Survived!!!!!!!!!

Learning Summary:

When I first came into this course, I was very lost, it took me several weeks and forgetting to upload my first assignment and RR posting and Comments. I was already getting behind and feeling overwhelmed. I continued and tried hard not to get anxious. I did stay frustrated most of the course, however I feel I have learned a great deal :

I have created a Wikispace and uploaded lesson plans, storyboards, resources and lecture videos.

I have learned much more about my computer, the requirements and the software that it has.

I have learned more about the Sunshine State Standards for my area of teaching and how to incorporate the NETs-T into my curriculum.

I created a Blog and learned how to use it, embed information and how to follow others. In addition, I also learned more about Twitter and how it can benefit my students.

I have acquired knowledge about Google and Docs.

I have learn how to better research material and how to use this material to benefit my students and me as an instructor.

The last assignment was finishing up my portfolio. This was a task in itself. I still could not get a grip on how to upload my artifacts into something other than links. That is frustrating and I know it will kill my grade. I spent a lot time on it and just could not master it.

As I leave this course, I feel I will take so much with me to be a better educator using Digital Technology.

Final Cultminating Project

This has been a long semester. However, I will walk away with a lot of information to use in my classes with my students. I finally became comfortable with all the sites; blogging, tweeting and my favorite ended up being Wikispaces. I really enjoyed working this past week on my curriculum in Wikispaces. There is alot of fine tuning that will be needed, but that is always the case when you are working with lesson plans.

Please see my final project with all revisions complete.

http://lipkalearningcorner.wikispaces.com/

Student Assesment using Rubrics

This week's assignment is another continuation of the pass few weeks. We were ask to create a Grading Rubric for our Wiki space where we have been creating a curriculum page and Digital story telling assignment.

After reading the lecture, notes, web pages, I learned much more in the reasoning behind rubrics.

• Rubrics improve student performance by clearly showing the student how their work will be evaluated and what is expected.
• Rubrics help students become better judges of the quality of their own work.
• Rubrics allow assessment to be more objective and consistent.
• Rubrics force the teacher to clarify his/her criteria in specific terms.
• Rubrics reduce the amount of time teachers spend evaluating student work.
• Rubrics promote student awareness about the criteria to use in assessing peer performance.
• Rubrics provide useful feedback to the teacher regarding the effectiveness of the instruction.
• Rubrics provide students with more informative feedback about their strengths and areas in need of improvement.
• Rubrics accommodate heterogeneous classes by offering a range of quality levels.
• Rubrics are easy to use and easy to explain.

Rubrics can be created in a variety of forms and levels of complexity, however, they all contain three common features which:

• focus on measuring a stated objective (performance, behavior, or quality).
• use a range to rate performance.
• contain specific performance characteristics arranged in levels indicating the degree to which a standard has been me.

After learning more about rubrics its now time for me to create one. I did a web search and looked at several rubric makers. I chose to use Rubistar http://rubistar.4teachers.org/

You may view mine at: http://lipkalearningcorner.wikispaces.com/Rubric

Wiki-Tweakie

This week is a continuation of last weeks assignment. Last week we were to set up a Wiki or Web-Quest page or some other format to use Digital Story telling and consider our curriculum. So this week I opened up that Wiki page URL I created and I have to admit, I pondered over this for a few days. I first had to learn how to incorporate my curriculum, then decide what I would use. This endeavor was not so simple! However, I chose not to get overwhelmed and tackle this one step at a time, I took many breaks.... Three days later- I finally came to a stopping point on this Wiki page.

As with any project and using technology, it will never fully be completed, it is a work that is in a continual process.

Here is my Wiki Page: A work in continual process.http://lipkalearningcorner.wikispaces.com/Home+Page

I had some issues how I was going to use a final compilation of my work using a digital story telling. I ended up
using lectures in a PowerPoint format that represents digital story telling.

I also incorporated an assignment that requires my students to do the same. However, they are not aware that they are creating a digital story-telling project at this time.

Curriculum and Technology Via Wiki's

Students are very much technology savvy, they relate to the current technology uses and really want to see more and more of it used it the classroom. I had been on this semester long journey learning all of the technologies that are needed to enhance my classroom lectures.

