Final Class

This has been a great class and I have enjoyed seeing some of the fantastic final projects. There were so many excellent 894 projects that I would love to see further. I have appreciated the great comments my classmates have left and I will enjoy reading your blogs further. This class has exposed me to so many fantastic tools that I have tried out. Some have shown to enhance my classroom learning environment. Thanks for all the great tips and information. I hope you will keep in touch and have a fantastic winter break! Happy Holidays!

Final Project

It was nice having clarification on the final project and analysis. It is nice preparation for the 894 project. I will definitely use this as a template. Walter shared his expert Web 2.0 tool with us about educational Comic tools. He gave us a brief history of comics that was very informative. I use Comic Life with my students and they just love it. It is a great way for them to introduce themselves at the beginning of the year and it works so well in science, especially when students are experimenting. They take pictures to document their research and add captions to describe what is happening in each step of the processes. He gave us a resource called pixtin which is a nice resource. Using comics for social networking is an interesting way of approaching the idea. I would not have thought of using it in that format. Comic Creator is a nice resource too.

Concrete learning is effective and memorable situations. We revisited the Web 2.0 activity we participated in on the first day of class, focusing on education. Web 2.0 has countless tools which will come and go. However, the education empowers the learners and opens up possibilities for global learning. There is so much possibility to understand content and access information.

Interface Design Critique

Cmap and FreeMind

On Information Design

* Who are the users? The users are often educators that want to assist in integrating technology and graphic organizers. Also, users are often individuals that want to illustrate important information or data.

* Information chunk: FreeMind and Cmap are both easy to use and offer help features and preference settings. I feel that FreeMind is simpler to use and to create new graphics of information. However, Cmap is easier to link concepts and I like how the menu is similar to Word.

* Relevance: The tools are used to construct, analyize and share information represented as concept maps. They help individuals illustrate and organize their thoughts and important information.

* Labeling: The labels on FreeMind are graphics that may be more "child friendly" than Cmap. However, it was difficult for me to make the connection without testing out the function. Cmap was easier to navigate because the menu was familiar, since I have used Word for so many years.

* Consistency: They both feature consistent patterns and preference settings. The graphics default to their previous colors and settings. They are fairly consistent.

* Detail: I feel that FreeMind does have an overwhelming menu which is why I prefer Cmap. There are so many controls and buttons that it can make me overwhelmed. I know some people prefer that but I prefer less controls. Cmap has a lot of detail as well but it is in the toolbars. Both have a lot of functions that should be simplified. Neither are the most user friendly.

On Interactivity

* Orientation: You have to practice and play with both FreeMind and Cmap. Neither tool is the easiest to navigate.

* Navigation: The navigation is very linear, but it can make me feel all over the place. The tools are not always easy to find and the features are not obvious.

* Functionality: The tools work well and can be imported and exported. I wish they had more import and export capabilities. I also wish they had more graphic functions and libraries.

* Information access: There are some supportive sites, but they are not great. There are mostly reviews on the products. Information can be published and the software is open source.

On Screen Design
Attractive: The design is blank and basic with question marks on both FreeMind and Cmap.

Resolution: The resolution is fine and easy to use.

Color: Basic color choices and features are simplistic.

Lay out: The layout is basic and could be better in both tools.

Readability: The readability is also acceptable for both pieces. However, FreeMind and Cmap could improve.

The Psychopathology of Everyday Things

This is not a picture of the actual train set because I do not remember the exact model number, but it did look similar.
source: http://www.yogee.com.au/lego-train-station-7997-p-390.html

Why do they make toys so difficult to put together? It often makes me feel dumb when a simple children's toy is impossible to assemble. I often see "some assembly required." However it can take more than just me, but an entire team to put together a toy for a five-year-old. I remember last Christmas, I gave a train station to my nephew because he had a love for trains. I am not a manual person and felt that I could put together a train and some tracks without reading directions. After all, I have put together a few trains in the past. As I gathered all the pieces from the box, I started putting tracks together. I purchased this particular piece because the tracks could be manipulated in many different ways. My thinking was that my nephew could try several different designs for his amusement.

Upon gathering the pieces from the box I noticed that not only did I have to put the train itself together, but I also needed to read the manual. It took an entire team to help put that train together and we could not finish it on Christmas day. I was so annoyed at the amount of assembly we needed to complete and how there were so many small, complicated pieces. The set should have been put together more than it was. Furthermore, "some assembly required" should mean some assembly.

Outdoor Education Videos

Here are my videos--without the kids'.

