The map shows where people in my family were born.
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Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Chapter 31 and My Favorite Technology Tools
Before reading Chapter 31 “Emerging Instructional Technologies: The Near Future” I had never heard of some of the new technology advances. This chapter proved to be a real eye opener for me as an educator. As technology rapidly advances, one must wonder what the future holds. I thought that as long as humans continued to have children, my job would always be secure. However, advanced technologies such as technology-based training, smartcards, electronic training jackets, and cognitive science are evolving at a pace that as educators our choices are to accept, embrace or hope that our jobs will not phase out.
Out of all the technology advances, I was most fascinated with advance performance tracking. The authors used an example of a person trying to improve their tennis serve. According to the authors using an advanced performance tracking system, a person would be able to slip into a leotard type suit that covers their body from head to toe. The suit would be made of an intricate electric grid that transmits body position and movement information to a personal computer. The PC is attached to a flat 3-D panel display system. This system provides verbal and visual feedback after you have actually served the ball a few times. This type of tracking could be useful in many settings. As a young 3’s teacher, I was amazed at how many students’ gross motor skills were not well developed. The thought of a technology tool that could help access and aide in the development of motor skills would benefit many students. This tool could also be helpful to athletes. As a basketball fan of Shaquel O’Neal, this tool could help him with free-throw shots. However, I still wonder about the side-effects of such tools. Would this be medically safe for the human body? Prior to using such tools, more research must be conducted to ensure that we are not destroying our bodies.
Even though technology is on the cutting edge and new creation and advancements are phenomenon, I ponder over the questions of what happens to human interaction when there is a technology glitch or a computer hacker gains access to important documents. Can your identity be erased or changed? Can others access you personal health information? Can human socialization be a thing of the past? As technology advances, things such as privacy, ethics and human interaction should highly be taken into consideration.
My overall experience in this course has been great. I have really enjoyed all of the assignments and projects. I must say that Blogger and Google Maps are my favorites by far. I have successfully introduced blogging to my coworkers and they are starting to use blogger to post monthly newsletters. During the presidential election, Google maps helped us to keep track of both candidates’ locations. I have shown some of the upper elementary teachers how to incorporate Google maps into their geography lessons. Even though, my current students are too young to benefit from some of the new technology tools I have learned, other teachers have informed me that they appreciate me sharing the technology tools learned.
Out of all the technology advances, I was most fascinated with advance performance tracking. The authors used an example of a person trying to improve their tennis serve. According to the authors using an advanced performance tracking system, a person would be able to slip into a leotard type suit that covers their body from head to toe. The suit would be made of an intricate electric grid that transmits body position and movement information to a personal computer. The PC is attached to a flat 3-D panel display system. This system provides verbal and visual feedback after you have actually served the ball a few times. This type of tracking could be useful in many settings. As a young 3’s teacher, I was amazed at how many students’ gross motor skills were not well developed. The thought of a technology tool that could help access and aide in the development of motor skills would benefit many students. This tool could also be helpful to athletes. As a basketball fan of Shaquel O’Neal, this tool could help him with free-throw shots. However, I still wonder about the side-effects of such tools. Would this be medically safe for the human body? Prior to using such tools, more research must be conducted to ensure that we are not destroying our bodies.
Even though technology is on the cutting edge and new creation and advancements are phenomenon, I ponder over the questions of what happens to human interaction when there is a technology glitch or a computer hacker gains access to important documents. Can your identity be erased or changed? Can others access you personal health information? Can human socialization be a thing of the past? As technology advances, things such as privacy, ethics and human interaction should highly be taken into consideration.
My overall experience in this course has been great. I have really enjoyed all of the assignments and projects. I must say that Blogger and Google Maps are my favorites by far. I have successfully introduced blogging to my coworkers and they are starting to use blogger to post monthly newsletters. During the presidential election, Google maps helped us to keep track of both candidates’ locations. I have shown some of the upper elementary teachers how to incorporate Google maps into their geography lessons. Even though, my current students are too young to benefit from some of the new technology tools I have learned, other teachers have informed me that they appreciate me sharing the technology tools learned.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Week12/"Using Rich Media"
In today’s school districts there are many educational software or sites that promise to help enhance student’s performance. The software that our district uses is Study Island. Study Island was implemented in hopes that it would help increase our student’s MEAP scores. After working with the software for an entire school year, our scores did not increase. Chapter 30 helped me realize why this particular software was not successful.
In chapter 30, “Using Rich Media” the authors emphasized the important of using visual and audio and not only text. Study Island was text based software. Students had to read the questions and chose the correct multiple choice answers. If they got 80% of the answers correct they were allowed to select answers using a game like media such as bowling or race cars. This program did not contain any audio narration or visual illustration or animation learning stimulus for students. This explained why struggling reading randomly guessed answers. According to the authors on page 320 “well-designed multimedia training appears to more helpful for low-knowledge learners than for high-knowledge learners”. If districts plan to incorporate a rich media they must first research the media they plan to implement. Just because students are engaged in a computer application, it does not mean that they are actually learning new skills.
Another excellent point referenced in chapter 30 was “learners may need scaffolding in making sense of simulation.” Study Island did not allow scaffolding. The computer randomly assigned my 26 students different areas learning based on their pre-test scores. It was impossible for me to assist the class as a whole because each student was working on a different task. Since the program lacked audio, it would have been great if I could have read each question to provide clarity. This would have been beneficial for my struggling readers.
