculum content for a 9th grade Career Research and Decision Making class (based on State standards, of course, but no textbook), and designing content for EME 2040. I have also been involved with inter-disciplinary curriculum writing teams (high school level) with an emphasis on technology integration and/or career focus.

I am delighted to once again be participating in an Educational Technology online course (completed four, so far!) through UF!! I look forward to interactions and learnings that will provide continual challenges in my ongoing journey of life...

Unlike many (probably even most) of my classmates in this course, I am "old" (at least in chronological years)...I have been in the business of education for almost 30 years. My experience ranges from teaching to counseling to administraiton with a variety of ages/levels: 9th grade through adult (both basic education and graduate teaching). I currently work full-time (not in the classroom) for Collier County School District in Naples, FL at our post-secondary technical center, which will offer a on-site high school with a career education emphasis, beginning next year. I also usually teach EME 2040, Intro to Educ Tech at our community college, but not doing so this semester.

I earned a doctorate in Educational Administration nearly 20 years ago and have continued to learn via formal or informal education settings since - the epitome of lifelong learning - it works for me! My master's was in Guidance and Counseling and my bachelor's in Psychology, so teaching is something I added on with certifications.

Using as much technology as I can on a daily basis, I consider it a necessary and vital tool - how did we live without it! I am always interested to learn more, but time is often an obstacle. Thus, this class, I hope, will help me to focus on pursuing additional educational technology integration and applications. Focusing on the curriculum design with technology infusion will be a great foundation for me as I work with teachers and students alike.

Between work and classes, there's not much time for other priorities, but I do volunteer at our Neighborhood Health Clinic and am in the continuous mode of remodeling the house. Sheitan, my 14-year old Husky, and wellness workouts are part of the daily routines. As a result of blogging in the last two months, I took it to a rather large and dispersed extended family for a virtual reunion blog - it's catching on!!

Internet in K-12 Instruction

2006-02-28T17:26:00.000-08:00

Check out the statistics on Internet use in today’s world – Can you relate? How can educational processes NOT include this widely used-tool?
21 million Americans use it to get additional career training
Helps 17 million when dealing with major illness
17 million use it for choosing a school for a child
16 million use it to buy a car
16 million use it for a major financial decision
10 million use it for finding new place to live
8 million use it when changing job
7 million use it to cope with family illness
Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project (BBC News, January 26, 2006)

As many of my classmates have done, I feel the need to post a reflective piece…these last two months have been a delightful learning experience – one in which I plan to continue growing! The use of blogs, podcasts, wikis, social bookmarking and other tools will have a huge impact on education and instructional technology. What a great feeling I’ve had in considering how to apply them to my own situation…and now that I can take a moment from “living and breathing” the knowledge acquisition, I’m anxious to put social software to use. This will be one of those classes that “won’t go away” – I’m so trained to check my bloglines and del.icio.us accounts everyday that its impact is already noticeable.

A couple of basic tenets remain:
Learning is not an end-all product in the form of content iterated by a teacher – it is lifelong process that is more exemplified by knowing “how” to get the information rather than making the brain a repository of facts (unless, of course, you are going to play Jeopardy with Alex T.). The power of the Internet to harness all of that wonderful information is only as good as the skill of the learner to filter, screen and select the best fit.
Learning usually involves social construction of knowledge – how great that social software has evolved to help bridge the gap in our global community!
Learning is also tied deeply to motivation. Expecting our “digital natives” to conform to the agricultural-age education model is not only a “turn off” but does nothing to help promote learning in our students nor prepare them for their future lives.
Even with the abundant technology applications for education, the teacher still plays a huge role in not only facilitating the process of learning, but also providing the “touch” (i.e., that special caring connection that only exists between teacher and student).

Wiki applications

2006-02-24T17:13:00.000-08:00

Intrigued by the potential of this Internet-oriented tool, I’ve gone exploring…I settled on wiki textbooks as an emphasis for the purpose of this rumination.

Thinking back to the introduction of online newspapers, I remember my negative reactions to the prediction they would take-off in readership.  No way would I give up my daily morning dose of turning newsprint to discover the world’s current events!  Well, life played out differently for me – though I still hold on to my Sunday newspaper, I let my fingers navigate through the online version of the local paper (and oftentimes, the Miami Herald and the New York Times – which I would not be buying in print!) the remaining six days of the week.

So can wikitextbooks be a viable alternative to the current paper textbooks adopted and used in our schools today?  Can we morph from a linear resource to a hyper-text collaboration?  As linked in our class presentation, there are some in existence (and presumably in use) already – as exemplified by the South African curriculum (physics – media wiki).

