Technology applications in education (Educ.205)

Rethinking Educational Technology

2008-04-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a great article that discusses the need for different rhetoric when it comes to educational technology. It is very easy to either be on one side or the other - as in to either see technology as the greatest thing since sliced bread, (which it isn't always), or as the worse thing to hit the classrooms, (an antiquated approach to classroom technology if ever there was). There does have to be a happy medium. A realisation that technology can bring advantages to the learning experience but that it shouldn't diminish the role of the teacher or the learning journey of the student.

Smart Thinking About Educational Technology

High schools offer online classes

2008-03-27T05:34:00.000-07:00

Bit late blogging this week but I'm quite glad I am as yesterday I heard an interesting program on online courses for high schools. It got me thinking about all the technology we use and that essentially if it wasn't for technology our class wouldn't take place. What I love about this class is that you guys use the technology you're learning about as a medium to help you learn. For example you listen to a podcast to learn about podcasts or watch a YouTube video to learn about YouTube. I just think that's pretty cool.

Anyway check out the article. It's great that high school students who are in remote areas have the opportunity to tae a wide range of subjects thanks to online technology.

Public Schools Expand Curriculum Online

Where are you?

2008-03-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

What? You're still on break? But didn't you...weren't you...don't you guys do any work? Oh, just a bit? Just for this class? That's all right then.

Easter week this week so no class tasks scheduled. Enjoy. Back to blogging and forums next week.

There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin;
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven and let us in.

Taken from the hymn There is a Green Hill Far Away by Cecil F. Alexander

And from one of my all time favourites, apparently dating myself once again...Jesus Christ Superstar

California Dreaming - Happy Spring Break!

2008-03-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

So while most of you are sunning yourselves on the coasts of Florida and Mexico, those of us stuck here in the Fort are most definitely envying you. While I loved the original by the Mamas and Papas I thought it only fitting to play the Beach Boys' version. Oh my God, I'm REALLY not this old!!!!

Continuum

2008-03-03T17:03:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a nice bit of continuation from last week's post and link Team based e-learning turns a new page. In my ever feeble attempts to make you think more globally, more internationally, more hey-there's-a-big-wide-world-out-there, one of the points I liked about this article was the collaboration aspect. Don't limit yourselves to collaboration with just your fellow Indianans, look across the globe! Encourage your students to develop international friendships and penpals through technology mediums such as email or Skype video. Form a bond with another class in another country. Learn and grow and accept that the world is so much bigger than our small corner of the wondrous universe.

And because we're talking about multi-media and hyper-media in this third Learning Block, even though we looked at YouTube as a medium for online technologies, the concept of video falls firmly under this LB. This is one of my favourite songs and falls nicely into what I'd like you as future educators to think about for this Learning Block. Media is an amazing tool for breaking down barriers, reaching across the globe and establishing learning and teaching developments that you'll never find in a university lecture hall.

Learning by doing

2008-02-25T15:22:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a neat article, particularly in light of one of our earlier Discussion Board forums where we discussed the difference between constructivism and objectivism. Most of you declared yourselves to be constructivists and this article emphasizes the importance of the "doing" when it comes to learning and having feedback.

Education in the Third Dimension

This is a great example of how technology is moving forward to make the learning process more interactive, provide more instant feedback and making knowledge acquisition a virtual interaction.

Word reliance & nostalgia

2008-02-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

I've just finished reading all your posts from this week's Discussion Board forums and out of everything one thing really struck me. Someone, (no names don't worry!) wrote, and I'm ad-libbing here, that programs such as Word were fantastic because students didn't need to worry about their spelling and punctuation because the computer essentially did it for you. I absolutely, positively cringe whenever I hear this. I love technology, it's my job, it's something I take more than a passing interest in. But to hear that kind of reliance on a software program just grates me. The number of papers I read and grade where students have obviously relied totally on Word to correct it, only for Word to put in the incorrect spelling of the word, i.e. hear instead of here, is astonishing. You absolutely cannot think that a software program is any kind of substitute for proper and correct spelling and grammar. Yes, a program such as Word is helpful and does allow you to catch mistakes that you might not otherwise, but you know what, learn to proofread! Learn how to spell properly, learn where your correct punctuation goes. Learn to read through a paper when it's finished and you, the student, to catch the mistakes.

