Final Course Reflection

Blogfolio Final Review

Through the semester, this course has introduced me to several new and useful technologies that could be utilized in the classroom. The E-book was exceptionally easy to read and navigate, providing a comprehensive look at many technologies that are being used to enhance the classroom experience for both students and teachers. The supplements provided on Blackboard by the instructor have also been of great use. The podcasts and powerpoints were exceedingly useful to get a richer, fuller look at the info being introduced in the E-book online. If ever at any point I found information in the E-book to be confusing or vague, the powerpoint presentations provided on Blackboard were usually very handy in clearing up the important details. I also found myself utilizing the video clips provided on Blackboard more than a few times. It is always useful to see particular technologies/programs in use rather than simply reading about them.

This class also provided me with the opportunity to create a blog. I have never had a blog before, so this in itself was a great learning experience. Creating the blog was rather simple, moreso than I expected, and getting subscribed to other people's blogs wasn't any harder. The blog provided a great opportunity to talk about the projects being completed in the class. It gave me an opportunity to really focus on what came easy and what actually took some work or focus to complete. That kind of self-evaluation on a weekly basis is very useful to the individual. Also, it was very interesting to see how other people chose to complete their assignments and what kinds of problems, if any, they encountered while learning to use whatever software the assignment required. The peer feedback through the commenting option on the blog was also very nice. Its good to have input from others who are seeing the same kind of work and are experiencing different kinds of problems. The blog also provided the opportunity to think about the material read in the E-book each week. The text covered a great deal of information and having the opportunity to answer questions concerning the material allows a particular insight into the material that one can certainly miss if simple reading over the text.

The hands-on projects were by-far the most fun and interesting part of the class. The way they were planned out and divided throughout the semester worked well. I never felt overburdened with too many hand-on assignments in a single week. The first three of these hand-on assignments proved to be rather easy. I'd used powerpoint and Word many times in the past so, churning out these two assignments only took a little creative thinking and not much actual learning of the software. The most difficult part for the flyer was finding a picture I was satisfied. Similarly, the most difficult part of the powerpoint quiz was coming up with some material that I would actually want to use in a classroom and getting all of my “right” and “wrong” buttons to take the quiz taker to the proper following slides. However, prior to this assignment, I had had no real experience with Excel, so learning the proper formulas for averages and getting the grids in order took a little work for me, but I like that I now know how to do it. I was happy to actually have the opportunity to learn a little about Excel.

The next set of assignments proved to be the most difficult of the hands-on assignments by far. I had had no experience with any of the webtools required for the assignments, so they each took a little reading and learning on my part before I dove in to complete the assignment. The rubric from Rubistar was easy in theory, but a little harder than expected in practice. It took a good bit of thinking and reworking on my part to come up with a rubric for grading essays that I felt was balanced and fair. I was fairly content with the results, but I certainly wouldn't mind revising it a few times before actually using it for grading students. The puzzle and test generators were a little more daunting to look at than use. After reading the tutorials, I felt very comfortable with both of these online software. Much like with the rubric, the most difficult part proved to be coming up with a theme and material for the puzzle and test that I wanted generated. Once again, I was happy with the results from both the puzzle and quiz generator and would be satisfied with using both items in an actual class. The website evaluations were no more difficult than they should have been. Choosing appropriate an appropriate site was the most difficult part of the assignment. I wanted something pertaining to my content area and that would satisfy most of the criteria on the evaluation sheets. However, while this was a simple assignment, I now have a good idea of what to look for in a quality website. Now, the most difficult part of this week's assignment was undoubtedly the Trackstar. I had never heard of this tool before, and it took a good deal of reading-up on my part to really get the gist of what I should be doing to complete this. The most difficult part of this assignment after learning what needed to be done was actually finding websites that I felt were satisfactory for the classroom. After spending a good deal of time selecting sites that would deal with one common lesson, I was satisfied with my selections. Providing short overviews of the sites on the Trackstar page was actually a lot of fun, too.