In the U.S., there is an emerging venture to use wikis for online textbooks in educational institutions. Education Bridges’ Wikitextbook Project is in the early stages of promoting wikitextbooks as online, free, accessible content which also involves the social construction of knowledge with students as active producers of knowledge (not passive recipients).  In addition to “expert” links, there would be current information that would be fluid and collaborative.  The obvious hurdles include:  maintaining “authoritative” stance and preventing bad information; issues of social disparity and access; acceptance by teachers, parents, and School Boards.

There are a couple of very interesting podcasts that explore this initiative and there is also one scheduled for Wednesday, March 1st when they are planning a live wiki-building episode – join them at 8pm EST (Education Bridges)!

Though not a textbook, I’m impressed with Shelly’s vision for wiki application:  wikibulletinboard!

Back to RSS - Week 6

2006-02-17T17:50:00.000-08:00

Realizing how quickly this class has progressed through a plethora of content and new experiences, I welcome this week’s blog to reflect!  The one aspect to which I keep returning is the whole notion of RSS.  Six weeks ago I had never heard of the acronym or concept and now it is a part of my daily life – how could I live without bloglines!  I return to Mary Harrsch’s article, RSS: The next killer app for education, and her description of RSS being the next (after e-mail) “program that provides the capability for the average person to use technology to solve everyday problems and enrich their lives.” What a phenomenal tool awaiting our friends, family, colleagues, and students – I don’t know about you all, but when I mention “RSS” to folks, I usually get blank stares, so I feel like a real pioneer!

As well, this week I found two blog postings that seemed to relate.  Tom Hoffman comments that “there is more excitement about the potential for technology than there is over the reality of technology.”  This contemplation is a result of an informal poll of educators (who in the 1990’s were heavily involved in integrating new technologies in the classroom) noting that most had heard about blogs, some had read blogs, but very few had published them.  The numbers were worse for questions about podcasts and social bookmarking.  So how do we re-create the enthusiasm for this new generation of educational technology tools?  Will it be a ground swell from the grass roots?  I noticed that FETC (Florida Educational Technology Conference) appears to have down-sized from when I used to attend regularly in the late 90’s.

The other blog, Will Richardson’s Class Content Aggregation, reflects on the ways that both tagging and aggregating can bring all different types of content together.  He suggests that students get a unique tag for anything they find relevant about that particular course which is collected and shared … similar to what we are doing with the UFET tag for this class!  One of the links on this blog led me to another extension of the RSS concept – BlogBridge Reading Lists, described as a collection of feeds, usually about a single topic, which someone has put together for the benefit of others.  The power of RSS is simply awesome and although I venture to say Harrsch’s prediction of RSS as the next killer app is true, I hope it catches on across a broader audience (especially educators!) soon.

Podcasts - Week 5

2006-02-05T17:14:00.000-08:00

Podcasts (Week 5)
Option#5, select a strategy that is particularly interesting and doing additional research on it, was most intriguing to me.  Podcasts caught my attention immediately!  Though it is not as interactive as some of the other strategies, the fact that iPod (and its counterparts) are so popular and could be used to tap into learning was enough for me to review in more depth.

WHAT?
A podcast is an online audio and/or video broadcast that can be downloaded to your computer and MP3 player.  It differs from a traditional radio broadcast or even web-based streaming media in the way that the content is produced and sent, as well as that its listeners choose when to hear/view the podcast.  With podcasting, one uses RSS (Real Simple Syndication) to subscribe to and aggregate podcasts.  Although the term originated from Apple’s iPod, the format is not limited.

Podcasts are available at a growing number of sites – usually for free!  I started my podcasting with Juice, the cross-platform podcast receiver (others are iTunes and Doppler). It was easy to install and use.  I immediately subscribed to my local newspaper’s podcasts and the Today’s Show podcasts.  Now, when I come home from school, I can download the news to my iPod and listen to the broadcasts while at the gym walking the treadmill.  Since then I’ve added sites related directly to education and professional development to include:

Paradigm Shift (RSS - http://feeds.feedburner.com/Teachnology

Bit by Bit (RSS - http://feeds.feedburner.com/BitByBit)

Connect Learning (RSS - http://davidwarlick.com/connectlearning/?feed=rss2)

Technology and Learning (RSS - http://radio.weblogs.com/0141687/rss.xml)

WHY?
So why are podcasts important? With the choice element of “when to listen” also comes the concept of portability, which plays directly into all of our busy, multi-tasking, and mobile lives. From the educator’s perspective, it also relates directly to our “digital natives” in (and out of) the classroom. Students are using their MP3 players for entertainment purposes and are very familiar with their basic technology, so podcasts can be an educational match! There are obvious benefits for the auditory learners and for all learners since podcasts can be repeated.