This chapter proved to one of the most valuable chapters. I plan to share some of the ideas at our professional development meeting. If we are going to incorporate media into our learning curriculum we must conduct the necessary research to ensure that we choose the best media for our student’s. What good is using media if is does not enhance student’s learning and make student’s dread the computer lab.
In chapter 30, “Using Rich Media” the authors emphasized the important of using visual and audio and not only text. Study Island was text based software. Students had to read the questions and chose the correct multiple choice answers. If they got 80% of the answers correct they were allowed to select answers using a game like media such as bowling or race cars. This program did not contain any audio narration or visual illustration or animation learning stimulus for students. This explained why struggling reading randomly guessed answers. According to the authors on page 320 “well-designed multimedia training appears to more helpful for low-knowledge learners than for high-knowledge learners”. If districts plan to incorporate a rich media they must first research the media they plan to implement. Just because students are engaged in a computer application, it does not mean that they are actually learning new skills.
Another excellent point referenced in chapter 30 was “learners may need scaffolding in making sense of simulation.” Study Island did not allow scaffolding. The computer randomly assigned my 26 students different areas learning based on their pre-test scores. It was impossible for me to assist the class as a whole because each student was working on a different task. Since the program lacked audio, it would have been great if I could have read each question to provide clarity. This would have been beneficial for my struggling readers.
This chapter proved to one of the most valuable chapters. I plan to share some of the ideas at our professional development meeting. If we are going to incorporate media into our learning curriculum we must conduct the necessary research to ensure that we choose the best media for our student’s. What good is using media if is does not enhance student’s learning and make student’s dread the computer lab.
Online Applications
In reviewing the office suites, I found that Zoho was easier for me to use. Before this assignment I did not know that free office suites existed. When I first purchased my computer, I bought Microsoft Office not knowing that I could have used free suites. Zoho, the first suite that I reviewed was excellent. It was user friendly and possessed all the qualities of Microsoft Office. However, when transferring files the process took much longer than Microsoft. I also was not able to retrieve saved information from my flash drive. I was able to retrieve the information via internet. I would recommend this suite to co-workers and parents. Many people can not afford to purchase expensive suites such as Microsoft Office and this would give them the opportunity to own comparable software.
The second suite I reviewed was Google Documents. This suite was not as user friendly as Zoho. It took my computer several minutes to transfer information into a spreadsheet. I spent hours on this site and finally came to the conclusion that Zoho was more enjoyable to use than Google Documents. Therefore, I would probably share this information with others but would strongly recommend Zoho.
As for the image editors, I chose Foto Flexer and Phixr to review. I spent hours on both sites and found that Foto Flexer was more exciting than Phixr. Foto Flexer offered editing tools that where easy to use and the site was user friendly. I played with backgrounds, deleted blemishes and added boarders to pictures. This site proved to be fun and exciting. I plan to recommend this site to others, in an effort to help them make their pictures come alive. I played with one tool that allowed me to place a person’s face on a template body. This site was really cool. I plan to use it in the future.
Phixr was also a good site; however, it only allowed me to play with basic editing tools. This site did not have fun boarders and decorations tools like Foto Flexer. It only had the basic photo editing tools. I encountered several problems while playing with Phixr. I lost several pictures I downloaded and some of the tools distorted pictures to point that you could not recognize the image. Phixr was not as user friendly as Foto Flexer. Therefore, I would probably not recommend this site to my co-workers. Most of my co-workers are already afraid of the computer and this would probable increase their fears.
The second suite I reviewed was Google Documents. This suite was not as user friendly as Zoho. It took my computer several minutes to transfer information into a spreadsheet. I spent hours on this site and finally came to the conclusion that Zoho was more enjoyable to use than Google Documents. Therefore, I would probably share this information with others but would strongly recommend Zoho.
As for the image editors, I chose Foto Flexer and Phixr to review. I spent hours on both sites and found that Foto Flexer was more exciting than Phixr. Foto Flexer offered editing tools that where easy to use and the site was user friendly. I played with backgrounds, deleted blemishes and added boarders to pictures. This site proved to be fun and exciting. I plan to recommend this site to others, in an effort to help them make their pictures come alive. I played with one tool that allowed me to place a person’s face on a template body. This site was really cool. I plan to use it in the future.
Phixr was also a good site; however, it only allowed me to play with basic editing tools. This site did not have fun boarders and decorations tools like Foto Flexer. It only had the basic photo editing tools. I encountered several problems while playing with Phixr. I lost several pictures I downloaded and some of the tools distorted pictures to point that you could not recognize the image. Phixr was not as user friendly as Foto Flexer. Therefore, I would probably not recommend this site to my co-workers. Most of my co-workers are already afraid of the computer and this would probable increase their fears.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Webpage
Many have asked what is a Young 3's program? Therefore, I designed a site that will hopefully give others a little insight about our new program. On the first page there is a list of requirements to enter the program. Page two has a list of support sites for parent with students who are ECDD. The final page is our programs belief statements. With a little more work,I plan to use this site in the future. I hope you enjoy.
https://sites.google.com/site/tamarawarrenclasssite/Home
https://sites.google.com/site/tamarawarrenclasssite/Home
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Week 11/My Goals
When looking at the competencies of an instructional designer discussed in Chapter 27, I realized that they are similar to goals I have as an educator.
