EDTECH 501: School Evaluation Summary

This assignment was very valuable in terms of reflection on the current state of technology use at my school. It has allowed me to identify areas of growth and areas of strength, that are present with our current technology use. I really was not surprised by the results of the survey and found that my opinions on technology use were some what validated. Prior to completing the assignment, I did some informal research throughout the school and district, by discussing the state of technology with a variety of stakeholders at many levels. I felt that this was important to be able to give an objective evaluation of our school. In a school as large as 1600 hundred students and over 100 staff members it is easy to become isolated from  other people experiences and views of technology.

Her are the links to my survey and evaluation summary.
Survey
Evaluation Summary

EDTECH 502: WebQuest

The final project is based upon the webquest model of learning. This is a higher order level of thinking activity that is based on Bloom's taxonomy. I created this assignment by using all of the skills and applications we have learned this semester with Dreamweaver CSS Fluid Grid Layout Template.

This weeks assignment is "WebQuest". You can find a link to the assignment from the home page link below:

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/502.html

EDTECH 501: Technology Use Planning

This assignment on technology use planning provided me with valuable insight into the details of the components for effective technology use plans. Technology use plans are a very significant part of technology integration in an educational setting. These plans need to be continually evaluated and updated to meet the ongoing changing needs of technology in education. In my discussion I addressed the following questions:

1. How might the new National Educational Technology Plan 2010 be an effective and powerful resource for technology use planning? 
2. Do you agree with See about tech use plans needing to be short, not long term? Why or why not? 
3. What do you think about his comment that "effective technology plans focus on applications, not technology?" 
4. What experiences have you had with technology use planning and what have been your experiences in terms of outcomes (both good and bad?) 

EDTECH 502: Virtual Field Trip

In this weeks assignment we created a guided educational tour through the internet on a topic of our choice. This was a large project that included a variety of multimedia and text resources. We explored the use of navigation bars as a guide for students to navigate through the virtual tour. I learned the power of using an external CSS style sheet for a number of pages through out the site.

This weeks assignment is "Virtual Field Trip. You can find a link to the assignment from the home page link below:

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/502.html

EDTECH 501: Digital Inequality

The assignment of digital divide and inequality was very informative and really lends itself towards gaining perspective of technology use and availability worldwide. I feel really fortunate to have the resources of technology available to me in my current educational setting. As I learned in this assignment, access to technology resources is only one aspect of inequality. I will take this new knowledge and understanding of digital inequality and introduce it to my department at our next meeting when we collaborate about current educational issues within our school.

I have included a narrated video and the embedded Google presentation with speaker notes.

EDTECH 502: Working with CSS Templates

In this weeks assignment we worked with a variety of CSS templates to create a homepage for our EDTECH website. These templates a very readily available online for free and can be used to create visually appealing web pages.

This weeks assignment is "Homepage". You can find a link to the assignment from the home page link below:

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/502.html

EDTECH 502: Web Pages for Mobile Devices

In this weeks assignment we worked with web design for mobile devices. These devices are one of the most abundant and accessible pieces of technology that is available to all of our students. Using fluid grid layout in Dreamweaver we created a virtual field trip that students could complete using their mobile device or tablet.

This weeks assignment is "M-learning". You can find a link to the assignment from the home page link below:

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/502.html

EDTECH 501: Tech Trends

Tech trends is a very intriguing and interesting topic that ignites the curiosity of what the future holds for educational technology. I enjoyed reading the horizon report and reflecting on the current and future state of educational technology. It is great to see how technology can enhance the teaching, learning and creative inquiry of educational environments.

 For this discussion I chose the tech trend of cloud computing. I currently have a great interest for the use of this trend in my classes, but I am confronted by a variety of challenges that impede my integration of this technology.  This assignment was beneficial for me to reflect on the value, potential, and challenges of cloud computing technology in education. It also allowed me to reflect on my own personal role in creating a school culture based around this specific technology.

Here is the link: Tech Trends

EDTECH 502: Creating Tables for Web Pages

For this weeks assignment I was introduced to creating tables using Dreamweaver. The goal of the assignment was to use the table options with our current knowledge of HTML 5 and CSS to create a cooperative jigsaw activity. I continued to build off of last weeks assignment by creating a jigsaw that student could use to explore the different applications on Google Drive.

