Research Showcase Video Blog

Educ 639 Wiki Reflection

Wiki Use One: During my first log in I added my articles for the wiki. That articles were each uploaded as PDF files for the group to review for the possibility of using the articles in the final paper. After these articles were submitted they were reviewed by each group member and then used for the final reference list on the wiki literature review. Wiki Use Two: During my second contribution to the wiki literature review I researched about the special education vs general education information. In this component of our review I researched 4 main articles and these articles provided various information about this topic. I added this information to the wiki and emailed it to my group. Wiki Use Three: During my third contribution to the wiki literature review I added graphics to the wiki. I searched for graphics to match each of the headings for our literature review and uploaded the files onto the wiki. I also compiled a list of the comments from the peer wiki literature review and submitted our comments to our editing group. This list took the comments from each of my group members and were divided into subgroups that were organized under headings. This list was then sent to the group for them to make changes to their document.

Educ 639 Muddiest Point Blog

Hi all! I pray you all had an enjoyable, safe and happy Thanksgiving! I spent mines with family and for that I am thankful! The muddiest point to me is the grey area with plagiarism. I feel that it is sometimes unclear in distance education because some courses want you to summarize and in some courses allow you to copy and paste portions of the original document. Therefore it is important to me as the student to make sure I have clarity about the instructions because it changes from course to course. As well as ensuring that after graduation, when I am the instructor, I am clear with my expectations for the assignments. This point is also unclear to me because their are so many copyright laws and it is hard to dictate what information can be duplicated and what information can not. Therefore plagiarism can often happen when it is taken for granted that the material can be used in a form outside of its original intent. Therefore it is unclear to me as to when information can be reused, how much of that information can be reused and when it is necessary to contact the original source in order to reproduce the information. I am sure that people work hard to produce their work, as do I. Hence I understand why people want to get credit for their creations and not have them stolen and intentionally or mistakenly used for another persons.

Educ 633: Webliography Blog

Hope everyone had a safe and blessed Thanksgiving break!!! I enjoyed mines with family and for that I am thankful :) Chapter 7 focused primarily on the coherence principle. This principle was used to describe an uncluttered learning environment in an education setting where the focus is geared towards the content. Everything that is implemented into online learning should add to the instructional process rather than defer away from the content that is relevant. Extraneous things that maybe add to the overall look or interest of the viewers, but they do very little for the actual content that is taught, should not be integrated into online instruction. This point is important because it can assist instructors with designing their course. It is important that students are not being distracted by content that is presented on a webpage and forget the overall purpose of what should be retained through the assignment. This point did change my view on instructional design because it gave me more insight into more things that must be taken into consideration when planning an online course. Audio and visual cues as well as text size was not necessarily something that I had considered; and definitely in respect to the possible distractions that could present themselves. This point is also relevant to my ISD project because it also aligns with not adding “fillers” or irrelevant material just to meet requirements, but rather providing quality, relevant information.

Educ 639: Most Important Theory Blog

The theory that I have found interesting to distance education is Gagne’s Nine Steps of Instruction Theory. This theory is important to me because it set up a framework that instructors can use to help develop their course. This theory focuses on all aspects of the development of the student and tracking their progress. The nine steps for the theory are as follows: 1.Gain Attention. 2. Inform Learner of Objective. 3. Stimulate Recall of Prior Knowledge. 4. Present the Material. 5. Provide Guidance for Learning. 6. Elicit Performance. 7. Provide Feedback. 8. Assess Performance. 9. Enhance Retention and Transfer. This theory did change a small perspective on my views of education because I had not really previously thought in-depth about pre (assessing prior knowledge) and post assessments in a distance education program. Since being a student at Liberty University, I do not recall any assessments of these two types. Hence it changed my perspective about the effectiveness of assessments at the distance education level because they are rarely seen and could be beneficial in tracking a student’s progress. In a prior research effort it was found that some online universities were trying to adopt a video system where students are recorded while taking assessments online, therefore ensuring that the student is the one taking the assessment and not someone else taking it for the student. This theory could be used by me in the future when I start my outline of assignments to develop the structure of my online courses. Hence I would try to include the steps, at times in a different order, to meet the overall needs of my course and blend in the aspects of a traditional classroom setting.

