CEP812: Group Leadership Project: PART B - Storyboard and Script

Using WizIq - A StoryBoard on Prezi

For the second part of our project, our group chose to use Prezi to visualize the project’s storyboard.  The group came up with a storyboard to sketch each scene, to write detailed notes on titles, and to describe the transitions, special effects, and animations.  We stated on the storyboard the estimated time durations, and the person assigned to work on the task.  We included the links to the actual instructional video clips and the keywords that we will be using for the final project.

For the actual final recording, instructional video clips are created in Jing to produce series of screencasts.  The frames which contain texts and chart are created in PowerDirector, a video editing tool.  All these components will be joined together through the use of PowerDirector to create a 10-minute instructional video.

Once the video tutorial has been created, we can embed the video on our blogs, and share it on YouTube or on Vimeo.   Also, this project is going to be very helpful for my proposed project on combining virtual classrooms (through the use of a web conferencing tool) and a learning management system (through the use of Moodle) for online courses. 

My teammate, Sharlene, and I both have decided to stay in our group even though one of our team members dropped the class.  At first, I thought our group might be shorthanded after going over the project requirements, but we both have been committing ourselves to be always in contact and to divide almost every task in the project.  We are getting things done as scheduled, now onward to our final project!

CEP812: PART B: The Wicked Problem - Application of TPACK

Photo attribution
Tpack | Dr Matthew J. Koehler
http://mkoehler.educ.msu.edu/?cat=12

The Technology-Pedagogy knowledge. I am proposing the use of a learning management system (LMS) like Moodle with a web conference tool such as Adobe Connect or WizIq to support the teaching strategies and methods I use for teaching online courses.  It is an instructional goal for an educator like me to promote learning retention.  To meet this goal, an LMS and web conferencing have interactive features such as polling, chatting, screen sharing, and discussion posts which can always keep the learners engaged in learning. Discussion is an instructional strategy that encourages active participation among adult learners.  Also, the chosen technology allows me to easily design, organize, and arrange customized training modules based on specific learning needs.  I can assign online projects that provide learners an opportunity to apply the computer concepts and acquired skills to practical situations. Learning contracts is also an effective strategy for an online course.  Due to diversified educational needs and interests, online courses can help the educator and learner share the responsibility for learning.  This can be accomplished by having an agreement between the learner and the teacher to plan and act on how to effectively perform the assigned projects and how to successfully meet the learning goals.

The Technology-Content knowledge. An LMS like Moodle provides accessibility of the course content to learners through the internet.  An LMS makes the course available anytime and anywhere to one or more students.  This technology ensures the consistency of the instructional design and content when retrieved by students. Scheduling virtual sessions with students through the use of a web conferencing tool adds value to the course content because it enables both the learner and the teacher to focus on specific issues that are related to the course. The technology facilitates the agreement between the student and the educator and it encourages problem solving after brainstorming ideas with other classmates.  The course content in an online environment communicates relevant and updated information on concepts, instructions, activities, and assessments that enhance project-based skills. Online sessions are used to discuss details on what will be learned, how the learning will be accomplished, and the specific evaluation criteria to be used in evaluating the completion of the learning.

The Pedagogy-Content knowledge. The proposed project will support me as I reinforce student performance by making the syllabus, objectives, expectations, and learning path accessible.  Student progress can easily be tracked and the generated reports can highlight their success and help strengthen the skills that students need to develop.  Students receive a set of completion dates for projects or activities, and this is a great approach for planning and time management.  The pedagogy and the course content can also be easily evaluated by receiving immediate feedback from students through forums, surveys, emails, chats, and real-time interactions. After a learner completes an assigned online project, it produces a sense of accomplishment. The course content is supported by links to additional resources, audio and/or video clips, step-by-step instructions, and practical applications and examples that further clarify key learning points.

CEP812: Group Leadership Project: Part A - Brainstorm

Whiteboard Screenshot
WizIq Web Conference
04/01/2011

In preparation for our Group Leadership Project, my teammate, Sharlene, and I were both present during the following two recorded web conferences scheduled on:

• Friday, April 1, 6:45 pm – 7:45 pm EST
• Wednesday, April 6, 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm EST

We have chosen to teach WizIq, a web conferencing tool, for professional development.  The group believes that this technology is a great tool that can be incorporated in an online course for adult learning.  WizIq is just one example of a web conferencing tool, and therefore, we will also be showing and comparing other examples of web conferencing tools to give adults more options to use.  The group’s major goal is to provide a tutorial to get adults to be comfortable and knowledgeable of the great benefits of web conferencing.  “Research has shown that adult learners, when properly trained on how to use the technology are highly motivated learners that are capable of absorbing both the content and technological skills necessary to succeed.”[Johnson]

To facilitate the learning, we came up with and will eventually choose one from these two options to demonstrate the tutorial:

• Option 1: Camtasia, a screen recording and video editing software, or
• Option 2: Create short movie clips using Jing (2-3 minutes) per clip, then combine the short clips using a PowerDirector, a video editor software

Since there are only the two of us in the group, we really have to commit ourselves to divide almost every task in the project. During our last conference, we finalized what technology we should be teaching, what technology we should be using for the storyboard, and what are the major topics we should be covering in our storyboard.  Starting today, April 7, Sharlene will be using Jing to record short clips on how to create an account and how to log into WizIq and  I will start laying out the storyboard in Prezi.  We agreed to be always in-touch with each other through phone calls, emails, and discussion posts.  On Friday, April 8, we will be collaborating more on our storyboard by using Prezi.

