Final Blog

I've started writing this blog several times, and can't seem to finish it. There are so many things to say about the experience in taking these classes.

Things I've learned (a brief collection of thoughts)

1. First I've learned what Web 2.0 means! ha ha. I was glad to see in reading others blog conclusions that I'm not the only person that didn't have much of a clue when the course began!

 2. I've learned to use so many different tools that will enhance my life both professionally and personally.

 3. I've learned that for all the good tools that exist, there are some that are not of good quality. And it's OK to say so.

 4. I've learned that taking classes online can be a great experience and that there can be a sense of 'class' even when you don't see the other students. I've been teaching online for several years, but my one experience as a student before these classes was not a positive experience!

 5. I've enjoyed reading the blogs from each of you, whether I commented or not. I do not even know how many Web 2.0 tools I've registered for and practiced using after reading your posts.

 6. I've learned that not everyone will share my enthusiasm about using technology in the classroom...and that is OK too.

 7. I've learned that its OK to be anxious/excited/nervous about submitting work- even at this level. It's interesting and intimidating to submit work not to just the professors but to everyone in the class!

 8. I've learned that I really really really need to apply for the doctoral program and get on with this!!

  The very best thing this course has done for me-- it has refreshed my attitude and energy for teaching. Last semester I was experiencing pretty bad burnout...even considered not teaching and going back to social work. This class has helped me recharge myself and to revamp my courses. In teaching public speaking, I teach how to do good presentations. I will be teaching students how to do things besides PowerPoint for their presentations...using sliderocket, voicethread and prezi. More actual presentations in professional circles will be taking place using this technology and I think students need to have those skills. The key will be in balancing my enthusiasm with not overwhelming the students.

 I've loved these two classes and even though I'm exhausted, I'm sad to know they are over!
Thanks to all of you for a great 7 weeks!

 ~Michelle Davis

Web 2.0 Tools in Education~ Prezi Presentation

Hard to believe this is the last week.
Below is my Prezi presentation regarding Web 2.0 tools in Education.  For those of you that read my research proposal last week, I am interested in developing a Professional Development opportunity for several instructors where I teach.

This is the 'Invitation' that I would send to faculty.  Yes, the date in the Prezi is 2013....that's when I propose the PD occur.

Web 2.0 ~ Tools for Education on Prezi

NoteMesh

Name of the Tool:  NoteMesh

URL of the Tool:  www.notemesh.com

Please select the one, primary category for this tool: This tool is both a productivity and collaboration tool.

Please describe this tool in your own words in about 150-250 words.

NoteMesh is a free, Web 2.0 tool that provides an online forum for students to work together to create notes for the class material.  NoteMesh is a simple tool requiring users to register with a valid .edu address .

NoteMesh notes are visible to the public so if as a student you know you will be taking a class, you might be able to look up the course and preview the notes and content of that course.  You will not be allowed to add content or contribute unless you are a registered user. 

NoteMesh is a tool that was created in 2006 by 4 students attending University of Texas at Austin.  After cramming for finals one semester, one of the four students developed a Wiki for his friends to help him complete his notes for study.  Within a few months, the webpage NoteMesh was created for all students at UT and a few months after that, it was open to the World Wide Web!

What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)

Before using this tool you need to know the course name provided by the teacher or the course name you want to create if you are the teacher, and how to navigate through a basic webpage. 

What do you need to have before using this tool? (Resources)

As a student, before using this tool you need to have a computer with internet access, be enrolled in a course and have notes that you want to add to the course. You will also be required to log in with an .edu address.

How do you use this tool? (Write the basic steps using a numbered list)

After going to www.notemesh.com you will click on the right side of the screen to log-in or register to the website. 

