Module 6 Obsolete Technology

Link to Video: C:\Users\ldodd\Documents\Camtasia Studio\obsolete technology\obsolete technology.html References Rosedale, P. (2008). Philip Rosedale on Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html. “Steve Jobs “One More Thing…” Complete Compilation (1999-2011).” YouTube. YouTube, 20 Feb. 2013. Web. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QQLyS0MnzM The History of Technology in Education." YouTube. YouTube, 03 Oct. 2011. Web. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFwWWsz_X9s Thornburg, D. (2009). Disruptive Technologies. DVD. Laureate Education, Inc. Thornburg, D. (2009). Six Forces that Drive Emerging Technologies. DVD. Laureate Education, Inc. Thornburg, D. (2009). Evolutionary Technologies. DVD. Laureate Education, Inc. Thornburg, D. (2008b). Emerging technologies and McLuhan’s Laws of Media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration. Thornburg, D. (2008c). Red Queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Module 5 Red Queens and Increasing Returns

When I decided to rent a DVD for my science fiction project, the 2002 version of Steven Spielberg’s movie Minority Report, my first choice was to find it on NetFlix. I signed up for the site just for this video and the site either did not have the video or it was not available for instant streaming so I cancelled my membership. I then tried to find the video on youTube, or anywhere on the internet but I could not locate it. I ended up going to Target and buying the video. I believe the current competition between DVD’s and video-on-demand is an example of an increasing return or Red Queens. When “two innovation hit the market at about the same time. By chance, one technology gets locked in and drives the other to extinction.” I feel that many people are attached to their mobile technology so they can watch a streaming video at their convenience with the use of online videos. There use to be DVD rental stores but many have closed due to the Netflix and Redbox that are more convenient to people. McLuhan has four stages technology goes through which are enhancement, obsolescence, retrieval, and reversal. Right now I feel like DVD’s and video on demand are in all four stages at the same time. Video-on-demand is doing what DVD’s did but in a new convenient way. It takes away the inconvenience of driving somewhere to get a movie and also takes out the late fees that occur. It is rekindles the convenience of videos instead of going to the movie theatre and finally it reverses the want to watch movies first before they come out on the television. “Huge competition between two technologies; in the process, all other competitors are left behind.” Reference Thornburg, D. (2008b). Emerging technologies and McLuhan’s Laws of Media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration. Thornburg, D. (2008c). Red Queens, butterflies, and strange attractors: Imperfect lenses into emergent technologies. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Module 4 The Disruptive Power of Second Life

Disruptive technology is “New Technology with the same functionality of an existing technology, but it functions more efficiently, and then obsoletes that technology.” Second LIfe is a disruptive technology because it is a virtual world but with a 3D design. You can live in an unrealistic world of whatever you dream of. Philip Rosedale, founder of Second Life, feels this is Second life going to be bigger than the web. The web is in the form of text and images and Second world is text and text to link information. Virtual worlds are a great way to organize information. Since people are social, they like to be around other people. In the virtual world, there are always people there with you to socialize with. You can walk into a café and speak with people locally or from other countries where you might not ever be able to do that in reality. Rosedale said 65% of people are not from the US but there are translators that you can use to translate your conversations. The average age is 32 in this three dimensional world but as the age of the person using the Second Life world goes up, the amount of time spent on the website goes up. The innovation Second Life is trying to displace the World Wide Web. It is making the chat room on the computer into a three-dimensional chat room. I feel 2nd life is currently too difficult for many people to learn how to join in and maybe not so cost effective. People would choose a free site over a paying site most of the time. Second Life might want to make an easier way to use the 3D world. I do wonder if Second Life will ever be able to combine technologies such as using video games like xbox or google earth into 2nd life so you can play within the site with others. This site reminds me a little bit of the Jim Carry movie called The Truman Show. It was someone else that put him into a fake world and ran his world how they wanted it to run without him knowing and then put it on a live television show for everyone to view what happens. Both the movie and Second Life are made up worlds and ran how you want them to run. References Rosedale, P. (2008). Philip Rosedale on Second Life [Video]. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html. Thornburg, D. (2009). Disruptive Technologies. DVD. Laureate Education, Inc.