Okay rant over.

On a less school-mistressy note, this article made me smile particularly because just the other day my husband and I were playing Pac Man and I was commenting on how I didn't grow up on video games, (poor, deprived Boarding school child that I was) which led to a nostalgic discussion on all the other games he remembers...Space Invaders, Galaga, etc. There is something to be said about old school technology.

Valentine worms

2008-02-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. I hope you all enjoyed lots of chocolate and maybe even received some cool technology for Valentine's Day.

I found this article on several news / technology sites and thought it was quite interesting. We use email so much and while we are all aware of Spam and how annoying it is, so many people still open emails from senders they don't know or recognize. If you don't know the sender or suspect anything untoward about an email don't open it. The repercussions are just not worth it.

Happy Valentine's Day From the Storm Worm

Music makes the world go round

2008-01-28T12:43:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but for me one of the most exciting ventures about technology was software such as iTunes or online music tools such as Last.fm coming into play. I love music. I'm a firm believer that every life needs a soundtrack, (I have very bad taste in music, italian pop music being my music du jour - my life soundtrack is Nek's Cielo e Terra, posted below for your viewing pleasure :)). Anyway while I love iTunes at the end of the day you still have to buy the songs/albums you like. Not that I'm opposed to purchasing music. I'm married to a rockstar, I know music sales put food in my tummy! But I'm also often wanting to listen to a song once or twice, as in a whole song, not just the snippet that iTunes allows you. Well now Last.fm has updated their online service that you can listen to a streamed song in its entirety up to three times. And while this may not be the all-free, open source that some folks want, it's a pretty major step.

If you've not checked them out already do so, it's a great site Last.fm. Another great site is Pandora, a personalised radio station/music site. And so as not to diss iTunes, because they are after all FANTASTIC, enabling Bob and I to create our amazing and fun-filled podcasts and vodcasts and allow you to directly link from Blackboard into iTunes U, here's a link to them too!

Last.fm debuts free music service

NPR tidbits

2008-01-21T13:44:00.001-08:00

While Bob is a geek in that video gamer, tech gadget sort of way I am a geek in that listen to NPR, BBC Radio 4 and laugh at slurs in Latin and Shakespearean English kind of way. I listen to a lot of NPR, (waiver: please note my political views are based on far more than simply radio commentaries) and love it because I learn so much from it. If you haven't checked out Science Friday with Ira Flatow, you should. It's broadcast in Second Life - how totally cool is that? I digress...so this morning two stories were played that I though were interesting and somewhat relevant to our current Learning Block, the first is about internet scammers (remember, always be safe and secure on the web!) and the other is about Med Surg students using the Wii as a learning tool. Click on the links to listen.

Internet scammers find a new approach

Surgery trainees warm up using video games

MacBook Air

2008-01-19T17:42:00.000-08:00

Complete and utter lusciousness. Did Bob and I mention we are Mac addicts...way past the helping or intervention stage. We're totally intravenous Mac at this point.

Oh, and because Mac adverts always have the coolest music. The song is New Soul by Yael Naim and if you don't know this Israeli singer, check her out. Elle est merveilleuse!

Welcome to Educ.205!

2008-01-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Educ 205 for the Spring semester. I'm happy you can join Bob and I as we venture forth again with another installment of our illustrious class. Scared of technology? Unsure of what it means to blog, YouTube or even Second Life? Worry not, by the end of the class you'll be techno-geeking with the best of them.

I try and post current technology news and information in this blog on a weekly basis. I'll try and make it education related where possible but first and foremost I want you to start being aware of the technology around you and so by keeping you updated and aware of how technology is progressing and changing you'll hopefully start taking note of what's out there.

