What outcomes had you envisioned for this course? Did you achieve those outcomes? Did the actual course outcomes align with those that you envisioned?
In this course I wanted to learn how to design a local area network and a wireless network. I wanted to better understand some of the jargon used in networking. I also wanted to better understand how to network two computers and a printer such as in my classroom or at my home. I hoped that this class would serve as a resource for future reference as far as networks are concerned. I know that I have a better understanding of the jargon used in networking and would be able to explain most of the terms used in local and wide area networks to someone with no knowledge base of either topic. I believe I could connect two computers and a printer in a home or my classroom. This skill would be greatly used in my classroom and in the classrooms of my colleagues. I believe most of the actual outcomes did align with my personal objectives for this class.
To the extent that you achieved the outcomes, are they still relevant to the work that you do in your school? Why or why not?
At school I teach Anatomy & Physiology and credit recovery Biology, but I teach technology staff development. Understanding networks allows me to better troubleshoot and assist my colleagues with multiple technology issues that arise during the day. By researching local area networks and wide area networks, I can better diagnose problems such as network cable being unplugged. I know to look for the RJ-45 connector. If a computer lab looses connection I now know to look at the configuration of the local network to find a possible solution. Networking is definitely my weakest area as far as technology is concerned. After this class, I have gained confidence in my understanding of network components, configurations, hardware, and software. The main thing I find the most relevant is a better understanding of the jargon used in networking. Several acronyms are used in networking and can be intimidating to the novice networking student.
What outcomes did you not achieve? What prevented you from achieving them?
After reading the other 5 topics, I don’t feel like I have a good understanding of the vocabulary or the core ideas explained in a few of the topics. I would have to conduct more research on a few topics in order to fully understand them and to have a working knowledge of the topic. I would certainly have to have a better understanding of a few topics in the paper in order to integrate the knowledge into teacher in-service training sessions. I also don’t feel like the finished paper was a total team effort. Perhaps some of the team members didn’t have a proper understanding of the Office Live workspace. Some team members didn’t contribute at all to the compilation of the seven topics, introduction and conclusion, and works cited page. The whole idea behind the online shared workspace is that everyone in the group can participate in all phases of the course.
Were you successful in carrying out the course assignments? If not, what prevented or discouraged you?
I was assigned two topics to research with a minimum of five articles as source material per topic. I had to write two to three pages on each topic. Using the online collaborative software Office Live, all seven topics were to be combined into one paper with all sources being combined for a complete reading list. I setup the Office Live account listing all class members, the syllabus, topics assigned to each class member, and included all e-mail correspondence in class notes. I thoroughly researched my two topics and found several reliable resources for the reading list. I do not feel like the final paper is top quality because not all class members followed the requirements for the length of the topic or the style in which to cite the source material. I also feel like the overall tone of the paper is casual instead of research oriented. Some topics in the research paper reflect more of a conversation tone than a research tone. This diminishes the overall quality of the paper.
What did you learn from this course…about yourself, your technology and leadership skills, and your attitudes?
The main thing I took from this class is there is no price you could possibly place on a great team mate. When completing a group project, cooperative group members that understand the assignment, pay attention to detail, and contribute more than their fair share are essential. Having little understanding of Information Systems Management drove me find the most information I could. I absolutely would not stop until I was satisfied with my understanding of the new topic. My drive and work ethic helped me find one of the most fantastic resources for technology. Harvard, via an extension school, has designed a course covering all basic topics of technology and designed access to the course material using podcasting, vodcasting, video tutorials, and practice problems. I watched lecture four, which lasted about 100 minutes, and learned so much about the Internet and networks. I absolutely cannot wait to watch all 12 tutorials from computer science 1 and learn more. Computer Science 1 can be accessed via http://computerscience1.org/. I am always looking for new information and material so that I can assimilate it into my current knowledge base and expand my skills. My leadership skills are an asset because I didn’t hesitate to setup Office Live and to compile the sources for the finished paper.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
5368--Inst. Design--Assignment 5
As a teacher I go into my classroom everyday and give my best. I have several procedures in place because they make sense. I don’t know what theory some of these procedures belong to or if anyone has cared to write them down. After reading this summary of Dick & Carey (1996), I realize that I use the systems approach as part of my teaching style. I do believe in “breaking instruction down into smaller components” to address specific skills. I don’t claim to understand all of the theories that we are reading about, but I am enjoying learning the theory behind what I do every day. It will take a while to understand the vocabulary and apply it because I just do what it takes to reach each and every student each and every day. I do what it takes to help students learn. After reading the elements of their theory, I realize that I haven’t gained anything new. I incorporate these elements into every lesson I present.
