Week 13 Reflections

I agree with Dr. Horvitz that Chapter 30 was a complex, yet interesting, read which provided many ideas I can apply to my work. “How Humans Learn” was the most enlightening section. I learned a lot about the brain in training for my summer job and I am absolutely fascinated with the brain’s power. I was excited to read about the brain and technology. “Prior knowledge of the learner is an important individual characteristic that must be considered” and in my job, it varies greatly (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007, p. 314). For example, in one section, I could have students ranging in age from 18 to 58, and students who have never worked a day and students who have always worked two jobs. I must take all of my students into consideration when planning and implementing my lessons. I would like to share all of the brain knowledge I’ve gained with my students so that they better understand the learning process. For example, sharing with students that we take two shorter breaks than one long break because of the brain’s “limited capacity of working memory” will hopefully translate to taking study breaks at home and not cramming for quizzes/tests (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007, p. 314). Like all technologies are not ideal for all subjects, all technologies are not ideal for all students. Instructional designers need to take the student’s prior knowledge into great consideration.

Another enlightening section was “Surface Features vs. Functional Features of Visuals”. A significant question instructional designers should ask themselves is “does animation or video enhance learning?” (Reiser & Dempsey, p. 315). If the answer is “no”, the educational technology is derogatorily referred to as edutainment. The “bells and whistles” of edutainment get our students’ attention, but contain little or no content and take-away value. I love YouTube videos, Google Earth, and other Internet media, and my students do, too! One of my favorite videos to show at the beginning of each quarter is an Abbot and Costello multiplication video. The students and I laugh while watching it, and then we have a discussion. We conclude that there are many ways to do things in math, but generally only one of the ways is the right process, and that it is good practice to check our work. I would like to incorporate more media, not just videos, into my lessons. As I’ve mentioned many times before, my students often ask why they need to take math classes when they claim they will never use it again. I reply that it’s more than just math; it is problem solving and critical thinking. By using media to demonstrate real-world application, students will be more open to math and more successful in the class.

Picnik & Google Docs

Picnik

Picnik is fun!  I had played with it prior to this week’s Learning Module and was excited to have an excuse to play with it some more!  Picnik offers many great features, such as editing and creating, which are great for both personal and professional use.  Personally, Picnik is fun for adding graphics and text to photos for Web sites like facebook and MySpace.  Professionally, Picnik is ideal for diagrams or screen shots with text instructions.  Photos can be conveniently opened from Websites like Flickr and Picasa or uploaded from a computer.  As with most free Web sites, there are great features that are heavily advertised and able to be clicked, but are only available with Picnik Premium.  (Insert sad buzzer “wah wah” here.)  I would recommend Picnik to coworkers for both personal and professional use.  Picnik is easy to use and does all the basic editing and creating as expensive programs, like Photoshop Elements.

Overall rating: 4/5 stars

Google Docs

Google docs is a free alternative to Microsoft Office, but like other free software, it has limited features.  For someone experienced (and certified) in Microsoft Word, Google docs and free just doesn’t cut it.  Google docs is most notably inferior to Microsoft Office in terms of compatibility and formatting.   Many students use free software, like Google Docs, OpenOffice, and AbiWord on their home computers.  When the students open the documents on campus to print, either Microsoft Office does not recognize the file format and cannot open it, or if it can be opened in Microsoft Office, the formatting is skewed.  As for the collaboration feature of Google Docs, it is inferior to Wikis and other public work spaces.  I would not recommend Google docs to coworkers for either personal or professional use.  I recommend saving money and buying Microsoft Office when it is on sale at Best Buy or using a Wiki for collaboration.

Overall rating: 1/5 stars

Web site!

Click here for my Baker College of Jackson LSS Web site!  This site features some great need-to-know information about the LSS.  There's basics like contact information, location, and hours.  There's announcements for updates and things coming up.  There's testing information because we get A LOT of questions about testing.  There's also tutoring information, because that's our number one service!  I think this is great for students to access from home and on campus so that they can find out more about the LSS and the services we offer!

Week 11 Reflections

There are a few instructional designer, training manager, and competencies that I would to develop.  First, I would like to develop my “[application of] current research and theory to practice” and “apply basic research skills to design projects” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007, p. 275).  While this is two competencies, the commonality is research.  I take in a lot of great research-based information via these Master’s courses, Baker College of Jackson professional development (PD), the Michigan Developmental Education Consortium (MDEC), and other professional, and sometimes personal, interactions.  I don’t however, always further consider and apply the information I’ve gained; the worst of all is that I cannot pinpoint why. I have restructured my course at the beginning of every quarter, so I’m not set in my ways.  I attend and now present PD at Baker College of Jackson, so I’m not reluctant to learn.  Or maybe I’m in denial.  I feel that this post is going to become very personal; maybe I should have started it with “Dear Diary...”. 

Second, I would like to develop my “[evaluation of] training and performance interventions” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007, p. 275).  As I just mentioned, I attend and now present PD at Baker College of Jackson.  In the past few years, I’ve become more critical and demanding of PD.  Specifically, I want better PD, and more of it.  I always underestimated the value of my evaluation of the PD offered; I either attributed it to my lack of an educational background or the fact that others don’t learn technologies as quickly as I do and need the introductory training.  The question I often want to pose to myself and other faculty is “how are we challenging ourselves to become better educators?”  I feel incompetent to teach Health Sciences, Business, and Computer Information Systems instructors how to become better educators.  What I can do is provide PD that will encourage them to challenge themselves, and thus challenge their students.  I get into a rut every Spring Quarter and am sure that this happens to other instructors, too.  I want to recharge them, to challenge them, and myself, to be excited for and value PD for professional growth and (here’s my favorite line) an improved learning experience for our students.