My primary goal is effective communication techniques. In order for a teacher to be successful they must have excellent communication skills. Teachers are required to communicate daily with parents, students and colleagues. My communication methods consist of creating weekly newsletters, calling parents daily to inform them of their child’s progress and conducting monthly parent-teacher socials, where parents are welcomed into the classroom to discuss areas of concern. I continually try new methods of communication in an effort to keep the parent and me abreast of new things. The one thing that has proven to be an obstacle is time. With my busy schedule, it is sometimes hard to contact as many parents as I would like daily. In chapter 27, communication was listed as an essential tool that an ID must possess.
Conducting assessment was also listed in Chapter 27 as a critical tool for ID’s. Assessing is essential when teaching. As a young 3’s teacher, I am responsible for informal and formal assessments. My informal assessment is done daily by merely observing the students as they work and play. I have a notebook for each student and I keep a notepad and pen in my packet to make daily notes. This goal is the hardest for me because organization plays an important role. After 6 years of teaching, I am still trying new ways to improve my organizational skills. By the time I have one form of assessments mastered, either I am a moved to another grade or a new assessment tool is implemented. Teachers have to be versatile because our schedules change daily.
Selecting and using a variety of techniques are other competencies listed for an ID as well as goals that I have set for myself. Each year, teachers must equip themselves with a variety of teaching techniques. As an educator, I try several ways to teach the same objective because all students learn differently. In an effort to achieve this goal, I attend numerous special education seminars and design lessons plans that incorporate the ADDIE process. Currently, all of my lessons are hands-on activities because my students are very young and developmentally delayed in some areas. An obstacle that I am encountering while trying to reach the goal is, again, time. Working two jobs and being a graduate student consume a lot of my time. My weekends now consist of attending seminars or researching new techniques that will help my students.
My primary goal is effective communication techniques. In order for a teacher to be successful they must have excellent communication skills. Teachers are required to communicate daily with parents, students and colleagues. My communication methods consist of creating weekly newsletters, calling parents daily to inform them of their child’s progress and conducting monthly parent-teacher socials, where parents are welcomed into the classroom to discuss areas of concern. I continually try new methods of communication in an effort to keep the parent and me abreast of new things. The one thing that has proven to be an obstacle is time. With my busy schedule, it is sometimes hard to contact as many parents as I would like daily. In chapter 27, communication was listed as an essential tool that an ID must possess.
Conducting assessment was also listed in Chapter 27 as a critical tool for ID’s. Assessing is essential when teaching. As a young 3’s teacher, I am responsible for informal and formal assessments. My informal assessment is done daily by merely observing the students as they work and play. I have a notebook for each student and I keep a notepad and pen in my packet to make daily notes. This goal is the hardest for me because organization plays an important role. After 6 years of teaching, I am still trying new ways to improve my organizational skills. By the time I have one form of assessments mastered, either I am a moved to another grade or a new assessment tool is implemented. Teachers have to be versatile because our schedules change daily.
Selecting and using a variety of techniques are other competencies listed for an ID as well as goals that I have set for myself. Each year, teachers must equip themselves with a variety of teaching techniques. As an educator, I try several ways to teach the same objective because all students learn differently. In an effort to achieve this goal, I attend numerous special education seminars and design lessons plans that incorporate the ADDIE process. Currently, all of my lessons are hands-on activities because my students are very young and developmentally delayed in some areas. An obstacle that I am encountering while trying to reach the goal is, again, time. Working two jobs and being a graduate student consume a lot of my time. My weekends now consist of attending seminars or researching new techniques that will help my students.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Week 10 Reflection
When looking at the readings we were assigned the past 3 weeks, I realize that instructional design and technology can be integrated into various setting. In chapter 18 it gave a description how instructional designers (ID) work in a business setting. Chapter 21 discussed the role that an ID plays in grades P_12 and chapter 22 the role they play in higher education setting. Although the ID role differs in all the setting there where at least two similarities I found with them all.
The first similarity I noticed in the various setting is that the ID is part of team. In today society team work plays an important role when trying to accomplish a common goal. In the business sector an instructional designer (ID) could be the sole designer, a consultant or a team leader. In the P-12 setting the ID is usually responsible for designing instructional systems that help to improve learning and performance. In higher education settings the ID helps to facilitate distance learning programs or faculty development. Although an ID is used differently in these various setting they are all part of a team. My school district lacks in the area of team work. My district holds a monthly school improvement meeting and monthly district-wide professional development meeting. However, the meetings are not used to encourage team work. They usually consist of listening to seminars on how to implement a new idea. Team work must be used if a district is to be successful in enhancing learning opportunities for students.
The second similarity is the process in which they use to accomplish the goal. When reading all three chapters, I noticed that the ID’s used some form of the ADDIE process. ADDIE is a systematic process. In order for one to successfully complete a project or start changing a program that already exists there must be some form of a systematic approach. In my school district this is our major problem. When implementing a change it seems as if the change is not thoroughly planned and far from being systematic. The analyzing and designing process is normally not done by the district where the change must take place. These processes are usually done by the state or government. Then the board of education and principals develop the plan. Teachers, who play the most important role, are only part of implementing the change which some are usually resistant to change. Then the state or government subject district to standardize tests which are used to evaluate the change in an effort to see if was successful. The community as you see is totally left out of the entire process. Using this type of process usually result in failure. If more business and districts learn to work as a team and use a systemic approach, I believe success would be inevitable.
