Final Blog Post

As I look back over all that I have accomplished over this course, I am really amazed. I learned so much about project-based learning as well as technology integration. I really have come to realize the educational value of a blog and also fell in love with Voice Thread. The discussions in this course were very thought provoking and have influenced some of my thoughts and future ideas about what I should be doing in my classroom. In addition, the peer reviews allowed me to see many different projects using MovieMaker, VoiceThread, Blogger, and Comic Life. The reviews opened my eyes to the different possibilities that these tools have to offer. Of course, I am very much for technology integration, but now I can see how PBL and technology integration go hand in hand. I look forward to implementing some PBL assignments in my computer elective class and also plan to use academic material for their content. As with all of my classes through the University of West Georgia so far, I have learned and gained so much from being enrolled in this program.

PBL School Wide Project Part 2

Well, we are finally winding down our PBL school wide group project. It has been quite challenging but I've been lucky to have such great group members. I think that Google Docs worked well for us, but I have to say a face to face meeting with all 5 of us at some point might've helped...or perhaps a work session one day. I know that may defeat the purpose of an online class, but I just think it might've made things more cohesive. Kristin L. was in charge of our website and it looks AMAZING! I am really impressed and proud of our final product. I am interested in seeing what other groups did because I think we all might've had a different take on what was expected. As the researcher, I definitely learned a lot more about project based learning and its benefits in the classroom. I also located many cool ways to use Voice Thread and Comic Life in the classroom. Even though I probably won't implement something like this at my school, I will use some of these things in my classroom and intend to work with the academic teachers at my school to create technology related projects. I am very excited about this! Overall, this was a good experience and it was great how everyone fell into their own role/part in our group.

PBL School Wide Project

Recently, I have been working with 4 other classmates on a project that introduces project based learning with technology integration to an elementary school. At first, we were all a little bit confused, but once the roles were decided upon we hit the ground running. Each person in our group played an important role. My role was to provide some research about PBL and examples of how Comic Life and Voice Thread can be integrated in the classroom. We all collaborated using Google Docs. I really like Google Docs, but after a while it took a long time for the document to download so that I could add something else. Overall, it has been a good experience working with my group. We are putting the finishing touches on our project now, and then we will prepare for our face-to-face presentation. I am glad that I am a part of a group that was so willing to get started and help each other as well.

Lessons Learned from the Design & Development of MovieMaker Project

Prior to this project, I had used MovieMaker a handful of times before—leading my students in very simple projects to expose them to the software and also making end of the year photo albums for some elementary teachers. This project was a little more challenging. I think one of the hardest parts was coming up with a topic and then working on a way to make the topic come alive for viewers. I went with the character education topic tolerance with an emphasis on forgiveness. It was a challenge to add sound that flowed smoothly and it was hard to choose the type of music. I didn’t want the video to seem depressing, but I also didn’t want it to be too upbeat. My hope was that people would think about someone in their life that they need to forgive. Working with MovieMaker is relatively easy, yet very tedious to apply each effect and each transition. It was also a little frustrating to time things just right. Overall it really is a useful program. I hope to do a MovieMaker assignment next semester with my students. I am thinking about letting them do the words to a song like you might see on YouTube. I am hoping they will be interested in that; however, it will be challenging to get the timings right. I am really looking forward to checking out everyone else’s projects. I already looked at one about “being different”, and it looked so professional! I was very impressed.

Google Docs

Our group is just getting started using Google Docs for our PBL project. I used Google Docs in another class but it was fairly limited use and it seems to me the Google Docs has a different feel or layout to it now. (Or perhaps I just don't remember) I see a lot of potential for using Google Docs, and as I work with my team members on this project, I am sure I will get ideas for using this in my classroom. The only problem I can see is the email issue. I am not sure if my county will let me ask all my students to sign up for a gmail account. So far, we have just done a little discussion in our group but I look forward to checking out some more of the options. I think it is cool that people can be working on the documents simultaneously.

