Where to begin…the last eight weeks has been quite a journey. I have moved from someone who could only search Google, check email and make power points to a savvy techno instructor making her own blogs, wikis, you tube videos, podcasts, photo sharing and using jing. It is mind-boggling and at times almost overwhelming. This technology is amazing in itself as far as how fast and easy it is to use once you learn it. Even more, this was my first on-line course, and I can say I really did learn a lot even though my instructor was not in the room. That was an important concept for me to understand.
I can now see how to incorporate this web technology into my on-line and face to face courses. I will have a wiki for students to add research information to in my Complementary and Alternative Health Therapies course. I can clarify and answer questions using podcasts and jing. I will definitely be designing and producing more of my own you tube videos for my online nutrition course. I am excited to continue using this information and sharing it with my students and fellow colleagues. I plan to teach for twenty more years, and will continue my life long learning of technology. It is embedded in the future of education. Now, I am ready to begin.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Newer Teaching Philosophy
I teach the way I learn. Actively. I am a hands-on learner. I can memorize information for a test, but I have not assimilated that into real learning. I need my body and hands involved to access my brain. I believe the more a student utilizes all the senses, the more she will incorporate into her being. I found the book Promoting Active Learning: Strategies for the College Classroom by Meyers and Jones during my Masters in Adult Education. I really related to this book. A great quote from it is “… students learn not by just absorbing content (taking copious notes and studying for exams), but by critically analyzing, discussing, and using content in meaningful ways.” I agree. Adults want to share their experiences. My goal is to engage students using group discussions, projects, research papers, games, and role play.
After taking my first online course, I am thrilled to learn that I can be an online learner. I was concerned that it would not provide enough interaction, but I was happily mistaken. The discussion board provided an outlet to express opinions, questions, and comments from both students and faculty. This format invited information in a new way for me, through the computer and the web. I feel confident that if I can teach an online course as my instructors did, then my students will be involved and learning.
My online course was about using technology in education. I am wowed by the amount of media available and appropriate to use in the classroom. I have learned how blogs and wikis can hold information for students to add to and comment on. Embedding photos, videos and audio clips keep the class interesting and active. Also applying jing and podcasts can help clarify questions that arise. I am impressed with the vast knowledge that I incorporated into my teaching. Technology is part of my new teaching philosophy as it is part of our current student’s world.
After taking my first online course, I am thrilled to learn that I can be an online learner. I was concerned that it would not provide enough interaction, but I was happily mistaken. The discussion board provided an outlet to express opinions, questions, and comments from both students and faculty. This format invited information in a new way for me, through the computer and the web. I feel confident that if I can teach an online course as my instructors did, then my students will be involved and learning.
My online course was about using technology in education. I am wowed by the amount of media available and appropriate to use in the classroom. I have learned how blogs and wikis can hold information for students to add to and comment on. Embedding photos, videos and audio clips keep the class interesting and active. Also applying jing and podcasts can help clarify questions that arise. I am impressed with the vast knowledge that I incorporated into my teaching. Technology is part of my new teaching philosophy as it is part of our current student’s world.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Great Sites
Blogs
Jane Knight
This is a daily posting about e-learning. It has great postings, currently on Google Buzz, and how to use sketch pad. She also has a list of instructional videos.
Cool Cat Teacher
This has postings, and a substantial list of other educational blogs. Also a fun slideshow of the book "Brain Rules for Presenters" which seems like a fantastic book for us teachers. Watch the slideshow.
Teachers Teaching Teachers
A weekly webcast that has many postings and podcasts to watch. Currently discussing the book "Copyright Clarity" about the web
Wikis
Computer Kiddos
This is a wonderful site for teaching elementary students. It has video, cartoons, games and great links. At the bottom of the page click on Interactive lessons and you get a whole a-z list of information for any topic. They have done all the research for you. I think this would be super for kids.
Anatomy or Physiology
Great cool sites for high school or college students to learn anatomy and physiology. They have an entire book split into unit sections. Click on the heart or blood pressure and watch the heart pump.
Health News
Over 50 articles on all topics of health.
Websites
Faculty Focus
Wonderful reports and articles for higher education.
NCCAM
The government national center for complementary and alternative medicine. There is an a-z list to look up topics, or click the Research tab to find the latest research articles.
Berkeley Health Newsletter
University of Berkeley newsletter on health and medicine. Tons of interesting articles.
Dr Weil
Dr. Andrew Weil, from the University of Arizona, talks about healthy ways to live and grow old using more natural products and lifestyle changes. Specializes in diet, herbs and vitamins.
Jane Knight
This is a daily posting about e-learning. It has great postings, currently on Google Buzz, and how to use sketch pad. She also has a list of instructional videos.
Cool Cat Teacher
This has postings, and a substantial list of other educational blogs. Also a fun slideshow of the book "Brain Rules for Presenters" which seems like a fantastic book for us teachers. Watch the slideshow.
Teachers Teaching Teachers
A weekly webcast that has many postings and podcasts to watch. Currently discussing the book "Copyright Clarity" about the web
Wikis
Computer Kiddos
This is a wonderful site for teaching elementary students. It has video, cartoons, games and great links. At the bottom of the page click on Interactive lessons and you get a whole a-z list of information for any topic. They have done all the research for you. I think this would be super for kids.
Anatomy or Physiology
Great cool sites for high school or college students to learn anatomy and physiology. They have an entire book split into unit sections. Click on the heart or blood pressure and watch the heart pump.
