Visiting Union and Doin’ Some Googlin’

Today, I get to spend the day at Union University with Dr. Anna Clifford’s classes. Anna is always so generous and invites me to come visit with her students and share a little of my knowledge with them. For the past few times, we’ve been concentrating on Google Docs. But I think I’m going to throw in a little Wordle this time, too.

Below are the links and resources we’ll be using from my Resource Wiki hosted at PBWorks.

1. Using Google Docs word processor
2. Using Google Docs presentations
3. Using Google Docs spreadsheet
4. Creating forms and quizzes with Google Docs forms

And hopefully, we’ll have time to do a little Wordle, too, to see how we might use Wordle during class.

Welcome Dr. Clifford’s Students

I just wanted to offer a quick, “Hello” to those of you who are in Dr. Clifford’s courses at Union University.  I know you guys will be dropping by, and I will be dropping  by to see you all tomorrow.  I hope you find the posts interesting and insightful.  Be sure to check out my bookmarks at the top of the page, where I have a lot of things for preservice K-12 teachers.  See you all soon.  Of course, if you have questions or comments, be sure to leave them.

A letter to my students …

Dr. Bill Taylor, a Professor of Political Science at Oakton Community College, wrote a letter to his students regarding academic integrity.  I think this is awesome.  It spells out exceptionally well what he expects of his students and what elements of integrity they should expect out of him.  It makes his procedures for assessment and professionalism transparent to the student.  I think in teacher education, we would also liken this to dispositions.  But Dr. Taylor does a masterful job of explaining why academic integrity is important to him as an individual and why it should be respected by a profession.

What are your thoughts?  Does your school have a code of conduct for academic honesty?  Is it taken seriously?  Should teachers write letters like this home to students — either for middle school, high school or college?  What about elementary schools?  We’ve all sat through the fourth grade reports on dinosaurs, where each student said the exact same thing.  Or for me, worse yet, is where you can tell the parents did the school project.  Where’s the learning?  What might this letter look like to elementary school students?

I’m considering doing this with my students.  What do you think?  Should I?

3 predictions I agree with and 3 I don’t … and why

A new year is upon us and thus we should take time to examine some of the potential changes that the year 2010 will bring. Examining potential changes is important because technology is in a constant state of change and so are the lives of those involved with instructional technology. Although this blog post will not attempt to take on all the predicted changes in instructional technology for the year 2010, this post will examine three 2010 predictions I agree with and three that I do not.

I Agree With….

At the beginning of this year, staff members and contributors to eLearn Magazine each described some of their predictions for the year 2010. The first prediction that I agreed with was from Stephen Downes who predicts that the demand for online learning will increase from both the private sector and traditional institutions. I agree with this prediction because the current economic crisis and job situation will compel citizens to take on new positions and roles, requiring them to learn new knowledge and skills. I also agree with Mark Notess’ assessment that higher education institutions will make greater movements towards open source solutions. I agree with Mr. Notess because the economy is forcing many higher education institutions to cut costs wherever they can and because open source options are becoming more accepted and understood by the technological community. Finally, I agree with Jim Hendler’s prediction that the technology gap between students and teachers will continue to expand and widen. I agree with Mr. Hendler because student’s technological exposure and experience continues to grow while many teachers technology learning remains stagnant or does not increase at the rate in which new technologies are developed.

I Don’t Agree With…

From the same eLearn Magazine article, I do not agree with Roger Schank’s prediction that mobile e-learning will go away. I believe that as mobile technologies increase, so will opportunities to learn from mobile devices. I believe that just-in-time learning will become a major form of e-learning on mobile devices. I also do not agree with Hend S. Al-Khalifa’s prediction that portable devices like Smart phones and Nintendo DS systems will make their way into traditional classrooms. I do believe that learning opportunities will increase on devices like these; however, to be implemented into the classroom there would need to be more teachers willing to teach using these devices. I do not think that many teachers are ready to make this leap yet. The final prediction I do not agree with comes from Ignatia Webs. I do not agree with the prediction that pedagogy will overtake technologies role as front and center of innovative learning. I believe that pedagogy should become the primary focus of innovative learning, however technology still offers so much motivation and interest that technology will remain in its central role.

Guest blogger: Jeremy Larson is a 7^th and 8^th grade American History teacher at Grace- St. Luke’s Episcopal School in Memphis, TN. He received his Bachelors degree in Elementary Education (K-8) at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, MN. While at SCSU, Jeremy also received specialties in Instructional Technology and Social Studies Education. Jeremy is currently working towards his Masters degree in Instructional Design and Technology at the University of Memphis. He is interested in K-12 technology integration and helping school districts bring technology into the classroom.

Image courtesy of iLounge at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipodlounger/4310067280/

What I learned from teaching children and how it changed my instruction

When I began my first year of teaching, I had never completed a single course in the field of education.  I had graduated with a degree in Business Administration and majored in Marketing.  My degree and business experience helped me land a job teaching Marketing Education for a high school that was unable to find a certified teacher. (A word of warning, I don’t recommend this particular path into a teaching career for the faint of heart!)

