Course+Discussions

=Course Discussions=

Discussion threads from this course were created using the original Brighten software. Here is a blog posting that was created.
 * EDLD 5306 Concepts of Educational Technology**

Website Opinion
The Website I chose to evaluate is the EDTECH: Focus on K-12 site at [|http://www.edtechmag.com/k12/index.php]. The primary function of the Website is to provide resources for education and achieving the 21st Century classroom in the K-12 setting. It is a site that is sponsored by CDW-G, a technology supply and services company for government agencies.

The site has an excellent site index and tabs for Magazines, Resources, Reviews, One to One, Measurements, Case Studies, and Subscriptions. The specific article that I originated with also has links to on the side to helpful sites and articles. (There just happened to be one to Blog Rules!) I found the site easy to navigate and one of those that you can really get absorbed in because there was so much good information. I guess that is the only negative I really saw. The fact that there was so much good information that I didn't have enough time to review it all!

This Website is ideal for the 21st century information-age educator. It was created for that purpose. (Of course I'm sure CDW-G would like you to buy all of your equipment from them to use!) The company has input from educators and regular articles from real class rooms, lots of lesson plans for all age categories and their company does give educators good prices on technology equipment. I recommend that educators review this site when they have time to take notes or print out resources. I also hope you will bookmark the site for future reference. It a very up to date, active site with valuable resources! Posted by ezimmerman at [|4:52 PM] [|0 comments]

// What critical attributes of a positive school culture does your campus exhibit? How does your principal contribute to that positive culture? // Our campus has some very positive attributes of school culture based on the way the staff work together to help students. Our principal has an attitude that is very positive and he speaks as a part of the group when discussing issues. This makes staff feel a part of the goal. Review the article, "Ten Big Effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Public Schools," in this week's Readings. Choose 2 of the 10 effects of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), give your positive or negative impression of each, and briefly explain your reasoning. Regarding the number 1 effect, “…student achievement on state tests is rising…”, I can understand that the scores should be rising because we are all “learning” the tests. I don’t believe that fact supports a lot of enthusiasm because I still feel education is jeopardizing a substantial amount of additional needed skills and training in areas that are not covered on the tests. For example, so many schools only teach the students how to use a calculator to get the answers to the test. Not how the calculation works and therefore how they can think! Regarding the number 6 effect, “Students are taking more tests as a result of NCLB”, I really don’t think the number of tests have changed that much. It’s just that now everyone knows about all of the tests and is so involved in the results. Another reason I feel we are missing so much more we could be teaching the students. Beyond education, how many real world situations are going to require them to take tests all of the time. They will, however, need to know how to think for themselves and make decisions! In your opinion, in what ways does NCLB assure parents that the needs of all students will be addressed? How does Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) affect your school and district? NCLB tries to assure parents that the needs of all students will be met by using a title that means “all” students will be included. I feel that a large number of parents hear the goals and the fact that all children will be helped but are not familiar with the rest of the details. All children cannot accomplish the same things, including tests. Some students need to have job preparation. Now there is a contradiction between expecting all students to be prepared and plan to attend college and the CATE initiative to give some students a trade so they can be prepared for a job because they will not be going to college. Prior to commenting on the next discussion prompt, go to Resources and view the PowerPoint presentation, Teacher Quality & Title 1 Paraprofessional Qualifications. How would you, as the principal, ensure that your campus meets the highly qualified staff mandates? Records should be maintained of the completed Highly Qualified forms to assure that the campus meets the highly qualified mandate. Where individuals are not found to be in compliance, a plan should be put in place to make possible reassignments and/or staff should be helped to find appropriate means of satisfying the requirements when realistic. All new staff or assignments should only be made if they meet the mandate.
 * EDLD 5333 Leadership for Accountability**

//Each school is required by No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to hold a public meeting after receipt of the campus performance reports (AYP & AEIS). How does your school maximize attendance at the annual meeting to ensure that a cross section of the community you serve is well represented? Do you advertise? Do you hold an appealing event along with the informational meeting agenda? Discuss how the Student Success Initiative (SSI) works at your school to increase student success for at-risk students.// Our public meeting is our annual chili supper/open house event. Everyone loves the chili so a large majority of parents attend! Our community is very family oriented and the extended families of a number of students attend. SSI at our school involves several things such as tutorials, flex day training sessions, routine counselor contacts and RTI processes. We also pair a teacher/mentor with 9th graders who have previously had difficulties. Our campus trains staff in the effective use of data in in-service sessions, staff meetings and departmental meetings. I personally feel that one of the best ways to get teachers and staff familiar with the data is to create a form that teachers can fill in as they learn about the data. We can facilitate data comparisons between the campus, grade and state by providing a format for use.

