SomeONE comes up to me and said “I haven’t finish asking…

C. What are the major issues and trends in your field?

There are a number of major issues and trends in INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY (InsT). Some of them is in the list.

I believe one of the prominent issues will be:-

Open Source Tools (OST) :

OST is here to stay due to the trend to customize and digitize caused by the unbridled demand of stakeholders in IT and the rapid growth of technology in education

OST is also currently referred as OPEN TECHNOLOGIES.

OST is the primary essence of EDUCATION 2.0.

Asides of being FREE of COST, OST gives the teacher the freedom to manage, modify and merge with lessons without the constraints of putting it as a priority to master the skills of using the tools such as Wikis (wikipedia, wikispace, wikiversity, wikisym), Moodle, YahooGroup, Googlegroup. OST is designed to provide the teachers to use the basic functions of tools and at the same time, getting maximum results.

On the other hand, OST allows the student/learner to commit legal “hacking” which is to manipulate the tools according to needs of the student/learner like web-blog (WordPress, Blogspot).

The emergence of open technologies in InsT has given every stakeholders the equal opportunity to express themselves with a firm sense of ownership. This is clearly shown via podcast, video-network e.g YouTube, and social network e.g. MySpace, and Facebook.

There are case studies in certain OSTs which clearly support learning theories.

a. Wikis

Wikis is developed based on the collaborative construction theory.

In education, wikis promote the facilitation of a group writing process where a group takes responsibility for creating their own content, learning from and collaborating with one another and building upon each others’ contributions. (Grant, Lyndsay 2006)

Click here to download case-study on Wiki by Lyndsay Grant.

Other things which wikis can be used in education are (Taken from Using Wiki in Education):-

- able to create simple websites

- project development with peer review

- group education

- track group project

- data collection

- reflection

- presentation

b. Web-Blog-the much discussed OST

“Although writing does not help us develop writing style [Krashen contends READING develops writing style], writing has other virtues. As Smith (1988) has pointed out, we write for at least two reasons. First, and most obvious, we write to communicate with others. But perhaps more important, we write for ourselves, to clarify and stimulate our thinking. Most of our writing, even if we are published authors, is for ourselves.

As Elbow (1973) has noted, it is difficult to hold more than one thought in mind at a time. When we write our ideas down, the vague and abstract become clear and concrete. When thoughts are on paper, we can see the relationships among them, and can come up with better thoughts. Writing, in other words, can make you smarter.”

Taken from Dr. Stephen Krashen’s book “The Power of Reading, Second Edition: Insights from the Research.” – http://www.infinitethinking.org/

Writing via weblog can make a student-leaner “Smarter” in some of these aspects:-

> allowing students to develop ideas and invite feedback

> allowing students the personal space to reflect and receive teacher’s guidance.

In fact, there were a nudge for the teacher to utilize blog on account of these reasons.

SomeONE comes up to me and asked, “…

A. What is happening in your field these days?

A lot. Period.

As I was googling the phrase “Instructional Technology” or “Technology in education”, the list of happenings in that field was endless. The list includes theories and new models with modified instructions for e-learning, edu-tech, plus innovations to enhance, and integrate , never to replace, I repeat, NOT to replace the traditional (not referring just pen, pencil or even paper)

Let me list a “few”.

1. Web 2.0 by Tim O’ Reilly (30 Sept, 2005). Click here to read. It is still a much discussed issue and this has lead to the merging of Web 2.0 in education.

In response to that, it evolves to Education 2.0 which focuses on how Open Source Tools has contributed or influenced the development of education software.

Prior to that, blogs, wikis, RSS, Moodle, podcasting, video casting like YouTube, social networking such as Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, social bookmarking like del.ico.us, furl, becoming tools for teaching and learning.

Here are more categories of tools for learning taken from this website

VIRTUAL OFFICES – online editing and sharing of text files, spreadsheets, chats and emails, calendars, etc.

1. 37Signals.com’s Basecamp – http://37signals.com/
2. activeCollab – http://www.teamworklive.com/TeamWork.htm
3. ProjectSpaces – http://www.forumone.com/section/services/projectspaces/
4. TeamworkLive – http://www.teamworklive.com/TeamWork.htm
5. Zoho Vitural Office – http://zoho.com/
6. SPresent – online flash presentations – http://www.spresent.com/v2/

WORD PROCESSING / TEXT / WIKIS

1. Jotspot – http://www.jot.com/
2. Schtuff – http://www.schtuff.com/
3. Web Collaborator – http://webcollaborator.com/
4. Writeboard – http://writeboard.com/
5. Writely – http://writely.com
6. Designing Learning Spaces – Example of a Class using an Open Wiki

