One of the major tenets of the Digital Media program is critiquing. Heaven knows your clients will constantly be critiquing the work you do for them. Sometimes it's good for an ego boost, but sometimes... not so much.
You can cultivate a thick skin, pretending you don't care what the rest of the world thinks, but that gets you nothing but a very large ego. You have to be able to sort out the relevant from the inconsequential.
Winter quarter is Photography I here in the DMD program at COTC, and that means it's time to break out the Kleenex(tm) (brand) tissues. Critiques of "pitchers" are relentless (and remorseless), but the students survive. And learn a lot about themselves along the way.
The biggest problem students have in critiquing design (theirs or others) is finding something meaningful (and valid!) to say. This is especially true of online critiques. (Just visit any online photography forum to see what I mean.)
Here's a link to a blog post that captures the full essence of photo critique: http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/2006/06/great-photographers-on-internet.html
Warning: Satire Alert!
And remember this basic principle: If the client tells you something is wrong, they are always right. If they tell you how to fix it, though, they are invariably wrong.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
the end is near...
I just wanted to let Bill and everyone know that I truly enjoyed this class and reading the blogs and the wiki that all of us put together through out the quarter! I know that I plan to continue blogging in a way its a stress reliever. I may also continue with the wiki, that is if I can completely figure it out. This is one of the best classes that I have had the privilege of taking through COTC, and I just loved the whole experience in its self. So thanks to Bill and to all of you for helping me to have such a good experience with this class! Everyone have a safe and HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!
Danielle Brooks (proudmomma02)
Danielle Brooks (proudmomma02)
And So It Goes
For the online Intro to eLife class, only 14 more hours remain. The face-to-face class takes their final in just 5. The quarter winds down!
I can tell from the length and quality of the course work that many students devoted a lot of time to doing well in this class. As for me, as the perpetrator of the online version of the course, I can't even begin to tell you how much effort went into creating each week's lectures. I can tell you the number of hours, though.
The short lectures generally only took a couple of hours to research and maybe a half hour to record (both the video intro and the audio). Add another couple hours for collection of graphics. If any videos were included, add another hour or two (after I found them). And then add about two hours to edit everything together in Final Cut and, lastly, about two more hours to convert the edited video to a format that I could upload to Angel.
You do the math.
For the weeks when the lectures approached an hour, I was quite literally spending 60-70 hours just on the lecture for this course.
Of course, one of the advantages of being so immersed in the material is that I was able to deliver a non-stop ad-lib lecture in the face-to-face class. I always was an off-the-top-of-my-head speaker... don't you just hate teachers who read their notes or work right out of a textbook? But for this class I could mix "sage on the stage" with whatever interaction the class had.. and investigate whatever seemed to be interesting. Often I could take the week's content off in wild and crazy directions and, to the amazement of all—including me, bring it all right back to the topic at hand.
The time I spent on the online class (which included reading papers, preparing guided notes, and developing other paper content) all came out of my personal life. I only saw my wife during dinner (or as we both headed out the door in the morning), and there were days when I got only a couple of hours of sleep. No wonder I'd collapse on the weekend.
But the excitement of putting together the material and then being able to explore the Web interactively in the classroom was a terrific thrill. The only thing that could top that was reading the dialog on this blog and watching the wiki grow. I am d*mn impressed with the caliber of the students who came along on this journey.
One regret was the number of students who signed up for the course who couldn't find the time or put in the effort to even watch the lectures, let alone interact. Not everyone has the dedication to the self-study effort that online education requires. For those who made it this far (only about half of the original enrollment), I applaud you.
I'm already starting to upload the content for next quarter's online class: digital photography. We'll be experimenting with different kinds of lecture techniques and I plan on adding a synchronous (i.e., live) component for those who can participate. Yep, more Web 2.0 tools. Goody!
I plan on keeping this blog open, too, and see what else we can learn about education online. As Joseph Campbell might have described it, this was truly a "Hero's Journey." Only it's been you, the students, who have made the journey and who are my heroes. Well done!
I can tell from the length and quality of the course work that many students devoted a lot of time to doing well in this class. As for me, as the perpetrator of the online version of the course, I can't even begin to tell you how much effort went into creating each week's lectures. I can tell you the number of hours, though.