// Review the article, "How to Survive Data Overload," by R. S. Thomas in this week's readings. What do you think of the tool titled "Team Dialogue Guide: Moving From Data to Classroom Instructional Improvement" and the "Reflection Guide" included in the article? As the principal, how might you introduce these tools and use them with your teachers? // I feel that the “Team Dialogue” tool can be very useful for corroborating what you and you’re staff think needs “fixing”. It is a simple form that can be completed easily and helps to place focus on the most common area of concern. The “Reflection Guide” is also a very simple tool that can be used to remind us of what we need do every day. I would like something like this to be posted conveniently for a reminder. I believe the best way to introduce these tools to staff is to overview them at a staff meeting first by selecting a well know topic of facts (Or asking a department to volunteer information for an area of their interest.) and completing the form on an Elmo or similar product to show them. The reflection tool can be passed out at a meeting and also enlarged to post in the lunchroom or popular area. With an emphasis on cooperation and a common goal, these tools can be presented as a time saving way to select areas of need. // Review the article, "Perceptions of Professional Learning Communities," by Jane Huffman and Arminta Jacobson in this week's readings. What does this study say to you about the style of leadership that is most conducive to developing learning communities? What implications does this study have on your personal philosophy of leadership? // It is obvious, in my opinion, that cooperative processes work better in learning communities. With the focus on cooperative learning in college settings, professional development settings and work places, I believe there is significant evidence that people remember more and develop better answers, lessons, etc. I certainly remember more of what I learned in those settings than the traditional “on your own” learning style. Personally, I love the cooperative style! It fits with the way I do most things, with the exception of some things I’m too picky about to let anyone cooperate on! When working with others I have to keep in mind if they are a cooperative style person or not. This is so I don’t strain the communication when they don’t really want to share. // Visit the website, Data-Based Decision Making: Resources for Educators. The link is found in Resources: Helpful Websites. Tell how, as a new principal, you and your campus team might use this website. // Excellent website so you do not have to reinvent what has already been created! Time is such a big factor in improvement processes. As a new principal, my team can use this tool to create plans in a much faster manner than having to spend so much time at the beginning to just get started. Sections of the website can be divided among small teams based on interest and who has the best access to the information. A time schedule can be created to ensure ownership and progress. Regular meetings can be planned for the necessary teams and the whole group as determined during the process. At the completion of the first topic, the information can be shared with the applicable staff members and then the participants can be assigned to mentor a new group to research a topic of their interest. I foresee each department making a report regarding at least one topic per semester unless their topic will require the whole school year.

//Discuss the role of learning communities as a professional development tool to move teachers from knowledge to action in using formative assessments to improve student performance. What implications might this information have for the professional development portion of the campus action plan that you develop in the Week 4 Application assignment?// I feel that the most beneficial aspect of learning communities for teachers is the opportunity for everyone to share what they have tried that was helpful for students and what they have tried that did not work. This allows you to have "research" results without having to waste time on things that someone has already done. I've always liked the ideas and information that is shared when I have attended cooperative learning environments like college classes and in-services. It can be so inspiring to get ideas that you can branch off of for your own subject matter or lesson plans! I jot down notes of ideas to try out. As I use lesson plans throughout the year, I make notes about what needs changing for the next year using student comments and how well (or not well) the learning outcomes worked for the students. Feedback opportunities for teachers to use learning communities help move teachers to action by allowing for support and ideas from each other as they venture into new methods. Based on the information above, the professional development plan for Week 4 needs to include time for the teachers to have discussion and share ideas, teachers should track what they do and the outcomes, the process should be on-going and not a short here and gone process and student input should be documented and used as a positive opportunity to improve lessons. An option that can possible be used is to assign specific topics to several groups of participants to coordinate and develop solutions to.

//What should schools do when they get stuck? "Stuckness" typically happens when people feel like they are doing their best work and it's not paying off in visible evidence of improved student performance. Have you or has your school found itself in that position? What are some things that can be done at that point to gain forward momentum?// I haven’t experienced any “stuckness” at our school. When “stuckness” happens I believe the best thing to do is find some of the staff that have a positive attitude and create some new learning groups using volunteers. Sometimes a fresh outlook and ideas can help to start a trend that can carry groups to success. Another option is to increase communication for the groups, bring in a speaker or in-service speaker or someone from another school who has accomplished good things in the same area of interest that you are working on. //What is the value of consensus building in the school improvement process, and how does your school go about the process of consensus building?// Everyone that can affect the improvement process at hand needs to be involved in the creation of the solution and action plan. Typically, if you can get the majority of the members on board, those who may not really agree with the plan will usually join in. Our school does an excellent job of starting off discussion and involving the staff in planning and preparation. We are moving to a new school building and we have been involved in plans and kept up to date all along the way. It’s much more comfortable when you are kept involved in change. //Review this week's reading, "Making the Most of Professional Learning Communities," in which researcher Jay McTighe suggests several ways to use professional learning communities (PLCs) to improve student performance. How has your school used PLCs, or how would you, as the principal, use PLCs to improve student performance?// As a principal, I will use PLCs to create support systems for teachers to continually evaluate and improve their teaching skills. I can see a group of teachers being given the task of evaluating one lesson topic per grading period to evaluate based on how it has been taught, what can be done to improve it and what is your lesson plan for the next time based on your “mini-research” of your classroom(s). Before I started teaching I thought I would create consistent lessons and use them over and over. It is now my opinion that any teacher who uses the same plan every year probable is not as effective as they can be.

//Select a significant quote or passage from Week 1's readings. State your chosen passage, and explain why this specific passage appeals to you.// The following statement from the reading THE DIGITAL DISCONNECT. THE WIDENING GAP BETWEEN INTERNET SAVVY STUDENTS AND THEIR SCHOOLS struck me as a very accurate description of what I hear from students. "While students relate examples of both engaging and poor instructional uses of the Internet assigned by their teachers, students say that the not-so-engaging uses are the more typical of their assignments." I feel that this is caused due to teachers not fully understanding what possibilities there are on the Internet and the fact that they don't always have a lot of time to invest in what they may consider, beyond their curriculum requirements. Schools really should invest more time in subject specific lesson plan and technology help.
 * EDLD 5362 Information Systems Management**

I also really enjoyed the quote from the Latin writer Seneca that the article referred to. “The fates guide those who go willingly; those who do not, they drag.” (I think I'll tag my e-mails with that!)

