Course Reflection

Working with technology has been a passion of mines for over ten years now. To me, informally helping others use technology is as easy as riding a bike. In the past, I have helped coworkers with everything from learning to cut and paste within documents to getting pictures from a camera to a jump drive to setting up virtual field trips to IP conflicts. I am sometimes referred to as the ‘Tech Person’. My strongest point is helping others shine. It is not something I can even attempt to take credit for. It is truly a God-given talent. This semester, I enrolled in IT 645 and IT 636. I found it interesting how I was able to use the information from each class interchangeably. I learned so many new things.

I would have to say my weakest points are my writing ability and poor planning skills. . While I am able to do many things, I struggle when it is time to explain what has been done. Poor planning and writing skills have cost me points on assignments as well as a lot of sleepless nights. This semester, I have been introduced to design models that will help me when planning projects and activities. I have also learned about an assortment of tools that I can use to help me, the students, parents, and coworkers have a very successful upcoming year.

Overall, I would say this has been an exceptional class and a wonderful learning experience. I do not think I have ever enjoyed homework so much. At times I found myself feeling like I was slacking or playing on the computer. It was at those moments that I would stop and remind myself that I was slacking. I was simply doing something I love. When you’re doing something that makes you happy, it’s easy to forget it is actually work. This has been, by far, one of the best classes I have ever taken.

E-Textbook
The first item I must talk about is the textbook. Although it is not required that we discuss this, I feel that I must say something about it. I really enjoyed our textbook. While I have encountered audio books and e-books for the purpose of pleasure reading, prior to this semester, I had never used an electronic textbook. It was a really great part of this course. I was able to read assignments and study in more places than I thought possible. The pre- and post-test features were fabulous. I logged on during lunch and whenever I had a little free time. Throughout the semester, I even found myself showing the website that accompanied the book to the principal, parents, and coworkers. I even used it to demonstrate how far textbooks have come and where they are headed. In the future, I hope I get a chance to use other e-books through mylabschool.com. As a matter of fact, I think all online classes should have e-textbooks. While any class can be difficult without a textbook, an online class can become almost unbearable.

Movie Maker
Movie Maker was new to me. It was hard at first, but I’m glad I learned to use it. I think this would be a great tool for children of all ages. I can see myself using it with elementary students. We have a set of kid-friendly digital cameras. Students could take pictures on a particular subject and present them using Movie Maker. I feel middle and high school students could use the software in even more creative ways. Since the creation of my digital storytelling assignment, I have showed it to numerous coworkers. We are currently considering ways we can use the Movie Maker to enhance lessons and projects across the district.

Web Evaluation
I think teachers should keep a stack of web evaluations near their computers. The form does not have to be as detailed as this one, but a simplified version could prove to be a great asset. Forms could be shared at team meetings or kept in a vertical file in a central location. A database could be created.

Website
Over the years, designing and creating a website have become easier. I remember using some sort of Microsoft software and going through so many steps. Now, Google.com and other sites are offering step-by-step wizard type sites that let you design websites with little or no experience. For the past four years, I have requested a page on the district’s site where I work. Unfortunately, for various reasons, it never materialized. I did not create a site because I did not feel I had time. After creating my site for this class, I decided that within the next three months I will have a site up and running for the library where I work.

Listserv
I had never created a listserv. It was easy to do and I enjoyed it and I immediately saw the usefulness of it. I will definitely be using this feature in the future. I also plan to attempt to get the principal and other coworkers to use it. I think it will be a great asset in our challenge to strengthen the school-parent-community relationship.

Discussion Board
Since I received my Master’s online, I am quite familiar with discussion boards. This feature helped me feel connected to my classmates. I think discussion boards could also strengthen the relationship between parents/community and the school. While everyone may not have time to come to the PTA meeting, people are constantly checking emails and using the internet. I think all PTAs should have discussion boards for important issues.

Flyer
While I have created flyers and announcements for quite some time, I did not do as well as I would have liked on this assignment. My first flyer had too much information and was not really eye-catching. After revising it, it got a little better. However, I don’t feel it was as good as some of the other artifacts I created this semester.

Progress Chart
I can see the usefulness of this tool, however, I do not think I would use it on a regular basis. A number of teachers have access to electronic grade books now. While these grade books might not offer chart features, they come ready to use. There are even a number of them available online for little or no charge. If a chart is needed, Excel can still be used.

