Week 5 - Online Communication tools

1. Have you ever used online communication tools in the classroom before? If so, detail your experiences. If not, what has prevented you from using online communication tools?

Because I am not yet a teacher, I have only ever used online communication tools in the classroom as a student, and then only sporadically. In middle and high school my use was restricted to computer classes generally, excepting the occasional email. Every student used word processing documents very often for English, history, and literature classes, but these had to be handed to the teacher on a specified date. If online communication was ever involved it was for the teacher who would accept a first draft to correct and return it to the student.

Much the same could be said about my undergraduate and graduate studies. Notable exceptions are online or distance-learning classes, which are conducted online in toto. Part of the reason for this is the ingrained conservatism in historical study. More importantly, though, is the subject matter, such as Latin or Greek language, is usually more easily transmitted (from the professors’ point-of-view) through standard communication. Still others think they do not have enough time to put together electronic presentations.

2. Identify one online communication tool you can use in the classroom and discuss how you will prepare your students for using this communication tool.

A very simple tool that is used widely in many different modes throughout contemporary society is electronic mail, or email. As mentioned above, this can be used to turn in practically any assignment as long as said assignment can be completed via digital media. I used the following example in my paper as to how email can both simplify the editing process and save vast amounts of time for both teacher and student:

An excellent example of which I have extensive personal experience was during my senior year at the University of the Cumberlands. At the time, I was writing a presidential research paper about the changes within the army of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. The final product was something around ninety pages. Imagine for a moment being my editor. Consider the convenience of reviewing the paper with Microsoft Word, for example, in your own home and your time of choosing. Compare that with having to meet a student who commutes to school, having lengthy discussion about sources, grammar, etc. Think also about the cost and time of constantly printing and reprinting almost one hundred pages (in addition to whatever projects you might have) as well as the amount of ink needed for thousands of words, over and over. My professor-editor, Dr. Charles Smith, was exceedingly helpful and promptly responded to my emails and could upload the entire paper including all notes, bibliographies, and appendices in a single email, with revisions to each. This simplification, not surprisingly, really reduces the stress of such an undertaking, but also of smaller projects. Of course, actually reading the document takes the same amount of time whether it is on paper or on the computer screen; all the peripheral actions done digitally, listed above, really shorten the time taken by both student and teacher to finish such a project.

It is easy to see the advantages of such a tool. As far as training my future students to utilize such a tool, they all should know how to use it by then. Nevertheless, students should be given explicit directions as to when to use email as well as appropriate ways of doing so, such as reinforcing proper grammar, spelling, etc.

Week Four - Powerpoint

Powerpoint presentations are digital programs that can be used in order to enhance the overall learning experience of students as well as easing the job of the instructor. Many powerpoint documents are quite simple, with only one or two fonts and few – if any – graphic representations. Aside from the main text, headers, footers and subheadings need to stand apart in order for students to understand the general topic or theme. One common technique is to use a larger font for any of those (headers, for example) so that students can clearly differentiate between topic and information. Definitions or key subjects can be represented in bold or italic form or even in a different color. Pictures might also be included to further emphasize a thought, such as a topographical map incorporated within a discussion of geography. Flashier presentations might also incorporate audio or even video features to go along with the text in an effort to be more engaging for the students, especially those who might have a bit of trouble understanding more advanced lessons, subjects or concepts. It is important to remember, however, that the foremost goal of using a powerpoint presentation in the classroom is to help students learn, not to provide a “lights & sounds” show. That being said, there is nothing wrong with simplicity. Lastly, keep with the subject at hand. The headers can be as useful to you as to the students; do not muddle the lesson.

The most important “feature” of powerpoint is the user, he who creates the presentation. Each user has their own personality, teaching style, etc. Some teachers might enjoy a more relaxed environment and use humor in their slides to break the monotony (How was the Roman Empire cut in half? With a pair of Caesars! Zing.) while others prefer a straightforward approach to the presentation itself and provide more in-depth commentary themselves. Also, the instructor must remind him- or herself not to make a powerpoint presentation the only means of unloading information onto the students nor the “answer key” for every assignment (i.e., do not put word for word questions with their accompanying answers on the powerpoint presentation and then use the exact same question in the same form on a test or quiz; I have witnessed this happen on several occasions).

For a sample powerpoint presentation, I have thought of a basic, five-slide introduction to the early years of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire. The first slide would be rather simplified summary of why the Roman Empire was split into two parts with an accompanying map. Second would come a timeline covering key events spanning the years 312-527 AD with a large, red heading entitled “Invasion!” helping to explain the transition of power from Western Europe to Eastern Europe. Third, a slide entitled “Byzantine Geography” which would help those students who think a bit more spatially understand the second slide. Several images would be in this slide, probably more prevalently than plain text. Fourth, we have a look at the institutional information (government, church, military and the fisc). The hypothetical limit of this example notwithstanding, the fourth slide might actually be split into multiple slides with sub-headers so that the information won’t be so condensed or muddled. The fifth and final slide would contain information about important individuals who lived towards the end of the time period covered, ca. 500-550 AD.

Work, Work, Work

Why must work schedules,
never relent, whenever
homework multiplies?

