EDUC 305 Weblog

Digital Storytelling Reflection

2006-04-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

The experience overall of the Digital Storytelling project was rather frustrating for me. My pictures were blurry, iMovie files were too large, and my schedule was tight. It was hard to fit time into my schedule to go to the one computer on campus where I could access my file. The program itself kind of frustrated me. It may be because I was impatient and certain processes took a long time. Also, it was hard to get different effects to work. To put in certain effects, I had to "re-render" other effects, but then when I "re-rendered" them the timing got thrown off and I couldn't put the timing back unless I deleted the effects altogether.
In spite of my gripes, I do see many benefits for students in doing this kind of project. For one thing, it is a wonderful chance for them to be creative in many different ways. Since they have the power over what is heard, over visual and artistic effects, and over the story itself, they have a tremendous sense of ownership when the project is finished. The project is an exercise in presenting a clear story and message to an audience, which is a valuable skill to practice. Students with different interests can find something in this project that will engage them, and the students can help each other since they all have different strengths.
There are various challenges the students will face. If they use iMovie, I would have to make sure sufficient time was given to them to work in the computer lab, or else the project simply won't get done. This is an issue since the process of making the movie is very timeconsuming. Dealing with technology, especially if they aren't used to "movie" technology, will be the biggest issue for the students. Putting all the aspects (pictures, sounds, effects) together is quite a task, and the students will need a lot of patience and dedication to make everything work.
If I were to do this project, I probably would use a different program than iMovie, and I would be very careful to allocate sufficient time for the project. That is key for putting less stress on the student. I would also make sure the students have access to a voice-recorder like the one Dr. Hofer let us use; it was an excellent and convenient tool for that step of the process. I do think that this project would be very fun for the students, as well as being an excellent opportunity for them to communicate uniquely and creatively.

Writing With Technology

2006-04-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Ideas I liked:
I really liked the idea of having the students keep a writer's journal, where they reflect on their writing throughout the process of the project they are working on. I think that sounds like a great way for them to focus their thoughts and jot ideas down more informally. They can try out many ways of saying one thing without having to delete text or mess with the format on their actual paper. Also, it makes them continually think about what they are doing, which will encourage a more careful and thought-out final product. As Kajder says, this reflection process can help students "gain additional control" over their writing (70).
I also really liked the idea of prewriting collaboratively. Kajder has her students either share a computer and take turns typing, or move around to different computers and add to what other people have written. I think that's a great way to see what other people are thinking. It challenges the students to expand their thoughts from the very beginnning of the writing process. Often different ideas help us to strengthen our own, and they challenge us to think more deeply about the topic. I really think this idea could be useful.

Ideas I'm uncomfortable with:
I don't really understand the idea of nutshelling. It sounds as if the student looks at their writing, picks one sentence, and then rewrites using only that sentence. I have a feeling I'm not comprehending the concept. I don't quite get which step of the writing process this activity would fit in.
I don't quite agree with the idea of using the conclusions for an introductions. In my opinion, conclusions are best when they include something new or provoking that wasn't dealt with as much in the paper, so to put it at the beginning would not have the same affect. But I guess that depends on people's opinions of the function of conclusions and introductions, and what should be included in each.