Module 3 Rhyme of History

Rhyme of History A rhyme of history is a “new technology in a fresh emergence of the impact felt many years before from another technology” (Thornburg, 2009) . It is not the piece of technology, but the affect of the technology that is rekindled. One rhyme of history that brought was brought to my mind is the video phone or picturephone. The video phone is a telephone with a video to display that is on each end of the call. This form of technology originated in the late 1920’s. The first videophone was first and then it moved to videoconferencing, then webcams and now the most know video phone is Facetime on the iPhone. In the 1950’s and 1960’s there was a video phone available but it was very expensive and not many people could afford it. It would send still images every few seconds over the telephone lines. This was a very slow process and the delay of pictures made it so the voice did not match up with the images that were received. At & T Picturephones were available in the 1970’s but they were too expensive to purchase. They were $169 which is about $1,020 in current time’s prices. The owners were also charged $169 a month plus 25 cents per minute after the first 30 minutes. Prices were eventually dropped to $75 a month which is about $450 a month in current times. Very few people used this product. Webcams with using programs such as Skype is a much more recent program that many people use when wanting to see the person on the other end of a call. Skype is very inconvenient if one is not near a computer to speak. Facetime with the iphone has become very popular and the most used type of the videophone. IPhone users have the convenience of using the picture phone on the go at any place and time. One group of people that I did not think about that would have a great impact on having this device is a deaf or hard of hearing person. With using a video program like Facetime, they can use sign language to talk to people on the other end rather than waiting to see the person in person to speak to them. So“the affect or impact of a new development rekindles something from the distant past” which in this case is Facetime. References Thornburg, D. (2009). Six Forces that Drive Emerging Technologies. DVD. Laureate Education, Inc. Thornburg, D. (2009). Evolutionary Technologies. DVD. Laureate Education, Inc.

Module 2 Smart Phone Tetrad

• Enhances: The smart phone is constantly being updated and revised. New apps are developed to change with the current and future times. It makes one’s computer portable. The smart phone allows us to carry our music with us and play games on the internet at any time. People can talk to other people through text notes rather than with voice. • Obsoletes: The smart phone has replaced the regular cell phone which replaced most home phones. The smart phone also has something called face time which is like a video phone. Video phones never really emerged years ago when they first came out mostly due to the cost. The smartphone makes this option available to everyone. • Retrieves/Rekindles: The smart phone retrieves the communication with people on the home phone. • Reverses: I was just reading about Google Glass and this might be one hands free device that could replace the smart phone. We wanted out device portable so we could continue our lives outside of the home and still have our technology while on the go. Google Glass is hands free which I guess is the next step in portability.

Module 1 Emerged Technology

A current technology that has emerged in the last few years that shapes learning is the Apple iPad. Many schools have adopted the iPad into their classrooms. Using effective information and communication technologies in the classroom helps with positive outcomes in the schools. Bindu Rana, R D head at Educomp, an education services company, says “In a changing world, if we teach children today the way we were taught yesterday, we rob them of tomorrow. Ten years from now, when they graduate from schools, they will need different skills than we did” (Patnaik and Vijay, 2011). IPads give students easy access to apps that can go along with lessons. “Students learn best when they are constructors of their own knowledge. Students who are taught in ways that honor their learning styles and dominant intelligences retain the native engagement with learning with which they enters school” (Thornburg, 2009). One of the main reasons of why the iPads work so well is that many of the apps do not use the keyboard. This makes it easier for younger students to begin to work immediate on a project often without training, Teachers are hoping that games and simulations will help students learn at their own levels. Students can start out at a level that is right for them and then progress at their own level. It will almost be like each student has their own Individual educational Plan rather than just certain students that have learning problems. Using iPads in education is not a bad idea. There are many reasons that iPads have not worked out as well as the schools have thought. They might have been purchased without having a clear game plan of their use in the school. They school might not have though of the budget they would need to purchase software to be able to use the iPads in the class. IPads also can be a distraction in the classroom when traveling to other sites such as youtube and Facebook. There is the thought of the expense of fixing the broken iPads. They are durable, but give children technology and they are bound to have mishaps. To make this a better technology in the classroom, the schools need to make sure the teachers are trained to use it properly. The iPad has to be introduced properly to both teachers and students in order for it to be a successful tool in the classroom otherwise it will just be another great teaching tool that is left on the computer cart. A central theme in school is that we need to prepare students for their future, not for our past. (Thornburg, 2009). References Patnaik,A. and Vijay, S. Hindustan Times. Education in the age of the iPad. New Delhi. September 17, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/Chunk-HT-UI-NCRSchool2011-TopStories/Education-in-the-age-of-the-iPad/Article1-746930.aspx Thornburg, D. D. (2009a). Current trends in educational technology. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration. Following Latisha: lrtscg@blogspot.com Ellen: ellenprescott.wordpress.com Sarita: https://plus.google.com/106590478863460386927#106590478863460386927/posts