The website assignment was a little intimidating, if I am to be honest. I had never made a website before and didn't really know where to start. Luckily, the Google website creator was really user-friendly and held my hand through the process of creating the website. I felt a little silly talking about myself in a whole page of the website, but I was satisfied with the results. I enjoyed picking out pictures for each page and trying to follow a theme that I had selected. After reading over the tutorial a few times, I felt comfortable with how to add to and edit the pages with pictures and links to other sites. Adding the links to Trackstar and my other projects for this class was a breeze after getting the swing of how the website creator tools worked. I thought the website looked pretty good after it was all finished. I would certainly use it in a classroom (with a little tooling up of course).

The final set of hands-on assignments probably took the most work, however, they were not particularly difficult. The listserv was a real breeze and only took a few minutes to set up and sent out invitations too. Despite how simple it was to set up, I really do this that listservs and mailing lists are exceptionally useful, especially if one could manage to get their students' parents set up in if and everything. It would make parent-teacher communication leagues easier and more efficient. The same could be said for communicating with the students en masse as well. I'd never really used Window's Movie Maker before, but, as with most of the other assignments, the tutorials provided on Blackboard really enlightened me and made me feel more comfortable with the software. The movie took a while to complete, but I was concerned with having appropriate pictures that I really felt complemented my narration, although, I never really was able to get the narration loud enough. The editing options were fun and I played around with them a great deal until I decided on the options I felt fit my movie the best. If I was able to get the audio to actually work like I wanted, I would certainly not hesitate showing this video to parents.

Finally, this electronic portfolio could be a really nice asset to have around. I have quick access to all of my projects that I could easily utilize in the classroom. This finally portfolio also provided me with a good opportunity to once again go over everything I have worked on this semester and think about and problems I had along the way, or any tools that I found particularly useful. All in all, this has been an exceedingly helpful exercise.

In working on these projects, I feel that I am really adept at picking up information quickly and efficiently through written tutorials and that I can be thorough at something when I put my mind to it. I feel that my weak points are probably that I get easily discouraged with things that prove difficult at first and that perhaps I am too fickle when choosing images or ideas that fit a particular theme that I am going for in projects such as these.

I intend to use the knowledge I've gained in this class to create an exciting and hands-on learning environment for any students I have in the future. I intend to utilize these tools and technologies as often as possible to hone my skills and become more proficient so that I also can teach others how to use them to their greatest extent.

Group Members' Blogs URLs:

Josephine Maisano
Reed Hotard

Week 13 Reflection, Chapters 11 and 12.

2. What advantages can broad bandwidth and wireless networking offer schools? Describe the current technologies available for wireless connectivity.


Probably the largest advantage that broadband wireless networking offers to schools is cost efficiency. Currently, schools are spending tons of money retrofitting their buildings and offices with broadband internet via cable-based LAN. With the use of wireless technology, all of the retrofitting of buildings with necessary wires and cables will be obsolete. Through the use of a centralized source and wireless routers, a device comparable to the size of a textbook, wireless broadband can be broadcast across an entire campus for all students and faculty who are within range to use. This wireless internet, or Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity) allows access to the internet for any student using laptop or desktop computers equipped with wireless network cards or those using devices which support Wi-Fi, such as PDAs and smart phones. Wi-Fi allows classrooms to become borderless, facilitating resources outside of textbooks and communications with other classes around the nation, or even the world. However, Wi-Fi is not perfect. Unlike wired LAN networks, Wi-Fi networks are not as secure and can be broken into by hackers through their personal computers. While security methods for Wi-Fi networks exist, it is important that schools take all necessary precautions in efforts to keep student information safe and private.

