What I Learned
I am pleased with what I learned in this course. I learned about many web tools, like wikis, blogs, and abilities to share materials. I knew about many of these but my understanding is greater having created and used them. I also learned that keeping up with technological advances requires a considerable investment of time because comfort with a tool only comes through practice.
I also learned that many proponents of educational technology make statements about the value and effectiveness of education technology that are as ungrounded in research as the work they criticize.
What I will use.
I am likely to use some combination of wiki or blog to collect student writing and as a way to encourage student reflection. I can see increasing use of podcasts, screencasts, etc. created by me and students as a way of not doing the same thing over and over again. I will be more open to using online data as a way of engaging students in actual problems. Simulations are likely to become a part of interacting with material in different ways.
I will probably drop in on my PLN periodically to graze, but there is still too much to look at.
How my technology principles have changed.
1. I think the biggest change I have seen is a recognition and acceptance that part of education is teaching about the technology. At the start of the class, I felt strongly that technology should be used to support education, but I've come to see that some of the education has to be about how to use the technology effectively. Like it or not, web2.0, social networking, are here to stay until they accelerate into something faster. Students need to learn how to use technology for more than entertainment. Just as I didn't know that certain applications like Google REader existed, let alone how to use, many students are at a similar place. Or they can make a boring PowerPoint, but not an effective one. At the same time, I can see where knowing a technology may be more important to students than some of the performance standards in science. Proficiency in electronic communication may be more employable than knowledge of electron orbitals.
2. I am not sure how to state this as a principle, but technology and web tools do challenge educational standards. Knowing "what" may not be as important as knowing "how", or "why", or "what if." One important aspect of PLN and also seen in many digital natives is instead of knowing something, you ask or just look it up. Information is easy to obtain and is not the exclusive realm of the teacher any more. Schools and therefore school standards need to move beyond the recall or recognition of facts to how to use them, how to evaluate them, how to do something with them. Unfortunately, the standards driven approach to education doesn't seem to get it, and I think it will be increasingly difficult to do the job the county is paying me for with the experiences students have available to them on the web outside of school.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
VoiceThread and band width
Anyone have much experience with moving audio and sound files through school internet connections? I liked VoiceThread (even if getting a smooth product might take some more practice) and could see how it could be useful, but I started seeing lag times to load and upload it with DSL connections. I was getting slow speed with PDF files of slides. What would it be like if I were commenting about a video? I know most schools use something faster, like a T1 line, but I did have reason to be cautious when reading FAQ about VoiceThread. One section said that if 20 computers were connected to VoiceThread at a school, there might be problems.
My students who were also video production students never turned in an assignment they chose to make into a video using computer to computer connections. They always gave me a DVD. Were they really telling me about limitations in the big system or just the system as it manifests itself in my school?
Is one aspect of the promise of Web 2.0 interactivity, especially in the sharing of voice/visual tools, limited by the connection speeds available in homes and schools? I don't use wireless connections very much and wonder do they have more or less bandwidth than say DSL or T1 lines?
My students who were also video production students never turned in an assignment they chose to make into a video using computer to computer connections. They always gave me a DVD. Were they really telling me about limitations in the big system or just the system as it manifests itself in my school?
Is one aspect of the promise of Web 2.0 interactivity, especially in the sharing of voice/visual tools, limited by the connection speeds available in homes and schools? I don't use wireless connections very much and wonder do they have more or less bandwidth than say DSL or T1 lines?
Project Plans
WebTools Projects
This presents my ideas for using web based tools in my classes for this year.
1. ChemMatters reading. Students will read back issue on a regular basis, perhaps every three weeks, and complete a student reaction statement.
ChemMatters is a general interest magazine from the American Chemical Society, published four times a year. Twenty five years of back issues can be purchased on a CD and with a site license, added to a school web page. This assignment will contribute significantly to the county reading requirement During each reading period, students will be given a year from which they can pick any of the four issues. They will access the account through the class bulletin board page, complete the reaction statement guidelines, and then submit their summary to the drop box. At certain times of the year, the classes will be instructed to read certain articles and participate in on-line discussion at the class nicenet.org site.
Status of project. CD and site license obtained. CD will be uploaded to bulletin board when it is open for teacher access in mid August. Drop box established at nicenet.org. Some articles for discussion selected and topic questions prepared.