Dick, W., & Carey, L. (1996). Systems Approach Model for Designing Instruction. Retrieved March 22, 2009, from Peking University: http://www.gse.pku.edu.cn/jxsj/materials2/Dick%20&%20Carey.htm
Dick, W., & Carey, L. (1996). Systems Approach Model for Designing Instruction. Retrieved March 22, 2009, from Peking University: http://www.gse.pku.edu.cn/jxsj/materials2/Dick%20&%20Carey.htm
Sunday, March 15, 2009
5368--Inst. Design Assignment 4
As I read”Why ID? The Benefits of Instructional Design Models” (Thompson, 2001), I recognized several aspects of instructional design. I always have to assess the needs of my students and set goals and objectives before I can even begin to worry with curriculum. Once I design the curriculum implementation, I then have to evaluate. I agree with Thompson when she says, “ID is a dynamic process with constant movement back and forth between the steps.” Classes that are supplemented with technology however require a more in-depth and thorough design. Instructional designers “must anticipate the needs of learners and design instruction that "builds in" clarity, resources, activities, feedback, and the like.” As a traditional teacher I can address many of these issues in my classroom on a daily basis, but as a student of on-line supplemented courses I sometimes feel helpless. I also like the idea of instructional design being a team project and not an individual one. By designing with a team, expertise from many different disciplines can be implemented.
“A Brief History of Instructional Design” (Leigh, 1999) offered a wealth of knowledge. I was familiar with many of the learning theories, but not as they applied to overall development of instructional design. I didn’t understand the connection between major events in history and the development of the many learning theories. I was surprised to read that “a variety of models for instructional system design proliferated the late 1970's and early 80's.” I suppose this is because I am only familiar with the models for school use and not for corporate America. I better understand the need for a systematic way to train the workforce after reading this article. Leigh (1999) makes a good point by saying that new media, such as the internet, “has brought about not only technological innovations, but also coupled these with new ways of approaching learning and instruction.” These new approaches are one of the reasons I am pursing this degree. Technology offers many ways to excite students and encourage students to construct their own learning using any media possible.
Leigh, D. (1999, November 18). A Brief History of Instructional Design. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from Performance Improvement Global Network: http://www.pignc-ispi.com/articles/education/brief%20history.htm
Thompson, N. (2001, February 15). Why ID? The Benefits of Instructional Design Models. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from Teaching with Technology Today: http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/thompson.htm
“A Brief History of Instructional Design” (Leigh, 1999) offered a wealth of knowledge. I was familiar with many of the learning theories, but not as they applied to overall development of instructional design. I didn’t understand the connection between major events in history and the development of the many learning theories. I was surprised to read that “a variety of models for instructional system design proliferated the late 1970's and early 80's.” I suppose this is because I am only familiar with the models for school use and not for corporate America. I better understand the need for a systematic way to train the workforce after reading this article. Leigh (1999) makes a good point by saying that new media, such as the internet, “has brought about not only technological innovations, but also coupled these with new ways of approaching learning and instruction.” These new approaches are one of the reasons I am pursing this degree. Technology offers many ways to excite students and encourage students to construct their own learning using any media possible.
Leigh, D. (1999, November 18). A Brief History of Instructional Design. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from Performance Improvement Global Network: http://www.pignc-ispi.com/articles/education/brief%20history.htm
Thompson, N. (2001, February 15). Why ID? The Benefits of Instructional Design Models. Retrieved March 15, 2009, from Teaching with Technology Today: http://www.uwsa.edu/ttt/articles/thompson.htm
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
5366--Assignment 5 (logo reflection)
In this assignment, I had to produce 3 logos using Photoshop. I choose to design a logo for the Jefferson County Master Gardeners because I will be building their website this summer. I thougth I would start with the logo. I had to complete a series of 18 activities in order to produce the logo. First of all, I learned I have no future as a graphic designer. I have really struggled with learning the theory and principles of design, applying them to each project, and learning how to use a very difficult graphic software program. I feel the quality of my work is substandard because I am learning so many new things in such a short amount of time. I would have liked some face-to-face instruction with some of these concepts. I completed every exercise and still am not comfortable with the jargon of Photoshop or the principles of design. I am not a very creative person and this project was very difficult for me as was the collage. I am not feeling very successful at all. During the review and redesign stage, I did focus on fewer colors and smaller projects. I produced huge logos that were unfeasible and unusable. I really saw the considerations that have to be given to black and white print when I looked at each logo in grayscale. I wouldn't have seen how ugly my second logo was in black and white if I hadn't looked at it in grayscale. The pink in the rose really makes that logo, but it doesn't work in grayscale. Overall I am glad that I completed the project because several times I wanted to quit. I need to become comfortable with the software as well as consider the final product in the early design stages.
I think I met most expectations. Out of all three that I made, the one shown above is probably my favorite.
