Week 14: Using Games for Teaching & Learning

This week we discussed the use of video games for teaching and learning. Specifically, we looked at the popular game Second Life, which is a virtual world in which individuals interact with other people and use real money to buy items in the game. Some educators are beginning to use video games, like Second Life, to teach classes in the virtual world. There is even a class at the University of Florida which uses the game. However, there are problems. SL involves real people and real money, therefore there have been issues, including lawsuits and affairs.

Looking at these games from a education view point is becoming more and more accepted. Many games require strategy and decision making. Even at the elementary level there are mini math and science "games" that require to students to answer problems to move to the next level. Students can also compete against others at the same grade level. The coming generations of students are going to be more and more technologically advanced and I believe game learning is just another step towards the future of education.

As this video points out, video games can make certain subjects more interesting for students who struggle with "homework." I believe this method of teaching can be a great alternative, but should not completely replace classroom learning.

This was also our last week in lab. This class has been very beneficial to me, as a developing teacher and in my personal life. I will definitely be using many of the tools I learned in this class in the future. I also feel as though I will be able to adapt to the ever-changing technological world.

Week 13: Distance Education & Virtual Schooling

This week we discussed distance education. Distance education is becoming more common today as students find it easier and cheaper to get their degree online. Even the University of Florida provides some online course work. The growing problem with this is that more and more people are going to unaccredited colleges/universities. This means that someone can get a degree by simply turning in a resume and paying a certain amount of money. If employers do not check the accreditation of the college, then my degree would be as good as their "degree." To get educated on the difference between online and in person schools check out this website.

Florida Virtual School is an accredited organization here in Florida. This "school" provides courses for high school students attempting to gain college credit. Many of my peers have used FLVS to take AP courses and have passed their exams. I think this is one example of how distance education can be positive and a legitimate source of education and accreditation.

This video highlights some of the problems with online degrees.

As a future teacher, I think distance education as advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that more people can get an education. But as a teacher, I would like to know my students and teach them face-to-face. I believe people can do well in online courses, but many students need the interaction that a live classroom provides. As I mentioned before, when attending an online school it's important to keep ethics in mind. It would not be fair for me to attend a 4-year university and have the same degree has someone who paid $1,500 and received their degree without any work.

Week 12: Creating a Professional Web Presence

This week in class we discussed the creation of our Professional Web Presence using Google sites, yet another FREE tool provided by Google. Having a Web Presence is a great way to let employers know more about you and why they should hire you. A Web Presence can include anything you think is beneficial for employers to see. In my personal web presence I included a personal page, a vita (resume) page, and a portfolio page. A portfolio page is vital to a successful web presence because it is where you can show what you've done and what you are capable of.

Although a professional web presence can be beneficial in any field, it is especially beneficial in the field of education, that I will be going into in a few short years. Principals are looking for teachers that will provide the most for their students. Using a web presence, I can display my past work -this blog, presentations, lesson plans, digital storytelling examples, and visual aids I have created. The web presence gives the employer a better understanding of me as a person and hopefully confidence in hiring me. This is a link to my web presence: Lauren McClain.

Another way to use Google sites is to create a classroom website. This would be great for keeping parents up to date with assignments, events, and teacher-parent communication. I'm excited for the day when I can share classroom stories and interact with parents.

This website gives 5 reasons to have a web presence. Although, the article discusses reasons why businesses should have a web presence, I believe this can apply to individuals as well. The five reasons it gives are: visibility, reach, credibility, competition and customer service. I believe competition especially relates to individuals having their own site. If someone is presenting themselves professionally, then this may give advantage when searching for a job.

Week 10: Tech Tools for Critical Thinking

This week we discussed tech tools that can be used for critical thinking. One critical thinking tool in is mind-mapping applications. As is demonstrated in my concept map extra post, these tools can be used to connect common ideas and organize common themes. There are several online tools available including: Bubbl.us, Gliffy, and Webspiration. Some of these tools even allow for collaboration and sharing, similar to Google Docs, which is useful in sharing ideas and preparing presentations.

In education, critical thinking tech tools can be quite useful. One use is in lesson planning. Many teachers share lesson plans amongst their fellow teachers at the same grade level. Using a concept map would give lesson plans a clear and detailed outline. Another use is in presentations. Students like interesting lessons and a concept map is just another visual aid for any subject or grade level. Many students also use concept maps to plan out papers, especially at the elementary level.

This website is a forum for education and various tech tools. As a teacher it will be beneficial to learn from other people and tools they have discovered. It's important to stay up to date with tech tools that are available in order to provide the best learning experience for students.

Concept-Map Extra Post

One of the tools we learned how to use in Week 10 was how to make a concept-map. There are quite a few porgrams/websites that allow anyone to do this for free. I personally used Bubbl.usto create a concept-map for social tools and skills that I can use in my future career.

