Week 14 Reflection

My favorite Web 2.0 tools were blog and Wiki. Well, I also want to point that Jing and Google Suite have lot potential on education. Jing can be used to easily teach a technique to leaners. Google Suite includes a lot of tools such as Google Drive, Google Maps, or Google Docs, etc. They provide a platform that allows everyone can share information, files, ideas, etc.  But I think blog and Wiki are the tools that will be frequently used in instruction.

Blog. Well, we use this tool in this whole semester. We post our reflection and application reviews on our blog. As the author mentioned about, “Web 2.0 tools potentially opens learning beyond the closed doors of the classroom or walled gardens of registered student, login-only, course sites” (p.300). By using Blogger, we can read other classmates’ idea towards every week’s reading. We also share experience from different background. This really helps me to expand my vision a lot. Since I have a totally different background of education, I had no idea about United States education before. But right now, after a semester’s reading about others blog, I get some information about it. In contrast, if I take all of courses in classroom or an access restricted learning management system, I might haven’t the opportunity to communicate with other classmate about extra knowledge and information since the class’s time is limited and we need focus on what professor is introducing to us.

Wiki is a knowledge and information repository that “allow users to add value to team work through their comments, additions, edits, or deletions of erroneous content” (p.300). We used to use “Wiki” as a verb. Like, if you don’t know anything, ok, go to wiki it! “As important as their contribution to networked artifacts is the skills and attitudes learners acquire by creating and offering content to the open world.” To some extent, Wiki helps people break the knowledge boundary of subject. In the past, if we wanted to know some other subject’s knowledge, we had to go to library and spend a lot of time to search the information we needed. But right now, we just need to enter the keywords and then we can find the information we needed from Wiki, no matter what subject or field. This help people gain knowledge more quickly. Although there are some defects since Wiki allows everyone edit the information, I still think Wiki is a good tool to acquire information. Because I think that the knowledge we presently possess is not changeless, absolute truth. Like a word I once read from a book, “There is no only alternative; there is no absolute truth.” I think that’s why we keep discover this world.

Week 12 Application Reviews

The two applications I choose to recommend are Google Documents and PicMonkey. Here, I don’t want to focus on describe the features of each applications, but I want to explain why I choose this two tools.

Google Documents:

Well, I didn’t use too much of this application before. But I have to say that this is what I need most right now. In my leisure time, I prefer to play online computer game with my friends. Recently, we established a guild in that game, and until now, almost 100 people were enrolled in our guild. As a leader in this guild, I have to formulate the system about how to manage members and how to reward and punish. After discussing with my friends and several old members, we decide to use DKP (Dragon Kill Points) system. For this reason, I need an application to count everybody’s point and post it to somewhere to let them check. Now, the Google Sheets will help me a lot. It can help me record everyone’s point. Also, I can edit and save the data online and everyone can check it easily. On contrast, if I choose to use Microsoft Excel, I have to edit the point every week and upload again and again to renew the recent record. Similarly, using Google Documents is so helpful for education. Between teachers and students, or groups members, they can easily share the Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Especially, it will be useful in teamwork. Since everyone can join to edit, once a Docs/Sheets/Slides is uploaded, everyone can review and edit it basing on their opinion while a virtual group meeting isn’t necessary. This will help to everyone in this team to schedule their time more flexible.

Another reason I choose this is because the Google product is more worldwide. Almost everyone in this world knows the Google. Also, for personal reason, since I find that I can switch the language of Google product into Chinese or other language, this might be more suited to recommend to other people since the language problem will be solved.

PicMonkey:

I try the SumoPaint for several minutes actually but I still prefer to recommend PicMonkey. UmoPaint is a good application that I think it almost can replace Microsoft Paint. But I’m thinking that Microsoft Paint is already a free application, and we can use it even without Internet. For this reason, I’m more considering about which one is easier to use. I have to say that I really like the interface of PicMonkey. It is very intuitive and neat. And I think this might be the application that even my mum, a 55 years old high school teacher and always have difficult on technology using, will know how to use it by click the icon. I always prefer to recommend application that is easy to use to others, instead of recommending a complicated one and they might ask me tons of technic questions after they use, since we are trying to solve problems, not creating problems.

Week 12 Reflection

“Likewise, e-learning is a process of a learning group in action among an increasing array of learning options and shared experiences.”(pg. 284) This semester is my first time to take an online course. What I feel more impressively is sharing experiences. This is what we never do before within a normal class (on-campus class) in China. This is what I do during my undergraduate study: listen to what the teacher introduce or explain to us, take notes, go back to dorm and write paper, hang on the paper, done. We only can share experiences in presentation which might happen once in a semester. But here is different, I can learn from other classmates’ experiences, especially working experiences, by looking their reflection, or discussion. This is actually what I need most since I didn’t have such perspective due to lacking working experiences and coming from a different country that has a different educational background. Also, since I got benefit from e-learning and I feel like this is what my country need most, I hope I can learn more about e-learning and maybe I can participate in this field in the future.