A third competency (although there’s many more) that I would like to develop is my “develop[ment] and monitor[ing] of a strategic plan” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007, p. 275).  Specifically, I want to focus on the monitoring of a plan.  I have learned great things and have the best intentions, but I have poor follow-through.  I need to learn to ask “why” after asking “what works and what doesn’t work?”  Eh, maybe I’m blaming this on my lack of pedagogical knowledge, but I don’t always see the value in monitoring my plan.  I’d even be happy if I kept a better record of the things I try in class.  As I mentioned, I restructure my course at the beginning of every quarter, because of what worked and what didn’t work.  I have my old syllabi and course calendars that have what we did, but I wish I monitor the effects, students’ reactions, and other plan-related events.  Hmm, in a nutshell, the competencies I wish to develop are research, evaluation, and monitoring.  So, I need to just use what I learn, see how it works, and record it.  "Thanks for listening, Diary..."

It's bubblicious!

The first concept map I made is a dissection of an algebraic term.  When I teach Pre-Algebra, I put a lot of emphasis on vocabulary and using math terms when explaining processes.  In the first week, I introduce variables and algebraic terms to my students.  We first learn to identify like terms, as you'll see the map describes and provides examples of what like terms are.  We then learn how to combine like terms, which you'll see the map also describes (using math terms) how to do so and provides examples.  The second concept map I made is the process to solve an algebraic expression. I find that students learn best from a good example with the process explained.  I felt kind of limited with concept maps and math, but think I could come up with some other things besides dissections and processes (like order of operations, too).

Week 10 Reflections

There are many similarities among instructional design/technology in business, P-12, higher ed, and my work at Baker College of Jackson. The first, teamwork, is prevalent in all three fields. In business, “a typical work team might draw members from human resources, organizational development, and communications as well as from training” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007, p. 177). In P-12, a leadership team might consist of a school board member, principal, PTA leader, and superintendent (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007, p. 216). In higher ed, “[some] full professors are expected to participate...on important college and university committees” (Reiser & Depsey, 2007, p. 231). Whether a work team, leadership team, or committee, all fields utilize teamwork.

The second similarity, online learning is present in all three fields, but varies slightly. In business, online learning is considered “training” for employees. The often-outsourced training “facilitates more effective training delivery” and can greatly reduce lost work time (Reiser & Depsey, 2007, p. 180). In P-12, online learning expands beyond employees to students, like in the Chugach School District where “education occurs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week” (Reiser & Depsey, 2007, p. 217). In higher ed, online learning involves both the employees and students via distance learning, hybrid classes, and online classes. Higher ed employees may often receive online training for teaching online classes - that’s a double whammy!

A third similarity most common in P-12 and higher ed is reluctance to change. In P-12, a first effort for five districts was to “develop their district’s readiness and willingness to engage in district-wide reform (Reiser & Depsey, 2007,p. 217). In higher ed, “many [faculty] are reluctant to admit they want or needs help with their teaching” and Brenda Litchfield shares, “the hardest part of being a faculty developer is getting faculty to come to workshops” (Reiser & Depsey, 2007, p. 229). I see plenty of reluctance to change among the faculty at Baker College of Jackson.

Many traditional teachers (of the faculty at Baker College of Jackson) are unwilling to embrace new technologies in the classroom, whether online supplements, SMART Boards and interactive media, or clickers. They may be reluctant because of the trends provided for P-12 and higher ed. The traditional teachers are not “sold” on the idea of how technology will improve the classroom experience. They think the way they have always done things still works, so they see no need to change it with gimmicks and gadgets. Traditional teachers are often uncomfortable using technology in the classroom that they are unfamiliar with. A solution to this is training, but how do we get them to attend, and more importantly, use what they learn at the training in the classroom? There are many technology myths, one of them being that “teachers who are newer to the profession and those who have greater access to technology are more likely to use technology frequently for instruction than other teachers” (Anonymous, 2010). Although the myth is in reference to K-12, I think it’s very applicable to higher ed. Perhaps we need to borrow some trends from the business field, specifically marketing, to “sell” the traditional teachers on the idea of how technology will improve the classroom experience for both faculty and students.

Anonymous, . Dispelling technology myths. (2010, August). Reading Today, 28(1), 33. Retrieved November 11, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 2125407161).

You Jing, I Jing, We All Jing!

I read the first paragraph and got excited about the activity, so I simply recorded myself "performing some task on [my] computer [and added] voice narration". I didn't realize it had to be lesson-related until I read #7 tonight. I apologize for the lack of relation to a lesson, but think this is more fun! So many times, we get cool computer programs (like Photoshop Elements 8.0) for personal or professional reasons and don't know how to duplicate cool effects that we've seen or just different effects, in general. This Jing is a very easy guide to show how to make a black-and-white photo with one color. For a bonus (or relation to a lesson), I've also included a Jing of last week's Google Earth activity, specifically how to find the distance in light years between Earth and the stars Rigel and Canopus. Enjoy! :)