Week 5 Reflection(Tech. Project)

As an exploration, more likely a validation, I used November’s MAPping information system to critically assess the DHMO.org site and its validity as an information resource.

Looking at this site’s URL, I only recognized the site’s extension as identifying it as an organization.  Honestly, I usually trust sites that have this marker, but after discovering that it means “any organization” I find myself doubting many of the sources I’ve cited in the past.  That aside, I tested the site’s credibility by reviewing its embedded links and external links which I found using AltaVista and a link command.  Amongst its embedded links were reputable sites belonging to the CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention), the Sierra Club, the National Cancer Institute, and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).  The links found through AltaVista showed a less convincing picture.  Although there were links from known organizations such as the Public Broadcasting Station, many were links to little known sites or discussion boards.  Many of these included key words such as “spam” or “corrupted scientific findings”.  This does much to destroy any credibility that it might have gained from its embedded links.

Following the exploration of the site’s links, I searched for its main idea through various search engines.  From using Excite, I found that it appears to rely on other search engines’ page indexes for their search results.  Every find was accompanied by which search engine it could be found on.  The results were also listed starting with those which had been sponsored or paid to be listed first.  These included retail sites mostly.  When making the same search on Google, I did not encounter the same sponsored sites.  Instead sites appeared to be listed based on the number of times these particular words had been indexed.  This made for a more unbiased search, but not necessarily unbiased results.  Lastly, I conducted the same search on Yahoo and found a happy medium between my previous searches.  Yahoo did have ads but instead of listing them so that the user had to scroll through them first, the ads were listed alongside the unsponsored keyword based search results.  Those results were eclectic and included every type of extension which led me to make a link-command search of some of its results.  This appears to have some control over placement.  From these different search results, and background information, I can determine that those engines that are independently run offer more unsponsored results that are listed based on relativity and accuracy.  They tend to use keyword searching and link analysis to pick the best results for you to choose from.  This only limits the needed cross-checking of the results for reliability and sadly, doesn’t eliminate them.

Using the Easywhois index, I found that DHMO.org was created by a single person in 1999.  This is 2 years later than its web published creation date.  The bottom of the page has its creation set in 1997.  All in all, an organization created by a single person begs the reconsideration of its validity.  The register address of the publisher is also false.  When searched for, the address is located in Colonia, New Jersey rather than the reported Newark.  Again, this is not nearly as dependable as I would like.

The purpose of this site was to introduce objective information subjectively.  Everything that this site shows is in fact true but spun in such a way that a false, opinionated, and connotatively hilarious meaning takes form.  This brings the site into a more entertainment-based category.  The information of this site has changed very little, but continues to include other links to information that helps to build up this issue into a possibly real problem for those who do not fully explore its background.

This whole experience has really shaken my ability to trust sources of information.  I feel a need to question almost everything that I used to take at face value.  To summarize my response to this activity, I need to check my sources’ sources’ sources.  These tools that I’ve encountered through this journey behind the webpage will to establish what is valid, real, unbiased, and accurate enough to form solid and well established opinions and viewpoints of my own.  I’ve seen beyond that veil of virtual innocence and I do not like that I now have to assume that it simply covers another one.

Week 4 Reflection

What generational category do you fall in or are you a mixture of a few?

To answer this question, I had to ask and answer particular questions about how I see and use technology in my normal day.  Between writing on a computer and on paper, I find that writing on the computer is more expedient and accurate, but is distancing emotionally.  It is however my first choice.  I have become dependent on my electronic devices to remember most of what I used to memorize on a daily basis such as phone numbers. I do still prefer to go to meetings without a computer because I enjoy the face to face time that it offers.  I enjoy my time away from the world which is probably why I have never bothered getting a smart phone.  I do still carry my phone as a safety measure rather than to be connected.  Due to my life style being highly dependent on the digital world, while teaching at the same time, it has become necessary to be able to process and maintain multiple activities at once.  I tend to work on the computer, Sudoku, and watch Netflix simultaneously almost every day.  I feel restricted and held back when I try to do only a single thing at a time.  Games of any kind are a large part of my life.  I use them as a means to connect with my friends and make new ones.  They relieve stress and offer a good distraction from the daily grind.  Taking all of this into account, I’d have to say that I am securely imbedded in the Next-Gen category of student.  I am as Omni-everything as I can currently get.

Taking those characteristics that make up the Next-Gen category of students, it is imperative to start depending on technological alternatives as the primary means to educate these students through.  Information overload is the new norm and a singularly focused student is becoming extinct.  Instruction should revolve around the needed interactions that these students need, as well as the different modes of input and contributions that they obviously more familiar with.  Almost every technology project that we’ve completed is almost perfectly aimed at this type of student.  We need to step back and guide rather than teach.  Point rather than lead.  Ask questions rather than answer.  It’s time we teach the rules and let them play the game.  They’re good at those.

