MAC Wk 4 - All Good Things...

Well, here we are at the end of another course. I am feeling pretty relieved, but I guess maybe I will miss this program after it is over. I really have learned so much, and so much of it I can actually use (and I am using!) for my work and future. After I graduated from college, I felt like I had a worthless piece of paper in my hand, but now all of this hard work is already starting to pay off. I hope that my classmates have gotten as much out of this program as I have. Well, 11 down, 1 to go!

MAC Wk 4 - Comments to Karen

"I saw 3 of my students at the grocery store today and they said they couldn't wait for school to start.  I told them I've already been thinking of my lesson plans and I am going to start with spanking everyone and throwing them in the garbage can!  They all laughed and as they were hugging, they said, Yea, I love music class with you!  Not even such a silly remark could make them think I would really do such a thing to them!  They know what ever we do, they are going to love it.  They are so trusting.  I have a huge responsibility, of teaching these children the standards, and doing it with love and such enthusiasm and fun that they catch and keep that spirit."

I'm really sorry to hear all the stuff you have gone through with your computer. And what happened with that one professor. You'll have to tell me who it was! Just kidding.

It makes me happy to know that some kids are looking forward to school starting. I don't ever remember feeling that way as a kid, and it is hard for me to imagine kids feeling that way. I hope that once my kids at my new school get to know me, they will be looking forward to school starting too.

MAC Wk 4 - Comments to Kenya

"When we teach children to accept responsibility, we must be mindful that we, too, must do the same. Accountability is the name of the game. We must indeed be the board that the game of life is being played on for every move our player takes, is one that we have caused whether through knowledgeable desire or ignorant indifference. I don't know about you but I prefer to be the control behind the pieces rather than just a pawn."

I love what you said about how we must do what we are teaching our children to do. It's no wonder that kids are always trying to blame things on other people. They learn how to do that from the adults around them! Even though new laws say that everyone must be accountable, people always want to blame someone else when things go wrong. Administrators blame teachers, teachers blame administrators, and it goes on and on. We can't fix a problem if we keep chasing our tails.

MAC Wk 4 - Telling the WE Story

I admit, when I read this post, I could not think of a single person who I had helped to achieve their dreams, but I just got a facebook message from a close friend of mine who is starting her dream as I sit here and type this. She is on her way to London to participate in the Fulbright teacher exchange program and she couldn't be more excited. She has always wanted to go overseas and teach, and she says that I inspired her to do it. I don't really think that I did much, but she says when she heard of my experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bolivia, she wanted to do something similar. All I really did was be her friend for a few years, but she says I had something to do with her fulfilling her dream and going to London. I am very proud of her and I hope that she stays long enough for me to go and visit!

MAC Wk 4 - Lofty Goals

I guess I have some pretty high aspirations when it comes to places that I would like to present, but hey, I might as well aim high, right? I would like to do a national conference because I want to travel, is that so wrong? Well, most of the ones that would be likely are right here in Austin, TX so I would only get to travel up the road a ways. One is all the way down in San Antonio!

Seriously, I think the TABE conference or the TCEA conferences would both be good choices. Some of them, like the gaming conference, I might be able to do once I add in the information that I will be getting as I work in the Globaloria program in the upcoming year. Speaking of Globaloria, I will be going to the Globaloria summer workshop in two weeks, so while I am there, I will ask about presenting at the December workshop. They already know me, so they just might let me do it. Also, the Region XIII Education Service Center offers professional development for teachers here in Austin year round, so that is definitely another avenue I am exploring.

I did find something that was especially promising. On a website called WeAreTeachers is having a video contest with the prompt "What does 21st Century Readiness Mean to You?" They are looking for one minute videos addressing the prompt and the winner receives a trip to the National Summit on 21st Century Readiness in Washington, D.C. in October. I think I might just enter, if I ever finish all these blog posts.

MAC Wk 4 - Now Where Do I Go?

OK, so here are some ideas of where to present:

Texas Computer Education Association Conference (February 2011)
Texas Association of Bilingual Educators Conference (October 2010)
Texas Association for Alternative Education Conference (February 2011)
International Society for Technology in Education Conference (June 2011)
National Middle School Association Conference (November 2010)
Texas Charter Schools Conference
National Charter Schools Conference
Texas Council for Teachers of English Language Arts (January 2011)
National Council of Teachers of English (November 2010)
Teachers Teaching With Technology International Conference (February 2011 - San Antonio)
National Science Teachers Association National Conference (March 2011)
Austin Women in Technology Conference (February 2010)
Games for Change Festival
Cyber Summit on 21st Century Readiness

MAC Wk 4 - To Publish or Not to Publish?

