Week 8 assignment 1- 3 Technologies for the future of Adult Education

Wow we have reached the end of 8 weeks for this course.  While it was quit challenging at times, it was also very enlightening and informative.  I never knew how to create a blog until this class. While I found it to be scary at the beginning I really enjoyed reading and learning from my colleagues blog. 

For this weeks’ assignment 1 we had to choose three technologies that we discovered through reading our colleagues’ blog that we thought would be beneficial to adult teaching and learning and that we might consider using.  This has been quit and enlightening and informative 8 weeks. I have discovered many technologies that could enhance adult learning.  In reading the blogs many of us had similar ideas in what technologies could be used to enhance adult education learning. 

The 3 technologies that caught my attention were mobile devices (smartphones, tablets), smart boards and TED Talks. 

We all own one or more mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets no matter what they are (IPhone, IPad or Samsung, etc.,) they all allow us to have 24/7 access right at our finger tips. We are able to make phone calls, text, and email, even listen to music, as well as keep in contact with family and friends both close and far and much more.  Robin Cureton discussed smart phones, tablets in week 4 discussion.  She believed that both smartphones and tablets are great for adult educations.  Both offer flexibility and allow students to engage more in their learning process.  There are many applications that we can download for free that we can use in teaching adult such as literacy skills, digital citizenship, etc.  WE can down load Prezi for free (www.prezi.com).  Prezi is a zooming visual presentation software alter to Power Point.  It allows for collaboration between authors, as well as supports idea organization by topic, promotes presenting in a flexible manner and is graphically refreshing.  Also google apps (some are free) (http://www.google.com).  Google apps offer tools that promote ways for your library to interact with and engage adult learners.  It arouses the learner’s interest (Google+, Blogger, Picasa) or presenting information (YouTube, Calendar, Sites) to facilitating hand on activities and providing a means of practical application (collaborating using Docs).  Google has an application for almost everything.

Smart boards - (http://www.smartboards.com).  Smart boards replace the old traditional overhead projectors, they make the learning environment more fun, and it provides hands on collaboration and creates a perfect learning setting.  Smarts boards (1) provide flexibility (2) enhances the teaching/learning experience, (3) students interact and share, (4) low-maintenance, (5) access to online information & tools, (6) going green, (7) technology integration, (8) communication.  Students find it easy to engage with lessons and gain a better understanding of the over lesson when smart boards are used.  Honestly, I cannot remember which of my colleagues suggested smart boards, but ever since it was mentions in one blog, it has stuck with me as a great tool to use with my students. 

TED TALKS - WWW.TED.com – has over 1400 short (18 min) videos from some of the most engaging speakers around the world.  Some of those speakers are Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking.  Videos cover almost any topic, such as technology, entertainment, design as well as learning a 2^nd language.  TED Talk could be incorporated into the classroom, to spark conversations, has a great platform that enables one to create entire lessons around specific TED talk, have students give subject-specific TED talks and finally students can create TED Talk units that allow students not only to brainstorm, but also allows them to put all the information together in a compelling, cogent and convincing manner.  TED Talk are great resources for adults learning a second language especially for advance listening activities.  TED Talk was discussed in Charles (Jim) Schooler blog on July 23, 2015. 

The education fields needs technology like TED TALKS, Mobile devices, Smart boards in order for students, learners and educators to continue to grow in their learning process. 

Technology no matter what it might be mobile devices, TED Talk, smart board, etc., our education system needs them so that students, learners and educations can continue to grow in their learning process.  Technology is here to stay, is we need to be abreast to what is new and what is working and not working. 

References

Cureton, R. (2015, July 23).  Week 4. (Blog post).  Retrieved from http://www.rcuretons.blogspot.com/2015/07/week-4-assignment-1.html

Russo, B. (2015, July 30). Week 5. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://brittanyannarusso.blogspot.com/

Schooler, C. (2015, July 23). Introducing Two Great Mobile Apps for Education [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://jimschoolersedtech.blogspot.com

Week 7- assign 1- DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

Digital Citizenship

Weeks 7 blog assignment is about Digital Citizenship.  Digital citizenship is defined as the norms of appropriate (safe & respectful), responsible behaviors with regard to using technology (Ribble, M. (n.d.).  No matter what we call it, digital citizenship, digital wellness or digital ethics, we need to have rules, regulations in place to teach our students the proper way to behave.  Digital citizenship covers a whole range of important issue such as netiquette, bullying on the internet, how to access technology, safety and privacy online, plagiarism, copy write, laws and procedure and many more.