The first similarity I noticed in the various setting is that the ID is part of team. In today society team work plays an important role when trying to accomplish a common goal. In the business sector an instructional designer (ID) could be the sole designer, a consultant or a team leader. In the P-12 setting the ID is usually responsible for designing instructional systems that help to improve learning and performance. In higher education settings the ID helps to facilitate distance learning programs or faculty development. Although an ID is used differently in these various setting they are all part of a team. My school district lacks in the area of team work. My district holds a monthly school improvement meeting and monthly district-wide professional development meeting. However, the meetings are not used to encourage team work. They usually consist of listening to seminars on how to implement a new idea. Team work must be used if a district is to be successful in enhancing learning opportunities for students.
The second similarity is the process in which they use to accomplish the goal. When reading all three chapters, I noticed that the ID’s used some form of the ADDIE process. ADDIE is a systematic process. In order for one to successfully complete a project or start changing a program that already exists there must be some form of a systematic approach. In my school district this is our major problem. When implementing a change it seems as if the change is not thoroughly planned and far from being systematic. The analyzing and designing process is normally not done by the district where the change must take place. These processes are usually done by the state or government. Then the board of education and principals develop the plan. Teachers, who play the most important role, are only part of implementing the change which some are usually resistant to change. Then the state or government subject district to standardize tests which are used to evaluate the change in an effort to see if was successful. The community as you see is totally left out of the entire process. Using this type of process usually result in failure. If more business and districts learn to work as a team and use a systemic approach, I believe success would be inevitable.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Blogger Video
Starting January 2009, my school will be using blogger to post monthly newsletters. After conversing with my colleagues, I realized some of them do not know how to create a blogger account. I created a 6 minute video, that I will present at the next school improvement meeting, showing them how to create an account.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Map/Chapter 21
The map I created has several Historical Black Colleges and Universities(HBCU's) placemarked. When students are approaching their junior or senior year in high school, I would have them research a historical black college or university. The students would have to state why they chose the college, the history of the college, their intended major if they where to attend, and map the distance from their home to the college or university.
View Larger Map
Chapter 21: Trends and Issues P-12 Educational Change
Educational change (improvement) is a term that most districts struggle to achieve. Chapter 21 helped me to understand why most districts struggle with making a positive change and never achieve a significant improvement. The first point that really stuck out and reminded me of my own school district’s which is currently struggling with making an improvement is the system employed when trying to make changes. In my district we operate using a piecemeal system. The improvements usually consist of changing one or two parts within each individual school in an effort to achieve educational enhancement for the students. Initially, during the planning process the entire school is enthusiastic about making improvements because we (the staff) all know that there is a great need for improvement. By the end, after implementing the new changes we are usually left feeling frustrated with little if any success.
After reading Chapter 21, I realize that in order for our district to improve we must look at making a district wide ecological systemic change. According to Squire and Reieluth (2002), ecological systemic change is based on a clear understanding of interrelationship with interdependencies within the system of interest and its “systemic environment. The two models (GSTE and SUTE) discussed in this chapter both offer assistance in helping a district reform to an ecological system. With the example given the districts that tried this process ended with successful results. I believe that when a district is in need of major reform, there should be an in-depth look at either model. Both models could prove to be resourceful for many districts.
However, in order for a district to make significant change one must have the proper funds to support change. With our current economic status, hoping for an ecological systemic change is just a dream for some. My district, as well as other districts, is in a financial crisis. We have encountered a tremendous amount of lay-offs, class sizes have increased and support staff has decreased to the bare minimum.
Due to the lack of financial support, we must look for ways to improve districts where cost is not a major factor. Even though there has not been much success in using a piecemeal system. There must be a low cost way to achieve reform in all districts. If you look at struggling districts, one must conclude that we know why a change is needed, but the question is how and who will fund the project.
View Larger Map
Chapter 21: Trends and Issues P-12 Educational Change
Educational change (improvement) is a term that most districts struggle to achieve. Chapter 21 helped me to understand why most districts struggle with making a positive change and never achieve a significant improvement. The first point that really stuck out and reminded me of my own school district’s which is currently struggling with making an improvement is the system employed when trying to make changes. In my district we operate using a piecemeal system. The improvements usually consist of changing one or two parts within each individual school in an effort to achieve educational enhancement for the students. Initially, during the planning process the entire school is enthusiastic about making improvements because we (the staff) all know that there is a great need for improvement. By the end, after implementing the new changes we are usually left feeling frustrated with little if any success.
After reading Chapter 21, I realize that in order for our district to improve we must look at making a district wide ecological systemic change. According to Squire and Reieluth (2002), ecological systemic change is based on a clear understanding of interrelationship with interdependencies within the system of interest and its “systemic environment. The two models (GSTE and SUTE) discussed in this chapter both offer assistance in helping a district reform to an ecological system. With the example given the districts that tried this process ended with successful results. I believe that when a district is in need of major reform, there should be an in-depth look at either model. Both models could prove to be resourceful for many districts.
However, in order for a district to make significant change one must have the proper funds to support change. With our current economic status, hoping for an ecological systemic change is just a dream for some. My district, as well as other districts, is in a financial crisis. We have encountered a tremendous amount of lay-offs, class sizes have increased and support staff has decreased to the bare minimum.
