20% Reflection #6

After completing my 20% project on the pros and cons of the “bring your own technology” policy, there are still some questions that I have yet to answer. One of them is how would the BYOT policy actually be implemented into a classroom? The teacher could implement certain rules concerning the devices that students could bring, and the manner in which they could use them. This would be an interesting question to explore to see how this could alter the effectiveness of the BYOT policy if it is implemented into a classroom. Teachers may be able to allow a large amount of freedom in the use of personal technology in the classroom, which may have different benefits than a classroom where the use of the students’ personal devices is more limited. This would depend on the teacher’s ability to control the classroom and to effectively implement the technology into the lesson plan.

Another question that would be interesting to explore would be, with a non-BYOT policy, what would a standardized technology plan look like in comparison to a BYOT plan? This would be beneficial to compare to see the benefits of both plans. Non-BYOT plans could still potentially be implemented in ways that would still bring creativity and excitement to the classroom in similar ways that a BYOT plan could. Comparing different methods of implementation between BYOT and non-BYOT plans could help in the decision-making process of whether or not to choose BYOT for a classroom, which would be helpful for schools and teachers. 

Reflection #6: Augmented Reality

I think augmented reality could be a very valuable tool in 21^st century learning and teaching. One of the articles mentioned the teacher’s use of AR to create environments in which the students would enter into and collect information that would then relate back to the specific subject. Using AR to create learning specific environments that are custom to the teacher or student’s need could be very beneficial to achieve meaningful learning. Students having the ability to create their own learning environments would also be beneficial to their personalized learning style.

The AR Dino Park app could be very useful as a teacher in the classroom. With this app a teacher could immerse students into a world where dinosaurs actually seem real and present in front of their eyes. The teacher could use this to engage the students and peak their interests in the details about the dinosaurs, and use that to create a classroom that is eager to learn and participate. 

20% Reflection #5

My project relates with various topics that we have covered in EDIT 2000 so far. The first being our technology integration topic and project. My project is focused on the integration of technology into the classroom, and the pros and cons of the BYOT method of technology integration. My focus of the project is centered on a form of technology integration that teachers and schools may or may not choose to use when bringing technology into their classroom.

Another related topic is the communication and collaboration subject that we covered earlier this semester. By choosing BYOT students’ ability to collaborate with one another could be affected by the different levels of technology brought to the classroom. By choosing BYOT, there may be a difference in what students have as far as technology, which would also affect their ability to communicate and collaborate with one another. Whereas with non-BYOT, students technology would be more standardized and would more than likely be able to better collaborate using the same level of technology.

Creativity and innovation is also a part of my project, because the BYOT program is one that can be used in creative and innovative ways in order to achieve meaningful learning in the classroom. The teacher and student both must be creative with their technology that they bring to the classroom. They also must innovate new ways of using the technology in conjunction with their lesson plans in order to also achieve meaningful learning. Overall my project relates well to out topics covered so far. 

Reflection #7

I have taken online courses before, I took two last summer. I really enjoyed taking the online classes for several reasons. The classes provided me with so much more flexibility in my schedule than traditional classes. I was able to work at my own pace for assignments and tests. I was able to spend much less time on the online classes than I would with traditional classes, mainly because there was not an actual classroom or lecture to attend daily. I still feel that I learned just as much through these online classes as I do through traditional classes, and did so while having much more freedom in my schedule and not spending hours every week in an actual classroom.

                The good thing about online courses is the flexibility it provides to students. You do not have to physically attend class daily, and can complete classes from anywhere. This gives students more freedom in their schedules to balance school into their lives. The only bad thing is that some students may have trouble learning on their own, and may have a more beneficial learning experience through cooperation with others in person and hands-on approaches.

                The readings discuss how MOOCs are becoming problematic because of a few reasons. The first issue is that they have a history of low participation by the students who register for the classes. The second issue is the lack of a human connection that can help provide a more quality learning experience through a personal connection with the teacher or mentor who is the source of great knowledge. The third issue is that many people are skeptical of change, and it may take time before MOOCs can prove themselves to be legitimate.

I believe that MOOCs are a great option for some students; however I also think that many students would benefit more from an in class learning experience because of the human connection and hands-on opportunities offered there. The learning experience can be more engaging in person if done correctly.

http://thedmonline.com/online-courses-offer-flexibility-to-students/

This article discusses the flexibility that online courses offer to students, and how that is a benefit over traditional courses as long as the student has the discipline to meet the course requirements on their own time.

