Educational Technologies Blog

Throughout these last eight weeks of this course my colleagues have share some very insightful and informative technologies. However, during our quest to find technologies related to digital citizenship, ethics, and netiquette last week three technologies were shared by my colleagues Donna Dingle and Alicia Hall, which peaked my interest and I thought that they would be effective tools for my ABE/GED/ESL adult learners to learn digital citizenship, ethics, and netiquette.

The first site that sparked my interest was the Free Technology for Teachers www.freetech4teachers.com (Donna Dingle). This site is excellent for free resources to teach digital citizenship. For example, the site provides Google Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculums and there are enough lesson plans for three individual classes. These curriculums are great for my ABE and ESL adult learners and can be implemented through pre-assessment quizzes, videos, vocabulary builders and interactive group activities.  For instance, the first class curriculum is about creating online sleuths. Some of the learners’ goals are to learn the difference between true and false information and evaluate and compare online information for accuracy, relevance, and bias. The lesson plans are extremely detailed and easily implemented.

Additionally, the Carnegie Cyber Academy www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/funstuff (Donna Dingle) is another free site with more animated interactive online games and quizzes that teach digital citizenship, ethics, and netiquette. This site is an excellent tool for my ABE/GED/ESL adult learners because it requires them to interact with the games and quizzes online and it provides instant feedback. Therefore, this website could be used incrementally throughout the semester to reinforce digital citizenship, ethics, and netiquette throughout the semester. For example, the games and quizzes would be good warm-up exercises for all the classes.

Last but not least, the Digital Citizenship Starter Kit www.commonsensemedia.org/educators (Alicia Hall) is also a great site to start a class discussion. This site has various 2-4 minute videos that addresses digital citizenship, ethics, and netiquette. Although, the videos are made with tweens they are sophisticated enough to begin an engaging discussion and class activity for my ABE/GED/ESL adult learners. Moreover, the age group of the participants of the videos are around the same age group as my ABE/GED/ESL adult learners’ children, therefore the videos would not only create class discussions but it would create discussions within their homes as well. Thus the Digital Citizenship Starter Kit would be perfect to implement during the beginning of the semester. Furthermore, even though all of my colleagues shared some wonderful technologies, I found that the aforementioned were perfect for my ABE/GED/ESL adult learners because of the simplicity and the effectiveness of them.     

 

References:

Byrne, R. (2013, December). Free Digital Citizenship Lesson Plans. Retrieved from Free Technology for Teachers: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2013/07/free-digital-citizenship-lesson-plans.html

Carnegie Mellon University. (2013, December). Carnegie Cyber Academy: Fun Stuff. Retrieved from Carnegie Mellon University: http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/funstuff.html#games

Common Sense Media Inc. (2013, December). Digital Citizenship Starter Kit. Retrieved from Common Sense Media: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/curriculum

Digital Citizenship, Ethics, and Netiquette on the Internet

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/20-basic-rules-for-digital-citizenship/

This website provides one with an animated graph of the “20 Basic Rules for Digital Citizenship” that was created by www.knowthenet.org.uk. The main emphasis of the graph is the dos’ and don’ts of online behavior, for example,  “do treat everyone like you want to be treated; don’t forget the human behind the screen and share, but be fair; don’t steal other peoples works” to name a few of dos and don’ts. In comparison to the “Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship” (Ribble, 2013) this graph is simpler, and the pictures are effective enough to get the message across about the importance of digital citizenship, ethics, and netiquette on the Internet. Furthermore, www.knowthenet.com provides interactive tests about one’s knowledge of the Internet and it is for the old and young.