Technology has become a mainstay in education and to think that teachers and educators can get by without it is, to put it bluntly, an antiquated way of thinking. Don't get me wrong, I still truly believe that if you have a good teacher who is passionate about their subject and their students, no amount of technology will make the learning experience better. But technology can help make things real for students and for students who may be special needs in any way, technology allows them to learn in a way not previously possible. For me technology in education means globalisation. It means if you work in a low income area where state funds for schools are non-existent, that trip to Rome can still happen. So it's via the internet but students can set up email exchanges, a joint blog between an Indiana classroom and a Roman one is completely realistic. Learning becomes so much more that words on a page or pictures in a texbook. Streaming video, online games, virtual learning environments....there is so much at a teacher's fingertips. And as Bob always says, you are limited only by your imagination.

See you in the classroom for our introductory session on Thursday 17th January.

Ciao!

It's a wrap

2007-12-14T04:50:00.000-08:00

It's the end of semester, final grades are posted and we are officially done with this class. It has been an absolute pleasure teaching you all and I hope that you have learned some cool and exciting new things about technology. Don't fear technology, as I said in my final announcement jump in with both feet and you'll be surprised at what you can achieve and are capable of.

And because, along with Facebook, YouTube is one of our favourite technologies I'll leave you with some of my favourite festive tv segments from the folks at SNL.

Happy Christmas, Happy Hanakkah, Happy Winter Solstice...

Part 2

2007-11-29T07:10:00.001-08:00

Here's the second part of yesterday's NPR report on online courses. This segment focuses more on the technology demand from students and the changes we are seeing in the student population, with regards to how they want and expect to obtain information. Interestingly the report ends with a comment on M-learning or mobile-learning; learning where lectures and podcasts and course information, etc are dumped/delivered to a user's mobile phone. Japan and some universities in England have been doing this for a while now.

Illinois School Looks to Tech Tools to Teach
Audio link

Online courses easy?

2007-11-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

I heard this report on NPR this morning and even though it's unlikely that any of you will be teaching online classes in elementary of even high school, (but who knows, as you've all learnt, technology often moves and develops much faster than we expect), I thought seeing as you are all participants of an online class you would at least find it interesting. Part of my job as Instructional Designer here at St.Francis is to assist Faculty thinking about teaching their class online, typically through Blackboard, with translating their traditional classroom content into online material. What's interesting to me is that most people think online classes, whether teaching or being taught virtually, is an easy option. As an instructor of an online class I readily disagree with this! I'm interested to know what you guys think as students of an online class. Hmn, maybe that will be our last Discussion Board forum (yes, there's still one left I'm afraid!) but feel free to post your comments here!

Here's part 1 of 2 of the report from NPR on Online Courses in Higher Education:

Online Courses Catch On in U.S. Colleges
Audio link

Thanksgiving writer's block

2007-11-20T12:36:00.000-08:00

Before writing this post I went in search of a little inspiration, something suitably Thanksgivingy and suitably technology. I fired up my Mac (a great line from my favourite song by Brad Paisley) and googled 'Thanksgiving technology'. Needless to say I was not entirely impressed with my search results. So then I typed in 'turkey technology' which brought up technology related to, yes, not the bird but the country. But then a few words down, Bernard Matthews, caught my eye and I though a-ha! Bernard Matthews is one of England's turkey producers. A little bit of technology on how to make our Christmas fare juicer and more succulent perhaps? No, a very boring article on the fact that they implemented the Avantis EAM system from Invensys, (which was kind of cool to read in the end because Invensys was one of my clients when I worked back in the drudgery of International Corporate Relocation - nowhere near as exciting as it sounds I assure you!). So still stuck sans anything to write about Thanksgiving that is technology related I shall instead leave you Brad's little ditty and wish you a very happy Thanskgiving. Enjoy your time with your families and enjoy your week of no blogging! (Although unfortunately do remember that your LB 4 project is due on Sunday evening). Almost there guys!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Une petite technologie européen