This week our assignment is really a continuum of last week. Last week we were to day dream about how we could create a wiki space and incorporate our curriculum into it. I spent a lot of time reading the web links presented in this weeks reading assignments. "Building Your Curriculum Page", "Zipping Files",
"Web Quest", just to name a few. Teacher Tube Videos -, Teacher Tube.com, Education World ® Professional Development Center: The "Art" of Comprehension were some other sites I explored as well.


Now came the time to create that Wiki and incorporate my curriculum into it. I must admit this was another task not so easily accomplished. I spent several hours just navigating the site before I could grasp a concept on where to begin. Then I spent several more hours getting my information loaded up into the Wiki.
I had issues getting the pages to locate where I wanted them, some still are not where I want them to be.
I would have like a background color on the entire page(s) still tweaking that one. I had loaded a resource page regarding the material they will be working own. Along with some YouTube videos as well.

I still have to prepare a summary sheet of how they are to create a Digital Story Board using PowerPoint.

My students are of an older group and a lot of the technology is new to them. Most are comfortable with PowerPoint, so I need them to explore and work with slide share to turn their PowerPoint into a Digital story.

Here is the link to my wiki, Much work is still needed!!! http://lipkalearningcorner.wikispaces.com/

Integrating Technology into the Curriculum

This week’s assignment was to read Chapter 6 from our text (Shelly, Gunter and Gunter).

Review a host of Website resources for Digital Story telling and dream a bit on how I could integrate technology into my curriculum and have my students use digital story telling in their assignments.

I teach Allied Health Courses in Vocational Occupations at the college level. I am constantly looking for additional resources for my students. The current courses I am teaching are Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminology and Medisoft. The publishers offer very little resources in addition to the textbooks.

One of the requirements in my classes is to have the students do a research project on a disease of their choice or a current event that relates to their class. I require the research to be at least five pages long. They are also required to present their work to the class. I require them to use some type of visual aids as well. Thinking about the past two weeks of assignments and my current curriculum, I am now feeling a bit more confident that digital story telling would benefit my students. Most of the students are non-traditional, they are on average 30 plus in age and most are women. Getting them to use technology that is computer based has been a bit of a struggle, however since learning about digital storyboards, I think these students could have a better learning experience and have fun at the same time. I am a strong believer that learning should be fun and exciting.

I am excited about the up coming project for this class, which will be creating a Wikispace. Dreaming a bit how I would set this up using my current curriculum and incorporate Digital Story telling.

A project that I would have my students do is curriculum based and the students would a choice of using different media:

I would offer a Web linked tutorial section for different media sources.

· Digital Storytelling: A Tutorial in 10 Easy Steps

• Video Story Telling Basics Storytelling

• Storytelling Ideas

• PowerPoint

• PowerPoint presentation using Slideshare

My classes are health related so the digital story telling would need to be a simple project to complete.

Wonderful World of Digital Media for Students

Technology has been in our schools for many years now; the first use of technology in schools was to have a computer in the class. We have sense moved way beyond that now. We are incorporating so much technology to enhance the students learning. The assignment for this week was to read chapter 5 Integrating Digital Media and Educational Software Applications. As our textbook states digital media software refers to any computer-based presentation or application software that uses multimedia elements. Allowing users to create new forms of interaction, expression, communication, and entertainment in a digital format. Digital media uses all the elements of multimedia but in a digital format. Teachers Discovering Computers (Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom) by Gary B. Shelly.

For the hands on portion of this assignment, we were to create a brief presentation in which you address how digital story telling might benefit your (current or future) students. I did find this a bit difficult, as I am still learning all the facts myself.


I searched many sites for using technology to create this presentation, in the assignment, it suggested PowerPoint, Prezi. I looked at Google Docs, Microsoft Power Point, even downloaded a few that totally frustrated me.

I looked into Photo Story3 where you can create slide shows using your digital photos. With a single click, you can touch-up, crop, or rotate pictures. Add stunning special effects, soundtracks, and your own voice narration to your photo stories. Then, personalize them with titles and captions. Small file sizes make it easy to send your photo stories in an e-mail. Watch them on your TV, a computer, or a Windows Mobile–based portable device.

