ETEC 524: Reflection #8

Throughout the semester you have been exposed to a variety of technologies, researched studies to further your knowledge, develop your educational technology philosophy, a blog, and much more. What has made the biggest impact on you? How are you going to change as a result of it? What are some other "Aha" moments you had this semester? Finally, will you continue to utilize your blog and if so, how?

The technology activities have had the biggest impact on me. Being able to CREATE is what learning is all about for me. I am amazed how many courses I have taken in undergraduate and graduate school that did not have a create or practical application component. I now wonder how this is even possible! Imagine teaching accounting but never filing taxes or creating forms/worksheets for a small business. Learning formulas in a lecture room is not enough. Technology may not be the sole answer for this but it can aid in teaching and creating a wealth of concepts.

My goal moving forward is to design student-centered "create" based lessons and assess my instruction and the use of technology. A major change I will be making is to store materials online for learners to access at a later date. This is primarily for staff workshops and my marketing/media interns. Other "aha!" moments came reading my colleagues posts regarding different technologies being used and how they are being used. There is just so much out there!

Yes, I plan to continue this blog. If not being used for another course next term then I will continue posting about technology, student affairs and higher education topics.

ETEC 524: Reflection #7

Lesson plan activity

I chose to create a lesson plan outline on typography. First I would use a combination of the YouTube videos to break the ice on typography, see below. Students will then use the social media site Pinterest to create visual boards of serif and sans serif fonts. Pinterest will allow students to share pins by repinning and to comment on classmates pins. 

The second part of the lesson will include a research component using fonts already installed on the computer and the site dafont.com to draw inspiration. Each student will create their own original font on paper and then transfer the font into the computer software, Illustrator, using a drawing tablet and image scanner. The student will then solidify a working type font. The student will also provide a reflection paper demonstrating an understanding of the history of typography and explaining how their research inspired their original font creation.  

How we can improve student learning...

Where do I begin! There are so many methods to creating interactive and engaging learning environments with and without technology. I have always been an advocate of doing while learning "a la practicum style". If anyone is familiar with Babson College you will understand what I mean. Babson encourages the use of practical applications of education towards entrepreneurship and global studies. This means that students are just learning about what to do when they graduate they are actually doing it prior to graduation. It's a mind frame and technology is there to assist the process. 

We can take a business marketing approach to education. Students are customers. If this is true, why are we not going to them and instead expect students to conform to us? Education is not water. A great education is a privilege and therefore more like soda. As a soda maker I am not expecting students to line up out of necessity and I am more likely to be meeting students in their space. What is their space? It is on Facebook, Twitter, in blogs, on YouTube, outside, at work, in the evening at home, etc. A traditional classroom is not their space. Education must balance the integrity of the curriculum and embrace the needs of its customers, ehrm... learners. In the first video multiple students admitted to not using their laptops in class for class related objectives. So give them something to do online during this period of time. Too many texters? Encourage text-to-tweets for a classroom backchannel. This way yes, the student is texting, but they are more likely to be texting for the class and engaging with classmates. This seems like a better outcome than them texting pictures of my backside covered in chalk to half the university while sitting stadium style with over a hundred people they've never met. 

Two videos for your pleasure regarding education and human behavior... 

The Pleasure of the Tweet

Changing Education Paradigms

ETEC 524: Reflection #6

The purpose of my podcast was to briefly introduce the Twitter based program, HootSuite. I use HootSuite at work to monitor the University's brand, provide customer service support and monitor student activity on Twitter. Currently, I host workshops throughout the year for staff within the division to get them set up on HootSuite. However, I am leaning towards making podcasts for staff to review if they need a refresher after the workshop. Especially using some of the more advance features the platform offers.

I also get requests for speaking on campus about digital identity and branding through social media and other web 2.0. A series of similar podcasts could benefit the students and provide a reference point for how employers may find them online and how it can impact their future.