This is my concept-map, which I exported into a jpeg:

Week 9: Social Tools & Cloud Computing

This week we discussed cloud computing and learned about two useful tools designed for everyone: Google Docs and Delicious social bookmarking. Cloud computing is being able to use server-based applications as a service rather than being tied to a specific platform on a specific machine or device. In my opinion, cloud computing is quite complex, but I use it everyday - when I check my email or use Facebook. Social bookmarking is a way of using cloud computing to share bookmarks and favorites on the web. It is useful because instead of all of your bookmarks being saved to your personal computer, bookmarks can be saved on Delicious and accessed from any computer through the internet.

This week's tools were especially useful to me as a future teacher. First of all, Google Docs is great way to share information with parents, other teachers, colleagues, and even personal contacts. With a Google Doc you can share information in real time with constant editing power. One example is using a Google document to share information when doing a group project. Each member can edit and add to the document so that everyone is up to date and there is no need for multiple emails.

Social bookmarking is also useful for teachers because it is a way to share teaching resources with everyone. For example, if there is a lesson plan or new technique that many would benefit from, a person simply has to add the bookmark to their delicious and share it with other teachers. These links are easy to find by using "tagging," a method of classifying each bookmark - just like we do on blogger.

This website gives an explanation of social bookmarking and how it can work for any individual. I believe that this tool is great for any profession and is growing in popularity. I'm excited to use these tools in the future!

Week 8: The Sound of... Podcasting

This week we learned about tools that can be used to create and use sound for multiple purposes, including Audacity and Apple's Garage band. We also received information about Podcasts and how they can be used in the teaching arena. I created a sound file using Garage Band, which was much easier than I expected. I was able to choose a genre of music and then change the various instruments, as well as the bass, treble, and volume. Apple has found a way to make editing sound and recording simple, and I was pleasantly surprised. In order to share the mp3 file, I created an account on the Box.net which allows people to share files by uploading to folders on the site. To listen to my file click here.

Using sounds and audio tools can be useful in teaching, especially, in my opinion, in the elementary setting. Students greatly enjoy hearing music and being able to dance and participate in music. Being able to create my own audio files would allow me to create music for dancing, plays, and almost anything I wanted to teach on. It could be something as simple as learning the alphabet... how did we learn it? Through a song. Another tool I could use is Podcasting. A podcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are available to download from iTunes and other sources. From my experience, many teachers choose not to use this tool, but from my research it seems like a new technique that could be quite beneficial. One way you could use Podcasting is by finding free podcasts from other teachers and using it in your own personal classroom. For example, many language teachers can give students access to podcasts that help them practice a particular language.

This video demonstrates ways in which to integrate podcasting into the classroom. In my opinion, this tool would be most useful in the middle and high schools. But perhaps when I have my own elementary classroom I will be using podcasting and other sound and audio tools that I am learning about now.

Week 7: Digital Storytelling

This week we discussed Digital storytelling and were introduced to tools such as iMovie, PowerPoint, screen capture software, Animoto, and GoAnimate, which can all be used to create a digital story. "Digital Storytelling" refers to using digital tools, like the ones above, so that ordinary people can tell their own real-life stories. For my Digital Storytelling Forum post I used Windows Movie maker to create a slide show of pictures from my mission trip to Matucana, Peru in May 2009. I also used 3 songs that related to the story of the trip. I utilized YouTube in order to share my video anywhere on the web.

Digital Storytelling is useful to teaching and the Education field for a number of reasons. The most obvious is that visual story telling would catch the attention of young students. Students are constantly being bombarded with media, such as television, so they would pay attention to whatever message/lesson I was trying to teach. Another important use of digital storytelling is to present other cultures and ideas from our own, much like the Stride video we watched in class. I could use the video I made, for example, to give a lesson on what I saw and learned about the culture through my experience.

The Center for Digital Storytelling is a resource I found that is helping people all over the world tell their personal stories. They provide work shops that help individuals use digital technology create their own version of a digital story. This website reinforced the importance of having an understanding of digital storytelling. Every person, young and old, has a story to tell and unique experiences. With an understanding of digital storytelling, I can help students recognize their unique stories and experiences and help them grow in many ways.

Week 6: Visual Literacy

This week we continued our discussion on Visual Literacy. We finished our Photoshop tutorial that would allow us to finish our Visual Literacy Project. This tutorial was extremely helpful and high lighted tools such as: magic eraser, lasso tool, and free transform. I enjoyed learning how to use Photoshop, not only for use in my future career, but also for my personal use. It is truly amazing all the possibilities available.

This is the Visual Literacy Project I presented:

The original image was the picture of the burger.

In my opinion, Visual literacy is an important concept in relation to the teaching profession. Students respond well to visual aid. Using what I now know, I can create visual aid in the classroom that can enhance any subject area. I could use pictures to further reading comprehension, as well as to explain math formulas and theorems. Being able to adapt to this ever changing technology is an important quality in future teachers, such as myself.

This website gives a great description of what visual literacy is and how it relates to teaching. It claims that visual literacy can help students learn to read and write and enjoy doing so. Visual texts can help students organize and understand the material better - which is important throughout all of a person's life.

