30 Minute Activity

            This has been a very busy semester but at the same time a great learning experience. With a full time job, online classes and a family it’s been difficult to find time to do something for myself. So, a 30 minute activity required as an assignment was the perfect excuse for me to do something I love doing.  This time of the year is my favorite because I absolutely love to decorate my home with holiday decorations. I chose to use my 30 minutes of free time to set up my porcelain gingerbread house village.  I have been collecting them for several years and I add a new piece every Christmas.  I started out by turning on some holiday music so that it would set the tone for Christmas cheer. Then I made myself a delicious cup of French vanilla cappuccino, with my new Keurig machine, which I love. Who new that someday we would be able to brew a cup a coffee, cup of tea, hot chocolate or cappuccino in less than 1 minute at the luxury of your own home, of course technology had something to do with it! While I listened to holiday music and enjoyed my cappuccino I set up my gingerbread village next to my Christmas tree. It was so relaxing and at the same time made me think about all the Christmas memories I had as a child. It took me back to the times my brothers; sisters (I have 11) and I would decorate our house and Christmas tree. I have always loved the holidays, so any extra time to enjoy them is always a plus!

Harper Collins Controversy

Harper Collins, an eBook publisher announced a new lending policy for libraries where they will only allow libraries to checkout their eBooks 26 times. Their announcement set a huge controversy between the publisher and libaries who pay to use their eBooks.  I wasn't aware of the controversy involving libraries and Harper Collins, but after reading several articles I do not support the stand Harper Collins has taken by putting a cap on the number of times an ebook can be circulated by libraries. Under the new terms libraries can make an ebook available to one customer at a time until they reach 26 then the license for the book will expire (Hadro, 2011). I'm not sure how Harepr Collins came up with the limit of 26 but would be interested to know.  The limit  sounds ridiculous to me because if a book is an electronic copy why can it only be checked out to one person at a time when we know it can be shared with a lot more users at once especially because its electronic! Harper Collins also released a statement saying, " We believe this change balances the value libraries get from our titles with the need to protect our authors and ensure a presence in public libraries and the communities they serve for years to come. (Hadro, 2011)."  I dont agree with that statement because I think libaries help companies like Harper Collins gain and maintain readers of their books, they promote their books so without libraries the number of readers will decrease and in the end their authors are losing fans.  The president of sales for HarperCollins, said that the decision was made after cosidering several things that included the average lifespan of a print book, and wear and tear on circulating copies. That doesn't make sense because Im pretty sure the lifespan of a print book would last longer than 26 checkouts. I dont think a book would recieve much wear and tear after 26 checkouts. If libaries are willing to take the reponsiblity of handling ebooks then would'nt that lessen wear and tear on their books and get more users to read them. In the end, I think the decison made by Harper Collins doesn't make sense because it seems it would limit readers to their books which could affect their business. Hadro,J. 2011. Harepr Collins put 26 Loan Cap on Ebook Circulations. Retrieved from: http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/889452-264/harpercollins_caps_loans_on_ebook.html.csp

Second Life:3D Learning Context

How do you feel about this based on your experiences there? How would a 3-D learning context improve learning? How might it hurt learning?

            Second-Life is an online virtual word that allows users to create their own avatars. They are able to interact with others, participate in-group or individual activities and purchase and trade property and services with each other. Colleges and universities, governments, scientists, business companies, and even religion organizations are using it. Second life is limited to users that are over 16, which limits the use in education, grades K-12 (Second Life, 2011).

            I explored the website Second life and joined to create an avatar. This was the first time I had ever used this type of learning context. I was very engaged and enjoyed exploring the possibilities. I think it would benefit college classes because the opportunity to create your own avatar and virtual world is a lot more engaging than sitting in a classroom listening to a professor lecture. This would benefit the students that depend on distance courses. This type of learning context gives students the opportunity to construct their ideas. According to Calogne, a Computer Science professor; students don’t have to be confined to a traditional classroom setting but instead be a part of a virtual online environment where the class is highly engaging, full of social interaction and where the learning process can be seen throughout (Cologne, 2008). Education today is focused on discovery so why not use a virtual classroom to create those opportunities. Although there are many advantages for using this type of learning context there are some drawbacks. Students need to learn how to create avatars and how to use the tools in the virtual world such as how to move, communicate, interact, etc. Another could be that students may become to engaged in their avatar and lose focus in the learning goals. Although virtual worlds do offer opportunities for students to enhance their learning they may not be for everyone. Some students still learn better by being in a real classroom with a real life teacher. As our world continues to advance in technology I think that we will begin to see more of this type of learning.