Along with Wi-Fi, schools are now beginning to outfit their computers, printers, scanners and other technologies with bluetooth. Bluetooth is a wireless communication technology that allows two or more devices to interact with each other without the use of cables or wires. For example, through a bluetooth connection, one could send a document from a computer to a printer without actually having the two devices connected physically. This allows for an entire class to share one printer or similar devices without having ten or twenty or thirty cables for each computer strewn about the room. However, bluetooth is still a new technology and not all devices come equipped with bluetooth capabilities out of the box. Separate devices are sold to allow a computer or printer or cell phone blue tooth capable, but having to buy enough of these individual devices for an entire school simply isn't currently cost effective.

Week 12, Movie and Listserv

The Listserve through Google was a very simple part of this assignment. The walkthrough was very to the point and easy to follow. I had no problem setting up my Listserv and sending out a few invites to join it. I can really see the practicality of a mailing group such as this. It would be very convenient to set up a group for students, parents and even other teachers to do mass emails about assignments, upcoming events and other things such as that. Listserv mailing lists are definitely something I will be utilizing.

The movie was not quite as simple and quickly done. I had a bit of a bumpy start. I first realized that my computer was not equipped with Windows Movie Maker. After following a few links through Microsoft's help pages, I found a download link and was on my way. Finding the appropriate pictures for the story I had in mind wasn't too hard. A few Google image searches is all it took to find what I was looking for. I kept the movie down to a mere nine slides to keep things short and sweet. I was happy with the variety of transitions available, and I think I found appropriate ones for my movie. I had a bit of a problem with the narration, though. I was not able to find a narration option in Windows Movie Maker as the tutorial instructed. I assumed it had something to do with different versions of the program. I had to use another provided Microsoft program called Sound Recorder and import the .wav file of my narration into Windows Movie Maker and tweak the frame lengths so everything fit (mostly) right. The actual sound file of my narration came out incredibly soft, and after several tries, had no better luck. So, I apologize if you have to turn your volume way, way up to hear me speaking.

Overall, the movie making assignment was pretty fun and educational. I really think I could get used to using Windows Movie Maker and have a lot of fun while doing it.

Here are the links to my listserv and movie:
Movie

Listserv

Week 11 Reflection Question

1.What is visual literacy? Where and when is it learned? Why is it important? Contrast Internet broadcasts, live cams, and Net meetings. How can each of these Internet-based video technologies be used in teaching and learning?



Visual literacy is the particular set of skills that allows the viewer to accurately interpret the visuals (colors, sizes, logos, symbols) necessary for functioning effectively in our society.

Children acquire visual literacy skills through learning experiences of all kinds. The experiences can take place within or outside of the classroom and are not necessarily subject dependent. With most people, a strong, effective visual literacy is developed by young adulthood. Visual literacy is very important for children because it provides them with the understanding of specific visuals to allow them to succeed in a society dominated by charts, symbols, signs and logos.

Live internet broadcasts of events and performances utilize video streaming that compresses and plays back digital video while it is being received by a video player software that is suited for such. These video software are often free for download from various sources. These live broadcasts are a great way to allow a class to experience, for example, a Shakespearean play from a popular theatrical group being performed across the country. More and more important events and performances are beginning to be broadcasted on the internet for viewing, making it possible to see these events nearly anywhere.

Live internet cams are just that. A live filming camera is connected to an internet that is available for viewing at any point in which the camera is active. The viewer sees exactly what the camera does (approximately) when the camera does. These live cams can be particularly useful in settings such as a science classroom. Some of the larger zoos and aquariums will set up live internet cameras in certain animal enclosures. These can be accessed by a class to view the animal in a naturalistic environment.

Internet meetings are another method of utilizing live internet visuals. With monitors and cameras, people in offices or classrooms can conduct live meetings with each other over a closed connection that only each can see and hear. With internet meetings, a class can meet with another class in another city, state or even country. This is a fantastic way to diversify one's classroom and gain insight from teachers and students from others places in the world.

