The purpose of this blog is to demonstrate my learning throughout ITD 645 Computers in Education. In this blog post, I will summarize the lessons learned, learning tools used, and other final thoughts on this course. For the projects in this course, I worked with Kelly, Lindsey and Rachel. Links to their blogs and my other classmates’ blogs are listed in the blogroll. What I have learned in this class This semester has taught me a great deal about integrating technology into the classroom. I found the Design-Plan-Act (D-P-A) and the Dynamic Instructional Design (DID) planning models very helpful. Unlike other lesson planning models, step 4 of the DID model, select support technologies, asks the teacher to consider the best technology to support the previously stated learning objectives. This allows teachers to be more intentional about the technology used in their lessons. The textbook for this course was a great resource for the different types of technology especially as it relates to students with diverse needs. I was previously unaware of the vast technology options available for students with special needs, gifted students and culturally diverse learners. My program attracts many foreign students, so I am grateful to have a resource to reference that may provide these students with assistive technologies. Discussions on the ethical and legal implications to consider when adding technology into a classroom environment have been instructive. When using online resources or teaching an online course, a teacher must consider copyright laws, academic integrity, student privacy and many other legal/ethical implications that could impact their students and their classroom. Lastly, I (re)learned a lot about the United States through our 6th grade social studies class! "Who knows the states and the capital cities," I do, I do! Learning tools used in ITD 645 Below is a summary of the learning tools used in this course. I will briefly describe each tool, how it can help in the classroom, and say whether or not I will use it in my classroom. Digital Textbook and Chapter Video Clips – I purchased the digital version of the textbook. The book was easy to use and searching through the book for specific material was much quicker than using a traditional book. However, some of the additional resources, like the videos, did not work in my textbook. I was only able to view the chapter video clips that were provided by the instructor. I found these to be extremely helpful as I am primarily a kinesthetic and visual learner. Although I did not find a need for the advanced note taking features of the digital textbook, the add-on video clips were very beneficial. Many of my students do not purchase textbooks because of the price. The discounted price was a draw for me with this digital textbook. I would be interested in offering my students a book that came with a digital version to encourage them to read beyond the provided PowerPoint slides. Weebly Blog – I really enjoyed creating and editing this blog via Weebly. My group also created our course website here. The Weebly platform was very easy to use and provided various design options that allowed me to express my creativity. The free version also comes with many tools to add pictures, spacers and other design features that can be manipulated easily. Despite really enjoying learning about and using this tool, I will not be implementing this tool in my classroom. I considered using it to have my students create lab notebooks, but ultimately decided against this idea due to the public nature of blogs. I think this tool fits in much better at the master’s level in a course like this that is designed for students to reflect upon their learning experiences. GroupMe – My group used the GroupMe application to communicate about our projects. In addition to the chat feature, users can upload files and even connect via Skype without an account. I shared this application with my students, and several of them use it to create study groups. Microsoft Teams – My group used Microsoft Teams to have a weekly video conference to discuss our group projects. During the video call, we were able to share links and files in the meeting chat dialogue box. Being able to video chat with my group helped me to get to know them better and feel more connected to them. We were easily able to plan our projects using this application. Although I enjoyed using teams, my university uses Zoom for teleconferencing, so I do not have access to use this application in my classroom. Google survey, document and presentation – Using Google for these projects was user-friendly and would benefit teachers where students did not have access to the Microsoft Suite or other products. Since my university provides these to students, I do not plan on using these in my classroom. Podcast – Creating the podcast was fun! I had to research the topic, create a script, then use recording software to create an MP3 file. While I am proud of the final product and enjoyed the process, I do not see this being useful in my classroom. Last spring when the pandemic hit, I created voice-over PowerPoint presentations that I posted to a private YouTube channel for my students. They