We have chosen WizIq as our conference tool to record our sessions and it is worth teaching and sharing the features.  The 30-day free account allows us to have a maximum of three 60-min recorded sessions for up to 10 users.  We both can share our screens.  The presenter can give rights to the attendee to have writing, audio, and video sharing. The only disadvantage I could think of is I have not tried it with more than two people but I have seen positive online reviews from educators who conducted big classes using WizIq.

CEP812: Web Conferencing

I checked out three of the web conference tools that were listed on our Web/Video Conferencing Lab.  Here’s what I found out:

• DimDim is no longer accepting new registrations, it was acquired by salesforce.com.
• Yugma needs Java to be installed and a free account allows a user to have an unlimited number of meetings per day with the user and two other people. There is a limit up to 15 minutes per meeting.
• WebHuddle has a very simple interface compared to Adobe Connect.

I searched for another web conferencing tool called WizIq.  I created a free 30-day account in WizIq and this free account will allow a user to have three 60-min recordings for up to 10 users.  I scheduled a conference with my teammate, Sharlene, to test the technology and to start brainstorming for our professional development project.  When I created the session, I chose the option to have the conference recorded. After I scheduled the meeting, WizIq gave me three links to use to join the conference: one for the presenter, one for the attendee, and one to where the recorded session will be stored.

We both agreed to meet on Friday, April 1, 6:45 pm EST.  As soon as the session started, it automatically recorded our conference.  It was both our first time to use it and we found WizIq very easy and intuitive to use as we explored the different features like screen sharing, whiteboard with editing tools, screen snapshot (a presenter-only feature), chat, video, and audio broadcasting.  During the session, I was the presenter, and Sharlene was the attendee.  We both agreed to use WizIq again the next time we schedule another conference, and we will trade roles so we can experience both user views.  For our next session, there are two things I would do differently: to have both plan an outline that will help us focus on what we should be covering during the conference because we had too much fun that we almost exceeded our one-hour session; and to use the upload file feature.   It was a fun and productive conference and it was a great way to get to know Sharlene.

This tool can be a useful technology in my classroom.  Its features may not be as robust as Adobe Connect but it could still be a great add-on tool for online courses.  Combining both synchronous and asynchronous approaches for learning in an online class enables a student to complete the coursework at his own pace with the convenience of receiving real-time interactions among other classmates and/or teachers.

CEP812: PART A: The Wicked Problem - A Need or an Opportunity

I would like to support our school’s mission to help employers and individual learners improve job performance and results through services including training, assessment, best practice information, career development, and learner support.  This proposed project is a “just-in-time” solution as we continually evaluate, update, and improve our programs and services that we offer. 

The educational need and opportunity.  Computer instructors receive phone calls or visits from former students during computer lab hours.  These former students ask job-related or project-based questions which oftentimes require quite a bit of attention and time.  This takes away the focus that instructors should be spending with the current students.  Although, this could also be an opportunity to provide a dedicated service to individuals who need training solutions to their work-related projects and questions.  In addition to retaining our former students as customers, this new service might attract a new set of students like small business owners and self-payers who have similar training needs and requirements and who need help with  work projects.

The plan. We have been hearing budget cut plans in the news which may affect funding or grants to institutions including our school.  Therefore, it is time to be proactive and start reinventing and retooling our services by widening our scope of audience like self-payers and small business owners.   Regardless of who we serve, these new sets of students are also affected by our current economic situation and are also in process of recovering too.  I would like to propose learning options that would focus on teaching project-based solutions and business resolutions.  With this proposed project, students can save gas by not coming to our building to receive individualized or customized learning.  

1. An online form will be available for a potential student to fill out.  This form will be posted on our website and it contains questions that will help us find out and evaluate the specific problem, training needs, and the best time to contact the student. 
2. A learning management system (LMS) with a web conference tool will be used for this project.  To be more specific, I will use Moodle to teach the course and use  Adobe Connect or WizIq to conduct virtual sessions so I can answer specific questions and needs.  Moodle will contain the resources, presentations, and concepts of the course.  The virtual classroom will have scheduled sessions with the teacher and the student to focus on interaction, real-time demonstration, and screen sharing.  
3. As a backup plan, a student-access-only page on our school website can be used with a web conference tool for virtual classrooms. 