2. Chemistry podcasts -- Students will have the option of looking at chemistry podcasts to help with understanding of material.
I purchased a site license for the Bergmann and Sams (Peak Educational Consulting) pod/video casts for introductory chemistry. The value for me is that a prepared presentation is much less time consuming than making my own or doing voice over powerpoints. These will posted on the school bulletin board. Students will be encouraged to look at some of the topics before discussion of new material in class. At some point, I might try running a class discussion about the material using the nicenet.org connecticon about a podcast without doing any in class discussion. For other topics, students can use the podcast material for any available topic for which they have difficulty.
The second part of will involve recording one teacher’s presentation of material for the organic/biochemistry class and making it available to students in my class as a podcast.
Status of project. Everything is in place for the first podcast and will be ready to go when I can get access to the bulletin board again. The second project needs some trial work when classes start.
3. WISE programs -- use the online WISE learning programs on Recycling Tires and Will Fuel Cells replace Gasoline Engines?
These on-line simulations reinforce important chemistry ideas and show how the principles of chemistry have important applications outside of the classroom. My plan is to use the recycling tires during the section on materials science and the fuel cell part with the organic chemistry study of hydrocarbon fuels.
Status of project. I have worked through the units on my own. I have looked at the teacher material and suggestions for using it. I need to try accessing the programs through student access at my school to see if can be run on the machines in the computer labs.
This presents my ideas for using web based tools in my classes for this year.
1. ChemMatters reading. Students will read back issue on a regular basis, perhaps every three weeks, and complete a student reaction statement.
ChemMatters is a general interest magazine from the American Chemical Society, published four times a year. Twenty five years of back issues can be purchased on a CD and with a site license, added to a school web page. This assignment will contribute significantly to the county reading requirement During each reading period, students will be given a year from which they can pick any of the four issues. They will access the account through the class bulletin board page, complete the reaction statement guidelines, and then submit their summary to the drop box. At certain times of the year, the classes will be instructed to read certain articles and participate in on-line discussion at the class nicenet.org site.
Status of project. CD and site license obtained. CD will be uploaded to bulletin board when it is open for teacher access in mid August. Drop box established at nicenet.org. Some articles for discussion selected and topic questions prepared.
2. Chemistry podcasts -- Students will have the option of looking at chemistry podcasts to help with understanding of material.
I purchased a site license for the Bergmann and Sams (Peak Educational Consulting) pod/video casts for introductory chemistry. The value for me is that a prepared presentation is much less time consuming than making my own or doing voice over powerpoints. These will posted on the school bulletin board. Students will be encouraged to look at some of the topics before discussion of new material in class. At some point, I might try running a class discussion about the material using the nicenet.org connecticon about a podcast without doing any in class discussion. For other topics, students can use the podcast material for any available topic for which they have difficulty.
The second part of will involve recording one teacher’s presentation of material for the organic/biochemistry class and making it available to students in my class as a podcast.
Status of project. Everything is in place for the first podcast and will be ready to go when I can get access to the bulletin board again. The second project needs some trial work when classes start.
3. WISE programs -- use the online WISE learning programs on Recycling Tires and Will Fuel Cells replace Gasoline Engines?
These on-line simulations reinforce important chemistry ideas and show how the principles of chemistry have important applications outside of the classroom. My plan is to use the recycling tires during the section on materials science and the fuel cell part with the organic chemistry study of hydrocarbon fuels.
Status of project. I have worked through the units on my own. I have looked at the teacher material and suggestions for using it. I need to try accessing the programs through student access at my school to see if can be run on the machines in the computer labs.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Reflections on A/V posting
First I found making good PPT with images very time consuming. I wish there were a way to copy the URL or source information at the same time you copy the picture. Having to copy two things slows down the work. Then, if you are doing a good job like NC did on her Earth show, the source should be included on the slide. More time.
I learned more about the A/V capability of my Mac. Turns out it has a built in microphone which can be used to voice over a slide show. Not quite a screencast, but useful. I think the most useful screencasting tool would be if I had an ActivBoard again or what I imagine the more familiar (to you but not me) SmartBoard. It could record what was being said while actively changing the image on the board, like say writing in data or drawing a circle around something important. There isn't that much that can be done with a screen and powerpoint, unless you want to hide something, then bring it out again.
