English Language Arts & Reading Podcast 1 (Click Here)

Reflective Blog #4


This week I created my first Podcast. For some time I have been making movies and posting on YouTube, but had not actually created a Podcast. Not only do I now have links, but have also made this Blog into a Podcast. I hope you view my first attempt at a day one presentation for my English classroom.

My current technology use is heightened. I am more comfortable composing on-line documents than longhand, even though most of my academic life was spent writing longhand. Now, writing is not as much of a chore, no erasure, and so much better than the old typewriters and CorrectType. All of my phone numbers are now stored in my phone. If asked, I could not tell you what my wife's phone number is. It is sad but true. In many ways, I am very thankful that I do not need to remember all of that stuff. I have been to many meetings on my laptop over the years. Once I worked for a company based out of Boston and had morning meetings in my PJs over the computer and telephone. I am very connected and addicted to my Crackberry (Blackberry), but am soon changing over to the iPhone because I like the functionality and Applications (Apps) better. I run an on-line business and receive instant messages regarding orders, and have texts, e-mails and voice all running through my Blackberry all day long. I still try to focus more on one thing at a time, however, I do listen to music and watch T.V. while texting on my phone and playing solitaire on my laptop in the evenings. I do not play any video games, but play on-line scrabble, solitaire and mahjong.

I am from Generation X and identify with it greatly.

Classrooms definitely need to change in order to be relevant for the Net generation. I believe that all classrooms should be filled with technology and teachers that are literate in their use for instruction. Students today are just not interested in reading a chapter and answering the questions at the end. They need to be involved in a process that they can identify as being real world. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and new ways of interacting with whiteboards will bridge the gap between teacher and student.

Reflective Blog #3

Portfolios

Portfolios can be created for a variety of purposes. Whether personal, business, academic or some other setting, a portfolio can organize ideas efficiently. In Dr. Helen Barrett’s article, “Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep Learning” the tenant I most related to was that “Assessment for Learning (AFL) should be part of the effective planning of teaching an learning. If a teacher is going to use an electronic portfolio, it should be part of the curriculum. Students need proper feedback on an ongoing basis in order to improve. The implementation of an AFL cannot just be a “Here you go, fill in the blanks” in order for true learning to exist. Entries should be made into the portfolio and they should be regularly monitored and discussed with the instructor.

Portfolios have great potential. They can be used as an alternative assessment for students, or showcase professional skills. In the business world, for small companies that do not have networked computers, an online portfolio can house the information needed to conduct business. When away from home, a small business owner can have a private on-line portfolio containing all the contacts, important links, information, presentations and more.

The creation and development of a portfolio is helping me to organize areas of my life in a relevant manner. People are complex and have a variety of interests. I will likely have a portfolio for my teaching of English, another for technology, another for my on-line business and likely another for family and friends with an all-together different subject matter. These portfolios can have meaningful and limitless applications.

Reflective Blog #2

Understanding Meta-Web Information, the Author, and Purpose (MAPing) of information on the web is a crucial skill for anyone using the Internet. I am acutely aware of Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) and read them with a new level of understanding. As a point, I generally avoid sites that include a ˜ (tilde). If I do read them, it is with the understanding that it is a personal opinion and not necessarily fact. Finding trusted databases such as ERIC EBSCO is very important for true research. Even then, I must evaluate the individual articles and decide on what bias the particular authors may have had in their work. There is just so much tripe out there. Fortunately, I am aware of the principles known as MAPing. I feel confident that my research has included the best information available for the topics I have researched.

The implications of not teaching our students MAPing information is already being seen in schools. Students such as the one in “Teaching Zack to Think” from November Learning are not unique. There is a proliferation of bad information circulating the web. Students are using Wikipedia as a source, or worse, just going to the first site that has something about their topic and copying it down with no clear understanding of the MAPing principles. It is upsetting, and yet when issues like using Wikipedia as a source arise, it is an opportunity for a well-informed teacher to instruct students in the proper methods for research. There will be a definite information gap between students who have the proper researching skills and those who do not.

I am always looking for better ways to stay organized. Delicious is an excellent way to keep track of my literally hundreds of bookmarks. I am now involved with so many on-line applications and sites that keeping up with all the varied passwords alone is a major issue. I am always concerned with security and identity theft and some of these Cloud applications are still a leap of faith for me. I have internal questions on whether having a gig and a half of time machine back up, to my gig of memory is any more or less safe than keeping everything on a Cloud. Some applications disappear over time or change and data is lost. I know many teachers who have put teaching instruments such as tests on-line, only to have the application disappear. I think Delicious is good because it has the ability to import or export the bookmarks so that it can be backed up in multiple places. That is important to me.

I was caught a little off guard having to contrive a Wiki without a real need. I think it is great to know about and use Wikis, but just thinking one up that is going to be useful seems like a long shot. I came up with the idea of  “High School Appropriate Reading” without really having much time to see what other sites are out there or how they are structured. I hope to start teaching High School English this August and having a sound background in interesting reading will be a fundamental element to my teaching.