said that they found it difficult to concentrate on these presentations. Since the podcast does not have any visuals, I am concerned that students would be less motivated to study it. Since the creation of the podcast took considerable time and effort, this would not be a good time investment if students were not using this technology. However, this is a valuable tool. If I would use this in a future class, it would be as a student-created podcast where they would demonstrate their learning. WeVideo – WeVideo is a video editing application where users can edit videos and add elements like text and sound. Similar to the podcast, video creation is a time-consuming process. Also, most video editors require users to upgrade to a paid version in order to access the most needed features. Despite these drawbacks, I would consider using WeVideo or another similar video editor in order to create how-to videos that demonstrate competency skills for my students to reference outside of class. EdPuzzle – EdPuzzle is an application that creates interactive videos. Teachers can search videos on other applications like YouTube and modify these videos with quiz questions and voice overs. I have several classes where students are assigned videos to watch. I like that the assessment is integrated into the video without the teacher having to create a worksheet to go along with the video. I will definitely be upgrading the videos in my classroom with EdPuzzle. Padlet – Padlet is an application that allows users to create a digital memo board. Users can share their Padlet so that groups of people can contribute to the same board. Memos consist of images, uploaded files, google links and many other resources. I will share this tool with my students. The MLS program has a comprehensive final exam, and at the culmination of the program, each student will have to sit for a national certification exam. Since Padlet functions as a memo board, this would be a good resource for students to use to collect online resources and share study resources with other students. Quizizz – Teachers can create interactive quizzes through Quizizz. It offers many customizable features, and out of all of the other quiz applications that I have tried, Quizizz feels most like a true gaming experience. I have already used Quizizz in my classroom for the comprehensive final exam review. My students loved it! I quizzed my students in class and assigned it to them to play for additional review. I will use it in the future. (Class code for example quiz: 3206786) Rubistar – Rubistar is a rubric making application with many customizable rubric templates. It is easy to use if the rubric you need falls into one of the pre-set formats. Most of the rubrics I use are for skills assessment. Since this is not one of the preset rubrics, it is not likely that I will use this application in the future. Thinglink – This application allows users to create interactive images. Teachers can imbed images, videos, and links that users can explore through. This could be useful to demonstrate a process in an image. I would like to integrate this to explain complex human physiology concepts to my students. By including an interactive component, Thinglink targets many different learning styles. Scoop.It – This application is similar to padlet. However, Scoop.It links to topics “scooped” by other users. In padlet, only people with access to the share link can add content. This Scoop.It feature would potentially expose students to people or content that I could not control as a teacher. I would like to learn more about this product before deciding on whether to use it in my classroom. Strengths and Weaknesses My greatest strength is also my weakness. I am excited to try new technology and enjoy experimenting with new learning tools; however, I often lack the time to adequately troubleshoot the technology. Overbooking my time commitments and diverting my energy to the newest learning tool squeezes the time for adequate planning of each lesson. As a new instructor with a heavy workload, learning to slow down and manage my time more efficiently will allow me to more meaningfully integrate these new technologies into my lessons. I was most excited to learn about the DID model because it gives a framework for teachers to thoughtfully place technology into each lesson. Although I do not see myself committing to writing a formal lesson plan for each class, I did write the DID model on a sheet that hangs above my desk. This serves as a simple reminder of what I must consider for each lesson. Future learning goals I am committed to staying well-informed on new educational technologies. I have enjoyed taking ITD courses this spring and summer, and I would like to obtain the Instructional Technology certificate in conjunction with my master’s in medical laboratory science. Beyond the scope of this degree, I aspire to become a faculty leader at the Center for Innovative Teaching and Engagement at FranU. This is a faculty group that works to provide continuing education and support for faculty. They have already helped me so much as a new faculty member, and I would love to contribute to the profession as a whole through this group.