                

Creativity and Innovation Project Reflection

This project has taught me a lot about the use of creativity and innovation in the classroom to achieve meaningful learning. I learned about the potential that the use of creative and innovative thinking can have on the learning experience, and that it can also be very fun and engaging. Creative tools like Prezi are such a great way to approach common classroom activities and make them a little more interesting and exciting for the students. It still presents the necessary info, but what I learned is that although a creative or innovative idea may do the same thing as standard tools, it can do it in such a way the really engages the student in the learning. I think that from this project I have learned how valuable a creative mind can be to the meaningful learning experience.

My thinking towards creative and innovative methods has changed somewhat after completing this project. I feel that I am now more open towards new ways and methods than before, especially after seeing how many common classroom activities can be done in new and exciting ways that changes the atmosphere of the learning experience. Overall I think that the use of creative and innovative tools is crucial to the development of our education systems. A developing field of creative education will facilitate creative and innovative thinking in the classroom, and will make the classroom a fun place to be. It will also engage students into the meaningful learning process like never before. 

Reflection #5

I think there are many games that have taught me little things here and there. It may not be advanced literary or mathematics, but as the article talks about, it sometimes is a skill or concept that can be brought into the classroom. One game in particular would be the board game (now also a video game) “Risk”. This game definitely teaches players about management of resources and forces them to think strategically using what they are given.  I think these principles are things that can be carried into learning at school, whether it’s learning history or maybe even mathematics. It gives those who have played some sort of experience to relate to various educational topics.

I think gaming is so popular now in learning and teaching because it is such a popular thing in daily life today. It is easy to bring things from society and culture into the classroom, and is much more relate-able for the students. I think through using gaming, educational topics can be better understood through connections to gaming experiences. Students can engage in games and collaborate with each other through games, then apply their experiences to learning concepts. 

20% Post #4

I have not talked with any experts in my potential audience of teachers or students. However, I have talked with fellow students about my project and received valuable feedback on my topic. One friend of mine, who is also a college student, told me about his personal learning experience with technology, and how using his own technology was an overall benefit to his learning process. Looking at the primary education level, however, is different than looking at the college level when considering the bring your own technology policy. Most students in college will have the ability to afford some type of personal technology for school, considering how much college itself costs. While many primary education students may or may not have that ability. Considering that many schools are public and free, they will contain families of various income levels. So while the policy may be beneficial in college (or private schools) where most students have the means to purchase technology, it may not be in public schools where the financial means of students varies greatly. I think this will be an interesting topic to integrate into my final recommendation on the policy. It really shows that the policy and its effectiveness depend on the school to which it is being applied. The policy cannot have a definite answer or results when applied since school systems across the nation are so diverse in their student population, financial abilities, and methods of learning. This means that when considering BYOT, it really does depend on the individual school or school systems situation. 

20% post #3

I have yet to use any sort of social media to find resources related to my project; however I do think it could be a useful tool to find new ideas and opinions to incorporate into my research. I think that through interaction with others via social media I could potentially obtain a lot of new information and new opinions on my subject that I may not have considered before. Also, seeing other student’s research could be useful to my own research if the topics overlap or relate in some sort of way. I think it will be interesting to use social media and interactions with others to further my research and project development.

                Mainly I have been doing standard research of my topic using online resources. I am still trying to get a good solid foundation of information on the topic and my approach towards presenting the information that I find. I think that reaching out to other sources though such as social media and seeking feedback on my work would definitely be beneficial. Outside advice and views are always good because sometimes you will be notified of flaws or opportunities for your plan that might not have been clear before. I think going forward I will do some research using social media to broaden my scope of information that I am finding and to hopefully gain some useful feedback on my project idea that can help me refine it to best present my findings on bring your own technology. 

Reflection #4: Visual Literacy

In my past learning experience, I would say that visual literacy has played a very limited part. I remember some use of visuals throughout my education, but for the most part I remember traditional learning styles. I wish that my education had made more use of visual learning because I think it would have made for a much more enjoyable and engaging school experience.

I think that visual literacy is something that is important to 21^st century teaching and learning because visuals allow individuals to communicate and receive information in different ways that often, depending on the student, can be more effective and simply more fun for the student and teacher.

It is also important because visuals are a large part of daily life today, from television to the internet, to our smart phones. A huge part of how we experience life is visual. Current education does provide that in certain ways, but I feel that it could be done in a much larger scale with a much larger effect. With modern technology, schools could be equipped with much more than just books with colored pictures, or even projectors and smart boards. Implementing technology that would visually surround students with knowledge would be a very exciting way to engage them in visual literacy.  

