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.