During my first year in the classroom, I approached teaching in the same manner that I had been taught during my days as a student.  As a student, I sat at my desk, listened to the teacher lecture, completed end of the chapter questions or worksheets, and spit all of that knowledge back out on a multiple choice or true/false test.  Once I was in charge of my own classroom, I found myself using the same direct instruction method.  I recall from previous readings in Steve Alessi and Stan Trollip’s  Multimedia for Learning, proponents of behavioral and cognitive theory treated learners like a bucket that information and knowledge were to be poured into.  I now realize that I approached teaching in the early stages of my career in the same manner.

While teaching class one day during my first semester, a student raised his hand in the middle of my riveting class lecture and asked a question that changed my style of teaching for the rest of my career:    “Ms. Conger when will we actually do something in here other than reading the book, answering the questions at the end of the chapter, and taking tests? ”  I didn’t have an answer; I think I was too stunned to answer his question.  I had been so caught up in covering the material in the textbook and getting the required number of grades recorded for the grading period, I hadn’t stopped to consider if what I was teaching was actually being comprehended outside of a multiple choice or true/false test question.  However, from that day forward, I was determined to making learning for my students a more active process.

I was suddenly progressing from the world of behavioral and cognitive teaching theory into the world of constructivist learning and teaching theory.  I searched for and found motivation from other educators such as Edie Parrott and Vicki Davis who are active educational bloggers and experienced educators.  Even though we don’t teach the same subjects, we could all relate to many of the same classroom management issues and could also share some of the same lesson plan ideas which could be revamped to suit our individual courses.  An example would be the PSA lesson plan available at Edie Parrott’s blog.  This particular lesson relates directly to the course competencies as set by the Tennessee Department of Education for one of the classes I taught, Advertising and Public Relations.

Not only did my teaching style change, there was also a notable change in my students.  They seemed to be more motivated and were active participants in the learning process much like the students in this image.  The students were coming to school early and staying late to work on projects for local businesses and practice for regional, state, and local business competitions.  It certainly was a change from my initial days as an educator and definitely a change for the better in regards to the learning experience for my students.  Learning in my classroom had transformed into an active process which allowed the students to connect what was taking place inside our classroom to the real world of business outside the walls of our school.

Guest Blogger: Kristy Conger worked in the classroom for seven years as a Marketing Education teacher/ Work Based Learning Coordinator in the Henry County School System. She also taught computer literacy courses through the Adult Basic Education Program, and currently works as an Academic Technology Consultant for the University of Memphis.  Kristy received her BS in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from the University of Tennessee at Martin. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Instructional Design and Technology at the University of Memphis. After completing her degree, she would like to return to teaching in some capacity and perhaps work within a K-12 setting in an instructional technology role.

Image courtesy of Adam Seering at http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/hs/guitar/su06/imagegallery/pages/DSCF0014. html

To Wikipedia or not to Wikipedia?

As students (or anyone) Google information on a specific subject, Wikipedia entries are usually at the top of the search, and, the information, is often trusted as fact.

(Even as I Google “Wikipedia Controversy,” the first entry was a Wikipedia entry! It is about a person who was editing on the popular site and wrote that a well-known journalist actually had been a suspect in the assignations of his friends JFK and Robert Kennedy, Jr. The post remained up on Wikipedia for four months, subsequently, tarnishing the journalist’s image-and hurting his feelings–of course. There are many more stories like this, most are quite entertaining.  If you are bored, Google: “Erdosville, Nebraska” or “Shane Fitzgerald”.)

Back to the topic at hand.  There are two conflicting sides to this well-known internet encyclopedia: To trust or not to trust.

Those leading the charge that Wikipedia is not to be trusted believe as John Bambenek (who was listed as a sex offender for over an hour and a half on Wikipedia and was later deleted because he was not ‘notable’ enough). He argues that the people who edit the site, themselves, are untrustworthy, “Business people and executives are generally far too busy to edit. That leaves a small subset of people… generally not experts in what they are editing…”  He goes on to state, “The fact is that Wikipedia is untrustworthy as anything other than a quick place to look to find other sites with reliable information.”  My personal argument is that the editors are unpaid. You get what you pay for.

The nay-sayers’ argument begins and ends the same: anyone and everyone can edit.

Molly Lewis sums up her experience with Wikipedia in song,

Supporters of the website are just as passionate, though none admitted to being accused of a heinous crime on the popular site. One supporter of Wikipedia, who wrote on Tech Savvy Teachers stated,” all sources (since they were created by people) can have errors and should be evaluated. Wikipedia can (and does) contain errors, but so does the Encyclopedia Britannica and many other sources.” Another positive feature of Wikipedia is that it is easy accessible and readily available in so many languages.