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Chapter 10: Question 1 Project ten years into the future. You have now been a classroom teacher for the past 7-8 years. Technology has probably changed significantly between the time you completed your student teaching and now. What options have you considered – and perhaps taken – to stay current in technology? The vocation of teaching is a calling to lifelong learning. My favorite thing about teaching is that it is truly different every day. I distinctly remember one conversation I had with my mom as a teenager. She was helping me figure out where to apply to college and what I would like to study. Like many teenagers, I was clueless. However, I knew one thing with absolute certainty; I did not want a job where I did the same predictable thing each day. I wanted to study anything that would keep my problem-solving brain active, and teaching is just that career. 7 strategies for staying stay up-to-date with new educational technologies: 1. Read blogs, magazine and journal articles on educational technology 2. Attend continuing education events 3. Collaborate with colleagues to create a faculty group dedicated to this topic 4. Obtain a doctorate in education with a focus on instructional technology 5. Be observant of new technologies in the business and healthcare sectors and think of how these could creatively and cost-effectively be integrated into the classroom. 6. Collaborate with business partners in the community to host training sessions/demonstrations for teachers, students and/or parents on emerging technologies in their sectors to promote discussions and create a relationship with these innovative members of the community 7. Attend annual meetings in the MLS community and speak with vendors to discuss emerging technologies in the healthcare sector What does the future hold? The current pandemic is a good example of why it is difficult to predict what the next ten years will look like in our classrooms. Although it is difficult to endure, it is creating an exciting catalyst for educational technology. It is causing people to ask questions about how we currently educate our students, how should we be educating our students, and what changes are we willing to make as a society to implement those changes. Chapter 9: Question 2 There is a fine line between students’ right to express themselves (freedom of speech) and the requirement that educators must protect all students from inappropriate commentary and invasion of privacy. How will you handle balancing your student’s right to express and the requirement that they behave as good digital citizens when using technology in school? Give examples. The textbook lists several ways that teachers and administrators can help protect student’s privacy. These include developing and training teacher and students on the contents of an acceptable use policy, installing software to block inappropriate online content and having monitoring systems in place to prevent use of personal information or applications. The text also reports that many of the software and monitoring systems used by school systems are inadequate to protect students from inappropriate content. So, teachers must be vigilant when students are using online technologies in the classroom. At first, I was having trouble finding my way to an answer. Then, it occurred to me that this concept is not new in schools. I attended a small, Catholic high school. We had to cut our hair a certain way, ensure that our skirts were the correct length, and had free-dress days that were anything but free. Even when I taught in the public school setting, there were policies on students wearing branded, offensive or discriminatory items to school on free-dress days. Even clubs for children, like the Scouts, teach the meaning of being a good citizen. The concept of free speech being restricted in order to protect students has always been a responsibility of school systems. My three recommendations Although I teach adults, many of the same issues still apply. As an instructor I can protect student’s privacy while allowing them to have free speech by: 1. Limiting the sharing of their personal information. We often post pictures of our students in order to promote the MLS profession or our program. All students are given the option to opt out of this when they enter our program. We also notify students before we share their picture. Students are given the opportunity to opt out even though they signed the consent form. Students get excited about our social media posts and often want to contribute. This is a great way to allow students freedom of speech while also protecting their privacy since the post will be submitted under FranU MLS and not their personal accounts. This also helps students understand the difference between a personal and professional post. 2. Choosing online applications that offer anonymity. Most online course information is shared through Moodle – the university’s learning management system. When choosing outside applications, I select ones that allow for my students to use a false name. I have previously used Nearpod and Kahoot in my classroom. Both applications allow students to either generate a false name or type in a pseudonym. The project for this week, Quiziz, has the same option. 