That is the question. Well, that's not really the question. The question is: To Publish or to Present?

Well, I really don't like giving presentations. I get really bad stage fright. Even sitting here typing this post is kind of making me nervous. Yet, despite all this, I would rather present my work than publish it. I would really like the personal connection that I won't be able to get if I simply publish my work. If I were to present it, I might make a connection with an educator that wouldn't necessarily have time to read certain publications. I can tell stories, I can make it more personal, I can make it real. When you publish this type of academic work, you don't necessarily get that opportunity.

So, where should I present? I would like it to be somewhere with some regular, everyday teachers. I might consider presenting also at some type of technology teachers association, but technology teachers probably already have an idea about using social networking sites in education, and I would like to reach some teachers that perhaps may have never thought about it before. Since I prefer small groups, it would be even nicer if it was a small venue, or even a panel situation. I went to the National Science Teachers Association convention last year, and it was a very well-organized conference with lots of rooms and a great variety of topics being presented. I think that might be kind of a big goal, and I don't know if this really qualifies as science, but I would like to go back to a conference like that.

MAC Wk 3 - E-Books

I love technology, I really do, but I do not love e-books. I am enjoying reading the Art of Possibility, but every time I sit down to read, I can't help but think how much more I would get out of it if I was reading it in my nice cozy bed. I just can't curl up with a laptop like I can with a book. Although there are some things about technology that can help us communicate and connect to others (skype, facebook, etc.) but I am also recognizing that it can also separate us from each other. I could spend all night on facebook, or I could go out to a coffee shop with my friends and interact with live people. For some reason, reading a book (a real book) seems like a much more intimate, personal experience than reading an e-book.  I also get too easily distracted when I try to read an e-book. There are so many other things on my computer to distract me, that I am finding it very hard to read. If I just had a book in my hand and could go to a room with no computers or outside or something with very few distractions, I could read this book the way the author originally intended.

MAC Wk 3 - Comments to Isabel

"I believe that is in this chapter that Roz mentions walking alongside a river in New England where “the river roared like mad, its water roiling by with incessant energy”.  In this instance she takes an existential leap and asks the river’s force to run through her.  Something about this story really struck me- the idea of calling on nature to let its beauty and energy flow through you.  I take time everyday to watch the sunset- it is that moment of peace I give to myself each day.  I like to do this alone- I don’t mind company but I prefer to do it alone. I am always amazed by the beauty of nature but I ad never once thought of it as a force- something tangible that I could command or that had anything to offer me.  So I decided to try it out on the next sunset and I will admit I was expecting some kind of life changing experience but it was nothing like that.  I still enjoyed it and plan on doing it again. 

Maybe its because I am not musically inclined but I find that I relate more to the stories shared by Roz in these last 3 chapters.  Her stories have a connection to nature that I enjoy and relate to.  Is anybody else feeling more in-tune with one of the others than the other?"

Isabel,

At first I found it hard to relate to Ben Zander's connection to music. The concept of conducting an orchestra seems so utterly foreign to me, but I can really relate to a lot of the things that Zander says. I am beginning to see that conducting an orchestra is really a metaphor for many other things be it being a teacher, administrator, parent, or in some type of corporate management type position. I will be looking for Roz's interactions with nature as I continue reading. Thank you for pointing this out.

MAC Wk 3- Comments to Karen

"We need to always see the other side.  I had to stop working on my lit review to take an elderly woman some CD's my son is selling, to make money for his trip to Syria (he leaves Tuesday).  I took them, and ended up staying for almost 4 hours because she needed to talk.  It turns out her husband is about in the same situation my mother in law is in and she never gets to talk to people who remember what she says.  Her husband was our assistant superintendent for years, so it's difficult to see him like this.  I pray I can get this lit review finished as those 4 hours were important for work, but how could I leave her?  I think I was meant to be there, so I am praying God will help me as I work on these references to get them into APA order, in spite of the computer NOT working after getting fixed and my eyes are getting worse, not better. Whew"

Karen,

I am glad you took time away from your busy schedule to spend time with your elderly friend. In my opinion, we so rarely take time just to appreciate our friends and family. No lit review (or phone call or wimba) can take the place of those four hours you spent with that woman. It probably meant so much to her. When we immerse ourselves so fully in this world of cell phones, computers, and work, we can easily overlook those tender moments of human interaction. Even though our program is very important, I try never to put my priority on a phone call or homework, or something inanimate, when there is a live person right in front of me. You never know how much longer that live person will be around, and you will never regret that time spent with them when they are gone.