Easy Test Maker
Easy Test Maker was exactly that, easy. There was one feature, however, I did not like. I created a test that required the students to provide the answers. Easy Test Maker did not provide a place for me to put answers. This meant I did not have a key. While I know answers vary in this particular format, I would have liked to have a place to at least list specific points. I was not very fond of Easy Test Maker and do not plan to use it in the future unless it is absolutely necessary.

APTE Puzzle Maker
Presenting information in a different format can help children learn. I think the puzzle maker was great. It reminded me of the puzzles available with our textbook. Until this semester, I never thought of using a puzzle in that way. At the beginning of each chapter, I would print the puzzle and see how much I could complete. Once I could not go on, I would start reading the chapter. Of course, this was all after I had taken the pretest. I have not seen many teachers doing anything like this. Puzzles are normally used as busy work and a lot of times, they are not related to the subject areas. I think it would be great for teachers to use the puzzle maker to create worksheets to leave as substitute work as well.

Rubistar
Rubistar is a rubric creator. The alternative to Rubistar would be inserting a table into a Word document and filling in each box in each row and column. Rubistar comes with a host of ready-made rubrics that can be edited or used as they are. Having used this site before, I was not extremely excited about this part of the assignment. If I was actually planning and teaching a unit, the rubric would be created in an early phase. However, for this assignment, the rubric was created behind other artifacts. That made it a little harder to create. There are numerous ways to use rubrics. In the future, I plan to use them more often with various projects. I also plan to help teachers learn to use them more often.

Blog
For quite awhile I have wanted to start blogging on a regular basis. In the past, I blogged off and on. However, this class offered me the first real chance I’ve had to blog on a consistent basis. I also liked the fact that we were in groups of three. That made it easier for us to respond to each other. There was no pressure to respond to a large number of people. It was almost like a group in a regular class. In the fall, I plan to have my students blog on a regular basis. I have already set up the online course using Edu2.0. Blogging helps students improve reading and writing while allowing them to express themselves.

Electronic Portfolio
When carefully designed, electronic portfolios allow all students a chance to really embrace and enjoy learning. Students are allowed to express themselves while creating a various artifacts. Portfolios also help students learn about time management and proper planning. I think we were half way through the semester when I actually realized we were compiling our blogfolio artifacts with every assignment we created. I think the electronic portfolios are great and I plan to use this tool again next semester.

Week Thirteen Reflection

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

Broad bandwidth and wireless networking are giving schools more options than ever when it comes to the technology and experiences being offered to students. Large files and a variety of files are being downloaded in shorter periods of time due to broad bandwidth connections. The better bandwidths helped improve the quality of videos being used.

Wireless networking gives everyone in schools more freedom. Administrators can evaluate teachers using PDAs with Wi-Fi connections. Teachers have the ability to take laptops outside and input grades during recess (if they want to). Students can use laptops and print without being connected to a printer, turning each student’s desk into a PAN.

A number of schools now have interactive whiteboards. While these boards are great additions to classrooms and media centers, they are often limited to the length of the cables connecting the different components. Newer models are coming equipped with Bluetooth technology. Using Bluetooth devices to connect computers to such boards allow teachers and media specialists to better place LCD projectors and laptops.

Week Twelve Reflection

Listserv and Digital Storytelling

The first assignment I completed this week was the listserv. While I have subscribed to several listservs, I had never created one. Again, we used a feature of Google that I did not know existed. As a matter of fact, up until this class, I thought Google only had about three features. The site is loaded with things, though. Using the Group feature to create a listserv was fairly easy. All I had to do was follow the directions provided in the tutorial. I took a little more care creating the listserv, because I actually plan to use it with parents in the near future.

The second assignment was a little harder for me. I put a couple of digital stories together in the past using Photo Story, but they were on the personal level for family reunions or birthday parties. I have never used Movie Maker or done one with a video. The thought of putting a video in a photo story never crossed my mind. This project was filled with problems for me. I was a little nervous about using Movie Maker, because I had never used it before. I didn’t have pictures of anything at first. All I kept thinking was ‘I didn’t take any pictures before I left work. What am I going to do?’ Finally, I remembered that I had Jing on my computer, so I started taking pictures of the different sites we used throughout the semester.