I have been using Moodle for my other classes and I currently manage our school website, therefore, we both have the LMS and website resources.  It is really essential to have a virtual classroom for this project in order to address the specific learning goals that should be accomplished during the training. Last week, this plan was mentioned to our Adult Training Manager and she said that I can write up an email to her regarding this proposal so she can forward the plan to our Director for approval.

The logistics. This project will be the training solution for students who need immediate answers to specific questions regarding their projects that they are working on.  A potential customer could be a former student, a small business owner, or a self payer.  An instructor will be teaching the course based on the subject matter and the computer skill level the student will be needing in order to accomplish the project-based training.  Implementation takes place once it has been approved by the upper management which will be brought up by our Director during their conferences.

The research and resources. I have been researching for a web conferencing tool that can be incorporated in a learning management system specifically Moodle, or if not, in a website as a second option.  This tool should be able to have a feature that can record the sessions and allows both student and teacher screen sharing.  Its cost effectiveness is a must.  The lab exercise on web conference, and the virtual sessions that we are having in our CEP 812 class have been very helpful.  These give me ideas on how to use it and what are the criteria and features to search for.  Currently, I see either Adobe Connect or WizIq as a good tool I can use as a tool to incorporate in Moodle. 

The sources/researches that I am currently using for the proposal are the following:

• The New Generation of E-Learning, an Adobe Connect virtual session on how the generation of e-learning fits into today's high-impact learning environment. Presenter: David Mallon, Principle Analyst, Bersin & Associates, March 2010.
• Where Is The Learning In E-Learning?: A Critical Analysis Of The E-Learning Industry, a whitepaper on what makes eLearning successful or fail;  and why eLearning could be an effective teaching strategy for adult learners. Author: Gary Woodwill, Ed. D., Chief Learning Officer, Operitel Corporation, 2004.
• Motivational Factors Affecting the Integration of a Learning Management System by Faculty, a journal on the benefits of integrating a learning management system (LMS) into teaching practices;  and educators’ motivational factors that affect the decision in adopting an LMS in the classroom. Author: Cynthia Gautreau, California State University Fullerton, The Journal of Educators Online, Volume 8, Number 1, January 2011.
• Using Versatile Web Conferencing Technology, an article about the benefits of web conferencing in education. Author: Christian Lehmbeck, Director, Darden Media at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business. January 2009.
• Web Conferencing for Teaching and Learning, an article from videoconference.edublogs.org, a great resource that covers the basics and the effective way to use web conferencing in education. Author: Carol Skyring (Formerly Carol Daunt), Emerging Technologies Specialist, Broadreach Services, May 2009.

The plan for the portion to be implemented.  During the trial period which is the next four weeks of this project, I will be using MS Excel as the pilot course.   I will be using both Moodle and a web conferencing tool.  Moodle will contain announcements of scheduled virtual sessions, resources, presentations, and videos in MS Excel.  I will be making arrangements with students who have signed up for or completed any of our programs, and are willing to go through scheduled free virtual sessions with me.  I can communicate with our existing students through email and in person during my computer lab hours.  I can reach our former students through social media (LinkedIn and Facebook) and through email.  In preparation for the beginning of the course,  I will make sure that when I communicate with the students who volunteered I will provide them  complete instructions on how to log into Moodle, how to join a scheduled virtual session, and what are the technical/computer requirements needed to be able to join a web conference.  During the virtual sessions, I will be covering topics which include practical examples on where and how we can apply MS Excel to get projects done in a workplace.

At the end of the trial period, this course will hopefully be implemented as a functional course once it is approved by the upper management.  It is a training solution that utilizes our existing technology and database resources like:

• Moodle
• the school website where I can embed or insert a link to the survey to find out and evaluate the specific computer skills a potential student needs to be trained in to accomplish a work-related project
• social media (LinkedIn and Facebook) to contact our students
• email addresses of existing and previous students to be used as an alternative method to contact students
• survey tool called Survey.Net to create forms and feedback survey

After I have completed the CEP 812 course, I will propose to teach online additional technology tools that I believe any professionals who are always on the go should know about (e.g. mobile learning, cloud computing, web 2.0).  I believe that teaching online by combining real-time collaboration tools to connect with students virtually and course contents that allow students to learn at their own pace is an effective teaching strategy.  It has been working well with me as a student and would like to be the teacher who would try this teaching approach.  I also would like to partner with our school in getting prepared to this pedagogical strategy. 

The indicators of success.  I have categorized the indicators of success into the following two terms based on how soon can I find out whether the proposed project is on track in meeting my goal as well as my students’ goal to making teaching and learning more meaningful and functional. 