MAC Wk 3 - The Way Things Are

Reading chapter 7 of Ben Zander's The Art of Possibility entitled: The Way Things Are was really the first time while I was reading that I began to disagree with him a little. I don't necessarily think that you should always simply accept the way things are. Zander compared human beings to the animals in Babe and said that the duck speaks for most of us when he says that "The way things are stinks," but I disagree. I believe that one of society's biggest problems is that too many people act like the cow and accept things that they should not accept. There are way too few people in the world trying to change things. Of course, if you just complain about how much things stink, you won't get anywhere either. I understand that Zander is saying not to simply accept things like the cow does, but not to live in denial about the world. It reminds me of the serenity prayer:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

The key here to me is the wisdom that Zander fails to mention - maybe it will come later in the book. His point is a little clearer to me later on when he discusses glasses that are half empty and half full. What he is really trying to say is that all we need to do is change our attitude, our perspective on the world and our circumstances. I think the key is not to accept the way things are, but to understand why things are the way they are. If we understand why, then we can know the difference between what we can change and what we can't. Focus on the why.

MAC Wk 2 - Passing on the Possibilities

Now that I think I finally have my own life under control (at least for the moment) I have been called upon to help someone else and I am struggling. A friend of mine who lost her job a few months ago called me this week and asked if she could move in with me because she had no other place to stay. She is an older lady in her 60s and she was recently diagnosed with glaucoma and is losing her sight. She is feeling very down on herself right now and doesn't feel like anyone would want to hire her even though she is talented, articulate, and good at her job. I am especially thankful that this month I am reading The Art of Possibility because there are some very good ideas that I can not only apply to my own life, I can pass them on to her. I also, for the first time, am thankful for all the hell I went through over the past year because it really has made me a stronger person and has given me a set of skills and experiences that I can use to help other people. But this is a difficult journey. Being depressed is difficult and since I have only recently come out of my depression, being around someone who is also depressed is especially stressful. I will continually look to Ben Zander for help.

MAC Wk 2 - Comments to Patti L.

"In fewer than three weeks, I will be starting a new adventure in my life (no… not the parenting thing… that comes about in the spring).  Last year, I received a letter of non-renewal for my position as a 9th grade English teacher.  I was devastated.  I thought I had found a home at my school, and I had no plans to leave it.  I was in love with my students, my faculty, and my successes as a teacher.  However, as some of us are aware, when you’re low man on the totem pole, it doesn’t matter how much of your heart and soul you commit to your job.  Now, through the goodness of a former principal (from the same school), I will be trying on my new hat as an 8th grade reading teacher.  As part of my students’ reading response journals, I’m going to try Ben Zander’s assignment of having my students write down their contributions.  In an age where the written and the spoken word are being replaced by the digital media world, it is important for students to tell stories and to show others the joy of reading and writing."

Patti,

I am so sorry to hear of your experience at your former school. I can definitely relate to it and I am glad that you have found another place. I am also embarking on a new adventure this coming school year, and I wish you the best of luck. I can tell that you are a passionate and compassionate person and that is the most important thing you have to contribute to your students.

MAC Wk 2 - Comments to Becky

"At one point, the author stated that “the conductor decides who is playing in his orchestra.” When he comes in, everyone is in their seats and he can recognize who is bored and how they are going to participate. I relate this to being a teacher, especially of mathematics. When I start the year, I can see the students that enjoy math and are excited about math. I can also see the kids that have a goal of not being noticed the entire year. I am the conductor of my class and I get to decide who plays and how they participate. I don’t think my students know this, but I try to find those students that are not confident and math and I try to get them involved as much as possible, especially at times that I feel they will get a correct answer to build their confidence. "

Becky,

I like how you related being a conductor to being a teacher. I agree that we are the conductors of our classes and we are responsible for getting our students to play the most beautiful "music" possible, even if our music is in reading, math, or science. Allowing our students to conduct from their seats and do things they never thought possible is something we as teachers should always strive for. Thank you for sharing.

MAC Wk 2 - Being a Contribution

I have to say that the book The Art of Possibility is very uplifting. Right now I am at a relatively good and stable place in my life but in the past there have been moments when I definitely did not feel like I was much of a contribution. In today's world, it can be very easy to get wrapped up in the competitiveness of day to day life and get down on ourselves.