Getting the voice over to upload was another learning process. I learned that Wikis don't store files, so the file has to go somewhere. The Mac takes the slide show with voice and makes it into a movie, storing it as Quick Time. The voice over greatly increased its size, making it go from a 10 MB ppt to 150 MB. I don't know if it were just the voice or the file type.
Teacher Tube is a bit frustrating because your video isn't available to embed for up to 24 hours and has a limit of 100MB
Uploading video and audio files is very time consuming from home. Maybe this is an advantage of doing it through a web site because the sound is already there. Something else for me to try.
I found the class comments about how different PPT holders differed in what they did to the slide or what they didn't allow to be interesting.
As a tool, I can't see using the web as a repository for slide shows that I would need. They all seem enough of a hassle that if I wanted the slide show, I would just carry it on a flash drive. Maybe posting it has a place for collaborative work, but the upload, download time needs to be considered. I wish the voice over program I used had an edit function so misspeaks could be removed without doing the whole show over. Perhaps it exists somewhere but I am too inexperienced to know it.
I don't think I would do voice over slide shows much for my class because while I might use the visuals, I would rather talk to the class, judging their reactions as cues for what I have to say next, than to talk to the computer.
I had an interesting experience with the Wiki this week that is worth remembering if using a wiki for real time class interaction. I was editing and someone else logged on. The wiki gave me some options, but when I followed what I thought was the best one, it deleted everything I wrote and kept the other person's work. I can see students getting very frustrated if they were all trying to write in something, and some or all the comments were lost because only one at a time could be recorded.
I learned more about the A/V capability of my Mac. Turns out it has a built in microphone which can be used to voice over a slide show. Not quite a screencast, but useful. I think the most useful screencasting tool would be if I had an ActivBoard again or what I imagine the more familiar (to you but not me) SmartBoard. It could record what was being said while actively changing the image on the board, like say writing in data or drawing a circle around something important. There isn't that much that can be done with a screen and powerpoint, unless you want to hide something, then bring it out again.
Getting the voice over to upload was another learning process. I learned that Wikis don't store files, so the file has to go somewhere. The Mac takes the slide show with voice and makes it into a movie, storing it as Quick Time. The voice over greatly increased its size, making it go from a 10 MB ppt to 150 MB. I don't know if it were just the voice or the file type.
Teacher Tube is a bit frustrating because your video isn't available to embed for up to 24 hours and has a limit of 100MB
Uploading video and audio files is very time consuming from home. Maybe this is an advantage of doing it through a web site because the sound is already there. Something else for me to try.
I found the class comments about how different PPT holders differed in what they did to the slide or what they didn't allow to be interesting.
As a tool, I can't see using the web as a repository for slide shows that I would need. They all seem enough of a hassle that if I wanted the slide show, I would just carry it on a flash drive. Maybe posting it has a place for collaborative work, but the upload, download time needs to be considered. I wish the voice over program I used had an edit function so misspeaks could be removed without doing the whole show over. Perhaps it exists somewhere but I am too inexperienced to know it.
I don't think I would do voice over slide shows much for my class because while I might use the visuals, I would rather talk to the class, judging their reactions as cues for what I have to say next, than to talk to the computer.
I had an interesting experience with the Wiki this week that is worth remembering if using a wiki for real time class interaction. I was editing and someone else logged on. The wiki gave me some options, but when I followed what I thought was the best one, it deleted everything I wrote and kept the other person's work. I can see students getting very frustrated if they were all trying to write in something, and some or all the comments were lost because only one at a time could be recorded.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
PowerPoints and other visual tools in the classroom
I am wondering how many of you make and use PowerPoints and other visual tools for use in the classroom? I don't like the PowerPoint as lecture note format that is so commonly used; all bulleted text, which can be made fairly easily. I admit I don't have a great deal of experience making PowerPoints, but finding images and inserting them effectively in a slide takes up much more time than I want or certainly have to spend getting ready for a class. I like images that will show up large, sometimes even cropping the image I clip before inserting it.
Even when you find good visuals, they may not be good visuals to use for an in front of class talk because the text on a copied diagram may actually be to small to read. I am finding that making powerpoints that are used on computers may actually be easier and more helpful to students because the text on a diagram is easier to follow.
