Week 4 R/D6

In what ways can you use the ideas in chapter 14 in your professional career?
Do you see opportunities where these ideas could help you or your students?

Professional development takes this structured form. As our objectives become more and more structured through curriculum we will see staff training do the same. Administrators will be primed to make sure the training translates into results. Like the story of the rocking chair company(p.138), schools are building infrastructures for systematic programs of professional development. There is a long way to go and a short time to get there, when it comes to technology, and shifts in teaching philosophy. I could make some very clear cut lesson plans and track the progress by adapting Gilbert's behavior engineering model.
Commented on:
Tyler, Reed, Mills, Peltier.

Week 4 Reflection R/D5

Application Question 1a Page 29:
Will Internet and Web have a major impact in educational programs at grades K-12?

Their impact will depend on the purpose behind the the use. Television still struggles to have a place in our classrooms. Our school did away with Channel One, a network news program anchored by students in a very upbeat fun way. But it could not hold their attention. I guess between their own baggage and the pressures of school they just didn't care to hear about news around the world. Instructional television from the 50's and 60's was on the right track, but it was not innovative enough. The purpose was to train in a cost effective way and that was good. But trainees were bored to death. One guy talking at a screen, oh boy. Now we have advanced to the point of huge versatility on the screen. We control instead of just watching. All of our tools and resources are in one spot making the job or training or class more interesting and time efficient. Oh yes, it will have a big impact on educational programs and already is. Many teachers are still resistant and may slow the inevitable, but not for long.
Commented on:
Tyler, Reed, Peltier, and Mills

Week 4 Static Images, Video, and Podcasts (RSS)

This is fun. Podcasts were the trickiest. I'm not sure I fully understand it. But it worked. Students will love the variety of media you can put on the blog. There will have to be some very definite limits. Right now I'm listening to music while working. That will have to be on a personal blog for my students. It would be more distraction than I can stand. But a lecture or historical track on task would be really neat.

Week 7 Favorite Activity

What was your favorite activity of the semester?

All of this was exiting to me. The fact that so much power is at our fingertips. But a couple of tools stand out in my mind. First is screencasting. I love the capability to decribe anything that can be done on the computer while you are doing it. Without being seen you are directing people with your voice. It is comforting to be heard and not seen. It focuses the attention on the task at hand. There is no lack of questions on the operation of computers so the applications are endless. Now when my students need instructions repeated they are just a click away from heard the tutorial again. The pace of instruction is giving more flexibility from user to user. Second, social bookmarking will be a tool I can sink my teeth into. Being able to pool resources with like minded people is useful and powerful. I think of it as a way to get many perspectives on a subject everyone is interested in. The job of collecting online resources becomes much easier if many are contributing.

Week 7 Reflection R/D 13

In Chapter 31, what most made you think "that's so neat!" Why?

I liked the idea about the electronic training jacket and the flexibility it lends the user to train in a variety of situations. Identification using smartcards and embedded chips seems very user friendly. Retinal scan, fingerprint analysis, DNA scan, and voiceprint are all Star Trek coming true. The military is of course leading the way to beef up national defense. But education is going to get big benefits from this technology. Nanotechnology is ther very futuristic idea that seems to be close. It seems to be a miracle worker. The applications are in many ares once it is off the ground. Its power is in the tremendous versatility. If this comes to reality, military and medicine are just the start. Every area of life could be affected. I recommend "Prey" by Michael Crichton for an exciting read on fictional nanotechnology. The other thing to consider is regulation similar to cloning.

week 7 R/D12

There is alot of cool technology out to make learning more enjoyable . There is also alot of technology that complements the learning process. Sometimes uses of media rich tech can be a waste. How people learn dictates what is going to help reach the learned outcomes. The working memory is where the thinking takes place. But it has its limits. Once with the use of prior knowledge a concast is figured out it gets stoed in long-term memory. We process pictures and words. The words are heard or read. Visuals are beneficial, but whether motion visuals are better than still photograghs or drawings is not as clear. Explanation must accompany the visual. Narration according to the modality principle is better than written text on the same page.

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