Last year was a hard year for me, a time when I had very few days when I felt like a contribution. When I think about the past year, it is easy for me to slip back into my old negative ways. Now I have a new job and a new outlook on life.  I am now able to pass on the positivity to my students, friends, and family.

Have I been a contribution today? I think that I have, but the biggest contribution that I think I can make right now is by passing on this information to others. I have a friend who recently lost her job. She was no longer able to afford an apartment of her own and she asked if she could move in with me. I didn't really know her very well, at work we were basically just acquaintances, but I agreed to let her stay with me. Is this my contribution? I don't really think so. I was just doing what anyone else would do for a friend in need. But I can contribute to her in a bigger way. Having gone through some terrible things in the past year, I can be a friend and inspiration to her, which can have even more of an impact than simply providing houseroom. I hope.

MAC Wk 1 - My Own Possibilities

This past week I had the opportunity to visit with some amazing people and educators in the state of West Virginia. A few months ago I was hired to teach at a new charter school here in Austin. This new charter school is part of an incredible pilot program implementing Globaloria, a curriculum designed to teach kids to develop their own educational, socially oriented, web-based computer games using Flash. The curriculum incorporates many web 2.0 tools and has a truly innovative approach to education. My school is the only school in Texas to be using the program and the only other place where it is being implemented is in another pilot program that has been in place for three years in the state of West Virginia.

While I was in West Virginia going through training to learn just exactly what Globaloria is and what I am supposed to be teaching, I had the opportunity to meet some incredible people who are passionate about what they are doing and why they are doing. It was truly refreshing to see the amount of support the Globaloria program has in West Virginia and how willing they are to implement new technology and new methods. Even though I was so far away, I felt completely at home with the people I met. They embraced me (they gave me an "A") and I realized that what made this program truly special was not the technology, but the people behind it. 

MAC WK 1 Response to Stacey

"Last year the idea of "POSSIBILITY" was so easy for me to envision, but the closer I get to completing school the box opportunity seems to get smaller. I find myself restricting myself and losing sight of a purpose. My thoughts and actions are becoming limited which is moving my passion to uncomfortable. The chance to step into the "Universe of Possibility" that I designed and visualized is becoming challenging and my fear is not allowing me to continue in my transformation. The idea that I must continually question, "how my thoughts and actions, in this moment, reflections of the measurement world?", forces me to acknowledge that there will be struggles and fears, but there are possibilities in the transformation."

Stacey,

I am glad that you chose to write about some of the uncertainties and fears you are facing jumping off of this cliff into the realm of possibility. Many people in school, including our students, face the same fears you are facing. The world of possibility seems so big that at some point it overwhelms you and it seems to come crashing down. I think this book can help us as students and teachers realize that what is really scary is how we are going to be judged. The important thing is to cast aside these fears of being judged so that we can truly embrace our abilities.

MAC WK 1 Response to Lori

"One day after school, a student stopped in to chat. he says’ You know Ms. Pick, your classroom feels better than any other room in this school! I always know I can be myself in here and you are ok with it. I can feel it when I walk down the hall towards the art room. it feels lighter in here!”

This brought tears to my eyes and the student asked me why. I realized that in creating a “ safe place” for myself to create in, I had made it good for anyone who spends time in the art room and this student validated my natural instincts"

Lori,

I really enjoyed reading your post. The most important thing a teacher can start with is creating an open an accepting environment for their students. I am glad to see your students recognize this in you. I was a good student in school, but there are very few teachers that truly stand out in my mind. The ones that do are the ones that create an environment like you have described. Kids can sense a positive attitude. Thank you for sharing your story.

MAC Wk1 Reading: Giving an A

I really enjoyed this reading more than I thought I would. It is definitely a nice change from all of the scholarly reading we have been doing, and in some ways more applicable to life. Although I think a lot of what Mr. Zander said are things that have been said before in other ways (like the power of positive thinking and self-fulfilling prophesies) I really felt that using the term "giving an A" encapsulates his message in a great way. So often we set ourselves up for failure by looking at what can't be done instead of what can be done.

This year I will be teaching an entirely new subject in an entirely new school and for the first time in my teaching career, I will be free of having the dreaded TAKS test hanging over my head. For some reason, I think that by giving my kids an A to start with, we will all be able to go much further than we would otherwise. Since I am teaching an entirely new subject and all of the kids basically start out in the same place, at zero, we might as well all start out with an A, right?