SPREADSHEETS only

1. EditGrid – http://www.editgrid.com/home
2. iRows – http://irows.com
3. Tracker (Jotspot) – http://tracker.jot.com/
4. wikiCalc – http://www.softwaregarden.com/wkcalpha/

DATABASES only

1. Lazybase – http://lazybase.com/
2. My Own DB – http://www.myowndb.com/

MAPPING

1. Map Hacks.net – http://www.gisuser.com/maphacks/ – for GIS users
2. Quickmaps – http://quikmaps.com/

PICTURE TOOLS

1. Flickr Magazine Cover tool – http://flagrantdisregard.com/flickr/magazine.php
2. Other Great Flickr-based tools
3. Scanr – http://www.scanr.com/ – scan and send from a photo phone
4. Stickam – http://www.stickam.com/ – upload photos, videos & audio to post on blog pages

BLOGS

1. Learning Blogs – http://learnerblogs.org/ – for K-12 students
2. Uni Blogs – http://uniblogs.org/ – for University students
3. Edu Blogs – http://edublogs.org/ – for Education professionals (teachers, etc.)
4. ESL Blogs – http://eslblogs.org/ – for ESL & EFL educators

VOICE / AUDIO / PODCASTING

1. Yack Pack – http://www.yackpack.com/
2. Apple iTunes U – http://www.apple.com/education/solutions/itunes_u/

ONLINE MEETINGS

1. Vyew – http://vyew.com/

ACADEMIC SEARCH

1. Google Scholar – http://scholar.google.com/
2. Post Genomic – http://www.postgenomic.com/
3. Windows Live Academic – http://academic.live.com/

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT – classroom tools that span the needs of Students, Parents, Teachers and School Administrators

1. My Note It – http://www.mynoteit.com/
2. Schoopy – http://www.schoopy.com/
3. School Tool – http://www.schooltool.org/
4. Teach Learning – Free K-12 curriculum materials on any topic
5. Engrade – http://www.engrade.com/ – online grading tool
6. Moodle* – http://moodle.org – open source course management system (CMS)

If you want more, go to this website

These are tools where you can customize it to your own learning-setting it according to your pace. In short, the learner can have her or his very own personalized learning environment.

BUT the best part of the above tools of Web 2.0 or Education 2.0, it is FREE!!

Of course, the common risk of this will be WHEN ONE DAY, INTERNET CRASH!

Click here to read more and here on a very critical presentation in Education 2.0.

2. Computer games, online games.

Computer games is a much talk about issue. A long time ago, teachers, and parents shuddered when they hear the phrase “computer games”. Until now ,there are a portion of these groups are quite skeptical about how computer games can teach kids.

Researchers, practitioners and games designers want to push that doubt away.

Therefore, researchers, practitioners and games designers have been designing and integrating games in teaching and learning. It is a tool that engages student in learning, provides instant feedback, measures the learner’s skill, and it can come as close as imitating the real-life.

Click this article: The impact of digital games in education (2003).

Examples of digital games:-

Labyrinth, Education Arcade’s Newest game, is an on-line puzzle adventure game, and designed to promote math and literacy learning. Target audience middle-school students. The product of a collaboration between TEA, Maryland Public Television, and Fablevision, Johns Hopkins University, and Macro International.

PeaceMaker is a video game simulation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A tool that can be used to promote dialog and understanding among Israelis, Palestinians and people around the world. It is a game that allows the player to interact with the world as the leadership role from both sides of the conflict. The primary conflict management issues that we address revolve around creating empathy and a deeper understanding of multiple perspectives.

Ayiti:Cost of Life helps the learner to understand conditions in contemporary Haiti and how poverty is an obstacle to education.The game aims to develop problem-solving, critical thinking and such life skills as resource management, budgeting, and planning for the future.The player will also learn about ways in which they can advocate for action to confront poverty and increase access to education in Haiti.

3. Seven Competencies of Online Interaction(7COI) by Nancy White (11 Feb, 2006)

Click here to check her FLICK slides and here to listen to her presentation recorded live

by Alan Levine.

Then she further develop it into:-

3.1 Eight Competencies of Online Interaction (8COI) by Nancy White (Oct, 2006).

The same slides with ONE more competency. COI brings about the issue on what skills should be done and learnt during online interaction.

4. Intel unfolds the 1:1 e-Learning environments for the 21st century in their INTEL World Ahead Programme. It is believed that 1:1 system (Intel call it a “starter kit”) is to “create a 1:1 relationship between the student and the student’s learning environment.”

A 1:1 eLearning environment includes a dedicated laptop computer for each student and teacher that can be used at home and in the classroom. Internet connectivity is a beneficial, but optional, part of a 1:1 eLearning environment.”