2007-11-15T11:26:00.000-08:00

It's highly possible that I'm in danger of repeating myself but I wanted to turn your attention to a cool e-newsletter I subscribe to called ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) Results e-Bulletin. In the words of ICT..."ICT Results is an editorial service created for the European Commission to showcase EU-funded ICT research and activities." The newsletter essentially provides links to ICT's recent projects, all of which involve new and emerging technolgies and many which relate to education. Although it comes from the EU Commission, it's highly relevant to you and as I'm always saying, the exciting thing about technology is that it allows you as teachers of tomorrow, to reach far beyond your physical classroom. Global communication and collaboration is one of the best ways to broaden your students' minds and get them thinking about the world at large. We are no longer confined to learning or teaching within the confines of bricks and mortar...it's up to you to reach beyond such confines and step onto the technology globe.

To subscribe to the ICT Results e-Bulletin go to their homepage at http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/index.cfm?section=home&tpl=home, click on News & Features in the top left menu box and then select e-Bulletin.

Big Mac, and a side of Coldplay please.

2007-11-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

As we're beginning the slow descent to the end of term I want to encourage all of you to continue blogging about technology in education. We've finished our chapter reading and have no more quizzes so I'm sure the self-motivation is going to wane a little. However this is now the perfect time to start being more aware of the technology around you, not only in the classroom but everywhere else in your daily lives. If you haven't already I encourage you to subscribe to some podcasts related to technology and education, read the papers, check out some websites, make technology relevant to you, personally.

I've been thinking a lot about social technology lately - you know the whole Facebook, Second Life, MySpace, online social networking phenomenon. Facebook have just announced their move towards social advertising; that is taking a user's shopping and lifestyle preferences and habits and using them to advertise directly to that user's friends. So for example, if Jeff buys the latest Coldplay album he can choose to have that broadcast out to his friends network, along with an advertisement from Amazon. Does anyone else see a massive potential privacy issue here? Of course for many of the college and high school generation, posting one's social life acitivites on the web is done without a second thought so maybe for many of those using Facebook, having their picture posted next to the latest copy of Harry Potter isn't a problem. Facebook has always been pretty good about responding to its users so it'll be interesting to see what users make of this next development.

Marketing preferences - Facebook

And because it's Friday, some gratuitous advertising fun from my homeland, extremely loosely technology related!

Translation for the next one: CO = Commanding Officer, MP = Member of Parliament, queue = line.

Because I love Transformers...

You just can't go wrong with the ole' Mac v. PC ads

Hardware and...Macs...again

2007-10-30T08:43:00.000-07:00

If I admit it, the hardware is my least favourite part of classroom technology, at least it was until I got my....yep, I'm predictable...my Macbook! And really, the reason I actually now enjoy this particular piece of hardware is because it does everything. Combined with super-cool software and fun applications, a Mac makes hardware a breeze. Sidenote: I've just realised that Bob's last post was Mac-related. Sorry guys, we're a bit like a broken records aren't we? Anyway, as many of you will already have experienced putting together your youTube videos, doing your podcasts, etc is a bit of a hassle with your regular ole' Windows-based PC. You've got to plug in the mic, fix up the camera, make sure you've got the software installed to capture your video and audio and then perhaps you have to compress it and reformat it, just so you can share it online or hand it into your instructor for grading :). Not so with my Mac. A tap on the mouse pad to launch Garage Band from my dock and I'm recording a podcast, a little bit of a play and I'm uploading a file into iMovie and creating a slick little vignette. It's so easy and none of the hassle other than a learning curve, which quite frankly, ain't much of a curve at all. More like a straight line really. However I am fully aware that none of you (well, maybe the very lucky few) are going to walk into a school environment and see a Macbook sitting on every desk. So because of that Bob and I are going to introduce you to some old school technology, you know, like over-head projectors and ELMOs and mics that you actually have to plug in and video cameras that you have to hold. So make sure you sign-up for one of the hands-on tech hardware sessions this Thursday, Friday morning or Monday. Session times are listed on Blackboard, under Learning Block 4: Hardware.