I finally decided to create my story board in Microsoft Power Point, I am not really efficient at power point but feel more comfortable using it.

Digital age march 18

View more presentations from sharon49

Dealing with System Properties- Not a quotidian for me!!!

This week’s assignment seems simple enough; compare my computer system properties with a scenario-based software program that our instructor has ask for.

 The Scenario

You are a classroom teacher with one Internet-connected, classroom computer. Your principal has just come to you with the offer to purchase one academic software program for your classroom, and price is not a concern. (Apparently, the categorical funds are such that only one program per classroom may be purchased, but there is an allocation of up to $1,000 per classroom!) However, you’ll need to demonstrate impact on student learning from engagement with the software.

The principal leaves you with the following list of online software catalogs and asks for your software selection by the end of the day. “Oh,” she adds, “by the way, we don’t have funds to upgrade your computer, so make sure that the software you choose will run on the computer you have.”

My System:

Microsoft Windows XP                                   Monitor:

Home Edition                                               Version 5.1.2001.0

Version 2002                                               NIVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT

Service Pack 3            

                                                                   Modem:

Computer:                                                   Intel (R) 537EP V9x DF PCI

Intel(R)

Pentium (R) 4CPU 3.00 GHz

299GHz, 200GB of RAM

I currently teach in a post secondary setting in Allied Health and teach several classes; primarily -  Anatomy and Physiology.  I am always looking to enhance my lectures,give students visuals, hands on activities,etc. I was excited to find a software program that will do just that and is under the allowable cost. Having a projector on the computer will benefit all the students simultaneously.

Software Pack Chosen:

A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy 4.0 Instructor's Edition - Win $599.00

System Requirements:

Microsoft Windows 2000, XP or higher

Pentium 800 MHz or higher

128MB of RAM

DVD Drive

1.7GB of available hard disk space for full install

A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy (AIA 4) is an exciting interactive learning DVD-ROM that dramatically enhances the study of human anatomy and related topics. With incredibly detailed graphics, precision accuracy, and advanced functionality, AIA 4has become a mainstay of anatomy education in classrooms across the globe. Now with the newest edition, AIA 4, we’ve included many more enhancements, based on extensive input from educators, authors, health professionals, and students worldwide.

The result is an unsurpassed anatomy reference and authoring system that serves as an advanced curriculum development tool for instructors and a valuable life-long anatomy resource for students.

A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy 4 (AIA 4) contains the most comprehensive digital database of detailed anatomical images in the world, including illustrated, fully dissectible male and female bodies. The database includes point-and-click identification capabilities of over 20,000 anatomical structures and is peer-reviewed by a team of leading anatomists to ensure anatomical accuracy.

View the same structure from different perspectives - With a simple scroll bar, dissect through the human body by peeling away structures, layer-by-layer, in anterior, posterior, lateral, or medial views. You can also open an image in multiple windows simultaneously to compare the same structure in the different views.

Multiple structure identification and manipulation - Simultaneously identify, highlight, display, and extract multiple anatomical structures and physiological systems. This feature makes it possible for you to explore the boundaries of structures and view them in isolation, and then view them in context with the surrounding anatomy.

Customizable transparency box - With the customizable transparency box you can easily move, re-size, and reveal areas of underlying dissectible anatomy in real-time. Use this tool to easily comprehend the spatial relationships between adjacent structures and organs.

Identify and Review Pinned Atlas Anatomy Structures

AIA 4’s Atlas Anatomy includes meticulously detailed full-color illustrations of body parts, organs, structures and systems complete with pinned structures. Not only do you get the highest-quality illustrations in the business, but you also get pinned cadaver prosection photographs from actual human dissection and even radiographic images!

Understand Anatomy in a Clinical Context

A key offering in AIA 4 is a comprehensive database of clinical content. Hundreds of illustrations and animations are available to help you understand complex anatomical structures, organs, and physiological systems in a clinical context.

Hundreds of accurate illustrations - Nearly 600 clinical illustrations show disease states, injuries, first aid, surgical procedures, cellular components, and more. Each illustration has been carefully designed by a certified medical illustrator and reviewed by medical experts in the field.