I started playing with the Movie Maker by importing pictures. That part was easy. I knew I wanted a song, but I wasn’t sure which kind of song I wanted to use. After a little thought, I decided to use the Star Wars theme. I thought it was great and would hold the attention of people. I spent quite a while trying to get my song to start at the precise moment of my title slide. It almost drove me crazy. It was actually one of those times when I had to just walk away and come back later. That’s when I decided to work on my narrations. As I am typing this now, I realized that in the Credits I listed myself as the commentator instead of the narrator. Wow! I must have really been tired. As I started narrating my story, I learned that narrations and songs only go together when one or the other is in the actual video. I tried over and over again, unsuccessfully to get the song and narrations to work in the same space, but each time the narrations would push the song down the timeline. Did anyone figure out how to do this? If so, let me know. I ended up using SnagIt to create a video of the sites instead of just taking photographs. I actually liked it better. That allowed me to have narrations and a song. I was also able to control the level of volume on the song and the narrations, but this is a standard Movie Maker feature. Although it wasn't without problems, this assignment was a lot of fun.



4/26/2010 - I have sinced changed commentator to narrator. I really enjoyed this assignment.

Week Eleven Reflection

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 understanding and interpreting of visual information, such as signs and displays. It is learned throughout a person’s life in formal and informal ways. Visual literacy can be learned in many ways. It is an important aspect for all academic subject areas. While a great deal of visual literacy is learned in school, a lot of it is learned outside of school also. It is important to have well-developed visual literacy skills because they help you effectively function in today’s society. Most of us learned early in life to stay away from products that displayed the skull and cross-bone or the green frowning face with the tongue sticking out. These images helped us remember not to touch or take the product they were associated with. Visual literacy has probably saved quite a few lives.

Internet broadcasts are programs that are broadcasted over the Internet live. They can also be made available for later use. In order for viewers to see the programs, a video player must be installed. Teachers can have students listen to and/or obtain information from various programs that are currently being broadcasted over the internet.

Live cams are cameras that take images and transmit the images to a computer. The images are then sent out over the internet. Live cams can allow children to experience settings they would not otherwise be able to experience. Take the cameras found in the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. There are a number of animals with their own ‘shows’. Children can learn about animals they’ve just read about. They can also learn about animals that may not be available at the nearest zoo. With all the education budget cuts, the cameras may prove to be an invaluable virtual field trip tool. While I’ve only mentioned animals, there is really no limit to the areas where live cams could be used. Let’s say I was teaching a cooking class and wanted to show my students how busy the kitchen could be at a certain time of day. If a local restaurant or catering business had a live cam setup, the students could see all the ins and outs of the daily operations.

Net meetings are meetings or interactions between people using video cameras. Participants also have speakers and microphones that enable them to hear and be heard. Teachers can use net meetings as ways to expose students to experts that might not by any other means, be available. If a teacher has access to equipment such as the PolyCom system, virtual field trips can be taken to another level. The PolyCom system consists of two monitors, a video camera that is sensitive to movement, a microphone, and speakers. Not only can students see different exhibits and environments, they can also interact with experts by asking questions or hearing presentations. Students can also interact with students in different schools, cities, states, or even countries. While people on both ends of the camera are able to interact during internet meetings, this is not possible with live cams or broadcasts.

Week Ten Reflection (Website)

Group,

I do apologize for posting so late. I actually forgot about posting after the website. Well, here goes. I have done websites before, but for some reason I couldn't seem to get it together on this one. I have never used Google to create a site, but it was fairly easy. The hard part for me was deciding which information to include and/or exclude. I also feel that if I had taken more time, my site would have been better. I am probably going to make some changes to the site. I forgot a couple links and I wanted to add a few more pages. After all the discussions we've had this semester on planning, I failed to properly plan my website. I drastically underestimated the amount of time needed to complete the assignment. I also didn't take into consideration the fact that I had never used Google. While it was fairly user-friendly, I had to keep reminding myself that most of the changes I needed to make would be achieved by clicking on the 'Edit Sidebar' link and not the 'Edit Page' button. The last thing I couldn't figure out how to do was create and attach a logo. I'm sure the attaching part would have been easy, but I had no idea how to create one. I read the tutorial over and over, but I just couldn't figure it out. I'm sure if someone tells me, I'll feel real bad. It was probably something really easy that I kept missing.

