CEP 812 Final Blog Reflection

What a journey it has been the last months. I have learned a lot about integrating technology into the curriculum. I finally know how to create a WebQuests, build a website and a stair project. I gave the projects to my afterschool staff to use with the children. I am happy to use web 2.0 tools such as Google Docs, Wikispaces, Netvibes, and Wikipedia. I am impress with myself that I learned how to blog. I am able to record a podcast. Overall these classes taught me a lot about emerging technologies.

Cooperative learning plays a big role in educational technology. Students can work together in groups on projects such as  weather reports, PowerPoint presentations, and podcasts. One of the teaching strategies that I learned regarding technology is plan, test, and retest because technology in not always reliable.

I have met some of my personal goals regarding technology integration. I am more knowledgeable and able to bring new technology ideas to my workplace. I have join a few forums to keep myself up to date with information. Also, I can network with other technology professionals.

In the future, I would like to earn a Masters degree in educational technology and maybe a PhD. I will continue to join forums and attend technology conferences. Also, I want to join some professional organizations. Attending Michigan State University's certificate program in educational technology is one of the best career decisions that I made to better myself. Hopefully, I can get a job in the field of educational technology and higher education.

Project Evaluation Blog Entry

This project was very challenging and demanding. I picked online education because I wanted to offer an alternate way to learn for my co-workers. It is hard for employees at my workplace to take classes due to work schedules and family obligations. I currently work nights so it is hard for me to go back to school to improve my skills.

The first thing I would do differently is to develop an outline on the topic. Secondly, I will plan how I will research the topic. Planning is very important when writing a research paper. Some advice I would give others students is to find professional organizations that will help you research your topic. Plan early. Planning is a crucial part of your research. It is very time consuming and difficult. I wanted to find the best articles to give me enough information for my project. I have plenty of articles but I did not have enough information for the TechQuest.

If I do this project again, I would talk to professionals that had developed and taught online classes. It is very important to get feedback from experience professionals. Secondly, I would join a forum on online learning and network with other educators. Also, I would create a survey for my co-workers to get their views on online learning. Overall this was a great experience for me. It was a challenge. I am happy that I had the opportunity to do this project because it will help prepare me for other projects when I start working on an advance degree.

Project Implementation Blog Entry-Podcast

Here is my podcast post.

CEP 812 Internet Research Part 2

In addition to the articles that I found on several educational databases, I found some articles on Sloan Consortium.org.  I will focus on implementing online education at the workplace. Also, I will get some background information and the philosophy on using Moodle. 

The web links: http://moodle.org/about/

http://docs.moodle.org/en/Philosophy

I researched on the INACOL website and I found a great resource called ‘Getting started with online Education.” Here is the link: http://www.onlineprogramhowto.org/ 

 I joined a forum on developing online courses. While researching on the Internet, I used key words, terminology, and the advanced search engine on Google.

CEP 812 Internet Research for TechQuest Project

Using the Internet as a resource was quite challenging and demanding.  The Internet is full of so much information.  At times, it was difficult to find what you are looking for.  Before I began my search, I decided that I wanted current information.  I wanted to focus on the years between 2008-2006. First, I begin with a Google search.  I wanted specific articles on creating online classes using Moodle. There were many websites that I found related to e-learning and online education but I did not find too much information on Moodle.

 After reading the Valenza article, I wanted to try a few of the websites that was mentioned. I am not impressed with Google Scholar. There were not many articles or journals available.  I decided to research educational technology organizations. They have the most current and informative information. Unfortunately, I did not have access to the trade journals because you had to be member of the organization to download the articles. Next, I tried to research on the Michigan e library. I had to be a resident of Michigan to access the database. 

So I decided on the New York City Public Library. The database that I used was EBSCO host which is one of the best databases that schools use in the library. Then I used the Michigan State University Library. I used the education full text database on Wilson Web.  I was able to find some articles on online education but it was not enough of information.  So I change my keywords to e-learning and used an advanced search. I was hoping that I will get more search results. There were many results but the articles did not relate to my project.  I was able to save a few of them for future use. Then I continued to research by using merlot.org and sloanconsortium.org.

I did not find any other individuals that attempted my project.  I looked for videos on Youtube and Teachertube but I did not find anything that I can use for the project.  I learned that researching is a long process. My advice to students is to begin early. Also, write down all of your resources and keywords before you begin your search.  Next time when I restart my search, I will concentrate on using databases.  

