The Human Factor and Podcasting (Reflection D6)

The Human Factor

I thought that there were quite a few ideas, concepts and/or principles in chapter 14 that could be applied to my professional work. However, I currently feel most strongly about the idea that improving human performance does not require training; but can be done via other means. Sometimes little things such as better work selection procedures and incentives (as stated in the chapter); even appreciation is all that is needed.

I personally would prefer better work selection procedures; I feel that this alone would give me the incentive to continue working hard. It would also give me the incentive to continue trying to keep us from reinventing the wheel. I have been at my job the longest and now have new management; so of the new ideas aren’t so new L

I could see that in some instances, incentives could be good to get students to help others; and to go beyond the requirements of the assignments. And I can also see where better work selection procedures can be put into play. As a teacher, I could select different procedures for students based on some of the things they like to do. For example having a student that likes to draw present a drawing instead of writing and students that like to perform can do a skit (this won’t be for every assignment of course). The students will love this and you will notice the difference in their “performance”.


Podcasting

The podcast link that I choose is a hospital site that was designed to give people information about the types of procedures that they will go through; when they are going to have an operation. It is a cardiac website and has different podcasts on different types of cardiac issues. It was put together by doctors.

I can see podcasting being used for professional development and in the classroom for individual subjects; as an instructional tool. In this way the teacher wouldn’t be the only one imparting information. I could also see this replacing book report presentations for students. It would be a fun way to share the same information with their classmates. Of course they would need the time to do this at school as some may not have access to the tools needed to do this at home.

What Will Be the Impact of the Internet and the World Wide Web (Reflection D5)?

Given the trend in education, I think that the Internet and the World Wide Web will continue to have a great impact on both adult education and higher education. However, I think that its trend of having little influence on the educational programs K-12 will also continue.

When it comes to adult and higher education, I think that the needs of these students dictate the type of instruction that is used. As was stated in Chapter 3, most of these students have jobs, families and are unable to take traditional courses. As a result, the demand for on-line courses etc. is on the rise. The length of time that it takes to complete some of these courses is shortened and innovations like the Internet and the World Wide Web allow these students to get together without physically meeting.

The K-12 system is set up for students to physically get together. It is also designed to last over a longer time span. And although the Internet and the World Wide Web may help them to learn things “faster”; most schools require specific things be covered in specific grades. If they learn everything in Kindergarten, why would they need to continue on? I am being facetious of course.

And of course there are always the dangers of the Internet and the World Wide Web that teachers worry about with K-12 and not so much with adult and higher education programs. I feel that this is a large part of why the Internet and the World Wide Web won’t have as great of an impact on K-12 as adult and higher education.

Issues of the Heart

This is a hospital site that was designed to give people information about the types of procedures that they will go through. It is a cardiac website and has different podcasts on different types of cardiac issues.
http://www.cvmd.org/

Where to Live

Here are some places to live near Chapel Hill in South Carolina.

View Larger Map

Retirement

This is what I plan to do when I retire. Sit next to my loved one and enjoy the scenery:)

Robot Youtube clip

This clip may inspire me to take the on-line animation/editing class this fall :)

Sharing bookmarks, Photos and Techno. Terminology (Reflection Activity 4)

Photo sharing is one piece of instructional media that may be used for learning. I could easily see myself using this in my Theater and English classes and even for the yearbook. In my Theater and English classes, I would have the students find a period piece play and as part of their final project, they would need to share pictures of some of the past productions to show the costumes of the “period” with the class. As for the yearbook; photo sharing would be an easy way to share pictures when you may not be in the same place and need to work on different parts simultaneously.

One concern that I have with photo sharing, is that students may share inappropriate photos or photos that other students may not want them to share (grade school photos; if they are high schoolers etc.). But I think that this should be talked about prior to the assignment and that some guidelines should be instituted.

When I think about guidelines, it really astonished me to “see” how similar the process the authors of Trends & Issues use and the process that I use to develop educational lesson plans are. They analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate and so do I. I am always analyzing to see not only what my students are lacking, but analyzing the tools that I can use to assist them. I design and develop a program that I think will work to improve their knowledge and performance; then implement it. Finally, I come up with a way to evaluate the program to see what data I am given on performance outcomes etc. and if the design needs to be/ or can be modified to reach the goal (if it was not reached).

Photo Gallery

See all the pictures you want at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mynettes/

Sharing bookmarks, photos and techno. terminology (Reflection Activity 3)

I feel that if used ethically, social bookmarking has great value in the field of education. Teachers, administrators and students alike may use it for research purposes. They can give and share information on websites that they find useful and may encounter information and aspects on topics that they had never considered.

It would be great for districts to use in their professional development. Too many times, districts can only afford to send one or two people to conferences etc.; but by using social bookmarking. Those that are able to attend can share information by giving bookmark information so that the district has it and can use it for smaller professional development “conferences” at the individual schools. This will save the district money on copies, other materials and open money up for more conferences and development. This could also enhance the relationships between schools in the district; by picking people from different schools to go each time.