[Long-term] I will know that this project is successful if it meets the two conditions: First, if I was able to solicit positive feedback from our students who signed up for the program.  An online evaluation survey will be given out to the student to take after completing the course. It is a project-based training, therefore, the feedback will be a great indicator if the skills have been acquired during the training to accomplish the project. Second, if other instructors will start adopting the web conferencing technology. Some instructors are currently using Moodle.  They are willing to have scheduled appointments to meet personally with potential students for customized training but might not be ready to have virtual sessions yet.  If instructors see me conduct and record virtual sessions, they may witness and realize the technology’s potential benefits then they will be more open-minded about it. 

[Short-term] For the trial period, which is the next four weeks, I will know that this project is successful if I receive positive testimonials from our students who signed up for the project.  In exchange for the free virtual sessions that I have conducted and the support that I have provided during the trial period, the students who volunteered will be giving me written testimonials.  The testimonial will cover comments and feedback on:

• their learning experience using the LMS and web conference technology, specifically, how the teaching strategy using online learning with real-time virtual sessions benefited them during the course.
• whether the course content has been presented effectively and if the topics covered targeted the practical situations where MS Excel can be used to complete work project.
• whether they would recommend this method of teaching for future courses that we will be offering and how it will  contribute to answering the customized training needs of future students.

CEP812: My Bio Video

Tools I used for the video: TripAdvisor (TripWow), PowerDirector, Photoshop, Audacity


Kit Fishell (Bio Video) from Maria Fishell on Vimeo.

CEP812: Funny Things With Technology

I'm signed up in CEP 812: Applying Education Technology to Problems of Practice.  My first lab task is to create an mp3 file sharing: "A funny moment using technology in your teaching and learning environment." This is to be uploaded into my AFS space, and a feed created and linked into my blog. Huh??? Intimidation started to sink in at first, but I did it!  This is my first podcast!

Listen to the funny things with technology

CEP811: Final Reflection

Eight weeks have gone by fast and once again my personal learning network has expanded as I have completed another class in the MAET program.  The course, Adapting Innovative Technologies to Education, became my essential partner as I carry out my profession as an educator. 

For me, the most foundational teaching strategy that I’ve learned is Dr. Merrill’s instructional design with three essential elements: demonstrate, apply, and motivate.   As a teacher who integrates technology in a course, I should be able to use animations, videos, or web 2.0 tools to show or demonstrate what I’m teaching.  Applying or practicing what has been demonstrated in real world tasks is very crucial.  Examples on how to apply this would be giving students online quizzes, practical assessments, online forums and discussions. And finally, motivate learners to do real world projects which will enable them to develop new skills, and reinforce them with constructive feedback as they complete their projects.  Examples of where I can apply these three elements are when I design a WebQuest, an online course, a face-to-face (F2F) course, or a Stand-Alone Instructional Resource (StAIR).

By integrating web-based technologies, it provided me both curriculum and technology standards, criteria (like ease of use, quality of content, user reviews), and the basis (instruction design, teaching principles) on how to come up with the right judgment in choosing which technologies are more effective for adult teaching and learning.

My personal goal for learning about technology integration has been met by having a deeper understanding of what a Uniform Design for Learning (UDL) is.  This is a new concept for me as I continue incorporating the proper technology and collaborative tools, techniques, and methods in my teaching strategies.  I believe that UDL makes learning more meaningful as it provides flexible approaches and solutions for every learner.  I think an educator who supports UDL is sensitive to every student’s desire to succeed and to every student’s positive contributions to the whole class.

This class may be over but I should continue to explore and further evaluate the technology and the design principles that I’ve learned.  The evaluation will guide me in deciding which technology and teaching strategies should be added or used for teaching and learning.   A highly influential American librarian, John Cotton Dana, once said, “Who dares to teach must never cease to learn."  Therefore, a dedicated teacher never stops learning.  I am in a profession that requires an unending desire to learn new teaching methods but not disregarding the foundations of education. My quest for learning goes on …

CEP811: Online Learning: Meeting Today's Learning Demands

Photo attribution:
by jscreationzs [FAL], via Wikimedia Commons
from Wikimedia Commons
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Online.jpg
Released under a Free Art License

It is true that the Michigan Merit Curriculum Online Experience Guideline Companion is focused on middle school through high school students, but it is still a foundational reference for me to use as an educator who teaches adults.   Every student, regardless of age, should have a meaningful education by experiencing the same quality approach in conducting online learning through the use of technology and innovative tools.

I have been teaching classes where I can incorporate online modules to enhance hands-on learning for my students.  These online training and assessment tools assist the educators in helping students acquire skills they will need in a 21st century workplace.  Some examples are SimNet Online and Certiprep which are both for Microsoft Office and computer concepts; KeyTrain as a career planning tool; and GeoLearning for business skills modules.  Moodle, a learning management system, is also incorporated into our courses to build up their online learning experience.  It has been an effective teaching strategy for me to use the hybrid instruction.  The students have the best of both worlds by being able to work outside the classroom walls and to interact personally with the teacher and classmates in the computer lab.