Clinical animations and viewer - 28 professionally produced QuickTime™ and Shockwave™ animations cover topics related to physiology, disease, and surgery. You can display these animations, or even your own animations, in the AIA 4 Animation Viewer!

Interact with 3D models

AIA 4 now includes 3D Library, Volume 2. The 3D Library contains 8 fully-interactive 3D models, including: brain ear eye heart lungs female reproductive system male reproductive system and skull

With the 3D library, you can visualize hundreds of specific detailed structures in the highest resolution available. In addition to full rotation, the 3D models provide for exploded views, transparency effects, and fly-through sequences.

Develop a Dynamic Curriculum

A.D.A.M. Interactive Anatomy Slide Show® - Slide Show is a great way to integrate your text with customized images from the AIA 4 database to create, organize, and package course materials, laboratory exercises, student presentations, and custom communication tools.

Import and export capabilities - You can import 3rd party images and animations, and easily export customized images into PowerPoint® and word processing applications, curricula, tests, and more.

Flexible annotation tools - Annotate illustrations in Dissectible Anatomy, Atlas Anatomy, Clinical Illustrations, or even your own imported images easily with the advanced functionality of AIA 4.

Hide and lock viewer controls - Use hide and lock viewer controls to disable structure identification and display only what you want students to see.

Live lecture mode usability - Create dynamic live lecture presentations using the interactive and visual power of AIA 4. The software can be used in class, and allows for annotations and modifications on-the-fly.

Oh my………………..What a Google Search can reveal!!!!!!!!!!

I always rather knew that you could search people- my naive` thinking was more about those people that had wrote something spectacular or made the news. I decided to follow the course recommendation on searching for yourself. I first started with just my full maiden name and got 516,000 hits.  I had to narrow this down a bit, so I added in my hometown and got 777,000 hits… I found one that struck my interest right on the first page, my high school that I attended.  I had to check this out and spent a bit too much time there. Next, I tried my first married name and got 158,000 hits of course just a few were actually about me.  To my amazement there was quite a bit of information open to the public.  There was even a page about my Radiographic Technology license…. The last name I searched for myself was my new married name of less than a year; safe to say I did not show up here, even though there were 44,000 hits.

Another part of the assignment was to create a Web page of “About Me” I have never created a web page for a classroom page or a page for myself.  I decided to create this page using Google. My page can be found at http://www.google.com/profiles/lipkas1.

I am still working and making modifications on it.  As I am sure I will always be updating this page.

Chapter 3 pages 185 – 186 written by  Shelly, G.B., Gunter, G.A., & Gunter, R.E. (2010). Integrating technology and digital media in the classroom (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Course Technology gives some good information and tips on how to create a good Web page.

Do we Really Have Computer Literacy?

When some one has asked me “Are you computer literate”, I’ve have always said yes…until now! I have learned about user interfaces and several software applications used in schools, businesses, and homes. Some I knew very well. Others I knew very little about and others were completely new to me.  The assignment for this week was to make changes to an Excel Grade sheet.  Hmmm, seemed like an easy task. I have used excel before. As it turned out it was not so easy for me. I resorted over to Google Docs.Spreadsheet to get the formulas to work. Then, I had issues getting it to open after I saved it. Needless to say, an enormous amount of hours was spent on that thing. After the assignment was completed, I focused in on the ones I needed more information on that could benefit me as an instructor and for my students.

Educational software supports learning objectives and goals.  Educational software exists for just about any subject, from learning a foreign language to learning how to cook. Preschool to high school learners can use educational software to assist them with subjects such as reading and math or to prepare them for class or college entrance exams (Shelly).

Special needs software, also called assistive technologies software, is designed specifically for students with physical impairments or learning disabilities to assist them in completing school assignments and everyday tasks. From spelling words to advanced literary concepts, ILTsource.com carries a full line of special needs software for students of all ages and comprehension levels as well as tools that allow teachers to evaluate a student's spelling / grammar progress. These wonderful language enrichment packages boost vocabulary and reading skills through exercises and games geared toward literacy development and story building (ILTsource).