The short lectures generally only took a couple of hours to research and maybe a half hour to record (both the video intro and the audio). Add another couple hours for collection of graphics. If any videos were included, add another hour or two (after I found them). And then add about two hours to edit everything together in Final Cut and, lastly, about two more hours to convert the edited video to a format that I could upload to Angel.
You do the math.
For the weeks when the lectures approached an hour, I was quite literally spending 60-70 hours just on the lecture for this course.
Of course, one of the advantages of being so immersed in the material is that I was able to deliver a non-stop ad-lib lecture in the face-to-face class. I always was an off-the-top-of-my-head speaker... don't you just hate teachers who read their notes or work right out of a textbook? But for this class I could mix "sage on the stage" with whatever interaction the class had.. and investigate whatever seemed to be interesting. Often I could take the week's content off in wild and crazy directions and, to the amazement of all—including me, bring it all right back to the topic at hand.
The time I spent on the online class (which included reading papers, preparing guided notes, and developing other paper content) all came out of my personal life. I only saw my wife during dinner (or as we both headed out the door in the morning), and there were days when I got only a couple of hours of sleep. No wonder I'd collapse on the weekend.
But the excitement of putting together the material and then being able to explore the Web interactively in the classroom was a terrific thrill. The only thing that could top that was reading the dialog on this blog and watching the wiki grow. I am d*mn impressed with the caliber of the students who came along on this journey.
One regret was the number of students who signed up for the course who couldn't find the time or put in the effort to even watch the lectures, let alone interact. Not everyone has the dedication to the self-study effort that online education requires. For those who made it this far (only about half of the original enrollment), I applaud you.
I'm already starting to upload the content for next quarter's online class: digital photography. We'll be experimenting with different kinds of lecture techniques and I plan on adding a synchronous (i.e., live) component for those who can participate. Yep, more Web 2.0 tools. Goody!
I plan on keeping this blog open, too, and see what else we can learn about education online. As Joseph Campbell might have described it, this was truly a "Hero's Journey." Only it's been you, the students, who have made the journey and who are my heroes. Well done!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
A Question
This is separate from the main posts...
So did anyone reach our photographer friend in California? Bill?
Thomas
How Has Online Learning Changed My Education?
Online learning has changed everything. Well, it has certainly changed a lot. Years ago when I first graduated from high school in 1996, the web was still in it's relatively early development. We didn't have the capabilities we have today. A classroom blog was not a feasible plan, nor was a class project like cotc.wetpaint.com. The idea that a classroom could exist in cyber space was not much more than a dream then, and even if it had been, I wasn't interested.
Let's move forward to 2006. I've been working at a job that was less than dreamy for about eight years. Life was simple enough, just not very fulfilling. My wife had been attending classes part time at COTC for a few years now, both on campus and online, and getting a pretty good education while she was at it. My curiosity was aroused. I bet I could go back to school and get a pretty good education at COTC as well, and do it while I continued to work full time. My job offers a fairly flexible schedule, but it would still be necessary to take most of my courses online. Turns out, COTC offers a lot of classes online, I could be a college student without having to step foot on the campus for entire quarters!!
Here we are in 2008, I've been a student at COTC for four quarters now and I've never attended a class on the main campus. I've attended class at The Works, two to be exact, but The Works is about two minutes from my house, doesn't get much more convenient than that.
How has online learning changed the way I perceive education? Almost completely.
Online learning has made it possible for me to not only attend school, but enjoy it as well. I can sit in my sweatpants, drink my coffee, smoke a cigarette and yell at my dogs, all while listening to Bill lecture. Try doing that at the Works.
Has online learning been easy? Sometimes. The ease of being able to pause and resume at my convenience has been invaluable. The option of being able to wait until 11:59 PM to turn in assignments has sometimes been my downfall. I'm a person that hates to do today, what can be put off until tomorrow. In a traditional classroom this was bad enough, but in the online world, it has sometimes been disastrous.
Has it been frustrating? Occasionally. Not getting immediate answers to questions I have for instructors can be very irritating. Waiting on replies to emails is like watching paint dry. In Marketing I had a group project that required coordination of several people. In a traditional classroom, not a big deal, for an online class, very difficult. I have a very different schedule than some and that's why I take online courses. I guess I can see the relevance of being able to coordinate online, but it's not something I expected from Intro to Marketing. If I ruled the online learning world, I would ban group projects.
Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my online learning experience. Just as I suspected and made note of at the beginning of this course, Bill has armed me with an abundance of knowledge that will no doubt help tremendously as I continue in my online learning, not to mention completely changed what I expect from an online course. I have a feeling that next quarter, when I take all online courses again, I won't be nearly as enthused about the lectures as I have been this quarter.
So how has online learning changed the way I perceive education? It has allowed me to feel like I am part of something new and fresh. My input into the system could make it easier for the next person, and their's for the next, and so on. I feel like with the advancement and evolution of the Web, online learning will continue to evolve, or at least it should.
My suggestion, get the instructors on board, teach them how to teach in this environment. Teachers can't be as effective if they don't understand the medium they are using and it has been my experience that some of them clearly don't. I honestly feel like what we are doing right now, blogging, is the future of this medium, or at least it should be.
Thanks to everyone who has commented and shared with me this quarter, I've thoroughly enjoyed the exchanges.
-Zack
Let's move forward to 2006. I've been working at a job that was less than dreamy for about eight years. Life was simple enough, just not very fulfilling. My wife had been attending classes part time at COTC for a few years now, both on campus and online, and getting a pretty good education while she was at it. My curiosity was aroused. I bet I could go back to school and get a pretty good education at COTC as well, and do it while I continued to work full time. My job offers a fairly flexible schedule, but it would still be necessary to take most of my courses online. Turns out, COTC offers a lot of classes online, I could be a college student without having to step foot on the campus for entire quarters!!
Here we are in 2008, I've been a student at COTC for four quarters now and I've never attended a class on the main campus. I've attended class at The Works, two to be exact, but The Works is about two minutes from my house, doesn't get much more convenient than that.
How has online learning changed the way I perceive education? Almost completely.
Online learning has made it possible for me to not only attend school, but enjoy it as well. I can sit in my sweatpants, drink my coffee, smoke a cigarette and yell at my dogs, all while listening to Bill lecture. Try doing that at the Works.
Has online learning been easy? Sometimes. The ease of being able to pause and resume at my convenience has been invaluable. The option of being able to wait until 11:59 PM to turn in assignments has sometimes been my downfall. I'm a person that hates to do today, what can be put off until tomorrow. In a traditional classroom this was bad enough, but in the online world, it has sometimes been disastrous.
Has it been frustrating? Occasionally. Not getting immediate answers to questions I have for instructors can be very irritating. Waiting on replies to emails is like watching paint dry. In Marketing I had a group project that required coordination of several people. In a traditional classroom, not a big deal, for an online class, very difficult. I have a very different schedule than some and that's why I take online courses. I guess I can see the relevance of being able to coordinate online, but it's not something I expected from Intro to Marketing. If I ruled the online learning world, I would ban group projects.
Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my online learning experience. Just as I suspected and made note of at the beginning of this course, Bill has armed me with an abundance of knowledge that will no doubt help tremendously as I continue in my online learning, not to mention completely changed what I expect from an online course. I have a feeling that next quarter, when I take all online courses again, I won't be nearly as enthused about the lectures as I have been this quarter.
So how has online learning changed the way I perceive education? It has allowed me to feel like I am part of something new and fresh. My input into the system could make it easier for the next person, and their's for the next, and so on. I feel like with the advancement and evolution of the Web, online learning will continue to evolve, or at least it should.
My suggestion, get the instructors on board, teach them how to teach in this environment. Teachers can't be as effective if they don't understand the medium they are using and it has been my experience that some of them clearly don't. I honestly feel like what we are doing right now, blogging, is the future of this medium, or at least it should be.
Thanks to everyone who has commented and shared with me this quarter, I've thoroughly enjoyed the exchanges.
-Zack
My online learning experience!
Online learning for me this quarter has been frustrating! All the way down to trying to do a group project where NO ONE communicated with each other until a week before the final! I love the experience of learning online - which teaches you self discipline because you have to know where to budget your time!!!! And you have to teach yourself that there is a deadline, but no one is there to remind you . . . I learned a lot from online learning all the way down to that. At times throughout this quarter I have felt overwhelmed and thought this was impossible. How does everyone else make it look sooo easy? I work full time and I am trying to be a full time student as well, and this quarter proved very challanging!