This weeks assignment is "Jigsaw Activity". You can find a link to the assignment from the home page link below:

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/502.html

EDTECH 502: Images for Web Pages

This weeks assignment was to continue my development in HTML 5 and CSS by  creating a web page that incorporated images with hots pot links. I began by becoming familiar with Adobe Fireworks by creating, and modifying images to make an interactive concept map on my 502 website. I chose to do my concept map on Google Drive to introduce students to the idea of using Drive in my classroom.

This weeks assignment is "Interactive Concept Map". You can find a link to the assignment from the home page link below:

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/502.html

EDTECH 501: Research

I enjoyed this assignment from the aspect of doing scholarly research. As a science teacher I am always challenging my students misconceptions and ideas about the world. Students immediately think that if information is presented on a news outlet is true. This is when I tell them about peer reviewed scholarly research and its importance in  scientific study and analyzing everyday information. This assignment introduced me to Google scholar, which I have never used before. This is a tool that could be used by my students to teach them the importance of quality research in scientific studies. I liked using Google scholar to find resources, but found that the Albertsons Library database was  much more effective in filtering and finding exactly the topics I was looking for.

Through my research I found that my ideas of technology and how I want to use technology in my science classroom, was well supported and validated.  I will use the information from my research to guide my development and lesson plan designs in the future. The information gave me new insights into how I can improve upon current practices and and apply the integration of technology towards those practices in a efficient and effective manner.

Assignment link: EDTECH Research

EDTECH 502: Copyright and Fair Use

This weeks assignment was to explore the vast topic of copyright, fair use , and plagiarism. This is an important topic for not only web designers, but educators as well. I created a scavenger hunt that guides students through information that is applicable for them when discussing this topic. This extended our knowledge of HTML and CSS by have us create multiple pages linked to each other in addition to linking an outside document to the page. Each assignment to this point has been building on the previous assignment by adding a few new concepts and ideas of web design through Dreamweaver. I am definitely getting more comfortable with laying out my pages and adding external style sheets with my personal vision and outcomes being accomplished.

This weeks assignment is "Copyright Scavenger Hunt". You can find a link to the assignment from the home page link below:

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/502.html

EDTECH 502: Accessibility on the Web

In this weeks assignment we learned about the importance of accessibility in the design of web pages. It is important to make sure that all the content that you present on the web is accessible and usable for people with disabilities. We accomplished this by creating a hotlinks page that was centered around a variety of topics that relate to web accessibility. I took my current knowledge of HTML code, and external CSS style sheets to make a hotlinks page that is accessible to all learners, that furthers my understanding of web design, tools and applications.

This weeks assignment is "Accessibility Hot Links". You can find a link to the assignment from the home page link below:

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/502.html

EDTECH 501: RSS in Education

RSS when used in education can be a valuable tool for both teachers and students alike. RSS feeds have the ability to provide content to both students and educators, in a timely, organized fashion, that is extremely beneficial. This technology allows for the collection and aggregation of a diversity of information. Content collected can create phenomenal learning outlets for it's users, by engaging them in up-to-date relevant information.

I really enjoyed this assignment for a variety of reasons. The assignment challenged me to gain  more in-depth knowledge about a technology that I was familiar with, but not proficient in, and challenged me in the process of creating a video tutorial.

The majority of my learning that took place, was not in the RSS technology, or how it can be used, but with the video tutorial I created.  I struggled with creating a video for my peers in this course, and also creating a video for the audience that I work with. I reconstructed the video multiple times with differing personal opinions. I currently work with a staff of veteran teachers who are not as familiar with educational technology as those represented in this course.  I feel that my video is lengthy and has a slow pace. This pace could be representative of my skill level, and the skill level of my peers in this course. When I subconsciously think about my audience, this thinking impacts my choices and decisions in the video. The staff that I work with have an extraordinary background on pedagogy, and what works best for students, but they lack the skills needed to use technology in a effective manner. When I try to justify the pace and length of my video tutorial, this factor plays a role. The peers at my school need more information on how to use and navigate applications. Once they have gained that knowledge, they can then take their current educational knowledge and apply it in a effective manner.
In conclusion, I feel that I  made a video that represents the current climate and culture that I teach in. This video may not be suitable for all audiences, but can give a solid background on RSS use and it's ability in education.

Here are some video references:
0 - 1:29 RSS Definition
1:30 - 6:27 How to navigate RSS
6:28 - 10:06 RSS Education

EDTECH 502: Typography on the Web

This week I developed a page that I could use for my particular audience on the proper behavior that you use when working online. This is called netiquette.  The netiquette page that I created this week is designed to provide a group of learners with information and tips for polite communication on the Internet. This can include e-mail, discussion forums, or any other type of electronic communication. This netiquette page will give my students proper background knowledge to successfully navigate in a virtual world.