Levin, D., & Arafeh, S. (2002). The digital disconnect. The widening gap between internet savvy students and their schools. //Pew Internet and American Life Project.// Retrieved on November 17, 2009, from http://pewinternet.org/~/media/Files/Reports/2002/PIP_Schools_Internet_Report.pdf

//Select a significant quote or passage from Week 2's readings. State your chosen passage, and explain why this specific passage appeals to you.// This statement caught my attention this week: "A key accelerator that can help a district manage and understand data about achievement is a data warehouse. Often referred to as BI (business intelligence) systems in the corporate sector, data warehouses are sophisticated software systems that collect data from a variety of sources, such as a student information system, assessment databases and the financial system." (Moore, 2006) It seems that there is so much data collected but the wheel has to be reinvented every time research is started regarding a new topic. If information can be collected in one place for future and continuous review it will save a lot of time and more focus can be spent on the solutions.

The Five Best Accelerators in Schools. By: Moore, Robert J., //School Administrator//, 00366439, Aug 2006, Vol. 63, Issue 7.

//Select a significant quote or passage from Week 3's readings. State your chosen passage, and explain why this specific passage appeals to you.// The statement I chose was "Educators are just now beginning to realize the power of wikis, blogs, and podcasts, as well as emerging social software applications." This article is from 2006. My perspective is that a significant number of teachers still don't use any of these tools. It's been four years since the article said we were just beginning to acknowledge the tools yet for reasons like school filters or lack of training, we aren't moving ahead yet.

Beldarrain, Y. (2006). Distance education trends: Integrating new technologies to foster student interaction and collaboration. //Distance Education//, 27. 2, 139-153.

//Select a significant quote or passage from Week 4's readings. State your chosen passage, and explain why this specific passage appeals to you.// Shamblin says this jump in attendance generated $80,000 in additional state funding for the district, the equivalent of two teacher salaries. "The return on investment has been outstanding, and our attendance records put us in competition with suburban school districts," he says. "More importantly, there are more students in class, and as a result, those students are more likely to move on to higher education."

This statement caught my attention because it not only provides monetary support for the use of a notification or communication system but also the real down to Earth backing as justification. A system like described will not only pay for itself but truly help student learning.

Villano, M. (2008, April 1), Meet the parents. //The Journal//. Retrieved on February 4, 2010, from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2008/04/01/Meet-the-Parents/aspx?Page=1

//After reading the articles and watching the videos on filtering systems for schools and for districts, select two filtering systems and compare and contrast their strengths and weaknesses. Also, discuss your opinion on internet filtering in schools.// I chose Barracuda and M86 for this weeks discussion. Barracuda uses school specific language and appears to be well aware of the expectations schools have to meet. It boasts being easy to use and has the ability to create separate groups for teachers and students. I like the idea of the teachers not having to work under the student guidelines. M86 boasts a listing of numerous schools that have positive responses to their product. @http://www.m86security.com/resources/case-studies.asp They also have a number of options available for services depending upon the districts need. Reporting is available to review how the system is working.

My opinion regarding filtering has changed over the last several years. I originally was of the opinion that more should be blocked because of safety. However, after seeing how easy students find ways around filters and how the teachers are the only ones left without access to what they need for their lessons, I have a different viewpoint. Obviously the "bad" stuff like porn should be blocked but it is now my opinion that we have to spend more time teaching a day to day habit of how to properly use the Internet more than try (feebly) to protect students. They use it without us all the time at home. They need to become good digital citizens.

//Explore the week's readings using the final word protocol by selecting one significant quote from one of the weeks readings.// In the book, "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works", it is stated that "We understand that individual teachers' decisions about technology integration will reflect the technology available, their students' facility with that technology, the curricular goals pursued, and the time available." This statement appealed to me on two points. Regarding the technology that's available, I don't think we can limit ourselves from the start anymore with all of the available free options on the internet. When I worked in a small district that didn't have much funding, I found free options so my students could have access to photo editing and animation software. As teachers I feel we should be good at knowing where to find what we need. (That's actually another topic from our readings that I liked!) The second point from the statement is that while we should consider how well the students know the technology, we can't be afraid to start off with something that is not well known given the capabilities that our students have to learn and figure things out. I was talking to a teacher just Friday who was asking me about how to use GIMP because they said they have to learn it before teaching the students. I encouraged him to learn it WITH the students. I've done this many times in class and it has always been fun, exciting and we all learn more than ever! I tell the students I don't know everything about the software and to let me know what they discover and we share everything with the class. The students will often help me create tutorials or sometimes, they create them for me. Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhn, M., Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works//. McRel.
 * EDLD 5364 Teaching with Technology**

//Explore the week's readings using the final word protocol by selecting one significant quote from one of the weeks readings.// I really appreciated seeing the summary of research that was included in //The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement// by Schacter. The repeating theme that students showed gains in higher order thinking skills is more proof of what appears to be happening in the classroom. With the change from more traditional teaching and grading methods using tests with a set scoring system to a more open accomplishment driven method with collaborative groups, etc., the research data gives concrete evidence that we are doing the right thing. The difference in using a test score and saying "Yes, you know what you're doing" and "No, you don't" to "You understand the information and can accomplish the task you have been given" is a big change and a lot of teachers want to have documented justification to back them.

//Explore the week's readings using the final word protocol by selecting one significant quote from one of the weeks readings.// It was hard to pick one quote but I chose the following one because it is a hot topic for me at my district right now. "As we see it, schools have two choices: to ban any form of online communication that might present a potential danger, or to teach appropriate and ethical use of the technology....teachers lose the opportunity to engage students in much-needed conversations about keeping safe online. These conversations need to occur because students will use these technologies personally, whether schools ban them or not." Our district has made great strides toward technology use but it takes a few steps and then locks up in caution! This continues to let technology use get too far ahead of us. Someone mentioned last week how teachers get comfortable with a mode of technology and then new ones appear and antiquate the one you chose. The students will continue to find new technologies to do what they want like access MySpace, etc. We are spinning our wheels if we think we can block anything from them! We are there to teach and we should be teaching students how to use the technology safely!