3. Instructing students on the rules of Netiquette. Although cyberbullying is talked about more in a K-12 setting, I have had issues this semester with my adult students sending rude messages to each other during our Zoom classes. One student was upset that another student was answering my questions quickly. Although I asked this student to please allow time for other students to answer, the upset student took it upon herself to also message her each time that she answered a question. This hurt the eager student and in turn, she began to not speak at all in class. Since they were privately messaging each other, I did not know that this was going on while I was teaching. The eager student reported this to my program director, so with this knowledge, we were able to remind students of the rules of netiquette that we set out at the beginning of the semester. Teach good citizenship whether face-to-face or online The term digital citizenship is unfamiliar to my students. Many of them are just beginning to understand that their actions will potentially affect them for the rest of their careers. This is truer in the K-12 setting. Therefore, it is our responsibility, along with parents, to help guide students to be contributing citizens in their in-person and digital communities. Skills like defending an argument in a respectful way, recognizing the validity a source and contributing to the community in a meaningful way are important for teachers to push in their classrooms whether face-to-face or in a digital format. My learning experiences I was responsible for creating the Quizizz for my group. I wanted to complete this project because I use Kahoot in my classroom, but I am not satisfied with its features. Quizizz did not disappoint. The free version includes access to many already created public quizzes that a teacher could use in their classroom. This is not the same in Kahoot which has limited features in the free version. For teachers wanting to create their own quiz, the customization options in Quizizz are great. Teachers can choose from multiple choice, checkbox, fill-in-the-blank, poll and open-ended questions. Images can be inserted in the question and as answer choices as well. Teachers can assign the quizzes synchronously or asynchronously as homework. The teacher can monitor student performance in real time. After the quiz is complete, the teacher gets immediate feedback on difficult questions and can export an excel document with student scores. I have also noticed many features in Quizizz that I have not had the time to try. For instance, teachers can duplicate the quiz, print it out, and share it with other instructors. Teachers can also turn the quiz into flashcards as a review. Quizizz is also easily shared with students through a link, Google classroom, Remind, Canvas, Schoology, Microsoft Teams and Twitter! In comparison to Kahoot, Quizizz intensifies the gamification experience. Quizizz allows students to play as avatars, includes in-game power-ups that students can achieve, and allows the teacher to create memes that play after correct/incorrect answers to enhance the game experience. I had so much fun creating Uncle Sam memes to incorporate into this quiz. Additionally, Kahoot has a word limit in the question stem. Since my quiz questions usually include charts with laboratory results for my students to interpret, I had to significantly modify the types of questions that I asked students. This is not a problem with Quizizz. I was so thrilled by the features in Quizizz that I created one for my final exam review this summer. My students had a blast. I even caught some of them laughing out loud when viewing the memes that I created. Quizizz really brings joy into the classroom. Chapter 8: Question 1 Have you had any distance education or blended course experiences? Try to remember what were the benefits and the disadvantages of that experience. If you have not had either type of course, try to imagine what it would be like and what characteristics of it you would like and which ones you would not. Why? I have had three experiences with distance education. During my undergraduate experience at LSU, I began to take an asynchronous English class online. The instructor did not provide detailed instructions and did not return my emails. I should have seen this as a sign. After receiving a failing grade on my first assignment, which was my only F during my entire college career, I dropped the course. I did not see a way of being successful when I could not understand what was required of me. Distance learning requires the instructor set clear expectations and keep open lines of communication especially at the beginning of a course.
My second experience with distance education is through this master’s degree program. All my classes have been asynchronous which affords me the opportunity to maintain a family and a career during the process. Canvas has been the most user-friendly learning management system that I have experienced so far. I used Blackboard as student at LSU, and I use Moodle at my current job. I often wonder if Canvas is as user friendly for instructors as it is for students. Due to discussion boards, communication apps and blogging, I feel more connected with my peers than in traditional face-to-face courses. As a kinesthetic and visual learner, I have enjoyed learning through observing how my peers think through or complete assignments. I am inspired to go further in my work by seeing their work products. I have only had one negative experience through this online format. Again, it was with an instructor that did not provide clear expectations or consistent communications. The assessments did not align with the course materials. Although I am an intrinsically motivated person, I did not feel the desire to put forth much effort into the course, and in the end, I learned very little about the course topic. My last experience with distance education is through my current job. Unlike my experience as a student, we are using synchronous learning. Having a synchronous environment is extremely challenging. It takes longer to teach the course material; it is difficult to gauge each student’s comprehension of the topic during