As an educator I could implement this graph in two ways to my ABE/GED/ESL adult learners. The first way would be to create a group activity that would require the adult learners to work together in pairs to complete the exercise. The exercise would consist of a puzzle format. After reviewing the graph visually on a whiteboard I would mixed the dos and don’ts together with other similar dos and don’ts and give the teams an allotted time to complete their task and the first team that finishes gets their choice of chocolate or pencils. The second way to implement is to present it as a worksheet that has missing dos and don’ts and the individual learners would have to fill in the blanks, in most cases the learners help one another. The interactive method of implementing the dos and don’ts of online behavior helps the older and younger learners remember and implement the rules.

http://www.networketiquette.net/

This website is great for my younger GED adult learners because the author of the site David Chiles is a Social Media Rapper. He raps about the netiquette. His site covers all the concerns of the proper etiquette online, using mobile phones, social media sites, and safety to name a few. Moreover, his site is not cluttered but very simple to navigate through and easy to read. I was intrigued with his YouTube videos of his raps in regards to netiquette. I thought that his site would be perfect for my urban GED learners that are computer savvy and mobile texting learners that always have ear plugs in their ears listening to rap when they come to class.   

I could implement this rap of netiquette two ways for my GED adult learners. First, I would provide a worksheet with his ten golden rules for netiquette along some others that are similar and as a group activity the class would circle the rules David Chiles is rapping about and discuss the importance of each. The second activity would be to use the white board of show each video have the learners write their interpretation and compare it to the actual rule, thereby creating a group discussion. My younger GED adult learners require more stimulation than some of my older adult learners therefore, utilizing rap to get a message across would seem to be much more effective than other activities that probably would not peak their interest.

In sum, both of the websites chosen provided an adult educator with material and innovative ways to implement the information to the desired audience. The first website www.teachthought.com provides an “infograph” (Heick, 2013) that is an excellent tool for my ESL and ABE adult learners because of the simplicity of the graphs. The second website www.networketiquette.net is great for my younger GED adult learners that would be bored with the “infograph” (Heick, 2013)because it is not as stimulating as rap music. Thus in my quest to find the right technologies related to digital citizenship, ethics, and netiquette for my ABE/GED/ESL adult learners, I did accomplish my goal.

References:

Chiles, D. (2013, December 7). The Principles of Netiquette. Retrieved from Networketiquette: http://www.networketiquette.net/ebook_iug.html

Heick, T. (2013, September 7). 20 Rules for Digital Citizenship. Retrieved from Teach Thought: http://www.teachthought.com/technology/20-basic-rules-for-digital-citizenship/

Open and Distance Education Technologies

As technology evolved over the last hundred or so years, so has the availability of open and distance education. In the beginning distance education was only obtainable through written correspondence, however if one fast forward to the present, one finds multiple technical ways to participate in open and distance learning in the United States such as computers, iPads, tablets, smartphones, DVD’s, CD’s, and Youtube to name a few. I would prefer to use a combination of computers and teleconferencing. However, if one lives in another country like Europe, Tanzania, or China then there may be more challenges than opportunities of the technology available. Nevertheless, a comparative research study on the challenges and opportunities of technology based instruction in open and distance learning was conducted on the  Open University of Tanzania (OUT) and in China the Center for Continuing and Distant Education (CCDE) : www.ubuntunet.net/sites/ubuntunet.net/files/nyandaraz.pdf. Additionally, a case study was conducted in Greece on the use of teleconference at a post graduate course of the Hellenic Open University: http://www.eurodl.org/. Both studies provides one with a synopsis of the best use of technology available for educational use and justifies my selection of technology.

In the comparative study between the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) and the Center for Continuing and Distant Education (CCED) the results revealed that “CCED is more advanced regarding the use of technology in facilitating communication, delivery of e-learning materials and improving students’ learning than OUT. Computers and Internet are the dominant e-learning technology at CCDE along with print, CDs/DVDs, audio/videotapes and television” (Nyandara, 2012, p. 141). In contrast, OUT instructors had more access to computers than their student s and they did not use the computers to teach or utilize the free Moodle platform software. They “seemed to be more affected by limited access to technological infrastructures, insufficient pedagogy skills to use technology, shortage of technical and education technologist staff and slow internet connection” (Nyandara, 2012, p. 142).

