Our Group PSA Project

PSA Video "What is Your Next Step?"

Reflection on EDLD 5363 Web Conference, 12/4/11

Dr. Abernathy reminded us, regarding our group work in Week 3, that we need to know exactly what everyone else is doing, and we each need to submit the same exact documents.  Do our own share, and submit it as our own, but it is the whole team's work.  This week is pre-production.  Week 4 will be production, meaning that we will carry out everything we have planned. 

A word of advice from Dr. Abernathy: When we are filming our shoots -- everything we want in our video -- film an extra amount of time, like two extra minutes, so we can edit and cut it out if we need to.  In other words, shoot more video than we will actually need.  Put a link to our Wiki or Blog, our e-portfolio.  We choose our Web 2.0 tool; it is our own choice.  It is too time-consuming to go back and re-do shoots.  So, with our editor in mind, shoot more than we will need.

It is always wise to put a link to our wiki or google site, our e-portfolio.  Whatever Web 2.0 tool we use is our choice.  Our e-portfolio is a program documentation of all the work we have done.  It is what we created in 5306, our first course, or it can be a newly-created site.  Dr. Abernathy said to be sure we have organized it so that we have all of our field-based activities for our internship hours, all of our hours for our key assessments, our course-embedded assessments, etc.  For this course, EDLD 5363, it will be our PSA.  There should be a link for each class, and then we should put different files that led to the end product we created.  It helps us tell a better story about the work that we do.  It is a compilation of our stories of our work at our school.  Think about all of the artifacts what we put into it in our reflections and how it shows our growth and different experiences that we have had in this program.  Our e-portfolio shows a progression of our work

Regarding Week 3, we should also place a link to our google doc.  It is another artifact.  We are adding as many artifacts as we can to our e-portfolio.

In regard to the shot list, Dr. Abernathy opined that she sees it as pre-production -- what we think we want to shoot.  And again, she reiterated, "Film more than you need."

Dr. Abernathy briefly discussed the problem with the Week 2 grading.  She said the rubric is a mess.  The points were not added in the grade book.  If we see a zero, she said to ignore it.  She cautioned us about putting links to someone else's work, like YouTube videos.  Our links need to direct the professors back to our e-portfolios and our video or podcast, our products.  She also cautioned us to check our links, in order to make sure our links work correctly. 

The whole point of Weeks 1 and 2 was to explore and then get ready for Weeks 3, 4, and 5.  Weeks 3, 4, and 5 includes our key assessment, our course-embedded assignment, our PSA.  Now we need to turn in our pre-production documents.  The documents we created in Week 3 should be updated in Week 4.  Week 4 has no grade.  Week 4 is work to finish Week 5.  We know this is a short period of time and an issue to work long-distance.  We should update our files from Week 3, but we do not turn in anything in Week 4.  Weeks 4 and 5 will be turned in on Friday, December 16th.  We need to post everything in our e-portfolio, our final PSA, also our documentation.  Post our Week 5 video to TK-20.

We will accept it after that, but we must contact Dr. Abernathy.  We have a few days as a team to work together and send it to Dr. Abernathy directly.  If we have any questions, call her at (409) 782-0100 or email at kayabernathy@gmail.com.

Someone shared that their group uses Google Hangout.  Dr. Abernathy commented on that.  I have never heard of it.  Our group is using Google Docs to share our information and thoughts.

Our sound will come from our narration in Audacity.  We can add music, but it must go into our editing.  Most people do not add a lot of different sounds.  Think about what it sounds like.  If we have some other recording device that is free, we can use that.  It does not have to be Audacity.  This is not about doing everything you have always done.  It is about our exploring and making leadership decisions.  We make the decision as a team, produce it, and share it.  That is what Web 2.0 is all about.

Reflections on the EDLD 5363 Web Conference 12/6/11

Dr. Abernathy opened up the conference by saying, "Know that we're here for you and will support you whenever we can.  Let us know if you cannot get something done by a certain time, and we will work with you.  Let me know how I can help you during this next two weeks.  Dr. Abernathy introduced her grandson, Lucas, who just popped in to do his homework.  Her house is the "homework house," and Lucas thinks his grandmother has better snacks at her house than at his own house.  Dr. Abernathy shared that she has four grandchildren.  Her youngest grandchild is eight and is named Charlotte, my mother's name.  Lucas, from the background, says, "She is annoying."  LOL.