Download INTEL starter kit here.

As for the laptop, it is called Classmate PC (powered by Intel).

It is created to be a “tool to think and learn with” with the aim of transforming education.

Excerpt taken from the website:

A classmate PC is designed with a set of particular features, such as:

• A rugged, lightweight, and easy-to-carry design, integrated handwriting hardware technology, and software stack with validated educational applications (for example, education management technology).
• Wireless and messaging systems that allow tight integration and collaboration between users from different groups, allowing them to share experiences, communicate and coordinate activities.

Hold on…Apple is also implementing the 1:1 learning which also holds similar philosophy.

“…A 1 to 1 learning program is defined as an environment where students and teachers have 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week access to a notebook computer as well as digital content, educational software, and digital authoring tools.”

Apple’s laptop is the Macbook.

Check the website for further info.

Actually, 1laptop per child was started by an organization call OLPC. The focus is giving every child the right for an education. Here, education is more than just a piece of scroll or the matter of graduating. It encompasses the rights to express, to be creative, and to explore ideas. OLPC was built on the constructivist platform.

5. Professional Development for the teachers who are overwhelmed, suffocated and could one day become an anti-edutech, with the rapid existence of tools, and technology.

For that, we have :-

5.1 Professional Development in Your Pajamas-PDNPJ, at St. Mary Parish Schools. (August 24, 2007) PDNPJ allows the teachers to use the software at any time, anywhere. The teachers were not forced. They were given an option to learn and of course, the much emphasis of PAJAMAS. The teacher becomes the learner. Click here for more info.

5.2 Online communities to transform teacher development (June 13, 2007) These communities present a 24/7 platform for resources, tutorials, and know hows. Examples of such online communities are Discovery Education’s Discovery Educator Network, TeacherLine Peer Connection by TeacherLine. Click here for more info.

B. What is the status of the instructional technology field?

Looking back at the description, the status will be “accelerating at warp-speed” BUT without sacrificing the teacher and the learner.

It is also the ONE similarity in that short list:

It not only talks about integrating technology in education to make learning fun and teaching great.

It is also about teacher being learner and the learner being the teacher.

Teacher being learner:-

Teacher’s plea of help in this roller coaster world of technology is heard. In Instructional technology, there are tools designed to help simplify the teachers’ understanding on other tools.

Learner being teacher:-

Learner is given the rights to state and design their own learning (of course, with the help of the teacher as the facilitator). Here, learner has the freedom to use their own “leisure” tools such as IPOD, digital games, blog as the “essential” learning tools.

DISC-ing – day TWO

Day TWO

29 August 2007 same venue / location / room

We carried out Brochure-Design workshop on the second day. This time is just the three of us, yours truly, Nazi, and Lisa.

3 against 50 this time!

First, we decided to go with giving hardcopy of the template with instruction so that the students can read if they ever deleted the instruction to add things in the powerpoint.

Second, we decided to give out all info and later followed by the hands-on activity since we thought it was chaotic asking them to come to the front and go back to their seats several times.

But bear in mind, it is the same 50 kids. The schema has been set on DAY ONE. The information which they learned on DAY ONE can be used for brochure design.

NEXT:Time to take out a secret weapon: the MICROPHONE.

I managed, yes, yes….was able to speak louder…my voice has reached the sky.

And the kids were listening. What fascinates and impresses me was they were able to remember what was being taught on the FIRST DAY. This includes what is VISUAL BALANCE, why some fonts cannot be used, and the type of images available. I am not saying every one in the 50. I can say three quarter of them. The microphone was also one of the reasons (besides the consistent LOUD compliments) some students wanted to answer. Unfortunately, I was not able to pick all of them to answer. Could see the dismay look on some of their faces when their friend was picked to give the answer.

A hiccup happened. Explaining layout for brochure. Due to time constraint, I believed I was not giving 88% on how layout should be used in brochure. There was an occasional silence which creeps me. I look at their faces. I cannot confirmed it black and white. Instinctively, I knew the children was not able to grasp the info. I failed at this moment as an educator! I realised explaining the fundamental parts in design should, no matter in whatever circumstances, cannot be short-cut especially for children.

Luckily, the template is able to serve as a guide. Best say, for them to copy and transfer the info without taxing their brain.Moreover, we supplied images and content to be added into the brochure. Reason being, internet line is slow. This may disrupt the training. AS for the content, this is for them to arrange the content without the burden of thinking what to write.

