EDTECH 541: Social Media and Walled Gardens

In the Voice Thread below I discuss the role of social media and its relationship with walled gardens. I will give 2 examples of how social media can benefit educational outcomes.

EDTECH 503: Module 04 Reflection

In this weeks module the focus was centered towards the alignment of the learning objectives with the assessment of the desired learning outcomes. This concept is a key component in linking and evaluating the learners in relationship to their meeting the learning objectives of the desired tasks. The focus here is to assess the learning outcomes and not the instruction or the instructor. One of the key parts of this step of instructional design is to associate the learning objective to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Classification and identifying the format of assessment, the test form, and then giving a sample item for the learning objective that is being evaluated. By going through this process, the instructional designer attaches the learning objectives with the assessments to meet the desired learning outcomes of the desired overarching learning goal. This is an essential step in the the process of instructional design.

This module has allowed me to to have some solid and concrete reflection in how my learning objectives need to be closely connected to my assessments regardless of instructional plans. This reminds me of previous professional development that I have had on instructional design. It it always essential to design instruction with the end in mind, working from the objectives and assessment  first, and then towards the instruction. This idea is and can be called backward design. Even though I am familiar with this portion of instructional design it has been very valuable to look in more detail at the individual steps involved in this process. Taking this concept and connecting it to the verbiage of Bloom’s Taxonomy with the specific form of assessment and sample item is an important delineating step of instructional design.

The learning that I have had during this module will allow me in the future to reflect and spend time on really looking at my desired outcomes and asking myself what do I really want my audience to be able to accomplish at the end of instruction. It is easy to get wrapped up in the daily grind of delivery of instruction and lose site of the desired learning goals and outcomes that you want to achieve. By focusing on the end, the instruction will be better developed and focused toward authentic student learning of the desired learning goal.

EDTECH 541: Internet Safety

Target Audience: High School  Age Students

The sky's the limit for the unlimited resource of information that the Internet can provide. More and more people are logging on to computers everyday to access this information, through web searches, email, social media and many other forms of media that are continually expanding at an immense rate. The internet allows for connection with people all over the world through a variety of means.  As a young student your exposure to this unrestrained information growth continues to expand daily. It is important for you to think about how your safety and security can be maintained while using the Internet , but allow for you to continue to receive the benefits and rewards that it can offer. Internet safety is an important topic for all students accessing the Internet and an important component for your digital literacy toolbox skillset.

The Netsmartz Workshop website on basic internet safety identifies four main internet risks.

1. Cyber bullying
2. Exposure to inappropriate material
3. Online predators
4. Revealing too much personal information

Roblyer and Doering (2012) also identifies four main issues when accessing the internet.

1. Accessing sites with inappropriate material.
2. Safety and  privacy issues.
3. Fraud
4. Viruses and hacking

When looking at and considering these risks it is important for you to become educated and informed on the guidelines to follow for maintaining Internet safety.

• Never share your personal information. Information like your phone number, address, or the phone number, and addresses of friends and family.
• Never send or share photos to strangers.

• Never give your user ID or passwords to another person.
• Never post anything on the Internet, or send something electronically that you don't want the whole world to see. This personal information can be used against you by predators, cyber bullies, and identity thief's.
• Always be aware of and use privacy setting on social media.
• Never open emails from unknown sources.

Check out these videos: http://www.nsteens.org/
After watching 3 of the videos from th previous link write a reflection on how Internet safety could impact your life as a high school student.

Please refer to these additional resources for more information on Internet safety.

Internet Safety Tips for Kids and Teens

Internet Safety Tips for High School Kids

Guidelines and Resources for Internet Safety in Schools

References:

Netsmartz Workshop (2014). Basic Internet Safety. Retrieved on March 11, 2014 from http://www.netsmartz.org/internetsafety

Roblyer, M. D.,Doering A.H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching

(6th Edition).Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

 

EDTECH 541: Relative Advantage of Multimedia

EDTECH 541: Relative Advantage of Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are programs designed to organize and manipulate numerical data (Roblyer and Doering. p.122). This can allow learners to analyze a large amount of information by sorting it easily and completing complex and tedious calculations of numerical data. Spreadsheets are also an attractive technology because students are likely to use spreadsheets in future projects, careers, and in personal life (Pedagogy in Action, 2012). Benefits for learners in using spreadsheets can include instructional, and critical thinking advantages.

Instructional Benefits

The Pedagogy in Action (2012) website by Carleton College states the following benefits for instructional purposes.

• Complicated math models can be used easily to allows sophisticated topics to become in reach for lower-level courses.
• Allows for significant exploration of large data sets and models that would not otherwise be possible with pen and paper.

Roblyer and Doering (2012) list five ways in which spreadsheets can enhance instruction.

• A spreadsheet can make a picture out of abstract concepts and give a graphical visual for communication.
• Students can create products such as timelines, charts, and graphs.
• Spreadsheet functions can support mathematical problem solving.
• Spreadsheets allow students to store and analyze data effectively.
• Students can use spreadsheets to keep track of grades and can do their own “What if” questions.

Critical Thinking Benefits

Baker and Sudgen (2003) provide an overview of the use of spreadsheets. This paper states that:

• Building spreadsheets requires abstract reasoning by the learner.

• Spreadsheets are rule-using tools that require that users become rule-makers (Vockell and van Deusen 1989).
• Spreadsheets promote more open-ended investigations, problem-oriented activities, and active learning by students (Beare 1992).

My Use of Spreadsheets in Science

Spreadsheets have a variety of uses in my science classroom setting. The primary uses can include; organization, analysis, and graphing of data collected during scientific investigation.

There are many times during biology labs that is important to collect class data to obtain a larger sample size for more accurate statistical analysis. Spreadsheets allow for quick and easy collection and interpretation of large amounts of data. Spreadsheets allow my students and I to visualize and manage numerical data sets and information in variety of different ways. They can also increase productivity of both student centered academic tasks and teacher logistical oriented tasks. From the perspective of a teacher google forms in combination with google spreadsheets offer effective tools for productivity. In my Biology class I can assess prior knowledge, give formative and summative assessments, give pre and post assessments, have students turn in assignments, and obtain timely feedback on instruction.  All of this information is then organized in a spreadsheet that can be easily analyzed for the instructors desired outcomes. Google Forms for Educators

References:

Baker, John and Sugden, Stephen J. (2003) "Spreadsheets in Education –The First 25 Years," Spreadsheets in Education (eJSiE): Vol. 1: Iss. 1, Article 2. Available at: http://epublications.bond.edu.au/ejsie/vol1/iss1/2

Pedagogy in Action. (2012). Why Teach with Spreadsheets?. Retrieved on March 1, 2014 from http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/spreadsheets/why.html

Roblyer, M. D.,Doering A.H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching

(6th Edition).Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.