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.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
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.
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