Abby,
I agree that it would be difficult to not cast blame on others. That is how our society is set up, but wouldn’t the world be a better place if we didn’t caste blame and turned our circumstances around and found something beneficial in all things? It would be a challenge and hard to break the old habit, but I bet we would be happier.
I am also very thankful for my parents and teachers. Wow, they really did do a wonderful job of providing for me. I feel very fortunate.
Chapter 10: You are the board and you can take away from any experience with playing the “fault game”. But most of all know that what you take away from a circumstance is up to you. Relationships are the key to all things and you should be approachable and respectful towards others without judgment. Basically, be positive and try to find the underlying reason behind things without pointing fingers or giving into anger.
Chapter 11: Just this past week a mother of one of my 5th graders lost her life in a battle to cancer. The majority of my students have been together since Pre-K. Many of the students had questions and concerns about their peer’s loss. Death is obviously not a fun subject to talk about, much less in a classroom setting. But, I chose to address the issue and speak openly with respect to the family mourning. When I attended the viewing the father thanked me for the all the cards that the students mailed to his son and family. I believe this happened because the students were comfortable and felt strong enough to support their peer/friend during this time of loss.
Chapter 12:My “We” story: I had a 3rd grader many years ago enter my class below grade level in all areas and in addition could not read. When he entered my class we made a deal to take it one day at a time and in the end it would all work out. He worked hard throughout 3rd grade and kept persevering through his years of education. I have kept in touch with his mom and she is amazed out how well his academics improved and how he has soared through High School on grade level. The young man just graduated this past June and is now in his first year of college.
My presentation can be found at the following:
https://files.me.com/colishizaki/x8fzhl.key.zip
My Action Research is about exciting students to share their knowledge through technology. In cycle 1 my 5th graders created a Power Point of 5 slides. Then we incorporated all the slides as a class iMovie. In cycle 2 students chose a partner and created a movie using Movie Maker. They took pictures, imported pictures, created title and credit screens, recorded voice-over, and burned the final movie on a CD. Students enjoyed both cycles and have been asking what will they get to do next. This is just the beginning of 21st Century fun in the classroom.
Following are 2 sites I have narrowed down to publishing my AR project:
Association for the Advancement in Computering Education:
http://www.aace.org/newpubs/index.cfm?fuseaction=Info.Entrance
International Society for Technology in Education:
Completing the Abstract for my AR project was interesting. There was a 120-word limit and I wrote my first draft keeping it VERY brief. To my surprise I did not use all the words allowed so I was able to expand a bit more than I was expecting. It was a challenge, but it is straight to the point.
Be comfortable in your own skin and innocent like a child. (My baby, Leia, now 4 months.)In my career teaching 5th graders more so than not what is planned does not work out the way it is planned. I constantly need to re-evaluate and make adjustments. I have learned through my years of experience to be flexible and always allow for change. This has helped me tremendously to roll with the punches and make the most of every situation. For example we have a laptop mobile lab and some of the laptops were being worked on to correct flickering screens. This was a frustration for all the teachers and some teachers would not use them until there was one for each student. I chose to create a project where my students worked with a partner. I tried to encourage other teachers to do the same. Some did and some did not.
I believe I was holding back in the area of where I wanted to go with my teaching. I wanted to reach the 21st century learner with technology, but was overwhelmed with teaching all subject areas and having limited time to check out all the available technology resources. This past year has been a wonderful opportunity exposing and using some Web 2.0 tools within the classroom. I believe I now am allowing myself to participate wholly by using different technology tools in the classroom and if it works great I will perfect it and use it again and if it doesn’t work then lesson learned and I know to move towards a different avenue.
I encourage students to express themselves and to be confident with how they feel moved to present themselves. In my class we hold class elections every quarter and all candidates give a speech before our election process. Most students write out their speech and nervously read it. I distinctly remember this one young lady got up and sang her speech. I applauded her for her creativity and I will never forget her unique way of delivering her speech. I find it important in 5th grade to encourage students to be who they are and to be comfortable with themselves as middle school is a challenge for students to “find themselves.”
My Action Research Project is not a project only for this week but has been an on-going project over the past year. It has taken much time and energy to complete this research while living life and working full-time. I am very grateful for this opportunity as I have grown and stretched myself to in area that I’ve wanted to venture, but I’ve never quite gotten there.