Also, I came across this article and thought you guys might find it useful for ideas, seeing that your next LB project (due end of week 13, don't worry, you've got ages!) will be a camera-based scenario. It's actually a great site for lesson plan ideas although many of you seem to have done a great job of sourcing your own.

Podcast thoughts

2007-10-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

In this Learning Block we're looking at media, in particular podcasting and vodcasting, (for a further explanation of what a podcast is please review the PODCAST chapter, in LB 3, on the Blackboard course site and listen to the podcast!), but I just wanted to share my thoughts on the whole concept of podcasts. I've always loved radio and if it was a choice between radio and tele, radio would win hands-down. My favourite radio station is Radio 4, a British BBC station. The closest thing here in the States would be NPR but it's not as overtly liberal and in my opinion the quality of the programming far superior. Perhaps becuase it's far more varied than NPR. One of my favourite transmissions is Book at Bedtime. They take a book and read portions of it every night for about fifteen minutes. When I lived in London it was typically the last thing I heard before falling asleep. While the BBC doesn't offer a podcast for Book at Bedtime they do offer the ability to download the last seven days broadcast and listen to it through their media player. I used to listen to books on tape a lot and I did a lot of language learning in the car from CDs or tapes. Now all of this I do through podcasts. I'm able to download French and Italian radio programmes or segments of and play them at my convenience on my iPod. I can learn about the latest technology through tech specific podcasts from some of the top universitity professors and industry specialists. I can keep in touch with the latest English parliamentary scandals and be aware of what colours I should be including in my Autumn wardrobe.
The globalising effect that podcasting has enabled is huge. Particularly in education. Podcasting, and I'm including vodcasting in that label too, opens up information to students in an easily usable package whose versatility only enhances its breadth of subjects. It's the ease of use and simplicity of podcasts that makes it appealing and I for one, have jumped fully on the podcasting bandwagon.

Just a reminder of your bonus point opportunity for this Learning Block - find and listen to a podcast for a week and then comment on your blogs. I'd like to read your thoughts and feelings on the genre of podcasting and how you feel it can be used in your classrooms. Remember to include the subscription link or URL to your chosen podcast on your blog entry. Also, as an FYI, Bob and I will shortly be posting instructions and how to videos on creating your own pod/vodcast on Blackboard, so that you'll be able to successfully complete your LB 3 project. Doesn't it feel like you just finished a Learning Block project?!

Friends, Romans, countrymen

2007-10-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

One of my major passions, other than geeky technology, Formula 1, Italy and clothes, is the ancient world, particularly ancient Greece and Rome. If any of you read my introductory post on the Discussion forums at the beginning of term you'll know that my degree is actually not in technology but in Classical Civilisation. My ultimate job, (other than being a spy for MI5 or MI6 or working for the NATO Defense College in Rome), is to work at the British Museum, spending my days poring over tiny bits of pottery, testing the warped bronze shields and polishing jagged spears, translating texts and flicking my toga over my shoulder when it gets in the way...so you can imagine my barely contained excitement when I discovered that thanks to the marvel of technology ancient Rome has been digitally recreated as an "ancient virtual city". The project is based out of the University of Virginia whose project directors are working with the Politecnico, (Polytechnic - do you guys even have those in the States? They gave all of our polytechnics university status in England back before I went to college), di Milano. It's kind of like looking at a Second Life Rome. Pretty darn cool. And it's all because of technology and it's education! Neat stuff hey, guys?

Rome Reborn

Article on Rome Reborn: an ancient virtual city

Britons as social networking champions

2007-10-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

As referred to many times on my "other" blog, I am a bit obsessed with Facebook. Now I know it's just due to cultural disposition...