 

Week 3 Reflection

Of the ten principles discussed in Barret’s article concerning assessments for learning, I found myself involuntarily relating to the idea that “AFL” should recognize all types of achievements of all learners.  I believe that this stems from my own unusual experiences during my education.  Looking back, I now see that I was only ever assessed on my progress in reaching the set goals.  If I reached a passable grade then I would simply be advanced to the next set of material.  Everything was terrible concrete without and expanded or critical observations being made.  In other words, my achievements only included those that others found important.  This retrospective has helped me to see the importance of looking beyond the grading rubric and taking into account the originality of everyone in the classroom.

Concerning the potential of portfolio assessment, I feel that its beneficial nature is obvious.  At a glance, it is much like an expanded and intensive version of a blog.  It allows the teacher and student to observe the student’s progress while it occurs.  The actual building of the portfolio allows the student to explore the critical thinking processes needed to rate, change, or improve upon their direction of learning.  Then, if that benefit isn’t enough, the actual adjustment to the collection of work can be used to assess the same skills in an infinite loop of reflection.  As the article over blogging stated, it is the ability to read, write and think while reading, writing, and thinking about what you’ve read, written, and thought.  It is a sliver of control over their education and understanding that a student rarely had before.

Personally, I feel the same way concerning the creation of my own portfolio.  I feel that it will allow me to not only review the information learned, but actually help to form the needed connections between my coursework that will help me retain and explore their potential for growth.  Much like the development of my own educational philosophy helped to clearly define me as a teacher and how I would want to be able to teach, the portfolio lays out a portion of your educational career so that you can relate to and self-assess not progress, but what you define progress as. 

Week 2 Reflection

The first thing that really stood out to me while completing my concept map was the difference in the various organizations’ definition of the words “educational technology”.  It made me realize that even though a group’s goal might coincide with your own their core beliefs could be, and most likely are, different.  From this, I can see the importance of applying your own perspective towards any information you might assimilate.  I also find the research done into determining the plasticity of the human brain quite informative and affecting of the ways we can reach our students.  It gives me added hope and patience towards those students that might prematurely designate negatively or inaccurately.  I can’t even imagine the ways this could affect issues like the identification and classification of educative disorders in students.  This exercise also had me reviewing my information gathering procedures.  I need to see the value in informal sources such as blogs and wikis.  These sites, even though not as dependable, can give great insight on otherwise established concepts.  It’s the fact that those who run these sites have a different way of viewing things that gives it its value.  It really makes me wonder about the amount of information that I’ve ignored throughout my education.  I do feel confident about the information that I have used and learned, but, after being introduced to these new sources of information, I have to say that it appears to be incomplete. 

If we fail to teach our students how to use blogs, wikis, and other educational technology, we risk leaving them unequipped for the future.  It is already apparent that the traditional classroom that I grew up with no longer exists.  Today’s student is given access to a class homepage where much of the course work is available.  Interaction is not longer limited to group assignments that are to be completed in class or at home.  If we do not teach our students how to actively access this new digital classroom, then we limit their ability to participate properly and effectively.  Granted, with our students being born into this digital world and having grown up constantly interacting with it, we might not have much to teach them where technology is concerned.  We do need to help them to direct these natural digital skills towards fruitful pursuits, interactions, and how to determine which and what is true. 

Concerning the use of bookmarking tools, I can see some great advantages to using them to help organize information.  The main advantage that I found in using wikis, my tool of choice, comes from the ease of collecting sources of information and being able to link and categorize them at whim.  I do in fact do the same thing through my browser’s bookmark tool so I feel that there is a certain level of redundancy present.  Although, I do find it helpful to be able to make notations on which link is more apt to answer particular questions.  I can see how using these tools to collect information and direct my future students towards particular paths of study and interests can be beneficial.  It would help to direct my students towards sources of reputable information and away for those which base their information false accounts.  I would also grant my students access to the same knowledge and information that I am privy to when it comes to clarifying an assignment or concept.  I’m most excited to use this tool as a means to assess my students and the progress through their comments and contributions.

 

Week 1 Reflection

After having had written down my educational philosophy, I feel that self-reflection is going to be much easier.  Now, I can actually identify the different aspects, evaluate them, and make changes without upsetting the entire methodology that I have defined for myself.  Not only will it make deviations from the original philosophy easier, but it will also allow me to expand on any broad ideas and turn them into specific practical instructional outlines.  In short, it helps to streamline my thinking and planning processes concerning education and technology’s place within it.