Week 5: Media and Information Literacy

This week we discussed media and information literacy. We viewed a commercial from Dove that demonstrated how easy it is to edit any unwanted features by simply using Photoshop. In class, we began our Photoshop tutorial. For the Visual literacy project, we will be using various techniques to create an image using Photoshop. It seems as though the possibilities with Photoshop are endless.We also discussed the importance of being able to recognize legitimate websites and images. It is key in life to be able to recognize something that is real.

The following video demonstrates how Photoshop can be used to alter the appearance of an image, even using a photo of a famous actress:

This video is just one way Photoshop can be used to alter an image. You can also create landscapes, cut and paste, and add text to any image.

Personally, I am interested in the various visual aspects of media and teaching. Just the fact a person's greatest sense is seeing makes a big impact in every facet of life. With my skills in Photo shop I will be able to make visual teaching tools. Elementary children respond strongly to colors and visual activities. Also, it is important for me to recognize that students may come across fake websites and images, and I will need to explain to them the difference between the real thing. Not only will I be able to use these skills in my career, but I will be able to use them for my own personal hobbies. I enjoy photography and the creativity that technology allows.

Creative Commons (Extra Blog Post)

Copyrights and ethics are a serious issue in every field. But luckily with teaching there are less restrictions. Teachers are allowed to use copyrighted books, plays, music, dances, movies, and pictures, because of Fair Use laws. Teaching is one of the realms in which the owners have agreed to let individuals use their work with out permission. However, it is important to be responsible and honest, obeying the limitations that are in place.

This is a video about Creative Commons, which also allows individuals to use copyrighted work without permission.

Week 3: Web Technology

This week we began discussing Web technology and Web 2.0 concepts, as well as setting up our Blogger accounts and adding them to our class Wiki. As one of the articles we read states, Web 2.0 "allows for information presentation and participation in creating information." Web 2.0 tools include web sites like Blogger, Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, Flickr, and one of my personal favorites, Pandora. These sites allow individuals to share information, pictures, videos, and much more.

As a teacher, Web 2.0 tools will be resourceful in every aspect of the job. I can use a wiki or blog account to keep parents up to date about classroom progress and personal information. These tools will also be useful in sharing and learning from fellow educators.

The following video is explanation of one popular Web 2.0 tool, Twitter. Simple tools like this one are used by almost everyone; therefore, they are the best way to stay connected to all the different groups of people: family, friends, co-workers, employers, employees, etc. I find it important to be able to use a tool such as twitter in order to be better connected with people that are important. This will be especially useful when I am in charge of a classroom of students and need to be in contact with their parents, who will most likely be connected to Twitter or something similar.

Week 4: Copyright Law, Plagiarism, & Ethical Issues

This week we discussed copyright laws and ethical issues. One of the presentations we were provided with gave a detailed description of copyright laws. Copyright provides protection for the author. Items that are copyrighted include works that are: literary, dramatic, musical, choreography, artistic, video, text, pictorial, architectural, and other particular works. According to the government, "the safest course is always to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material."

One of the benefits of being in the teaching field is the exemptions for copyright laws that are provided. These exemptions are given through the Fair Use Act, which gives limitations for libraries and education purposes. Unlike marketing or advertisement, this makes my future career much less complicated. However, teachers are responsible for the material they use. I will still need to check myself and stay within the legal limits.

This link gives more information about copyright laws and Fair use. It also highlights some challenges that teachers may face, including, "educators, without regard to or knowledge of copyright restrictions, sometimes duplicate materials illegally or load software without license." I hope to avoid this act, which is basically stealing, when I am an educator.

Week 2: Educational Technology

This week we dove into what "Educational Technology" really means. First we covered a few important necessisities, such as how to use the Mac OS X (operating system) and creating a Google mail (Gmail) account. In class, we discussed the "Did You Know?" videos that feature facts about technology and the "changing media landscape." The most recent video was from 2009 and featured interesting facts such as: "The number of unique visitors to MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube every month, collectively, is 250 million" and "The mobile device will be the world's primary connection tool to the Internet in 2020." All of this change and technological development is termed "convergence."

This class in general is important to the field I plan on going into, Education, for numerous reasons. In order to be competitive and have the skills necessary for teaching, I must be able to adapt to the changing technological world. The College of Education is centered around the Mac step up, so it is important for me to learn how to operate a Mac system even though I own a PC. Also, I have come to find out that many schools and companies run their email through a Gmail type account. Personally, I have had a Gmail account for several years and find it to be useful in organizing and connecting to other web tools, such as Blogger.

The picture I posted above serves to highlight that "educational technology" is a growing idea and it is important to take notice. In order to stay in tune with the world and just day to day life, it is necessary to learn about technology and how to adapt to the constant change. In teaching, I will need to be aware of the changes in technology and students, and how they interact with each other.

Needless to say, I am excited to learn more this semester!