//Explore the week's readings using the final word protocol by selecting one significant quote from one of the weeks readings.// The following statement from the Pitler book comes to remind me at an appropriate time! Planning is so important to keep group projects running smoothly. I hate it when part of a group is doing all of the work and then you have a couple who are “playing” on the computer saying they are done! I always include individual assignments/grades when we do group projects. Truly, if they have worked hard and finished a difficult part of the process, some playing is deserved. But it really annoys me when some of them think they don’t have to do anything! I would love to hear ideas from you guys on techniques you use to manage your group activities. I’m always looking for ideas! "By nature, both multimedia projects and cooperative learning groups require attention to detail in the planning process. When these type of activities go astray in the classroom, it is often due to inadequate up-front preparation." Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works//. Alexandria, VA; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 139-154.

//Explore the week's readings using the final word protocol by selecting one significant quote from one of the weeks readings.// In the //Using technology with classroom instruction that works// book, I really like the discussion about the Achievement Spreadsheet. It's like a detailed method of journaling with a visual outcome. My students start off having a difficult time understanding that I want to them to try the new software and I don't have a set pass/fail criteria. They want to know the minimum they have to do to pass, most of the time! This method can help them to understand that progress and effort is what really counts. Also, surveys have helped me to find out the level of knowledge my students come in with and what they have when they leave. It's a lot like benchmark testing. The benefits of positive feedback have been proven any many studies. Achievement Spreadsheets sound like a good idea and they require the students to maintain them regularly supports improving responsibility.

Links to positive feedback articles: http://www.rwkenterprises.com/Feedback-Motivation.htm http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/motiv.htm ctl.stanford.edu/Newsletter/**motivation**_to_learn.pdfhttp://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/affective/motivation.html

//What did you learn about your learning theory beliefs from this activity?// I feel that the response that students would prefer rote learning may have something to do with how they don't want to think. Often my students just want me to tell them the instructions. They don't want to read them. To me, this relates to why they want a routine memorization method like rote learning over options that cause interaction, opinions, and ideas. //What did you learn about yourself and your students based on the learning inventories?// I agree that sometimes the response is different based on different situations. Or, in my own situation as I have been taking these courses, my responses may change based what we learned that week! I think surveys like this are useful when used several times during the year also. Student responses may change as they are exposed to different teachers styles. As someone mentioned in this weeks responses, students get somewhat conditioned by how they have been taught. // twinIsles.Dev (2005). Learning Theories and Learning Styles. Retrieved from [] //
 * EDLD 5368 Instructional Design**//

//According to Wiggins and McTighe (2000), some teachers believe their students should "really understand," others want their students to "internalize knowledge" and yet others want their students to "grasp the core or essence." Do these mean the same thing? When a student really understands, what will he do that he will not do when he does not understand? What is your definition of understanding and how do you assess understanding?// When a student understands something, they are able to apply that knowledge to other things. This helps with the process of connecting past experience to future learning. There is a distinct difference between knowing and understanding based on what a person can do with the information. The explanation presented by John Dewey (1933) as provided in the Wiggins and McTighe (2000) book explains it best as I’ve seen: "To grasp the meaning of a thing, an event, or a situation is to see it in its relations to other things: to see how it operates or functions, what consequences follow from it, what causes it, what uses it can be put to." (Dewey, 1933, p. 137, 146) In my words, I see it as understanding is a process of knowing situations in which the information applies and how the information can be used to solve problems or scenarios. I generally assess understanding by evaluating how the student uses the subject matter to create a product in my technology classes. “While teachers knowingly aim for understanding every day…” they don’t always plan their lessons with that goal in mind. (Wiggins and McTighe, 2000, p. 38.)

Backwards planning is like sewing. You have to know what you want in the end before you can start.  //Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development,// 2005. p 38. Retrieved from http://site.ebrary.com/lib/lamar/Doc?id=10081770&ppg=50 Dewey, J. (1933, January)//. How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process.// Boston, MA: Henry Holt. 

//In this week's discussion board, share with your colleagues what steps you would normally use in designing instruction. Also, discuss your overall impression of the "backward design" process. What are the pros and cons of designing instruction in this manner?// I teach computer classes and currently, I design content by:
 * draft out my whole year based on what has to be covered (TEKS, etc.)
 * then I start breaking down topics and combining logical skills
 * then I reviewing textbook material for available content
 * I add additional content from the Internet or other sources
 * next I take each grouping of topics and decide what needs to be taught/learned (I break it down more if that's too much.)
 * I determine what my tests and assessments will be (decide what topics I want to use for my group work)
 * and, finally, I create individual lessons based on what needs to happen for that grouping of skills

My overall impression of backward design is that it is the best way to create good learning materials. I wouldn't say the only way because I feel that experienced teachers who are very familiar with their subject matter can probably work in linear fashion or both directions.

I only find pros to this approach. Knowing where you need to end up will save you time and save the students frustration. My experience is that the students prefer to see the rubric or know exactly what is expected before they start. "Clear expectations, improved outcomes: using rubrics." (Elliott, 2003, p. 4-7.)

Elliott, C. (2003). Clear expectations, improved outcomes: using rubrics. //FYI: journal of School Libraries Association of Victoria,// Spring 2003, pp. 4-7.