Wk4 Wimba

In listening to this week's Wimba archive, I realized that I had been selecting learning management systems for use in my classroom without even realizing that was what they were. While doing my action research project, I used Edmodo to create an online book club for my class. This site had only a few simple features, but it was a nice way to introduce my kids to online learning. They were able to post links and comments and respond to comments by others, turn in online assignments, and answer poll questions I made up, but it was very limited (kids could not send messages directly to one another to prevent cyber-bullying) and I felt it was appropriate and safe for my fifth graders. I chose Edmodo over Ning because Edmodo is add free and I wanted my kids to focus on group discussions rather than direct messages. For my current position, my school wants the kids to have e-mail and blogs and has elected to use gmail which I am not really comfortable with. I don't feel it has all of the options and safety features that I think are necessary when dealing with young students (I work with sixth graders now) and I have been trying to persuade them to use Gaggle. I have also heard of Schoology and after the discussion, I think this would be worth exploring.

Comments to Rebecca

From Rebecca, "I had a great time working with UDUTU and thoroughly enjoyed my experience. My lesson is very basic because I am new to the program and haven’t had the opportunity to discover it as much as I would like. I kept it simple by using images as opposed to videos, but I am going to play with it more and learn how to import videos. From past Wimba sessions, I have discovered that many people had problems embedding videos so I was fearful to use them on my first project. Due to the fact that I kept my project simple, I didn’t encounter any problems. I downloaded and read the pdf and everything else seemed self explanatory, which is a lot coming from me because I am not tech savvy in any way.

I can definitely see myself using UDUTU in the future and I am excited about discovering everything it has to offer. I am so thankful for this class and this experience as learning how to use this tool is what I have been hoping to get out of this class. We used ning in a past class, but it was too complicated for me. I don’t have that problem with UDUTU, it is very user friendly."

Rebecca, I really liked your course. There was a lot of good information that I can even apply to my own life. Thanks for the info. My only suggestion would be to make the font bigger and easier to see, and divide the text into smaller chunks to make it easier on the eyes. Otherwise, great job! I am now considering getting a wireless card so I can access the Internet when I visit my parents (who only have dial-up.) Thanks again.

Comments to Amanda

From Amanda, "OK so my Udutu is ready to be looked at...I would like to do more to this and actually have my students use this. I like the features, once I got use to them.
I took the video that I made in our music class and cut it up to use as an intro for each section. I hope it is okay that I edited and recycled some of my previous work.

On facebook it seems to still be loading, the name of the course is Geometry.

This is another location where it can be previewed.
http://publish.myudutu.com/published/launcheval/20330/Course36274/Launch.html"

Amanda, I liked your videos (especially your pi t-shirt) and the catchy music. They make the lesson feel fun and lighthearted. I also like the clear visuals of the triangles. My suggestion would be to break down the steps to solving the problems even further, and adding a screen for each small step, that way the students could go back and repeat the steps with other problems (on paper?) if needed. Nice job!

Comments to Kenya

From Kenya, "My Udutu project is for my recipe, Kickin' Bleu Cheese Burgers.

The URL for the project is: http://publish.myudutu.com/published/launcheval/20429/Course36319/Launch.html

Enjoy!!"

Kenya, I really liked the visuals and color in your lesson. It really made the lesson pop more than a traditional recipe. My only suggestion would be that since you are using video, why not have video of someone actually preparing the burger instead of just still images? Going step by step through the process and being able to watch and rewind someone shape the burger and add the cheese would be helpful.

Wk4 Project: Future Report

Wk 4 Udutu Project

Energy Resolvers Course

This project was created to give students and introduction into energy conservation and reducing their carbon footprint. While I was creating the Udutu unit, I was frustrated at first and gave up several times. Then all of a sudden, after sleeping on it and starting in again with fresh eyes, it all became clear. Udutu was actually pretty easy to use and I wanted to create more and more content but had to force myself to stop because of time constraints. I look forward to creating more content with Udutu in the future, possibly for my classes in the fall.

Wk3 Wimba

Clark Aldrich - Simulations and the Future of E-Learning

I recently started a job in which I will be teaching sixth graders to develop their own educational computer games. We just finished a three week summer institute - an introduction to the course (which was difficult to teach since I haven't taken the training on the curriculum I will be teaching) so my main focus was teaching the kids why games are important and why it is important for them to learn. They seemed to grasp this concept a lot easier than adults do. Duh, games are fun. Why then, do educators have such a hard time grasping this concept? Fortunately, many educators now seem to realize how important games are in education. I did some research and found an article exploring reasons why animals love to play. It seemed so obvious. They play so they can learn skills that will be important in their adult lives, they play to exercise their muscles and to test their limits. Smarter animals spend more time playing (Braaf, 2003) - since humans are the smartest animal, their need to play far exceeds that of other animals.