Week Three: Word Processing v. Desktop Publishing

Desktop publishing and word processors can be used in the classroom in various and sundry ways. Perhaps the most straightforward use is for each student to type out homework on a word processor. This eliminates the possibility of low marks due to poor handwriting ability and should also, due to spell check, reduce spelling errors. It is important to note, however, that the presence of problems with grammar as well as appropriate use of words probably will not change very much, as word processors do not monitor those sorts of errors. Nevertheless, just by using a word processor, students' writing abilities should also improve (even if only gradually) to where the latter two problems should decrease. Additionally, students can much more easily share documents produced by these programs via email or USB devices and now even through many different types of cellphones. If assigned to a group project, this last advantage would prove to be a huge boon. Finally, students can use these to add a few more options to how assignments can be completed. That is to say, the form can be varied, with multiple columns, extra frames, setting a typeface and so forth, instead of the regular single, large column on a blank sheet of paper (although it will also depend on each individual assignment and which format is necessary).
Teachers can also use either of these programs to make a large variety of documents: calendars, flyers, letterheads, flash cards, posters, booklets, brochures, newsletters, and so on and so forth ad nauseam. These also come with many different uses, whether as assignments or aids for study groups or individuals or even to help keep parents up-to-date on lesson plans or homework, etc. Again, based on these few examples, the greatest advantage is (simplified) communication. Just putting these thoughts/observations on this blog is an example simplifying communication. Using a word processor, I type out my spiel, run spell check, correct grammar mistakes (hopefully all of them), then copy and paste the document onto this site. Not only does that make my homework a bit easier, it is convenient for the prof. to view. She can then copy and paste it to a word processor from this blog post!

Blog Entry - Week Two

It’s obvious that technology is going to stick around for a while. Teenagers and children have far greater access to personal technology in contemporary times than any previous generation. The question is simple: how should we utilize technology in a way beneficial to its recipients?

Two rather basic computer programs which have numerous uses in the classroom are known as spreadsheet and excel (excel is a brand name spreadsheet software). It is simple enough so that both children and adults can learn how to use its main features in less than a day. Using our online readings, as well as an independent website, http://www.belmar.k12.nj.us/public/everyday_spreadsheets/ (hereafter referred to as Everyday Spreadsheets), I will discuss several general advantages of using spreadsheet as well as a few specific ways that teachers and students can use it.

Given that both programs can be transported in digital form, they both have an advantage of being shared to many different devices, e.g. a smart phone or laptop. This transfer of data can be expedited via a USB cable, a flash drive, or e-mail; it happens almost instantaneously, to boot. Also concerning speed, when these programs work from a computer processor nearly any calculation is resolved immediately. The instructor can use these programs to present several different charts, graphs or tables concurrently. This last advantage provides a boon to students due to the teacher’s ability to stimulate both audio and visual sensors, thereby triggering better response and, presumably, understanding.

The aforementioned benefits are generalized effects of spreadsheet and excel. Let us move on to more specific items for teachers as well as students. Personal and assignment schedules can be created with ease. What’s more, they can be edited and updated with minimum effort and saved onto other devices. Grade books can be designed to not only record scores but also convert numeric grades into letter grades with certain formulae, available from Everyday Spreadsheets. Rubrics and grade evaluation pages can be designed in a way similar to schedules, but obviously with different results. The authors from Everyday Spreadsheets also list lesson plans, time logs, charts and checklists as being available in various forms from spreadsheet and excel. Another example of using a spreadsheet, albeit a rather strange one, is by formatting the layout of the program in order to create a game. The example used in Everyday Spreadsheets is that of the well known game Battleship, which includes a sample image of what the “board” and “game pieces” look like once in play.

Personally, excel has been helpful to me while recording inventory while working at various retail businesses. Additionally, spreadsheet documents have been a great use to me for use as financial records, as well as keeping a catalog for my personal library. Although I am not a teacher, the above list provides a good starting point for the planning process.

Week One Blog Entry - Educational Technology

Starting with the basics: what is educational technology? Our introductory readings provide us with one possible definition, which reads “The application of science to the improvement of the human condition. Technology seeks to apply science to practical human endeavors for the benefit of people. Science is knowing and the pursuit of knowing. Technology is doing and the pursuit of effective and efficient ways of doing. If the definition of technology as ‘doing and the pursuit of ways of doing’ is accepted, then technology can be viewed as the use of both the process of doing and the products developed for doing it.” (Eisele and Eisele, 1990, pg. 3) A following pair of definitions, both quite broad, can also be used. The first, used by educators defines educational technology as “media that can be used in instruction”. Following that line of thought, almost anything could be described as educational technology. The second example as used by technologists states educational technology as “hardware available for the classroom”. (Lever-Duffy, McDonald, and Mizell, 2010, pg. 5) A specific example for using technology in the classroom is to aid students to learn the skills essential to the modern world, that is, the technological, digital world.

Although I am not yet a teacher, I aspire to fulfill the duties of that profession. So how can I teach myself to use appropriate technological media in classroom? It is provisionally true that individuals learn in different ways; it is universally true that individuals learn in different ways to their maximum potential. Realizing this, then, will go a long way in embracing technology in the classroom. Some students prefer to enter into discussions with the instructor; others listen passively, some not at all; still others desire to read quietly, while a few enjoy pictures and their captions; not all are diligent scribes nor accomplished test-takers. Every student falls somewhere among those categories though by no means is he or she limited to just one definition at any given time. Technology, if used appropriately, can accommodate virtually any student, despite his or her learning proclivities. Using a media program that possesses both audio as well as visual functions could overcome some of these issues, whereas e-books and electronic pens would do for the rest. A simple use for tracking students’ progress would be to use a basic spreadsheet or excel document. Consisting of rows and columns, such applications would be ideal for alpha-numeric records. They can be saved under any name, making organization very simple. Additionally, digital software can be stored as so many different forms and by numerous devices, a teacher could view it as easily on a smart-phone or television as on a computer. No longer must one be stuck to the desk in order to review or edit student assignments.

As a side note, I will probably be including parts of the blog in the weekly discussions to to bring some extra thoughts to the class site.

Crusade-Era Troops

Artists unknown.