Tech Class Final Presentation Reflection On Goals
- 1. TECHNOLOGY - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly… and also, the Interesting! Hit this before reading the title!
- 2. My goals were to become more comfortable and competent with aspects of technology that I had not dared to pursue before. The work was about me, the student, more than me, the teacher, working with students. The areas I chose to explore were: Blogs Wikis RSS feeds Webcams Podcasts Electronic assignment notebooks And when I told my colleagues I was going to do all this they…
- 3. Blogs Good - I know what they are. I have one! See, it’s http://lorrieking.edublogs.org/ Bad - I still write way too much. I mostly care about writing and reading my own. Ugly - I have done and created things on the blog that I cannot replicate because I simply can’t remember what I did. Interesting - The fact that I have been doing presentations on “How to Blog.” The feedback I get from students and teachers validates that we need to teach the social skills to converse in cyberspace. Press here now
- 4. Wikis Good - I know what they are. I can see the potential and the power in them. They can replace binders full of info. Bad - No burning desire yet to create my own. Ugly - Nothing ugly yet. Interesting - The wikis here in school that have the assignments listed, the criteria posted, the links attached are an INCREDIBLE RESOURCE to both students and teachers. An effective wiki is a very good thing! Press here now for an excited sound!
- 5. RSS Feeds Good - I understand what they are. Catie taught me how to use Google Reader to stay updated. I do, although checking is not yet part of my normal pattern. Bad - I am torn when they ask if I want a feed to posts only or posts and comments. The fear of being overloaded with information is always on my mind. Ugly - Not every blog/wiki I want to subscribe to has that RSS feed button and that brings things to a … Interesting - Pretty simple technology, I wonder how many students/teachers know about it and use it.
- 6. Webcam/Skype Good - Alice installed it for me. Bad - Alice installed it for me! Ugly - Seeing Dan’s dorm room! Interesting - The potential to bring in the guest speakers is exceptionally cool. Now it makes me want someone to ask me to be their guest speaker!
- 7. Podcasts Good - NPR seems to like them. Bad - At the time of this presentation, I haven’t yet accessed one. Either I am intimidated or I don’t yet care! Ugly - It feels like it should be easy, but downloading can take a long time. Interesting - Audio files - in the past the % of auditory learners was around 10%. Has that changed? Do we know if that has changed? Video files can help the visual learners. How many people enjoy sitting at the computer, listening and looking? What is the draw for the interactive, interpersonal and bodily/kinesthetic learners (press here) who tend to be more active and need something else.
- 8. Electronic assignment notebooks Good - If paper ones are not the wave of the future, there are electronic versions available. Bad - Many of the electronic versions have features that interfere with or don’t accommodate the needed purpose. Ugly - I have toyed with two versions, but not checked out the others Alice mentioned in a comment I just read! Interesting - The handheld PDA seems to have the many of the features. How do you go about getting what we need for our computers designed for us. I know, ask a computer geek! Press here for the sound of a corny joke!
- 9. But aside from all the tech stuff, what did I learn about learning about technology ? The Good - Even resistant learners can learn if they are given the dedicated time and the atmosphere is encouraging and relaxed. Old dogs can learn new tricks if…see above.
- 10. But aside from all the tech stuff, what did I learn about learning about technology ? The Bad - There’s so much out there, it is a challenge to know where to start. Technology learning, just like anything else, has to be differentiated. Do we let each student learn at his/her own pace? We need to ask ourselves that question.
- 11. But aside from all the tech stuff, what did I learn about learning about technology ? The Ugly - There are situations where teachers are using technology for the sake of using the technology. The intended learning is lost when a student is mired in the complexities of the technology. It happens all the time. This is a concern. Students don’t usually have the maturity or fortitude to let teachers know or simply decide on their own to do a Powerpoint (with sound buttons but without pictures due to limited time!) instead of a Voicethread (newer to me, harder for me) so the intended outcome is reached in the allotted time. That is exactly what I did for this presentation, but I was confident enough to make the choice to use the skills I had to reach the outcomes I wanted and not get mired in the complexities!
- 12. But aside from all the tech stuff, what did I learn about learning about technology? The Interesting I still harbor many of my initial hesitations and concerns, but I do feel more comfortable and competent with the technology. It’s a brave new world out there and time and compassionate guidance are essential pieces in gaining new skills. Not new news!
- 13. The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, the Interesting… and now - The End Thank you Alice, Cathy, Mike and the rest of the class for your help, guidance and wisdom. Lorrie