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.

Using Google at Union University

Today, I’ll be spending class time with some exceptional preservice teachers at Union University in Jackson, TN, with Dr. Anna Clifford’s classes. I’ve been doing this for a couple of semesters now, and I always have a blast.  Here are some photos of previous sessions on Web 2.0.

As part of her instructional design and technology integration courses, we’ll be talking about teaching and learning with Google 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 not, here’s the links to the wiki pages I’ve created to go along with the workshops.  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

Toward a portal site

Jongpil Cheon

by Jongpil Cheon

The faculty members in instructional technology program were invited to visit some classrooms by a technology support team of a school district. All the classes we visited in two elementary schools, one middle school and one high school were using a Smartboard and clickers (classroom response system). In the discussion session, the main request from the technology support team was that these tools should be in pre-service teacher curriculum. I understand that these tools become more popular and we need to teach how to use the tools. However, all classroom activities were still teacher-centered except that the students chose their answers with clickers or pointed at something on the screen in front of the class. I felt there was a gap between real classroom settings and research findings. I started thinking about how to narrow the gap in a practical way. There should be something we could provide for teachers rather than journal article. That’s my initial thought.

Web 2.0 has been a big word. As the owner of this blog stated, Web 2.0 tools have three big features: a) easy to learn, b) variety of tools, and c) low cost and networked community. There are many websites introducing Web 2.0 tools such as http://www.go2web20.net. In addition, some sites focus on classroom tools such as http://www.classroom20.com. However, there are a few websites that introduce currently available technology tools for K-12 classrooms with useful categories and application samples. Therefore, I opened a wiki space (http://tools4classroom.wetpaint.com) to collect any available tools including hardware and software as well as website using Web 2.0 technology. I asked my students to add a tool they know. It is the beginning of my own project. The main goal is creating a resource to support effective Web 2.0 technology integration that would be the second edition of teacher technology handbook (http://teacherhandbook.memphis.edu). I am seeking ways of categorizing various tools based on a teacher’s point of view. Furthermore, an evaluation system such as a benchmarking system can be implemented with another Web 2.0 tool.

http://tools4classroom.wetpaint.com/

If you have time, please add a tool to the wiki space, and let me know any useful website about Web 2.0 technology integration to classroom. You are more than welcome to suggest a categorizing method as a comment.

(Last, congratulations on launching a blog!  I hope this blog will be a resource and a communication point in the instructional technology field.)

Guest blogger:  Dr. Jongpil Cheon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership in the Instructional Technology program at Texas Tech University.  He taught elementary schools in Incheon, Korea, and has served as an instructor at the Incheon Education and Science Research Institute, Incheon, Korea. Dr. Cheon has received numerous honors, such as being named outstanding doctoral student at the University of Memphis, and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. He has contributed to several instructional technology books and has many presentations and publications in the fields of adaptive learning system, online instruction and interface design. He has also served as a system manager in Advanced Instructional Multimedia Lab at the University of Memphis, and developed numerous websites, instructional technology integration manuals, and Web-based courses.

Grab the red stick!

Anna Clifford

by Anna Clifford

Napkins and individual packages of cheese and crackers were handed out to the group of preservice teachers.  The professor asked them to couple with a partner  and make a Cheesy-Crackette!  One partner watched and took notes, while the other made the masterpiece, as instructed. However, there seemed to be some congestion with one group that gained the attention of the entire class.

Aynne explained, “I have never seen one of those things, and I don’t know what to do with it!  I am lost!”

The calming partner chuckled in dismay and stated,  “You have never seen a package of cheese and crackers and you have never experienced the red stick?” Girl, just grab the red stick and smear it on! It is all good! ”

Bewildered eyes cut across the class of preservice teachers in the instructional technology class. “What is a teacher suppose to do? “ asked the professor. There responses included: show her how, draw her a picture, let her figure it out, and give her some directions. “ Look at you!  Let’s give her some step-by-step directions,” concluded the professor.

Discussion continued, as they compared and contrasted their directions and edited and finalized a class JobAid for making a Cheesy-Crackette.

Will it work?  Who should try it? Aynne was selected to follow the JobAid. Her peers  watched as she made her very first Chessy-Crackette.   “It is delicious!” she sounded.

The conversation continued, as the preservice teachers began to close the teaching-learning gap. They agreed the concise JobAid http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~smflanag/edtech/basic.htmworked for Aynee and a job aid could be posted on a computer, as needed to close the computer skill’s gap, as well.  In addition, teacher selected videos from YouTube (e.g.,   How to Insert Pictures in Word 2007) or  TeacherTube, (e.g., School House Rock: A noun is a person, place or thing), and  using the Help aids (e.g., Microsoft Office Word Help) within the software, were suggested.

“It just depends on the student and the student’s needs. So is this like …  learner adaptations or differentiated instruction?”  questioned another.

The red stick … waved another awe moment!

Guest blogger:  Anna Clifford is an associate professor in the School of Education at Union University.   She works extensively with preservice teachers in early childhood education, as well as, instructional technology.  Her background in Montessori education has shaped her philosophy.  Her research and interest focus on technology integration in the PreK-8 teaching-learning environment, particularly, its impact on the professional growth of teachers and preservice teachers.  She works along the side of colleagues and preservice teachers, planning and implementing effective technology integration into the current content curriculum. She completed her EdD in Instructional Design and Technology from The University of Memphis, where she is an adjunct professor.