As Michael, from NBC’s The Office, so eloquently and optimistically states:

In addition to its supporters, the journal Nature researched and concluded that Wikipedia’s entries are about as dependable as Britannica’s.

Nonetheless, the teacher quoted above also agrees with Bambenek, “Basically my policy (and I believe many other teacher’s) is that Wikipedia is a great source to get basic information, but don’t use it as a cited source.”  Many believe Wikipedia has a place. A starting place.

So, as both sides agree on at least one thing, I believe we shouldn’t have to worry about a Wikipedia World War –of course, we could edit history ourselves and see how long it lasts.

As you decide for yourself to Wikipedia or not, there is one more important aspect to consider. Remember that Britannica charges a $60 a year for online access, given that it has to pay thousands of dollars to edit articles for accuracy, and, since Wikipedia is edited by the masses on a volunteer basis, it is offered free.

However, feel free to donate. They will accept money (in any language).

Guest Blogger: Logan Prevette has been an elementary school teacher for the past seven years working with second and third graders. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina in 2003 and worked in N.C. for five years. She recently moved to Memphis and is currently working on her graduate degree from the University of Memphis in IDT. She plans to stay in education (in some fashion) after the completion of her coursework. She will probably never be deemed notable enough by Wikipedia editors.

TETC 2009: Friday sessions

I’ve had a really great time here at TETC in Nashville.  The sessions on Wednesday went great.  The feedback I received was really positive, and I hope the information was helpful to many of the teachers.  Today, we’re going to be discussing two topics.  The links and topics are below.

W84-The Secrets to Project-based Learning (2:45 – 3:45pm, Ballroom C)

Here is the link to web page with the details about PBL all in one place. I plan to be adding some more pieces here, too, so let me know if you think something is missing.

1. Secrets to Project-based Learning

Web 2.0 … from the beginning

Here’s the link to the page that contains details about the presentations

1. Web 2 from the beginning

TETC 2009: Wednesday sessions

Wow! I’m so excited to be in Nashville at the Tennessee Educational Technology Conference.  It’s been a few years since I’ve been back to TETC, but I’m ready to meet and share with some great teachers, administrators, and technology coordinators/coaches from across Tennessee.

I’ll presenting two sessions today: one on managing communications in online courses and one on project-based learning.  All of my resources and links are linked up below to make them easy to get to.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

W63-Tips for Managing Communications in Online Courses (1:30 – 2:30pm, Ballroom C)

Here are the links to the web pages with details for all of the topics we’ll discuss:

1. Tips for Online Course Management
2. Tips for Asynchronous Communications
3. Tips for Synchronous Communications

W84-The Secrets to Project-based Learning (2:45 – 3:45pm, Ballroom C)

Here is the link to web page with the details about PBL all in one place.  I plan to be adding some more pieces here, too, so let me know if you think something is missing.

1. Secrets to Project-based Learning

More Googling at Union

I’m so excited to go back to Union University today.  Dr. Anna Clifford and her students invite me from time to time to come and spend some time with them talking about Google and Web 2.0.  We always have so much fun.  (Anna always remembers that M&Ms are my favorite treats, too.)  Today, I have the pleasure of Joanne G. coming with me to share her expertise as well.  She’s a former middle school teacher with Memphis City Schools and has a wealth of real-world knowledge that can be sure with Anna’s preservice teachers.  I don’t know if we’ll get everything that we want to talk about in or not, though.

Today, we’re going to tooling around with Google Docs/Apps.  In particular, we’re going to take a look at Google Reader, Google Docs word processor, Google Docs presentations, Google Docs spreadsheets and Google Docs forms.

Here’s the links to the wiki pages I’ve created to go along with the workshop.  Anything we don’t get to will be accessible through these links, and please use them liberally.

1. Using Google Reader
2. Using Google Docs word processor
3. Using Google Docs presentations
4. Using Google Docs spreadsheet
5. Creating forms and quizzes with Google Docs forms

And a Google Form for us to try if we have time.

Google Groovin’ at Union

It’s going to be a great Saturday morning! I get to spend the morning with some awesome teachers at Union University in Jackson, TN. So, “Good morning, Union!” or maybe it should be, “Google morning, Union!”  They are taking a weekend class with my dear friend Dr. Anna Clifford, and she asks me from time to time to come spend some time playing with them. I’m so honored that I get to come.  I love sharing and I get to learn something, too.

Today, we’re going to tooling around with Google Docs/Apps.  In particular, we’re going to take a look at Google Reader, Google Docs word processor, Google Docs presentations, Google Docs spreadsheets and Google Docs forms.  I hope we can get through it all.

If we don’t happen to make it through everything (and that’s okay, I always plan too much), here’s the links to the wiki pages I’ve created to go along with the workshop.  Anything we don’t get to will be accessible through these links, and please use them liberally.

1. Using Google Reader
2. Using Google Docs word processor
3. Using Google Docs presentations
4. Using Google Docs spreadsheet
5. Creating forms and quizzes with Google Docs forms

And a Google Form for us to try.