THIS IS ONLY A TEST

Just set up my first RSS feed through The Old Reader  and it was surprisingly easy to use.
I want to see if this update to my blog triggers a notice to my email!

Wish me luck :)

Instructional Design and Technology - And the Search for Competency Begins...

Welcome to the wonderful and somewhat elusive world of Instructional design, educational technologies, instructional strategies… these concepts can be quite the mystery and either compel new learners or discourage them. I am confident though that with a little research and some step by step guidance through this mysterious and yet thoroughly fascinating world of instructional technologies, we will be able to reach learners in a more engaging and meaningful way… and who knows? We may even learn a thing or two ourselves!

In my search of the instructional cyber world I came across Daniel Stanford’s Seven Deadly Sins of Online Course Design. Right from the beginning Stanford does of a fine job of bating his reader with a captivating article title

The concept of reeling in the reader from the very beginning is old news to instructional designer Cathy Moore who also emphasizes in her blog article 5 Attention Grabbing Ways to Start a Course  the importance of capturing the learner’s attention before the course even begins. Cathy suggests that designers “Use a meaningful course name and skip the explanation”. Tech girl’s take on it, if instructional designers can’t pique the interest of a learner by the course title, we may very well not keep their interest when the class begins. Pity the learner who has to take the class as a required course- the title alone might subconsciously cause them to lower their expectations of the class and not participate to the extent that they might have. I think I will have to do some further investigation on creating creative course titles…

But back to the Stanford’s Seven Deadly Sins. This witty but informative blog postulates 7 common and mistakes made during course design and some easy to implement strategies to avoid or overcome these areas in the future.  Stanford’s clever tips on “How to Atone” provide clear examples of what to do and not to do; making the article a good reference point and can act as a checklist of what not to do. Such a reference can be used as a quality assurance tool when checking your own design work or that of your colleagues.  

One of the biggest challenges when learning a new skill is trying to organize the learning material. There is so much information out there it can be difficult to know where to get started. In my slightly OCD driven search for clarity and organization so that I try to find some footing in IDT, I came across Christy Tucker’s word press blog Experiencing E-Learning. The title caught me right away as it was simple but alluring in a way that spoke to my need for greater depth of learning that I believe comes from experiencing it firsthand. I want to experience e-learning, I don’t want it to just happen to me or to pass me by. I want to be a part of it; to feel it; to let the new thoughts pour out of me as I turn my experience inside out and try to make it more tangible for me. Then and only then, when the experience becomes a part of me can I really learn something to a deeper and more meaningful extent.

Ok so I did not have a spiritual awakening when I read the article as my last paragraph might have misled you to believe. Instead what I found was a very simple, matter of fact list of tools that Tucker uses to keep herself organized.  And so it turns out that the article was perfect in its simplicity; a sort of laundry list of bread crumbs that can lead me to experience e-learning in my own way by and on my own terms.

Until next time friends,

Tech-Girl is signing off!

Summation of Impactful Educational Technologies

Summation of Impactful Educational Technologies

In week one, Linda Ansley opened up the discussion by introducing the idea of incorporating tablets and multimedia technology in the classroom.  Tablets are best described as wireless computing devices.   Being fairly new to embracing technology and all it can do, I was intrigued to conduct further research.  Today’s millennial learners require different tools to learn and interact with the world in a dynamic and meaningful way.  With so much access to technology it only makes sense to include technological tools in the classroom as it will take learning to a new level. By incorporating tools in the classroom that are frequently used outside of the classroom, learners will be more proficient at navigating through resources. In addition, use of tablets and enabling access to social media and other multimedia devices, encourages connection, collaboration with colleagues, and sparks innovative ideas which increase shared learning (Barseghian, 2013). Learners can customize their learning by downloading apps that best support them (Briggs, 2013).