Thoughts and Wonders

Week Eight Project Reflection

The tasks used to complete this assignment are closely related to an actual project my students will be participating in later on this month and next month. Internet safety is extremely serious and I have been trying different methods and lessons to see which ones offer the students the most information. It is also important that the lessons are fun and enjoyable.

I found the tasks associated with this assignment a little daunting. I have never used any of the sites that we had to use to complete them. I was also a little confused when it came to the website evaluations. I kept reading the course schedule, the syllabus, and the email, but I still could not figure out if I was suppose to complete design and content evaluations on one or two websites. In the end, I decided to complete a design evaluation and a content evaluation on one site.

The first task I created was the puzzle. I decided to create a word-find that might be appropriate for second or third grade students. For fourth or fifth grade students, I would create a crossword puzzle. After the puzzle, I decided to tackle the test. While I have never used Easy Test Maker, it was very easy. It reminds me of the Quiz Maker in the Promethean software we use at work. The only problem I had with the Easy Test Maker was that there was no place for me to put my answers to create a key, because all my questions were short-answer.

Creating the rubric was not hard, but trying to make the numbers at the top of each category work with the grades I already used in my Excel sheet was a little interesting. I wanted to use single digits (5, 4, 3, 2, 1), but my grades were based on a 100 point scale. That meant I had to come up with a range. That’s exactly what I did. I used a range and changed the wording on to match the ranges. Well, that’s what I attempted to do. While I am sure it is not the greatest rubric every created, I feel like my fourth and fifth grade students would be able to understand it. For younger students, I prefer to use the three-face rubric. I am sure that is not the formal name for it, but it works really well. One face is smiling, one face has a straight line for a mouth, and one face has a frowning mouth. The students really like it.

Overall, I think the different web tools we used were appealing. They were user-friendly and, most of all, free. That is always a great feature for teachers.

Below are the links for my documents.

TrackStar

Puzzle

Test

Rubric

Web Evaluations

Week Seven Reflection Question

How can a classroom website improve communications with students, parents, and community?

Classroom websites are to present classrooms what the bulletin board was to past classrooms. With all the activities and events happening in classes and at schools, teachers are required to pass on massive amounts of information to students and parents on a regular basis. Sometimes, it is hard to keep up with all of it. Websites, unlike bulletin boards, are far reaching and more convenient.

Having a class site is wonderful for students. In the past, if a student forgot to, did not finish, or incorrectly wrote down information, a teacher would have to be called or the student would have to go without the information until the next day. If the information was homework related, getting it the next day could be too late. Updated and current class sites alleviate this problem. Teachers can post assignments, suggestions, helpful resources, and a host of information for students to use.

Coupled with things like pencasts and podcasts, class sites can be used to show students how to complete assignments or revisit concepts they did not grasp in class. This is also a benefit for parents. Often parents are unable to help children with homework because they do not understand the subject or the student can’t explain what they don’t understand. If a teacher has a video explaining steps or procedures or a pencast/podcast walking through the steps, a parent might be able to watch it and have a better chance of helping the child grasp the concept. Class sites also help parents stay connected to what is happening in the class. While most schools have open-door policies, most parents have jobs that don’t allow them to visit schools on a day-to-day basis. The class website can keep them informed on the day-to-day or week-to-week happenings of the class.

Most schools regularly need volunteers. A lot of times, volunteer opportunities are missed for two reasons. The volunteers didn’t know the need was there and the classroom teacher couldn’t connect with the volunteers. Class sites make it possible for teachers to place requests on the site for volunteers. This, however, can be a tricky situation. In some districts, there are requirements for volunteers. While it is good to use websites to get information out and possible volunteers in, a teacher must make sure to follow the district policy as it relates to volunteer requirements. The class sites also let people in the community know what positive things are happening in the classroom.

What is an acceptable use policy?