On the personal side of this assignment, I looked into the Tax preparation software. It can assist you in preparing your federal and state tax returns efficiently and accurately. You even can file your return electronically using the Internet (Shelly). H&R Block - Offers online and in-person tax preparation and tax software, mortgages, brokerage and financial services, consumer tips and tax planning information.

I have learned quite a bit about Application Productivity Tools for Educators and also realized I still have so much more to learn.

Teachers Discovering Computers (Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom) by Gary B. Shelly, Cengage Learning

ILT Source.com

http://www.iltsource.com/Spelling_Grammar_Literacy_Software_s/185.htm

Taxes, FREE Tax Filing, Online Tax Preparation... http://www.hrblock.com/

ONE WRONG KEY STROKE

 

Is it more unethical to allow threats to students/schools or to deny students/teachers access to instructionally relevant Web-based tools and content?

The Internet has changed the way students learn and communicate. With the click of a mouse they can instantly message one another, work together on projects, download all kinds of multimedia files, and post to blogs, Websites, and RSS feeds.

Computer security should be the first priority of any parent /guardian or educator when seeking protection of children on the Internet. To allow threats would be unethical.  It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of children. Keeping Safe in Cyberspace

Access to people and information enhances instruction, but what happens when the "dark side of the Internet" sneaks around the corner and into the classroom or home? You have seen the stories on television about chat rooms, read about incidents in the newspaper where kids have been lured to meet strangers, and read the research in magazines about social networking and cyber bullying, 

(See the articles from Multimedia and Internet @Schools magazine, Social Networking: A New Tech Tool and a New Security Concern for Teens and Schools May/June 2006 and Social Networking, Part 2: A Toolkit for Teachers July/August 2006). Keeping kids safe must be an ongoing effort through awareness, education and supervision.

Many sites appear to be good on the surface until you hit a link that goes somewhere you don't want your students to visit. For me, I have personally have had this experience. While I was searching for an article in one of my undergrad classes, I opened up a site that I thought was leading me to additional information.  It happened to be a porn site that opened in full swing. I immediately tried to close the site, it would not close, and it keep reloading and reloading. I tried to shut the computer off and it would not shut down, bottom line the site had viruses and corrupted my computer. God only knows what a child could have possible encountered if they had opened this site.

Organizations like the Internet Content Rating Association and Safe Surf have developed rating systems as a means to keep the Internet safe for kids and parents. However, very few sites are using these rating systems. http://www.fosi.org/icra/

Over blocking: A filter that is highly effective at taking out content can be described as over blocking. Over blocking can filter out very important and acceptable material, such as health related information. Still, in many cases parents will still accept over blocking just to prevent exposure to other sites. As part of its defense of the Child Online Protection Act, which seeks to prevent minors from viewing commercially published harmful-to-minors material on the World Wide Web, the U.S.Department of Justice commissioned a study of the prevalence of “adult” materials and the effectiveness of Internet content filters in blocking them. (Stark, 2007)

Under blocking: Whenever new information is uploaded to the Internet, filters can under block content if the people responsible for the parties do not update their systems.

So we don’t always have to say know to our kids, we can say yes to safe sites.  There many out there, one is Whats What.me is a safe, secure, “kids-only” social network for “tweens” ages 7-13 -- using patent-pending facial recognition technology, moderation and kid-friendly features to teach kids positive online behavior, Internet safety and related life skills. https://www.whatswhat.me/

The Internet can be a wonderful resource for kids. They can use it to research school reports, communicate with teachers and other kids, and play interactive games. Kids who are old enough to punch in a few letters on the keyboard can literally access the world. It is our legal and ethical responsibility to protect them.

(Stark, P.) (2007) The Effectiveness of Internet Content Filters Department of Statistics University of California, Berkeley November 10, 2007, retrieved on Feb. 1,2011 from http://www/stat.Berkeley.edu/~stark/Preprints/filter07.pdf

 (2009) What's What, LLC. retrieved on Feb. 1,2011from https://www.whatswhat.me/

RR # 2 Love / Hate Relationship with Technology

Hmmmm.... I have this love / hate relationship right now with all this techie stuff!
After completing the chapter readings, browsing the web sites that were linked in this weeks material, computer, networks,web terminology and the Tweeting-blogging,posting,following others... I feel overwhelmed! Where is a good starting point???