“Likewise, it is preferable to think of e-learning technologies not as a platform (e.g., a learning management system) but as parts of a functional architecture combining technics in designed experiences that support learners’ reception or (preferably) construction of knowledge, skills and attitudes.” I would put this word into my aphorism collection. I think it is what an IDT designer should always remember in heart. We are not providing a tool to let student use, but using technics to design an environment to help student improving learning performance. As an online learner right now, I’m really enjoying to observe about how different teachers design the online course. Right now, I already experience two ways. One is this course that need reading and writing reflection since theoretical knowledge are included in this course. But another course I take, the Adobe Digital Design, is almost all about technics. So we mainly learn how to use different software of Adobe Creative Clouds. In this way, I’m not only study the knowledge including in those course, but also I’m studying the experience about how to use the knowledge into practice.

Week 11 Website

Here is my website.

I never used the Google Sites to create a personal site before, but I used the Adobe Muse to create a website last week . Generally, I create this site for sharing some information about EDT field.

The Home page is just a friendly welcome page.

In the EDT News page, I share some new article from TECH LEARNING and EDUTOPIA. Also, I use a RSS FEED tool to track the update.

In the Information main page, I link the two minor pages, EDT Information and Chinese Education, in this one. And add a Sudoku game for fun.

In the Chinese Education page, I upload an inforgraphics I did before that includes some information about Chinese Education.

In EDT Information page, I share some information related to education technology field. And I add a WIKIPEDIA tool on this page so that you can quickly search some extra information.

In the future, I would like to create a website that collect more information about EDT field that I can share it with my student probably. Collecting a lot of recourse need a lot of time to searching. So, by using a website such like this, I can add new thing on it day by day. And one day, maybe I can make a website that has abundant information about Educational Technology.

Week 11 Reflection

For your reflection this week, pick out at least two of the lessons that he described that feel relevant to your current or short-term future needs. Describe how they are relevant to you and what are some steps you can take for each that will help you develop yourself professionally?

In this chapter, Robert Reiser shared his experience in EDT field with us. Generally, every lesson he shared is helpful for me. But I want to highlight the lessons that will mostly relate to my future needs.

Lesson 5: Acquire a Strong Set of Skills in the Production of Instructional Media

Actually, this is what I am interesting about in EDT field. I already master some media techniques before I apply for this major. When I was considering which major I should choose that it is relate to education. After some times searching, I found this major, Educational Technology, which I could apply the technique I got and is related to education. However, I still want to learn more skills in in the production of instructional media. So, I selected the Adobe course in this semester. And I will select some other course that related to media skills.

Lesson 6: Acquire a Strong Set of Design (and Analysis!) Skills

This is what I want to focus on in master study. Since I’m in 0 level on instructional design at the beginning of this major’s study, I mainly scheduled my courses that is related to design and media technique. In that way, after I finish the master study, I think I will get a strong set of design skill.

Lesson 8: Develop a Strong Set of Communication Skills

Communication is vital, no matter when or where. But talking about this, as an international student, I have to say that knowing the local culture is also important. Since you live in here, study in here, or even work in here, knowing the local culture will not only help you better understand the local language, but also will help you to build relationship with others who have a different background culture with you.

Lesson 14: Develop an Area of Expertise

What I want to improve to be an expertise is instructional media technique. As I mention before, this is what I am really interesting about. I’m always enjoying doing some media technique things. Also, as the author mention about that “it is important that while you are developing your expertise in that area, you produce some tangible evidence that demonstrate your skill and experience”, the next step I need to consider about, after this semester, is how to do this.

Lesson 18: Demonstrate to Your Professors That You Do Good Work

I think this point is VITAL for me during the whole master study period—DOING GOOD WORK!

Concept Maps - The Art Theories of Plato

I would use this concept map to teach student about the art theories of Plato. Plato created his art theory that mainly had three parts: imitation, function, and inspiration. This concept provides the main content of each theory and some viewpoint towards this theory. I would show this map at the beginning of class to let them have an overview about what we will learn. Also, after class, they can choose one part of viewpoint from this map to expend more information and write a reflection. 

Week 10 Reflection

The first theme I noticed is the instruction design model. Generally, I can see the application of different models in these chapters. In chapter 18, rapid prototyping is introduced. Unlike some traditional instructional design approaches that the design process and the development process are separate, rapid prototyping if faster since it “using working models of the final product early in a project tend to eliminate time-consuming revisions later on and design tasks are completed concurrently, rather than sequentially, throughout the project” (pg. 183). Therefore, it seems to be widely used in business and industry area. Differently, in P-12 and higher education, ADDIE model (analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate) is widely used, especially in higher education. Although different University roles seem to have different emphasis of work, ADDIE model is always applied in their work. Like what Junko Nemoto, an assistant Professor from Kumamoto University, introduced to us about her work-analysis students, design learning portal website, develop online course, or evaluate their design by getting feedback through observing students’ learning processes. Another example is provided by Brenda Litchfield about her perspective of faculty development that “assists university faculty members in several important areas: analysis of students and learning contexts, design and development of instruction, innovative methods of implementation, and evaluation of teaching and learning.”(pg. 224)

The second theme I noticed is the technology-based learning. In chapter 18, the author talks about the web-based training which has the features of synchronous and asynchronous. In chapter 21, technology integration, more specifically, integrating teacher and student use of technology and media, is emphasis. In chapter 22, distance education/online course/eLearning has been mentioned about many times from different University roles.

I select those two themes because it is useful for my future professional work. The instruction design model, definitely, will be frequently applied to work in educational technology area. Also, I’m interesting in online teaching and learning, and I hope I can have the opportunity to involve in such program. Therefore, knowing more information about this from different contexts will help me to better understand it and apply to it.