Professional Learning Network Plans

I started to build my professional learning network just recently. The concept map shows my current PLN. I have been mostly working on the green parts. I included purple buttons which represent the parts of my PLN that I need to work on more in the near future.

The most powerful in my PLN is Twitter. I only joined Twitter a few months ago and I already have found many helpful contacts. I like to spend time “tweeting” and learning from others. I also connected Twitter with EdTech Boise State by creating an online newspaper which includes tweets from EdTech students and faculty. The paper can be accessed at  http://paper.li/MichaelaEdTech/edtechbsu. Currently, there are 21 contributors to the newspaper and it is really convenient to get the news daily in a nice looking page. This way I do not miss any tweets from my classmates and faculty at EdTech.

The EdTech community became an important part of my PLN. I learned so much not only from the classes I took, but also from my classmates, professors, and the whole EdTech community. I also joined the GSA and I hope to get more involved in the near future.

I also enjoy LinkedIn. The network is really strong and offer many opportunities for everyone. I did not list any groups because I follow a lot of them. LinkedIn is a great tool for finding experts, contacts, and advice.

I have been using Google Bookmarks, but I just learned about sharing them. It is an area which I would like to dig in more. I think that social bookmarking is very helpful for finding information around the Internet. I am looking forward to discover the power of Delicious, Diigo, and StumbleUpon.

I started writing the Learning Log for my EdTech501 class. I would like to continue writing and also create my personal blog about educational technology. I just have not decided on the exact content yet. I have many ideas, so I hope to start the blog within the next few weeks. I also would like to create a podcast.

The two communities, Classroom 2.0 and The Educator’s PLN, are a great source for any teacher or anyone interested in EdTech. I recently joined both groups and I am still exploring my way around.

I think that I have a good start on building my PLN. I would like my PLN to grow and I am looking forward to look for new ways to accomplish that.

Integration of Technology in Today’s Classrooms – Necessity or Luxury?

The following link will take you to my research synthesis paper about the use of technology in education. The paper describes why it is important to use technology in the classroom and how it helps students to succeed in the real world.

Research Paper

Annotated Bibliography

Baek, Y., Jung, J., & Kim, B. (2008). What makes teachers use technology in the classroom? Exploring the factors affecting facilitation of technology with a Korean sample. Computers & Education, 50(1), 224-234. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2006.05.002

The authors of this study, Baek, Jung, and Kim, researched to find out why teachers decide to use technology in the classroom. They discovered six factors that influence teachers’ decision: adapting to external requests and others’ expectations, deriving attention, using the basic functions of technology, relieving physical fatigue, class preparation and management, and using the enhanced functions of technology. They also analyzed the patterns based on teacher’s experience. The conclusion showed that experienced teachers use technology more involuntarily than new teachers who tend to use technology in the classroom on their own will.

The findings can be included in the research of the use of technology in the classroom since it relates to the topic. Actually, the authors offer an answer to what makes teachers use technology in the classroom.

Bitner, N., & Bitner, J. Integrating technology into the classroom: Eight keys to success. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1), 95-100. Retrieved from http://editlib.org/p/9304

The article describes important areas of consideration that are important to allow teachers to use technology in the classroom. The areas include fear of change, training in basics, personal use, teaching models, learning based, climate, motivation, and support. The authors offer suggestions how to overcome the situations. The authors conclude the article by appealing on leaders that not only assistance with the process of integrating technology into the classroom for the teachers is needed, but also tolerance with this difficult task.

The article defends the use of technology in the classroom by advising how to deal with several obstacles teachers might have when including technology in the curriculum for the first time.

Munoz, C., & Towner, T. Opening Facebook: How to use Facebook in the college classroom. Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2009, 2009(1), 2623-2627. Retrieved from http://editlib.org/p/31031

This research was done to show the advantages of using social media in the classroom. The authors especially focused on Facebook and its implementation in the classroom while following the ethic and best practice rules. The article suggests teachers to create a professional Facebook presence.

This research helps teachers to understand the advantages of using social media in the classroom. The findings provided are significant arguments to use this innovative  technology in the classroom.

Ostashewski, N., & Reid, D. iPod, iPhone, and now iPad: The evolution of multimedia access in a mobile teaching context. World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2010, 2010(1), 2862-2864. Retrieved from http://editlib.org/p/35046

The authors of this article try to solve the problem of using multimedia database in the classroom by offering the iPad as a solution. The study describes advantages of using the iPad as a teaching tool especially when presenting multimedia to students. The authors also included an overview of the process for creating a multimedia database.

For the purpose of the research about the use of technology in the classroom, this article offer the possibilities of using the iPad in the classroom. It defends the use of innovative technology in the classroom.

Williams, J. B., & Jacobs, J. S. (2004). Exploring the use of blogs as learning spaces in the higher education sector. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 20(2), 232-247. Retrieved from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/13066/

The authors explore the potential of blogs as learning spaces in higher education. The article recommends literature on the subject and explore different ways for use of blogs in the classroom at the university level. The conclusion refers to blogs as a potential transformational technology in the classroom.

Blogs are one of the most useful technology tools in many classes today. The research defends the advantages of using weblogs in the example from the Harvard University.