Our current programs are more geared toward self-paced and hands-on method of delivery.  It has been challenging in our school for our students to have full online learning without face-to-face contact with teachers because our students were required to have their in-seat hours in the lab monitored.    Although, there have been changes and openness to new learning approaches in our school. I believe that this recognition and acceptance to changes contribute to the same goal of preparing our students as they encounter the media-rich and technological demands of not just today’s workplace but also in their personal daily lives. 

CEP811: Featuring M-TEC @ Wikipedia and PBWorks!

Photo attribution: M-TEC @ Night
originally uploaded by Kit Fishell
Released under an
Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike License

Thompson M-TEC was not in Wikipedia.  I asked approval from our Director if I can add it especially since we have to go through the marketing department to avoid duplication of any of their marketing plans.  I was approved to do it and have included some information in the page.  I have linked the page to Holland, Michigan at the Education section.  I think it would be an easier task if M-TEC had already been created and all I needed to do was just edit and add more information.  I have attributed three pictures as copyrights with fair use tags.  I would like to incorporate these in Wikipedia, but there is a part where I need to have at least ten edits or be a member for at least ten days to be able to upload those pictures.  I will have to read all the rules to make sure I understand all of the requirements.  At least, I have print screens as proofs that M-TEC is in Wikipedia.

I created a wikipage in PBWorks and loved it!   I decided to have a page to share with all my colleagues in M-TEC.  It will be a “Minutes of  Meeting” page, where everyone can add what should be covered during  the meeting day on Tuesday, Feb 22.  The real functionality about this wikipage is when the meeting is over, all the teachers and staff members can go back to the shared page and go to the ACTION ITEM section to make notations and review task assignments.  They can also provide feedback on the topics that have been discussed and comment on whether each item has been accomplished or needs to be revisited.

CEP811: UDL Guidelines for Educators

As I went through the instructional design plan that I submitted to MERLOT, I started identifying the features that were met in the lessons with the checkpoints listed in the Uniform Design of Learning (UDL) Guidelines – Educator Checklist.  Next, I considered the barriers.  This activity helped me realize the significance of UDL.  

As we, educators, create our lesson plans, courseware, instruction plan, or curriculum, we can still cater to the diverse needs of our learners by considering the UDL principles.  UDL supports the feasibility of teaching students with different learning challenges.  It helps make it happen!

So are you wondering how my comparison went?  Check out my notes that I have indicated in the UDL Guidelines – Educator Checklist.

CEP811: Evaluation of Learning Material in MERLOT

Hibernation is over!  I’m back to school and currently enrolled in CEP 811.  This is my initial blog post for this course  and  I need to find and evaluate a learning material from the MERLOT site that I can use at work.  While I was doing this activity, I was able to link two essential puzzle pieces together.

My task is to evaluate a resource from MERLOT and I would like to share with you Thinkfinity, the first puzzle piece.  Dr. Sandra Plair recommended this resource in my CEP 810 class while I was working on my computer science group project.   Finding it in MERLOT gives me more opportunity to really delve into it.

In terms of its quality of content, Thinkfinity offers free lesson plans, interactivity, games, teaching and learning strategies that are standard-aligned and geared toward 21st century skills.  I definitely agree that Thinkfinity has strong potential as a teaching-learning tool.   It is a great homework reference for pre-K to adult learners.  The site is meant for parents, student, and educators.  It provides engaging educational resources for different subjects, disciplines, and skill levels.  Users can access resources like worksheets and interactive materials for practice and application, listen to audio, and watch video materials for demonstration and explanation. The learning objectives are clearly explained and presented. It also focuses on professional development for specific states. 

Because of the site’s ease of use, I found the second puzzle piece. I clicked on the Professional Development link, and chose Michigan.  I was directed to Michigan eLibrary.  Eureka! This site was recommended by my CEP 811 instructor, Melissa White, for me to explore because she believes this will help in my professional effectiveness class in career development.  She offered her support if I’m interested in exploring LearnATest from http://mel.org because this would be a great resource for my adult learners with all the sample tests.   She even stressed not to forget this site because it contains great material based on the design plan that I have submitted.

 

CEP811: Personal Learning Reflection

Years ago, a futurist predicted we would have smell-o-vision as an added feature on our home television.  Well, there is no hurry to crowd near the TV while Paula Deen is deep frying Southern fried chicken.  I would, instead, advise everyone to grab every moment to try out tools and applications that are pouring down from the internet clouds.  With technology tools galore, the internet is a learner’s delight!