presentations; and the school has not had the budget to provide the instructors with resources to support this style of teaching. I am trying to find an advantage in the current situation, but as of now, I am at a loss. My laboratory courses are currently taught face-to-face. This means that a typical day starts online, consists of using my lunch to drive to campus, and finishes with my students face-to-face. I am expected to teach the same content and deliver the same assessments as before. Without being able to freely adapt the course to a distance or blended learning format has robbed the courses of the flexibility that distance education offers. I enjoy learning in a distance learning format and think that it offers many benefits to students and teachers. However, students that lack adequate study skills and focus struggle with distance education. Many of my students fall into this category. When given the time to create appropriate content and provide timely feedback to students, teachers can create distance learning environments that can benefit students who are self-motivated and need a flexible schedule. My Learning Experiences This week I took the lead of the interactive video using EdPuzzle. I was glad to get this part of the group project since I often use videos in my courses. EdPuzzle is easy to use. Teachers can search for videos from a variety of sources like YouTube, National Geographic and others. There are several editing features as well. Teachers can trim videos, add voice overs and informal assessment questions. These can be open ended, multiple choice or included as an audio note. After editing the video, teachers can assign the video to a cohort and receive data on student participation and performance. The free version only allows a teacher to have create 20 interactive videos. This is a potential downside to using this system. I can see the utility of this product for my classes in the future. Chapter 7: Question 4 What are the challenges you faced with when integrating Web resources into classroom teaching and learning? Any resolution suggestions? Challenges Using Technology I have encountered several challenges when selecting web resources to integrate into my lesson. The first challenge is finding appropriate sources that are free of charge or free of advertisements. Many of these resources were originally developed for medical or nursing students. Due to the high demand for these products among those student populations, it is difficult to find health-related content at the appropriate learning level that does not come at a premium. Another challenge, that I mentioned in a precious post, is the lengthy process of university approval before integrating web-based applications into the classroom. Our IT department must vet all web resources, applications and software that contain student data. Until this process is complete, I am unable to use the tool in the classroom. It is been months since I requested to use Kahoot in my classroom, and it is still not approved. Differences in technology on campus and on students’ personal devices has also been an issue in the past. I have tested web-based applications at home that were not supported on the university equipment. Each classroom at the university is configured differently as well. I have been able to use a digital tool in one classroom but not in another. Additionally, several students have had computer or phone connectivity and compatibility issues. Potential solutions Despite these trials, web-based applications have greatly enhanced my lessons. I can expose my students to a variety of multimedia, introduce gamification and other interactive learning experiences and create collaborative learning scenarios that I would not be able to do without the internet! A potential solution to finding web-based content appropriate for my students that is free of advertisements is to create some of my own! I would love to work with other faculty members in the health professions department to make movie stories and other case-study based formats that could benefit multiple student populations at my university. As a new instructor still working on my master’s degree, this goal will be more achievable once my master’s degree is complete. The faculty at my university have banded together for a potential solution to our lengthy IT process. We have presented university leadership with several options for student engagement platforms to purchase. We have had many faculty meetings to debate which of these technologies would benefit the most students on campus. A proposal was put towards administration just before the pandemic, so hopefully, once we can return to a more normal operating budget, this proposal will be revisited by administration. I do not believe there is a permanent solution to encountering technical issues with instruction technology. Part of using technology is troubleshooting like we experience in this course with WeChat. Attending continuing education classes on education technology and having a back-up plan is all that a teacher can do to combat this problem. My Learning Experiences I have enjoyed working with and learning from my group members this week. We chose the setting of a 6th grade social studies classroom in Mississippi. Our lesson is entitled, “Where in the USA?” Our goal is to help students describe and use geography tools and explain the factors that give meaning to a place. We continued to use GroupMe for communication and file sharing and Microsoft Teams for video conferencing. We were able to divide up the projects easily and have all had great suggestions on how our team members can improve their work. I love seeing how creativity manifests in each of my group members. Our final product has been enhanced by working as a team. My main project contribution this week was the podcast. A weakness of mine is integrating storytelling into my lessons. I wanted to attempt the podcast as a challenge because I could not rely on images or other tools to create an engaging lesson. Since we were teaching about the regions of the United States in our lesson, I wanted to showcase the following concepts:
I had some technical issues when recording the podcast. My microphone settings were not compatible with Vocaroo or the Microsoft voice recorder at first. I had to download patches for my computer and adjust the microphone settings until I was able to get a clear recording. This was also my first time uploading a MP3 file and sharing a Google document. Consequently, I learned many applicable skills that I can apply to my classroom. I would love to use this podcast idea in a flipped classroom. Students could submit a MP3 file as evidence of their work. By sharing these files, it would create an audio study guide to engage with auditory learners and encourage students to be more descriptive with their answers. I am proud to present the lesson, “Where in the USA?” by Lauren DeLaune, Kelly Hudson, Lindsey Jones and Rachel Long
Reflections on working in a group Working with my group members has been a very positive experience. After the technical difficulty with WeChat, my group used GroupMe to chat and Microsoft Teams to video conference about the assignment. These technologies kept the communication lines open and efficient despite our varying work schedules and busy home lives. My favorite thing about my group is its diversity. We are all in various stages of our careers, interested in teaching different grade levels and subjects, and have many different experiences with multiple technologies. Overall, I was surprised at how cohesive the decision-making process went with my group members. We each fell into our project roles easily and were able to make valuable contributions to the grant proposal. My major contribution: The DPA model lesson plan My major contribution to the group project was creating the DPA model lesson plan. This was very challenging for me to complete. I have written very few lesson plans in my career, and none in the prescriptive way that is required by the DPA model. Although I will most likely not create complete DPA lesson plans for my college courses, several aspects of this lesson plan model will be useful to me. Stating specific lesson benchmarks to create a real-time revision plan (or Check for Success) is helpful. I generally get a sense of when my students are struggling; however, I like how deciding on specific criteria before a lesson is taught takes the guess work out of the equation. I want to start implementing this in my courses this summer! I also enjoyed that this document was short and could be referenced from year to year. I am currently using lesson materials created by other people. These PowerPoints, worksheets and other documents have been edited over the years by various people. Many of these documents are older versions that contain errors because the new version was lost during personnel transitions. Without a master lesson plan to work from, I spend much of my time trying to decipher which of these documents are relevant, need editing, and would best fit the learners in my classroom. Additionally, I only teach each course once a year in the MLS program. I highly doubt that I will remember the decisions I am making today in 12 months. Although creating the lesson plan was time consuming, I believe that it will save planning time in the future and is worth the time investment. Please click below to review “The Ideal 21st Century Classroom” presented by Lauren DeLaune, Kelly Hudson, Lindsey Jones, and Rachel Long.
Chapter 6: Question 2 Learning content within the framework of a language that is not your native language can be challenging. Consider how you would respond to this challenge. What technologies would help you if you were facing learning new content in another language? Technology for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners Learning content in a new language is challenging. Students struggle with pronunciation and spelling, the meaning of slang and idioms and keeping up with the pace of a fluent speaker. Free technology, like Google Translate, is beneficial. It has the capability to translate words and phrases, provide an audio of the translation and include pictures and other forms of the word. Dictation software, like Dragon for PC or MAC, can help students who need extra time to process information and take notes. The voice recognition in the software turns speech into a text document. For students learning in a new language, this document can be studied at the student’s own pace. This also removes the dialect from the teacher’s speech that can be difficult for new language learners to process. If this type of software is not available, Microsoft OneNote, and other free technologies, also have the capability to record notes. Ear buds or headphones would help the new language learner to use these technologies without disrupting other students in class. Chapter 6 discussed how teachers can help students learn in a new language by using comprehensible input. This input is understood by the student even when they do not completely understand all the words being spoken. When students are first learning, teachers need to include a variety of learning tools like visuals, guided vocabulary and hands-on learning opportunities so that students can associate the new words with other representations of the concept. By scaffolding the content in this way, the teacher can transition the student from explicit rules and guidelines to more inquiry-based