I really made the connection from this article to Clark Aldrich's presentation because when he was talking about simulation games, it was mentioned that in a simulation you are free to make errors that you may not want to try in the real world. This seems to be the key to using simulations in education: preparing learners for dangerous situations in a safe environment. Some situations may just be emotionally dangerous, but they do help students understand the ramifications of their choices. For example, a driving simulation in which your reactions are delayed to simulate intoxication can hammer home the message not to drink and drive much better than simply memorizing a booklet full of driving rules and taking a multiple choice test. I can see how this type of simulation would add conviction to compliance.

Resources

Braaf, E. (2003) Why animals love to play. Home and Garden Publications. Retrieved June 26, 2010 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4128/is_200311/ai_n9307508/

Wk3 Reading Comments to Michael

"Students who are gaining new replicated information can expect to see an e-learning environment based on the Intellectual tutoring system. An ITS handles connecting the expertise of a teacher with the knowledge acquisition of students through artificial-intelligence-control tutorial module. “Such situations occur when large groups need to be tutored simultaneously or many replicated tutoring efforts are needed. Cases in point are technical training situations such as training of military recruits and high school mathematics” (Wikipedia)."

Until now I had never heard of intelligent tutoring systems. I am wondering how this will be done and how training of military recruits and teaching high school mathematics could be similar. Thank you for bringing it up, it is something that I would like to learn more about.

Wk3 Reading Comments to Christina

"In looking at the 6 Trends described, I am familiar with the need for change and there is yet another new trend to add. With new innovations in technology comes new ways to use technological resources. V-Books are the newest trend in online learning. Video books or V-books are snippets of videos strategically place in the reading to enhance learning. Retreive Rechnology has a site which explains why and how to use video books and it also has a small inventory for online learning and it has inventory for v-books (see below). The information from Clay Shirky "It’s all about the transformation of media in the age of Everybody, and it’s focusing on a subject very dear to our heart – oldteevee vs. newteevee" clearly addresses the possibility of mass popularity."

Interesting post, Christina. I am not sure how I feel about embracing technology like v-books. Sometimes I think we may be going overboard in trying to use new technologies to get kids to become engaged. When do they stop becoming tools and start becoming gimmicks? With something like v-books, I would be afraid that students would learn to depend on them and gradually lose literacy skills that have been difficult to develop. Although there is a place for new media literacies, we cannot forget about traditional literacy.

Valdez Teresa Wk3 Reading: LMS Choice

Choosing a learning management system is an important decision that should not be taken lightly. With the variety of learning management systems available, each institution should be able to find one that has the right features and capabilities that will fit their needs. Knowledgeable educators should be part of the selection process for their particular institution and using the steps outlined in this article would certainly be beneficial. Key questions to ask when deciding on LMS requirements would be "what do you want to do, who is going to do it, and how is it going to work" (Parkin, 2005). Once you have a list of requirements, you can begin looking for a vendor who can meet these needs. In order to choose the best learning management system, it is important to be active when choosing a vendor as there are many factors to consider and choosing wrong can be costly.

Parkin, G. (2005) The lms selection process in a nutshell. Parkin's Lot. Retrieved June 27, 2010 from http://parkinslot.blogspot.com/2005/04/lms-selection-process-in-nutshell.html

Wk2 Project Udutu Setup

1. Valdez, Teresa
2. Prior Project Selected: Energy Resolvers Project Based Learning
3. Education Design and Evaluation - November, 2009
4. In Education Design and Evaluation, I created a Ning Social Network focusing on environmental issues, specifically energy conservation. I created several media assets for the course and would like to use them for this project since I would like to assess how much information students will get out of the media assets and also if they could then perform an energy audit on their home or school. 
5. http://energyresolvers.ning.com/

Valdez Teresa Comments to Michael

"Standardization is necessary for the future of LMS. The interoperability and exchange of information has been used throughout history because of standards. It should be continued in the future of learning."

Michael, I agree that some standardization should be in place when it comes to learning management systems, but with too much standardization we run the risk of our media content becoming stale and boring. I think there could be a market for content publishers to make more standardized material, then the learning institutions would have choice in what content they used or purchased. Standardization could lead to more competition in the production of RLOs.