//Post to the discussion board using the following questions as a guide to respond to the Sloan-C reports. How do you see online education being used in your classroom, campus and district? What type of staff development do you think K-12 teachers need in order to begin to develop and implement online learning? What impact will this type of teaching and learning have on the business world?// Online education is already being used at my campus, to some degree. We have been using wikis, Google options, and surveys. Most of this started after I began using the various tools in these courses. We also have distance education through the university in conference format on our campus. Now with the use of a new learning management system, I am planning to begin incorporating learning management system (LMS) lessons into my classes for next year. I feel that teachers often need to have some time to see what others can do with online products so they have a desire to try them out. That’s exactly how some of the teachers on my campus have gotten started. They see what I have done and ask me to help them set similar lessons up. I envision online learning to continue to grow in our district. Even if it is not used on a regular basis for regular classroom assignments, the options for students who are at home or have missed school and need to catch up are very beneficial. I strongly believe that teachers need small group staff development and available support to begin developing and implementing online learning. Teachers are too busy to get stuck and not be able to finish because they have a simple question they need help with. Two to three progressing sessions should be offered for teachers who are ready to add more capabilities to their online lessons. One article stated: Again intense involvement was generated in many of the syndicates and participants commented on the value of a professional study in which small groups of individuals contributed to the discussion on the basis both of a variety of texts and of a variety of personal experiences (Collier, 1977, p. 75). The business world can use online learning for training, screening, and process improvement. The ability to make presentations/training consistent is very useful so that nothing is missed when providing important information like safety related issues. It would be ideal someday if business and education can coordinate what needs to be taught by assisting in the creation of online LMS training. Collier, K. G. (1977). Research on small-group methods in in-service work, //Professional Development in Education//, //4//:1, 74-77. doi: 10.1080/0305763770040113

Educators will experience a clear benefit from the ability to design and implement online learning when they see how much more engaged their students are. Students are accustom to using technology and studies have shown that most students do better when they can use a hands-on and/or interactive learning approach. In the article by Haury and Rillero (1994) there are numerous examples of different subjects justifications for online learning but my favorite reference from the article is the Chinese proverb;I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand. Other benefits of being able to design and implement online learning include the consistency from one class presentation to another and one year to another. The ability to evaluate how the students are progressing and the option to modify your lesson are very useful features of an LMS because you can make changes online that students will see immediately and you can send them a message at any time. One of my favorite features of the LMS is the fact that material and information from far away places and wide spread learning communities can be accessed on the Internet. No classroom alone experience can possibly integrate as much as is available when you add the far reaching abilities of the Internet! Haury, D. L. & Rillero, P. (1994) //. Perspectives of on-line science teaching. //The ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education. Retrieved from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/content/cntareas/science/eric/eric-2.htm
 * // What benefits do you see in educators knowing how to design and implement online learning? //

The course I designed for Schoology will be used to create a live LMS experience for teachers. I became CPE certified in Texas this year and will be modifying the course to offer for educators online. Internet safety is an important issue, and from the research I’ve done there are definitely not enough teachers discussing the topic in their classroom. This presentation will allow educators to learn at their own pace when they have the time. The survey from the first week of preparation clearly showed that teachers limit the training times they have available or are willing to make available for workshops. The preparation of this course also gave me the opportunity to try out another LMS system. I have previously used Moodle and Keystoschool. I feel that I now have a better understanding of what options are available in most LMS and may make a better decision about what company I choose to use for future courses. Staff and Wire Reports. (February 26, 2010). // Study: Too few schools are teaching cyber safety. //eSchool News. Retrieved from http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/02/26/study-too-few-schools-are-teaching-cyber-safety/
 * // How will you professionally use your course that you designed? //

As a staff developer, I intend to integrate the online learning on a more regular basis. I had already begun using online tools but as always, the ability to actually work with a tool first, has made the process easier and more appealing. Not often enough do educators have the chance to spend the time needed to learn about a new tool or topic. Options for the online learning are for the students, teachers, staff and the community. I see the ability to create lessons online for community members as a very innovative method of improving the lives of our students and their families. If we, as educators, are already teaching our students life skills topics, why can’t their families benefit from things like homework help and software tutorials? The possibilities of learning experiences for all are endless if we will stop thinking inside the school and broaden our horizons to include the world that the Internet has made available to us. Northwest Educational Technology Consortium (NETC ).(2005)//. Online essentials.// K-12 Online Instruction for teaching and learning. Retrieved from http://www.netc.org/digitalbridges/online/essentials/
 * // Will you integrate online learning in your role as a teacher/staff developer? //

I have two primary questions remaining about online learning. The first question is regarding what perception students and their families will have about learning online. The typical mentality regarding online learning is that it is intended for higher education. K-12 students have to have a teacher in a classroom setting, right? Online learning is not necessarily intended to replace a classroom experience. It should be used to enhance the learning. Online learning pros and cons are listed in the article sited below from K-12 Instruction for Learning. The presence of a teacher is also reiterated. Along with this concern is how do administrators feel about some teachers fully utilizing the online lessons and others choosing not to? Personally, I don’t see that many teachers creating their own LMS just yet. To initiate this in schools, there will have to be a primary person in charge of creating and assisting the teachers with their courses. Teachers will have an easier time of modifying and updating but I don’t know if most of them are ready for creating their own. The second question I have is how does all of this online learning tie in with FERPA? What can we really do or not? I haven’t been able to get a clear answer on this. Can I set up my own LMS to use in my classroom for students? Does it have to be an LMS that the school “owns”? Do other districts just ignore FERPA and go “on with the show”? I don’t know…yet.
 * // What questions do you still have about online learning? //

This summer I plan to start creating online courses for my classes next year. There have been major changes in the course descriptions and TEKS for the CATE classes that I teach. This is a good time to start fresh with my lesson plans. I can create units and incorporate the TEKS record into the online courses. Then, as my classes work through the lessons next year, I can easily make adjustments to material as I evaluate student progress. (Or, lack thereof!) Another plan I have is to create online professional development for use by educators. I will use the LMS to create presentation options for paid workshops and to use in a proposed presentation for TCEA. This will allow me to create a library of workshop options and modify them as needed by each school district. At some time in the future, I plan to be a developer for online learning management systems. It is something that I have really come to enjoy!
 * // What will you do with this new learning? //