Health News
Over 50 articles on all topics of health.
Websites
Faculty Focus
Wonderful reports and articles for higher education.
NCCAM
The government national center for complementary and alternative medicine. There is an a-z list to look up topics, or click the Research tab to find the latest research articles.
Berkeley Health Newsletter
University of Berkeley newsletter on health and medicine. Tons of interesting articles.
Dr Weil
Dr. Andrew Weil, from the University of Arizona, talks about healthy ways to live and grow old using more natural products and lifestyle changes. Specializes in diet, herbs and vitamins.
Technology Terminology
What I have learned so far:
Blog – web log, journal where other people can post a comment on your blog post
Wiki – information on a topic, supplied by many people, anyone can add or delete information
Ning – a website where people can create their own social networking
Youtube – make and store videos
Teachertube – make and store audio recordings
Audacity – used to make audio recordings
Podcast – audio recordings sent to ipod, blog, wiki, 1-40 minutes long
Jing – record talking and sending images from your screen to power point, blog, wiki (sun)
Flickr – download your photos, make sets and share
Social networking – myspace, twitter, facebook
Tegrity – audio and video recordings (can be used for ITV classes)
http – link code
url – web address
Blog – web log, journal where other people can post a comment on your blog post
Wiki – information on a topic, supplied by many people, anyone can add or delete information
Ning – a website where people can create their own social networking
Youtube – make and store videos
Teachertube – make and store audio recordings
Audacity – used to make audio recordings
Podcast – audio recordings sent to ipod, blog, wiki, 1-40 minutes long
Jing – record talking and sending images from your screen to power point, blog, wiki (sun)
Flickr – download your photos, make sets and share
Social networking – myspace, twitter, facebook
Tegrity – audio and video recordings (can be used for ITV classes)
http – link code
url – web address
Monday, March 29, 2010
Integrating Technology into Your Instruction
As I am designing my new course on Alternative Health Therapies, I have chosen to include a class wiki to enhance the curriculum. The wiki will have a page for each topic we cover in class. It will include text, photos and youtube videos about the subject. Students can look at the wiki to get a better understanding of the topics. For their research paper, students will be required to post the links to the research articles or journals they use under the correct page on the wiki. Over time I hope this develops into a resource of research that each class can add to as new information is found.
Even though I am new to wikis, I found them easy to use. The linear format makes sense to my brain. The list on the side is like a website and each one links to another page. Once on the page, anyone with a google account can edit the information. They can add, delete, update or change the information to make it the most accurate. The students can easily add their research links by clicking the edit button and then the save button when they are finished. As the instructor, I can click manage and see the names of who has edited the page and when. If each page is clearly marked for a topic, it will only take ten minutes for most students to read and even less time to apply their link. It will take the instructor about twenty minutes to teach the class how to use it and then a few minutes each day to make sure no one has written anything inappropriate on the wiki. I think it will be a useful tool which can continue each semester.
The benefits of a wiki are that the information stays available after the semester ends. Students who use BlackBoard cannot retrieve the resources after the end of class. It is also there if students want to look back and review current information years after taking the class. I believe a wiki will be an addition to my face-to-face lectures, utilizing quick resources and videos. I will not have to look for them each semester or transfer them to BlackBoard. The challenges of a wiki are making sure the site is used properly and has correct information. Also the instructor has to take the time to teach the students how to use and edit it.
My hope is that students learn to understand the workings of a wiki and feel empowered that what they research can now be easily found on the web. Wikis can be used for educational networking, which is different than social networking. Many of our students already participate in writing on the web. My goal for my students would be to open up a new opportunity to evaluate information found on the internet. I feel students can expand their knowledge by learning more about a tool they already use. This experience can lead to life long learning success.
The class wiki I have started can be found at www.alternativehealththerapies.wikispaces.com
Even though I am new to wikis, I found them easy to use. The linear format makes sense to my brain. The list on the side is like a website and each one links to another page. Once on the page, anyone with a google account can edit the information. They can add, delete, update or change the information to make it the most accurate. The students can easily add their research links by clicking the edit button and then the save button when they are finished. As the instructor, I can click manage and see the names of who has edited the page and when. If each page is clearly marked for a topic, it will only take ten minutes for most students to read and even less time to apply their link. It will take the instructor about twenty minutes to teach the class how to use it and then a few minutes each day to make sure no one has written anything inappropriate on the wiki. I think it will be a useful tool which can continue each semester.
The benefits of a wiki are that the information stays available after the semester ends. Students who use BlackBoard cannot retrieve the resources after the end of class. It is also there if students want to look back and review current information years after taking the class. I believe a wiki will be an addition to my face-to-face lectures, utilizing quick resources and videos. I will not have to look for them each semester or transfer them to BlackBoard. The challenges of a wiki are making sure the site is used properly and has correct information. Also the instructor has to take the time to teach the students how to use and edit it.
My hope is that students learn to understand the workings of a wiki and feel empowered that what they research can now be easily found on the web. Wikis can be used for educational networking, which is different than social networking. Many of our students already participate in writing on the web. My goal for my students would be to open up a new opportunity to evaluate information found on the internet. I feel students can expand their knowledge by learning more about a tool they already use. This experience can lead to life long learning success.
The class wiki I have started can be found at www.alternativehealththerapies.wikispaces.com
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