PowerPoint Reflection

2006-03-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

I think more than anything, I found limiting my thoughts to be the most difficult part of content generation for this project. I had a lot of information, and my tendency was just to list it in detail on the slide. But, as we learned, that is not an effective way to use PowerPoint. So I had to consider not only the information, but also how much of it I should put on the slide. I used Dr. Hofer's tips about just giving the bare bones, and then in your presentation you can go into more detail. Also, that way the students have a need to listen to you, because they are getting more information from you than the slide says. I was frustrated technically by the way fonts change from computer to computer, and the way certain media doesn't play on different computers. But these things were easily worked out. I was also a little frustrated by the restrictions PowerPoint has for slide layout. I never could get my slides to successfully change to the color I wanted. I also found it challenging to bring in all the different networks of UDL, but it was a chance for me to think creatively, so it was worth it.
I had to think in many different ways. For one thing, I had to consider of all the information I had, what I should include that would best provide a good introduction to my topic. I also had to get more detailed when I considered what facts about authors I should include. I had to think creatively to figure out ways to bring different networks of UDL into the project. I also had to be thinking about keeping the presentation interesting.
Mapping out the presentation was very helpful. It gave me focus so that I knew what I was going to put on the slides before I even made them. It also helped me to think all at once about everything that I needed/wanted to include. Just starting on the slides would not have helped me organize my different ideas as well.
If I had my students do a project like this, I would try to find some other resources for sound clips. AltaVista did not have many helpful sounds clips, and Google doesn't have the ability to search for just sound clips, so searching through it took too long. I would try to find other places to look for sound clips so that they might have more luck searching for what they need. I would consider doing a project like this with my students. It is useful for them to do presentations. However, I would not focus on UDL concepts in the same way. I would want my students to use various methods of presenting information, but I wouldn't explain the requirements to them in the UDL format, because I think it is slightly confusing.

Web-based research models

2006-02-13T21:43:00.000-08:00

I found the web-based research models very interesting. It's amazing how much thought can be put in to a class using computers. No teacher I ever had did anything like any of the models.
There are clearly many advantages to using the web for research, especially if you use models like Web-Quest or Web-Inquiry. For one thing, it gives the students and the teacher chances to be creative. Obviously, the teacher can make up incredibly interesting scenarios and projects to teach what they want to teach. The students, especially in things like Web-Inquiry, are active participants in the learning process, and have the opportunity to explore and create within the guidelines given to them. The computer and Internet add another medium in which the student can learn and create, thus giving them more opportunities for learning. Another advantage is just the amount of scholarly resources available on the web. Just the example models shown had so many different resources that doing these types of projects in class will expose students to. One of the biggest advantages is that without having to leave the classroom, the student can explore far-away places and cultures. The Internet is a link to so many things that can aid in the students learning.
There are, of course, disadvantages as well. I do think that there are times when computers can be too distracting. Students can end up just surfing the web and not really getting anything done. Even when things are very structured, as the Web Quests that Kajder suggests in her book, there is still the chance that the student will not stay on task. To avoid this, a teacher needs to be an effective monitor, as Kajder states. The teacher needs to make sure that people are doing what they are supposed to be doing, and be there to help people. Also, by doing the research first and choosing websites for the students to use, you minimize the chances of students going to the inappropriate sites or just getting lost in a sea of too much (or bad quality) information. This requires a lot more thought and time on the part of the teacher, but of course it's worth it when the students can get something out of the activity.
I don't feel completely qualified to decide which model is the most effective. For one thing, the outcomes seem to be the same for many of them. It seems like you could use any to the same effect. But if I had to pick one, I would probably pick the Web Inquiry. I liked the way the steps were laid out, starting with a "hook", which seems very useful. I thought the process that the students are instructed to go through made a lot of sense. It seemed the most detailed, thus perhaps most successful as a scaffold. But I think if used correctly, any of the models would do well. As long as the teacher gives detailed instructions, does adequate research, and organizes the process well, I think a lot can be gained from any of the models.