Meanwhile in Greece at the Hellenic Open University (HOU) a case study was conducted and focused on “specific parameters related to the technical and pedagogical aspects of teleconference, such as the perceived ease of use, the perceived usefulness, the social presence, and the intentional use focusing on students of the module on Open and Distant Education of the School of Humanities of HOU” (Mavroidis, 2013). The study revealed that “the term “teleconference” referred to the meeting among two or more participants which allowed them to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously as well as to exchange data in real time via Internet” (Mavroidis, 2013, p. 76). Moreover, the aforementioned specific parameters’ result were all positive. The students found that teleconference was useful, easy to use the technology, and it provided a social presence. Mavroidis (2013) contends that the use of “the teleconference tools alone does not lead to the development of a learning community, however collaborative activities seem to enhance the feeling of social presence” (p.88). Furthermore, the students “believed that teleconference would make their studies more interesting, would improve their communication with their teacher and would help them to answer questions, exchange ideas or discuss with other students” (p.89)

In sum, living in the United States provides an adult educator with one of the world’s top technological infrastructure and strong Internet connections for open and distance learning, therefore using computers and teleconference would be extremely effective tools to facilitate open and distance learning courses in conjunction with print material. Utilizing both technologies as an adult educator would allow for me to construct and implement a collaborative pedagogy approach to teaching for open and distance learning. However, I would also use CDs/DVDs, videotapes, print materials, and mobile phones for remotes places like Tanzania because as both studies reveal that every country does not have access or limited access to Internet.

 

Reference:

Mavroidis, I. (2013). Technology Acceptance and Social Presence in Distance Education- A Case Study On The Use Of Teleconference At A Postgraduate Course Of The Hellenic Open University. European Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 76-96.

Nyandara, Z. I. (2012). Challenges and Opportunities of Technology Based Instruction in Open and Distance Learning: A Comparative Study of Tanzania and China. UbuntuNet Alliance, 130-145.

 

 

 

 

 

Games, Simulation, and Virtual Environments

  There is no shortage of online games, simulations and virtual environments and some of these games, simulations, and virtual environments can be quite intimidating and scary. Nevertheless, more and more research has surfaced arguing the positive effects they have on education. Bonk (2009) contends that “as gaming experiences grow, today’s learners are seeking richer and more engaging educational experiences” (p.289). Likewise, Steinkuehler and Duncan (2008) advocate that “video games will transform education and is changing the widely shared perceptive that games are mere entertainment” (p.531). As an ABE/GED/ESL adult educator I am incline to agree with both of their analogies, but on the other hand as I have pointed out earlier, some of these games, simulations, and virtual environments can be intimidating because of the level of complexity and skills required to successfully interact or participate. As a result I have found some two newbie friendly games that will enhance the ABE/GED/ESL adult learners learning experience.

The first game is an interactive game located at www.misson-us.org and it is called Mission U.S. A Revolutionary Way to Learn History. Mission U.S. has three historical missions; Mission1: “For Crown or Colony” (1770); Mission 2: “Flight to Freedom” (1848); and Mission 3: “A Cheyenne Odyssey” (1866). Learners are immersed in U.S. history. The website also provides teachers with materials and information needed to be used in the classroom. Furthermore, learners have online access and it is Apple’s iPad and Android Tablet friendly. The use of this game will create a collaborative and cooperative learning environment while presenting history.

My second choice of games to implement in class is located at www.gamesforthebrain.com. This website has many types of games for the brain which I would have no problem using them as warm ups. Some of the brain games are word games, IQ games, memory games, and problem-solving games. Most of my ABE/GED/ESL adult learners have not be in a classroom for years, therefore I give them warm up exercises to get them thinking sometimes it is in the form of a scientific or government base word search or sometimes it may be some interesting brain teaser, or math, however the difference is that the learners are not interacting with those warm up exercises, therefore incorporating these games for the brain requires the learners to interact with them online and fortunately our class is held in a computer lab. Nevertheless, these games will enhance the learners learning experience through improving their speed of reading and building their vocabulary, improve their ability to problem-solve, and increase their retention and memory.