Group Project

I had a blast working with Walter, Dan, and Henrique. Although I participated primarily online, it was great working with them. All of the online participation got me thinking about the difficulties of online participation. There are so many advantages to collaborating with others online, but there is a greater risk of miscommunication and misunderstanding. For example, I misunderstood our story rules at the beginning and did not know when to participate. My group cleared things up, but it took a while for the information to come my way. I suppose this problem will become less intense as technologies develop. If I had an Apple iPhone my experience may have been different. I also might have had an easier time if I was not in the woods cut off from civilization for a week with my fifth graders. Oh, well... I did have a good time and I just love my students.

Participating Online with Paul Kim

I was at outdoor education with my fifth graders this week and had no cell phone for an entire week. The computer connections were very slow and there was very little access to technology. The computers at the site were about five years old and there was no cell coverage. It was like traveling back in time, but I appreciated the naturalistic aspect of the location. Our outdoor education was at the YMCA San Mateo Outdoor Education in La Honda. The students and I had a blast, but I would have liked some of that mobile technology that Paul Kim spoke about. However, it was good for the kids to be away from video games, phones, and computers for the week. They were outside for so much time and enjoyed themselves. It was nice to see them getting exercise, hiking, and gardening. There is life without technology, but I can't wait to get back to my working phone and computer.

Paul Kim participated through elluminate and demonstrated this site: http://ldt.stanford.edu/~educ39108/paulk/SFSU.htm which was interesting. He proceeded to demonstrate further projects on mobile education that he was working on. The mobile learning solutions for African children was fascinating. Teachermate seems like a great project that would be fun to build activities. They have several different devices for game-based learning. Teachermate is not a networkable device because the places they take them to, do not have all the capabilities as we do here. They are self-sufficient devices. I would love to see those devices and "play" with them!

The design group had a great video clip and outlined the concept very well. Hung, Yana, and Miles gathered a lot of excellent information and communicated well.

I will put up some of my videos to my YouTube when I have better access to technology.

My YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/mtaylorsalvador

Can you tell I like giraffes?

You asked and I'm responding. Okay, so here's the scoop on the giraffes:




Eugene Lee was a guest speaker who spoke about a noteworthy tool known as Socialtext. I enjoyed the way he explained through the use of analogies and gave us some great background information. He has had experience with start-up companies and transitioned to new technology. The focus on business is on people and some forget that the goal of software is for people to get their job done. The widgets are similar to igoogle and some are taken directly from igoogle. It is focused on work related networking. This seems like a nice tool for large corporations, which is Socialtext's intended audience. The idea is to make more meaningful ties within networks.

Craig presented on Mashups, a web application hybrid. It combines data from multiple sources to an integrated tool. He gave a great example of combining youtube and googlemaps to create new content. It is gathered from other sites through an API to use programs within programs. I really liked how Craig spoke about avoiding code and using RSS feeds for Mashup. The video tutorial was very helpful and I think Ubiquity is something I will definitely use. Thanks for sharing your presentation on the wiki!

Our group was researching the history of ITEC for our story presentation. We found that there is a rich history behind the department. I enjoyed the remainder of the Pink's book and looked at the essential questions he ponders.

1. Can a computer complete the work faster?
2. Are the skills I'm offering in demand in an age of abundance?
3. Can someone overseas perform these tasks cheaper?

Story, empathy, play, design, symphony, and meaning are competitive skills in the era of our Conceptual Age.

Five Slides - Guess what I did this weekend?

What's Your Favorite Part of the Brain?

The class brought up some great insight about A Whole New Mind and it really gave me some clarity on the reading. Brian and Erica presented podcasting, which they have been modeling for several weeks on their blogs. They gave us some excellent tips and created a fantastic demonstration. Their PowerPoint was very detailed and easy to follow and I am excited to incorporate more podcasting into my work.

Gordon spoke about Second Life, which is a program I have never used. However, I have had students who have gone on Second Life. This virtual world opens up an international component filled with fantasy. People use it for a variety of things: business, socializing, etc. I enjoyed how Gordon talked about the educational applications of the program and how collaboration takes place. Empowering students is often a fun approach to education. I like how the virtual world can replicate periods in history or works of art. Virtual field trips are a fantastic component. Personally, I would rather focus on my real life than on a second life, but can see how it would be fun for learning.

Eric presented information about Mobile Learning, which is great for collaboration tool with diverse formats. Eric reflected on the information and provided great insight and analysis. I love the idea of having education and collaboration in the palm of my hand.

Mobile Learning

Leslie Rule of KQED spoke with us about how this "gadget gal" noticed the learning tools of place-based education, and using community as text. Locative Media, location-based services, has applications for education. Android, by Google, had many of its features was location-based services. How can we make meaning in new ways with this technology? Leslie Rule spoke about one project in particular, which focused on the 1906 earthquake's 100 year anniversary. They recreated a time and a place across from City Hall; experience and place can change things. How does creating the content in place change the learning? I love the idea of getting learners outside the classroom where they can learn on so many levels. I remember how my students' perspectives changed about animals when a sanctuary brought some animals to the children. They had the opportunity to see and touch animals in person. It really reduced a lot of fears and changed some of their views of certain species.