In relation to digital citizenship, all nine themes apply to the use of tablet and multimedia use in the classroom. Digital access, digital commerce, digital communication, digital literacy, digital etiquette, digital law, digital rights & responsibilities, digital health & wellness and digital security (self-protection) are elements that both teacher and student should be aware of. Instructors have a duty to ensure that students are familiar with these themes, know how to identify potential issues when they arise, and be amply prepared on how to address them. In turn, students have to be accountable and want to be a responsible member of the digital world just as they are here in our day to day society.

The next technology is italki.com, a technology introduced to the class by Kemal Bosnak. Italki emerges from Hong Kong and helps learners to connect with other language learners around the world or become more proficient in a specific language by employing an online teacher. This technology is a great resource to me as an instructor as I will be working with English Language Learners and this tool will be another resource that they can tap into for additional support outside of the classroom.

Digital access, digital communication, digital rights and responsibilities, and digital etiquette apply to using this technological resource.

The final and perhaps most interesting technology was introduced by Jean Bradford regarding the use of augmented reality as a means to enhance the adult learning experience. Gaming, simulations and virtual environments have been used to prepare adults for real life scenarios in the field of medicine, science, and the military. Professionals in the field state that while virtual simulations are not intended to replace training, it serves as a means to enhance the learners training experience. I recently watched the movie Gravity with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Bullock’s character was put into a position to drive a space aircraft which she had only trained for in a simulation. Bullock was frightened and felt she would not be able to successfully fly the aircraft since she had only flown the aircraft in an augmented environment. In the end, Bullock had no choice but to apply the skills she’d gained from her virtual training or face the perils of death.

Although this is only a movie, this illustration points to the many different ways in which simulated games can allow learners to gain hands on experience, to encounter emotions similar to those they would in real life circumstances, and are challenged to employ and or develop skill sets pertinent to the situation.  The aim for most simulations and virtual games as it relates to education is to provide the most relevant and realistic levels of training to best equip participants (Tozer, 2013).  Research in the field further shows that humans want to interact with computers in the same way they do with human beings therefore augmented reality include software applications similar to human social and emotional behaviors and emotions (Kessler, et. al., n.d.). This added component contributes to the impactful learning experience that adults encounter when they engage in gaming, simulation, and virtual reality.

Digital access, digital communication, digital literacy, digital etiquette, digital law, digital rights & responsibilities, digital health & wellness and digital security are the themes that apply to this technology.

As an adult educator, I believe that virtual gaming and augmented life can help prepare learners for life, work, and social situations they will encounter. The virtual world allows users to employ an avatar who they can use to explore different aspects of life without causing harm to their human counterpart. This means that the avatar is safe to make mistakes as well as encounter victories all of which the user can benefit from. These are tools that can be used in the classroom to better equip learners prior to having to apply the skills in a real life scenario.

It’s been a great eight weeks and I have learned a lot from engaging with you all.

Until next time,

TechGirl is signing off!

References:

Barseghian, T. (2013).  How Tablets Can Enable Meaningful Connections for Students and Teachers.  Retrieved fromwww.blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013.

Briggs, S. (2013).  InformED.  10 Emerging Educational Technologies and How They Are Being Used Across the Globe.  Retrieved fromwww.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2013/07/29/10.

Kessler, H et. al. , (n.d.). SIMPLEX- Simulation of personal emotion experience. Intech: open science open minds. Retrieved from http://www.intechopen.com/download/get/type/pdfs/id/5187

Tozer, J. (March, 2013) Virtual gaming- military training. Armed with science. Retrieved from http://science.dodlive.mil/2013/03/13/virtual-gaming-military-training/

iSAFE and A 5 Step Plan to Promote Digital Citizenship

iSAFE and A 5 Step Plan to Promote Digital Citizenship

I am new to the term “digital citizenship” so I was intrigued as to what this means and how it relates to education technology. At a glance, the word citizenship implies being a member of society and embedded in that membership in society is an expected set of norms and behaviors. When we pair the implications of citizenship with the word “digital” we begin to ascertain that there is a set of standards and behaviors that must be applied in the virtual realm as well.