The advantages of online learning definately over-run the disadvantages! The ability to replay the lectures over and over if I want to - or even the ability to study at your own convience and pace.
It was a great experience! :-)
The advantages of online learning definately over-run the disadvantages! The ability to replay the lectures over and over if I want to - or even the ability to study at your own convience and pace.
It was a great experience! :-)
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 changed how everyone uses the web nowadays! Look at MySpace and FaceBook - which is not only a social connection, but gets you closer the the six-degrees from anyone!! So many people use these sites everyday - and what better way to show your life to someone than on the Internet?? Write a book? How many people actually read a paper book anymore when you can read it online?!?!?!? Web 2.0 has changed communication in the world! I am a perfect example of using Web 2.0 to send an email to someone rather than calling them. LET ALONE: YOU CAN ACTUALLY CALL SOMEONE THROUGH YOUR COMPUTER NOW!!!! I don't even have to pick up my phone!
It is crazy to someone like my mom, who never thought the Internet would become this popular or accessible to everyone and everything!
It is crazy to someone like my mom, who never thought the Internet would become this popular or accessible to everyone and everything!
How has technology changed my education?
Well, technology has changed education tremendously for both me and everyone else. The convience of being able to take a class while sitting in the comforts of my home, to take a class without having to changed my normal routines, and even to be able to take a class while having my nephew here.
Technology has changed my education to make it easier (in some senses) to attempt to fulfill my dreams in life. I have to convience of being at home instead of driving in bad road conditions or better yet, the accessability of being on vacation and still taking classes without missing a beat. It has simplified life to a degree.
I grew up around computers, both in school and at home, but officially did not become too familiar with them until high school.
Jes
Technology has changed my education to make it easier (in some senses) to attempt to fulfill my dreams in life. I have to convience of being at home instead of driving in bad road conditions or better yet, the accessability of being on vacation and still taking classes without missing a beat. It has simplified life to a degree.
I grew up around computers, both in school and at home, but officially did not become too familiar with them until high school.
Jes
Monday, December 8, 2008
Online Experience
Online learning has opened a whole other option to learning for me when it comes to my education. I really enjoy learning online and it gives me a chance to learn content without relying on notes or memory. I can watch my lectures 6 times over if I need to or pause the lecture to cross reference the material being discussed. I can't even begin to describe how valuable it is to me to be able to control my lessons. Discipline plays a huge part of online learning for me as well, staying on task sometimes tries to become a problem especially when I am looking up material discussed and it sends me into other directions that are just as interesting. Or just keeping all my assignments in track, especially when taking 4 other classes online, things get a little muddled up every so often. The Experience of online learning is a nice break from traditional classroom experience, and to keep it simple I like the control I have over it. Although what I am learning and how it is presented is the biggest part of the experience. Business classes online are dreadfully boring where as E-life and DigiFun gave me something to look forward to. The E-life experience was by far the best one, it gave me a sense of enlightenment. It sparked my curiosity and had my mind reeling for days about all the stuff I knew was out there but never really paid attention to. I was amazed mostly by the anthropology parts of it and the philosophical aspects involved with this class. There isn't one single thing that sticks out that made me think "I wish I could change that." That might seem like a cop out but I really like online learning.Sunday, December 7, 2008
The Merits of Online Learning
The way I assess whether or not I've learned or have been impacted by something is by keeping aware of its influence in my daily life. They say that it takes consistent behavior modification over a period of several weeks to make something a habit, part of human routine. Add or subtract a week and the underlying idea is valid. Over time we become influenced by our environment. Or at least we should. I believe that receiving an education is similar. Activity and passivity share a fine line, but by actively taking a step towards understanding and applying, it's a fine line that is never crossed. Has this class, or, rather, has online learning influenced me in any way? Was it rewarding or frustrating? May I say yes and both?
I'm eager to understand the Web more but also anthropology. I found myself thinking about the influence of the Web on society as a whole and I'm eager to see where it goes. If something causes me to ponder it while in the shower then it has indeed influenced me. And there were many times I found myself doing just that. Luckily for most of you, you have no idea what I look like, so you're spared the visual. Sorry, Bill. Kathlyn.