Module 6 Learning in the Digital World

(Sorry this post is not posting correctly. It is posting as one paragraph even though I keep updating it into paragraphs and references) In the video (Laureate, 2009), George Siemens stated “In a stable environment, the intent of education is to produce clarity and clear thinking.” I believe technology has a high impact on the way one learns. Everything we want to know is at our fingertips. As teachers we can scaffold learning so everyone can be learning on their own level. Students can take charge of their own education and take it as far as they want to. Almost everything we do not know can be researched and found answers to. “Connectivist teaching and learning must optimize the ability for learners to form effective networks” (Laureate, 2009). Being able to connect to others is vital to learning. The critical part is that both teachers and students need to decipher what is true and what is not true in their findings. This can be difficult for the reason that there are many convincing writers that we need to know what types of sites are reliable and which types are not. “Human existence is a quest to understand. Our spaces and structures need to be aligned with our new understanding of knowledge…and the manner in which it moves, flows, and behaves” (Siemens, p. 4). There is a slight difference in learning in an online environment as compared to face-to-face learning. All classes should strive to create an equal learning experience as far as the concepts being taught, however, with the use of technology, when going to a certain website, it can lead to another website and another website and so on so the student can have a higher order of thinking. The student can learn more than what the teacher initially wanted them to learn. The sites can lead to a totally different concept in which the student could become interested in and want to research that concept along with the original concept. In my philosophy of education, I believe that the teacher needs to fit the program to the child. Every child is different and learns in a different way. They have different interests. If you teach the way a child understands and relate it to something that has to do with them, they will be interested in learning. With the use of collaboration, based on the basic ideas of the constructivist learning theory, the constructivist suggests that instruction must take students' prior ideas, experiences, and knowledge into account while giving the opportunities for students to construct new understanding. I often wonder about students with IEP’s. When I found out I had twenty students and 7 of the students had IEP’s I thought in a negative way of how will I do this. I thought one of these days everyone will have an IEP in my class. Then thinking in a positive way, I thought yes, everyone has their own IEP but they all aren’t in writing and made official. We have to teach a class like everyone has an individual educational plan. We have to get to know the student and find out what is their way of learning and adjust our lessons to each child. The purpose of any learning theory is to supply a framework to education to help the students to learn and retain the information and then be able to apply the information they learned at a later time. “Connectivist learning requires mashups, or taking content and ideas that others have produced and reusing and repurposing them in different contexts” (Siemens, Laureate 2004). This is vital in teaching the students that will soon be running our world. References Laureate Education, I. (Director). (2009). Connectivism Learning Theory [Motion Picture]. Siemens, G. (2004, 12 12). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved from Elearnspace: http://elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing Knowledge. Copyright 2006 by George Siemens. Used by permission.

Module 5 - New Technologies

(For some reason I had a very hard time posting this)

I am a team leader and produce many meetings throughout the school year.  I have observed great teachers and not so great teachers.  Many of the teachers are very caught up in going strictly by the book and in order that they do not take time out to do what is best for the students.  In the virtual classroom, we have endless possibilities to help students to reach their full potential through the use of technology.  We can use collaboration rooms and insert many programs into our classrooms.  I have heard of some great teachers in my school but yet they do not utilize the collaboration rooms for students to work together.  When I ask why they do not use them, they say they do not have time.  There is too much material to cover.  They would rather put a math problem on the board and have each student take a turn doing the work so they can see that the child understands the work.  When I tell them they can do the same thing in the collaboration rooms and cover more material and scaffold the learning so everyone can work on their own level, they quickly say no they are not changing because it is working for them.  I cannot seem to convince most teachers to change their lessons to fit what the child needs. Using Kellers  ARCS model could have given me a way to help motivate my team to be encouraged and successful at stepping out of their normal routine and trying something new.   I have also encouraged teachers to use and create videos with the children’s work.  It is quick and simple but requires a little extra work on the teacher’s part.  A few teachers have tried this but not many.  I included a short video of the children’s work on a project on volume. 