Due to the lack of financial support, we must look for ways to improve districts where cost is not a major factor. Even though there has not been much success in using a piecemeal system. There must be a low cost way to achieve reform in all districts. If you look at struggling districts, one must conclude that we know why a change is needed, but the question is how and who will fund the project.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Chapter 18 and My Reflection
When looking at how industrial design can be used in the business sector and in an educational setting, there were at least two points I found to be similar. The first was technology based training. In the business sector more corporations are moving toward training their employees by using technology based training programs. According to Industry Report, 1999, only 20% of training is delivered via internet this allows corporations to reduce cost and training time. Technology based training programs have also become more prevalent in the educational setting. According to one of our classmates’ reflections, there are some districts that have implemented classes via internet where students can participate online. Even though this form of training has not been incorporated in my school district, I believe that in the future more districts will move toward the use of the internet for instructional based learning. The second similarity between business and education is globalized training. In the business sector instructional designers have the task of creating software that meet the needs of different cultures. Likewise, with the rise of ESL students, educators have the task of creating lessons that meet the need for students of different cultures. When comparing business with education there are quite a few similarities as well as differences. I believe the end result leads to both sectors looking for ways to increase efficiency, lowering the budget and assisting with global interaction.
As I reflect over this course for the last 8 weeks, I have learned a lot of new innovative technology tools that will not only help me as an educator but my students as well. Here is a list of some of things I have learned:
• Photosharing
• Podcasting
• Blogging
• WIKI
• RSS
After the first assignment of creating a blogger account, I thought this class was going to be a piece of cake. To my surprise, some of the projects proved more challenging than others such as Wiki and podcasting. With my chaotic schedule, initially it was difficult for me to phantom the idea of working with others to accomplish a project. With the help of the discussion panel and having group members who were understanding and considerate of others’ ideas and opinions we successfully completed our project. Another project I found challenging was creating a podcast. I recorded several podcast before I felt comfortable with choosing one to post. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed all of the projects this far.
The only drawback I find with this course is when you encounter problems. Even though there is a discussion panel for each project, it is difficult for someone to fully assist with an issue if they have not experienced the same problem. This is where expressing yourself thoroughly plays an important role. Ever little detail, which I sometimes forget, is needed in order for someone to assist when you experience technical difficulties. If one detail is missed, you can easily become baffled and at your wits end trying to correct the problem.
Overall, I am enjoying this class and the lessons learned will enhance my performance as an educator. With technology on the cutting edge, this class is giving me the confidence I need to successfully integrate technology into an educational setting.
As I reflect over this course for the last 8 weeks, I have learned a lot of new innovative technology tools that will not only help me as an educator but my students as well. Here is a list of some of things I have learned:
• Photosharing
• Podcasting
• Blogging
• WIKI
• RSS
After the first assignment of creating a blogger account, I thought this class was going to be a piece of cake. To my surprise, some of the projects proved more challenging than others such as Wiki and podcasting. With my chaotic schedule, initially it was difficult for me to phantom the idea of working with others to accomplish a project. With the help of the discussion panel and having group members who were understanding and considerate of others’ ideas and opinions we successfully completed our project. Another project I found challenging was creating a podcast. I recorded several podcast before I felt comfortable with choosing one to post. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed all of the projects this far.
The only drawback I find with this course is when you encounter problems. Even though there is a discussion panel for each project, it is difficult for someone to fully assist with an issue if they have not experienced the same problem. This is where expressing yourself thoroughly plays an important role. Ever little detail, which I sometimes forget, is needed in order for someone to assist when you experience technical difficulties. If one detail is missed, you can easily become baffled and at your wits end trying to correct the problem.
Overall, I am enjoying this class and the lessons learned will enhance my performance as an educator. With technology on the cutting edge, this class is giving me the confidence I need to successfully integrate technology into an educational setting.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Podcasting/Chapter 14 HPI
Human Performance Improvement (HPI) is a term that most businesses and organizations aim to achieve. When looking at the field of education in comparison to the HPI philosophy, I realize they are similar. According to Reiser and Dempsey, HPI is a term that has three perspectives: vision, concept and desired end. As educators we use the same perspectives when teaching students. Our primary vision is to enhance students’ learning. We study and analyze state curriculum's and goals to ensure that students are taught according to their grade levels. Then we develop various concepts known as lessons in the education field. These lessons are usually well designed and taught, and many times re-taught in an effort to help students obtain the initial vision. The last perspective is the desired end. In education, the desired end is for all students to gain knowledge of the subject area taught, while enhancing their overall learning experience. I believe that the term HPI is what we as educators do daily. Even though the term HPI is not generally used when looking at education, an educator’s job is to enhance human performance and assess student’s daily learning ensuring improvement. Therefore, I believe that HPI is a term that can incorporated into various professions.
As for this week’s podcasting project, I must say this is one of the technology tools that I enjoyed the most and probably would have used daily. Currently, I am teaching a young 3’s ECDD class where the students are a little too young to experience hands-on learning with podcasting. When I taught 2nd grade, podcasting would have helped tremendously especially with our daily literature circles. In theses circles, students read various books and recorded themselves using a small tape recorder with a microphone. Students were allowed to choose other students tape recordings to follow as they read the books. I realized when students have an audience they try harder and perform better. They were excited to listen to their own and classmates’ recordings. This proved to be a fun and educational way to get all students involved in reading. Now that I have learned about podcasting, I definitely would have integrated this tool into my literature circles. This would have given the students the opportunity to merge modern technology with literacy. I believe that podcasting would have added an astronomical effect to my literature circles. The students would have been able to publish their readings onto the internet. Parents and others around the world would have had an opportunity to listen to the students. I plan to inform other teachers about podcasting during my school’s next professional development meeting.