While this class was enriching, it was exhausting to say the least. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it is a combination of several personal and academic factors. There was much content to cover. Covering it myself, as is the idea of online learning, was enjoyable; however, some of the content was somewhat dense (some of the videos we had to watch outside of the normal lecture). However, the fact that there are professionals who are making a living off the IDEA of the Web or trying to understand it and predict it goes to show that it isn't an ill-fated fad. If one wishes to get in on this market (I do), then learning as much about it as possible is desirable...even if some of the linked lecturers were drips or quite drab.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Learning with Web 2.0
Web 2.0 has helped me with research and finding information for my classes at Central Ohio Technical College. Sometimes I can find a specific answer to a question by scanning through a blog or wiki. I never realized the potential Web 2.0 had on my learning experience. Assignments we've done have helped my understanding of the Web tremendously. For me, it has reduced the time it takes to find information.
Understanding a concept gives one greater confidence. With this class coming to and end I feel that every bit of information learned will be applied to future tasks with work in Web Design, especially when it comes to working with clients. If a client has a question that you can answer on the spot, it looks more professional.
Understanding a concept gives one greater confidence. With this class coming to and end I feel that every bit of information learned will be applied to future tasks with work in Web Design, especially when it comes to working with clients. If a client has a question that you can answer on the spot, it looks more professional.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
My Education and Technology
How has technology changed my education? Well... I feel like, until this year, my education hasn't changed because of technology. Technology had influenced my education but not changed it, until now.
I had computers early in elementary school that we used for typing practice, in-class assignments and educational games. By the time that I had to write my first paper, i was already online looking up information on the topic. I have been fortunate enough to have grop in a world where any information is right at the tip of my fingers. In middle school, most of the other kids were just taking classes on how to use the web to their advantage. I had to sit through these boring classes listening to a teacher trying to teach a class on something that she didn't know anything about. I think that I actually taught the teacher more than she taught the class. It wasn't until the 9th or 10th grade that i actually felt like my peers actually knew how to use technology to their advantage.
Now is a different story... This is my first quarter taking an onlie class and I love it. Before now information had always been given to me by a teacher or a text book. I had technologies to assist but the teacher or book usually gave all the information needed for assignments and tests, This kind of work and learning is very boring to me and every class, every year seemed to be the same old thing. Now, having tried the online learning, I have discovered a new and actually exciting way for me to learn.
Technlogy has now changed my education because I found a way to learn that I actually like. The challange of actually finding and discovering things on my own is awsome. I also love the freedom that the online class provides. Not only the freedom of not having to actually attend the class, but also the freedom to explore more things than just the textbook or teacher has to say. I know that i have always had the luxuryto use technology in this way but I had never been pushed to use it. That is what this class has done for me and now next quarter I am taking three classes online!
I had computers early in elementary school that we used for typing practice, in-class assignments and educational games. By the time that I had to write my first paper, i was already online looking up information on the topic. I have been fortunate enough to have grop in a world where any information is right at the tip of my fingers. In middle school, most of the other kids were just taking classes on how to use the web to their advantage. I had to sit through these boring classes listening to a teacher trying to teach a class on something that she didn't know anything about. I think that I actually taught the teacher more than she taught the class. It wasn't until the 9th or 10th grade that i actually felt like my peers actually knew how to use technology to their advantage.
Now is a different story... This is my first quarter taking an onlie class and I love it. Before now information had always been given to me by a teacher or a text book. I had technologies to assist but the teacher or book usually gave all the information needed for assignments and tests, This kind of work and learning is very boring to me and every class, every year seemed to be the same old thing. Now, having tried the online learning, I have discovered a new and actually exciting way for me to learn.
Technlogy has now changed my education because I found a way to learn that I actually like. The challange of actually finding and discovering things on my own is awsome. I also love the freedom that the online class provides. Not only the freedom of not having to actually attend the class, but also the freedom to explore more things than just the textbook or teacher has to say. I know that i have always had the luxuryto use technology in this way but I had never been pushed to use it. That is what this class has done for me and now next quarter I am taking three classes online!
Technology Driven Education
Technology has grown by leaps and bounds in so few years. When I was in the fifth grade we played "Oregon Trail" and thought it was the coolest thing. When I was eleven I mowed grass for a whole summer in order to save money for a Nintendo. That's a Nintendo, not a Super or a 64, just a Nintendo. I once told a young teenager that I was interviewing that story and he gazed at me with amazement. "A Nintendo...how old are you?" he asked in disbelief. Truth is, I'm not that old. The Nintendo was top of the line when I was eleven, but that wasn't really that long ago (less than twenty years, more than eighteen). My point is that even though that 8 bit gaming system seems so archaic now, the Playstation 3's and XBox 360's have sprung up on us fairly quickly.