Reference

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of Learning for Instruction. Boston: Pearson Education.

Posted to http://kwagoner7105.blogspot.com/2013/08/module-5-new-technologies.html

Very nice post Karen.   I agree with you in that if I had known about ARCS I might have been able to convince my team to try some new technology in their classes.  With knowing what I do not, I certainly will try in the next couple weeks during our meetings. 

http://martinedtech.blogspot.com/

Gus,

I think that with doing training with step by step directions with teacher participation and having a final project to show in the end, helps to motivate teachers to utilize new technologies that they might be scared to try.  I like that their is support after the training also.

Lori

Module 4 Connectivism

In the video (Laureate, 2009), George Siemens stated “In a stable environment, the intent of education is to produce clarity and clear thinking.”  I find using the resources I have at hand to enhance my learning is important.  My personal network has changed the way that I learn.  I have learned many new ways to communicate with others in order to find out information that I need to know personally and to teach my students with.  I have found that I now can collaborate with others through blogging and wikis so that I can utilize a higher order of thinking.  I can elaborate on projects because I might not have thought of something that another person has thought of to use in projects.  I now watch and create videos with the use of web 2.0 technologies to help me understand what I am learning.  I communicate through email and a school program called Schoology with my colleagues more than I have prior to coming to Walden University.  I now know how to look up professional journals in online libraries and know which ones are valuable resources and which ones I should not use as a valuable resource.  I used to stick to just the readings that are assigned for a module but I now will go to other sources on the internet to help expand on what was not included in the class readings.

The digital tools that best facilitate learning for me are videos, whether teacher created or other professionals on youtube or other websites.  I like items that I can refer back to and watch or read over and over if I do not understand a concept.  I enjoy knowing that if I do not understand something in one video, there are many more that I can view to help me understand.  I also have found that I have been reading other blogs to see their interpretations of certain views of concepts that I am learning about.  I know people tend to go to blogs that have the same views and opinions as we do, but I am now branching out and looking for opposite viewpoints so that I can have a broader view of the topics I am reading about.  I continue to use “mashups, or taking content and ideas that others have produces and reuse and repurpose them in different contexts” (Laureate, 2009).

“Connectivist teaching and learning must optimize the ability for learners to form effective networks” (Laureate, 2009).  Using my network to learn information is vital to what I need to know.  I count on many people and websites to help me with what I am intrigued about.  I have found that I am habitually searching for answers on the internet for new knowledge I do not know.  If I want to learn how to do something, I will check youtube for a video.  I will look for surveys if I want to know something that I am comparing to something else.  I look up medical issues on certain reliable websites.   I use Pintrest when I need ideas for decorating or for teaching.  I enjoy finding new apps for my ipad when I find I am searching the same concept repeatedly.   “Human existence is a quest to understand.  Our spaces and structures need to be aligned with our new understanding of knowledge…and the manner in which it moves, flows, and behaves” (Siemens, p. 4). 

References

Laureate Education, I. (Director). (2009). Connectivism Learning Theory [Motion Picture].

Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing Knowledge. Copyright 2006 by George Siemens. Used by permission.

I replied to

http://kwagoner7105.blogspot.com/2013/07/module-4-connectivism-mindmap-and.html?showComment=1374717881293#c5003302835161504840

Karen,
I like your mindmap. I like how you separated the items into categories. Mine is altogether only because I think I use all of the sites for all the categories. We use so many of the same sites. I have not used Edmodo but have checked it out in the past. I use Schoology which I think works very similar to Edmondo. Noble sounds awesome. My students love to create avatars and real world situations are highly necessary in class. I am excited to check that out and use it for my classes. Thanks for the information. Lori

http://castanosblogs.blogspot.com/2013/07/mod-4-connectivism-map.html?showComment=1374718528513#c8935769810364055302

