Week 5: I Am tAPPed Out!

Time flies when you're having fun!  It's hard to believe ETEC 672 is already in its final stage and we only have one more week in the course.  Hooray!  We're almost there!  I feel I've learned more than enough apps to last me through the entire school year.  My toolbox is filled to the brim, heavy with tech tools AND I've signed up for more sites than I can count on two hands!  Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration...but, really, I'm just about tAPPed out.  All that's left to do now is put it all into practice.  Application of these tools in an actual classroom will be the true test of my ability to effectively introduce and implement technology.  Also, thanks to this class, I'm an active user of Twitter.  I realize now how helpful it is in keeping the masses informed.  I get the latest news on educational technology, education research, proven strategies, and so on.  I'm learning so much from simply following people on Twitter that I'm wondering why I waited so long to sign up.  

This past Team Assignment really made clear to me the criteria for an effective technology tool.  An ideal tool, to me, should be the following:

1) Accessible

2) User-friendly (intuitive)

3) Versatile

4) Simple (nothing flashy and unnecessary)

A couple of tech tools that meet these criteria are EDpuzzle and PowToon; they would rate high according to my criteria.  EDpuzzle is not complicated at all.  It is what it is.  It's very straightforward and easy to use.  Same goes for PowToon.  Both of these tools can be used for any situation, for any course.  It can also be used for non-educational purposes like entertainment and humor.  Tech tools should make our jobs easier and less painful.  In my opinion, if a tool is extremely complex, it's not worth the trouble of learning it because it will be time-consuming and cause more stress.  The tools were so easy to learn that I did not have to immediately look up tutorials; the interface felt familiar and the navigation of it was natural.

Week 4: Planet of the Apps

I know I am starting to sound repetitive, but it bears repeating...I am learning SO much.  ETEC 672 has gone beyond my expectations in terms of exposure.  Initially, I thought Dr. Bert, Reid, Ed, and Colleen were going to teach us maybe 10 tools, but the way they set up this class is so much more meaningful and increases coverage.  We're like a search team, spread out, on a mission to find the best tools.  I also like that they put the responsibility on us to research, learn, and teach.  Every time I create a demonstration, I learn more about the tools' functions and capabilities.  I am progressively getting better at maneuvering through Wix, iMovie, Pow Toon, and Google+.  I'm not officially enrolled in any of the programs--so perhaps I'm getting too excited over what is actually the norm--but if this class is an indication of the MEd and COLT curricula I'm eager to begin.  

Some of the tools that piqued my interest this past class are Pixlr, Visualize.me, Storybird, Pocket, and Edu 2.0.  Most of us are visual learners, so making use of infographics and all things visual will come in handy in the classroom.  Pictures are universal.  Pocket helps with storing online material for later offline access.  I like the idea that I can be disconnected and still have access to material (from online sources).  Edu 2.0 appealed to me because it's aesthetically pleasing and it's an alternative to EasyGradePro (Edline).  I can't wait to get back to school so I can share my new knowledge with my peers and my students.  Well, maybe I can wait.  I'm enjoying my break.

Also, I especially enjoyed working with Team Rhodium.  We met face-to-face--which was a much welcomed break from talking at a screen--on Sunday and laid the foundation for our team assignment.  The hard work we put in on Sunday really paid off.  Thank you, Team Rhodium.  It was a pleasure!

Week 3 Reflection (Spotlight on Tools)

This past week was an exciting one.  I discovered SOOOO many online tools.  Out of the ones that I reviewed, I will most likely incorporate blubbr and Pow Toon.  For the Peer Review assignment, I was assigned Teams Ocean Blue and Aqua.  I was very impressed with the way each group was able to synthesize all of the tools they researched to serve a specific purpose.  I was ESPECIALLY impressed with a blubber-Pow Toon combination trivia game that was featured on Team Aqua's site http://rek298.wix.com/etec672-teamassign1.  I was mind-blown because this is exactly the type of media students respond to.

Towards the end of last school year, many of my students were obsessed with an online, worldwide trivia app called QuizUp.  To be honest, I became obsessed with it too because I wanted to see how much I know about topics like Medicine, Math, World Wars, and so on.  In each of us there is a competitive spirit and we are always wanting to challenge others and test our ability to score big.  Educators should take advantage of this.  Actually, many of us already do.  We incorporate games like Jeopardy, Deal or No Deal, and the $100,000 Pyramid Game Show.  Trivia games are not only a fun way to learn and review, but a way to build students' self-esteem and confidence.  Who doesn't feel awesome when he or she gets the right answer?   It can be said that getting the wrong answer could break down a student's confidence, but we could use that as a teachable moment.  We can reiterate the importance of studying and preparation.

Week 2 Reflection

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this past class session.  It appears I missed out on a lot of learning and group activities.  I admit I am a bit lost even after listening to the class recording--which only covers the first 90 minutes--but there's email and Google+ so I'm certain I can get timely answers to pressing questions :)  I'm grateful for that.  Honestly, after reading about the assignments, I started to feel overwhelmed.  ETEC672 really IS fast-paced--as it needs to be because we are covering a semester's worth of material in a short 6-week summer session.  Normally, however, I am able to process the information, do research, and produce a deliverable with less stress.  I suppose I'm frazzled by the different places we have to visit to find and read information: wikispaces, Google+, personal Gmail account, and school Gmail account, individual blogs, and so on.  Well, I better get used to it.  Part of being a student is organization and management of information.  Despite the confusion and seemingly heavy workload I am very excited to work with peers on Team Assignment #1.  Go Team Black!

ETEC 672 Introduction

After having the first ETEC 672 online meeting I feel confident that I will learn a lot about the latest technologies in education.  In one session alone I learned about Zotero, Canvas, Line, Identity Finder, and File Vault.  My students will definitely appreciate all the knowledge I gain from this course as they are the primary beneficiaries.

My name is Cheryl.  I teach 9th grade Social Studies at a project-based high school on the west side of O'ahu.  It doesn't feel like it but I have been teaching for 9 years.  Time flies.  In this course I expect and hope to take away valuable information on all the latest innovations.  It is important to keep abreast of technological tools because these tools will make class fun, enjoyable, and, most of all, engaging.  I introduced my students to Google Docs this past school year and they absolutely LOVED it.  They were amazed by its features: the ability for more than one person to work on a document, its mobility and accessibility (many of them could work on writing projects on the go without having to always meet face-to-face), and the ability to see their peers type in the document in realtime.  I look forward to learning more so that I can expose my students to useful tools and applications and, possibly, adjust my projects to include the use of tools like Prezi or PowToon (thank you, Reid, for sharing!).  My students will REALLY get a kick out of PowToon.

Blog Objectives

A blog is one way people connect in cyberspace.  This is what I wish to accomplish with my blog.  I want to connect with individuals who are in the same boat as me and explore and navigate through murky ETEC concepts together.  I will post reflections about educational technology with hopes that people, my peers, will respond so that we can have a working dialog about topics and technologies--which, I am sure, compelled us to apply to ETEC programs--so that each of us can achieve enlightenment.  Thoughts welcome.