Thoughts on Discussion 8

Discussion 8 was a neat and interesting discussion. It was great to see everyone’s ideas and creativity with a variety of subject areas and a variety of grade levels. I certainly learned that my classmates have some great ideas. Some of them have even implemented similar PBL in their own schools and classrooms. What also discovered is that we all seem to have the same concerns about implementing a PBL project for an entire grade level or school. Some of the issues and challenges we think we will face are: time limitations, willingness of other teachers to help, and logistical issues such as scheduling. In addition, there are concerns about reaching all students through the PBL activity regardless of whether they are honors students or students with special needs. I am very interested to see what plan each group comes up with for the PBL project (including my own!)

Voice Thread

Dr. Baylen's Voice Thread project was my first experience using Voice Thread. I had briefly viewed a peer's voice thread in another class a while back but didn't remember all that much about it. I did my project using adults that I work with. The cool thing about this tool is that anyone can use it from Pre-K to adults. Of course, the younger students will need a little supervision but it is so simple for a teacher to set up identities and allow his/her students to comment on a particular topic. This web 2.0 tool can be used individually or collaboratively. I actually think there are more options than what I used for my project and probably more creative uses for it as well. Voice Thread offers a nice alternative to regular presentations such as PowerPoint. It adds a new level of excitement and motivation. None of my colleagues had heard of it, so it was fun to share with them as they helped me with my project. I am looking forward to evaluating and reviewing my peers' projects so that I can get more ideas. Luckily for me, this tool is not blocked in my county (yet!). :)

Comic Life

Well, I finally got to check out Comic Life and see what it was all about. Because I don’t feel very creative I considered our Comic Life assignment to be a challenge. I don’t feel very humorous (at least on paper!). However, I learned that Comic Life doesn’t always have to be about grins and giggles. The comic strip format can tell a story or even be a “how-to.” My particular strip’s focus was to make a point about the use of technology being used to include all different subject areas. I am interested in seeing how my peers evaluate this particular project because I am feeling like perhaps my project is not up to par as compared to others. I am also interested in seeing how my peers did on their projects. I am assuming I will be jealous of their creativity and ability to add humor into a lesson, but ultimately hope to learn from their examples.

I think the most important thing I’ve taken away from this assignment is that this web 2.0 tool can be used in just about any classroom in any subject area. The possibilities seem limitless. I love how user-friendly the program is, and I think the younger kids will enjoy the sound effects that are used throughout the program when inserting and manipulating objects. There is also a lot of room for creativity as far as photo effects, backgrounds, borders, etc. I haven’t used this program with students before but I would think that it would be highly motivating and entertaining to most students. It sure beats making a poster on regular poster board! The only real downside that I see to this program is that it isn’t free. However, it is nice that you can experiment with a free 30-day trial.

I am curious to know if my classmates have successfully implemented Comic Life lessons into their curriculum before. If so, I’d love to hear about it.

PBL & Technology

What stands out so far about my findings on PBL? I haven’t done much reading or research on PBL prior to our studies in this class. I think I am just surprised at how incredibly appropriate 21st-century tools are for this type of learning. An important part of PBL is the self-analysis and reflection. This blog is a perfect example of how easily technology can be used for that part of problem based learning. It is a written record of progress made and concepts that have been comprehended. There are so many tools available that can help students analyze, evaluate, and create based on their learning objectives. The neat thing is—there is flexibility. While one student or group may choose to approach their project using Google Docs, another student or group might choose to go with Glogster. It allows for choice and personalization while still allowing the objectives to be met. In my opinion one of the best things about both PBL and 21st-century tools is that I believe students find them highly motivating—combine them and watch what occurs!

Reflecting on my Blogging Experience

So far, I’ve found our blogging assignment to be very informative and motivating. I had to create a blog for another class before, but we didn’t do much with it. Reviewing everyone’s blogs has me excited about creativity and collaboration. I see so much potential for the use of a blog with both teachers and students. I love that everyone has their own style and way of doing things. No two blogs have been alike. I think more than anything I am now viewing blogs as an excellent way to document learning and growth. It is such an easy way for students/teachers to reflect on their work, thoughts, and opinions. I was wondering how many of you have used blogs in your classroom. In my school system, we are not allowed to use them. I was trying to research some information about why students should blog but the first four sites I clicked on were blocked due to our filter. Go figure!! I did find an interesting site with 100 reasons you should use blogs. It is worth checking out. http://www.onlinedegrees.org/100-reasons-why-you-should-use-blogs/. My cousin, Tara Seale, is an English teacher in Arkansas and is a prime example of what true technology integration can look like in the classroom. She does blogs, nings, podcasts, videos—you name it, she’s probably tried it! I am completely jealous of the freedom her school system gives her to be creative and incorporate technology. I’d love it if you checked out one of her blogs: enhancedenglishteachertseale.edublogs.org.