This is the registration screen:

 Next, you will be taken to a screen that allows you to add a class or go through a series of tutorials: 

After the tutorials, you want to create a class:

After you create and add a class, you will follow a series of steps to begin putting notes on the course's NoteMesh. Please watch this SlideRocket presentation to see the steps for creating a class and then adding the first notes to the class:

http://portal.sliderocket.com/CAYVY/BDF50312-44D5-48FD-BC6D-C802F5E6FDFE

Once the course is developed, you may edit the entries you make.

Students should be given the course name/date (since that will not be accurate).  At that time, students can register, enter the class and begin adding notes.  Students are able to edit others entries and there is a history button so that you can see what has been changed.  


If you would like, you may register for NoteMesh and use the class that I've already created with the following informaiton:

Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (150-250 words).

     

     As an Instructor, I can create a course for students, making sure to tell them the dates will be incorrect.  I can assign students to work on a group project or in the case of Public Speaking I can assign the groups to use NoteMesh to develop their group outline. 

This tool can be used to conduct brainstorming sessions for topic selection.

     

     I think the way I’d use the tool (although maybe not what it is created for) is to post class/lecture notes for students to have.  Students could then ask questions regarding the notes posted on the NoteMesh page.

   

    I think this tool might be best used from the view of being a student.  Students can set up their own course and create the notes independent from the class.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment? 

The advantages in using this tool:

A.   Students have a place to come together and share their notes about a specific course.  They may create group study guides or other lists of information.  If students work together, this could be a great tool.

B.   The look of the program is uncluttered.

C.   The program is easy to use.

D.   The tool can be edited- with a history of edits available.

E.    There is a place for Discussion boards is needed.

F.  The website creates a nice Table of Contents on the left of the screen for the information that is posted. 

As a student the disadvantage are:

A.   Some students will only sign up to get the notes without adding anything of value to the discussion.  Since the notes are public, there would be nothing in place to keep this from happening.  I know in a group project I do not mind to do my part but I do not want to be the only one working!

B.   The website does not easily return to the homepage.

C.   Although the opening screen states that a .edu address is no longer required to use this product, upon trying to register/log-in with both a hotmail and gmail account I was told that ‘your school has been ruled invalid’. 

This picture above  is hard to read but it states that International and non .edu users can register. The picture below shows what happened when I tried to log in with my hotmail address.  I also attempted to register with my gmail account.

As an instructor the disadvantages are:

A.    The dates for the courses are for only 2008 and 2009.  I emailed the creators of this program to inquire about this issue and I did not receive a response (6 days later).  Although the website is active, it seems no one is attending to it or updating it.

B.   The notes that are posted may not be accurate.  Might require monitoring of the NoteMesh page  or pages which results in extra work for the instructor.

C.   The website does not easily return to the homepage.

Would you recommend this Web 2.0 tool to others, or suggest that they explore a different tool? 

I do not think I would recommend this tool considering that there are other resources that can be used that do not require a .edu account and that are more up to date. I did not find that it was extraordinary in any way.  

In-Service/Training for Instructors: Impact on attitudes and knowledge of Web 2.0

Many research studies discuss the importance of student attitudes and knowledge in the use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom- both online and face to face courses.  Fewer research studies discuss the importance of the classroom instructor’s attitudes and knowledge on the successful implementation of lessons using Web 2.0 tools.  For those of us who are enthused about Web 2.0 tools, we may not understand the anxiety, fear and even the general negative attitude that some hold towards changing their curriculum, especially with technology and Web 2.0 tools.

In this study, Instructors teaching a college success skills course to entering college freshman will be asked to implement three Web 2.0 tools into their courses for Fall 2013 after receiving 8 hours of Web 2.0 instruction.  It is thought that receiving specific and partially individualized instruction on the use of these tools will improve instructor attitudes towards implementing them in their course.

The in-service/training will cover the following:

-          What is Web 2.0?

-          Trends in education

-          An overview of Web 2.0 tools in the areas of communication, collaboration, productivity and social media.