Valdez Teresa Comments to Louria

"When deciding on a content-authoring software one must decide if the content created needs to be reusable or not. This will also drive your decision on what e-learning platform , CMS, LMS or LCMS to use."

I think the key point you mentioned is deciding whether you want your content to be reusable or not. I suppose that if I were creating content, I would want it to be reusable so that I wouldn't have to create new content over and over again. I don't see how not having reusable content would be an advantage, do you?

Valdez Teresa Learning Content Management Systems: What Are They For?

While reading these articles and trying to understand the differences between the CMS, LMS, and LCMS, I finally had a sort of epiphany to what the Learning Management System was. I was reminded of my time as an undergrad, when the Internet was in its infancy (or at least adolescence) and the only online content we had were e-mails and list-servs. I thought specifically of certain professors who must have spent an awful lot of time researching and finding information that was specific to what they were teaching. I majored in Radio-TV-Film production, and I wonder how much has changed since then. My professors were fantastic and fascinating people and often they couldn't find material for their courses that was specific enough to their own subject, and several professors wrote the texts for the courses themselves. Sometimes, however, we were forced to buy several textbooks for one course and read only a chapter or two here and there. This could get to be pretty expensive, but one thing I dreaded more than this was photocopied course packets. Professors would assemble various articles and chapters from books into one spiral bound packet for the course, and although they probably saw this as a less expensive option than forcing students to purchase dozens of books, I hated those things. The photocopies had no color and were often hard to read so I missed out on a lot of readings.

Now I can imagine professors collecting information online, I wonder if the copy places that made those course packets are still in business. With an LCMS, they could have all of their favorite articles or media pieces available to change at any time. They could customize for undergraduate or graduate courses. I see the LCMS as sort of an online course packet, but way better because not only can it be customized for a course, it can be customized for a particular student. For example, if I was back in one of my film history classes watching Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, my LCMS might have articles written about the film, commentary and interviews by Alfred Hitchcock or other filmmakers and critics, and clips put together by my professor illustrating examples from the film. I could even choose which type of delivery method I preferred. Then my professor, who also teaches a class on cinematography, could reuse some of the RLOs for that class without having to photocopy a whole new course packet. Wow.

Week 1 Wimba Session 1

After watching the archived Wimba session, I was pleased to find out that there were a lot of visuals which will help me stay engaged during the session. I am shy about participating in Wimbas, I don't want to force people that I don't know to listen to me if they don't want to (and I sometimes get frustrated with the same people who just talk, talk, talk, then ask questions that are clearly answered in the syllabus or in other places in FSO - I don't talk in Wimbas because I assume that other people would be annoyed by me) but this Wimba was pretty useful. This class seems a little overwhelming to me right now, and a lot more academic, which is good but will be an interesting change. The information in this course really interests me since I have just started a new job as a technology enrichment teacher in which all of our course curriculum is online via a wiki. Since I will be working with sixth graders, the wiki seems a little too advanced for them (I believe it was designed for high schoolers) so I am interested in how I can organize the course for them in such a way that they will get the most out of it. I have been told that the previous class did not get much done and I want to break down the content for my students into manageable pieces so they can work at their own pace and accomplish their goals. I am a little apprehensive about my lit review, but I am on summer vacation and even though I am teaching summer school, it is only half a day and I will have afternoons to work. I liked the term "fail forward" - kind of like learning from your mistakes, I guess. OK, I am going to try not to procrastinate as much in this course, since it seems as though the course was not designed with procrastinators in mind. I better get to work!

Wk 1 Project: LMO Overview

CMS (Course Management Systems) are used in education to manage courses, registration, grading etc. Learners advancing through similar courses with similar learning goals. They are easier to regulate because each learner has similar content, goals, and are graded by similar rubrics. They are especially useful for schools that require accreditation because they can demonstrate that they are meeting specific standards.

LMS (Learning Management Systems) are used in commercial enterprises to manage individual requirements of learners. They are especially useful in companies where learners have different age ranges, skill levels, and might require different certifications. By using learning management systems, needs of individual learners are taken into account and instruction can be differentiated to meet the needs of each learner.

Throughout history, many useful advancements developed in a commercial domain have been adopted by education when it becomes economically feasible. The same is true for learning management systems. Personalization of syllabi, different learning styles, and more choices for learners are just a few of the advantages of a learning management system that could have great value in the education domain. Since all learners are different, and best practices in education are now acknowledging this, learning management systems will become a bigger part of the education domain as they are refined and perfected in the commercial domain.