The game stations aren't the only things that have grown so rapidly. The way we teach and the way we learn have grown as quickly, maybe quicker. Today it's even possible for home school students to get a high school diploma without even having to get up and go to school. My twenty-two year old brother was home schooled his whole life. He finished his high school education only a few years ago and the option of an actual high school diploma was not offered. In just those four or five years Web 2.0 has completely revolutionized even a high school experience.
I remember learning to use a card catalog system in a real library. I wonder how many high schoolers can do that these days. It's much easier to sit at a computer terminal in the library and type a title into a search engine and find the book that way. It's even easier to sit down in front of your computer in your bedroom, type a title into a search engine and read the book online.
I'm only criticizing the technology to a point. As Thomas pointed out in his post, "The Effects of Technology" this new way of doing things has it's downfalls, but it certainly has it's perks as well. The ease and convenience of learning online is hard to rival in a class room setting. Without the online courses offered by COTC or many other institutions, many people including myself could not fulfill their dream of a higher education. The Web has made it possible for more than just students to learn. In effect, it has made the average person a student without being enrolled in school. Anytime a person looks up a "how to" online, they are learning because of this technology. Anytime a person researches a political topic they're interested in, they are learning because of this technology.
I think the future offers more than we can even imagine now. It seems to me that we already have the technology for real time classroom discussions, we just need the structure and coordination. In Kevin Kelly's lecture we watched this week he mentioned an idea of his. The semantic web, the one, the machine, will someday create even more opportunity to learn in new ways. A total connection of data and people and people and data will revolutionize education both in an online learning community and in the classroom. I'm very excited to be a part of this early part of history, and even more excited about the possibility to be a part of creating the next chapter.
The game stations aren't the only things that have grown so rapidly. The way we teach and the way we learn have grown as quickly, maybe quicker. Today it's even possible for home school students to get a high school diploma without even having to get up and go to school. My twenty-two year old brother was home schooled his whole life. He finished his high school education only a few years ago and the option of an actual high school diploma was not offered. In just those four or five years Web 2.0 has completely revolutionized even a high school experience.
I remember learning to use a card catalog system in a real library. I wonder how many high schoolers can do that these days. It's much easier to sit at a computer terminal in the library and type a title into a search engine and find the book that way. It's even easier to sit down in front of your computer in your bedroom, type a title into a search engine and read the book online.
I'm only criticizing the technology to a point. As Thomas pointed out in his post, "The Effects of Technology" this new way of doing things has it's downfalls, but it certainly has it's perks as well. The ease and convenience of learning online is hard to rival in a class room setting. Without the online courses offered by COTC or many other institutions, many people including myself could not fulfill their dream of a higher education. The Web has made it possible for more than just students to learn. In effect, it has made the average person a student without being enrolled in school. Anytime a person looks up a "how to" online, they are learning because of this technology. Anytime a person researches a political topic they're interested in, they are learning because of this technology.
I think the future offers more than we can even imagine now. It seems to me that we already have the technology for real time classroom discussions, we just need the structure and coordination. In Kevin Kelly's lecture we watched this week he mentioned an idea of his. The semantic web, the one, the machine, will someday create even more opportunity to learn in new ways. A total connection of data and people and people and data will revolutionize education both in an online learning community and in the classroom. I'm very excited to be a part of this early part of history, and even more excited about the possibility to be a part of creating the next chapter.
Learning Curve.
I've grown up with the internet. Not so much in the "digital native" kind of way, but more like I'm the internet's little brother. I was at the very tail end of the "televisions without remotes" era of American history so I didn't have a home PC until about the 7th grade. I can remember wanting to stay inside from recess in the sixth to get on the internet. Those days are LONG gone now. I actually had a class on how to navigate the internet and sending emails when I was in junior high. Oh Netscape, how awesome I thought you were back then. Everyone thought they were cool because they had a hotmail.com account. I made my own webpages and hosted them on geocities.