Again, let me know if you have any questions.  Week 4 has no grades.  Work with our team and collaborate what we're doing, and be ready to finish up our PSA.  So we have two weeks to get our PSA done.  Dr. Abernathy knows that this is a busy time of year with Christmas and all.  She said, if we need any extra time, let her know.  She also mentioned that grades will not be posted until the school opens in January.

There was some discussion postings about the best way to share the video with group members.  Someone mentioned DropBox.com, which is the site our group is using to share everything -- from video clips to stills to the edited PSA, as it progresses from the rough phase to a finished product.  It is a great site to use.

This web conference was very short, possibly due to Dr. Abernathy's grandson's visit; however, she again gave us her email and phone number and encouraged us to get in touch, should we need to.

Reflections on the EDLD 5363 Web Conference

Dr. Abernathy assured us, during the conference, that she believes we are all able to make A's, and she assured us that the Lamar staff is to here help us.  The Lamar faculty has had a K-12 background, and we know and understand the K-12 environment. This information, along with Dr. Abernathy giving us her personal phone number, was an encouragement to me. 

Working in teams is encouraged because this is how the workforce operates today.  Dr. Abernathy gets a lot of feedback that students do not want to work in teams, but she tells us that our ISTE Technology Facilitator standards say we must learn how to share, collaborate, and assist each other. We are not here to learn technology by ourselves.  Technology integration is pushed by Lamar with the goal of having technology used by all educators and students to produce accomplishments. Open source Web 2.0 tools are free, and these can be a help in learning and teaching.  Sometimes they are blocked by school filters, but Dr. Abernathy encouraged us to teach others how beneficial these tools are for instructional purposes.  One way of showing administrators the possibilities is sharing the work our students produce.

We are not to be frustrated or overwhelmed by this program.  Our Ed Tech Leadership Faculty are open to daily conversation with us by any means.  "Our job is to support you," said Dr. Abernathy. Again, this is encouraging to me.  Yes, this program is challenging, but we are also learning online together.  The Ed Tech program is very strong and here to stay at Lamar.  Dr. Abernathy said many people at Lamar come to the Ed Tech leaders to get information and direction.

Regarding our partners, we can find our own and use different partners for different weeks. We have some freedom to make certain decisions on our own.  Weeks 4 and 5 are production and post production.  We do not get a grade for Week 4.  Week 2 we will do a Podcast.  Everything we do right now in Weeks 1 and 2 is leading up to Weeks 3, 4, and 5.  We must do creative commons in Weeks 3, 4, and 5.

Dr. Abernathy talked a little about closed captioning and working with deaf students.  Be sure we use what we need to with students that need assistive technology. Dr. Abernathy reiterated time and time again to call any one of the professors or assistant professors if we need help. How will we document the collaboration we have with our partners?  Google docs.  Dr. Abernathy recommended that we color-code our contributions.  She suggested that we keep the digital story very close to two minutes. Lamar needs documentation that everyone shared equally.  We must post our work and every other team members' work.  In Weeks 3, 4, and 5 we keep the same partners, and we may be posted different parts of our project.  We will have a complete picture of the project from each team members' work.

I will add that I found making my own digital story very rewarding.  Dr. Abernathy offered to share her digital story with us through dropbox.com.  My digital story is below.

My Digital Story -- Hope

Course Reflection

     When I began the Technology Leadership course at Lamar University, my expectations were to learn more about technology so that I could share that knowledge with fellow educators.  My interest in technology had fueled my desire to learn more; however, having very little technology experience to begin with -- other than creating a PowerPoint presentation or Inspiration document -- I had not anticipated learning how critical the need is to incorporate technology into the curriculum for our learners.  I have to say that I learned so much more from this course than I had anticipated.  For instance, I had no idea that there is a Technology Plan in place at my school that embodies the ISTE standards.  Frankly, I had never heard of the ISTE standards.  Once I realized the document existed, it was initially hard to envision the impact of that document on education at our school because of our  limited funds.  This course helped me think outside of the box, see beyond the limitations and challenges we face because of lack of funding, and conceptualize the ways we can efficiently utilize the technology we now have.