Britain's '11 minutes a day' Facebook habit

Recently I also mentioned the not particularly impressive state of wireless networking in the UK. What I also didn't mention was that the concept of being able to scam off someone's wireless for free just doesn't exist. Any wirelessaccess is England is firmly shut behind passwords and encryptions and a whole host of barriers and secrecy. Thus even if there is wireless in your immediate vicinity the chances of you connecting to it are rather limited. So I was interested to read this article from the (London) Times today. Britons are naturally cagey and protective, not wont to sharing information let alone personal information and the idea of laying oneself open to someone nicking personal information through an unprotected wireless network seems, well, just stupid.

Globally wireless

2007-10-04T10:04:00.000-07:00

In relation to my last post and the absence of and related to some of your blogs, well to Scott's actually who noted he had just got FIOS TV, I wanted to blog about connectivity. I've had FIOS internet for about a year and recently got FIOS TV. While I can live without the TV I have to say that FIOS internet is the best thing ever invented. How I managed without it I just don't know. It's superlatively brilliant. This brings to an interesting point. As you know in England last week I was pushed to find a wireless connection and the concept of FIOS seems to be pretty unheard of. Some time ago I heard a radio programme, (which I'll try and find the trasncript of...found it, here's the transcript), regarding fibre-optic internet - for those of you who don't know this is what FIOS is, Fibre Optic Internet Service. The reporter was talking about it being introduced in Paris. Because of the age of the communciation systems and the wiring throughout the city and in the old houses it's really problematic to install fibre optic. But they've managed it and it's starting to be offered. Meanwhile in England a spokesperson from some government entity responded that it would cost 10 billion GBP to get fibre optics installed to 90% of homes. Currently the UK's leading telecommunications company provides an average speed of 8Mbps. To compare, Verizon FIOS average is 15 / 2 Mbps.

What, no internet? Arghhhh...

2007-10-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

I know I didn't blog last week but I have a great excuse, no really I do. And it's totally technology related. It was my brother's wedding last week so I hightailed it back to England for four days to watch my baby bro marry his girlfriend of ten years. As always, even when "off-duty" and travelling I had my Mac firmly clutched in my hands. Due to inclement weather at Chicago I was delayed at Fort Wayne airport for four hours (oh yes, that is totally the place to be delayed I can tell you), so I made full use of their free wireless, sorting out the usual Blackboard nightmares and the like. Finally I was on the plane to Chicago and then to London. Although I knew I was about to face twenty-four hours sans internet - my mum's cottage is in the depths of the English countryside. She doesn't even have a landline or dial-up internet let alone wireless internet. But the following day I was driving to the beautiful hotel for the wedding. Surely there would be wireless, or at least wired internet there. It is after all a known getaway for the rich and famous city folk in need of a "weekend in the country, dahling". We get to the hotel, a gorgeous manor house in the Cotswolds only to discover that I barely have mobile phone reception and although there is one little computer discretely tucked away in a corner the hotel is computer and internet free. I can feel the slight panic arise whenever I am forced to be without internet and access to the world beyond my immediate but then I remember what I've been telling you all about how we shouldn't and can't rely on technology and so for the first time in a VERY long time I enjoy four days without checking email, without blogging, without updating my podcasts or reading my RSS subscriptions, without having any kind of connection to my laptop. And you know what? It was truly and utterly blissful.
Oh, and the wedding wasn't bad either.

Major in YouTube anyone?

2007-09-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

Those of you who've ventured into the Help Desk area or been to see Bob and I you'll know that we have CNN playing all day...non-stop...permanently...repeating the same news over and over...and over again. Just sometimes a segment comes up that has me wheeling my chair to my doorframe to that I can peer out and watch. This morning such a piece had me doing just that. The reporters were interviewing a professor and students at Pitzer College regarding a new class for this semester in...yep, you guessed it - YouTube!

I've included several links to articles about it, some scathing, some seeing it as interesting, some regarding it as part of the course and the way our education and popular technology are meshing more and more.

YouTube 101, Just Because

Into the world of YouTube

College Offers YouTube 101 Course (with YouTube video - Oh, the irony of it)

And of course the CNN interview and segment was recorded on...anyone, anyone?