Second Life. 2011. Wikipedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Life

Calogne, C. 2008. Educational Frontiers: Learning in a Virtual World. Retrieved http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume43/EducationalFrontiersLearningin/163163

30 Minutes, No Technology!

No technology! What an interesting phrase. I hadn’t stopped to think about what I would do if I had no technology available. I’m surrounded by technology no mater where I go, whether it be home or work. It’s hard to imagine life without it because we are engulfed with it. Most things we use involve technology, so it’s difficult to get away from it. For a 30 minute no technology experience, I decided that the only way to get away from technology was to leave my home. I went on a 30-minute walk to a nearby park with my dog. Usually when I walk my dog, I carry my iPhone with me and listen to music, make a phone call or even browse the Internet. Even then I use technology!

Yesterday, I walked around the park and for the first time really enjoyed my surroundings. The weather was great so the fresh air felt great. I had the opportunity to watch people at the park and saw many using their phones as I do everyday. It was nice to enjoy the weather and the beautiful things that surrounded me at the park without the distraction of technology. Our park has a large water fountain with a pond, so it was nice to sit on the rocks and just relax and enjoy the view. I realize that technology has taken over our lives but that we can survive without it for least 30 minutes a day. It’s easy to forget what life was like before we had so much technology!

Moodle in the Classroom

         Moodle is one of the many types of learning management systems that are available to teachers to construct online learning sites. Moodle originally stood for Module Object Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment, but it can also be used as a verb that means finding your way through something that usually leads to creativity or comprehension of a subject. The first time I was exposed to Moodle was through my college course called New Technologies of Instruction. I was immediately captivated by its easy navigation, interactive presentation, and creative use for learning. As an elementary educator I quickly began to think of how I could incorporate Moodle into my classroom. Moodle can be used in large educational settings like universities, but can also be modified for the primary classroom (Moodle, 2011).

         Moodle can be used in a variety of ways. Most users use it to deliver content, create a collaborative environment of learners or simply as a hobby. There are several advantages to using Moodle that include flexibility, access to innovative tools, technical support, communication, collaboration, peer review quality, and reliability. A major advantage that I discovered was that it is available in many languages, which increases the accessibility to users from different parts of the world.

         Some disadvantages found by Moodle critics are that Moodle lacks efficient use of space, problems with too much customization and the capability to create high-level assessment and grading capabilities. The good news about the disadvantages is that companies that support Moodle are helping deal with these kinds of issues.

        Moodle is a learning management system that could benefit my students and would allow me to create a creative collaborative learning environment. There are many ways that Moodle can be used in the primary classroom. Some interesting ways that I found I could incorporate Moodle are as a forum to give students the opportunity to extend classroom topics beyond the class discussion, as a resource that provides helpful links for student learning or practice during center time, as a way to deliver content, display student pictures or class videos, and as a form of communication about the classroom for parents. A very beneficial use would be for storage of resources such as PowerPoint and Smart Board lessons, which I use very often in the classroom. The only drawback that I can find is time. Time is very valuable in a classroom setting and very difficult to manage. Although Moodle would be engaging and useful, students must understand appropriate use and copyright laws before implementing in the classroom. It seems that there are endless possibilities with Moodle and it can be used in creative ways to enhance student learning. There are many sites that offer tutorials and sources on how to use Moodle. I am looking forward to using Moodle and giving my students the opportunity to share their ideas and grow as learners. As society continues to advance in technology using technology in the classroom as a part of learning will prepare students for success in the future.

M, Martinez & S, Jagannathan. (2008). Moodle: A Low-Cost Solution for Successful e-Learning. Retrieved from:

http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/71/moodle-a-low-cost-solution-for-successful-e-learning

2011. Moodle. Retrieved from: http://moodle.org/

My Experiences with Social Media

         Todays society is surrounded my many types of social media.  It’s common for most people to have either heard or used it at one time or another.  Not only do young people use it, a study from May 2010 shows that social networking usage increased by 88% among people ages 55-64 and it increased by 100% among users over the age of 65 (Jones, 2011). I personally have used MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube. I have heard of Twitter and Blogger but haven’t ever used it.  Currently, the only social network site I use is YouTube and a blog.

        

         Everyone I know either has Facebook or Twitter.  From 2005- 2008 MySpace was the most popular social networking site (2011). During that time almost everyone I knew had a MySpace including myself. I was in the process of earning my teaching degree and my professors were always advising us, as future teachers not to have a MySpace because employers had access and it could affect whether you got a job or not. So, therefore I stopped using MySpace and about that time Facebook took over. In May 2009 Facebook exceeded the number of visitors and overtook MySpace (2011). Everyone I knew no longer had MySpace and had switched over to Facebook. I didn’t use Facebook for very long because at the time I had just started as a teacher and was always too busy to log in, so I slowly stopped using it. Also, I began to hear stories from my friends with bad experiences with Facebook such as certain information being posted without their permission. Other experiences I heard about were about negative posts that were ruining relationships, so I figured the best way to protect my privacy was to stay away from social media networks. I really don’t see much advantages for myself using it, besides keeping up with old friends, which I can just text or email.  I guess the question would be, am I missing out or am I being smart by staying away from social media networks like Facebook and Twitter?