My AR project is about students completing digital assignments opposed to traditional assignments in the hopes that my 5th graders will be excited and yearning to share their knowledge through assignments. I am amazed at how many students do not have experience with computer software like Power Point and Movie Maker. It surprises me because technology is surrounding us. I have learned that my 5th graders get on computers and play games or search for You Tube videos. They lack skill with utilizing technology to share their knowledge.
Through my journey this last year my students have been excited about learning how to use computer programs. It pleases me that each day the 5th graders inquire when is the next time they will be able to work on their project. The outcome at the end of my cycles was rewarding when students shared the value they had gained for understanding and knowing how to use technological means to share information they have gained.
Kelli,
Your summary is wonderful and I enjoy your personal connections that you have made with the reading. Your thoughts on chapter 4 stand out for me… inspiration and contributions can align together.
In regards to Monika’s post, I’m in the same boat as my husband took my 2 year old to a birthday party and I’m rocking my 4 month old with my foot as I type this blog. “Living life in the realm of possibilities.”
Chapter 4 Summary: How we look upon life and react is our contribution. It could be something small or something big but don’t waste time fretting over trivial matters instead take each moment that you are given and treasure it by making a difference for the greater good. You never know how this may affect others.
Chapter 5 Summary: As a leader if a mistake is made and blamed on an individual and come to find out the leader is the one making the mistake. The leader should apologize and correct the mistake and the leader will be appreciated for admitting his/her mistake. Also, utilize other’s intelligence and thoughts by listening and when it’s appropriate incorporate good ideas shared by others and give acknowledgement to the person behind the idea. Rely on those you are in charge of and allow them to take the lead and see where it takes them and their peers. This builds confidence and others may rise up and shine more than in the past.
Chapter 6 Summary: “Lighten up and don’t take yourself so seriously” pretty much sums up this chapter. Live each moment stress free and learn from experience. Those focused on order and systems don’t see the bigger picture or don’t allow themselves to see a different way to accomplish things. Chill out and learn through your experiences. You may even learn to appreciate your environment in a new way.
Eric,
I like the format and the bullets for the reading. It captures key points within the chapters. This bullet stood out to me, "People consume more than they need to survive." Isn't that the truth is that a bad point? Could be, but maybe not I guess it depends with what you do with what one consumes.
I agree chapter 3 was more random than 1 and 2 although there were some good points dealing with grading. Thanks for sharing your insight.
The first chapter of our reading insinuates our brains are trained to follow a map and to not venture further than what we are trained to do. But we should be creative and exercise thoughts outside of the box. I realized several years ago that I struggled with this because I tend to feel “safe” following a format or a course of action. At the same time I wanted to incorporate non-traditional teaching techniques in my class to engage students. So, I stepped a bit outside the box and started using my curriculum as a foundation and I incorporated technology, videos, digital and physical games during my teaching time. Students seemed more engaged during class, parents commented on how their children enjoyed learning, and test scores went up. I really enjoy when students say, “We didn’t do a _____ lesson today,” and then I review what we learned and then they respond with “Oh, I guess we did.” This response is all because it wasn’t a traditional lesson.
In the second chapter the overall theme is that the world is full of possibilities, so be positive and move forward. In order for this to happen we need to forget about the social rules in life and go beyond the borders. Relax, enjoy yourself and the true colors will become evident and you will be able to discover more and make more of your life. It you feel like you have to accomplish something and you’re stressed about it then your success will not soar to its potential. The analogy of the glass being half full or half empty is a good example of possibilities in chapter 2. In all circumstances there is something positive so instead of being so quick to be negative take a moment and travel the positive outcome. I stand by this in my own life if someone complains to me about something I turn it around and state the positive.
Chapter 3 hits the nail on the head with comparing students one to another with grades. I loved the example of giving an “A” at the beginning of class with the condition that students had to write a letter as to why they would receive an “A”. What an inventive way to have students really look deep within and reflect on themselves. As a result they may change for the positive and become more confident. I am one of four children and I put major pressure on myself when it came to grades. My older sister always got straight A’s and that was my goal but there were a few subjects it didn’t matter how hard I tried I couldn’t pull off an A. My parents always encouraged me to do my best and that was an A in their book. I am thankful for that because I never felt like a failure as long as I tried my hardest. This was my parent’s way of giving me an A.