More specifically, the following ideas have been

Recording class lectures (good for those who miss or need to listen again)

Developing new supplementary materials

Accessing experts through interviews

Students can create their own as a log of activities, note-taking, and device for reflecting on their learning

Developing oral language skills

Student read aloud, summarize and/or critique readings

Pronunciation guides for English as a Second Language or foreign language classes

Broadcast research project results

Record oral histories and digital storytelling

Use for fieldtrips

Podcasting parent newsletters (especially helpful for Spanish- and Creole-speaking parents who often are left out of the educational experience)

How about “podpals” (i.e., penpals through podcasts!)

HOW?
Downloading podcasts is easy – see reference in the WHAT? section above. Even if you don’t have an MP3 player, you can still download for play on your computer.

Creating podcasts is easy, too! You will need a microphone (USB recommended) for your computer or you can record your “podcast” into the microphone of your MP3 player. Then you edit it with music background, voice overs, etc with a software program (Audacity is an free open-source program), compress it into MP3 format and upload it to a web server.

If you want to try video podcasts, I would start with Bre Pettis’ site.

NEED MORE INFORMATION?
I recommend the following websites for further exploration (and from which I developed this posted overview):
Encyclopedia of Educational Technology – easy-to-read summary with other links
Educause – in case you are really SOLD on podcast, download the ones at this site to hear more about podcasts, instead of reading about them!
Podcasting Resources for Educators and Students – some how to’s and recommended podcasts
Edupodder Weblog – This is Steve Sloan’s blog – he includes some interesting website links and a Dec 2005 posting on podcasting family history
Educational Podcasting for Teaching and Learning – a UK site
Boys Literacy Online – this is an action research website exploring the use of the Internet in getting boys motivated to read – click on the Podcasts link
Jakesonline – scroll down for the PDF of 7 Things You Should Know about Podcasting.
Learn Out Loud Podcast Directory – there are some that could be content-oriented for your classes
Podcast Alley – Lots of variety in the education category from “Discovery Science” to “Verb Cast” – one I noted was Audiobooks with Annie (she reads classics – currently reading Pride and Prejudice)
The Podcast Directory – I found some Spanish lessons here
Podcast Net – Again a multitude of education-related sites from “Astronomy” to “German Poems”
Education Podcast Network – David Warlick’s site

Multiple Intelligences (week 4)

2006-01-30T20:00:00.000-08:00

Multiple Intelligences
I have studied and applied Howard Gardner’s research on Multiple Intelligences for at least a decade and find it not only intriguing, but usable. When I helped to open a new high school with “state of the art technology” a number of years ago, we spent many hours writing integrated technology and interdisciplinary lesson plans, including a focus on MI. I incorporated a brief survey for 9th graders to help them understand the intelligences they tapped into and this led to other metalearning techniques and discussions. (update: this site provides a survey, though not interactive, perhaps it will be a start!
http://surfaquarium.com/MI/inventory.htm)
It is also an area that I include in my curriculum for teaching EME 2040 – Introduction to Educational Technology. Listed below are some paths for using MI/curriculum links for the rather broad topic, Civil Rights Movement. I hope you can relate to some of them!

Verbal/Linguistic – The History of Jim Crow website is a rich resource of many facets from which the backdrop of the civil rights movement developed. I’ve highlighted the following URL which leads to vast array of formal literature connections and applicable lesson plans. If using directly with students, one would focus into a more detailed area, but I couldn’t help but share the “big picture.”
http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/amliterature/amliterature.htm

Logical/Mathematical – Using timelines is an effective way to engage the logical intelligence. This website is a chronology of Martin Luther King, one of the leaders of the civil rights movement. The use of a multimedia, interactive flash component makes it more appealing.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/popular_requests/chronology/index.htm

Visual/Spatial – This website, Powerful Days in Black and White, is an excellent collage of photos from the civil rights movement taken by photojournalist Charles Moore.
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/moore/mooreIndex.shtml

Musical – Play the audio clip, “We Shall Overcome” for an authentic and emotional facet of the times. The song reflects not only the gospel/spiritual genre, but the determined and gentle protest inherent in the civil rights movement.
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/music/protest_overcome.html