Concerning Stephen Downes’ article, I believe the potential for blogging with the educational arena to b staggering.  It is very much a viable way to tie in a teacher’s educational goals and a student’s possible interests into a virtual format that does not diminish the poster’s benefit in relating his/her opinions and viewpoints.  Granted many causes for concern revolve around the fact that by requiring a student to blog about more teacher-minded subjects can reduce the benefits they would get out of it, but a happy medium that instills an inherent interest is still possible.  On a broad scale, we have not quite met this potential entirely.  Yes, many schools are allowing teachers to generate class website as hubs for information trading and sharing, but the more independent reign of being able to blog has taken hold.  I personally believe that this is simple due to a lack of awareness to the possible benefits of allowing the students access to a blog within the realm of the school.  It could also be dependent on educators wary of letting students have some much freedom with something that could quite possible cause negative results such as the cases of libel presented in the article.  Time will hopefully tell.

From November’s article, the section concerning the installation of live video cameras within a classroom stood out to me the most.  My reason for choosing this area lays with my own experiences this type of environment.  Currently I work as a gymnastics coach in the city of Richardson and I find that while my boss, the head coach, and the parents are actively watching I find myself constantly critiquing my own methods.  I attempt to see things from the point of view, something that is nearly impossible while safely teaching a four year old how to flip.  Now the difference between my situation and the teacher in this new classroom is the fact that parent can have an active part in the education of their child while not drawing the attention of the teacher away from their lesson.  It is very much like having an extra pair of invisible hands and support for every child during a lesson.  Looking past the constant judging of the parent and perhaps other educators, I can only see this addition helping the teacher to teach better class.

When asked to state my expectations for this class I find that I have none.  This is not because I have no interest in the course, but because I have become so complacent with my place in the world of technology that I no longer have any means to estimate what I’ll get out of this class.  This fact is terribly exciting because that translates into me being able to expect anything and everything.  If the first week is of any measure, I can only expect that this course will be involving, interesting, and informative.  What more could one ask for?

My Philosophy

As with all philosophies, they are subject to change from external and internal forces.  Creating and maintaining one with ties to two incredibly large areas like education and technology is an impressive and demanding feat.  From my own experiences and interactions I have only begun to formulate mine. 

The purpose of education is to introduce those involved to new information, concepts, and the relationships between them.  By helping a student develop a useable bank of knowledge and how to apply it, a full and complete picture of any type of subject matter can be made clearer.  Looking back, I can see that two particular teachers helped me to reach this conclusion.  My favorite and best teacher, my ninth grade geometry teacher, taught me the importance of learning the “rules of game” as he called it.  After learning these rules, or the basic concepts of geometry, I found that playing “the game” was much less difficult and that I could rely on certain facts when trying to further my understanding.  Helping to solidify this concept, but in a less attractive way, my high school physics teacher decided that “the basics” were common sense and made little effort  to establish their importance before delving into the chaotic world of physics. 

These two experiences also did much to help me identify what role teacher and student should play.  I can honestly say that my approach to teaching shows my understanding that baby steps, topic connections and relationships, real world examples and context clues are part of not only the way I want to teach, but they’re also in the way I approach everything.  I take my physics teacher’s open ended class and pulled a need to prove and test for understanding and not just assume it.  I need direction in my class.  I can’t see myself allowing much of a “discovery” method of teaching to occur.  This is because I know the feelings of being lost and confused, and I feel that being the source for those feelings would be infinitely worse.  I guess that’s why I’m always checking myself and my lessons for confusing tidbits and tangential statements. I believe a teacher needs to aim to be slow and steady, and not fast and heady.  Concerning students, I want learners to not only take away the basic knowledge from my lessons but also how that knowledge interplays within itself to form their resulting concepts.  More importantly still, I want them to take away that they are responsible for 99% of their success, and I am only teaching them how to be responsible for that last percent.  They need to be held responsible for their own improvements and understanding.

From this I find that I am a follower of realism.  I believe in the necessity of measuring understanding through assessment.  I understand the need for developing assignments based on the levels of ability present and how each individual’s ability helps to represent their role in the assignment.  I believe that this all stems from the understanding that instructional environment that arms the students with the core knowledge needed to perceive more advanced information and concepts is key.  I find that there a need for accountability in the classroom and this method clearly supports it by have the student display their knowledge through in-depth and varied assessments.  The way in which you teach to this method, lecture and guided practices, is an efficient means to move through various concepts while being able to make the needed connections between them. I choose the methods I use because they make use of my own way of thinking.  How could I teach art to someone if I myself don’t understand it?  I also find that making adjustments to my methods, for the sake of my students’ understanding, is much easier when I understand them best at their most basic parts.  I can tell and show my students how I see it if I teach them how I was taught.  I can always try different less familiar methods.

            The inclusion of technology into my classroom is made fairly easy by its saturation within the system already. I would make heavy use of the burgeoning norm to supply class internet home pages for each class.  These home pages give students access to everything concerning the class such as lesson outlines, homework assignments, and procedural examples.  I’d also be able to supply feedback and support as well as an area for students to share ideas and questions over the material.

            This philosophy is in no way concrete in its formation or its durability.  It is not only subject to change but attracts it due to its dependence on the ever changing world.  The only way for it to be plausible is for it to be pliable.