This week I will also learned some new CSS code for floating elements to position them on a Web page. This approach makes a page that is far more accessible to users who rely on screen readers to read the content to them. As I am learning new skills I am returning to previous assignments and updating them as well. I will continue to  add the original 502 assignments page link below so that you can link to the new assignment from there.

This weeks assignment is "Netiquette":

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/netiquette.html

EDTECH 502: CSS in Dreamweaver

This week I worked with CSS to format the basic Web page created last week. CSS allows us to separate appearance from the HTML structure. It makes websites easier to update and supports accessible Web design. It is already very enjoyable to see the weekly progression of learning as my web site gets more detailed and I learn new techniques and skills in web design. There is a marked difference from last weeks plain page to this weeks CSS formatted page. See link below, then compare it to last week.

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/502.html

EDTECH 501: Elements of Educational Technology

The following link is my discussion of  Elements of Educational Technology:

Link: Elements of Educational Technology

Reflection

Anytime I read  literature relating to education, it always takes me longer than planned. I find myself continually pausing, and getting lost in reflective thought about my current practices within the classroom. I will share some of those thoughts in this reflection.

As a teacher in a high school classroom I am continually striving to create a learning environment where students are exploring, discovering, problem solving, and reaching solutions with only supportive guidance from the teacher. I have found that this is a lot harder than it sounds. Students don't like to struggle, they want answers, and they want to be led to the finish as quickly as possible. It is way easier to just give them answers than it is to let them struggle. But this is not what is best for students. The challenge of this type of learning is striking a balance between letting students struggle, but also setting them up for success. I work in a high school where there are a number of traditional, veteran teachers, who believe that content is king. This at times can create a culture of learning that is in conflict. You have teachers that "facilitate learning" and teachers that "control learning". I think that students should drive the content, not that the content should drive the students. I am fortunate that my content area of science lends itself to inquiry activities, and labs that do a great job of creating learning environments that support a facilitating style of learning. The article on the definition of educational technology didn't change my perception on learning, but did validate the benefits of educational technology for learning. The using and facilitating of educational technology through the selection of appropriate tools, and resources is a great way in which I can further create learning environments that support a learning style that is  most beneficial for students. This course has been a great example that type of  educational technology learning environment. I really look forward to learning even more new technology platforms, mediums, and resources on top of what I have already learned these first few weeks. 

EDTECH 502: Dreamweaver and HTML

The project this week was to create a Web page with a list of projects created in this class. Eventually, this will turn into a project list page used to link to my 502 assignments. I started off with learning some background information on HTML code. Next, I began a basic introduction of Dreamweaver. I created my site definition, learned basic Dreamweaver navigation, code validation and how to upload my web site to the edtech2 server. Below is a link to my plain502 assignment page.

http://edtech2.boisestate.edu/chadkuhlman/502/plain502.html

EDTECH 501: Welcome!

Learning Log

This blogger account will serve as my learning log while I works towards earning my master's degree in educational technology. It will include my experiences, growth, and development in the field of education technology through the artifacts that I create during my time in the program. I hope to showcase my personal ideas, thoughts, and progress as a learner and an educational professional. 

Present

I am excited to be a part of the education technology program and look forward to learning individually, and as a community. I hope my progression from outdoor educator, to classroom educator, to educational technologist will be full of experiences that will strengthen me as an educational professional. 

Background

My path to becoming an educator and teacher seems surprising to me at times. Once I finished high school, I had no desire to pursue post secondary education. I worked a variety of jobs for a number of years, trying to find my place in this world. One job that was most influential in my life was when I moved to Alaska, and worked in the commercial fishing operations on the Pacific Ocean. This job sparked my interest in the natural world. When I returned to Colorado I enrolled in Colorado State University and obtained a bachelor's in biological science. During my time in college I began working for the Colorado Outward Bound School instructing, and course-directing mountaineering courses for youth. These were powerful courses that used the mountains, climbing, and outdoors as metaphors for personal growth, and development. I felt like I was making a difference in young peoples lives and wanted to continue that process. I then obtained my teaching certificate and have been happily teaching secondary science for the past seven years. 

I currently live in Fort Collins Colorado teaching grades 9-12 at Fort Collins High School, and teach a variety of different science topics. When I am not working I enjoy spending time with my wife, and 2 year old son. We enjoy cycling, climbing. running, and spending time outdoors together.