exploration of the concept using their language skills. Learning STEM topics in a new language While researching this topic, I looked for information that particularly referenced how to incorporate strategies for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) learners in science classrooms. I found a great article entitled Effective STEM Education Strategies for Diverse and Underserved Learners. In this article, the author, Okhee Lee, cites several ways that science teachers can ensure equitable learning opportunities for this student population. Not unlike other types of learners, the key to helping students learn STEM topics in a new language is to include their cultural knowledge and practices. Lee argues that students are more likely to engage in discussions using scientific reasoning and arguments when they see the lesson as relevant to their unique multicultural or social perspective. Lee also mentions using comprehensible input. One example used in the article was to have the student compare the terms “grow” and “divide” in English and in their native language while discussing the topic of metamorphosis. Students can explore the science topic while deepening their understanding of linguistics. How would I react to learning in a new language
If I was learning in a different language, I would be hesitant to participate or ask questions. As an introverted person, I would hate to feel singled out in a classroom for being different. I would rather stubbornly find the answers on my own rather than expose my misunderstanding to my teacher and peers. Reading about metamorphosis has me making the cheesy connection between butterflies and our students. Our job is to help them develop and thrive, and new technologies have enabled learners with culturally and linguistically diverse needs to do just that by blending more easily into the classroom environment. Furthermore, including topics relevant to various cultures, enriches the experiences of all students in the classroom. Chapter 5: Question 2 Recall a class where presentation software, such as PowerPoint, was used. Did you enjoy the experience? Was it easy to take notes? Did you stay focused on the presentation, or did your attention drift into other thoughts? Could the presentation have been modified to make it more interactive, more interesting? How? Select a grade level and subject matter that you would most want to teach. How you would use three different types of academic software to teach a specific topic. Explain why you selected these three academic software packages. Experience with PowerPoint Presentations I graduated from the same medical laboratory science (MLS) program in which I am currently teaching. All the courses used PowerPoint as the main mode of content delivery. I had mixed opinions on the use of PowerPoint presentations in these courses. Since it was many years ago, the school did not have Wi-Fi access or require laptops for all students. We had to print out the PowerPoint presentations in order to follow along with the instructor. Therefore, note taking was not easy. I would print out the presentation 4 slides per page (front and back) to save on the cost of paper, so I was limited to note taking in the margins. Each of the PowerPoint presentations were 80-150 slides long. In some courses, this made sorting and focusing on the content challenging. Additionally, the presentations were in strange colors and formats that made printing and editing difficult. Despite these downsides, I enjoyed the predictability of this form of presentation. As a young, introverted student and independent learner, I enjoyed being a passive learner in the classroom and classes that did not expose my weaknesses to my classmates. I enjoyed reorganizing the material in my own time in a format that I could use to make connections between the material that was taught in several of my classes. I still have mixed feelings about these presentations. Although some changes have been made to update, shorten and enhance the printability of these PowerPoints, many are almost the same as I received over 10 years ago. The program director explained to me that most of our students do not buy the textbooks to save money. She feels obligated then to cram very bit of information into these presentations. This explains why the presentations are so lengthy! These PowerPoints can be improved in three main areas. First, the number of slides and amount of information on each slide can be condensed. Secondly, the addition of multimedia and hyperlinks could break up the monotony and accommodate different learning styles. Lastly, making changes that enhance a student’s ability to edit the PowerPoint and print it out can improve student note taking and study capabilities. I have begun making these changes, but as a new instructor, it is very time consuming to edit each slide in these lengthy presentations. I see why it has taken the program years to make the small improvement that have been made. Selecting three academic software options