I used Quicktime's "record screen" feature. Quicktime also has a feature to directly upload videos to YouTube. I did not do any editing on this specific podcast however I usually do and use iMovie for that. Thanks to the stock software on my Mac it is pretty simple and cheap, FREE! Yes, I plan to create more educational podcasts in the future.

You can view my channel on YouTube or even the channel I advise but is mostly student produced.

ETEC 524: Reflection #5

My initial reaction to the MAPping activity is a couple of things... 1) There are not a lot of "experts" in Victorian era robotics and 2) Wouldn't it be cool if Perdue's mascot was a robot named "Boilerplate"? I wouldn't trust the Victorian Robots page as the only source on the subject. The site is the most popular on the subject and uses references in combination with historical photos, however it is a personal page. Additionally, I was unable to find the owner information and when checked using Google there are a lack of sites who reference the site.

I am pretty confident with the information I've used as sources in the past. Most sources have been from peer-reviewed journals, professional publications and textbooks. If a site like Wikipedia has been used then I look for the originating source and trace it back for credibility. As a journalism major, fact checking was always a priority in undergraduate school. What I found out later is it isn't a skill that grows old in four years.

I would be more concerned about the implications for our new teachers if they are not taught these skills in high school and college. What exactly will our students be learning? The results of not learning credibility and validation processes could compromise our knowledge base and the quality of writing content that is available. As self-publishing become more and more prominent this is a legitimate concern whether the content is found online or bound in a book. Censoring information is not the answer! We must equip students and adults which the ability to be resourceful, deduce logic and perform comprehensive logic.

I love online organization sites! I have found that each one has it's own purpose. Delicious definitely appeals more to the nerdy side of me where I keep a lot of bookmarks and stacks on professional topics, design, typography and tutorials. Google Reader is more of a compilation of hobbies. Topics I want to read but don't necessarily need to refer to again. In short a lot of baking and sports happen in Google Reader. Pinterest is my new LOVE. This appeals to the visual side of me where pictures are very important! This particular service is also dominated by women. It consumes the cooking, crafty and girly side of me.

I would not use Google Reader to organize a large amount of articles or webpages due to the difficulty to do so. Reader is more appropriate as a custom news feed or magazine. Delicious is great for being specific with tags, stacks, etc. Imagine cataloging 600 magazines and being able to break it down by who was on the cover, name of the magazine, genre of the magazine, etc. Pinterest is very visual and lets you create custom virtual "boards" so it is up to the user how specific one's board is. Common boards are "things I'd like to eat/cook", quotes, photos, etc. For example, I have a board of movie posters for movies I want to see.

http://delicious.com/meghannmm
http://pinterest.com/meghannmm

ETEC 524: Reflection #4

In the article, Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep Learning, I most closely identified with the fact that assessment for learning should take account of the importance of (and foster) learner motivation. I have been a student my whole life and I can count on one hand when learner motivation might have been considered or was specifically sought to accomplish learning outcomes or objectives. I recall pulling together performance binders in AP courses to use for course evaluations in high school. However, I do not recall any results stemming from the review of the course portfolios. At most 3 or 4 of the assessment for learning (AFL) principles were part of the portfolio process.

Creating an ePortfolio for the Educational Technology program will help develop my learning on various levels. The first level is a basic understanding of accomplishment and the tangible items developed throughout the program. The articles of learning and reflections for each course exemplify AFL principle on developing a self-assessment. As a graduate student I feel this is essential to my growth as a potential Ph.D. student and new professional. On another level the ePortfolio will allow for me to receive constructive feedback on how to improve as I transition into the professional workforce. More importantly, as a learner the ePortfolio is giving me something to walk away with and display to potential employers. The ePortfolio could serve, in whole or part, as a job seeking resume and portfolio in order to obtain a position in the field. Potential employers can view examples of my instructional design, my theory and philosophies in the field and understand the programs effect on me as a student and new professional.

View the beginnings of my ePortfolio here.