Week 10, Website Assignment

This was a very interesting assignment. I'd never actually made a website before, so this was a bit intimidating at first. After reading over the tutorial a couple of times, I felt comfortable enough to give it a shot and just dove in. For the most part, it was far easier than I expected. I had a little trouble with picture and text aligning, but for the most part, everything came out pretty well, I think. I think that website creation is definitely one of those things that one gets better at through making more and more of them, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

My Page

Week 8 Project Reflection

This week's projects provided some new tasks with which I was unfamiliar. I had never used or even heard of any of these websites prior to reading the assignment. Since I as unfamiliar with most every aspect of this assignment, it took a good deal longer to complete than the last one, however, once I found my pacing, everything started to go pretty smoothly.

The website evaluation assignment was by far the easiest. Choosing a website was a little tough, but after I picked the one I wanted to evaluate, the assignment went by without a hitch. I chose to evaluate a site on teaching English (literature, composition, creative writing). The site was very simple and it was apparent that the creator didn't have much experience in site creation. While it wasn't much to look at, the content was superb and it was apparent that the creator (a retired teacher of English for over 30 years) knew his stuff.

The web tools portion of the assignment was a little trickier, but after reading over the tutorials, everything came along. The rubric was easily the toughest of the web-tools assignments. After some planning and deciding on a subject, the sections just kind of began filling themselves in. I was rather pleased with the end result. The test and puzzle were exceedingly simple to figure out after reading the tutorials. I decided to stick with my content area for the subject matter for both of them.

Lastly, the trackstar assignment was very daunting. I read over the tutorial several times. However, much like the rubric assignment, the only real hard part proved to be choosing the topic. I decided to go with a unit on Romeo & Juliet as the overlying theme of the track. I included websites that would be useful to students while studying the play, some of which included a site listing and defining various forms of literary devices, some history behind William Shakespeare and Elizabethan theatre, and some guides for better understanding Elizabethan English. All in all, I found the assignment to be useful practice and I think trackstar has real potential for a tool in the classroom.

Here are links to the assignments:

Rubric

Puzzle

Test (with answers)

Trackstar

Website Design

Website Content

Week 7 Reflection Question

3. How can a classroom web site improve communications with students, parents, and community? What is an acceptable use policy? What impact does it have on the use of the Web in the classroom?

A classroom website can be an invaluable too in the hands of an innovative instructor. A well designed and streamlined class website can provide classroom and assignment information to students, teachers and interested administrators both at and outside of school. A classroom website also provides the service of allowing the teacher to provide links to any outside sources that could be useful and/or informative to the students or whoever has taken an interest in what is being taught in the classroom. According to our text, many districts are now allowing class sites to be uploaded to the official district or school website, which makes getting to your particular class's site even easier and safer.
When providing a web source and allowing your students access to the internet while they are in school, some terms of acceptable use should be set forth. This is usually done by a signature from the parents or guardians claiming that they have read and gone over the terms of acceptable use with their child and acknowledge consequences of breaking the aforementioned policy. This goes for teachers as well. They should be well aware of their school's terms of use for internet service and only provide links and information on their site that does not violate the school's policy. Also, it is very important that the instructor not provide any personal information about his or her students on the web page. If any photos or work of the student is to be displayed, permission from a parent or guardian should be obtained first. Just as always, instructors should check their school's terms of use if this situation is ever to arise. Finally, in situations where internet use in provided at school, it is the responsibility of the school to filter internet content. There are many many sites that contain images, videos and information that is inappropriate for children. The school must take responsibility for protecting children from these inappropriate and sometimes dangerous sites.
The internet is really the great innovation of our time and anyone would be hard pressed to find a recent development in technology that rivals its usefulness. However, like many great inventions, the internet is still just a tool. In the hands of a good, creative and careful teacher, the internet is an invaluable source for information and method of organization. In the hands of a not-so-careful teacher, the internet can be a lawsuit waiting to happen. Like most tools of great power, one must exercise great responsibility and constraint to use it safely and effectively.