Educ 639: Most Important Point

The most important trend that I found from my interview was the integration of social networks into their distance education courses. This distance education instructor used the social network facebook to communicate with her students. Facebook was also used in this instructors online course as a means to have the students further collaborations among themselves for course material. This point is important because in todays society there is always a need to incorporate various forms of technology into distance education programs. The one factor that seperates distance education from a traditional classroom is the distance factor. Therefore social networks offer the ability to enhance the communications and make a more positive classroom environment. This did not change my view on distance education because I too feel that social networks can have a positive effect on distance education and can be incorporated into distance education courses in a variety of ways. The only part was a little muddy was a better description or example of how the social network facebook can be used in an online course beyond posts and chatting. Overall social networks as an important trend in distance education is a great point to help better the distance education experience.

Educ 633: Gagnes Nine Steps of Instruction Theory

My chosen theory is Gagne’s Nine Steps of Instruction. The nine steps that he outlined to effect learning are as follows: 1. Gain Attention. 2. Inform Learner of Objective. 3. Stimulate Recall of Prior Knowledge. 4. Present the Material. 5. Provide Guidance for Learning. 6. Elicit Performance. 7. Provide Feedback. 8. Assess Performance. 9. Enhance Retention and Transfer. The theory establishes 9 steps that are sequential in order to help establish a positive learning environment for both the instructor and the student. The strengths for this theory would be that it is very detailed. Each steps help to establish a framework for education that can benefit all parties in the learning environment. The steps could assist an instructor with developing their instruction. This could be particularly helpful when in kindergarten when schools are using the new Common Core State Standards. These steps would allow the teachers to have an additional support document to help develop activities to fit with their pacing guides. The pacing guides for each subject area are used as an overview for all standards and objectives that must be taught, however these steps would help to dissect the standards further and turn them into concrete lessons and activities that would help to thoroughly enhance the students learning. The weakness for this theory at the kindergarten level would be that it does not give to flexibility. Too often lessons at the kindergarten grade level are short mini lessons that are taught during whole group, small group and one-on-one instruction. Therefore these nine steps would almost be too overbearing on time due to the transition times that occur throughout the daily schedule. Another weakness could be that these steps are designed in a particular order and some of them may need to be skipped or rearranged to accommodate the needs of a particular student, group of students or activity. This theory can be applied in distance education course development by myself, as the instructor, being able to take these steps and help design my objectives and assignments. The big factor of distance limits professor and student interactions, so these steps would allow for the instructor to help develop a course where students take their prior knowledge, gain upon it, and are able to assess their performance while giving them reinforcement as well.

Educ 639: Social Networking Intro Blog

Hi, I look forward to this course! Blessings!

Educ 633 Intro Video Blog

Blessings!

Educ 630: Blog 8

Ebooks are a great invention that I think actually help alot of people get more interested in reading.  I say this because a lot of things in todays society is technology based.  Therefore the traditional books are sometimes seen as a thing of the past.  I think this can be found to be true when it comes to libraries and most people seemingly read books online, through blogs, or ebooks. 

I personally have a Nook touch and I love it.  I have always enjoyed reading but it hasn't been as frequent for me, until I got my ebook for a birthday gift.  Since having the ebook I spend more time flipping through books and magazines because I love that it is electronic.  I am not big on the whole Ipad thing because I like my laptop and do not think that the "tapping" of the screen is appealing when it comes to searching online or working in programs.  Therefore, my ebook completely serves its purpose because it allows me to merely enjoy reading while using a compact, electrical device.

Educ 630: Blog 7

Reflect on your own personal use of technology in day to day living . .not education necessarily.  How do you balance the natural demands technology place upon you and your family and the supposed (and realized) benefits they potentially provide?

Technology use is evident in today’s society in almost everything.  I see this constantly in my own life and in the lives of my family members.  From the time I wake up in the morning to the time I go to bed at night, I am always having to engage with technology.  I find that in the mornings I am using the microwave, setting my alarm clock, checking my cellular phone, setting my house alarm, programming my tv, etc.  These are just merely things that I am doing that involve technology at home in the morning hours.  However when I arrive to my classroom there is technology from me swiping my ID, playing my morning music cd’s, Smart Board use etc.  My school district is very technology and data driven so there is always various forms of technology seen throughout the school and in my classroom.