Digital citizenship, ethic, and netiquette are important behaviors that educators must adopt in their own day to day interactions with technology so that they can better teach and encourage others to use it. One technology designed to help maintain the integrity of digital citizenship, ethic, and netiquette is iSAFE.org. ISAFE.org is a501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that is committed to helping learners become safe, responsible users of technology.  The organization emphasizes “proactive, preventive, and precautionary” education as a means to help leaners refrain from engaging in inappropriate behaviors and help them to identify potential hazards or inappropriate behaviors by others. These hazards or behaviors include but are not limited to viral threats, fraud, identity theft, cyber-bullying, and other dangers that put users at personal risk. All curriculum is age appropriate to meet the needs of the learner. Click here for a quick glance at a representative lesson plan.

iSAFE provides research based curriculum to children ranging from early childhood to high school and maintains the rights to a unique behavioral database that can gage the internet safety awareness of users before and after participating in the educational programs.    

  

I selected this technology because as an adult learner, I was not aware of what digital citizenship entailed. I think this is a great tool to help empower technology users by educating them on the risks of using technology, what to look out for, and how to protect themselves. In turn, learners have an opportunity to engage in a sense of social responsibility and they gain greater insight into how to keep their digital community healthy and thriving.   

As an educator, I can benefit from subscribing to iSAFE because I will continue to stay abreast of internet safety procedures. This will help me to make sure that adult learners in my class are not partaking in unrelated and inappropriate behaviors such as pornography or bullying. The second way in which I can incorporate this in my class is that I can teach other adult learners about digital citizenship, their responsibility therein, and help to prepare them to teach others about internet safety as well. This is an example of the continuum of education in that what we teach can continue to be passed on to others through those we come into contact with.

The next resource I came to find as a tool to enhance adult learning is a 5 step plan that assists educators and administrators in establishing a digital citizenship program in their school. The plan helps educators to determine whether their technology is being used properly; being misused or abused by encouraging an audit of digital citizenship, an analysis of the results using a provided scoring guide; prompting education technology team to engage in deep discussion regarding audit results to identify issues, extending the discussion to other stakeholders to gain greater perspective, and implores the team to design a plan to meet the needs of learners based  on the discussions and findings (Ribble & Bailey, 2004).

This is a powerful tool that I can use to facilitate a review of the digital citizenship plan implemented at any school I teach. Not only will this 5 step plan help me to think more critically about the use of technology but it also helps to inform my instruction as I teach my learners how to protect themselves in the digital world and at the same time teach them how to audit the digital citizenship plans in their own lives. Many adult learners are also parents and this tool may provide them with great insight on how to manage the technology usage in their households. In turn, they will also be able to teach their children to properly conduct themselves when interacting with technology. Again, we see the continuum of teaching and learning when incorporating these educational technology tools in our education of adult learners.    

Thank you for tuning in this week,

Tech Girl

References:

http://iSAFE.org/wp/

Ribble, M. & Bailey, G. (2004). Monitoring Technology Misuse & Abuse. The Journal Online.
Retrieved fromhttp://digitalcitizenship.net/uploads/T.H.E.JournalArticle.pdf

Ribble, M. (n.d.). Nine elements: Nine themes of digital citizenship. Retrieved May 30, 2012, fromhttp://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html

Open Source and LMS: What's it all mean?

As educators and users of technology, the need to be able to communicate in the language and format of the profession is critical. For this week’s blog, I have decided to explore Open Source Software and Learning Management Systems as a means to improve my technological vernacular and to become more fluent with this technology.

Open Source:

Open source refers to free software that can be modified by anyone at any time. The “Open Source Way” subscribes to the belief that information should be open and free to anyone to use for their learning purposes (Open Source.org., n.d.). Ideas and information is shared free in this environment as a means to inspire creativity, improve problem solving skills, and build community through collaboration. Open exchange, participation, rapid prototyping, meritocracy, and community are the mainstays of open source. Community development is fueled and change is set into motion when information is open for anyone to access. The marriage between open source software, multimedia technology, and instructional media means that everyone can partake in the dream of higher level education without geographic encumbrance or socioeconomics (Downes, 2011).