Bodily/Kinesthetic – Visiting the digital archive of Terri Shaw, a freedom worker during the civil rights movement, one links to this site depicting the program of the Free Southern Theater’s presentation of In White America (4 pages total). I would challenge students to develop their own version of the dramatic presentation to get them moving in their learning!
http://anna.lib.usm.edu/~spcol/crda/shaw/ts002.html

Interpersonal – Using cooperative learning techniques, this WebQuest requires students to play roles and interact with each other to study the question and produce the final result.
http://drb.lifestreamcenter.net/Lessons/MLKing/

Intrapersonal – This site points students to various blogs regarding the civil rights movement and gives them a chance to reflect on their thoughts, as well as respond, if desired. I liked that there was a chance to view and reflect on both visual and verbal stimuli.
http://www.technorati.com/tags/civil+rights+movement

Naturalistic – This Natural Park Service website salutes one of the crowning events of the civil rights movement, the road to Selma, Alabama.
http://www.nps.gov/semo/

Existentialist – the big picture! I think this WebQuest helps to represent the essence of existentialist intelligence by putting some of the pieces together for students, as well as challenging them to synthesize and evaluate, using those higher level thinking skills. It also utilizes a variety of other intelligences.
http://tiger.towson.edu/users/lovadi1/webquest.html

Privacy Issues

2006-01-25T19:32:00.000-08:00

Anyone following the “domestic spying” controversy in the national news?  As I understand it, the Bush administration is defending the National Security Agency’s eavesdropping on cell phone conversations and e-mail communication as a requirement for an effective fight against terrorism.  As reported by Eggen and Pinkus (January 24, 2006) in the Washington Post, the spying “did not constitute a ‘driftnet’ over U.S. cities.”   I wonder if blogs are included in their “spying”?  And, if they are, I would guess that would not be an invasion of privacy as the argument against “spying” on cell phone conversations and e-mail communications since the blogs are considered “public.” Will that have any impact on our use of blogs in education? Comments?

Also consider another privacy issue:  The Department of Justice asked search engines to submit their search engine records and most complied.  Google did not submit their records and now the DOJ is asking for a court order.  DOJ’s justification relates to the Child Online Protection Act, while Google’s defense is that it not only needs to protect the privacy of its users, but also the user information provides them confidential information for improving their product. For more information, link to Mercury News and an update from Search Engine Watch.

The issue of privacy has always been an important one and inevitably returns to the need for balance.  The current affairs indicate to me that not only is this a good concept to introduce and discuss with our learners, but also serves as a “real life” application!

Culminating Activity

2006-01-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

Culminating Activity:

For my EME 5405 Culminating Activity, I opt to write a book review on Thomas Friedman’s, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. I have selected this option for a number of reasons:

I am not currently in the classroom this semester and have already had the experience of creating Internet-based curriculum activities and developing a web page (options 1 & 2).

This book has a direct relationship to the foundation for my teaching EME 2040, Introduction to Educational Technology. It is a recent bestseller and therefore appealing to a broad audience (I hope!). I have always been interested in social forecasting and remember well when I first read John Naisbitt’s fascinating Megatrends in the mid-80s – also interesting to look back now at the new directions that did transform our lives! I have some of the same expectations for Friedman’s book and hope the information gleaned and critiqued will offer new perspectives in my teaching/learning venues.

Perhaps with additional time and editing, I can prepare and submit my book review for publication to an online journal related to instructional technology. Okay, that may be ambitious, but I’m always thinking of bigger challenges!

My plan for successfully completing this assignment includes reading the book with extensive use of note-taking regarding not only the content and application, but also for critique and evaluation; researching resources from the book; and writing a review with the rubric criteria in mind.

For this post, I’m using Blogger for Word which I downloaded from the Blogger site.

RSS

2006-01-18T06:28:00.000-08:00

In exploring RSS this past week, I thought I would share the following blog sites that appear to be excellent for educators - just in case you want to add to your own bloglines!

The Strength of Weak Ties - David just posted two RSS resources for teachers and has other applicable postings with additional links!

And another mother lode is Will Richardson's Weblogg-ed - after reading this site, it makes me wonder how I could have missed such great teaching/learning opportunities. He is also just about ready to publish a book, Blogs, Wikis, and Podcasts..., which sounds like a good one to review (not sure it will be available before this class is over, so keep it in mind for future!).

With my research so far, I would definitely see this social software as a springboard for many educational lessons - it also is more than an operational tool, but a true application for educators.

Week 1 - EME5405

2006-01-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

I have had great fun reading my colleagues' introductory remarks this week. As usual, I'm always amazed at how "small" our world is and though we are all unique beings, there is usually a form of commonality among us (even beyond the goal of successfully completing this class!).

