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.