5368--Inst. Design Assignment 3
The article "Instructional Design in Elearning" by George Siemens (2002) found at http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/InstructionalDesign.htm stimulated a new way of thinking about e-learning. I have compared the pros and cons of online courses with traditional courses in 5301, but this article presented new information about e-learning. I knew that all instructors should follow models for constructing learning and all learning should be student centered, but I didn’t know how involved the instructional design process has to be for e-learning. The designer “must anticipate and meet potential concerns/ambiguities” that the traditional teacher would address in the classroom. I know I have a hard time preparing for these concerns in my classroom, must less in e-learning. The designer truly has to know pedagogy and technology in order to make the learning student-centered and meaningful. Instructional design seems to be the medium in which to implement research-based strategies that work. I am looking forward to our final project in this class after reading this article. I love a good challenge.
In the article “Methodologies and Theories” found at http://www.elearnspace.org/doing/methodologiestheories.htm presents a systematic approach to theory and e-learning. This article presented numerous resources helpful to planning and lesson design applicable to any learning situation. A solid understanding of pedagogy and learning theory will facilitate building the link between learning and technology. I am a big fan of understanding each student’s learning style and this article presented a wealth of resources that address the needs of diverse learners as it applies to e-learning. I find differentiating instruction one of the most prominent issues in my class. There were several sources for differentiating for e-learners. I also found the information of adult learning theory informative since the majority of e-learners are adults. E-learning seems to have so many facets that need to be considered in instructional design.
Siemens, G. (2002, September 30). Instructional Design in Elearning. Retrieved March 11, 2009, from elearnspace.org: http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/InstructionalDesign.htm
Methodologies and Theories. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2009, from elearnspace.org: http://www.elearnspace.org/doing/methodologiestheories.htm
In the article “Methodologies and Theories” found at http://www.elearnspace.org/doing/methodologiestheories.htm presents a systematic approach to theory and e-learning. This article presented numerous resources helpful to planning and lesson design applicable to any learning situation. A solid understanding of pedagogy and learning theory will facilitate building the link between learning and technology. I am a big fan of understanding each student’s learning style and this article presented a wealth of resources that address the needs of diverse learners as it applies to e-learning. I find differentiating instruction one of the most prominent issues in my class. There were several sources for differentiating for e-learners. I also found the information of adult learning theory informative since the majority of e-learners are adults. E-learning seems to have so many facets that need to be considered in instructional design.
Siemens, G. (2002, September 30). Instructional Design in Elearning. Retrieved March 11, 2009, from elearnspace.org: http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/InstructionalDesign.htm
Methodologies and Theories. (n.d.). Retrieved March 11, 2009, from elearnspace.org: http://www.elearnspace.org/doing/methodologiestheories.htm
Thursday, February 5, 2009
5366--Adobe Assignment
After visiting www.adobe.com/education/instruction/teach/visualdesign.html, I have officially decided to buy an Adobe suite as my graduation present to myself. I have used several Adobe applications during my course of study and I continue to be amazed. I am really impressed with Adobe's commitment to education. This unit is well designed from beginning to end. It includes several important aspects such as ethics training, acceptable use policy training, and legal issue education. Today's students often can use the technology, but lack the legal information regarding things such as publishing work to the web, information validity, copyright information, and ethical use of information. Student leadership is encouraged through out the entire year. I like how each student would be come the resource person to answer questions for their peers. Also, the program encourages the more technically sound students to take more leadership in class initially and act as a resource for the others. I liked the idea of designing a tip sheet for each assignment to aid students who may need more help or guidance. I think the unit is clearly explained and expectation are transparent with the use of the rubrics.
After reading the instructor materials for lesson 1, I am impressed with the amount of vocabulary. I also like that they included the ISTE standards for the lesson. I also like that the unit gives time frames for the different parts of the assignment. In the student materials for lesson 1, I liked the picture references for the students as well as the history information given to the students. Navigation of student materials was easy to follow. Overall I am excited about this program and I hope there is time left over for a few of the other assignments in this curriculum, but I do understand that this is supposed to be delivered over a full year. I am also impressed with Dr. A's innovation as she is always searching for new and exciting things for use to experience and fall in love with so we will share our passion with our students.
After reading the instructor materials for lesson 1, I am impressed with the amount of vocabulary. I also like that they included the ISTE standards for the lesson. I also like that the unit gives time frames for the different parts of the assignment. In the student materials for lesson 1, I liked the picture references for the students as well as the history information given to the students. Navigation of student materials was easy to follow. Overall I am excited about this program and I hope there is time left over for a few of the other assignments in this curriculum, but I do understand that this is supposed to be delivered over a full year. I am also impressed with Dr. A's innovation as she is always searching for new and exciting things for use to experience and fall in love with so we will share our passion with our students.