I love teaching college students in the MLS program. The three software packages that would be the most beneficial to my students are tutorial software, concept mapping software and authoring software. It is difficult to find educational software that is targeted to MLS students. Since the profession does not treat patients, we must analyze healthcare results from a different perspective than other medical and health professions. Software packages developed for the medical community are not normally suited for MLS students. Before this course, I was found Khan Academy YouTube videos on various human anatomy and physiology topics. I would use them as a quick refresher before I taught some confusing topics like renal physiology. Chapter 5 exposed me to the Khan Academy website. It is a free tutorial software program that includes learning modules broken up by short quizzes. It has a human anatomy and physiology section that is not biased towards a certain health profession. Now that I am aware of the website and the quiz options, I can see integrating this as a review aid for exams or for students that are struggling with the course material. Concept mapping software would greatly benefit MLS students. Many students struggle with critical thinking and making higher level connections between different courses within the program. By having students create concept maps in small groups, they will be exposed to how other people think and learn the material. The MLS student population is diverse. Although they have all taken science courses, the program has many non-traditional students that bring insightful life-experiences into the learning environment. My students often learn best from each other, and concept maps could be used as a tool for them to communicate about their learning while making deeper connections with the material. I already use authoring software, and I find it very effective. I have used Nearpod and Kahoot. Both software programs have options for gamification and increase active learning. Distance learning has taken classroom clickers out of the equation. Kahoot and other similar programs have given educators the ability to still use polls and quizzes for real-time student comprehension assessment, student opinion polls and exciting exam reviews. Like other education technologies, the implementation has had some hiccups. Some of my students were not able to download the application needed to play the Kahoot for our last exam review. They were able to watch me play it over Zoom, but it did not have the same interactive experience. Using feedback from classmates in this ITD 645 class, I have researched an option for using the Kahoot app through Microsoft Teams. My university does not have the Teams app as part of its Office 365 suite. If anyone knows of another way to help my student, I would really appreciate the advice! Chapter 4: Question 4 You will no doubt have a variety of technologies to use in your school and in your classroom. Do you feel you are ready to make the most of these technologies to help you teach and help your students learn? What can you do to further prepare yourself? Initially after reading this question I could only list a handful of technologies that I used in my classroom. After reading chapter 4, I realized that I was taking for granted even basic technologies like printers, projectors, and other hardware/software that I use daily. I compiled a list of the technologies that I interacted with just in the last two weeks of teaching:
After reviewing this list, I have used almost every technology mentioned in chapter 4! I feel comfortable using these technologies in my classroom and consider myself an advanced user with most of these technologies. Improvement opportunities
One area that I would like to improve on is data analysis using technologies like ExamSoft and Excel. For example, ExamSoft provides meaningful analysis on exam taker results and individual assessment items. It also has the capability to track course and program outcomes. The instructor must tag assessment items to the larger course and program outcomes. This data is then incorporated into the course reports at the end of each semester. Course reports also include student course evaluation results and instructor suggestions for course improvement. Last spring semester I had to complete course reports for the first time. The data from the assessment items on the course reports were far lower than the student’s overall course performance. Analyzing this data raised many questions for me. Are the course outcomes appropriate? Am I teaching the appropriate outcomes effectively? Are the appropriate assessment items being used to evaluate student learning outcomes? What other items could be used to evaluate student learning outcomes? Considering that our students have had a 100% pass rate on their national board exam for the last 12 years, why are our assessment scores and course report scores so much lower than their national board exam scores? I am certain that technology tools like ExamSoft and Excel can help to explain many of these questions. In order to further prepare myself, I would need to learn more about the design and analysis of program/course outcomes. This will be through continuing education events and reading blog and tutorials on these products. Additionally, I will seek out more information from colleagues at my university and from other MLS programs in the region. Chapter 3: Question 1 Using the DID Steps, identify which step will be the hardest for you to complete and why. Describe ways in which you can over come this difficulty to be come a successful teacher. The Dynamic Instruction Design (DID) model helps teachers create a lesson that integrates instructional technology. This cyclical model consists of five steps:
Overcoming time constraints As a new teacher enrolled in a master’s program with a busy household, I have been contemplating how I will overcome the time crunch for several months now. I have tried time management techniques, but I started to realize that I am over scheduled and will be for the foreseeable future. Now that I must come up with an answer, I realize that the solution is to act. I can create a short, bulleted list of teaching and learning strategies for one lesson. Eventually over the next several years, I will be able to develop this practice for all the lessons in all of the courses that I teach. Does anyone else ever fall into the trap of an all or nothing approach? |