Photo sharing and Instructional Design

I put a few photos on flickr.com. While it was easy and fund to put pictures on a photo sharing page, I have trouble thinking of educational purposes. I suppose one could share photos of historical sites for social studies or pictures of animals, rocks, or habitats for science projects so students can have a closer look at those things, but other than that, I personally do not see a whole lot of educational value in photo sharing. I also guess that a teacher could have a photo sharing page showing students' work and show different things that go on in a class, kind of like a portfolio.

I think the biggest problem with photo sharing is that students would not use them for educational purposes, if that. They might put up photos that are not school appropriate, which can be a problem. This is where careful monitoring has to take place. A teacher can ask each student for the photo sharing web page so the teacher can look at it to see if the students are following directions As I write this, I thought of another issue that could come up, especially if a teacher teachers students of lower SES backgrouds. Photo sharing requires the use of digitial cameras. Many people of lower SES do not have one since they maybe cannot afford one. Granted some have cell phones in which they can take pictures on. If those can be loaded on, that might be an alternative if done outside of school since phones cannot be used in most schools. But maybe a photography or journalism teacher can provide a few to use if students are responsible with them and maybe work in groups to share the cameras.


As for Instructional Design, I read about the acronymn ADDIE. The charactersitic of ADDIE reflect on what lessons should be. Teaching should focus on the learners with proper objectives and goals, apply to the "real world" in some way to make it relevant, focus on outcomes that can be measured, should use data, and perhaps use some type of additional support whether it be another teacher or paraprofessional.

ADDIE also reflects on how lessons should be carried out. First, we need to analyze any pretests or evaluations or test scores to find out what to teach our students. From there, we design the lesson plans with proper objectives that can be measured in some way. The lessons are further developed and then implemented or taught. Students are given an assessment that reflects upon the objectives and the teacher evaluates the assessments and makes revisions to the lesson and interventions if needed.

If anyone is in SPED, they have learned about Curriculum Based Measurements (CBMs). The CBMs reflect beautifully the ADDIE model. Let's take reading for example. First a student's level is found out through reading passages in a grade level, then going back until the level is found. This is analysis because it is determining what to teach your student. Once the level is determined, the goals are designed. The goals for CBMs have to be measureable. A goal could be that Johnny will increase reading fluency from 15 words a minute to 25 words a minutes. This goal can be easily measure by simply counting the number of correct words in a minute. The intervention is then develop, depending on student need and interests. I did CBMs with a student last year who had trouble decoding words and such. I did repeated and echo readings about snakes, since he had a huge interest in them. Once the intervention is planned, it can be carried out. Then the student can be assessed. For my SPED class last year, I had to do the CBMs twice a week with at least 13 assessments. My assessments were in the form of reading word lists for my student. He had to get so many correct in 1 mintue and the numbers were recorded on data tables and put on a graph to show progress. There is a rule with CBMs. We as teachers must draw a goal line from the starting point to projected goal. If the student falls below the goal line 3 times in a row, then the intervention must be changed. If the student goes above the line, then the goal is adjusted. That reflects the last step of evaluations and depending on results, interventions or goals are revised as needed.

My flickr site

I have uploaded a few photos on Flickr.com. It is not many, but check them out!



http://www.flickr.com/photos/30962973@N03/

Social bookmarking and Instructional Design

Social bookmarking can be useful in many educational setting. Students can share with each other sites that help them find information on a certain topic if they were doing a paper or something or some kind of project. They can click on the site without having to search through a search engine, which can be time consuming. Having the bookmarks has the websites already there for you to click on. Teachers can bookmark sites on classroom management tips, lesson plans, etc. Take for example, if you were looking for science lesson plans on plants, you can do a search on top and sites will be given to you. For the most part, they would be relevant. Adminstrators can also bookmark links to articles on education as well as lesson plans or classroom management tips. Teachers and administrators can also bookmark sites for parents in regards to organizations if familities need help of any sort (i.,e. NAMI) or tips or articles for parents to support their children's education. It seems that social bookmarking saves time from search engines because search engines often just pick up words that you type in and their sites are not always what you are looking for. But with social bookmarking, these are sites that others have found useful for the chosen topic and thus may be useful to you. I know that if someone recommended a site, I would be more enclined to look at it and maybe make some use of it.

