Week Fourteen: Using Games for Teaching & Learning

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, technology should not be used as a crutch. All supplemental resources should be used as just that, supplements. So, when the idea of using video games and simulations for teaching and learning purposes was a topic for class, I immediately thought of that.

Obviously, slaying zombies and killing people are not the type of video games introduced in the school setting. Games that exercise a student's ability to type, work in a group, use math skills, or to complete a pattern, all to defeat the "Bad Guy" are much more appropriate...on an elementary level.

For secondary students, using simulations, like the Driver's Ed. simulation (video in early post), are great for practicing real world skills, without posing any danger to the actual real world. Let's not forget how important the background information that these simulations and practices need to be based upon to be effective.

Second Life, a program that uses avatars, that represent people in the real world, to interact in the virtual world, is a program that does not fit in either of the aforementioned categories: it is not a computer game strictly for learning, and it is not a simulation course. Second Life works with social skills, and even economic skills. Users can "talk" to one another via avatar, and "sell" different products for real money.

Though Second Life is a worthwhile social device, like any other social program, if people become too dependent upon it, more harm is done than benefit. There have been numerous occasions in which a person cheats on his/her spouse with another Second Life avatar leading to divorce. Care should be taken, as well, to maintain the privacy of one's Second Life. Account hacking, which happens on Facebook and MySpace all too often, is something users need to be very aware of if Second Life really is such a prominent presence in the lives of its users.

Week Thirteen: Distance Education and Virtual Schooling

delivering education to students who are not physically on site

That is a way to describe distance education: an education received, typically, via the internet. At UF, the distance learning realm is referred to as "e-Learning." Every class has a page, which includes a syllabus and portal to reach the professor, quizzes, grade sheets, and forums for questions. Distance learning really helps to facilitate learning and feedback in the educational world.

Of course, not all distance education is strictly on the internet. Some large and crowded classes are split: students can either attend lectures, or watch the recorded lecture on the class webpage. This is called "blended distance education." Virtual distance education would be a class where no meetings occur face-to-face and all communication happens on the internet.

Why work with distance education, anyway? Well, online learning allows the student to work at his/her own pace at any time in his/her life. Multimedia can be reached more easily by the professor preparing a presentation and the student receiving the lecture. While these are happy benefits, there are some drawbacks to distance learning: security, costs, motivation, regular attendance, lack of personal impact on the professor's part.

These are all hindrances to the realm of online classes, but they are easily overcome. Setting a specific time each day or week to work with online classes makes it routine and easier to pay attention, while also being a small motivator.

Somewhat like distance education, virtual schooling separates the student from the physical school entirely. All communication between student and teacher is apart. Class sizes can be large, but the materials and programs used by some virtual classes comes free of charge.

The ideas of distance learning and virtual schooling are innovative, to an extent. Allowing high schoolers to use them in place of attendance in a physical school is a poor plan, but an adult going back to school for a degree of some sort is safe. Kids already don't know how to use their time effectively, giving them a virtual education is just a pathway straight to disaster. Adults strapped for time, however, can use the flexibility to continue their learning career. Using distance education for students to know their grades, use multimedial resources, and contact is a great idea, but relying totally on the internet as the classroom is quite the wrong way to go.

Week Twelve: Creating a Professional Web Presence

Most of us are not consciously aware of the fact that we have our own web presences. So let's educate, shall we? A web presence is exactly what its name implies: something represents its user on the internet. Socially or professionally, a web presence lets others know you are. Some examples include Facebook, Myspace, blogs, and even personal sites.

Today, more and more businesses are using the internet to find out more information about prospective employees...sometimes social sites that do not show the professional side of said prospective employee. That is why it is important for users to have a professional personal site: basic background information, a resume, a portfolio, and other information.

Google Sites is a great resource for those of us in need of an internet makeover. To move future employers from a highly social network or site to a highly professional personal site can do wonders and justice for a user. Displaying your every aspect with a best-foot-forward kind of site seems the best way to go.

Google Sites is relatively easy to use, too. Register with Google, and you have access to all of its resources, including Sites. Pick a template, or create your own look for the site, and start creating pages. Easy as 1-2-3.

Allowing students to create their own websites displaying all the work they create throughout the year is a powerful educational tool. Students learn how to stay professional on the internet, while making their work accessible to other teachers and parents as examples. A student can even use a personal website of their work to track their progress throughout the year.

(Third Learning Entries blog starts here!) Week Eleven: Open Source Software

Open source software is a somewhat foreign concept, and to be completely honest, I'm not entirely certain that I fully grasp it myself. Cloud computing, on the other hand, is fairly simple to understand. In cloud computing, files and media can be stored on the internet, freeing up space on hard-drives or creating back-up files. These can be more easily demonstrated with an example.

A particularly great example of OSS and cloud computing is Google. Google offers not just a search engine, but access to e-mail, Microsoft-Office-esque programs, calendars, filtered news, e-book readers, and the like. All for FREE. Let me repeat: FREE. This is great, as the documents created on Google don't have to be saved onto the hard-drive. Also, the applications on Google allow the users to collaborate with other users. With every day, Google is finding new ways to attract more users with new accessible programs. In any case, open source software is changing the way users spend their money.