      Having acknowledged that our funds are limited and that I must be creative in my efforts to ensure that what little technology we have is put to good use, the challenge ahead does appear to be a daunting one. However, I now realize that the relevancy of, as well as the need for, a technology-infused curriculum has never been more acute.  Our time-honored methods of modeling the teacher-centered classroom becomes more ineffectual with each passing year.  Now that I am equipped with the knowledge that using technology effectively makes all the difference in learning outcome, there is no turning back.  We must, for the sake of today's learner and our future learners, not only integrate but seamlessly infuse technology into the learning experience to the point that it becomes a natural and expected journey for every learner.  Never has the need been greater for a shift from teacher-centered to student-centered learning, and I plan to be a part of bridging the gap between the past -- and our antiquate ways of teaching -- and the future, where we allow learners to connect with one another around the world, where they can experience firsthand the satisfaction of collaborating with their peers and taking control of their own learning.  In this new vision of the education of our youth, teachers act as facilitators and learn along with the students, and thus begins the process of nurturing the life-long learner.
     
     I cannot imagine putting any more effort into this course than I have; nor can I imagine getting more out of it than I have.  My learning outcomes from this course far exceeded my expectations.   I learned so much about our students that I had no knowledge of before this course.  For instance, I now understand that students cannot process information in the way that I could when I was a child.  Our students have been immersed in digital technology almost from birth, and they have taken it for granted as a means of communication and learning.  I still have memories of my grandmother's black dial phone that was extremely heavy and had a short cord, necessitating its permanent location.  Now just about every student has a personal cell phone.  It now makes sense to me that their thought processes have adapted to the surrounding digital stimulus.  It is no wonder that they come into the classroom and tune out the teacher.  We are not communicating in their language.  I am excited about the possibilities and anxious to become a vital part of developing the type of technology-driven curriculum that meets the needs of today's learner.

     As I carried out the course assignments, I doubted myself along the way.  For example, it took me many more hours to set up my Wiki and my Blog than I had initially anticipated.  At times I was a little unsure of the directions or what the expectations were for me as a novice.  Putting in numerous hours on a task that appeared simple on the surface did, at times, prove a bit discouraging; however, it did not stop me from working at it until I accomplished the assignment.  Having no previous technical experience proved a hindrance but not a deterrent.  In some respects I do wish there had been a prerequisite requirement, so that I would have been prepared to accomplish the task in a timely manner; but on the other hand, I developed a sense of satisfaction -- though it took much longer than expected -- in having used a technology tool to create my own personal Wiki and Blog.  The time crunch was uncomfortable and stressful, yet I was forced to learn something in a short time frame rather than drag it out indefinitely, which I sometimes have a tendency to do.  I can only imagine how much quicker our students will be able to navigate and create online; and I look forward to helping pave the way for them to achieve their own technological accomplishments. 

     Taking an educational technology leadership course revealed some of my inner strengths and talents that heretofore lay dormant.  For instance, I love to be creative and found that I could apply that love while creating my Wiki home page.  I shared a bit of my love of nature in my introduction video.  I found it easy and enjoyable to put my individual "stamp" on my work while meeting the expected criteria.  Though my technology skills, in some eyes, would appear to be severely lacking, I did find the ability to "hang in there," even though at times I was unsure of what I was doing.  My confidence in my own technology skills has been boosted by using some simple online tools to create what I had never heard of prior to taking this course, a Wiki and a Blog.  My attitude has changed toward my school's student population.  I better understand their apathy and the reason for their lack of effort.  Do I feel like I can walk into school on Monday morning and lead my school into a new direction technology-wise?  No.  However, I now believe in myself and know that I have the ability to continue to learn how to step into a technology leadership role.  My site mentor and technology coordinator believe in me, based solely on a review of my "Technology Plan."  They have no idea what I've been able to accomplish in the past five weeks.  I am looking forward to taking the next step in my journey toward becoming a technology leader at my school.

Sheryl's Intro

Sheryl's Intro

Web Conference on Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Last week I joined the Web Conference on Wednesday, October 13th, previously scheduled for Tuesday, October 12th.  I was connected fine but then experienced technical difficulties.  I was able to hear Professor Borel, so I listened for the hour but could not post any comments or interact with students.  I did report this problem to Sarah, and she sent me a link to the copy of the conference.  I then watched the video from beginning to end.  I learned more the second time around, simply because I could pause and rewind and jot notes to make sure I heard everything correctly.

The web conference did shed light on the assignment ahead and gave me direction on where to go to print out the documents I would need for my Internship and other ensuing activities.  I learned about our cohort groups, for the first time, and I was relieved to know that we would be working closely with one another.