-          Demonstration of how to use some Web 2.0 tools with specific components/lessons from the textbook.

o   Voicethread

o    twiducate

o   NoteMesh

o   WallWisher

o   Google Docs

o   SlideRocket

o   Research tools

o   MindMapping tools

-          Group Work/Discussion on specific assignments and teaching strategies.

-          One on one time with Training instructors and Distance Learning Director to work on specific questions/strategies

-          Training instructors and Distance Learning Director will be available for support and brainstorming after the in-service is complete.

1.         Why is the study important?

The study is important because as instructors, we need to understand the impact that our attitudes regarding technology may have on the attitudes of our students.  Attitudes may be changed as instructors become less intimidated and anxious and become more educated themselves in using Web 2.0 tools.  Providing specific training in the use of these tools may improve instructors attitudes on using them in the classroom.

2.      Who are the subjects/participants of the proposed study?

The participants for this study are the Instructors teaching the College Success Skills Course offered at Lamar Institute of Technology during the Fall 2012 semester.  The College Success Skills Course (DORI) is a required course for most entering freshman and is 2 credit hours.

 There are a variety of instructors for this course: some are full-time tenured/tenure-track instructors that teach the course as an overload, the majority are adjuncts that specifically teach this course.  Besides the Lead Teacher who teaches 5 sections per semester, the rest teach no more than 2 sections a semester.

This course is offered in Fall/Spring/Summer semesters. Three to four courses are taught in the summer semester, 20-25 sections are taught in Spring, and 38-42 sections are taught in the Fall semester.  Of these sections, 2-3 sections are taught completely online each of the long semesters. 

 3.      What is the basic research question?

This study will address the following questions:

A.      Is there a significant difference in the Instructor’s attitudes towards integration of Web 2.0 tools  before and after participation in a teacher in-service/training?

B.        Is there a significant difference in the instructors self-reported knowledge and anxiety level regarding Web 2.0 tools before and after participation in a teacher in-service/training?

C.       Is there a significant difference between the instructors’ attitudes towards Web 2.0 tools after participation in a teacher in-service/training and instructors’ attitudes at the completion of the semester?

D.     Is there a significant difference in attitudes and knowledge about Web 2.0 tools between adjunct and tenure track faculty when measured pre/post in-service and the end of the semester?

E.      Do positive teacher attitudes foster positive student attitudes regarding the use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom?

     

4.      Where would the study be conducted?

This study will be conducted at Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont Texas.  Some components will be presented in an online format (pre/post surveys and questionnaires).  Other components will be presented in face to face learning sessions.

The in-service training sessions could be held in one 8-hour day or two 4-hour days.

5.      What is the time frame of the study?

The time frame of the study will be approximately 6 months- from June 2013 to December 2013.  The study will begin early summer to allow time for instructors to integrate Web 2.0 tools into their course curriculum for Fall 2013.

6.      What type of data would be collected?

As instructors are a major influence in the ‘feel’ of a classroom, it is thought that an instructors’ attitude towards implementation of new Web 2.0 tools in the classroom could play a significant role in the success of that implementation. Information from surveys conducted at three points will be collected.  

Student information regarding the use of technology will be collected at the end of the semester.

 7. How the data would be analyzed? 

Two weeks  before In-service:  A survey of 20 items containing both Likert scale questions and open ended questions will be emailed to all DORI instructors with responses due one week prior to the in-service.  These questions will address current attitudes and use of technology in the classroom.

This survey will be given again at the end of the 8 hours in-service program. Instructors will have 48 hours to return the survey (some instructors may be very overwhelmed after attending the training session)

This survey will be emailed to instructors during the final week of the Fall 2013 semester. Additional open-ended questions will be asked regarding the Web 2.0 tools used and perceived/measurable success of implementation and use of the tool.

In addition to end of the semester teacher evaluation, students will receive a 10 item Likert scale questionnaire regarding the use of and attitudes regarding the use and effectiveness  of technology in the classroom and the perceived attitude of the instructor in the delivery of Web 2.0 skills/lesson.