Another great example of OSS is Gimp, the free alternative to Photoshop. Same tools, same basic look and program layout, but a lot more FREE. Open source software and cloud computing are helping the generic equivalents to today's most expensive software make names for themselves. This topic actually makes me think of Publix and other grocery stores, which make virtually the same products as major brands and sell them for half the price. In both cases, you can save money and receive the same product; in some cases, the generic product is a bit better than the brand (like Publix's Sandwich Cookies...so good...).

Because open source software and cloud computing is gaining weight within the technological society, I think computers will be impacted in that not so much hard drive will be needed. Documents can hang in the clouds, so there won't be as much of a need for large amounts of gigabytes in the hard drive. Computers will most likely continue to become smaller, just at a quicker rate.

Computers will also become less expensive, a thought worth considering from an educator point-of-view. The money spent on programs like Microsoft Office and Photoshop can be saved for other areas of schooling. Woo hoo!

Week Ten: Tech Tools for Critical Thinking

"a good teacher uses different instructional approaches and considers the audience, the topic, and the environment before deciding what activities are best for a learning scenario."

Learning and processing styles differ for just about everyone. Well, there is no estimation: everybody absorbs knowledge in different ways. Period. As a teacher, realizing this fact is incredibly important, along with knowing how to reach each and every student in the classroom in an effective manner. This week's topic deals with using different social tools, folksonomies, and concept maps for critical thinking in students and lay persons.

There are so many different ways to approach education and teaching students of any age. Everyone learns visually, audibly, and kinesthetically; the extent to how much learning takes place in each of these areas depends on multiple intelligences:

1. Interpersonal intelligence: understanding basic social skills and how to interact with others.
2. Verbal-linguistic intelligences: possessing a great ability to understand languages, to comprehend readings, and to write.
3. Logical-mathematical intelligences: thinking rationally and systematically; using routine and processes to assess problems in order to find solutions.
4. Intrapersonal intelligence: understanding oneself, emotions, and feelings and being able to project that understanding into the real world.
5. Musical intelligence: exceptional skill with rhythm, beat, pitch, tone, notes, etc...

Of course, reaching each of these intelligences for retention of information is tricky. Though teachers for thousands of years have been surviving without today's technology, current teachers are blessed enough to have access to high-tech resources and to supplement learning and teaching with these resources. Below is a concept map that organizes five different social tools into educational tools: YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter, Delicious, and Wikis.

Week Nine: Social Tools and Cloud Computing

Social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, are changing the face of the globe. These tools allow for fast and easy communication between people all over the world. Not only that, social tools are helping users find jobs, sell possessions, and enter into relationships. Businesses sell products via social websites, and hire employees based on what they find on prospective workers' social profiles.

The next technological idea to be discussed is cloud computing. What exactly is cloud computing? In years past, websites ran on actual hardware servers. This cost a lot of money, and was typically took a lot of upkeep. Today, however, cloud computing can be considered a type of public facility: users can share resources and software. One such program is Google Docs, users can create and store information on the internet, as opposed to on their computer and hard drive. Google Docs is akin to an online version of Microsoft Office: word documents, spreadsheets, slideshow presentations, different forms/questionnaires.

What is so great about Google Docs is that once these documents are created, users can publish them or share them with colleagues. In this way, feedback is simple, easy, and effective, as changes to the documents can be made and saved on the same site without the hassle of emailing and having to open a whole new document on your computer.

I am quite sure that cloud-computing sites like Google Docs (well, Google Anything, really...) will facilitate teaching to any education level. Co-working teachers from across the world can give input on different projects and class activities. In this way, students receive such a well-rounded education, as ideas have been procured from all around the world.

Week Eight: The Sound of...Podcasting

Podcasts are those compilations of audio or video files that can be played on a computer or MP3 player. What makes podcasts so interesting is the fact that just about anyone can make them, just like blogs.

Creating podcasts is a fairly simple process. Using a sound-editing program such as Audacity, users can discuss hot-button issues or random daily thoughts, share music or important news, and even attend class. From there, podcasts can be uploaded to music-sharing programs like iTunes or Zune, or to blogs and other websites. The following is a helpful video depicting how to make a podcast:

As I said above, one way to utilize a podcast feed is by using it for class. Initially, I had no clue as to how podcasting could fit into the educational realm. Upon reading Brian Flanagan and Brenden Calandra's article "Podcasting in the Classroom," along with Debra Sprague and Cynthia Pixley's "Podcasts in Education: Let Their Voices Be Heard" this thought block removed itself. On the secondary education level, podcasts can be used for recorded lectures and supplemental materials. For instance, in foreign language classes, podcasts can be used to expose students to conversations and dialogues in the language or native music.

On the elementary education level, podcasting can be very useful. Podcasts can be used in the elementary school classroom in much the same way a foreign language teacher would use them:

• Listening to children's music from many different cultures.
• Learning another language by using podcasts during morning rituals: "Today is...The weather is...Hi, how are you...?"
• Keeping students and parents up-to-date with different classroom and school events.
• Allowing students to create podcasts about the goings-on of the classroom for school-wide and community-wide communication.