CEP 812 Project Description Revised

Here is a revised version of my TechQuest. I will focus on my workplace.

Educational Need:

The educational need is to provide online training and professional development in the workplace to employees.

My TechQuest focus will be online training and professional development for employees of the recreation center. Many employees do not have the time to take classes to improve their skills in the workplace. In today’s society, employees must stay competitive in the workplace. One issue for employees is the lack of time for training. During the last few years, the economy has taken a turn for the worst. The national unemployment rate is 9.6. To cut cost, companies have laid off workers to save money. Implementing online training by using Moodle is a practical and cost saving plan for the workplace.

Addressing the Issue:

In order to save money, online education, will be the best solution to cut costs. Companies can save money because they do not have to pay the high fees of tuition at local schools. Secondly, online training is more convenient for employees especially adults with families. Also, adults with demanding careers that work long hours can really benefit from online learning. Many adults can now log onto their computer anytime to take classes. I will address how employers can implement online learning.

Research:

I will use several resources to do my research. I will use technology organizations and trade magazines. I will use websites such as educacase.edu, jolt.merlot.org, and inacol.org. After reading the Valenza article, I learned more about new resources that you can use for information literacy. I will use search engines such as Google Scholar and Academic Live. Also, I will use online database through Michigan State University’s library and the New York City Public Library.

A Plan:

I want to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a course management system in the workplace. Also, I want to teach employees about the benefits of online learning. Also, develop online training workshops using Moodle.  First the facilitator must address the needs of the agency. Who is your audience? Are they computer literate? Do they have access to a computer? Then the facilitator will design online modules that the user can have access to via online. After completing each module, the user has to take a quiz to test their knowledge of the information. After each module quiz, the users will receive a progress report. Once the user completes all ten modules, the user will receive the final progress report and a certificate of completion.

How the project addresses the four common places of Education:

Someone teaching:

The facilitator of this will be Instructional Technology Consultant and Adult Educators. They will plan, design, implement, and write the materials for the classes. They will use the Moodle course management system. Moodle is free open source software that many schools use for their program. This is a cost effective solution for the agency to cut costs of training development.

Someone learning:

The learners will be recreation specialists, recreation directors, supervisors, and employees. Everyone needs to learn the software programs for the daily operation of the building.

Some subject matter:

The subject matter will be introduction to computers, CityTime Payroll System, and Rec Ware Management Systems.

Introduction to computers:

To learn the basic functions of a computer.

CityTime:

CityTime is a web-based time and attendance system which allows employees to submit their timecards online. This system is part of the workplace. Every employee need to know how to submit their time sheets using CityTime. The agency is now going green. They will move away from the outdated time cards.

RecWare Safari:

RecWare Safari is s recreation management system that allows you enroll activities, recreation memberships, and manage finances. All employees need to know how to register center memberships.

In some Setting:

The setting will be on the Parks & Recreation Intranet and home.

CEP 812 Project Description

I am still going to keep my topic of online professional development. I will discuss options for students, teachers, administrators, and recreation staff regarding online training. I would research open source vs paid course management systems. I will use technology organizations and trade magazines such as educase.edu, jolt.merlot.org, and inacol.org.

Questions to be answered:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of course management systems at the workplace?
2. How can employers implement online learning?
3. How will employers train their staff on using Moodle?
4. Why use online professional development?
5. How can teachers design lessons using Moodle?

I will give surveys and interview teachers to get their views about online learning.

CEP 811 Reflection

I am happy that I enrolled into this program at MSU. I am more knowledgeable about Educational Technology. I learned how to apply technology to group lessons. Also, I can prepare myself to teach classroom lessons which includes technology. I learned new emerging technologies such as WebQuests, designing my own website using Weebly, creating a stair project and adding a podcast to my Netvibes account. Before I enrolled in this course, I did not know  how to develop a WebQuest and a website.  I have given many of the lessons to the afterschool program. Many of my co-workers are happy to bring something new and current to the program. After completing the certificate program, I will apply to the Masters of Arts program at the university. Also, with the new technology skills that I obtain, I can look for a better position within my organization.

Learning Online

Taken online classes has been a great experience for me. It has been a challenge and a change from traditional learning in the classroom. After reading the Michigan Merit Curriculum, I learned more about guidelines for students taken online classes. It is great to see that state are implementing standards for online education.

There were some good examples of technology projects that can used in the classroom. Since I have a knowledge of WebQuests, I would use it for any subject. WebQuests are very interactive and it provides hands on learning. Blogs are good for writing, creating journals, and digital newsletters,  The strategies that I can use is cooperative learning and classroom discussion.