Link:
http://www.locative-media.org/

Yana gave a presentation about Google Chrome, which is their new browser. Google started from scratch and wanted to improve browsers. It is very simple to use and the top tab works as a search and a url--now that's convenient. It is a nice tool with easy to use thumbnails. I think I still like Firefox the best, but who knows what they will do with these tools next.


A Whole New Mind was a surprisingly quick read. The book talked about how the previous decades belonged to the programmers, lawyers, and MBAs. However, times are changing and artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, and consolers are sharing in society's happiness. Pink describes the right and left parts of the brain and how they differ from each other. Society has gone through historical stages which have empowered left brain thinkers, but right brain thinkers are just as important and are becoming appreciated. The right and left brain qualities are still under research and thinking has changed. The chapters go through different ages in history: the agricultural age (farmers), industrial age (factory workers), informational age (knowledge workers), and conceptual age (creators and empathizers). It sounds like the conceptual age will work well with my thinking. However, I still think teachers will remain underrated in our American society for many years to come. Additionally, I think that our pay will still be mediocre to our credentials. The brain functions are constantly being reevaluated and we need to continue studies of the brain before more conclusions are met. If the left hemisphere is sequential and the right hemisphere is simultaneous, then both selections can work with each other and people can be successful whether the right or left dominates their thinking. I agree with Pink that we need to become proficient in right-directed thinking and higher order thinking skills. I try to encourage my students to become proficient in these skills as well.

Learning and Skills

The Digital Media and Learning Competition is such a fantastic project and I loved seeing the media. The individuals created wonderful, creative projects that communicated their stories effectively. We had many presenters inform us of some excellent tools during the class period. Judy gave a great presentation about Google Sites and how Pages has transitioned over time. Devi talked about VoiceThread, which is a program that I love and use. She presented it very well. Rowena presented Twitter, which is a fun tool that gives updates on what is going on. Jenny spoke about Flickr, an online photo management system for people to store, sort, search, and share photos.

I enjoyed the reading about the various technological tools and how they effect education. The article about growing up with Google was very interesting and I think that going seamlessly between the digital and physical world is an important skill. Although, I often feel like some students (and I) sometimes spend a little too much time in the digital world. I want to see my friends and I want children to get out of the house and see the real world in addition to the digital world. Instant communication is a fantastic feature, but I think it also encourages impatience. I often become easily frustrated when my friends do not answer their devices or texts. Before the cell phone blast, I was definitely more patient.

Another important concept is the gaming that individuals partake and I have become increasingly interested in game-based learning. I go through cycles of favorites that I like to apply to my classroom. This year they are graphic organizers and game-based learning tools. When students are engaged and find learning fun, I believe their creativity is enhanced and they are learning more.

21st Century Learning

Validity in education is an important consideration that teachers need to apply to their teachings. Students are using multimedia while multitasking, in their own social networks. Teachers can apply these tools to their practices. I am seeing an increasing amount of visual learners in my classroom but the 21st century skills go beyond visual leaning and involve hands-on, interactive lessons. These skills touch on kinesthetic learners as well as other multiple intelligences. I often hear that students cannot sit still but I noticed they can sit in front of a computer or a video game until all hours of the evening. Education needs to adapt to the learning needs and prepare our students for global communication and networking. I looked into Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers which is an instructional strategy that enhances students' abilities to retrieve, use, and organize topic information. Organizing and brainstorming software can be a helpful tool in illustrating information. It can bridge the gap of information and create topic connections. Scratch is a fun tool that might incorporate game-based learning into the classroom.

Here is a web map of a reading of an article about 21st century skills:

Dr. Curt Bonk, Indiana University

Dr. Curt Bonk provided some excellent insight on Web 2.0 tools. There are a lot of misunderstandings dealing with Web 2.0 and it means different things to different people. However, it can be such a powerful tool with fantastic applications.

Web 1.0 is about pushing up pages of content. Web 2.0 relates to micocontent. Items can be resaved, reused, shared, and ownership. Web 1.0 was about connecting learners in new ways. We could connect but it was not very interactive. With Web 2.0 we are moving toward a more engaging era. Teaching vs. Learning. Theory is not catching up to web 2.0 technologies, from teaching paradigm to a collaborative learning paradigm. Learners create their own wikibooks, produce news, comments, podcasts, blogs, create groups, etc.