The class, CEP 810, has taught me the following effective teaching strategies by integrating technology in my courses:

• Using online communication, collaboration, and productivity applications - I now appreciate the advantages of Google docs and Zoho Writer.  Skype is no longer used just to talk with my family in the Philippines.  I have realized that it is a useful tool to connect with classmates and teachers.
• Participating in discussion posts is another valuable means of communication especially when I would like to correspond with my classmates. The posts from the class were very informative and helpful and I don’t need to be present at the same time they leave their messages.
• Joining online communities like Macul, Thinkfinity, and Classroom 2.0 - Being a member in a group with the same interest and expertise benefits me by being able to receive and share great information and tips on teaching with technology.
• Creating media-rich presentations with Prezi, and Google Presentation.  Incorporating multimedia elements to the presentation like YouTube videos, and creative tools like Glogster, Andrea Mosaic , Aviary, and Xtranormal (animation)  for visual enhancements.
• Understanding copyright issues and observing the best practices in fair use in media - Before I enrolled in this class, I never knew anything about Creative Commons.  I now support this concept and I have been using this at work.
• Supporting the awareness in digital citizenship - This is a widespread and a crucial issue especially when we teach our students on how to be responsible and be accountable to whatever information we share though the internet.
• Creating, publishing, and maintaining a personal blog for educational purpose.  I have created and disabled a couple of blogs before because I was unsure of what to incorporate and how to make it useful.
• Social networking using Twitter, Ning, Facebook, and LinkedIn - Social media have opened up the opportunity of interaction among internet users.   This technology has a great potential to be used in exchanging educational information with the global audience.
• Social bookmarking like Diigo and Delicious can be a beneficial tool as I research, create, manage, and share my library of resources for learning and teaching.  I will definitely encourage my students to use this tool.
• Use of web-based course management system like Angel and all its elements where I can clearly track my performance, take my course sessions, join discussion posts, and communicate with my classmates and teachers.

The internet has been my major means of finding resources for my school and work projects.  It's easy for anybody to put anything on the internet which may make a resource not reliable for teaching or learning use.  But the ease and the accessibility of the Internet also allow me to test and evaluate its relevance, purpose, and its currency.  The comments and reviews from other users who have tested a technology are readily available in the Internet.  These feedbacks can influence me in ensuring that the technology tools, sites, or resources are from reputable developers and are reliable for teaching and/or learning.

The special interest group (SIG) project summed up the strategies and skills needed for good teaching with technology.  The proposal enabled me to think critically as my team came up with ideas on how computer science and engineering can be applied to solve practical problems.  This activity called for teamwork and collaboration among the members.  I used Skype to communicate with my team members and Google docs to share ideas.  The team’s annotated resources gathered for the SIG enabled us to apply research skills to find and evaluate the relevancy of websites and technology. The SIG presentation brought out our creativity, innovation, and openness to try out new tools to bring life to our project.

As I look back at my Personal Growth Plan, I realized the goals I listed have been met.  At work, I took the initiative to research and evaluate online training and assessments products like Skills Assessment Manager/Training Online Manager (SAM/TOM), SNAP, Custom Guide, eLab, and SimNet.  These products support online/hybrid learning for MS Office applications.  Currently, our school is now using SimNet because of my recommendations.

I have introduced to some of my students the use of Wordle and Andrea Mosaic for creativity and Zoho  as a productivity tool.  A couple of weeks ago, I proposed and demonstrated to three of my colleagues the use of Google Spreadsheet for a grant project.  They need to share and collaborate important reports with other project members who are not from our school.   I have been given an opportunity to moderate our school’s social media like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook which have been created in the past few months to communicate with students and other people that contribute to the success of adult learning.

Another goal met was increasing my skills in using technology by meeting all the course objectives and requirements listed in the course's roadmap;  working  well with my team;  positively contributing to the class (I hope), and enjoying  the learning experience. 

Dr. Plair, one of my teachers, commented in my Personal Growth Plan that at first glance this seems to be a daunting and complex plan of action. However, with my background she is sure I’ll pull it off with great ease.  Her believing in me is very inspiring. My teachers and the course have set high expectations which motivated me to work harder to accomplish the goals.  They have supported every student’s success. There was definitely a partnership between learners and teachers -  as  we, students, committed to achieving  our learning goals, the teachers have dedicated their expertise in teaching us how to integrate technology in learning.

I have to keep focusing on incorporating technology tools in my teaching every time I get an opportunity. It will be an unending commitment for me to continue in keeping myself current with how to effectively teach through technology.  I should also constantly keep in contact with my growing personal learning network. It will be few more years to complete the MAET program, but CEP 810 has already paved the way for me to keep my dedication to stay as an active learner in the program.

This class has been an enjoyable and personal journey of growth and discovery!

CEP811: (CC lab - Part 1) Keep your fork ...

Photo attribution

World's Biggest Fork 4,
originally uploaded by
Marshall Astor - Food Pornographer
Released under an
Attribution-ShareAlike license

After a meal, your mom or wife says to you, “Keep your fork!” What’s the first thing that comes into your mind? Dessert! In your mind, you are picturing something delectable, sweet, and rich to finish your meal after a long day in school or at work.