Explore learning styles and multiple intelligences to help students' access content and develop their potential.
http://media.podcastingmanager.com/112755-105310/Media/TT014%20Learning%20Styles%20and%20Intelligences.mp3?ref=rss
My podcast site
http://tamarawarren.mypodcast.com/2008/10/My_First_Time_Using_Podcast-150264.html
As for this week’s podcasting project, I must say this is one of the technology tools that I enjoyed the most and probably would have used daily. Currently, I am teaching a young 3’s ECDD class where the students are a little too young to experience hands-on learning with podcasting. When I taught 2nd grade, podcasting would have helped tremendously especially with our daily literature circles. In theses circles, students read various books and recorded themselves using a small tape recorder with a microphone. Students were allowed to choose other students tape recordings to follow as they read the books. I realized when students have an audience they try harder and perform better. They were excited to listen to their own and classmates’ recordings. This proved to be a fun and educational way to get all students involved in reading. Now that I have learned about podcasting, I definitely would have integrated this tool into my literature circles. This would have given the students the opportunity to merge modern technology with literacy. I believe that podcasting would have added an astronomical effect to my literature circles. The students would have been able to publish their readings onto the internet. Parents and others around the world would have had an opportunity to listen to the students. I plan to inform other teachers about podcasting during my school’s next professional development meeting.
Explore learning styles and multiple intelligences to help students' access content and develop their potential.
http://media.podcastingmanager.com/112755-105310/Media/TT014%20Learning%20Styles%20and%20Intelligences.mp3?ref=rss
My podcast site
http://tamarawarren.mypodcast.com/2008/10/My_First_Time_Using_Podcast-150264.html
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Chapter 3 "A History of Instructional Design and Technology"
The Internet and Web have been progressively growing in all sectors of our lives. In today’s society most businesses and schools rely heavily on the internet to complete everyday tasks. Most innovative technology tools, in the beginning, were used regularly then soon tapered off. The Internet seems to be one that is continually growing and may never taper off.
The Internet has proven to be a resourceful tool in grades K-12. For example, school districts use the Internet to email parents and for advertisement; while, teachers require students to use it for research. However, I can not see using the Internet as a tool for instruction in grades K-12. If that were to happen then there would not be a need for a traditional class setting. Students would log-on to the internet from home and all their lessons would be accessible. In these grades, school is not a place where only academics are taught, this is where most students are taught social skills. In America most jobs require social interaction. The goal of school is to build a community of learners. These types of communities are what help make our country stronger and advance further. Just picture if there was only one person designing, creating and building a new invention. How long would it take? Therefore, businesses create team of people to produce things. In order for a team to be successful at completing a task, they must rely on the social skill of the entire team in order to achieve a common goal. Moreover, the Internet or Web has had some influence on education but may never be the primary source of the way instruction is presented to learners in grades K-12.
The Internet has proven to be a resourceful tool in grades K-12. For example, school districts use the Internet to email parents and for advertisement; while, teachers require students to use it for research. However, I can not see using the Internet as a tool for instruction in grades K-12. If that were to happen then there would not be a need for a traditional class setting. Students would log-on to the internet from home and all their lessons would be accessible. In these grades, school is not a place where only academics are taught, this is where most students are taught social skills. In America most jobs require social interaction. The goal of school is to build a community of learners. These types of communities are what help make our country stronger and advance further. Just picture if there was only one person designing, creating and building a new invention. How long would it take? Therefore, businesses create team of people to produce things. In order for a team to be successful at completing a task, they must rely on the social skill of the entire team in order to achieve a common goal. Moreover, the Internet or Web has had some influence on education but may never be the primary source of the way instruction is presented to learners in grades K-12.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Images, Video, and Map
This is my Godson Andrew before he won the race
My Favorite Gospel Video
Here is a map of WMU
View Larger Map
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Photo Sharing and Chapter 2 Trends and Issues
Working with Flickr, a photo sharing site, was fun and interesting. In the past, when asked to share photos I would email selected photos as an attachment. Now that I have a personal site, I can direct friends and family members to my site http://flickr.com/photos/tamarawarren/ which will allow me to share most cherished memories. As a young 3’s-preschool teacher I take photos daily. Most of my students’ lessons are hand-on activities. Therefore, photos are used as an aid to help assess their learning and skills. The students and parents are usually impressed when they see themselves or their children working hard. These photos are displayed weekly around the classroom and in the hallway. On several occasions parents have asked for copies of photos. Now that I have gained knowledge of a photo sharing site, I can easily give parents the site address and they can choose the photos they wish to download. If I were teaching older students, it would be awesome to see what kind of photos they would display. Nevertheless, I would be a little leery about the kind of photos they display so I would implement strict guidelines to follow to make sure there were not any explicit photos. For example, I would implement a lesson centered on the theme “All About Me”. Some students have trouble expressing themselves in writing when asked to tell about themselves or their lives. Therefore, I would have them create an “About Me” photo sharing site in an attempt to help the students learn about each other. I truly believe in the old saying “pictures are worth more than a thousand words.”
