Week 3: EDLD 5363 - Web Conference

This week we were asked to join a group of 3 to 5 members to create an video that introduces a core concept.  We were able to read up on the Do's and Don'ts of shooting a video including camera shots, lighting and angles. I must say that it was a lot of information to take in! I feel like I need sophisticated equipment instead of the IPOD touch that I plan to shoot my video with. Being able to collaborate with a group and bounce ideas off of each other has been a welcome relief. I am not usually eager to work with a group especially they way our courses are formatted with people being all over the state and sometimes the country.  The web conference on Monday helped clarify the our group assignment and answered all of the questions that I had prior. The web conferences usually allow me to see things from the viewpoints of the other students. With the online format I often miss the interactions that you normally get in a face to face class. So far I'm on track and plan to make the most out of the course. I have already though of different ways that I can integrate video into my classroom lessons both for myself and my students.

EDLD 5363 Week 2 Reflection

Another exciting week! This week we were tasked with exploring Audacity, Lame and Creative Commons.  I am normally pretty hesitant to download free programs for fear of viruses but I had previous experience with Audacity and knew it to be relatively safe.  Audacity is a program that allows you to create and edit audio.  Lame is the program that you need to export the audio files in the mp3 format. I found the program to be relatively easy to use and pretty extensive for a free program. I also was able to receive a Creative Commons license to in essence copyright the podcast that I created and determine my sharing rights. The biggest task in creating the podcast was in the timing. We were working within a 2 minute minimum and it was very difficult to be detailed yet brief! Overall I learned a lot and will be able to share this information with students and colleagues.

EDLD 5363 Week 1 Reflection

This week I created a personal digital story using Photo Story 3.  I was a bit leery about the assignment in the beginning since it was geared toward the personal rather than general or professional. I am usually a bit hesitant to share personal aspects of my life with others. I finally decided on reading as a topic because it is a passion for me and I thought that it would be a great way to relate a little bit about myself without delving too deeply. Once I decided upon my topic the rest was easy. It took some time to find just the right pictures to express my script.

I enjoyed reading the posts of my classmates and many of the other stories were very touching and moving in different ways. I learned about hobbies that I had never even heard of! I was able to explore ways to incorporate digital story telling into my classroom as well through the readings. This will definitely be an assignment that I will use with my students!

Week Five - Teaching with Technology

During week five I was able to explore a variety of ways to use technology with classroom instruction. By exploring the web 2.0 tools, it enabled me to brainstorm different ways to use these tools to help students access the general curriculum.

Technology also allows student with disabilities and other impairments to participate more fully with their general education peers. We've discussed collaborative groups and how they allow students to communicate and discuss their knowledge and mastery of the content.

One of the final thoughts that resonated with me during week five is allowing students to set goals and track their efforts. I think the simple process of setting goals empowers student to take control of their learning.

Week Two - Teaching with Technology

The effective use of technology integration into the general curriculum is an important aspect of education today. There are so many different digital tools that students can utilize to support learning including web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, and e-books. It is essential that we get educators to consider the curriculum and how technology can be used to enhance it versus the technology and how it can fit into the curriculum.

The use of technology in the classroom seemed to have a positive effect on all students including those with disabilities. Effective use of technology in the classroom increased student's self esteem and made them feel more capable and successful. Digital tools increase students' engagement therefore increasing their access to the curriculum and thus their grasp of the content. These types of tools help students set their own direction for learning and goals giving students control of their own learning.




Page, M. S.(2002). Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 34 (4), 389-409. Retrieved October 5, 2009 from the International Society of Education at http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Number_4_Summer=/MembersOnly.cfm&ContentFileID=830

Week Four - Teaching with Technology

"Digital tools and media make it possible to design ongoing assessments that support individual differences in recognition, strategic, and affective networks, giving us a more accurate measure of students' achievement in relation to the learning goal."

Individuality is one of the things that set up apart as people. It is important as educators to ensure that we recognize the individual differences in our students including their learning disabilities and interests. Digital tools and media allow us to take a more accurate measure of students' achievement. Continuous assessment is what tells educators if re-teaching is necessary and how well the students' have mastered the content.

Multiple  representations of information gives students more opportunities to access the curriculum thus giving them more opportunities to master the curriculum.  The use of technology tools allow students multiple ways to express their mastery of the curriculum.

Rose, D.H., & Meyer, A. (2002). Using UDL to Accurately Assess Student Progress. Teaching every student in the Digital Age: universal design for learning (p.1). Alexandria, VA.: Association

UDL Book Builder

I loved the e-book tool. The e-book can be used as an instructional  tool, an assessment tool and/or as a supplement. One of the most evident and immediate uses for me would be to enable my non-readers and/or hearing impaired students  to participate more fully in the lesson since it has audio options. You can allow students to create their own books to assess their learning, collaborate in groups to and any number of things. One of the best things in my opinion about the e-book is that you are determining the content. You can choose to focus on one specific area and elaborate with pictures and audio or cover any amount of content you choose. It seems to be fairly user friendly although it took me a moment to figure everything out so definitely plan a tutorial type session when using it with students. One final thing about the ebook is that it is web-based so you can involve parents by allowing them to work in some capacity with students at home utilizing the e-book.