I feel that technology places great demands on myself and my family because we have to basically be able to “keep up the the Jones.’”  I say this because technology is constantly undergoing changes and upgrades and this affects the technology that is current use by society.  Therefore when functions of everyday life are effected by technology advancements, it forces people to become more knowledgeable about the technology forms.  This can be be a good and bad thing because it can cause people to become more informed about technology use and allow them to be updated on current technology uses. But it can also place stress on others because there are some people that are not technology savvy and the amount of technology that is used in daily living can be intimidating; this can be seen in more of the older generations.

Educ 630: Blog 6

Reflect on current social networking technologies and how they might be used for educational purposes. You can also outline some concerns you have with these technologies.

 

 

There are numerous social networking technologies that are currently in use throughout the world.  I feel that the most popular social networking technologies are: facebook, twitter and skype.

 

 

Facebook is a social network that connects people through status updates, picture uploads, video uploads, comments, games and wall posts.  This network can be used for educational purposes by the primary use of group work or whole group activities.  Teachers can allow students to use facebook for a discussion board where they can have discussions and debates about class topics and various subject matter in relation to the curriculum.  Facebook could also be used for students to create a "blog" type enviornment where they post notes or individual assignments and get feedback from their classmates.

 

 

Twitter is yet another social network that is becoming more popular daily.  This network can be used to do group assignments where immediate feedback is needed.  This can be used as a chat room for students where they can get immediate feedback about their individual work, communite with partners during group work or communite with the teacher.  This network would really benefit a classroom setting where the need to have immediate responses is ideal.

 

 

Skype is yet another social network that involves chatting and video.  This is primarily beneficial for group projects because the group can work from a distance but still talk and see one another.  This is extremely useful during online classes when all assignments are completed primarily from a distance; therefore group projects are more manageable when they have more structure and the group members are able to communite with one another through virtual technology and have more of a hands on experience.

educ 630: blog 4

on your own ability to collaborate in asynchronous and synchronous online environments . .for learning or for professional contexts

I feel that I function better in asynchronous online learning enviornment.  I feel this because I enjoy a learning enviornment that is more interactive and engaging.  Hence in an aynchronous enviornment there is a more student centered approach where there is more peer to peer intereactions.  This is particularily helpful when their are group projects to be completed or there are discussion boards or blogs that are to be completed.  All of these components of online learning really stimulate my thinking and lead me towards the preference of an asynchronous online enviornment.  I love that this type of learning environment promotes a high level of interactivity.

The main downside that I see to asynchronous online enviornments is that they are very dependent upon technology use and this can be a hinderace to the educators and the learners.  For example many online educational databases like Blackboard, can be used by numerous people to function in an online community, but if technology fails or experiences challenges the users are then at a stucked place because the functioning of the online community is based upon that source of technology.  This can be seen numerous times throughout the course of any educational setting when emails can not be viewed, blackboard can not be accessed, etc.

Overall I feel that asynchronous online enviornments lend to a more engaging atmosphere where students and educators can collaborate together; and that can lead to a more enriched educational experience.

Educ 630. Blog 4

As a kindergarten teacher I am constantly looking up resources to help me strengthen my instructional delievery and improve the academic levels of my students.  The web based resources below have been extremely helpful in this process for a number of reasons; not just for kindergarten but for various grade levels.

www.readingz-z.com

This website is useful to me because it is a great extension to the literacy program that we have implemented at my school.  This website provides numerous resources to help enhance the reading skills of my students, and that is especially important in kindergarten. There is a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction books, worksheets, benchmark books for each level, comprehension quizzes, and lesson plans.  This website is useful for teachers to facilitate direct instruction to their students because the lesson plans are available. All of these things are a great resource to help build the literacy skills of students.

www.abcteach.com

This website is useful to me because it has a variety of tools that can be used to generate worksheets, activities, workbooks, wall décor, etc.  All of these things save plenty of time in my classroom because more time is spent on instruction rather than trying to plan out worksheets and activities from scratch.  Also this website includes all core subject areas and that makes it where educators don’t have to go to a variety of websites to generate worksheets on different subject areas.