Joseline

Your mindmap is very interesting.  I like how you included pictures and the categories.  I have found most of mine are intertwined and I had a hard time separating them.  you included many that I did not include so I need to add more onto mine that you had that I do not.  Digital communication is important in our classes now to solidify knowledge like you said in your writing.  Lori

Module 3: Collaboration

Module 3:  Collaboration

In education, collaborative learning is an educational approach involving a combined effort by students, to complete a task. I believe that people have the natural instinct to interact and work as a group.  Collaboration validates what you are thinking.  Sometimes we are not confident in what we are writing or saying.  When you work with others, you have someone else there to say you are right or wrong and add on to what you are thinking, saying and writing.  Rheingold, one of the driving minds behind open collaboration, in the TED video http://www.ted.com/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html, mentioned the alphabet and how it was kept a secret for the elite for thousands of years.  Once the printing press came along, millions of people became literate due to the sharing of this knowledge.  This shows if people share the proper knowledge, they can become a better society by working collaboratively.  People now use computers and use collaboration on many projects in work and day to day life.  With the social media websites on the internet, people work together by replying to what people posts and adding on what their thoughts are or knowledge of the subjects are.  You might notice that it could be difficult to resist posting a reply to a post that you know is incorrect or that you can add on one more part to make their post better.  It seems to be a natural thing to want to share your knowledge or help someone else with what you know about the topic being discussed.  People are skilled or experts in different areas of subjects.  I might be great at Mathematics and a friend might be an expert at English.  If we collaborated on a lesson, it would be a much better lesson than if we worked separately.   

We collaborate through email, blogs, social media, and wikis.  We can form groups such as ebay to sell items and Wikipedia to share knowledge and expertise.   This is a semi-new strategy of thinking to make us better.  Collaborative learners believe that it increases the interest among the people involved and at the same time encourages critical thinking.  According to Johnson and Johnson (1986), collaboration teams achieve a higher level of thought and retain the information for a longer period of time than people that work silently as individuals. 

The advancement of technology helps to use collaboration within the workforce and in schools.  People need to learn to work as, and make decisions as, a team.  The development of critical-thinking skills through collaboration is one of the main goals with the use of technology in education.  According to Vygotsky (1978), students are capable of performing at higher intellectual levels when using collaboration rather than working individually.  With the use of collaboration, based on the basic ideas of the constructivist learning theory, the constructivist suggests that instruction must take students' prior ideas, experiences, and knowledge into account while giving the opportunities for students to construct new understanding.

Listed below are links to two studies about the benefits of collaboration, one concerning teacher collaboration and one concerning students. 

http://web.mit.edu/acs/faq/Online-collaboration/collab-learning_files/stacey.htm

http://www.districtadministration.com/article/benefits-teacher-collaboration

References

Johnson, R. T., & Johnson, D. W. (1986). Action research: Cooperative learning in the science classroom.  Science and Children, 24, 31-32.

Rheingold, H. (2008, February). Howard Rheingold on collaboration [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/howard_rheingold_on_collaboration.html

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Replied to: 

http://pnesrsta.wordpress.com/2013/07/08/module-3-blog-technology-as-a-collaboration-tool/#respond

I agree with you when you wrote that if people see the benefit of collaborating, they tend to do so.  I can see that in me.  I do not like to work collaboratively but if it benefitted me I would.  When I do work with others on a project, half the time I do learn from the partners and am happy I worked with someone.  The other half of the time, I do not feel people contribute as much due to the fact that they feel they only need to put in half the work that they normally do and then they always point out what part they did to make sure everyone knows they did their part.

http://kwagoner7105.blogspot.com/2013/07/module-3-technology-and-collaboration.html

Karen
The statement you posted "Technology can facilitate the collaboration process by linking together individuals who share a common interest and goal" (Brown). is so true. I always seem to get better results with collaboration when the students have something in common. I often help students make new friends by putting them in collaboration with someone that they are not friends with and then say to them something like "John, did you know that Tyler plays ice hockey in Pittsburgh also?" Sometimes just one statement like that can help the students decide that they would be good together and they do excellent work". Do you ever do that with your students? What strategies do you have to help your students want to work together and do the best work that they can?

 

 

Module 2: Cognitivism as a Learning Theory

“In social settings, Bandura said, we learn a great deal through imitation, and imitation involves cognitive processes.  We acquire considerable information by just observing models, mentally coding what we see” Some researchers and social critics say computers and the digital world have changed the way we think and interact in both positive and negative ways.  