ETEC 524: Reflection #3

I created a Wiki to the Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Marketing and Media practicum/internship program. The Wiki is located here: www.meghannmm.pbworks.com


I decided to create this wiki to help facilitate progress, organization and communication. The course is set up to where the students have a lot of autonomy after the initial week of class where the projects and schedule are decided upon. I have created pages outlining my expectations of the student, a place for their schedule, a place for them to log their activity/tasks, resources, a place to post their completed work and a place to discuss their projects with other students in the program. Once I add some more details this will become a VERY practical resource for me and I believe that it will assist the students in staying on track during the semester since we don't see each other every day.


Some advantages of the wiki are that everyone can contribute! There is a centralized location for information to cut down on emails and keep everyone on the same page. Disadvantages could be unsolicited contributors or lack of contribution due to poor integration or lack of direction. I have been apart of wiki communities that never seem to flourish and others that are very active and self-sustaining. I despise the term "digital natives". However, as we enter an era of almost exclusive digital communication. With this in mind, Wikis have the ability to bring people together over a distance. As the idea of collaboration no longer means sitting in the same room, town, state, etc. wikis will serve a greater purpose in teamwork and community. The engagement can come from planning, reporting, discussion and other communications. Since wikis are not only text based but can be used with Voicethread chains or YouTube videos as well.


The eLearning tools wiki has some great tools listed. A few I would like to look into are:


DoInk- an animation tool for novices to create videos
YawnBuster- to host interactive presentations with built in polls, games and group exercises. May be a great work tool.
ClockingIT- a free project management tool!!! So excited to look into this. I always wonder where my day goes. ;)

ETEC 524: Reflection #2

I chose to look at the International Society for Technology in Education because the organization is more comprehensive and respected in the field than others I looked at. ISTE has a very thorough strategic plan outlining their values, mission and the organization's objectives. The focus of the organization is on advocacy, diversity, collaboration and advancing teaching through technology. The mission is, "ISTE advances excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology." The vision is, "ISTE is globally recognized as the premier partner in advancing educational excellence through innovative learning, teaching, and leadership. We are a diverse worldwide community of educational leaders actively creating a world in which all learners can achieve their creative and intellectual potential."

My definition of educational technology is the facilitation of learning using hardware, software or other technological means to complete tasks and processes for one's advancement of knowledge. I chose this definition because it correlates the relationship between technology and education but does not constrain "educational technology" to a classroom or formal learning environment while still building a teacher/learner relationship in the delivery.

Below you will find my concept map demonstrating a relationship of various sources including my philosophy and definition of educational technology, in addition to language from ISTE's website and Rey Junco's article on The Effect of Twitter on College Student Engagement and Grades.

I really liked how this one separated out "technology" but I felt it was disconnected so I ran Wordle through again.

A snapshot of my brain in this course.

ETEC524: Reflection #1

Developing an educational philosophy forces me to define my beliefs along with the who, what and why of being involved in the field of educational technology. In short, it gives me a starting line. It will help me build up my interests and clarify my passions within ed tech. Hopefully, guiding me to select more meaningful topics on projects.

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There are many awesome uses for blogging. The main use for blogging to me is to create community and affirm ones identity. How great is it to find people like you? It is a pretty awesome feeling to know you're not alone. In reference to Downes' article I do not believe we have met the potential of blogging. As I write this I think of how I'd much rather do a video then read all of these words! A step further and I think, why am I still typing and not filming? I think in the field of educational blogs we are still viewing the blogging industry as one dimensional in many cases. Groups like RSA and Ted have began to push the boundaries of spreading ideas via video blogs. Other groups like HigherEd Live and Break Drink hosts real-time web shows, they're also recorded for later viewing, that allow for interaction beyond text. We have to change the culture to encourage individuals to push the boundaries of blogging for education.
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In November's article regarding changes in educational technology it stood out to me that he emphasized the need to teach students to be resourceful, to think critically about validating online materials and to use a combination of logic and investigative skills. I completely agree! I tell people all the time, the number one thing I ever learned was to be resourceful. I'm not sure when or how I learned this skill but has paid off. Being able to find and figure out sometimes goes further than knowing.
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Below you will find my work-in-progress educational technology philosophy. You can find the text copy here.