The main difference between other types of software and open source is that a lot of software contains code that prevents the content from being modified. It is no surprise then that this type of software is often referred to as “closed source software” or proprietary software (Open Source.org., n.d.). Open source software, on the other hand, can be modified or enhanced by anyone.  

Learning Management Systems (LMS):

LMS is used to deliver e-learning, online, and hybrid learning programs. It is essentially the infrastructure that manages the educational content. Blackboard and Moodle are examples of learning management systems. These are frequently used in educational systems ranging from primary to higher education and by corporations who want to deliver online training and education. LMS allow users to determine, design, and administer learning strategies. Regulation of content delivery and tracking can also be managed in this medium.

Moodle is an open source – free learning management system (LMS) that allows users to shape the learning environment the way they want it. Moodle provides simplification and enhances education delivery in a way that is unique to the needs of the University and its students. Because of its free ware, collaborative environment, Moodle seems to be a more economic approach to offering online or hybrid courses for small colleges and universities (Straumsheim, 2014). 

Blackboard differs from Moodle in that it cannot be manipulated by individuals and is controlled by the administrator. This specific LMS is more expensive but according to Jay Bhatt, CEO of Blackboard, Blackboard offers cutting edge delivery of education and content that cannot be met by community based open source ware like Moodle. Nevertheless the mass proliferation in Moodle use caught the attention of Blackboard who in 2012 invested in Moodlerooms, a site that helps users to design instructional enviroments using moodle (Straumsheim, 2014).

Thanks for tuning in!

Tech Girl

References:

Ellis, R. (2009). A field guide to learning management systems. Learning  Circuits. Retrieved from http://www.astd.org/~/media/Files/Publications/LMS_fieldguide_20091

Downes, S. (2011). Free learning: Essays on open educational resources and copyright. Retrieved fromhttp://www.downes.ca/files/books/FreeLearning.pdf

Open Source.Org (n.d.). Open source is changing the world. Retrieved from https://opensource.com/open-source-way

Open Source.Org (n.d.). What is open source? Retrieved from http://opensource.com/resources/what-open-source

Straumshiem, C (2014). Moodle for the masses. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from  http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/02/13/moodle-tops-blackboard-among-small-colleges-analysis-says

Media

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/what-s-the-future-of-education-technology-tHo75SZYS_C8AFsdZuGeZg.html

Virtual Gaming

Greetings!

This week we looked at ways that collaborative virtual gaming worlds can improve learning. Information travels rapidly in this hyper-engaged, information driven environment in which we live and so it is no surprise that game based-learning is yet another pathway to get the training and education one needs at possibly faster rate than one might in an instructor led class. Research shows that playing video games can actually help adults learn faster and improve cognitive processes such as problem solving and the ability to problem solve (Freeman, 2010). It was further discovered that “video game players perform 10 to 20 percent higher in terms of perceptual and cognitive ability than normal people that are non-game players” (Freeman, 2010). This is exciting news for those of us who thought playing video games was a waste of time!

I explored SIMS – a virtual environment where players have the opportunity to experience life through simulated characters. In sum, SIMS helps players to develop interpersonal skills and manage personal wellness.  Sims explores how situations impact emotions. Developers have included meter bars to enable users to manage their characters need for fun, energy, social interaction and personal wellness. For social engagement, characters can attend night clubs, go to the movies and even fish.  

In addition, players can undergo a myriad of real life scenarios such as robberies, working, having a child, raising a family, budgeting, and even death. These life-based scenarios require users to apply critical and analytical thinking skills to help them devise a plan to overcome the situation.

Sims users also have the opportunity to cultivate an idea of what it will take to be successful in the work place. In the simulation, raises are given based on work performance and social interaction.

This would be a great tool to use with individuals who may have struggle socially and want to develop more social competence. Because the SIMS focuses so much on social interaction, this can attune to the needs of affiliation for players who can take the skills they are learning and transfer them to their real life interactions. If played in a class room setting, the instructor may encourage players to partake in SIMS for 30 minutes in class and then role play the skills with one another in class to aid in transference of the learning experience. Finally, the instructor will ask participants to discuss the activity and its impact on them out loud in the group or suggest that they journal about their experience. This activity can be replicated until a time that desirable results are achieved.