"Instrucional design and technology mentions all of the areas mentioned." "Instructional design practices have broadened so that many of the concepts associated with the performance technology movement now regularly used by those individuals who call themselves instructional designers."

I am not sure that concept of instructional design is new so to speak. We all design our ways of teaching and lessons. Just because we put some technology into it does not make our design of instruction any more or less. Also, I am not sure I think of technology as a process. Technology to me is more of the folloowing definigtion, "Instructional technology is the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources of learning." We as teachers all design, manage, and evaluate our lessons, whether what we did was successful and make changes and adjustments if necessary. However, in all of these defintions that I read about, there seems to be one thing missing - the acutal incoroporation of technology in teaching and learning. All of the definitions seem to have to do with lesson planning, which can or cannot include actual technology in the lesson plans. But the 1994 definition seems to be closest to what we do today.

My delicious site

http://delicious.com/j8porter

Wikis and Such

At first, I found wikis to be hard to operate because I had a hard time getting onto it until I got the email from Western (oops!). Wikis are like blogs, but not just anyone can get onto the wikis, they have to be invited, thus it helps avoid people who are not involved in discussions getting in and getting groups or students off task. The student can also be put on a class list and be invited to post questions or opinions on a subject or get homework they may have missed due to absence. Questions can be typed here rather than class, which serves a purpose of avoiding embarassment that they may feel if the question was asked in front of peers. Wikis can be also used in groupwork or cooperative learning activities in which student can create wikis as a project. For example, students can make wikis on the Civil War with definitions, a video clip, etc.

Students can present book reports for English class or tell of a habitat for science class. The possibilities are endless. Student can use wikis to communicate to each other as well (from home for example). They can present much interesting work and can show them off to the class through a projector. Since it would be their creation and work, t

EDT 541 - Week One

Postman is obviously skeptical of the use of technology while Reigeluth and Joesph seem to emebace it more. Reigluth and Joesph makes a nice point in saying "children learn at different rates and have different learning needs, we can no longer afford achievement to vary." I think this is an interesting point because there are many technologies that can be used in order to help students with learning problems. For example, there is a reading program on CD called Lexia that is phenonomal in helping students learn phonics. Therefore if there is a type of technology that will enhance student learning, then why not use it? Most students are very familiar with computers and use of internet. Why not use what they know in that respect to reach them? Reigluth and JoesphI also are trying to find technologies that will best do that bring out the learning in students. They also make an interesting point toward the end on having technology not only meeting learning needs, but also to "social and emotional development." I think with test scores and NCLB, we are very occupied with the learning aspect of education. Don't get me wrong, academics are very important. However, many times social and emotional needs sometimes get ignored and many students go out into the world not knowing social skills. Again, this brings on the point of another important use of teachnology that encourages development of social skills such as Peer to Peer communications systems.

Postman has a different view of the use of technology. He is very skepitcal, but I do not agree with the phrase "bring it up to call attention to the fact that what we too easily call "progress" is always problematic. " Progress is not always problematic. Computers have given much easier access to the world of information and is usually more updated than encyclopedias since the Internet is updating itself all of the time. However, I do agree with the statement, "that new technologies may not always solve significant problems or any problem at all. But because the technologies are there, we often invent problems to justify our using them. Or sometimes we even pretend we are solving one problem when, in fact, the reason for building and employing a new technology is altogether different." True, while technolgoies can make learning easier or more convienent at times, it does not solve all problems or serves as a replacement for teaching. Teaching must take place. Computers do not have feelings or a warm body to connect with other human beings. If is often said that building a relationship with you students is vital to a successful classroom. Well if we replace teaching with technologies, then we lost that aspect. Therefore, while I don't think Postman should be so skepital, technology is a supplement to teaching, not a replacement and must also serve a purpose that will truly benefit students, not just the teach.er.