Dr. Wendy Drexler's video describing the Networked Student illustrated how the current student is learning. The available tools they have for their learning and why it is important for teachers to be on board as well.

The summary of Chapter 2-Communicating through networks and using the World Wide Web, some of the highlights were web searching tools, pros and cons for students and teachers, and educational implications of the internet and the World Wide Web.

Teachers and students alike are exposed to so much technology, is it really helping or hindering the student. Will we as educators in a specific subject matter spend to much time teaching technology to the student and less time on the material at hand.

Currently I am teaching and a student at the same time.  As a student,I have learned so much, yet feel so ill-equipped. I know just how my students feel when they are learning something new! I tell them hang in there it will all come together.  I am currently saying that to myself as well.

I feel blessed to be an educator and to be part of the technology that is available.



Teachers Discovering Computers Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom Page(s):59-110  Teachers Discovering Computers (Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom) by Gary B. Shelly, Cengage Learning

World Wide Web… Is it really A host of Information or Just Nonsense?

I have always known that the World Wide Web has always offered a host of information.

Finding that information can be an agonizing process if you do not know how to proceed. Searching for any subject can be a daunting process.  If you are using a process of Key words, search engines versus subject engines can lessen the task

As I began my search for educational search tools or directories listed in our text I found the task somewhat easier, Probably because the biggest task had been eliminated for me.

(Some one else had narrowed the search). 

My first site I visited was em Tech (emerging Technologies); I chose this site for obvious reasons- I am learning about emerging technologies http://www.emtech.net/

and how to use them in my teaching. This site offers over 15,000 resources that are organized by topics for teachers, parents and students. Since I am a college instructor and most parents are not generally involved with their child’s resources for topics, I kept my search for resources for my students and myself.

I did find some of the sites that I was interested in had closed or the URL did not work

I teach vocational education in the medical arena- allied health to be specific. Therefore, I tried to narrow my search regarding the area that I teach in.  This was not so easy, since most of the sites were geared toward k-12. There were many sites located in this section that I spent a lot of time looking for what would suit my needs.

I ended up in a site called The National Academies Press, http://www.nap.edu/topics.php?topic=282, this is where I found Medical Training and Workforce, this led me to a day end street.  It offered textbooks…=( 

I did my next search on Google for Educators, I ended up in a site found at http://www.google.com/educators/p_apps.html, “ Google Apps Education Edition is a broad IT solution that schools can use to bring communication and collaboration tools to the entire academic community for free. Google manages all the technology details, so you can focus your time, energy and budgets on teaching your kids”.

The next site I found from “The sites for Teachers” http://www.sitesforteachers.com/ was the Teachers Social Network (TSN). http://www.teachersn.com/
This site is a lot like facebook, but just for teachers. You can add friends, start groups, share photos, videos and teaching materials. You can also upload and download teaching materials like worksheets.  You can write your own lesson plans or articles.

The last search I did was through  Pedago.net http://www.pedagonet.com/books/medicalguides.htm when the page opened, I immediately saw an icon that led me to a section called Health and Medical study guides. http://www.pedagonet.com/books/medicalguides.htm This is an  online educational publishing company, specializes in test preparation, career guidance, vocational training, and practical "how to" information.

In my final search I did with State of Florida Department of Education http://www.fldoe.org/ I found the site Career and Adult Education http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/ I typed in their search window State Standards for Career and Adult Education http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/dwdframe/ Under their career cluster http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/dwdframe/

They give a huge amount of courses and lists the standards when you click the icon. I found this site very informative and leads me to make sure I am following the State’s standards with in my curriculum.

I really believe the WWW is a host of information- just really need to know how to navigate it in order to find the information you need without spending unnecessary time.

Sharon

New diigo url

http://www.diigo.com/user/lifelong

lol, If I did this right the above link is to my diigo

Fundamentals of Technology for Educators

Fundamentals of Technology for Educators

TeacherTube.com

TeacherTube.com

Lifelong: Site Update

Site Update

Just updated my site.... Didn't like the black background