Online apps

Google Docs

I have used Google Docs for word processing before, but I have not really messed around with its spreadsheets, so I figured now is as good a time as ever!  Being a physics teacher (and having taking numerous physics classes in undergrad) I have used Excel for a variety of things.  I even made a spreadsheet for my college job that would automatically update the needed orders and used conditional formatting to highlight when we were running low on filters.  From what I have been able to see so far, Google Docs spreadsheets seem to be quite capable of everything I typically use spreadsheets for.  Various equations work well, including basic if-then statements, and conditional formatting seems pretty easy.  One odd thing that I have found so far is if I want to subtract the value of one cell from another, I cannot simply click on the first cell, hit the “-“ and then select the second cell.  It just replaces the first cell!  Works fine for addition, multiplication, and division, just not subtraction.  Weird.

            Overall, it looks like a rather solid spreadsheet editor.  Have not been able to see if it can handle macros, but Microsoft Excel cannot handle them as well as it used to, either.

PicMonkey

            I do not believe I have ever used an online image editor before, so I didn’t really know what to expect.  I have used Photoshop a little before, and I also use GIMP, an open source Photoshop-replacement.  Most of the editing that I have done using Photoshop and GIMP could be done in PicMonkey.  That is, things like rotating, cropping, adjusting some colors, etc., were pretty easy in PicMonkey.  I like the overall layout of the site, with the left toolbar providing several different sub-menus.  Some of the tools were fairly common, and some were things that you would never see labeled as such in a professional editing program.  For example, to the best of my knowledge, there are no options for specifically highlighting your hair or giving yourself a spray-tan (though, may I say, it made a picture of me taken last winter look much more summery).  From what I can see, it kind of “dumbs down” some of the more common uses of professional programs so that we non-professionals can easily do the basics without having to know much or do much research.

I have had a chance to use GIMP for more complex uses such as merging layers, setting alpha levels, and adjusting transparency of layers.  From what I can tell, these options are not available in PicMonkey.  But, honestly, for the average user, how many of us really need to do these tasks?  The only reason I did these tasks is because I was bored in the summer and wanted to customize our school’s logo for my classroom site.  For the average user, such as myself, it looks as though PicMonkey can accomplish most of the tasks we would need.

E-Learning

            Having supervised students taking online classes, the “Technics vs. Trucks” section struck home with me.  Most of the online learning we have used at our school if for students who need to make up credits.  The authors quoted Clark as stating that forms of instruction through technology “do not influence student achievement any more than the truck that delivers our groceries causes changes in our nutrition.”  In some instances, this is true.  Some online classes are simply the digital equivalent of a teacher’s instruction, but without the option of interaction.  As a result, some students (often who did not perform well in the same subject in a normal classroom environment) do not perform well  in the online environment.  For such students, this type of online learning environment may only serve as the truck.  However, some students thrive in this learning environment.  They can set their own pace, and it is easier for them to review a topic as many times as they may need before moving on to the next topic.  Even though this style of online learning is more of a “truck” than others, it may be an effective method for some, falling in line with Kozma’s description of using media for learning.

            The description of  "The scenario of the solitary student working alone at her computer late into the night with little or no contact with her peers still exists, but many current and future learning systems will emphasize shared experience features" found on page 283 was what made me initially apprehensive about online learning.  One of the main reasons I went into teaching was for the interaction.  I enjoy working with students and seeing that “Aha!” moment when a student understands an aspect of the material because of something that they experienced in class.  Most of those moments that I have seen have been due to interactions between student and teacher or between students themselves.  I was worried that online learning would eliminate this option.  I have seen online learning where this is true, but I am beginning to see the value of online interactions.  As I am reading other people’s responses each week, it allows me to go back and re-read others views as well as allowing myself to take more time when working on a response.  While I do miss the opportunities the immediate back-and-forth communication of being in a physical classroom, I do enjoy that strengths of a flexible timeframe for online learning.