When I think of terms such as social bookmarking and reviewed the definitions in Trends & Issues, I realize how my understanding of the field of Instructional Design and Technology has been enhanced. I used to always think of the field as solely instructional and media driven. But now I realize that it is also the development, evaluation, design and management of those technologies and how to use them to promote specific learning. I was pleasantly surprised about this new information and understanding.

Information Swap

Welcome to the information swap site. Get your free research here

http://del.icio.us/sheenambolton

Wild Wikis

Now that I have found the Wiki, I can't image doing group work any other way. This is great for people that may not be able to get together face to face my much or at all!

It is wonderful to be able to share information, edit and put together group presentations this way. This way, you can put together a presentation in its entirety and present the presentation without being present. This is a whole new way of connecting people; world-wide.

A Wiki could be used in the classroom to work on projects with students from schools from around the world. One such project could be tracking global warming; in which each school does the research about their area and changes over time and all of the information is compiled on the Wiki for presentations. Presentations could be made to the community and Legislators alike.

Blogs, RSS's and Cones (Reflection Activity 2)

My early impressions of using a blog and RSS were that they were something to fear. I was worried about putting too much personal information on them and was worried that mine would be simple and primitive in relation to everyone else’s. I am weak in the area of technology; which is why I took this course.
However, I have since gotten more comfortable with using a blog by simply playing around with it and changing things. I’ve learned that sometimes I make things harder than what they are. It is becoming easier for me to use and fun for me; especially to learn about my own person aesthetic style. I am still somewhat confused about the RSS and all that it offers. I hope to become as comfortable with it as I am getting with my blog.
Because of their nature, blogs and RSS’s are hard to categorize in regard’s to Dale’s Cone. Both are verbal symbols and like Dale says, in most things, there is more than one element. Blogs may contain still pictures and links to video presentations and RSS’s may have links to on-line demonstrations, recordings and a host of other things. Because of the amount of verbal symbols for these two, I guess if I had to choose I would say that they fit at the top of the cone in that area. But they themselves do not have the video presentations or on-line demonstrations; they contain the links. Therefore, is it fair to say that they include these things?
Whether or not, the blog and the RSS’s can be neatly categorized, they both can be used as educational tools in the classroom. For example, the RSS may be used to help the class keep up with specific things that they may be doing projects on. If the class wanted to track the weather trends in specific areas, they could subscribe to feeds that would give them that specific information and highlight anomalies by starring them. To my knowledge nothing else gives you the ability to do all of that from one sight.
Blogs on the other hand may be used to share comments about materials in almost a discussion fashion. Like having a round take without have one. Comments made can be seen by everyone else and responded to in addition to being able to store these for later review. They allow one to see when the latest information was posted and offer participants the ability to respond anytime and anyplace without having to say e-mail everyone individually.

Fun

Here is where to get your quotes of the day.
http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.quotationspage.com%2Fdata%2Fqotd.rss

Celebrities

Get the lastest on your favorite celebrities. http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/user%2F13215524881477221631%2Flabel%2FCelebrities

Response to first two articles

After reviewing both articles, I can say without a doubt that I most akin to Postman. I see both the positive and the negative of technology. For it seems that for every step forward, we end-up coming almost full circle. One example is of CD's and DVD's- both of which can be scratched; so why didn't we keep the record player?

Don't get me wrong, I do like the fact that you can get lots of information from the Internet in a short time. But, because of the abundance of information, there are times when I can't find the simplest things without getting extra information that has nothing to do with what I am looking for.

I agree with Reigeluth and Joseph that "methods that show considerable promise for the new paradigm include problem-based learning, project-based learning, simulations, customized tutorials, peer-assisted learning, and self-regulated learning." However, what happens when technology malfunctions?

Recently, there was an outage and all of the Blackberry's went "black". I joked to my friends about how many of them were standing on the edge of a ledge because they didn't know where they were supposed to be or couldn't call someone. (I also have a good, old-fashioned, day planner). I couldn't imagine a teacher that relies on technology so much that if their computers weren't working, they wouldn't be able to "teach" and therefore, students wouldn't be able to learn.

They are pushing us to go to paperless office at work; and when the computers are down, there is almost nothing we can do. We are virtually paralyzed.

Technology seems to be more about keeping up with the Joneses and seeing who can get the next version of a program first. With every upgrade, something usually goes wrong with some function that worked on the previous version; from my personal experiences.

We should know how to both use technology and "teach" without it and our students should know how to use it and how to operate without it.

I think that Postman was absolutely correct when he said "the great problems of education are of a social and moral nature and have nothing to do with dazzling new technologies." Computers can't teach you what is moral nor social information that only come from interaction with other humans.