5368--November Learning
After reviewing novemberlearning.com, I have learned several things that I didn't previously know. We had to look at information literacy, how to read a web address, publishers of web sites, history of websites, and external links to websites. We are to tell what we have learned, what we believe is important, and how we will use this information with students and teachers. One of the things that really stands out to me is how much information you can access with just a few minutes of time.
I now better see the value of identifiying the external links to a webpage. The article recommends Alta Vista, but I am a fan of google so I tried link: command with google. The results were very different. I preferred the results listed by Alta Vista better because the results from google were repetitive. It is important to know who links to the webpage you and your students are viewing to ensure validity and relevance to topic. I think this skill would definitely have to be illustrated to students for them to see the value. I understood the value of external links much better after I completed the follow up exercise.
Another skill that is critical to accessing reliable information on the internet is knowing how to read a web address. Today I polled one of my classes and asked them if they knew what .edu meant at the end of a web address. Seven students said it had something to do with education and the other fifteen didn't know. They didn't know that .edu is used for most higher education institutions in the United States. This is disturbing to me because I immediately wonder how reliable has the information been that they have been collecting this past school year. What about all of the research they have done in the past few years? Where has their information come from? I shudder to think of the answer. I pray it is not wikipedia. I wonder how many would be able to tell if a website is a personal website. I feel compelled to address this with my students in my class. I also feel compelled to survey our campus and see how many teachers know what the 10 extensions mean. If the teachers don't know then how are they teaching our kids to search out reliable information? I would love to give this literacy quiz to every teacher on campus and give the data to our professional development planner. Is this too lofty a goal? I don't think so.
I then wondered how I would possibly use this information in my class. I also wondered how in high school I was supposed to integrate this information into current lessons. At the secondary level, we are very focused on content that basic skills such as citizenship, manners, and information literacy are lost. I had a thought in class today. Students are currently learning the muscular system in class and I supplied two websites with 95% of the information they needed. I challenged students to find another reliable source for the other 5% needed to complete the assignment. I was impressed today when a student immediately opened google and clicked on advanced search. I had just witnessed a student use the advanced search feature of google to narrow his search. This proud moment faded quickly when only one student out of twenty used the advanced search feature. I was so excited for this one student, but then I realized that the other ninteen didn't know how to use the feature. I feel by the time they are seniors, they should know how to search the internet for reliable sources. It bothers me that seniors don't possess some basic skills needed to use technology effectively. These kids are going to college in a few months and don't have basic literacy skills in technology. I feel the weight of technology on my shoulders even more so today than normal.
I now better see the value of identifiying the external links to a webpage. The article recommends Alta Vista, but I am a fan of google so I tried link: command with google. The results were very different. I preferred the results listed by Alta Vista better because the results from google were repetitive. It is important to know who links to the webpage you and your students are viewing to ensure validity and relevance to topic. I think this skill would definitely have to be illustrated to students for them to see the value. I understood the value of external links much better after I completed the follow up exercise.
Another skill that is critical to accessing reliable information on the internet is knowing how to read a web address. Today I polled one of my classes and asked them if they knew what .edu meant at the end of a web address. Seven students said it had something to do with education and the other fifteen didn't know. They didn't know that .edu is used for most higher education institutions in the United States. This is disturbing to me because I immediately wonder how reliable has the information been that they have been collecting this past school year. What about all of the research they have done in the past few years? Where has their information come from? I shudder to think of the answer. I pray it is not wikipedia. I wonder how many would be able to tell if a website is a personal website. I feel compelled to address this with my students in my class. I also feel compelled to survey our campus and see how many teachers know what the 10 extensions mean. If the teachers don't know then how are they teaching our kids to search out reliable information? I would love to give this literacy quiz to every teacher on campus and give the data to our professional development planner. Is this too lofty a goal? I don't think so.
I then wondered how I would possibly use this information in my class. I also wondered how in high school I was supposed to integrate this information into current lessons. At the secondary level, we are very focused on content that basic skills such as citizenship, manners, and information literacy are lost. I had a thought in class today. Students are currently learning the muscular system in class and I supplied two websites with 95% of the information they needed. I challenged students to find another reliable source for the other 5% needed to complete the assignment. I was impressed today when a student immediately opened google and clicked on advanced search. I had just witnessed a student use the advanced search feature of google to narrow his search. This proud moment faded quickly when only one student out of twenty used the advanced search feature. I was so excited for this one student, but then I realized that the other ninteen didn't know how to use the feature. I feel by the time they are seniors, they should know how to search the internet for reliable sources. It bothers me that seniors don't possess some basic skills needed to use technology effectively. These kids are going to college in a few months and don't have basic literacy skills in technology. I feel the weight of technology on my shoulders even more so today than normal.
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