Surveys will be analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative tools.  

8.   What study was the inspiration for this study? (Please cite author, title, where it was published, and the URL)

These articles, from the ERIC database, were the inspiration for this proposal:

Archambault, L., Wetzel, K., Foulger, T.S. & Williams, M. (2010). Professional Development 2.0: Transforming Teacher Education Pedagogy with 21^st Century Tools. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 27(1), 4-11.

Christensen, R. (2002).  Effects of Technology Integration Education on the Attitudes of Teacher and Students. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 34(4), 411.

Cullen, T.A. & Greene, B.A. (2011). Preservice Techer’s Beliefs, Attitudes and Motivation about   Technology Integration. Journal of Educational Computing Research. 45(1), 29-47.

twiducate for educators

     This week, I chose to review twiducate which describes itself as a safe social networking tool for educators and students.  You may click here to go directly to the twiducate website: www.twiducate.com .
This tool would be best described as a social/communication tool.  twiducate can be used to post questions, comments, homework assignments, dates to remember and web links.

     twiducate is a Web 2.0 tool that was designed by an educator in Ontario Canada in 2009 in response to a need for an effective, easy, free and most importantly a safe way for teachers and students to continue learning outside of the classroom.  twiducate is similar to Twitter except that you are not limited to the number of characters you may type so more information may be provided at once. At no time do students have to provide any identifying information except their course code and the password- both created by the teacher.

     With twiducate, teachers are the administrators of their courses.  They create and have access to the user names and passwords.  Even though students are able to change their password, teachers will still have that information in their 'roster' of students.

     In a couple of  reviews I read for twiducate it was being promoted as a Learning Management System.  I really think that this program is too simplistic to use it as the sole LMS for a class if it is at all technologically intensive.  There are places to add calendar dates that you can use for assignments and also a way to link to outside information such as YouTube or other websites.  I did not find a way to post teacher created documents with this tool unless of course they are saved through another online source. I also read that there is a mobile app for this program, but it was not in the iPhone app store!

      Before using twiducate, you need to have basic computer knowledge and internet service.  If you are the teacher you need an email and a name for your class/group. If you are a student you need the Course Code and your individual password that is generated for you by the teacher.  

This tool is very simple to use!

Go to the sign-up/log-in page at www.twiducate.com

If you are a teacher creating a group, click on SIGN UP on the top right of that screen. This is the screen you will see next:

If you already have an account you will go to the log in screen which looks like this:

This is the log in for students.  You can see that students are not required to put in their email address or any other identifying information besides the Classroom Code and the Password provided by the teacher.  

Whether you are a teacher or a student, you have to also complete a box like the one below each time you log in.  Unlike some websites, these are easy to read but also easy to forget to do since it looks more like an advertisement than something you have to complete! 

After you log in, you will get this screen:

This is the toolbar for teachers:

This is the toolbar for students.  

Here is the screencast.com video I created showing you more information on the use of twiducate:

Click Here:    twiducate

I have created two Student accounts for the class I developed if you would like to try it! 

Course Code:   spch1315md

Password: 944397

or

Course Code:  spch1315md

Password:  691749

As with most of the tools we've explored, twiducate is only limited in use by the creativity of the person and the limitations of the program. 

1.  The way I would use twiducate in my course is to set up a a course page for a class that doesn't already have BlackBoard used.  I can post dates for the assignments/tests, links to relevant information and additional reading, and mainly use it for students to post their questions and thoughts about the course content.  I like having one place for questions- that way you aren't answering the same questions 4-5 times in separate emails.  

2.  Teachers can use this tool to post questions for students about the learning material.  The students can post their responses.  The teacher might then print this exchange and use it for a study guide for a test or quiz.  There is a button where you can export the information into a Word file and then print.  

3.  In my class, I might have students watch a specific speech in history and provide feedback and comments via twiducate. Homework assignments or journal questions could be posted. 