While I’m not sure, I would assume most districts have acceptable use policies in place now. An acceptable use policy (AUP) is a set of rules created at the district or school to keep students safe and out of trouble while using the internet. In most cases, the AUP is also in place for employees. The policies tell students, parents, and employees what is and is not acceptable when using school computers and internet related resources. While some districts have extensive, detailed policies, other districts have short, summarized versions. It also states what could possibly happen if the policy is violated. As technology changes and advances, districts and schools should remember to keep their policies updated. A policy from ten years ago might not have any information on the use of social networks, but that would definitely be something to consider today.

What impact does it (AUP) have on the use of the Web in the classroom?

Teachers should be very familiar with their district and/or school’s AUP. Having little or no knowledge of this policy could lead to problems. However, the AUP can be used as a guide to help teachers decide what to include and what to leave out when designing and creating the class sites. It is also good to know what to do when students use the internet to complete assignments.

Week Six Reflection Question

Reflect your working experiences on these projects in your blog and link the projects

This week we worked on three different projects. I completed them in the following order: flyer, progress chart, and PowerPoint quiz. While I have worked extensively with all of the software required for this assignment, I found challenges in completing each one.

The Flyer

I started designing my flyer before I looked at the examples. I did it this way because I did not want to be influenced by the examples unless I got a mental block. As I do with all my fliers and posters, I started by simply typing the information that would go on the flyer. This was done in no particular font or size. Whatever the default is, that is what I use. I do it that way so I can always make sure I have the necessary information. Sometimes we can get wrapped up in the creative process and forget important information. I have found that having the information in plain sight helps keep me on track. After I put my information down, I started playing with the various backgrounds and boards. I looked at some templates, but I just could not seem to find anything that I wanted to use. I ended up going with a pattern that was a little outlandish, but I thought it was interesting. I have never used it before. I think it was called Rice Paper. I can’t remember where I found it on the toolbar now, but I don’t remember it being with the regular backgrounds. Once I got the background nailed down, I decided to play with my information. Because of the way the background is shaded, I put a certain amount of text in each section. I wanted to use a different font, but the one I ended up with went better with the background than the one I wanted. While attempting to get my information straight, I wasn’t sure I had enough information on my flyer. I had the requirements, but I felt as if something was missing. That’s when I decided to take a look at the examples. I added a small description about what would be happening during the meeting. Well, actually I added an entire paragraph, but that made the flyer have too much information. I managed to narrow it down to what appears on the final product. For the most part, the flyer was fairly easy.

The Progress Chart

Entering data into the spreadsheet for the Progress Chart was easy. The hard part came when I was attempting to decide which chart I wanted to use and what I wanted to chart. I decided to chart a couple of different assignments and the average of the students’ grades.

The PowerPoint Quiz

This was, by far, the hardest of the three parts. While I have worked with PowerPoint extensively, I have never used it to create a quiz. Creating the slides was fairly uneventful. The problems started when I tried to link the wrong answers to the ‘Try Again’ slide. The animation worked when I clicked on it the first time. However, after I went back to the previous slide and chose another wrong answer, the slide would not work properly. I searched Microsoft Help in the PowerPoint software and at Microsoft.com. I also googled the problem. The best solution I found was to duplicate the slide and attach a separate slide to each answer. If anyone knows of a better way to do this, it would be greatly appreciated.

GoinsTPPTQuiz
GoinsTProgressChart
GoinsTFlyer

Week Five Reflection Question

2. Define database management software and describe how you might use it to help you in teaching responsibilities. How might you construct a learning assignment for your students that used this productivity tool?

According to the textbook, database management software (DBMS) is defined as a software system that can be used to easily and quickly record, organize, access, and extract information electronically from stored data. This type of software offers more options than tables and spreadsheets do in certain areas. It has the capability to isolate data from particular fields instead of having to use an entire set of data. Queries can be created to find information based on specified criteria. Database management software also has a feature that allows the user to create professional looking reports.

Until I read Chapter 5, I had not realized just how much and how often I depend on and use database management software. In the library media center, I use an automated system called Athena. This system has all the basic features of database management software. I have the capability to enter patrons and books, search for books in the collection, and create reports and notices. For years, those were the only features I used. In the last year, though, I have learned to use it to keep track of equipment as well.

Using an automated system in the media center makes the library experience a lot easier for patrons and for me as well. Unfortunately, students and teachers forget to return books on a regular basis. Athena has a feature that helps me gently remind them to return the materials. I can print lists of overdue books or fine notices with a few clicks. Each year, students are required to learn to search for books using Athena. They are able to conduct searches by pictures, keywords, subjects, titles, authors, or combinations of these. Students can also create and print bibliographies from the searches they conduct.