//What is your impression of the artistry of the Lisbon Bible?// The combination of colors show a natural contrast that appeals to us still today. It appears that the same colors that represented richness then are what we typically feel does that today. The gold, navy and dark red. There is such great detail in the decoration and even in the letters. There was a lot more attention to detail and I can see why books were considered such a treasure.
 * EDLD 5366 Digital Graphics, Animation and Desktop Publishing**

//Examine the two central words on pages 25-26 with the magnifying glass. What are the similarities and differences between these two words and what does this teach you about Arabic writing?// It appears that the symbols are very similar but the placement of the curves and accents determine the letters. I'm guessing the beginning of the the first word must say "the" somehow by either the lifting of the placement or the extra vertical line due to the fact that it says "the seventh seventh". Most of the meaning difference appears to be at the beginning of the word and based on the accent marks above the "waves". The end of both words look the same. I would say that Arabic writing is very flowing and based on a combination of a limited number of symbols.

//All of the texts in the Turning the Pages website show some system of alignment. Why do you think alignment is important? How does the direction of the reading affect the alignment? Do you perceive stronger horizontal or vertical alignment?// Alignment seems to have been crucial to the interpretation of some of the words. If you think about how important pictures were when "text" originated, they had to be as close to reality as possible so people knew what they were. I would imagine that that kind of preciseness carried over into text writing. Also, based on the fact that monasteries did most of the writings, they had experienced such preciseness when creating "notes" to record their music. I may have my time line out of order but the fact that there is such a definite pattern in historical works is evident. I can't tell the direction of the reading affects the fact that there is a strong alignment pattern. The height or depth of the letters on the page or vertical position seem to be more significant to meaning. Horizontal alignment is more prominent than the vertical. Vertical alignment is more significant to show where to start reading and horizontal more to meaning.

//Lindisfarne Gospel. Page 10, how many different kinds of contrast can you find, and what are they?// There is: black text against tan; black text on white, green, gold: tan on white; red text on white; large fonts against small pattern; really large fonts verses small fonts; straight lines verses swirling patterns; "artsy" swirling large letters verses normal "boxy" letters. (Note: I am red, green color blind so my interpretation of the colors may not be right and no one else is home tonight to help me interpret them!) I guess that is about ten different contrasts.

//What did you like, not like, in this week's lessons? In the British Library site? Why?// I really liked all of the information that was provided in the readings! Gray tree trunks, the alphabets we didn't realize we know, the already antique message we sent to space, etc. I was frustrated by the quiz questions that required more than one answer because I kept thinking I missed something. I was amazed at the British site that lets you see and "turn the pages"! It provided really good information that makes books you can't even read interesting. I also found the site easy to move around and find what you need.

// I’ve told you what I think of branding opportunities at schools. Now I would like to hear what you think about the whole concept of branding yourself and your classroom. For example, what could you do or do differently? How do you think branding could serve a pedagogical purpose? // I didn't really think I had ever considered a branding concept for my classroom before until the discussion regarding the way I decorate my room. Then I started thinking about my Website and what I represent I actually do have one already! I even have a "tag" that I use on my Website, "Technology the ez way!" (My initials.) I feel that the concept of branding yourself is a representation of who you are and, whether you ever intentionally do this or not, you are already branded! The way students discuss your assignments and tests and if they consider you to be hard and expect a lot out of them is a brand. The idea totally grew on me as I read this weeks material! Branding can be the positive use of the opinions of what you expect from the students, your level of concern about them and your attitude toward education and how education never ends just because you aren't in school.

// What is your personal mission statement as a teacher? What kinds of ideas should you attempt to incorporate in a personal mission statement? How can you get from your own mission statement to a logo? // My personal mission statement has always been to treat my students like I want my children to be treated, within reason, of course. (I paddled mine!) I interact with my students like a "second mom". I think that recent years of so much negative press regarding teachers being inappropriate with students has made teachers draw back too much from personal interaction with students. Some students only receive guidance and/or positive role modeling from the teachers they see every day. We need to all be professional but not afraid to ask a student if they are okay, when you can tell something is wrong, or offer a recommendation to them if they are having problems. (Of course don't overstep the boundary into the counselors responsibilities.) Some students just really need to know someone else cares about them. All that said, you should attempt to incorporate who you are into a personal mission statement. Qualities like caring, expectations and clarity.

// Is our cultural concept of beauty really just an averaging of all the different ways a thing or person can look? What do you think? If beauty is related to proportion, then how are the proportions decided? // Personally I think that our cultural concept is based on natural phenomenon found in nature. Even though a butterfly is symmetrical, the top of the wings are larger than the bottom. I don't have one I can measure but I'm betting it meets the 1.618 rule somehow. I'm sure not everyone agrees about what is beauty but the cultural concept amounts to being the average of what everyone thinks based on what sells best. Proportion is a relative term to me based on what you are referring to and what someone's expectations are. Physical proportion expectations depend on what you are used to. A tall, thin race or a short, wide one. If you are talking about a sunset, are you used to seeing trees under it, animals, water, tall buildings? "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I don't think that vision of beauty has the same relationship with sounds or music, however. While what people see as beauty seems to be the same regardless of age, I think that beauty in music may be more related to age. But that's another topic!

// Measure the dimensions of your own face and then determine how closely your face matches up with the Golden Ratio and the Rule of Thirds. Post the results here and compare your results with those of other members of the class. Is there an average proportion of the length of chin to top of hear divided by length of chin to eyes? Are your eyes in the center of your face, or do they lie along one of the visual vectors we looked at in the Rule of Thirds? In short: apply some of these principles to your own face and see if you have any Golden Ratio or Rule of Thirds proportions. // I had to use my computer camera and a ruler so hopefully it is near accurate! Length of chin to top of ear 4 in. / length of chin to eyes 4 1/4 = .94 I had to Google some help on this to make sure I was thinking right! According to my numbers, this follows the Golden Rule. (.94 was included when I entered 4 at this Website for Golden Rule numbers www.radovleugel.com/golden-ratio-calculator . You might want to save the site for our design projects.) I also found that my eyes fall in the rule of thirds top horizontal line.