Chapter 2 “What is Instructional Design?” was informative and helped to enlighten my view on the process of instructional design as well as the process I use in creating lesson plans. After reading chapter 2, I realize that the process in which I create lesson plans go hand and hand with the core elements of the instructional design process (ADDIE). For examples the A in ADDIE stands for analyze. When creating lessons, one must first analyze the need for the lesson. In my school district our core curriculum list objectives that the students need to achieve. The D stands for design. Lessons must be designed around the objectives. The other D in ADDIE stands for develops. When creating a lesson the appropriate material should be gathered in order for the lesson to be a success. “ I” another element in the process of instructional design means implement. That is the actually teaching of the lesson and the last element is E. The E in ADDIE stands for evaluates, which is what most teachers do after a lesson has been taught to see what needs to be re-taught. In conclusion, if ADDIE can be used to create simplistic lesson plans, there are no limits how it can be resourceful in helping various groups work on projects.
Chapter 2 “What is Instructional Design?” was informative and helped to enlighten my view on the process of instructional design as well as the process I use in creating lesson plans. After reading chapter 2, I realize that the process in which I create lesson plans go hand and hand with the core elements of the instructional design process (ADDIE). For examples the A in ADDIE stands for analyze. When creating lessons, one must first analyze the need for the lesson. In my school district our core curriculum list objectives that the students need to achieve. The D stands for design. Lessons must be designed around the objectives. The other D in ADDIE stands for develops. When creating a lesson the appropriate material should be gathered in order for the lesson to be a success. “ I” another element in the process of instructional design means implement. That is the actually teaching of the lesson and the last element is E. The E in ADDIE stands for evaluates, which is what most teachers do after a lesson has been taught to see what needs to be re-taught. In conclusion, if ADDIE can be used to create simplistic lesson plans, there are no limits how it can be resourceful in helping various groups work on projects.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Delicious/ Chapter 1 Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology
Delicious is an excellent bookmarking site that helps to organize information. Prior to delicious, if I had to use another computer I did not have easy access to sites that I have bookmarked on my personal computer. Since I have created an account with delicious, I now feel comfortable knowing that there is a site where I can retrieve my favorite bookmarked sites. Fascinating enough, this site even allows me to share with friends the sites that I have bookmarked. This is an excellent tool that I would use as an educator. In the past, I referred numerous parents to sites that would help with certain issues. Now that I have knowledge of Delicious I can direct them to my site, which would allow parents to choose which links they prefer to retrieve information. This site is not only useful for parents to receive information it could also serve as a learning tool for students. For example, if my class were studying Africa, I would post links on the site directly related to the topic. This would allow them to retrieve endless amounts of information. Delicious could also be used to create a community of learners. Students could create their own Delicious site, which would allow other students to share and post links that they found helpful.
After reading Chapter 1 of Trends and Issue in Instructional Design and Technology, my viewpoint has changed. When I entered this program I thought Education Technology was a program that would only teach me how to implement current technology media into my classroom. This meant that my personal definition coincided with the 1970’s definition that was described in the book. I realize that Education Technology, which is now called Instructional Technology, is much broader than implementing media into a classroom. It holds an array of definitions, like all professions. According to the authors, instructional technology encompasses the analysis of learning and performance problems as well as the design, development, implementation, evaluation and management of instructional and noninstructional processes and resources intended to improve learning and performance in a variety of settings. Their definition helped me realize that instructional technology is the same as teaching. As teachers we regularly analyze our student’s learning and performance to determine where the problem lies. We design, develop and implement new lessons daily. We also strive to improve students learning and performance, which makes us evaluate our methods daily. Therefore, I conclude that instructional technology and educational instruction are one, with the exception of one having an emphasis on technology.
I now believe that no matter what minor you choose in education the major is still instruction (education) and there will probably never be just one definition because practices and theories change daily.
After reading Chapter 1 of Trends and Issue in Instructional Design and Technology, my viewpoint has changed. When I entered this program I thought Education Technology was a program that would only teach me how to implement current technology media into my classroom. This meant that my personal definition coincided with the 1970’s definition that was described in the book. I realize that Education Technology, which is now called Instructional Technology, is much broader than implementing media into a classroom. It holds an array of definitions, like all professions. According to the authors, instructional technology encompasses the analysis of learning and performance problems as well as the design, development, implementation, evaluation and management of instructional and noninstructional processes and resources intended to improve learning and performance in a variety of settings. Their definition helped me realize that instructional technology is the same as teaching. As teachers we regularly analyze our student’s learning and performance to determine where the problem lies. We design, develop and implement new lessons daily. We also strive to improve students learning and performance, which makes us evaluate our methods daily. Therefore, I conclude that instructional technology and educational instruction are one, with the exception of one having an emphasis on technology.
I now believe that no matter what minor you choose in education the major is still instruction (education) and there will probably never be just one definition because practices and theories change daily.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Wiki Experience
Wiki has the potential to be a valuable technological tool. Initially it was difficult working in Wiki. My group members were able to provide assistance with working in Wiki. The first problem I encountered was signing into Wiki. I was able to create a Wiki account. After creating the account I was informed via email that Dr. Horvick created an account for our class. There was some confusion regarding which account to use for posting and editing information. It took a couple of days but I finally resolve the problem. The next problem I encountered was linking the various sites. I have experience linking sites but for some unknown reason, I could not easily link sites on Wiki. However, after conversing with my group members we were able to overcome the obstacle of linking sites. There was also the issue of editing information in Wiki. To my surprise only one person can edit at a time, which made me become conscious of idle time while on the site. I was not completely in agreement with the idea of others having the authority to change information posted on the site. However, my group members were conscious of others thoughts and input so conversing prior to making changes was helpful. Time restraints also could produce a problem with everyone having different schedules. I am a late night worker which can sometimes be unfair to group members but this assignment is helping me control my problem with procrastination.