The Thiagi Challenge was very interesting information about 99 second presentations. I think that might be a fun activity to use with my students. Dr. Bonk did a great job presenting information on the web in 99 seconds.

The idea of terabite technology is amazing to me, but I have noticed that technology is becoming increasingly free.

The IRRODL is an innovative website that researches podcasts. Online conferences could be considered a form of digital scholarship and many of the tools are free. Wikibooks has so many fantastic resources that are collaborative. WeBook is a place where you can get people to vote on your book and it can be published with the assistance of others. You can actually sell books at webooks.

I would love to see how I can use YouTube to anchor instruction and would enjoy exploring game-based learning.

The Google presenters also provided marvelous information about tools available by Google such as Google Earth and Maps.

We also heard some additional information about Wikis--great information.

I gave my presentation on Cmap and FreeMind. I must admit that I favor Cmap. My presentation can be viewed at the following link:

http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=df2h82t8_6cp4sj6fx

Technology Shaping Education

Emerging Technologies: I enjoyed the common craft videos; they provided a simple way of presenting information. Web 2.0 tools are an excellent resource that can enhance learning and communication. Web 2.0 is "people-centered" and focuses more on the learner. It is a collaborative tool with so much information which is why it changes learning and research. Students need to think critically about what information they need and about its relevance.

Technology had diverse ways of presenting information and how we process information. I noticed that the way individuals learn is changing. Starting with the "big picture" and researching information to meet your needs is a more common method when there is a sea of information available on the web.

Graphic encoders was a new concept for me and I enjoyed hearing examples from our guest speaker, Sylvia. Combining a variety of tools can create a progression of information in diverse ways. Different tools can enhance diverse learning styles. She is implementing such fun ways of applying web 2.0 to the classroom environment. Pandora sounds fun as well--I think I'll check it out.

I liked her wiki: http://starvocabwiki.wetpaint.com/

Marshall gave a great presentation on the Kindle eBook, which is another piece of technology that I have never before heard of. It's a lovely piece of machinery. He was very knowledgeable and provided marvelous information. I will be looking at Cmap and Freemind next week.

wiki vs. blog: Wiki is an excellent collaborative piece or a content management tool where as a blog is mostly used for reflection.

Flat Classroom: Students are participating in global project-based learning in order to collaborate with one another. They have specific areas of expertise and work in groups across continents to acquire information and encourage diversity. I love this project and would enjoy working with people from different places. I would be so interested in participating in a global project-based assignment if I was a student in these classrooms.

Digital Learning

As I learn about new and innovative technologies I can be overwhelmed with information about the countless tools out there. I love learning about new technology and how I can use those tools in my own classroom. Reflective learning is a key component. I want students to ask: "How do I learn?" Instead of: "What did I learn?" When individuals take responsibility of their own learning, they acquire resources and tools for discovering new information. In my classroom, I often encourage students to conduct research and to apply project-based learning that applies to real-world situations. The wiki tools, RSS, and other systems can be used by students to enhance learning in this increasingly global economy. Their social networks are expanding beyond their cities and states. Students can communicate almost instantaneously with people thousands of miles away. We learn through our social interactions and networking is one way of expanding that process.

The class presentations were fantastic and I learned about new tools that I have never before known existed. I also enjoyed hearing the background information on the history of the tools.

2nd Class

We talked about some excellent tools out there and compared them with one another.

iLearn: is a closed network for a class. It is controlled by the instructor and information is limited. Teachers post assignments and online discussions take place only among enrolled students.

Ning: it is a social network that can be either open or closed. Individuals can choose people to participate or allow anyone to view ideas or subject matter.

Blog: a blog is an online journal or a digital diary. Content and widgets can be added and individuals can subscribe to diverse blogs. People can get updates on content that has been added.

Netvibes: is an aggregater and it is a way of collecting a variety of information and websites on one location. It can also be used as a blogging tool.

There are so many tools out there!

Learning means different things to different people, because we learn in diverse ways. Connectivism goes beyond the traditional behaviorist, cognitive, and constructivist theories and can appeal to learners of the digital age. Educators must combine a variety of learning theory for diverse learners. Knowledge is distributed and new learning theory can explain learning. The process of learning is more important than the content. It is often shared throughout the different sources for research and sharing. Network-based learning is a valuable tool that affects the role of teachers and learners. Learning is a social experience that is distributed among a mass of contributors. It goes beyond traditional learning boundaries and opens global grouped learning.

ITEC 831 First Class

This was a great introduction to the class and I enjoyed sharing Web 2.0 tools and knowledge with various students. I think we have a great crowd and I enjoyed meeting new people. I decided to model the same introduction for my students today with science. They created a poster on what they know about Earth science--it worked well. :)