Shirky, C. (2008). Institutions vs. collaboration. Retrieved September 13, 2010, from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/clay_shirky_on_institutions_versus_collaboration.html
My Udutu lesson is on the Frog Life Cycle and it is geared towards lower elementary. In all honesty, at first I was not excited about using the Udutu because the format was foreign and challenging. But, I will say as I got started and played around with it I did enjoy myself. The best experience was Skyping with peers and asking each other questions and working through a portion of the workspace together. As a learner I do much better with instant hands-on direction. After Skyping it was much easier to navigate and understand the Udutu formats. Who knows I may even use Udutu in the future.
http://publish.myudutu.com/published/launcheval/23104/Course41659/Launch.html
The beginning of my experience with udutu was nothing but negative. Being used to many complicated programs that can allow many tasks at once, with customization at the fingertips, I was nothing but disappointed. The videos did not load (there is no loading bar to show progress). I had to have live consultation with my classmates. I discovered that they also struggled with many issues I had and were willing to share many great tips with me.Monika,
I love this Udutu and I can see it being used in the classroom. The videos are engaging, the content is academic, and the assessments are fun. I found myself wanting complete your entire project. Thanks for sharing.
This week we were to work on the Udutu project that was proposed in week 2. I found Udutu to be a great authoring tool that has some good templates to get a course designer started. The navigation and instructions could use some more development. Like a progress bar letting me know my media files are being uploaded and how much longer it will take. It would also be be nice not to have to type the word delete in all caps when I want to delete a page in the lesson I am creating. However for a free tool I think this works well and I really don't have a lot of issue with it.
Q,
I enjoyed your presentation. You have wonderful “stage” presences and the videos were quite enjoyable. The interactivity within your Udutu was fun and engaging. At the end for the assessment I choose wrong answers and the result of acknowledging that the answers were wrong and to try again was good feedback. Way to go, Q.
In this weeks reading I decided to take a look at what the future may hold for LMS/CMS. The great part about this is we can speculate all we want. There are some great things to come based on the readings and some of the trends that researchers are looking.
Q,
This is an amazing time as a professional in education. I have found as a teacher of 5th graders to embrace that they may know more about a Web 2.0 tool or a software program than I do. My job is to help my students expand their knowledge utilizing these tools. The advancement within Web 2.0 tools is changing quickly and it is my endeavor to be sure there is still human contact and interaction with student/teacher relationship. Some things cannot be taught by technology…successful human interaction is vital for happinessJ.
P.S. Love the visual, I know it is from Wall-E but it reminds me of a spaceship from Star Wars.
What you need to know about W3C Semantic Web
First what is a Semantic Web; this is a web that connects data. For example if you have photos stored on you computer, a list of contacts, and also keep a calendar. If a semantic web was at work you could look at a calendar view and see the pictures taken on a particular day, then look at you contact list and see photos related to each of your contacts. It establishes connections between vast stores of data so things would never need to be entered twice, or stored in multiple ways or places
Due to technological advances learning platforms have and will continue to change in the education realm as well as the corporate world. Shirky (2008) states that “Tagging” through the Internet, his example of Flickr, replaces planning with coordination. This statement translates to coordinating thoughts/items within the Internet is easier and more cost effective than creating or planning an institution that has a limit to what can be accessed. There is more “bang for the buck” when cooperation can be created into the infrastructure so that people can obtain what they need. Therefore, the cost of running an institution outweighs the cost of an infrastructure platform.
A cutting edge LMS that is geared towards new e-learning development is the Epsilen Environment. The LMS Epsilen has a feature of being able to create global networking by bringing together many groups to meet and communicate . Epsilen offers a lifetime membership which allows an individual to access their own ePortfolios even after leaving a company. This LMS is not limited to only accessing grades but it also allows educators to create assessments that can be taken Online. This program proves to integrate a few functions that are not yet evident with other LMSs.
Some large corporations use a Semantic Web although the popularity is increasing on a daily basis. The overall concept of a Semantic Web is being able to intertwine data from various facets within each other. A Semantic Web will benefit an individual with his/her time and resources.