         A social network I have never used and would be interested in learning about is Delicious. It is the leading social bookmarking service. Through my research I have discovered that as a student and educator it definitely has some advantages. Some of the advantages include, organized bookmarks using tags, access to your bookmarks from any computer, and option to share bookmarks with friends and with others on the Internet (Delicious, 2011). It would save time to have my bookmarks available for quick access, so I am absolutely looking forward to using this web 2.0 tool.

Delicious Bookmarks. 2011. Retrieved from:  https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/delicious-bookmarks/

 Jones, Jennifer. Grandparents are using Social Networks. Speak Media Blog. (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.speakmediablog.com/2011/06/grandparents-are-using-social-networks.html.

MySpace. 2011.Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myspace

Wikis & Blogs in Education

Today we live in a world that is surrounded by media. As educators it is our duty to make our lessons engaging and meaningful to the students and to prepare them to become successful adults in this technology world we live in. Everything that surrounds us involves media, so what better way to engage students than incorporating technology into the curriculum. So, as an educator I feel that it’s crucial to teach and prepare our students for the skills of the future. According to Chao & Parker (2007) today’s students will not only manage business innovations of the future, but in many cases will drive them. Therefore, educators can teach students how using wikis and other social networks can be an important skill for the future.

            The school district I currently work for is all about 21^st century learning. They recognize the importance of teaching our students how to use it not just for entertainment but how it can be used to learn in an exciting way. Last year I began using many web 2.0 tools in my classroom. Most of the students I teach do not have computers at home so they valued the time they got to use technology in the classroom for learning. They were excited about creating class projects that incorporated technology and enjoyed collaborating with each other to share their ideas. I began to use a wiki space to display their projects and created a blog that was used to create discussions and share ideas about class topics. While I was teaching my students to use these tools, I was also learning how to se them effectively in the classroom. Through my research of wikis and blogs I discovered that there are many advantages and disadvantages of using them in the classroom.
             Wikis are simple webpages that are used by collaborating authors and allows anyone to edit them. It organizes information into topics and shows information that is related and easy to browse. Blogs are webpages that are created by a single author. They organize information into reverse chronological order. There are many advantages for using wikis or blogs in the classroom. They can be used for elementary up to college level students. They can be used as a place to post information like class schedules, syllabus, homework, parent information etc. They are easy to create and give younger students opportunities to write. According to Crie (2006) they give students opportunities to create a voice and share their ideas about specific topics. Another study suggests that wikis promote student collaboration and gives the students a sense of ownership and responsibity for their writing. (Pedagogy, 2010). Most important they give parents a way to keep up with classroom events and their students learning.  Not only are wikis and blogs a great learning tool for students but they can also be a resource for teachers. Many educators use them as a place to post ideas about how to incorporate them into your classroom or share ideas on how to make lessons more engaging.

         Just like there are many advantages for using wikis and blogs there are also disadvantages. One of the most important disadvantages I came across was that they could be time consuming and require monitoring by the teacher. The acceptable use policy is another important risk that is taken when using these tools. Educators must be sure that all students understand the guidelines for using technology in the classroom. Students must also be aware of the type of information they post and be sure not to post too much personal information that could be seen by anyone. It’s important that teachers of the lower level grades gain parental permission. Students must also be taught that when using wikis, blogs or any kind of web 2.0 tool there are things that are appropriate and inappropriate to post. Plagiarism and copyright is another important topic that must be understood by the students. (Crie, 2006).

            Although there are advantages and disadvantages when using wikis and blogs; I think that it is important to expose our students to these skills that will help them in the future.

According to Parker & Chao (2007) educational institutions can offer immense value to their students by familiarizing them with the simple technologies that make collaborative networks possible. I believe this is true especially for those students that don’t have the media available to them at home and rely on school to learn the skills they need to prepare for the future.

Works Cited:

Chao, Joseph &Parker, Kevin. (2007). Wikis as a Teaching Tool.  Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge and Learning Objects Volume 3, 2007. Retrieved from http://ijklo.org/Volume3/IJKLOv3p057-072Parker284.pdf

Crie, Molly. 2006. Teaching Today. Glencoe/McGraw Hill. Retrieved from http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47

Pedagogy of Wikis. (2010). Retrieved from http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/page/Pedagogy+of+Wikis