Technology Trends

After reading the Horizon Report, I have decided to research Mobile Computing.  I have heard a lot about mLearning already, but I have never had a chance to dive into the topic.  According to the Horizon Report, students who own mobile devices are likely to spend more time studying than those who do not own them (p. 12).  This information was really important for me since before reading the report I was really sceptic about using mobile phones for learning.  Now I believe that it might be a great tool for education.  As I was researching mobile computing, I found that podcasting, reading, and using mobile applications can be all used in the classroom.

Podcasts are really popular today.  I searched the iTunes app store and there are many podcasts already available.  If the teacher is really creative, he can easily produce his own podcasts.  Moreover, many universities offer podcasts for open public.  This way it is easy to share with students all over the world.  Podcasts can be listened on the way after downloading to your mobile device.  Actually, the EdTech department at Boise State University also produces a podcast called “Cool Teachers”.

Mobile computing may be also used for reading.  Today, many assignments are posted online so students can access them on the go.  In addition, students can access many public eBooks.  Textbooks are already being published as eBooks as well.  As stated in the Horizon Report, when students have a few minutes, they can read while waiting at the doctor’s office, or in the subway.  In today’s busy world, this is a great feature, which brings flexibility to students.

Mobile applications are probably the best tool, which can bring tremendous positives to the classroom.  A teacher does not have to be a geek to create and use these applications.  There are many applications already uploaded.  Many of them can be customized.  I found a great application called gFlash+.  The application can be used as a pack of flashcards, or a self-quiz tool.  It is very easy to customize it by downloading the data from Google Docs.  Any teacher can use this tool to give students a fun way to learn and quiz themselves on the go.  The following video shows how the application can be used.

I am sure that mobile computing has its space in education.  It offers a lot and still will be growing in the near future.  I would recommend every teacher to try to bring this technology to the classroom since it will definitely have a positive acceptance.

To read more about mobile computing, visit the following links.

mLearning in Education

How eLearning goes mobile

mLearning Tools

Reference

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., & Stone, S. (2010). The 2010 Horizon Report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Elements of Educational Technology

Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources (Januszewski & Molenda, 2008, p. 1).

I remember my professor saying that Harvard is not different from any other university because all the students have access to the same resources.  It might not be totally true, since the professors teaching at Harvard probably do not teach at a small university in Washington DC.  But it makes me think about the possibilities students and teachers have today.  With so many resources around, education becomes more accessible to more people around the world.  According to the article, educational resources include “people, tools, technologies, and materials designed to help learners” (Januszewski & Molenda, 2008, p. 12).  All of these are important parts of the educational technology definition.

Internet is one huge resource which can be used in education in many ways.  However, it is important not only for students, but also for teachers to use Internet wisely.  It happened to me while helping as a teacher’s assistant in Microsoft Office class that the students were eager to use Internet.  Unfortunately, they were too eager and browsed sites during the lectures.  Later on, they had no idea what the teacher was talking about.  Internet can be a big help for students, but it can also be a distraction.  On the other hand, many schools have strict rules on which sites can be accessed.  This might become a problem if a teacher posts a tutorial on YouTube and students are not able to preview it.  Internet resources should be accessible to students, but sometimes it is not that case.

One kind of resource recently caught my eye — the WebQuest.  I have never heard the word before I started the EdTech program.  I had to do a quick research to learn a little bit more about the resource and I immediately found out that it might be a great resource for students.  I like the interactivity in WebQuest.  Students are not only reading the information, they are required to follow the links, look for the sources, solve problems, and think critically (http://webquest.org/).  From my own experience, it is the most helpful way to learn.  I follow the motto “If you tell me, I will listen. If you show me, I will see. If you let me experience, I will learn.”

Resources outside the school are also powerful in student’s life.  Field trips to the real world have always a lot to offer.  While I was a president of a computer club at the undergraduate college I went too, I scheduled a few field trips for the students.  It was a great experience to see how the World Bank’s IT department works.  But students’ favorite field trip was to see the “supercomputer” at Bowie State University.  I have to say that I have never seen such monster before.  I think it was much more interesting to see the supercomputer in real life than just read about it and see it in the textbook.

As one can see, there are so many resources in education today, that it is sometimes hard to choose the right one for students.  It is important to keep in mind that every students is different and learn differently.  Therefore, several kinds of resources should be used to keep all the students engaged.  Fortunately, teachers have a lot to choose from.

Reference:
Januszewski, A. , & Molenda, M. (2008). Educational technology: A definition and commentary [Rev. ed. 2]. (Adobe Digital Editions version).

The First Impression

Finally!  My first semester at Boise State University just started and I am all excited and ready to learn!  I could not wait to enter my two courses: 501 Introduction to Educational Technology, and 502 Internet for Educators.  Both of the classes sound interesting.

I was surprised that my classmates are located all over the world!  I expected that I will meet people who live in different parts of the United States, but I did not expect students from Japan, Qatar, Australia, nor China.  Also, they all have such different backgrounds and a lot of experience in various areas.  The classes are definitely diverse.  I look forward to learn from all of my classmates.

I already started with the reading.  The books I read are listed below.  I really enjoy reading the book about HTML.  It is excited how one can be creative with an easy code.  I can’t wait to try the CSS and play around with the Dreamweaver.

The Non-Designer's Web Book

HTML, XHTML & CSS

Dreamweaver CS5 The Missing Manual