Cognitivitism is one theory of how students learn.  Jean Piaget “forged the single most comprehensive and compelling theory of intellectual development” (Crain, pg. 112).  He focused his lifetime work on the child’s understanding of science and mathematical concepts.  He believed that children move through different stages of development and also in the same sequence as another child. He also believed “real cognitive growth only occurs when children construct their own knowledge” (Crain, pg 139).  They have to experiment and figure things out on their own.  Teachers should not use worksheets and tests to accomplish this development.  Instead, teachers should provide experiences that children find interesting and meaningful that they will want to work on within their own time because they enjoy it. 

Piaget believed in a rigorous stage theory.  He believed there were five stages that children move through.  They “unfold in an invariant sequence, describe qualitatively different patterns, refer to general properties of thought, represent hierarchic integrations, and are culturally universal” (Crain, p. 136).  Student’s go through these stages naturally.  Helping the students to move through these by providing links between what they already know and what they are learning is very important for the teacher to accomplish within each student. 

Using technology to help the students move through these steps is important.  Each student can move through a scaffold lesson at their own pace.  Cognitive learning tells me that each student can accomplish things but might not be at the same time.  I would need to be patient and help the students through different stages of development.  I agree with Driscoll when he said “children are active, self-directing cognitive entrepreneurs who develop their minds through a great many spontaneously generated information-processing activities” (Driscoll, 2005, p. 211).

Bill Kapp, in his blog on http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/ , wrote “ We need to take pieces from each school of thought and apply it effectively because…Cognitivism doesn’t explain 100% how humans process information and neither does Constructivism or Behaviorism. What we need to is take the best from each philosophy and use it wisely to create solid educational experiences for our learners”.  I agree with this.  Not everyone learns the same way with the same educational theory.  We need to take parts of each theory that is right for each student.  Not every child can memorize items to help them in a concept at a later time and at the same time not every student has previous knowledge to rely on when learning a new concept.  It seems like we should use accumulated wisdom to create multiple learning pathways and environments to meet each learners unique abilities and providing creative challenges that motivate learners.

References:

Crain, William.  Theories of Development: concepts and applications.  5th Ed.  Upper

Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.).Boston: Pearson Education, Inc. Saddle River:  Pearson, 2005.

Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). _isms as filter, not blinker [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html

Kapp, K. (2007, January 2). Out and about: Discussion on educational schools of thought [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.kaplaneduneering.com/kappnotes/index.php/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational/

Replied to:
http://pnesrsta.wordpress.com/2013/06/26/module-2-blog-learning-theory-use-in-education/comment-page-1/#comment-2

I enjoyed reading your post and I agree with blending different theories when teaching.  I did not realize it was so difficult to find math websites for students at the high school level.  I saw that Karen mentioned Pinterest in which I was surprised to find ideas on how to teach math there also.  I also found a site called teacherspayteachers.  It has many ideas that you can take and make your own.  I saw many ideas and projects with using Microsoft Excel that I was not aware of. One other site I often use is the NCTM site.  They have many resources for math teachers.  http://www.nctm.org/resources/high.aspx

http://kwagoner7105.blogspot.com/2013/06/module-2-response-to-bill-kerr-stephen.html?showComment=1372267523893#c1854459042795226479

Karen,
Your views and the way you use the different theories seem to be a lot like mine.  Since I teach 6th grade mathematics,and you are 7th grade, I wonder if this is how many math teachers teach.  I believe in blending different theories to find the best way for my students to learn.  I agree that all the theories have a certain place in education and that we have to understand our students to know when to use each one.

Module 1: Learning Theory and Educational Technology - 7105

1. What are your beliefs about how people learn best? What is the purpose of learning theory in educational technology?

I believe that K-12 children learn through a variety of ways.  Hands-on activities seem to work the best in my sixth grade classroom.  Students also need to relate the concepts that they are leaning to their own lives.  It seems as though students can retain information better when I relate what they are learning to how they will use it in their own lives.  An example of this is if I am teaching about fractions, I will explain how they will use this with cooking and measuring throughout their lives.  I teach mathematics, so the use of repetitive actions helps tremendously with learning.  I incorporate a large amount of technology into my lessons. The use of websites to help with repetitive learning through the use of websites that have flashcards and gaming helps my students to learn their facts.  Given that students are used to using different forms of technology in their lives, they are very interested in and comfortable with any form of class work and homework that has the computer involved. 