Our students have access to Microsoft Access. They could use the software to create a database for information found as a result of completing the Cinderella around the World project. In the project, students read different versions of Cinderella. They could use a form created in Access to input key points from each version. Students could search for their favorite version based on the name of the main character, the problem the main character faced, the item the main character lost, etc. The software could basically be used in a variety of ways with projects where children need to keep up with various data, but do not necessarily have to compare the data.

Week Four Reflection Question

1. What is a computer virus and how is it transmitted? What can you do to protect your computer?

A computer virus is a program created and used to damage, disrupt, or destroy a computer system. A virus can cause temporary or long-term damage. Viruses can range from those that cause minor nuisances, such as pop-ups, to those that cause entire systems to crash. A system crash could cause a user to lose all data. That is why it is important to backup information on a regular basis.

Although the most recent copyright date on our textbook is 2008, it appears that some information has been omitted or is definitely outdated. The book mainly mentions viruses being transferred from computer to computer by floppy disks and only vaguely discusses the internet as a source. There is no mention of viruses being transferred in other ways. I guess this is something we must get used to when dealing with technology, the constant evolution of problems and solutions.

Removable storage devices (disks and jump drives) can still be the culprit of transferring viruses from computer to computer. However, a lot of viruses today are transferred from newer sources. Emails, attachments to emails, advertisements, and a wide range of fake programs can all carry viruses. They can also be transferred by downloads and instant messenger systems. Spyware can also be transferred in these ways. While spyware is not the same as a virus, it can cause similar problems.

There are ways to protect your computer from viruses. Following several simple rules will help keep your system safe. First of all, do not open emails or email attachments from people you do not know. Even if a name seems familiar, be careful. People have ways of mimicking parts of email addresses. In the past, I have received emails from an address where the customizable part was identical to mines. However, the address provider was unfamiliar. There are also emails sent with dates thirty years from now. Obviously, those kinds must be deleted. Viruses are not always as easily identified. In your email account, make sure unfamiliar emails go to your SPAM or JUNK folder. If you are unsure of the sender or feel uncomfortable about it, do not open it. If you do not know what the attachment is, it is best to leave it unopened until you can verify the content. Remember to periodically check for updates for programs. Updates contain information that may help prevent viruses from attaching to or harming certain programs. It is also important to have some sort of antivirus software. There are a number of brands available. As with most technology, the prices and features of antivirus software vary. Each user needs to determine what is best for their systems.

Week Three Reflection Question

2. What roles do educational technologies play in teaching and learning?

Educational technologies are what you make them. Depending on the usage, they can be a blessing or a curse. If a teacher properly plans and uses the technologies effectively, the benefits are many. They can make lessons or units more interesting and/or enjoyable for students and teachers. They can also help foster independence and autonomy. Various forms of technologies can be used to help teachers meet students where they are in the learning process. An example of this would be having struggling readers listen to audio books as they read along.

Educational technologies can also be a key ingredient in a recipe for disaster, if a teacher does not properly plan and haphazardly throws a lesson together with mismatched technologies. If the proposed method does not match the media or its intended purposes, the use of technology can actually be a hindrance, in which case it should be left out altogether. Teachers must select media that will enhance or improve the unit, lesson, or part of the lesson. An LCD and a computer used to play a DVD while a teacher completes paperwork is not effectively using technology. Adding media just because of availability is not an option.

Educational technologies are not replacements for teaching methods. They must also be appropriate for the students involved. If something is too advanced or too simple, there could be problems. In the case of being too advanced, students could easily become frustrated. If simplicity is the problem, student s might become bored with the lesson and tune out any efforts made by the teacher. That is why it is so important to keep the learners in mind. With greater emphasis being placed on differentiating instruction, educational technologies offer teachers more ways to cater to the varied learning styles of students. Auditory learners might be in a center recording themselves reading unit-related material to each other, while kinesthetic learners are in another center creating unit-related mini-projects using laptops. Teachers can use media to help students get a better understanding of complex concepts.