In my research I also stumbled upon Immune attack and Visible Body two amazing 3D simulator games that allow users to take their passion for learning biology to a virtual level.  

Immune attack is a visual and interactive game that requires players to use a  nanobot  as they travel through the human body in an attempt to build up the immune defenses by fighting off potential dangers. Players are exposed to biological processes including white blood cells and microorganisms.  

Visible Body provides users the ability to explore the brain and nervous system, anatomy and function, the heart and circulatory system in 3D video and simulations.

Both of these games can be used in a setting where biology, physiology, or kinesiology is being taught.

 

Thanks for tuning in!

Tech Girl

 

References:

Freeman, B. (2010). Researchers examine video gaming’s benefits. Department of Defense. Retrieved from http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=57695

 http://www.thesimsgames.net/

http://www.visiblebody.com/index.html

Tiny Scan and TeacherTube.com

Greetings and Salutations!

For this week’s blog, I would like to turn your attention to two great technologies that can easily be integrated into your instructional repertoire.

For starters, let’s explore the small but dynamic mobile tool: TinyScan.   

Tin y Scan allows users to turn their Apple or Android device into a mini scanner so they can scan their documents and save them for future use. In addition, scanned documents can be converted to PDFs for easy transfer through email.   

Here’s a quick look at the benefits:

·         Scan documents with mobile device

·         Save documents in three different color modes: color, grayscale and black & white

·         Enhance readability of documents by adjusting the brightness and contrast settings

·         Easily convert documents to PDFs

·         Email scanned documents with ease 

Download Tiny Scan to your Apple device…

·         Locate the Apple App Store Icon on Device

·         download the “free” version

Compatability:

TinyScan requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatable with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.

  

                     Or install Tiny Scan to your Android

·                                                                               Locate the Android Play Store Icon on Device.

·                                                                      click the “Free” version to begin install/purchase process

Tiny Scan offers a fast and convenient way for students and educators to download documents with ease. This is a particularly useful feature if a student does not have internet on their computer but has to submit an assignment. The student can take a picture of the computer monitor and convert the image into a PDF document and walah! They can email their assignment directly to their instructor from their mobile device. 

Our next featured tech tool is TeacherTube.com

Educators and students alike have yet another forum to take advantage of the read and write web for learning. TeacherTube is a fantastic site dedicated to education. Their motto: Teach the World is brought to digital life with the vast educational resources offered to instructors and learners. The site enables users to share videos much in the same way that YouTube offers.

Here’s what you can find on TeacherTube.com:

·         Free to all users

·         Sample study plans that can be sorted by recently viewed, top rated, and featured and then downloaded into a PDF file

·         Thousands of videos covering topics from math to human rights  

·         Instructional videos with comments from other instructors as to the relevancy of the content

·         Ability to flag inappropriate content

·         Videos are uploaded from instructors and students across the globe giving users unique perspective and insight into education projects from around the world.

       

       Additional Features:

·         TeacherTubes video sharing website offers sample study plans that can be sorted by recently viewed, top rated, and featured. Videos can be easily shared and embedded into blogs. Users are also able to create or participate in groups for easy communication and collaboration. In addition, users can post photos on the site that are easily “pinned” to Pinterest. Don’t have time to watch a video? No problem! TeacherTube offers audio that can be streamed so you can listen to it while you drive or while you’re cleaning the house. Don’t see a channel or a group you want? Create one. It really is that simple. Take a quick peek for yourself www.teachertube.com

This is a great resource for adult learners who are earning their GED and need some additional help with various subjects. Educators who instruct adults with learning disabilities may also find helpful and creative ideas to present material to students. In turn, students can use this site to generate new ideas as they are exposed to learners from all over the world through video presentations.  

Thank you for tuning in this week,

Veronica Clark

Tech Girl