(2010). Epsilen environment. Retrieved September 13, 2010, from http://www.epsilen.com/LandingSite/index.aspx
Herman, I. (2009). Semantic web. Retrieved September 13, 2010, from http://www.w3.org/RDF/FAQ
Shirky, C. (2008). Institutions vs. collaboration. Retrieved September 13, 2010, from http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/clay_shirky_on_institutions_versus_collaboration.html
Many large corporations and agencies have invested in learning content management systems (LCMS) to train and educate their employees. Many of these buyers are mentioned in Bill Perry's article; the Canadian Air Force, the US Nuclear Power Industry, and the Challenger Corporation (has the largest online training library for clinical training) have implemented LCMS into their training repertoire.
Aimee,
You broke down the reading into a brief, descriptive summary good job. Your quote from Perry is right on the mark…making LCMS a weapon for employers. It is fruitful for companies to have hands on training and learning geared directly towards their employees.
1. 1. Ishizaki, Collette
2. 2. Prior Project Selected: Lesson Title and Description: Frog Life Cycle created with Flash– starting from a tadpole to an adult frog
3. 3. EMDT class created in with date: Digital Media and Educational Applications – May 2010
4. 4 Initial appraisal of Uduto Scenario: My initial appraisal is to use the Self Directed Scenario template and slide sequencing. This scenario will fit well with slides running in a sequenced format for a lower Elementary student to use and follow.
5. 5. Location/URL:
Due to technological difficulties in Month 7 with my Mobile Me account my classmate, Q, has allowed me to house my flash project through his account.
http://web.me.com/aka_q/Flash/Ishizaki_Collette_DAE_Application3a.html
Course management systems (CMS) and learning management systems (LMS) have proven to be successful by organizations. What criteria determine if an organization should purchase or build these systems is analyzed from this week’s reading assignment.
To build a workable LMS system would take a year and a half and a minimum of $200,000 to half a million dollars. That cost is only for the creation of the system. After the system had been created then it would need to be maintained and updated, which would require a crew of paid personnel. This adds to the cost of the system. Kruse lays out a detailed format to use during the evaluation process of what is cost effective for a company when selecting a system (2004).
A CMS or LMS system could be purchased for a set price but would this be the most effective step? Companies and organizations first evaluate what functions they would need within a system. If the needs were less than what was offered within a CMS or LMS system then that company would evaluate the cost of the system compared to the functions that would be used. What it boils down to is a company’s research on what CMS or LMS systems are available and would these systems work for what a company wants to accomplish? If the answer is “no” then a company may choose to have a system created specifically for their use.
Reference:
Kruse, K. (2004). Measuring the total cost of e-learning. Retrieved September 9, 2010, from http://www.e-learningguru.com/articles/art5_2.htm
Thanks for breaking down the cost into a comparison; this makes it much easier to visualize the grand scheme of things. I would agree buy or build comes down to what is more feasible for the company and maintaining their choice. "Measuring the Total Cost of E-Learning" is helpful to thoroughly analysis cost.
Distant learning has grown and progressed throughout the years. Pensky states, “Our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach” (2001, paragraph 1). Online Universities, classes, gaming, and communicating are tools that are widely used on a daily basis. As generations change so do their environments. With a wealth of users and systems in the technological realm this leads to the need of breaking down and organizing systems to best fit the needs of learners.
The Course Management Systems (CMS) is a tool used for tracking individual learners. At my school all families use RenWeb to check grades, Websites of teachers, homework, and general information in regards to what is happening and keeping in touch with upcoming events. The Learning Management Systems (LMS) are a way for communicating and sharing or collaborating on projects. Facebook is a well-known LMS used throughout the world for keeping connected through the miles. Google Documents is a system used for updating and writing text and sharing information across the miles. It is amazing to use an LMS when collaborating on projects for Full Sail University with my peers that live far away. I am in awe of how we have completed quality projects through our collaboration using an LMS.
According to Dr. Ian Gibson Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS) originated for military use. Many large organizations use LCMS to train and prepare their employees as they reuse learning objects time and time again.
Personal Learning Environments have grown throughout the years and many users have gained a wealth of knowledge through the digital tools available. Distant learning will continue to grow and develop as digital natives navigate the digital tools available to them. The 21st century is a time of rapid change and turn around with advanced technology.
Reference
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives digital immigrants. Retrieved December 3, 2009, from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
Wikipedia provides factual information about subject matter. In turn it is reasonable to trace virtual learning environments’ history back in time to 1728. This Website is available to obtain facts and details in regards to the subject at hand. The information given is helpful in understanding the growth and progress of virtual learning environments.