Technology opens up a world of opportunities for growth and understanding of other cultures. Group projects can be done without confining anyone to a particular room, school, state, or even country. Educational technologies can also be used to help keep parents, students, and teachers in touch. Teachers can post assignments to a classroom blog or use an email system to communicate with parents. Students can hold discussions by posting to discussion boards or commenting on the postings of other students.

Week Two Reflection Question

2. My understanding on different learning styles and its influence on learning.

Learning styles are the ways and conditions under which people learn best. It is important for teachers to be familiar with the learning styles of their students. This is vital information to remember when planning lessons and activities. Knowing how the students learn best can provide teachers and students with more enjoyable experiences. However, some teachers may feel that it is becoming increasingly harder to accommodate different learning styles. The responsibility of providing more information to more students with less funding and less flexibility for teachable moments can prove to be extremely overwhelming. Nevertheless, teachers must remain diligent in their attempts to reach students in the most meaningful ways. According to the Chapter One, not distinguishing between the different learning styles of students can result in unnecessary barriers of communication between teachers and students (p. 14).

Until I started working at a school that embraced Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences theory, I did not fully appreciate the practice of varying learning experiences for students. However, I have watched students truly blossom when given the chance to respond to activities in ways that best suit them. At the beginning of each school year, all of our students complete a Multiple Intelligences inventory. The ‘smarts’ and MI are even mentioned in the school creed recited by students every morning.

School Creed

‘I believe that I have Smarts potential. I will listen. I will read. I will write. I will use my brain to think, to learn with all my might. I know how I learn and I can tell you why. I believe in myself because I’ve got MI.’ (This was written by the school's first principal.)

Since Chapter One dealt with learning styles, I decided to complete a learning styles inventory. The internet offers a number of online inventories. Although most are not free, learning-styles-online.com offers a 70 statement inventory that is somewhat free. Of course, there are some features that you can pay for. The inventory provided scores in the following areas: visual, logical, aural, verbal, social, and solitary. My highest scores were in logical or mathematical style and aural or musical style. The logical style students tend to like math and finding connections between different things. The aural style speaks to my musical side. Below are my results. They also give you a graph to review. However, it was copyrighted, so I decided not to paste it. I found them very interested and fairly accurate. They also lined up with my dominate Multiple Intelligences (Logical and Musical).

Style Scores
(The highest score available under each style is 20.)

Visual
7
Social
11
Physical
10
Aural
16
Verbal
14
Solitary
10
Logical
17

Introduction to Me

Warning!!! I love to talk (type) and laugh. That means this could be a little long. Feel free to tell me if I start sharing too much in the future. My name is Tiwari McLain Goins. This is my first course on the long, long road to my Ph.D. in Instructional Technology and Design. From 7:30 AM – 6:00 PM, I play the following roles: surrogate mother, Library Media Specialist, Junior Beta Club sponsor, RIF coordinator, mediator, and 21st Century After School teacher. At 6:00 PM, I rush home and prepare for my favorite role. . . WIFE. I’ve only been married for five years, so we’re still pretty new at all of this. However, I feel like this is the year we’re going to get it right (LOL). I’ve had quite a few online classes. I actually earned my MLIS online from USM. I have been using Microsoft products for approximately ten years. In the past, I’ve also taught teachers to use the products. While I use Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on a regular basis, it has been a while since I used Access or Publisher. I would have to say that I am fairly comfortable with the Office products. I’ve never used Concept Mapping or HyperStudio, but I’m very interested to learn more about them. I love using the internet and all things related to technology (I had a Commodore 64 when I was in the first or second grade). I dabbled with the internet long before I even considered doing something productive like taking classes. I had WebTV years ago. I’ve been emailing and chatting for about eleven years now. While I was working on my last degree, I became very familiar with the listserv and discussion board. I prefer chatting to discussion boards, but I can use either method. A couple of summers ago, I won a grant to fund an Intel Essentials Course training session. For a week, I helped ten teachers learn to create unit plans. We worked with blogs, web-based document sharing, WIKIs, etc. Although they seemed to enjoy the week, the majority of them acted like the process of creating the lessons was cumbersome and tedious. I don’t think any of them are currently using what they learned. I truly felt like I didn’t get them to understand how important technology can be to the learning experience. Hopefully, in this course I will learn to help others understand how effectively using technology can make learning more interesting and fun.