The purpose of any learning theory is to provide a framework to education to help the students to learn and retain the information and then be able to apply the information they learned at a later time. When using technology in the classroom, the teacher needs to be well educated in finding the best form of technology for the concept being taught.  Just choosing any website or program on the computer is not the appropriate way to integrate technology into the lessons.  The teacher needs to do research, and find the best websites and activities for the concept.   I attempt to find websites that scaffold learning so that each student can learn at their own level and move on to more difficult levels if they are ready.  Teachers are using websites to help the students with using the behaviorist approach to learning.  Learning occurs through the “black box activity” that is observable and the behavior is the main focus.  The student is influenced by the nature of the reward, punishment, and stimuli.  The memory is one of repeated experiences where reward and punishment are the most influential factors.  They learn through stimulus and response.  They respond to task-based learning.  (Siemens, p. 11).  I use many websites while teaching my sixth grade math class. 

Reference

Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from http://itforum.coe.uga.edu/Paper105/Siemens.pdf

replied to:
http://monicagragg.wordpress.com

I agree with you when you say that we learn what we want to learn and that was a great example with the video games.  My sixth grade students are experts at games.  After finding out how much they love the game minecraft, I first started entering videos of this game into my class and immediately got the attention of my classes.  I have questioned the students during the year of what they created on the site and how to use certain aspects of the game.  One of my goals this summer is to become an expert in this game so I can incorporate it into lessons in either math or science if possible.  Like you, I feel that I need to be an expert in the subject before I teach it, but I guess you have to use some trial an error at the beginning when you first teach something.

http://lrsgturn.blogspot.com/

I agree that students have to want to learn in order to retain anything taught to them.  They have to have an interest in what they are learning also.  When I have students in my class that struggle with my rigorous lessons, I will often grade them differently.  When beginning a lesson, I show examples of bad work, average work, and excellent work for a project that we are doing.  After I show the rubric for the project, I ask the students to look to see what is missing from the work according to the rubric.  I explain how each would be graded.  I encourage my struggling students as they work on the project and grade them in a way that it builds their confidence.  I then ask them if next time they will try "this"(meaning something they struggled with)  on their project.  After a year of confidence building, they really seem to come through and do become interested in learning and being successful. 

Module 6: Sychronized Interactions in the Virtual Classroom

Sychronized Interactions in the Virtual Classroom

Synchronized classrooms can help with educational reform.  The parents want a great education for their children.  Some see their children falling behind in school.  Some parents see their children attending unsafe schools and feel as though they have no alternative.  I believe the future that many have talked about has arrived.  Five years from now, every parent will be aware of the choices they have for their child’s education.   “With quality and increased access as the drivers of new online delivery models, schools can begin to ensure that every student, regardless of their geography, income level or background, has access to the very best education the 21^st century has to offer.” ~ Holstead

Holstead M, Spradlin T, Plucker J, Indiana University C. Promises and Pitfalls of Virtual Education in the United States and Indiana. Education Policy Brief. Volume 6,  

Number 6, Spring 2008. Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, Indiana University [serial online]. January 1, 2008

Parts of the video were taken from:
Do you teach or do you educate.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC3D7O-ByLE
I teach, therefore you Learn.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AWYIit1uNk

** I first videotaped my entire speech and reseach but found since I am having issues with my lips mathcin my voice, it looked rally bad. I also could not record in powerpoint because of extreme static in the background that could not be fixed.   I decided to switch over to using SMART video recorder to record the screen.  Just had computer reimaged 4 times and a new hard drive put in and it is not good on my end.  These were the best resources I could use. 

Blogs responded to:
Shar:
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LeAnn:
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Sarita:
http://iveylearninggarden.blogspot.com/2013/02/credibility-of-online-learning-video.html?showComment=1361147408521#c3341267792805457939
Allison:

http://allisonsedtechviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/plagiarism-video.html#comment-form

Karen:
https://plus.google.com/113502076689425175978#113502076689425175978/posts