I like giving students a chance to make them because it can be an effective project, especially when I ask on an evaluation, why did you pick the slides that you did? What were you hoping would coming across with this image? I generally keep a copy of student's work if they let me and use them again.
Given my new awareness of copyright, how do you instruct students about citing slides? I liked Natasha Cleveland's copyright information on her slides. Natasha or anyone else, can you tell me how to include this infomation on a slide? Is there an easy way to download the source link when you save an image from someplace like CreativeCommons or Goggle. When I was selecting slides, it was easy to copy but if I had to go back to find the URL, I might have to look through ten pages of images again.
Thanks for any insights you might have to share.
Even when you find good visuals, they may not be good visuals to use for an in front of class talk because the text on a copied diagram may actually be to small to read. I am finding that making powerpoints that are used on computers may actually be easier and more helpful to students because the text on a diagram is easier to follow.
I like giving students a chance to make them because it can be an effective project, especially when I ask on an evaluation, why did you pick the slides that you did? What were you hoping would coming across with this image? I generally keep a copy of student's work if they let me and use them again.
Given my new awareness of copyright, how do you instruct students about citing slides? I liked Natasha Cleveland's copyright information on her slides. Natasha or anyone else, can you tell me how to include this infomation on a slide? Is there an easy way to download the source link when you save an image from someplace like CreativeCommons or Goggle. When I was selecting slides, it was easy to copy but if I had to go back to find the URL, I might have to look through ten pages of images again.
Thanks for any insights you might have to share.
PLN for week 6
This week I started getting ready to get back to school and to work for less money. State plans to furlough us for 3 of the 5 preplanning days. Guess it will be just another day to work without getting paid for it, although this time I will actually see less money in a pay check.
I asked the chemistry list serve for advice with programs that draw organic molecules for you. I quickly got four ideas, which I am working on. I connected with my school's webmaster to start putting together how my plans for this year can be added. I also am working on understanding several podcasting tools I will be using, including the Bergmann/Sams podcasts for first year chemistry. Also finished work on my other MSU course.
I asked the chemistry list serve for advice with programs that draw organic molecules for you. I quickly got four ideas, which I am working on. I connected with my school's webmaster to start putting together how my plans for this year can be added. I also am working on understanding several podcasting tools I will be using, including the Bergmann/Sams podcasts for first year chemistry. Also finished work on my other MSU course.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Best Tool for receiving student work?
This school year I want to try having students turn in some work electronically. I would like all the work to show up on one page, like a blog or wiki because I think this will make it easier for me to read it and manage it. I want to be able to know who submitted it. Lastly, I want the ability to erase/delete all the work when the assignment is finished so the site doesn't get crowded when students use it every three or four weeks. What platform and provider might be the best for this? I would prefer something that only the students could get into if possible.
The big picture idea is that we have a reading requirement. ChemMatters is a chemistry periodical for which we have 25 years of back issues on CD. Students need to read it on line because it looks better in color and license rules for use prohibit photocopying (nor do I want to spend the time or money). Students would be writing reaction statements, which I evaluate mostly by completion. I figure since the students are already on a computer reading it, it would be easy to collect reactions electronically. Then if they are all on one page, I can read them faster, and since their grade is for completion, I don't have to keep track of paper to hand back. Originally, I thought I would collect as an e-mail but I can see where a blog or wiki would be much better and not risk clogging my school e-mail account. I am looking for the best spot for the repository because it will probably work better if not connected to our school system.
Thanks for your ideas.
The big picture idea is that we have a reading requirement. ChemMatters is a chemistry periodical for which we have 25 years of back issues on CD. Students need to read it on line because it looks better in color and license rules for use prohibit photocopying (nor do I want to spend the time or money). Students would be writing reaction statements, which I evaluate mostly by completion. I figure since the students are already on a computer reading it, it would be easy to collect reactions electronically. Then if they are all on one page, I can read them faster, and since their grade is for completion, I don't have to keep track of paper to hand back. Originally, I thought I would collect as an e-mail but I can see where a blog or wiki would be much better and not risk clogging my school e-mail account. I am looking for the best spot for the repository because it will probably work better if not connected to our school system.
Thanks for your ideas.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)