Combining Technology with Instructional Strategies (CEd0525 – Wk 1)

Principles of Teaching and Learning
The article concerning learning and teaching principles is a great review and combination of key concepts in education. I don’t think that the information is new or revolutionary to an educator however, the simplicity of it’s presentation and guideline format make it an excellent review of very important ideas. I also liked that the principles were gathered in one place and included brief explanations with the references listed. This format triggered a few “aha” moments as I thought about this past year of teaching in my classroom. Some of the moments were successes and others were reminders of things I may have forgotten to address at one time or another. Finally, this article and the introductory quote by Simon reflects the need for teachers and all involved in education to remember that the role of the educator is shifting from deliverer of knowledge to the facilitator in the classroom. This change represents a difficult shift in the paradigm for many educators.

A Meta Analysis of the Effectiveness of Teaching and Learning With Technology on Student Outcomes
The meta-analysis article again didn’t necessarily shake any foundations for me – one would expect that delivery of content and mastery of skills would be enhanced with the application of appropriate technology. It did however point out that the studies referenced lack many pieces of information that would lead to a better ability to determine what technology increases the effectiveness. Additionally the researchers were disappointed that much of the technology used in the studies was over 10 years old. In an age where we are advancing exponentially, one can only assume at this point that the effect of technology is also increasing. Although there are many limitations in the meta-analysis, it provides for 2 major elements. The first is that it now can serve as a baseline for future research studies in the use of technology and the second is that the authors gave many guidelines as to how to set up and conduct research projects (i.e. the kinds of information to consider and record) so that they may provide excellent points of reference for a future meta-analysis.

Internet Safety & Copyright Issues (CEd0520) Wk 4

So here I sit, finally done with school. I've moved to my semi-permanent summer residence in Door County and as I type, I look out onto the bay and forget all about the hassles of the last week with school. The reprieve also allows me to finish up my work for this class while my mom takes my kids to the beach!
The privacy and internet security issue has never been one that has really concerned me greatly. I think that the internet is one more way that security can be breached - not the only way or the worst way, just another way. The internet safety for children information, while not new, opened my eyes to what I have to face as a parent. That issue will be very different to deal with when I'm the parent compared to when I'm the teacher as my responsibilities will vary greatly.
I think my favorite part of this week was looking at Creative Commons. I'm excited to search for media that I can use and remix into my own creations (per licensing) without the fear of someone calling me up one day telling me that I'm guilty of copyright infringement. While starting to set up my classes on Moodle, I've already had to modify some of my presentations as they contain materials that may cause issues if published for public viewing (as this is necessary to link for the Moodle). I think in addition to continuing with the cohort, I will be spending a majority of my summer going through my presentations, pulling out those questionable resources, finding items in the commons and then using and citing those within my work...and of course, I'll be getting some CC licenses for the collaboration and sharing of what I've created as well.
Ahhh, well I think it's time for a little R&R at the waterfront and maybe a little afternoon siesta. 'Til next time.

Investigating Internet Tools to Promote Learning (Ced0520) - Wk 3

Wow, you know, I had heard of GoogleEarth before but has never taken the time to delve in and see what it's all about. I love that this class affords (and forces upon) us the opportunity to spend time with the assortment of tools out there. I bet that I wouldn't have checked out (or even known about) half of the sites on our list this week, had someone not physically gone online and put my nose in front of the computer. It's also nice to know that there are competing programs and tools out there. For example, I've been using SlideShare to upload my powerpoint presentations so I can link to them in Moodle. The only problem is that if I want to make a change to a slide, I must open the original, make the change, delete the old version from SlideShare and upload the newer version. I find this week with 280 Slides that I can create and publish my presentations within the program which means that I can change them without all of the hassle! (Now to switch everything over...in my spare time!)

In exploring new tools, I've also found myself sharing more and more about what I'm learning with my colleagues. Just today in a curriculum conference among 4 science teachers at my school, I was explaining how GoogleDocs works to another teacher and how all of our shared curriculum planning (we're working on our greenhouse curriculum at the moment) should be shared within an online program instead of one of us acting as secretary and sending email copies to the others to have to save to each personal drive. (Maybe this is because I always get stuck as the secretary!) Without having the opportunity to cruise the tools and read other cohorts' reactions I would probably not feel as comfortable encouraging their use with my school colleagues.