Universal Design for Learning Reflection

2006-02-07T17:29:00.000-08:00

My initial response to Universal Design for Learning is pretty positive. This approach to learning seems very involved and requires a lot of thought on the part of the teacher. The teacher can't just plan plain lectures. More thought has to be put in, not only on the subject matter, but on different ways to present the subject matter. A lot of thought has to be focused on how the students will actually learn. On the website link we were given it said that the UDL's principles serve to "provide students with a wider range of options". I thought this was an interesting way of putting it. UDL also gives the teacher the challenge of fulling exploring his creativity and knowledge, but the focus is on the student. UDL exists to faciliate the student's learning process. It does make sense for the focus to be on the student, since the student is the one who needs to learn the information.
I still don't quite understand the different networks (recognition, strategic, and affective), and how they can be distinguished from one another. Also, I don't quite see where the different types of learning I usually think of (like visual, linguistic, and others that I don't even know) fit into the picture. They don't seem to fit into the definitions given. Is it just assumed that the teacher knows what they are and will plan for them accordingly?
The implications for teaching practice are basically that it requires even more effort from the teacher. Not only does a teacher have to be aware of different types of learning, he needs to explore ways to cater to all the different types. Planning for lessons will probably be more intensive, and will require more creativity and thought from the teacher. But hopefully, teaching will become more interesting for both the student and the teacher. By putting more thought and creativity into the process, hopefully the teacher will gain a sense of renewed interest in the topic, or be spurred on to new ways of thinking about something that could have easily become stagnant.
I think it is very reasonable to try to make learning interesting and accessible for different learners and different parts of our brains. As a student, i know it's hard to pay attention all the time when things are always exactly the same. It makes sense that approaching learning from many avenues will help people learn as well as keep them interested.
However, if not unreasonable, it may be very difficult to construct teaching in a way that reaches all the "networks". The more likely path is to vary instruction so that over time you hit the different networks. You don't need to constantly cater to every network and type of learning. It would be overwhelming, if not impossible. I think to use UDL it is important to look at the broad picture. Look at the goals you want to accomplish over time, or the overall effect you want a presentation to have, rather than trying to infuse every step or every class period with instruction that challenges every brain network!
If anything, I would guess that applying UDL principles is more ethical. You are thinking more about the students and their need to learn. Also, UDL is probably more helpful for learners with different types of disabilities. I guess because you are, presumably, using more types of technology with UDL, you have to be careful of the moral implications that such technology can lead to. You have to think about the safety of your students, and make sure learning is done in a semi-controlled environment where they will not get into bad situations, such as finding inappropiate web sites.
Digital media can definitely add to teaching and learning. For one thing, it is attractive and eye-catching, and so might get students attention. Also, it can appeal to visual learners, or people who enjoy different kinds of stimuli. Instead of a plain lecture, it can allow students to either take an active role if it is a personal PowerPoint exploration, or at least let them experience a different way of having information presented to them.
I do think it can detract from teaching and learning. If there is too much going on in the Power Point, it can be distracting. Graphics and colors can detract from the actual subject. Also, PowerPoint can get just as monotonous as writing on the board. Plus, because the information goes up so much faster, there is the danger of students not having enough time to process the information. Additionally, students might just focus on the movies or the funny pictures, instead of actually processing the information. For some reason, to me Power Point seems more impersonal as well, so sometimes I worry it creates a disconnect between the teacher, the student, and the learning process. The drone of the computer screen and the mindless flashing of words in a dimly lit room is, at least for me, a little sleep-inducing....
I would like to explore other ways of implementing UDL that do not involve PowerPoint.

Technology Autobiography Post

2006-01-26T19:41:00.000-08:00

My experience with technology is mostly relegated to the computer arena. I use the computer, especially word processing programs and the all-important Internet, a very significant amount every day. I install programs often and work through basic problems on programs pretty successfully, but I don't actually "know" much about computers persay. Besides that, I can work DVD, VCR, and CD players, although the more buttons they have, the more confused I get. For instance, some of the homes I babysit in have huge remote controls with strange buttons, and it takes me awhile to figure them out. Although once I am exposed to a new technology I can get the hang of it pretty quickly, I am not one to seek out the newest advances. Also, I am definitely one that takes various technologies, like electricity, microwaves, and cars, very easily for granted.
One way I definitely want to include technology in my English classes is with movie clips. I think they can be very rewarding. Additionally, I think really focusing on how to successfully research online and in online journals is very important. Also, computer programs like the one I used in high school that aid in the writing process would be great to use sometimes in the the classroom. I don't think I'm a PowerPoint kind of person. Besides that, I have not really considered the different ways technology can be used in the classroom, and I am very interested to get new ideas from this course.