4. Another use, that has nothing to do with students, is to use twiducate as a group meeting place for a department or other group of people. I know in my department we are scattered across campus sometimes and miss out on information.  This would not take the place of official emails and such, but would be a place to post maybe social or friendship questions and comments- the stuff that tightens groups! 

The advantages to twiducate are that it is easy to use, it is free and it is private. The disadvantages are that it is somewhat juvenile in appearance (which is an advantage for younger students) and to me it doesn't provide anything unique...nothing that can't be found on many other websites. 

I recommend twiducate for use with younger classrooms of students or with students that are not familiar with social networking. 

Distance Learning: Student Needs/Teacher Skills- VoiceThread

View our VoiceThread Presentation here:

http://voicethread.com/share/3221768/

Description of how the group collaborated in the making of the presentation:
     When I chose my group, no one else had picked it!  By that evening, Julia W had emailed both Bethanie and I with a proposed outline for our presentation.  We decided to use email and Google documents as our means of communication and collaboration. With us having conflicting schedules, we were not able to chat online about the presentation, but found that email would work just fine.  Email was easier for me because I was out of town with a school function and unfortunately I couldn’t be at a computer most of the time from Sunday till Thursday, but I could check my email at any time.   Everyone was quick to respond to any emails sent.

     After several emails discussing the format of the speech, we agreed on who would do each part of the presentation.  After deciding to use PowerPoint for our presentation, each person added their information to a slide show template that Julia created.  Bethanie and I sent our completed PowerPoint slides to Julia and she uploaded the presentation to VoiceThread, sending us an email to let us know. Each of us then went into VoiceThread and recorded the audio for the presentation. 

My experiences using VoiceThread:  

     This was my very first experience using VoiceThread.  Late last week and earlier this week I reviewed the information that was posted in the course, created an account and later in the week made a practice VoiceThread to see how it actually works. I was very pleased that it was so easy to use and understand.  When it came time to record for the presentation, I was also very pleased to see that you could delete or save the audio you just created!  Made it easy if you had to do more than one take.

     I watched several of the VoiceThreads available on the website to get an idea of how people present.  I was not impressed with the amount of monotone speaking that occurred, or the ums and all that. There were also videos that were very informative and well designed.   I liked the Voicethreads that were made by people sharing pictures or things of a more personal nature that others had commented on. 
 
     I like the option to have comments be either typed, audio only or by video.  I think that makes it for people to use since they do not have to be on camera with the information they are sharing with students or in another type of presentation.

The use of VoiceThread in my presentation/professional life:

     As with so many of these tools, I can think of several ways that I will be using VoiceThread in my professional life.

1.     I currently teach Public Speaking online.  Instead of having the power points for the chapter posted, I will be recreating those with the use of VoiceThread. This will appeal to a wider audience as it will bring in those who learn best by hearing. 

2.    With one of the new ‘things’ being to flip the classroom, I can see recording my lectures- again with the use of PowerPoint, video and VoiceThread and posting to our LMS- BlackBoard.  Student will be able to hear the lecture as many times as needed, plus that will free up more class time to use as lab time.

3.    When I grade speeches, I can use this tool to provide feedback to student videos and/or outlines.  I believe it will make it much more personable.

4.    I will show this tool to other instructors in our Spring Professional Development program at my school.  Since the beginning of this class, I’ve been making a list of Web 2.0 tools that might interest my co-workers and that are not a hassle to use.  VoiceThread is much easier than Panopto which is what our school uses for recordings.

5.    I will try to introduce my College Success Skills course to this tool through one or more assignments.  Most likely, they would be using it to share their response to a discussion question. 

It's Mindomo Over Matter!!

It’s Mindomo Over Matter!

The name of the tool I chose to review this week is Mindomo, a tool I recently became familiar with by using the free version.  The URL for this tool is http://www.mindomo.com/  .  I consider this tool to be a critical thinking and productivity tool.