As for how I would use this in a classroom, I am sure Wiki would be an excellent tool for high school students. I strongly believe when students reach this educational level they will value and respect the opinion of their peers. Wiki could be an excellent tool in helping to create a community of learners by allowing students to work on group projects without being in the same location. It would also allow students in different classes two work together on the same projects. For example if students where researching the Presidential Election, you could have students from different classes to first chat and then gather on a Wiki site titled Senator Barack Obama or Senator John McCain . The students can then create a debate on why they support their candidate for President.
With all the problems that occurred in the initial start-up, I think that Wiki is a great technological tool. Wiki has proven to be a resourceful tool in helping me with my group project. I am fortunate to have great group members because without them I would have not been able to navigate through Wiki. I truly appreciate how each where able to contribute to this assignment.
As for how I would use this in a classroom, I am sure Wiki would be an excellent tool for high school students. I strongly believe when students reach this educational level they will value and respect the opinion of their peers. Wiki could be an excellent tool in helping to create a community of learners by allowing students to work on group projects without being in the same location. It would also allow students in different classes two work together on the same projects. For example if students where researching the Presidential Election, you could have students from different classes to first chat and then gather on a Wiki site titled Senator Barack Obama or Senator John McCain . The students can then create a debate on why they support their candidate for President.
With all the problems that occurred in the initial start-up, I think that Wiki is a great technological tool. Wiki has proven to be a resourceful tool in helping me with my group project. I am fortunate to have great group members because without them I would have not been able to navigate through Wiki. I truly appreciate how each where able to contribute to this assignment.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Past and Present Educational Resources
After reading both articles, I am not only aware of educational technology advantages but also the drawbacks of its many uses. While technology provides convenience, it also creates limited means to an end. As a child, we had dictionaries and several set of encyclopedias in our home library that were always in use. By the time I become a young adult, I vaguely recall anyone using any of these sources due to the home computer that also occupied space in our library. No one referenced the many books shelved along the walls. The desktop computer that required two large floppy disks to boot-up was the main source for research purposes. It was not long before the desktop computer was replaced with a more lean design. The new and improved laptop is now easily found in most American homes. Due to the constant evolution of technology, laptop computers may one day be replaced by another new and improved medium. Then the cycle repeats itself and starts over.
Due to the position of the Postman article as well as the recollection of my personal experience of continuous technological based methods, I will commit to promote diverse technologies and methods. I must admit that laptop computers along with high speed wireless internet capabilities are grand luxuries. However, other technologies and methods should not be disregarded. I now realize the importance for students to build upon the technology base. As students progress from kindergarten to 12th grade, they should be encouraged to diversify technology methods instead of replace one method for another one.
As little children we are taught, through hands-on learning activities, and trial and error until they have successfully completed the necessary requirement to move on. As they progress and have learned to read and comprehend on their own they are encouraged to read books to gain knowledge and make it applicable to life skills. As the students advance much further this is where the ideas in Reigeluth and Joseph’s article would appear more valuable. At this level the student should be less dependent on teacher guided instructions. According to the article the teacher has to be more of a “guide on the side” rather than a “sage on the stage.”
It is my belief that we blend the two methods using teacher-student collaborative learning techniques and technological based instructions. This will alleviate the skeptic views of posed by Postman but also encourage ideas expressed in Reigeluth and Joseph’s article. Instead of solely relying on technological methods, I recommend that we not lose sight of our early childhood educational lessons. As Robert Fulghum suggests everything a student needs to know is learned as early as kindergarten. Do to the change of time and technology evolution, newer methods should be incorporated. To arrive at an end, the use of several roads is valuable. Today’s households should dust off old dictionaries and encyclopedias and revert to the use of these resources. Collaborative techniques, reading skills and technology avenues should all be employed to facilitate learning.
Due to the position of the Postman article as well as the recollection of my personal experience of continuous technological based methods, I will commit to promote diverse technologies and methods. I must admit that laptop computers along with high speed wireless internet capabilities are grand luxuries. However, other technologies and methods should not be disregarded. I now realize the importance for students to build upon the technology base. As students progress from kindergarten to 12th grade, they should be encouraged to diversify technology methods instead of replace one method for another one.
As little children we are taught, through hands-on learning activities, and trial and error until they have successfully completed the necessary requirement to move on. As they progress and have learned to read and comprehend on their own they are encouraged to read books to gain knowledge and make it applicable to life skills. As the students advance much further this is where the ideas in Reigeluth and Joseph’s article would appear more valuable. At this level the student should be less dependent on teacher guided instructions. According to the article the teacher has to be more of a “guide on the side” rather than a “sage on the stage.”
It is my belief that we blend the two methods using teacher-student collaborative learning techniques and technological based instructions. This will alleviate the skeptic views of posed by Postman but also encourage ideas expressed in Reigeluth and Joseph’s article. Instead of solely relying on technological methods, I recommend that we not lose sight of our early childhood educational lessons. As Robert Fulghum suggests everything a student needs to know is learned as early as kindergarten. Do to the change of time and technology evolution, newer methods should be incorporated. To arrive at an end, the use of several roads is valuable. Today’s households should dust off old dictionaries and encyclopedias and revert to the use of these resources. Collaborative techniques, reading skills and technology avenues should all be employed to facilitate learning.
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