//What do we mean by the terms contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity when we are speaking of a newsletter?// Contrast should be used to make important information stand out from everything else. Repetition means that there is a flow, not just in the newsletter from page to page but also from one newsletter to the next. If you see a copy of a newsletter you read somewhere you should recognize what it is by the repetition of graphics and/or color usage. Alignment refers to how text and/or graphics are lined up or not lined up on purpose. Alignment should be there but not necessarily centered. A heading may be lined up with an image or a margin. Proximity means things like a title should be by the story or addresses and contact information should be placed together and not “scattered” about.

//What elements in addition to the basic design principles should be included in the assessment of any newsletter?// Is it of interest, is it easy to read with regards to the font and size options, does it easily identify what stories are more important, does it “lead you into” the rest of the newsletter. Other considerations are correct grammar and spelling, additional sources of information possibly, an index of where to find regular published topics and appropriate use of graphics. Personally, I value a newsletter that is simple and neat in appearance and easy to tell where stories start and stop.

//What elements in addition to the basic design principles should be included in the assessment of any newsletter?// Is it of interest, is it easy to read with regards to the font and size options, does it easily identify what stories are more important, does it “lead you into” the rest of the newsletter. Other considerations are correct grammar and spelling, additional sources of information possibly, an index of where to find regular published topics and appropriate use of graphics. Personally, I value a newsletter that is simple and neat in appearance and easy to tell where stories start and stop.

//How important are purpose and audience in the creation of a newsletter, and how would you describe evaluation criteria for these elements? How would you weight these criteria relative to the overall use of basic design principles?// Purpose and audience have a distinct impact on a newsletter! If your audience is photography enthusiasts, they will be looking for more pictures and headlines that will interest them. If, however, your audience is tech related they will want to see headlines to interest them and photos that draw attention based on their interests. I feel that the headings and “attention getters” will be first priority and then the overall design.

//Creating a newsletter can be a time-consuming task requiring some advanced knowledge of computer page layout programs or some of the more sophisticated uses for word processing software such as Microsoft Word. How do the time and skill needed for the execution of the task influence your thinking about the grading of the newsletter? How would you evaluate these criteria? Why would you choose to evaluate these criteria in this way?// Because of the availability of templates, if needed, I feel that time and skill should be less of an issue when grading. Newsletters are time consuming no matter what and I believe that the end product will show the skill and time that was spent. Some people will be faster than others based on experience or just be more of a natural but the end product is what counts.

//Explore the weeks readings using the final word protocol.// This weeks article //Visual Acuity: From Consumers to Critics and Creators// contained the comment "One of the radical ideas behind media education is to make school more student centered," as stated by Robert Kubey, director of Rutgers University's Center for Media Studies. This statement struck me as so obvious it was almost humorous! The actual process of using media in education is such a wonderful advancement in our world today. Students love being involved in learning and any subject, given a little creativity, can become more interesting with media. It has been my experience that my students light up when we start using video and additional media methods. Even when I have assigned other subject area videos and the student didn't like the subject, they have enjoyed the task. And, better yet, they actually learned something about the content! A second aspect of the media usage, as I somewhat referred to above, is the teacher revitalization possibilities and new interest from incorporating media. While it may be somewhat intimidating at first, if we are true teachers we can't help but enjoy learning something new ourselves especially when it is useful for students! Ellis, K. (2005). Visual acuity: From consumers to critics and creators. //Edutopia//. Retreived May 31, 2009, from http://www.edutopia.org/print/1321
 * EDLD 5363 Video Technology and Multimedia**

//Explore the weeks readings using the final word protocol.// The ideas presented in Garrisons article are very helpful. I personally like the paragraph, "Have students provide a project proposal before doing any of these assignments. The proposal should include who is doing the work, what the jobs will be, a one to two page description of what the program will actually be, who the audience will be, and why this project should be done. You may also ask them to write guidelines by which their project can be evaluated. You can tell them that these guidelines will be the actual rubric by which their grade is determined." I often require my video class students to do this and I feel that it helps assign accountability. I hate it when you can tell only part of the students did most of the work! Garrison, A. (1999, Winter). Video basics and production projects for the classroom. //Center for Media Literacy//. Retrieved June 11, 2009, from http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article3.html //Explore the weeks readings using the final word protocol.// I love the lesson plan from Adobe on PSA's! Another one of those very helpful, I don't have to reinvent the wheel, lessons! I especially like the statements, "Public service announcements (PSA) bring public awareness to particular issues. They are short, concise videos that make a point quickly and clearly." It not only helps me focus on our project but will help to clarify the real goal for my video class students. Adobe. (n.d.) Project 4: Public service announcement. Retrieved on June 11, 2009, from http://www.adobe.com/education/instruction/teach/digitalvideo/dvcg_cs4_project4_a4.pdf

//Explore the weeks readings using the final word protocol.//"Sound editors clean up dialogue tracks, cut layers of special effects, place sounds at certain times, create ambiance tracks by cutting out unwanted stuff and mixing in interesting or necessary sounds. Music production engineers may cut pieces of vocals away or shift them to a another spot in a song. Editing is about cutting, placing, fading, cross-fading, shifting, duplicating and adjusting the volume (also referred to as level) of audio material. Mixing is a form of editing too of course." Even though I thought I was very familiar with Audacity and sound editing, I found useful information for my classroom in most all of this weeks reading! The section I selected above helps to identify what exactly is done at the editing stage. It seems like students want to "throw" everything at the editing person without identifying what their plan is. I hope that my students will have a better understanding of how everyone has to work together for each role in video. (I know this is helping me!) Audacity. (n.d.). //Introduction - Editing for beginners - Parts 1 - 4. 1//(2). Retrieved June 23, 2009, from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/manual-1.2/tutorial_ed_beginner1.html