I am certain that this image will give readers, especially my lifelong learners, some intriguing and puzzling thoughts, why a fork? I might incorporate images into my curriculum to catch attention first. But as I go on with my real purpose of teaching, my objective is help people realize and be motivated that there’s something rewarding at the end as we dive in to learning new things or relearning foundational skills. Not all adults are prepared for modern technology or to try something new, or to take a risk after getting comfortable in their routines. As a teacher, these images can help me connect and build their optimism that education is essential to lifelong success. Keep your fork because something fascinating and worthwhile awaits after learning and perseverance. Keep your fork, the best is yet to come!

CEP811: (CC lab - Part 2) Motivation ... anywhere, anytime!

Photo attribution: Tranquility by Samantha
originally uploaded by Kit Fishell
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Motivation does not only take place in school where I work.  As a mom, I also have a teacher role at home.  At a very early age, I have seen my now 10-year old daughter, Samantha, being interested in art and poetry.  What a great way to unleash her creativity and go beyond normal academics.  Recently, she has been painting beautiful pictures.  I see her paintings, poetry in her blog, and stories in Storybird, and it amazes me to watch as her talents develop.

Encouragement brings about confidence, action, and purpose for achievement.  Motivation is for anyone, anywhere, and anytime!

CEP811: My Take on LeArNiNg sTyLeS

I perform better when I am exposed to a visual and kinesthetic learning environment.   As a visual learner, I can "read" and understand images, graphics, and animations for information, and I also tend to define information to other learners through visual representation. It’s funny but true that visual learners are characterized as those students who sit at the front row of the class because that is what I always did when I was an undergraduate student.  Another aspect of visual learning that I see in myself is that I respond to the teacher’s body language and facial expressions to reinforce what I learn.
 
My learning is not complete without a hands-on experience.  After learning the concepts or theories, there should be projects, experiments, or activities that I can engage in to make learning more interactive.  And yes, a teacher who does not know my combined learning styles may see a restless “me” sitting in front of his class.
 
Here are some of my favorite links to visual/kinesthetic literacy:

• Visuwords  is an alternative and visual way of defining words.
• Periodic table of visualization methods. See examples by hovering your mouse over a tile.
• Interactives provides activities and strategies that enhance kinesthetic learning skills.

Auditory learning is less effective for me.  Listening to podcasts and sitting in a classroom to listen to a teacher lecture without any other stimulation may be less motivating to me.  I prefer to write down my ideas for brainstorming and note taking purposes before I discuss anything.
 
As teachers, it is a must to know and understand the different learning styles in order to understand how to approach and support their students’ learning styles. At work, I have been given opportunities to give customized training to employees in some businesses and public schools in Holland, Michigan for professional development.  Understanding the students’ learning styles help me identify their individualized training needs, for example: whether to use charts or slide presentations of my topic, or read all my directions out loud, or assign a lab work for my students to try out, or creatively combine these approaches.

I agree that we cannot teach each lesson focusing on every learning style that we have in the classroom.  What should be our focus instead?
 
Regardless of what grade level we are teaching, I think our focus should be on helping students learn how to learn. We should support our students as they understand how learning occurs, what are their responsibilities in the learning process, and how to succeed in learning. I believe that this is the essential foundation for students before they develop their skills in realizing what their learning styles are.

CEP810: PC Maintenance & Security

In this week’s lab activity, we went through online tutorials and chose topics on PC Maintenance and Security that are least familiar to us.   I went through most of the tutorials and yes, I still went through a familiar topic “Clean Up and Speed Up Your PC”.  I may have been doing my regular pc maintenance and software/hardware updates, but I still want to make sure I am not missing out on any topic, especially on speeding up my pc.  I always uninstall and remove unnecessary start-up files from the hard disk when I buy new computers, but I never use “msconfig” utility.  Also, the website on startup programs and executable listing is a good site to find out which program should I include in my selective startup settings.  Great tip that is worth sharing with others! 

 
Another bit of information that is worth sharing is the tutorial on Windows’ Universal Plug n’ Play (UPnP).  This is different from the “plug n’ play” that we use for most external devices like USB drives.  UPnP is a Windows service that basically turns a home computer into an open Internet server.  It surprises me that the FBI strongly recommends home users to disable this window service for protection.  Atomic Learning showed us a link where we can download a simple utility called UPnP. Once downloaded, this utility will toggle on and off the switch to disable and enable the service in home computers. 

Speaking of protecting our family online, my ten-year old daughter wanted to have her own email account on her iPod.  After some online researches, I found ZillaMail.  It is a web-based email system that is safe for children.  It is spam free and parent password-protected email.  She gets her own email account that can be accessed by any web browser and even in her iPod.  It fully complies with the federal COPPA law (Children Online Privacy Protection Act).  I can control and monitor who is in her mail list (buddy list).  The iPod has security settings for kids too.  Do not forget to disable the YouTube and Safari– young kids are not ready for these apps yet, download a kid-friendly web browser called Mobicip. 