Before we send them back to their station, I told them that the 3 best brochures will be picked and be given a prize. That got them pretty excited. It seems that giving them the template with fixed instruction (bilingual) got them going pretty fast. When it was recess time at 940am, the students need to be “pushed out” of the room. We had to tell them repeatedly to go for recess or else the food will finish. By 10 am on the dot, all of them automatically go back to the computer lab and continue their work.

One mistake: I didn’t inform there is a time limit for the activity.

Due to that, some took their own time while some were pretty fast. The pretty fast ones could not sit still. Some started playing games. When one play online games, the others who are doing work follow suit. In the end, it was pretty chaotic.

We conducted interviews both individual and group at the end of the session. The session was taped. The most ideal (based on observation, group work may not be the best way for kids age 10-11. Each of them has their own individuality and bursting to prove that. In the group activity, some want to put forth ideas but was literally stop by the person holding the mouse. I caught some were not happy that the same person was holding the lead-mouse holder. Example sentence like, “you are the one who choose that. if it is wrong, it is your fault.”

On the other hand, there were some groups with good synergy among themselves. Well, this group or individual issue is debatable.

AGAIN, the workshop was, somehow, interrupted by the occasionally call for photo session and even choir training. *@__@*

After the training, we even found out, one student wanted the soft-copy to show her/group work to her parents. *^__^*

Overall, I am so happy to be given the chance to do this training.

It gave me insight how to conduct qualitative research, how to manage 50 kids and how to teach 50 kids. Yes, I was happy despite the hiccups. The knowledge shared among the team was precious. It has been quite some time since I felt this snergy working in a group. *^________^*

 

 

*currently listening to Dashboard Confessional (a group introduced long time ago by Husam)

DISC-ing – day ONE

We, Nazi and I were given the chance to conduct a training / workshop for children from the age of 10-11 at a local school. The workshop ran under the newly created model (Raja M, 2007) called DISC-Design Skills via Collaboration. Here is my one-stop narration.
DAY ONE

28 August 2007 – SKBSS, Cheras – Makmal Komputer

Team for DAY ONE were me,

Nazi,

 

Yap and

Lisa.

 

The audience were 50 EXCITED children whom majority already have the skills of using MS Power Point.

The trainer was yours truly. I found out that my voice (FOR ONCE) was overwhelmed by 50 voices. Cracking my brain, trying to locate myself at right place where every students would look at me was a challenge. It was a strain for my throat. At first, with the help of my team, I managed to get the half of the class to pay attention to me. Unfortunately, the other half were still not paying the attention. After coercing all 50 students to focus at me, I instantly went to business, knowing this will not last long.

It was introducing myself, what is this workshop, are they familiar with poster, what are posters…and the attention went out of bearing.

During that short span of time, I came to realise that the students were aware of where to find posters. Answers ranged from cinemas, walls, shopping complex…The students need no invitation to give answers. They were eager to give answers though shy, and still afraid if their answers were wrong. Giving immediate compliment such as “good, wonderful, great etc” spurred the rest to raise up their hands.

Moving on, all of them were called to sit in front of white-wall screen. Looking at the samples of poster, such as cinema poster (SHrek2, Barnyard) kick off their prior knowledge. Later, I went to much a serious level type of posters like the Winter Olympic Poster, Global warming poster where some could identify the meaning by just looking at the images.

Other items I touched on were VISUAL Balance, colour, font, contrast,and image. Here are samples of the powerpoint show-designed by Nazi.

During DAY ONE, the workshop was very kinetic. Why? It was conducted in such a way that the students will return to their station after listening to each aspect of poster design. Example: When template briefing is over, the students will go back to their pc to do what was being taught during that particular session. Being kids of age 10-11, they don’t walk. They run. For the first time, I lost control. Shouted nicely till my throat grew hoarse. At one point, I almost gave up. I just realised telling the 50 kids to pay attention to me talking while they were manning their computers is…impossible.

There were unpredicted disturbance. It was photo session/day for the school where every class / society will have their annual group picture taken. So, some of these students were called out during the training. Frankly speaking, it added to the chaotic moment. To call up the names who were involved in the photo session, the student will shout for their friends’ names. Well, that can’t be avoided it seems. They need to be heard.

Being also in a group of three, we also have some not contributing to the team. We also have one person preferring to do all, ignoring the others. Therefore, the ignored kids or even the non-contributing person will do other things such as surfing the net playing games. A domino effect. The rest will be attracted and join in the fun.

I noticed that most of the students are engrossed in the hands-on activity. Seeing the students flawlessly move the mouse and manipulate the image(s) and colour background amazed me. I felt like a frog in a glass bottle.

A lot of things we decided to add to ensure control for the next day.

A voice that is louder than 50 kids voices added up together.

Tune in to DISC-ing – day TWO