As you can see, I actually HAVE grown up WITH the internet. I've watched it turn from a scary thing into something everyone used and then into a tool. Something people used on a daily basis.
I remember back when I was in the sixth grade and our school was trying to get a levy passed so they could "update" their text books. There was a big board meeting held at the high school and people came to have a forum. People didn't understand why the school should invest in computers instead of text books. Obviously text books are important, but at that point there was a single text book for every three students in a class on average. My school was poor, I know. Leave me alone. If they invested that money into a single computer and a printer, they would have saved money. That was even back then. Computers are ten times cheaper now. You can get dial-up (yuck) internet for $7.99/mo. if you want it. Thinking about that for a second. I can remember when dial-up was fast. sheesh.
Overall, I like the way technology and education have gone hand in hand. Sure things like l33t spe4k or whatever it is causes people to frown some, but it's classes like this one that are a positive example.
As you can see, I actually HAVE grown up WITH the internet. I've watched it turn from a scary thing into something everyone used and then into a tool. Something people used on a daily basis.
I remember back when I was in the sixth grade and our school was trying to get a levy passed so they could "update" their text books. There was a big board meeting held at the high school and people came to have a forum. People didn't understand why the school should invest in computers instead of text books. Obviously text books are important, but at that point there was a single text book for every three students in a class on average. My school was poor, I know. Leave me alone. If they invested that money into a single computer and a printer, they would have saved money. That was even back then. Computers are ten times cheaper now. You can get dial-up (yuck) internet for $7.99/mo. if you want it. Thinking about that for a second. I can remember when dial-up was fast. sheesh.
Overall, I like the way technology and education have gone hand in hand. Sure things like l33t spe4k or whatever it is causes people to frown some, but it's classes like this one that are a positive example.
technology & my education
How has technology changed education for me?? Well, its made things a lot easier, and way more convenient. I don't have to worry about finding a sitter for my kids while I am in class, I don't have to miss out on the opportunity to work full time because of scheduling conflicts. Because of the advancement of technology I am able to attend most of my college courses through the comfort of my own home, without the extra worries I had before. I love that part, and every aspect of the always changing never boring life of technology!
How could technology make learning easier or better? I think that being able to jump online and find just about anything that I could ever need for a class or just because in general has became far more easy. Personally I think that technology has made learning better for me because I can take my time, follow at a pace right for me when getting the lectures and other task that normally in class I could not keep up with. At home I can play, replay, and pause the lectures as many times as I need to until I fully understand what is being discussed where as before in class it was a hit or miss when it came to the lecture and material covered in the classes. I am truly thankful for the advancements of technology and for being fortunate enough to attend college classes at home with this advancement there to assist me.
How could technology make learning easier or better? I think that being able to jump online and find just about anything that I could ever need for a class or just because in general has became far more easy. Personally I think that technology has made learning better for me because I can take my time, follow at a pace right for me when getting the lectures and other task that normally in class I could not keep up with. At home I can play, replay, and pause the lectures as many times as I need to until I fully understand what is being discussed where as before in class it was a hit or miss when it came to the lecture and material covered in the classes. I am truly thankful for the advancements of technology and for being fortunate enough to attend college classes at home with this advancement there to assist me.
The effects of technology
Abacus - "a calculating tool used primarily in parts of Asia for performing arithmetic processes." Also a technology boring children for years upon years until the great TI-82 calculator was invented. Thank God.
Technology has influenced the way I've learned dramatically, I'm sure. I was schooled under the transition between overhead projectors and Power Point. I saw the use of chalkboard, white boards, and Smart Boards. In college, I understood conference classes. In grade school I was able to spell out "HELL" and "BOOB" on a calculator, careful to avoid the teacher's stern look. After passing the message to my neighboring classmate, who knew I was actually primitively texting. In high school we learned how to program our TI-82 to help with advanced math problems, later learning how to program them for even better learning objectives - how to geometrically stack awkward objects on top of each....err....Tetris.
Technology has essentially raised the bar. We learn the lesson, but we also learn application. Or we should. When I would have my own students use the computer lab for author research or for a Christmas project, I was doing more than just having them use a tool for a desired object; I was providing them skills (new and foreign to some) to apply to all subjects through the use of the said tool. By giving them tips to improve their hits on a browser, I was aligning them towards future success. Why people type a question in a search engine is beyond me. Yes, Ask Jeeves was sweet, but seriously. The browser semantically doesn't understand the question. It's searching for the words "what," "the," and "about" as much as it's searching for "chicken leg" and "whisky." Odd example.