www.kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids

This website is useful to me because it allows me to incorporate technology into my classroom.  This website offers a lot of information on science, science inquiry and social studies.  This website has been incorporated into my lessons that were themed around countries, animals, living environments for animals, etc.  This website is great because it shows real life photos, videos, games and activities about every category offered in the kids national geographic.

www.kidslearningstation.com

This website is useful to me because it has a variety of tracing activities for students among other things.  This is a great resource for kindergarten and preschool teachers because students in these grade levels are just learning the handwriting skills and tracing will help them learn how to correctly form letters.  This website not only offers numerous tracing activities, but also activities about numbers, shapes, colors, math, phonics, etc. 

www.atozteacherstuff.com

This website is useful to me because it offers great free printables for all subject areas. This website can incorporate all learning styles due  to the variety of material offered in each subject area.  The activities from this website have been used in my classroom all year round.  The search options are very useful because they allow the teacher to search for material by grade level and subject.  The printables from this website include activities, craft ideas, worksheets and flipbooks.  These are all very useful printables, especially in my kindergarten classroom because the students need manipulatives and activities to help reinforce their learning.

educ 630: blog 3

How do you personally view your learning and the use of "presentations" - what works for you as a learner?

I have always been a very visual learner.  I love to be engaged in my instructional activities.  Therefore presentation give me the motivation and incentives I need to learn.  Often times when I do not find material to be interesting, presentations allow me to still become engaged with the material that is to be taught.  The use of graphics, text, pictures, graphs, audio, etc, all add to the learning environment for me and enhance my ability to learn.

I know that as a visual learner, I can use my other modes of learning but I learn most from visual aides.  When given information in a lecture or auditory format, I take that information and put it into a graph, spreadsheet or draw pictures cues beside the information, etc.  These things allow for me to make a visual connection between any types of information that are not given in a visual aspect.

In my classroom I also capitalize on the use of presentation because I know that kindergarten students work best when they can manipulate information and the material is presented in a visual format.  This can often be seen through the use of a Smart Board because the lessons are typically presented in an interactive fomat.  Presentation software can be used for numerous purposes but it can add to any instructional enviornment when the students are able to become more engaged in the learning process.

Educ 630: Blog 2

Blog 2 Topic

Please reflect on the following question in your blog:

Reflect on your own participation in online communities (where do you go? what do you do? what does your family do?)

If I can recall correctly I was introduced to my first online community in 2005.  I was a freshman in college and became a member of facebook.  It was through facebook that I stayed connected with some friends and family members.  Facebook was also a way for me to meet new friends that shared similiar interests, went to my college or were from my hometown.  I was constantly on facebook talking with others, viewing their posts and posting my own post.  I was truly convinced that facebook was a great means to stay connected to people; even so much so that it became addicting.

Currently,I have family members that are members of facebook as well.  Facebook has become a widespread social network that is used an an online community.  I also have family members that are on twitter and myspace as well.  Due to courses at Liberty, I have also joined the Skype community to participate in group projects.  Family members of mine use Skype as well but they use it more for social purposes; especially some of family members that have loved ones in the military overseas.  Overall I feel that online communities are used alot in my family, and moreso for social purposes.

educ 630: Blog 1

If you are currently a classroom teacher, please reflect on the nature of technology adoption in schools. Are there barriers in your school? Teacher-related? Resource related? Is there anything that can be done? If you are not currently in the classroom, please take an armchair quarterback approach here and judge local school districts, local educational institutions, etc.

I am currently a kindergarten teacher.  This is my second year teaching.  In my school district there is a constant push towards technology integration in the classroom.  Even at the kindergarten level my students are being introduced to a variety of technology forms, especially due to the new Common Core Standards that our district adopted this year.  My students are now learning how to type on microsoft word, explore microsoft paint and do simple searches online to complete research projects.  I feel that all of these things are helping to build a foundation for my students in technology education.

On a school level there are still barriers in technology.  The teachers are not all adequately informed about various modes of technology that can be implemented into the classroom.  There may be brief mentions of technology integration concepts and ideas but there are not any guides to help the teachers implement the technology in such a way that the students are can obtain the most from the lessons and the material also be relevant.  There is also a shortage of resources because a lot of the technology resources in our school are shared.

In order for things to change for the positive my school district needs to establish more professional development sessions where teachers are trained on various technology resources.  Also we need more grants or technology resources in the classroom and in the school as a whole