The current era of computing does seem to begin with the Xerox Parc project. Wikipedia states in 1972 that, “Alan Kay advanced the idea of graphical user interface by inventing icons for folders, menus, and overlapping windows (2010).” Throughout time these components have progressed and are used in the present.
In the 1980s there were many key virtual learning environment events. On a broad spectrum following are a few examples: educational software, online educational programs, and video gaming. This was a decade where technology boomed and began to grow within the educational realm.
Distant education became popular in the 1990s. Following the 1980s and the technological tools available to learn through there was a time of technology growth. Computers were more feasible and available to the average citizen. This is turn created popularity within distance education.
Wikipedia: The free encyclopedia. (2010, September 2). History of virtual learning environments. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved September 4, 2010, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_virtual_learning_environments
Is it reasonable to trace this history so far back in time (1728)?
The reason for wikipedia to post VLE history as far back as 1728 is part of the nature of the site and service. Wikipedia is a resource for information of great magnitudes and at times can be thorough. If a person needs to find the detailed history of VLE's wikipedia offers an extensive source of information. The information is available if anyone would ever need to read facts and dates. A bookmark of this page will keep the information available for quick reference.
Eric,
The history of VLE has really grown through the years. Present day it is amazing to be a part of the quick turn around in technology. As you stated the affordable personal desktop/laptop computers has made the possibility of distance education popular. Thanks for sharing your insight.
For my first post I read the article "What is a Learning Management System" by Alexandra Toedt.
Basically a Learning Management System or LMS is used to not only present content in a virtual environment like the Internet, but is can be used to also create content. In addition to content creation and presentation an LMS can be used to assess learners as well as used as a communication devise between the learners and the instructor.
Q,
The image above is a screenshot of stories that I have started and I will invite my students to collaborate with me for a final story.
Storybird will allow my students to create stories with simple, easy steps. When beginning a story students can choose from artist’s creations or themes. Once they have made the choice a template comes up and then a variety of artwork is displayed to the sides of the book. Just click and drag the artwork and write words to go with the picture. Click “Add a page” to continue to the next page. The cover is basic and chosen for the authors; that’s all the author has to do is create a title and the username is automatically inserted as the author.
In Storybird you can start a story and invite others to collaborate with you. I created a story titled: Wise Sayings. I created five pages and now I’m ready to invite my students to join me in authoring this story. What a great way for students to spend their time on the Web after school hours. I am excited to see the outcome of using Storybird in this way.
The above image is my class list from TikaTok that I can access my student’s work and what they have accomplished and where they are at in creating a story.
The Web 2.0 tool I have chosen that is of interest to me to utilize in my classroom is TikaTok. This tool enables children to write and publish their own stories and when their story is complete they can purchase their creation as an eBook, a hardcover book, or a soft paperback book. TikaTok allows students to upload original stories and illustrations. There is also an opportunity for students to use templates, as well as choosing a topic to write about. The site is free and it allows a person to save their story and illustrations.
I can see myself using TikaTok in the writing portion of my 5th grade class. I encourage students to use their imagination when creating a story. I often start by reading a published book that was written by a student. This gets the 5th graders excited and feeling confident that they can be original when writing their own story. To change things up a bit TikaTok could be used in the classroom as a visual for students to see their words produced on a page, similar to a book that they have read for leisure. Throughout the writing process this site would aid in the importance of building a character, the setting, and theme of a story. This would happen through the visual aspect of student’s choosing which words to put on what page and deciding what illustrations would best represent the words that coincide with a page. It is important for students to express themselves through words. I believe a student writing a story and seeing it written on a page would be beneficial because it is a different perspective than just writing a story on notebook paper. In addition, for the students that find themselves challenged in writing stories they would have the opportunity to use a template provided by TikaTok. This would allow some weight to be taken off the child’s shoulders and in return the student may have more fun with the assignment and enjoy writing. TikaTok also gives helpful hints throughout the story writing process, which will give additional aid to students. If a student would like to purchase an eBook, hardcopy, or paperback of the story he/she created that would be available to them.
Reference
(2010). Tikatok. Retrieved March 7, 2010, from http://www.tikatok.com/create