Technology also enables one to conceptualize abstract (and concrete) ideas better. This is especially true for all of the different learning styles. If we were all auditory learners, we would not need a classroom, books, or even lights. We would need only a voice. But we don't all learn that way. Smart Boards, computers, and, yes, even an overhead projector, reach students on a conceptual level much better than the orator or lecturer.
Although not asked, obviously technology can hurt as well. First and foremost, expecting a computer to correct mispelingz does not make one a sophisticated user. My students overly relied on computers to help with their assignments, plagiarizing (which of course occurred even before computers), mechanical mistakes, and poor grammar pervade the classroom. Why? I don't blame technology, but I blame the students' passivity and apathy that comes from the result of immediate self gratification offered by technology. Does that give you someting to respond to?
Technology has influenced the way I've learned dramatically, I'm sure. I was schooled under the transition between overhead projectors and Power Point. I saw the use of chalkboard, white boards, and Smart Boards. In college, I understood conference classes. In grade school I was able to spell out "HELL" and "BOOB" on a calculator, careful to avoid the teacher's stern look. After passing the message to my neighboring classmate, who knew I was actually primitively texting. In high school we learned how to program our TI-82 to help with advanced math problems, later learning how to program them for even better learning objectives - how to geometrically stack awkward objects on top of each....err....Tetris.
Technology has essentially raised the bar. We learn the lesson, but we also learn application. Or we should. When I would have my own students use the computer lab for author research or for a Christmas project, I was doing more than just having them use a tool for a desired object; I was providing them skills (new and foreign to some) to apply to all subjects through the use of the said tool. By giving them tips to improve their hits on a browser, I was aligning them towards future success. Why people type a question in a search engine is beyond me. Yes, Ask Jeeves was sweet, but seriously. The browser semantically doesn't understand the question. It's searching for the words "what," "the," and "about" as much as it's searching for "chicken leg" and "whisky." Odd example.
Technology also enables one to conceptualize abstract (and concrete) ideas better. This is especially true for all of the different learning styles. If we were all auditory learners, we would not need a classroom, books, or even lights. We would need only a voice. But we don't all learn that way. Smart Boards, computers, and, yes, even an overhead projector, reach students on a conceptual level much better than the orator or lecturer.
Although not asked, obviously technology can hurt as well. First and foremost, expecting a computer to correct mispelingz does not make one a sophisticated user. My students overly relied on computers to help with their assignments, plagiarizing (which of course occurred even before computers), mechanical mistakes, and poor grammar pervade the classroom. Why? I don't blame technology, but I blame the students' passivity and apathy that comes from the result of immediate self gratification offered by technology. Does that give you someting to respond to?
Monday, December 1, 2008
Education with Web 2.0
As I was finishing up the original post I had in place here, my browser crashed and I had to of course start all over again. In between post I decided to investigate the problem of why Firefox has been crashing lately, well after a little research come to find out it was one of my addons used to track World of Warcraft server status. So with that in mind I answered the question at hand, Web 2.0 has affected my education, in that it allows me to educate myself. Whether I am looking for cooking tips or watching Dr. Michio Kaku: Three types of Extraterrestrial Civilizations on YouTube, I am constantly teaching myself new things with Web 2.0. My wife takes online classes and sometimes I find myself watching her online lectures with her, as she does the same with mine, none of this would be possible without Web 2.0. My car's air conditioning compressor locked up and was causing the serpentine belt to break, through a website I learned how to bypass the compressor with a shorter belt and end up saving $900 in the process. I have fixed my furnace, computer, car, oven, washer and dryer all using the Web.
I have put a computer into almost every room in the house as well as bought a laptop for the sole purpose of being able to learn almost anything on the spot, but more importantly so can my family. I want my children to embrace this technology and not only that but to know how amazing it is to posses the power of knowledge through self-education.
I have put a computer into almost every room in the house as well as bought a laptop for the sole purpose of being able to learn almost anything on the spot, but more importantly so can my family. I want my children to embrace this technology and not only that but to know how amazing it is to posses the power of knowledge through self-education.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)