In my haste of posting the initial introduction, I neglected to specify some of the criteria for the assignment, so I will itemize here:

Current job title: Financial Aid Facilitator at L. Walker Institute of Technology - I accepted this role to try to increase the funds for retirement (since it is 236 day contract) and have applied more counseling and teaching to the position that may be required, otherwise I would be bored to tears...the student population (disenfranchised high school age through adult who are more successful at hands-on learning) is especially rewarding for me and fortunately, I am able to also assist with staff development and programming decisions. I don't anticipate staying in the position much longer, since I tend to move around fairly frequently, but the older I get, the more difficult it is to move...
EME 2040: When teaching this class, I engage students in a variety of application-oriented projects. As a survey/introduction class, I don't dig deep, but instead focus on giving many experiences. Students are exposed to application of theory (constructivism) and standards (both Sunshine State and ISTE) to technology, hardware (primarily basic and networking terms) and software applications/evaluations, rubrics and portfolios, WebQuests (wish I had time for them to build one, but...), Internet scavenger hunts, and of course the production of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher applications. Sometimes, I sneak in digital camera usage or handheld computer (PDAs), but tough since the equipment is limited (mine!). I always try to model various instructional techniques (i.e., KWL, graphic organizers (Inspiration), jigsaw, etc) so the students understand the integration. They are challenged to develop one technology integrated lesson plan and to participate in a Project Based Learning problem (which is where I incorporate blogs). The last couple of classes, I used WebCT as a tool for discussion boards, as well as online tests - I tested a couple of online lesson plans, but since the class was not advertised as "distance" learning, I had to be careful about what I did.
Current use of the Internet and other technologies: teaching a class in technology requires constant research and application of the content, so I use the Internet daily for both professional and personal purposes. Of course, e-mail is a "mainstay" anymore...surprisingly, even my 84-year-old mother depends on it (that and her cell phone - who would have known ten years ago?). I am interested in, but not had a chance to learn more about, digital video and video editing as it relates to educational technology. I embrace all of the technologies (thinking about blogs, RSS, and e-books is often over-whelming, but also exciting!), but I'm not convinced that either students or teachers know all they need to know for effective and efficient use and application - I am particularly concerned with ethical usage (validity of sites, plagiarism, etc), the lack of effective use of search engines, and the acceptance of technology as the "end-all".
My goals for this course: I am a very self-directed learner and utilize classes as a way to carve out time for transformational learning. I've always felt comfortable learning in a isolated sense - between me and the content/sometimes the teacher, but I've really grown to believe in the social meaning of learning and think that our current and future technology tools will help me explore that in many new ways. So, it is especially relevant that the focus of this class is on social software (I'd never heard the term before, but it is a connection for me)! I know my learnings from this class will lead to new pathways in my roles as teacher, employee, and individual.

New Year - New Beginnings

2006-01-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

2006 - a new year and opportunity for new beginnings! I am delighted to once again be participating in an Educational Technology online course (3rd one) through UF!! I look forward to interactions and learnings that will provide continual challenges in my ongoing journey of life...

Unlike many (probably even most) of my classmates in this course, I am "old" (at least in chronological years)...I have been in the business of education for almost 30 years. My experience ranges from teaching to counseling to administraiton with a variety of ages/levels: 9th grade through adult (both basic education and graduate teaching). I currently work full-time (not in the classroom) for Collier County School District in Naples, FL at our post-secondary technical center, which will offer a on-site high school with a career education emphasis, beginning next year. I also usually teach EME 2040, Intro to Educ Tech at our community college, but not doing so this semester.

I earned a doctorate in Educational Administration nearly 20 years ago and have continued to learn via formal or informal education settings since - the epitome of lifelong learning - it works for me! My master's was in Guidance and Counseling and my bachelor's in Psychology, so teaching is something I added on with certifications.

Using as much technology as I can on a daily basis, I consider it a necessary and vital tool - how did we live without it! I am always interested to learn more, but time is often an obstacle. Thus, this class, I hope, will help me to focus on pursuing additional educational technology integration and applications. I'm already psyched to learn more about podcasts (I've used blogs before, but was unaware of RSS, so I've had fun this week exploring new podcasts to add to my subscription!).

Between work and classes, there's not much time for other priorities, but I do volunteer at our Neighborhood Health Clinic and am in the continuous mode of remodeling the house. My precious 14-year-old Huskie and a wellness routine are also a big part of my daily loves...
That's Sheitan "staring down" her fish toy - actually, I think she is sleeping... :^)

Looking forward to a fun and interesting class with lots of learning!!
Marie