WMAA Tech Page

WMAA Tech Page
This is actually a page that I created in August, but I had not done anything with it until now!  I had (and still have) hopes that this will be a source of information for my students regarding their tech questions.  That way, students won't interrupt class if they have a problem.

Lessons in IDT

            Lesson 11 stuck out to me as something I need to look into more.  Becoming a part of professional organizations for me, especially considering that I am in the very beginning stages of my career.  By joining professional organizations, I would have access to a wide variety of people who have different and, simply put, more experiences than I do currently that can help me develop as an educator.  Professional organizations are useful to build a stronger network of resources and, in turn, a wider network if I choose to look for a different position.

            I also found Lesson 18 to be fairly relevant to me.  When I first interviewed at my school, I interviewed for a math position.  I was dead-set on being a math teacher, and did not even look for positions teaching physics (which was my minor in college).  A few days after my second interview, my now-principal called me and asked to verify that I was certified to teach physics, and I, somewhat reluctantly, admitted that I was.  Soon after, I was offered a job to teach physical science with the intention of me moving into a math job as our school grows (I am now teaching 4 math classes and one Physics, so the transfer is almost complete!).  Though this may not be as directly related to this lesson as I initially thought when I started this paragraph (oops!), what I learned from that situation is that flexibility is key when searching for a job.  Though you may not always be as fully qualified as the employer may like, or, in my case, part of the job may not be what you want to ultimately do, a willingness to make changes and learn new things is valued.

Concept Mapping Motion in 1 Dimension

 

In my Honors Physics Class, we have been talking about the relationship of the measurements that we can take in one dimension.  We can easily measure distance and time, but we need to calculate velocity and, in turn, acceleration.  Students would make their own concept maps of the relationships to demonstrate how one measurement leads to another.

Connection ID in Business, P-12, and Higher Ed

            One theme that seems to be consistently coming up in these readings about business, P-12 education, and higher education is the inflexibility of some.  In the business world, it is seen in the stubbornness of those providing the services and/or the client.  If the instructional designer is not willing to take the clients need into consideration and instead just plod along with their plans, their end goal will not be effective.  Likewise, if the client is not open to new ideas or any sort of change, the work of the instructional designer will be for naught.  The same can be seen in education.  P-12 teachers (typically those with more experience) are often resistant to change because they see what they have been doing is working fine.  Higher education experiences the same problems, whether it is inflexibility regarding to new practices or working well with other staff.

            This is something I have witnessed in my brief teaching career.  Some teachers have come up with good lessons that they use year in and year out.  However, these lessons do not change with the times and though they still may be effective, they may not be as relative and/or effective as they once were.  Being in a relatively new school in our 3^rd years, our teachers, thankfully, haven’t had the time to develop such habits…yet.  This is something we should address before we get to a point where we become too comfortable, so that we constantly push ourselves to improve, grow, and work with each other.

            Another common theme in these three fields is time constraints.  Businesses are always facing a deadline for their product or service, and even the instructional designers who may not have a direct hand in the end product are under time constraints to help employees effectively do their jobs.  P-12 and higher education instructors are also under similar time constraints. P-12 teachers are pushed to accomplish a certain number of standards in each year (often a mile wide and an inch deep) and higher education instructors are also expected to accomplish certain tasks (research, publications, etc.) within a short period of time in order to be considered effective.

            My own experiences in this are very consistent with descriptions in the book.  I feel the pressure of helping my students meet the standards every year, and it seems like there are more standards every year!  With the time restrictions and high expectations, we all need to prioritize well so that our end goals (products, services, standards, research, publications and the like) are effective and useful as opposed to just being “done.”

Screencasting the iPad

I decided to make this screencast showing how to set-up iCloud and an email account through Microsoft Exchange because it is very relevant for me and my school at the moment.  I cannot tell you how many times I have walked through these steps with students, on an individual basis or even in large group settings.  Even with all the times I've gone through this with students, I haven't done this with all students at my school.  So instead of doing this over 200 times, I figured this short and sweet lesson would work well as a screencast, allowing those viewing it to pause as necessary.