Owning a computer also means owning the responsibility for managing and maintaining the computer’s performance and security.   It does not mean that we need to be technology gurus in order to keep our computers up-to-date.  Honestly, today’s computers are easy to setup that even a caveman can do it.  When problems do occur, there are numerous online resources available including specific forums, videos, techie blogs, and help sections on software/hardware company websites. 

The best advice is to be more proactive.  Practice safe web browsing and follow the weekly or monthly computer maintenance and updates.  Here is a sample of a computer health checklist. You can customize this list based on your needs and make it a routine.    Remember, a computer won’t BYTE if you know how to treat it right!

CEP810: Getting Things Done - A Life Skill!

Getting things done from Opentec on Vimeo.

When I heard the phrase “Getting Things Done”, two things came to mind:   organizational skill and time management rolled into one.  This process of getting things done is a challenge for everyone because of our fast-paced and busy schedule.  

At work and at home, I organize my everyday process by using several tools:

• electronic devices (laptop, ipod for fast access to information and updates)
• sticky notes, pen, and a highlighter (for important instructions, keywords, and deadlines)
• online tools and software for email, scheduling, bookmarking online resources (Have you noticed the widget found on the sidebar of this blog? It’s a homework countdown.  Since CEP810 google calendar is being shared and made public by our instructor, any homework updates she makes in the calendar is automatically linked to this widget as a reminder.)

As I go through any process for the first time, it can be overwhelming.  I usually wish I had a “panic” button to push for immediate help.  But I think the GTD stages will help me get things done.  How?  Through transfer of learning! The GTD strategy seems to be a simple concept but in reality it’s a difficult thing to do; but it is a skill that can be learned.  I consider it to be a life skill.  It can definitely be applied to any situation where being organized and managing time is very important.  I will continue to learn and use this process until it turns into a habit.  Wish me luck ;)

CEP810: RSS Feeder Reflections

• Sep. 23, 2010 – With the five given feeds, I can already look through 482 topics that are related to education and technology.  Then I decided to add and follow the blog, Technology and Learning, which made it to a total of 585 topics. I consider these resources as great examples as I start searching for additional feeds into Netvibes.

• Sep. 25, 2010 - After I have completed the task, because of Netvibes’ ease of use and functionality, it was uncomplicated for me to search and add nine more feeds that are related to education and technology.  I particularly watched the Adult Education and Technology blog.

•  Sept. 27, 2010 – I started with five sites with 482 topics and in just few days, I have 15 sites with 1070 topics that I can use towards my professional development.  At the "Adult Education and Technology" blog, I posted a comment on a video about a vision about how screen technology will be working by 2014 for adult education.  I waited for it to be approved for web posting by the blog author.  Unfortunately, the blog hasn’t been updated for days and my comment has not been posted.  The blog contains great resources which made me decide to still keep the site.   

• Sept. 28, 2010 – The “On Blogging and Social Media” site has not been active too and I decided to replace it with the New York Times subscription.  The following day, I left a comment on an article regarding a study where many children want to read using digital devices, while parents worry technology will distract young bookworms. This time, my comment (#30) was approved and has been recommended by two other readers.

• Oct. 3, 2010 – I have a total of 1,114 resources for teaching and learning! Podcasts, blogs, articles, lesson plans, creativity tools – you name it.  Now, all I need is 1,114 extra minutes to catch up. The sites I have are very useful sites. My rss feeds are set in public view and meant for sharing!  When I started searching for web sites, I tried to make sure there was a balance of learning and teaching resources that are related to technology.  It will be just a waste of time and energy gathering all these information if they are not useful towards my professional development. 

• Oct. 5, 2010 -  Read more of my insights that I have written about this lab activity. 

As Alvin Tolfer says, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”    As I reflect on this activity, I think I should always strive on focusing on these three elements:  I should always be prepared to LEARN and explore new ways of learning new technology and teaching strategies;  be willing to UNLEARN and shift my understanding from old models to updated views; and be open to RELEARN and revisit the foundations and the basic instructional design of education.

CEP810: Social Networking: friend or foe?

Social media, how do I think it can be useful to us?  Here are the ways …
 

Professionally, social media -

• helps me encourage students to connect and coach classmates and discuss unique and practical situations such as job searching, job interview experiences, and life lessons.
• serves as an extension of the classroom.
• is the most practical way of applying technology to real life.
• adds to the concept of informal learning.
• taps into existing students as well as prospective students.
• enables me to reach out to our school alumni.
• enhances student/teacher relationship.

Personally, social media -

• helps me maintain a list of contact details of people that I know and/or trust.
• connects me to my family and friends from the other side of the world .
• answers my need for speed of results as we increase our frequency of communicating with others.
• is the cheapest way to create my learning loop.
• helps me stay on top technology trends.

I see SOCIAL NETWORKING as an opportunity, instead of a distraction to learning.  Do you agree?