RSS feeders will be harder to use with students because it is not interactive. Overall there are some great technology that can be integrated into the curriculum.

CEP 812 TechQuest Project- Online Professional Development and Teacher Training

I had to really think and investigate which topic I wanted for this project. I am not a classroom teacher rand believe me this was difficult. So I decided on one problem that teacher's have is time management. I will be researching online professional development and training for teachers.

Many teachers do not have the time to take classes to improve their skills. Many school districts do not offer any type of courses that help them with classroom management. Also, many teachers feel that they are not learning anything new to help them connect with what they do in the classroom.

The following questions will be address:

1. Why school districts should implement online professional development?

2. Why is there a lack of variety of classes?

3. Can states improve the quality of classes with online learning?

4.  Will online learning help school districts save money?

Sources:

http://www.eschoolnews.com/
http://www.edweek.com/
http://www.iste.org/
http://www.merlot.org/

I will interview teachers and administrators to get their views.

Google Application

I choose Google because it is most popular and the most used free application. I evaluated Google Documents and Picassa. Google Docs and MS Word are very similar word processing applications. Docs do not have a variety of fonts. Yo have to download your document to Word or a PDF file in order to save. You can publish your document to Blogger. Then you can shave with others using their email address. Unfortunately, it is time consuming to do all of these steps when you can create your document using MS Word. Picassa is a great image software that you can edit pictures and videos and share them with your friends. Picassa is easy to navigate unlike the complex Adobe products. Teachers can use Picassa to upload pictures to a classroom website or do a photo story with their students. Google applications is free. This is a great advantage because many schools districts and non profits can not afford software license. Especially when the companies come out with new versions every 2-3 years.

Blogs in the Classroom

There are several ways that blogs can be used in the classroom. Students can create online journals, online yearbooks, and participate in online classroom discussions. One of the instructional strategies that will work is cooperative learning. Students can work in pairs and in groups. They will be able to interact with teaches, parents, and students. Constructivism can be use which allows the students to give opinions on topics and give feedback to classmates on their blogs. Behaviorism concentrates on exams, drill, and practice in the classroom. At the recreation center, the members use their blogs to discuss politics and have online debates.

Wikis

This was an experience. I check the Wikipedia website to find anything about New York City Parks department. There is some information about the agency. I changed some typing and spelling errors. Then I change the organization information because there were some recent changes at the executive level. Here is my screen shot:

I created a wiki for one of the Recreation Centers in the parks department. I wrote a brief history about the center. I will share the wiki with the staff. I will be adding more information.  I am happy to be experiencing new Web 2.0 technology. Here is the link.

https://hansboroughrecreationcenter.wikispaces.com

RSS Reader

After completing CEP 810, I learned more about technology. The class introduced me to rss readers. I set up my account using Netvibes. It was a little difficult at first but I was able to add feeds of important technology topics. This class introduce adding podcasts to your reader. Many of the podcasts at the Education Podcast Network had errors or you could not open the feeds. I picked the topic of Instructional Technology. I listen to a few podcasts from some of the Universities. What podcast topic did you choose to add on your RSS Reader?

Selecting a WebQuest

Before creating a computer based lesson, the teacher need to know the technology levels of  the students in the class. Many students are more computer literate than other children. The lesson must be clear and challenging for all levels of students. I visited several WebQuest sites. I was disappointed to see many of the websites were old and obsolete. I found this WebQuest: The history of computers: http://education.nmsu.edu/webquests/wq/computing_wq/computing.html The author gave good information about the history of computers but the links were no longer available online. The site was last updated in 1997. The font was easy to read.
I evaluated a webquest on designing a park.

http://www.tenafly.k12.nj.us/~teisenberg2/mapquest/

I decided to look at this WebQuest because I work for Parks & Recreation. The directions was clear. The students were able to connect to the links and download the handouts to use for the task. This assignment is hands on and will keep the children busy. The author did not post grade level.

Websites vs Blogs

Websites are a form of advertisment that anyone can post information about their company. Usually a website is updated by a Webmaster. A blog allows you to post your opinion about a topic. Blogs allows the public to comment on the topic and give feedback to the Author. Blogs is a great way to interact with the public. Both platforms are great resources of information that you can obtain anytime and anywhere.

Welcome to my Blog

Hello to all,

This is my first blog. I am excited to try something new. I am happy to work with all of you this semester.