In sum, there is no doubt in my mind that games, simulations and virtual environments are here to stay, still everyone is not quite knowledgeable on how to navigate or participate in most of the popular games, simulations, and virtual environments, however the aforementioned websites will help prepare some of my adult learners that are interested in exploring more challenging games, simulations, and virtual environments, because of the collaborative and cooperative components the aforementioned games offer.

References:

Bonk, C. (2009). Who Are You?: Opener #8 Alternative Reality Learning. In C. Bonk, World Is Open:How Web Technology Is Revelutionizing Education (pp. 275-291). Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass.

Steinkuehuler, C., & Duncan, S. (2008). Scientific Habits of Mind in Virtual Worlds. Science Education Technology , 530-543.

 

 

 

Using Mobile Devices in Adult learning

According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (2008), “technological innovation, long a hallmark of academic research, may now be changing the very way that universities teach and students learn” (p.4) and today, “a third of American adults now own tablet computers” (Vaughn-Nichols, 2013) and the popularity of the tablets are increasing by leaps and bounds. According to the data research of “Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project tracking surveys” in May 2010 only 3percent adults owned tablet computers, however in May 2013 34 percent of American adults ages 18-44 own tablet computers (Vaughn-Nichols, 2013). Additionally, Pew Research Center, contends that in May 2013 “96 percent of Americans own cell phones and out of that 96 percent, 56 percent own smartphones” (Brenner, 2013), thus as an ABE/GED/ESL adult educator it is only logical to incorporate mobile devices that are affordable and most of the learners would current own, hence a tablet computer and smartphone. Furthermore, I have provided a graph to depict the current growth mobile devices in America.

Thus through today’s technology podcasting has been made relatively easy to use for lectures, digital storytelling, construction of content knowledge, phonics and building vocabularies for the ABE/GED/ESL adult learners and it all can be done through their smartphones at any time that is convenient for them. Moreover, for learners’ that are more visual and need more stimulation the tablet computer is perfect for the classroom because it is not too big and does not require much, just WiFi and an outlet for charging if necessary. The tablet can be used for math, science, social studies, digital text books, and language arts to name a few subjects. Harrington (2013)contends that the Galway Adult Basic Education Service provides an educator with great ideas for integrating the iPad into the classroom and offers classes globally. Nevertheless, I was intrigued with the IPad Project a short video of the ESL adult learners making digital postcards on their individual tablets, titled “Writing Matters” (Harrington, 2013).
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=CdgHqsPxLWw
 

In sum, using the smartphones and tablet computers in the classroom has so many benefits for the learners on several different levels. Moreover, the content material will always be innovative because the education apps for adult learning seems to be evolving these days as fast as the technological devices and there is quite of bit of free and low cost apps available. For example, Google Search-advantages are the ability to access Google docs, task, reader, and calendar (Free), Evernote-advantages are is capability to record notes for research or class and it also saves web-pages, images, text documents, and audio files (Free), Blackboard Mobile- is design to permit access to a school’s Blackboard software and to use this app an education institution must enable mobile access (Free), and Dropbox-advantages are the capability to save images, text documents, PDF files, and videos to web-based data storage for access later (Free), however some of the apps are too advance for my current adult learners but are great for others.Nonetheless, implementing the aforementioned technologies into the classroom will increase the retention of the adult learners and build their academic and employment competencies, so they can successfully pass their GED exam and become gainfully employed.

References:

Brenner, J. (2013, September 18). Pew Internet: Mobile. Retrieved from Pew Internet and American Life Project: http://pewinternet.org/Commentary/2012/February/Pew-Internet-Mobile.aspx

Harrington, K. (2013, November 18). iPad Project. Retrieved from Galway Adult Basic Education Service: http://www.gabes.ie/index.php?gb=31

New Media Consortium. (2008). The future of higher education: How technology will shape learning. Economist Intelligence Unit, 1-27.

Vaughn-Nichols, S. J. (2013, June 16). A third of American adults now own tablet computers. Retrieved from ZDNet.com: http://www.zdnet.com/a-third-of-american-adults-now-own-tablets-com...