Reflecting on Some Barriers for Technology Integration

As I tried to access my blog from school today I was reminded about the limitations my school system imposes on both the teachers and students. I couldn't access Blogger at all because it was blocked due to the filter. This is only one example of wonderful technology that I am not "allowed" to use in the classroom. In addition, we are not supposed to have teacher web pages hosted by anyone other than our school system and are not allowed to use many awesome Web 2.0 tools. So what is the biggest barrier to technology integration? Is it money? Is it know-how? Or is it the policies that are imposed on us? Unfortunately, in my school system non-educators ultimately decide what we are allowed to do as far as internet usage.

(*reflection that is relevant to focus of blog)

Reflections on our Technology Integration Discussion

Our first technology integration discussion was very informative. There were a lot of great resources that were shared by my classmates. Many of us chose different topics within technology integration. While I focused on the role of a technology coordinator, many people chose articles that focused on teachers’ attitudes and perceptions toward technology integration. While others concentrated on whether or not technology had a positive impact on student learning and achievement. I think the wide array of definitions and posts indicate that there is much to be discussed when it comes to using technology in the classroom.

Using a Blog for Reflective Learning

A blog is basically on online journal and a great way to reflect on personal, professional, and academic activities. It is an excellent tool to document and record your thoughts and opinions. You can create your own personal, free blog and invite people to follow or even contribute to your blog. What a great way to get conversation started! Blogs allow students to do journaling online which means they can access their blog from almost anywhere and can easily communicate with people all over the world. Blogs are ideal for logging your progress, your thoughts on reflection, and suitable for collaboration.

So far, I have learned a lot with our initial blogging assignment. I have become familiar with Blogger and am now able to do a few things I didn't know how to do before such as add surveys and insert a picture with a post. I've also had to be cognizant of my layout and design so that it is appealing to the readers. As I continue to add contributors, I look forward to collaborating on the topic of technology integration and blogging.

Technology Integration Article Summary

I recently read an article about VoiceThread by Bill Ferriter. I chose this article because it is all about VoiceThread—a Web 2.0 tool that we will all be using for one of our projects this semester. The author, Bill Ferriter, does an excellent job of describing VoiceThread, promoting it, giving examples, giving instructions on the basics, and follows up with some extra tips. Ferriter points out three main advantages of using VoiceThread: 1) it’s asynchronous 2) it is engaging and 3) it is easy to use. This article should be of particular interest to those that a new to or unfamiliar with this particular tool. You can locate and read the article here: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/6538?ref=blog.

Welcome & Introduction

Welcome to my technology integration blog. This blog is designed and created to promote a forum for information on how to implement technology in the classroom and to reflect on concepts discussed in my MEDT 7464 class. I am currently working on my M.Ed. in instructional technology. It is my hope that this blog will prove to be a valuable resource and spark discussion about concerns and ideas about technology integration.

What is technology integration? I think technology integration is the smooth, effective and efficient implementation of technology into a class lesson. True technology integration is achieved when using the technology is not seen as some big event for the month (i.e. I’m going to check out the “clickers” at the end of the month for a one-day review just to say I’ve used technology in the classroom), but the regular flow of technology use in the classroom. In our book, Egbert mentioned that even pencils are a form of technology. While, I don’t particularly like that interpretation it got me thinking about things. What if we kept all the students pencils locked up in the media center? And then once a month we checked them out for a big project or event. It seems silly, doesn’t it? I mean, of course, we can use the pencils for a variety of academic goals each day—using the pencil to increase or aid student achievement. When we start thinking about technology being as commonplace, useful, and necessary as pencils in the classroom, we will have achieved real technology integration.

Egbert, Joy. (2009). Supporting Learning with Technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.