 Mindomo is an online Web 2.0 mind-mapping tool.  The program is available with the option of a free version or one for a monthly fee.  After reviewing several of the mind mapping tools from our options list and because I’m fairly new with most of these Web 2.0 programs, I eventually chose to review Mindomo.  I found that this tool was the easiest to use- providing the user with a simplistic and basic tool that still allowed users to be creative with the use of color and layout. As with a hand written mind map or one created with post-it notes, your map can be as simple or complex as the user chooses to create.

From the creation of the title/topic, it takes just a couple clicks to enter topics and subtopics.  The user is able to arrange these topic boxes in a variety of layouts or move with click and drag.  Within the boxes, a user can enter images, hyperlinks, notes and symbols to enhance to content on the map.  Several color themes are available to aid in creativity.  You can also create relationships between the boxes with the click of a button!

I found Mindomo to be easy to use. I know that there is so much more for me to learn about using this tool (technology is not my friend this week), but can see how it will be something I will definitely use in the future. 

Before using Mindomo, it’s good to have a basic understanding of the purpose and construction of a mind map.  You should have basic to intermediate computer skills. 

How do you use this tool? 

      1.       Go to Mindomo and create an account by clicking Sign up.

By entering your first and last name, email and password you can begin working with Mindomo!

2.       After creating an account, log into the program.

3.       This link will take you to a short  Screencast video explaining some of the basic instructions to using Mindomo.

                                          http://screencast.com/t/kCPGQMSLkSCw

4.        You can share your Mindomo map with others through email or you may print your map 

As an instructor, I could use Mindomo in the following ways:

1.      Mindomo can be used in my public speaking courses for a brainstorming activity.  For instance, when choosing topics for speeches I have students do an activity where in a small group they come up with 30 topics in 3 minutes.  After this list has been created they can choose one topic and then use this tool to develop what they will be speaking about.

Let’s say that a group chooses Michael Jackson.  There are many different ways a student might head on this topic: music, scandal, Thriller, early celebrity death, famous families, etc.  In preparing a speech, students must come up with three main points to talk about.  By creating a map with the Topic of MJ, subtopics and sub-subtopics students can brainstorm how they would break each idea down.  By doing so, the students would probably find that there was an area that they were the most interested in pursuing! With the numbering feature students could number their top choices 1-5 with 1 being the speech they most want to prepare and present for the class.  The mind mapping on Mindomo could be an assignment in itself to help students see how information relates (or doesn't relate).

In this same type of exercise- actually a precursor for the above example- students could complete the actual 30 topics in 3 minutes (although time might have to be extended) by using Mindomo.  The center topic would be ‘Topics’,  Subtopics would include “People”, “Places”, “Music”, “Sports”, “Current Events”, “Things”.  At this point, students would mind map their random topics under each heading. 

2.       Another idea for Mindomo is in the College Success Skills course that I teach.  In an exercise, students consider different careers they may be interested in. Mind mapping would allow the students to create a visual that might include education requirements, skills they already have, average salaries, advantages and disadvantages of each career. 

3.       As a teacher I can use Mindomo to show relation between different areas in speech preparation.  I think sometimes I forget that just because I see how it all fits together, some students don’t!  Mind mapping with Mindomo would create a great visual to tie the components of speech together.

4.       Mindomo can be used to take notes in class or as a template for students to fill in while listening to your lecture.

5.       Mindomo can be used as a group presentation brainstorming tool.  Instead of writing information on a piece of paper it can be recorded electronically and emailed to all groups participants immediately following the completion of the brainstorming session.

 

The advantages to using Mindomo are it is fairly easy to learn and use.  It has simple graphics and the maps are easy to create.  Mindomo allows the user to access a selection of images and symbols that can be incorporated in the map.

The disadvantages to using Mindomo are that the graphics and abilities of the program might be too simplistic for an advanced user and that lots of the ‘cool’ features such as imbedding your own pictures or videos are not available on the free version of the tool.