LCMS (Learning Content Management Systems) are used to manage content, primarily by very big organizations like universities or the military. RLO (re-usable learning objects) provide instruction that can be used in many courses and re-used, and do not have to be re-authored repeatedly. Applications in traditional education environments may allow a less linear type of learning in the future.

PLE (Personal Learning Environments) are ways in which learners can customize their own content and networks to meet their own needs. The possibilities are endless when it comes to personal learning environments. They can be a combination of the above mentioned learning systems or something completely different. They can be managed by instructors, organizations, or learners themselves.

The possibilities afforded by online learning are truly mind boggling.  Learning how to manage different learning management systems will help people get the most out of the Internet and the educational experience.

Valdez_Teresa_Comments to Kim

"Why learn at a distance in the first place and why did all these advancements take place? From the earliest historical evidence of distance learning to the present day there is an express need and an express answer to that need: someone willing to teach at a distance and someone willing to learn at a distance. The innovations of technology with the television, recording and playback functionalities, and the giant leap of the computer and internet just facilitated this process. The current abilities of learning systems and management systems far extends the hopes of the earliest individuals to have the freedom of education anywhere at anytime. However, the reality of distance education is still changing. I personally took independent study courses while I was in high school and am now completing my masters online. I can see the very real change that has occurred since 1990. The future of distance learning is only limited by our own perceptions and creativity to use available technology and to dream the next generation of learning systems. :)"

Kim, I like how you mention that distance education developed primarily in response to a need. Isn't that the reason for all great developments in history? I too have to marvel at all of the changes in communication and education that have taken place since I was in high school in the early 1990s. Although distance and correspondence courses were around, the developments we are witnessing in learning management systems are exceptional in that they now allow learners to interact so much more with each other and with their instructors. It is so exciting! 

Valdez_Teresa_Comments to Melissa

"The History of Virtual Environments article shows tremendous growth due to the Internet becoming available during the 1990s. Here is a brief snapshot of some of the events that occurred during this time of tremendous growth. In 1990 Princeton introduced assessment management systems, and MIT evolved it into a shared services system. “Here is a list of the features of the system as of 1990: printing, electronic mail, electronic messaging (Zephyr), bulletin board conferencing (Discuss), on-line consulting (OLC), on-line teaching assistant (OLTA), on-line help (OLH), assignment exchange (Turn in/pick up), access to system libraries, authentication for system security (Kerberos), naming-for linking system components together (Hcsiod), and a service management system (Moira)." 

Melissa, I have heard of Moodle before, but I didn't realize that it was a learning management system. I really had no idea at all what it was until I read your post, so thank you. I would be interested to hear more about what your experiences with Moodle are like and how other teachers and students in your district like it. I also would like to know more about how educators are using it.  The 1990s was truly an innovative time for online education. I remember when I started college in 1996 and it seemed like the technology available at the university was so advanced compared to what I had been used to at the public high school. Now look how far we have come and how the same technologies we have access too are accessible even in a K-12 classroom. 

Valdez_Teresa_History of Virtual Learning Environments:In a Nutshell

In order to explore the history of virtual learning environments, one must also explore the history of education and the history of computers. This is a broad topic that encompasses many different areas. The two Wikipedia articles were long, they probably missed out on some key developments, but so is the nature of Wikipedia. The article begins with 1728, but it could conceivably go back even further, to pre-historic times when humans first began to pass information on to future generations, or when writing systems were first developed. Or it could start when formalized education first began. Likewise, the history of modern computing could be traced back to the very first mathematicians. Where the history of any topic begins can be somewhat arbitrary.

Xerox PARC does seem to have had a great influence on the history of modern computing, as it seems to be the first time that users were able to interact efficiently with computers. Prior to the development of the graphic user interface, computers were not easily accessed by the general public. If not for this development, it would not have been feasible for many learners to use computers for education, as more time would have been spent up front in learning how to simply operate the computers.

There were many events throughout the 1980s that influenced the development of virtual learning environments, but the key was that people were becoming more excited about the idea of using computers in education and more willing to experiment. The 1980s was a time when schools were willing to try out a variety of new ideas, but they were all so different that it would be hard to pinpoint which was really the most important.

Distance learning and correspondence courses have been popular for many years. Although this article does not address it, it must have been popular to take courses by mail at least in the early twentieth century when the postal service became more widespread, there are references to correspondence learning in popular fiction of the time. In the book Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, originally published in 1908, Anne mentions taking college courses through correspondence. Of course, with advances in technology and improvements in communication, the ease and popularity of distance learning programs has risen continuously since then.