20% project, reflection 2

I think that teachers, students and school systems could benefit from my findings in my 20% project. There are many things regarding the integration of bring your own technology that would be useful for those participating in the policy to know. For teachers, knowing the pros and cons of the strategy would benefit them by providing them a sense of how to best monitor and implement the policy into their classrooms. For example, knowing the tendency of students to become distracted by using their personal technological devices in class could allow the teacher to alter their approach to their classroom, or to implement ways to check and keep students from becoming distracted. Students might benefit from knowledge about how to better personalize the use of their own technology to better facilitate their learning style. For example if students know which devices (laptop, tablet, ipad) would be best for the way in which they learn, then they could spend less time figuring that out and more time achieving meaningful learning. Research into the pros and cons of the policy in general can help school systems to make the decision on whether to implement BYOT or not in their schools, based on their students and their current technological resources. This project’s findings will hopefully provide new perspectives on the policy to provide teachers, students, and schools with additional input on the policy. I will attempt to write my blog in a manner that relates the most to the effect of the policy on students, teachers, and schools. Since these are the main recipients of the policies’ effects. 

Classroom Design for Collaboration

I choose to create a classroom that would engage students and create opportunities for collaboration. In my design I have tables where small groups of students would sit and be able to collaborate on projects. I also chose to put laptops at these tables for group activity. I think these small group set-ups will really encourage and facilitate collaboration among students. In my experience, small group settings have aways been a good choice for collaboration.

Reflection 3- Is School Enough

20% project, reflection #1

               I have done some initial research into my topic and found that so far it does not seem to be too broad or too limited. I think if I tried to only focus on one side of my issue, that it wouldn’t provide a good overall image of the issue. There seems to be a lot of information and discussion surrounding the use of the ‘bring your own technology’ policy and its advantages and disadvantages. I think there will be plenty of resources for me to draw from for my research into this topic. It is a very fresh issue and will have much debate surrounding it for the time being.

                To modify my topic so that it is sustainable until the end of April, I could research one side at a time. For example, I could look into all the arguments for the use of ‘bring your own technology’ and their stated advantages and analyze only that side. Then afterwards I could do the same with the arguments against the policy. Once that is complete I could then compare what I found on both sides of the argument and see which side makes a more compelling argument. I would then probably try and formulate my own opinion on the issue based on the comparisons.

                I could possibly divide my topic into smaller questions that would address different basic principles and ideas of the ‘bring your own technology’ approach. This might also make my research more sustainable and help to give a more detailed analysis of the topic. 

Horizon Report Reflection

I would agree that openness is definitely becoming a common trend in emerging technologies that are being used in education. I have noticed more of my classes that are using online open forums and technologies that allow for the ease of access for the class to resources and class material. I know that I have started to use Google drive a lot more for things like class review sheets and presentations. It provides an open source where others can access the material and edit it from a computer anywhere.

                

I think the change toward more personalized, open, hybrid learning and the changing role of educators means a new type of learning experience for me that is more engaging and potentially more effective. It is a more dynamic learning style that has the potential to accommodate my personal learning traits and abilities.

I think the challenge concerning the refusal of some to accept change is something that would prevent the effective integration of technology into the classroom. It is something that I would find challenging too, because I am not always willing to accept change, I like routine and established things. I think using small steps toward the change will help me to better accept it. As opposed to a full overhaul  of the current status quo.  

                

Project Personal Reflection

Throughout the technology integration project, I have learned various things about the use of technology in the classroom, and its use to achieve meaningful learning. I think one of the main takeaways for me is the idea that technology is something that should be an aid to the teacher, not something that acts as a substitute for a teacher. Technology should be integrated in a way that assists the teacher in achieving meaningful learning for the students. This can be done through creating an environment that facilitates the characteristics of meaningful learning, such as active engagement and learning reflection and cooperation.

It was very interesting to look at the different ways in which teachers and schools have brought technology into their learning environments to aid in their mission. I think it is a valuable tool that can really enhance the learning process and help educators find new and innovative ways to educate their students. Just as technology can be integrated into other areas of life to advance existing systems and lifestyles, so too can it be done with education.

Looking forward, I would like to know how technology integration might be standardized across school systems. Or would it vary by school? It will be interesting to see how it develops into a normal part of our education. If I had unlimited resources I would integrate technology in a way that would engage the students and encourage participation. I think the use of personal technology such as ipads and videos for each individual and also groups of students would help accomplish this. 

Foundations of Technology: Reading Reflection

 The main idea that I took away from the reading is that technology is meant to be a tool used by teachers to achieve meaningful learning, not a substitute for teachers. Students should learn through the use of technology, not from technology. I think it’s an important distinction to make concerning the integration of technology into the learning process. It is not a new idea to me, I have believed that technology integration should be limited to just an aid to the traditional learning process.

             

Something that surprised me was the idea that learning technologies can also be an environment that facilitates meaningful learning. Through technology, an environment can be created that engages students in various characteristics of meaningful learning. These environments can also be based on activities that engage students and facilitate learning. It is a different perspective than the traditional view of technology as a partner.