An advantage to the Wiki is that if it works properly and the contributors are responsible with their additions, it could become a great collaborative resource. A disadvantage to the Wiki is that other contributors may join my Wiki and start posting things that I do not have time to read. If inappropriate works end up on my site, it could be disastrous. Who will trust an “Appropriate” site that displays inappropriate material? Taking on the moderation of a Wiki could become a full time occupation and a royal waste of time when it does not pay the bills.

I spent an enormous amount of time exploring new technologies this week. I created a GoogleDocs cloud for a small company I own. It allows me to collaborate with a business partner I have in another city. There seem to be endless possibilities. I will definitely explore more of the eLearning tools from the Wiki http://elearningtools.wetpaint.com/

Reflective Blog #1

Educational Technology Philosophy

Educational Technology is a very broad field with a constantly changing definition. As technology evolves, so will its use in the classroom. Having a guiding philosophy will aid instructors in choosing the best methods for instruction on a continuing basis.

The purpose of education and training is to efficiently transfer knowledge from the instruction to learner. The knowledge to be transferred is gathered based on student need for the performance of a given task or skill. The learner provides the need and the destination for knowledge.

An instructor serves as a guide to facilitate learning. It is the instructor’s duty to treat every learning goal as unique. This requires hyper-current * research to find the most effective technology available at any given point in time for importing knowledge to the student.

My objective as a teacher is to stay continually updated for the best instruction   and learning solutions available. I must understand learner needs and have an arsenal of tools available to address those needs. Technology must consist of everything from a pencil to a supercomputer, with an understanding that it is in a constant state of evolution. As a teacher and technology maven, my goal is to pair the proper instructional technology to the desired learning outcome.  Once the instruction is planned, my duty is to facilitate the learner as they achieve their goals.

The method I use for instruction is based on Constructivist theory with a blend of other philosophies.  All students are unique in that they have varying developmental levels, personal backgrounds and views of education. There is not one homogenous instruction that works in every situation. Some students need more structure, others more freedom. Some students are goal oriented, while others are not. All of the learning theories have validity when put into the proper context. My approach is to find the right mix for my students.

A great teacher must learn how to manage expectations. Everyone involved in the educational process has an expectation. The students expect to learn in a safe and satisfying environment. Parents expect to be informed and have their children receive the best education possible under safe conditions. Colleagues rely on you to effectively teach your subjects to aid them in teaching their own. Administrators expect a teacher to manage their classroom in a way that advances student success. It is my job to have the highest expectations of all.

Though Educational Technology is a broad and evolving field, having a philosophy will help instructors navigate through any change.  Staying hyper-current should be the mission of anyone in the technology field. Methods for instruction also fall in and out of favor and new learning theories may be on the horizon.  Instructors must be life long learners with a mission to provide the most effective and efficient instruction available on a real time basis.

Philosophy Reflection

Writing an Educational Technology Philosophy creates a starting point for all future technology endeavors. The first edition may have some rough edges that will appear over time if used properly. The beauty of this is that it is my own philosophy and I am free to change as necessary. Just like technology, a philosophy will evolve over time.

Blogging Reflection

As an English teacher, I can see a variety of applications for blogging in a high school setting. Unfortunately, the technology is misunderstood and misused many times. Some school districts have taken knee jerk reactions and banned blogging and other forms of social media because of the inability to directly monitor and oversee all of the content. Blogging has not met its potential because of these fears. There needs to be a higher level of understanding among administrators and teachers to effectively use blogging. I agree with Stephen Downes in his article from 2004 on Educational Blogging, that merely posting links and assignments is not really the true meaning of blogging, however, it is the basis for students to identify the process and begin to produce work no matter how contrived. Aren’t all lessons contrived in some fashion?

November Learning Reflection

“All the world is a stage
And all the men and women merely players”

…William Shakespeare (As You Like It 2/7)

The Alan November article on “Creating a New Culture of Teaching and Learning” had some great points. The one idea that commanded my attention, however, was cameras in the classroom. Strong arguments can be made on both sides of this issue. I have personal experience with it. With the onset of web cams, a large auto service chain incorporated a feature where you could see your car being worked on in real time. It did not last long. It was not in the company’s best interest to broadcast every dropped wrench, busted knuckle, broken bolt or misspoken word. Should every doctor be broadcast during examinations and operations? It is the beginning of a George Orwell scenario. Reality T.V. gone completely wild. The pressure of being broadcast would change the environment in the classroom. Most parents should not be interested in a daily grammar lesson, nor should they be allowed to question each disciplinary action in a class.  Certainly, there are some bad teachers out there that are in need monitoring, but live broadcast is not the way to go.







Concept Map

This concept map was created Bubbl.us. The map shows the relation of Educational Technology to the aspects of improving education, staying current on trends, using learning philosophies grounded in research and practical applications of technology in a learning environment.