//Explore the weeks readings using the final word protocol.//While I don't have access to Adobe Premiere Elements 7, I found the troubleshooting section to be rather universally helpful. It identifies several common issues that we have in the classroom and possible corrections.
 * Troubleshooting****Resources and guidelines****Capturing** DV camcorder goes into sleep mode Video looks grainy, pixelated, or jumpy in the Capture panel Camcorder isn’t identified in the Capture panel**Importing** Imported image looks cropped, stretched, or squeezed Unable to import a file Unable to import content from a DVD Identify the contents of VOB files**Playing back and previewing** Playback of preview is jerky or slow MPEG file plays back poorly, out of sync, too quickly, or without audio Still images flicker during playback Horizontal lines blur a video image**Creating a DVD** Burning takes longer than expected Disc isn’t recognized by the burner DVD plays on a computer but not on a TV Can’t place more than one movie on a DVD Encoding error occurs when burning to DVDAdobe. (n.d.). Adobe Premiere Elements 7: Using Resources. Retrieved June 23, 2009, from http://help.adobe.com/en_US/PreviereElements/7.0/WSA826BC5C-2FA7-4a1a-92F4-8B5538783B39.html

//Based on your readings and the lecture, what do you see as the most pressing legal and ethical issues for Web sites in K-12 schools today?// The most pressing legal and ethical issues I see for Web sites in K-12 schools today is maintaining useful sites that allow students to utilize the exhaustive amount of resources available to them (When no one is watching them - at home.) and still protect them from as many bad situations as possible. Convincing those who make decisions and determine how much access students are allowed that the best way to protect our students is to teach them the correct usage and consequences for inappropriate use of the Internet, will not be an easy task. But if we never get past this issue, we will never be able to catch up to and provide anything additional toward our students education.
 * EDLD 5365 Web Design**

//I had a difficult time choosing for this week! I finally decided on number two. What are the most important practices for information architecture that you have learned about this week?// While I knew it was good to "pretend" to be someone visiting the site when you are planning, I really never thought about the different aspects. I.e., beginner Web person, someone who knows what they want and where to find it, and the range of different people surfing for different reasons. Findability is always the goal but getting there isn't always easy! I also was annoyed, previously, when there were so many ways to navigate around on a site because I felt that there should be ONE way to get around so it wasn't confusing. Now it makes more sense to have several ways. Different people may feel comfortable looking around in different ways. I also learned a lot about the Friendly URIs, URLs and filenames. I have tried to "hack" a site to find the page I was looking for. It was interesting to think about purposefully removing extensions to help people "hack"!



//What is the relevance of the Open Source Movement in K-12?//I feel that the Open Source Movement in K-12 will radically change the options that are given students in public education because there is no budget approval needed. I have used open source software for a number of years in education and I have seen my students change from “tell me what to do and how to do it” to students who are no longer afraid to take chances and try new things. When given the chance to select software they are interested in, the students are free to “play” and create and try new things. They aren't ever afraid of being told they're doing something wrong when they play games and, given the support and approval that there is no wrong answer, they become investigators. I have learned more things from our “software playtime” than any tutorials and help menus I've used!

Kaiser (2006) refers to tools such as the W3C Web site validation tool, text editors, Flash player, PHP language and JavaScript all of which have benefited the initiation of the Open Source movement.



//Do you currently use podcasting as communication platforms in your school? If not, why not? If you do, what has your experience been?//I feel that this question is interesting because I have yes and no answers to it! We currently have limited podcast use for communication at our school. It's pretty much me! Once again, at my previous school, we were doing podcasts in my classes and helping other subjects to create podcasts but when I changed school I found that they are in the process of trying to begin these new technologies. Students who used podcasts were more likely to be "over" achievers. (I don't really agree with that term. I like leaving my expectations open.) Students add new ideas and tend to create products that compare to what they have seen because that is their expectation and, if they have been on the Internet, they can see some very good products. The reason we are not using podcasts now is due to the computers, security and it's new to the district. I can't really say it is the districts fault but while the trends and recommendations all talk about using technology and keeping up with other countries, we (education) keep running into road blocks like the COPPA law and lawsuit fears. Overall, my experience with podcasts were very positive! Students created quality products, quiet students came out of their shells and found that they had abilities they didn't know about. Teachers gained a better understanding and comfort levels with technology and found new enjoyment in their work! //What mechanisms exist for influencing your district to adopt a more savvy approach to the use of Web 2.0 tools?//This question is near and dear right now! I've been working on this all year in preparation for our new computers and overall mentality change I see coming for next year. I am optimistic that I will be able to use the resources from our classes and previous experience to encourage letting go of some of the over protective status our district has right now. Just the fact that Web 2.0: New tools, new schools is labeled by ISTE should help to support the use of Web 2.0 tools. And several references to uses for the classroom and other examples of progress are available to help influence change by my district. Chapter three offers some very good examples of different subject related tools such as blogs, podcasts, video use and open source software. Appendix B also offers a listing of subject related resources that can be used to introduce teachers and administrators to what possibilities exist with Web 2.0 tools. I feel that one of the best ways to influence change is to demonstrate it. By encouraging students to create Web 2.0 products and making them available to others in the district, we help to influence, encourage and create change because of "peer pressure". As educators learn more about the tools and become more comfortable, they will be more apt to try the tools out and/or encourage their use.