The way we communicate today has change since years ago.  We know can communicate and keep track of things 24/7 with the use of smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. We can send emails, as well as message.  Using these devices to communicate has created a whole new way of interacting with people the who, how and when.  Communication being the key word.  When using technology to communicate one should know the proper forms of digital etiquette. Digital communication and digital etiquette to me go hand in hand.  Learning how to communicate appropriately for each vehicle of communication is as important as selecting the best option for communicating in each situation. Digital communication is electronic exchange of information and digital etiquette are the electronic standards of conduct or procedure (Ribble, M. (n.d.).    All electronic communication should be treated in the same way we would handle face-to-face communications with students, parents and colleagues.  Netiquette is the term being used for internet etiquette, they are rules for internet behavior.  .  For examples when writing an email it is important to include all of the following: (1) identify who we are, (2) include a subject line, (3) avoid sarcasm, (4) acknowledge and return message promptly, (5) copy with caution, (6) no spam (a.k.a. junk mail), (7) be concise, (8) use appropriate language, (9) use appropriate emptions and (10) use appropriate intensifiers to help convey meaning (Roblyer, & Doering, 2010).

In my research this week I came across the following resources and technology one can use to teach digital citizenship. 

            BrainPop - https://www.brainpop.com/technology/freemovies/digitaletiquette/

BrainPop has over 1000 short videos that can be used for educational purpose to help students understand certain complex topics.   25% of the schools in the US are currently using BrainPOP.  Any of the videos on BrainPOP could be used as icebreakers to start off a new content.   

The above URL will lead us to great short video on Digital Etiquette that discusses the best way to communicate on the internet.  It is very easy to understand, it also includes a quiz and activity to review with your class.  This video is free for everyone and it is part of a larger series of subscribers on Digital Citizenship.  When teaching digital citizenship (any of the 9 elements) we as educators need to make it a point to tell our students that we must treat others, how they would like to be treated, so it is important for us to keep our messages and post honest and positive, we always need to double check our message before sending and never disclose information you do not want the world to see. 

             Ikeepsafe.org - http://ikeepsafe.org/about-us/

This is a nonprofit international group with over 100 people from all parts of the world, with different careers.  Some people are political leaders, business leaders, educators, police enforcement, experts of technology, doctors, nurses, etc. IkeepSafe keep tracks of all the new trends that are available globally pertaining to digital products, and how they may affect people who use them. IkeepSafe can help guide on how to use certain devices and platforms in a healthy and safe way. It has created many products and tools that can be used within a a learning community of digital citizens.

Some other resources teachers can use, I thought they were good and interesting for me to share. 

Web 2011 - http://web2011.discoveryeducation.com/ - Web 2.0 for 2011. Access great content on
Internet Safety, Media Literacy and links to Web 2.0 Tool. The site is rich
with little flash videos detailing the explanation and use of Web 2.0 Tools in
the classroom. This is a great resource for new teachers and veterans to learn
about Web 2.0 tools.

New Teacher Survival Central - http://discoveryeducation.com/survival/ - Includes Tech Tools for teachers and students, new
teacher blogs, classroom tools, and curriculum resources, Tips/tricks on:
Classroom Environment, Classroom Management, Parent Communication, Cool tips on
Green Screens and more!

            Incorporating digital citizenship into our curriculum means (1) always model appropriate behavior (lead by example) - students watch what we do, even if we don’t realize that they are looking and starring at us.  They watch how we act, how we treat others and how we engage with the world around us.  A great example is if we do not want our students to check their cell phones during class, then we should not check ours as well; (2) we should openly discuss online etiquette – students are engaging online every day, without having supervision.  They may be reading, looking at things they should not be.  One could incorporate a discussion on celebrities and their high profile and how they have gotten into trouble using say social media; (3) incorporate social media into our lessons - a great way to model behavior, discuss online actions, and provide a safe environment for students to learn and explore. Establishing a blog, for students to post work, comment and engage in online discussion (Carey, 2015). 

            No matter what we do, the most important factor I believe is leading and setting the example for our students. 

                                                          
                                                           References

Carey, J. (2015). 3 Quick Tips for Building Digital Citizenship.  Retrieved from http://edtechteacher.org/3-quick-tips-for-building-digital-citizenship-from-jen-carey-on-edudemic/

Ribble, M. (n.d.). Nine elements: Nine themes of digital citizenship. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html

Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2010). Netiquette: Rules of behavior on the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/netiquette-rules-behavior-internet/

Week 6- assign 1 - Distance Education

Distance Education

Wow I cannot believe we are already in week 6.  This has been quit a learning experience for me.  So much information has been given in such a little amount of time.  At times it has been over whelming. 

For this weeks’ blog discussion we had to research open and distance education and choose two technologies that could enhance adult education and incorporate into our teaching. 

Distance learning technology

Animated pedagogical agents (APAs) – APA is a software agent that guides user through virtual (computer-based) environments.  They are commonly presented as an image and voice.  The animated figures operate in a learning environment which aims to support learners in their learning process and path.  These images come in many different guises, including humans, animals and animated object. It also helps with problem-solving and critical thinking as well as being a great motivational tool.  With this tool students want to learn because it is fun.

APAs have many pros and cons. Anxiety can be decreased as well as enhancing students to key elements.  According to Lin & Tseng, (2012) the animations play important role in the field of educations and different subjects can be learned by using this tool, it is especially good for language learning.

Years ago when learning English as a second language students depended heavily on printed text and audio materials such as cassette tapes, audio CDs and radio broadcast (Xiao & Jones, 1995). The animated characters help students with their pronunciations of new words.  Because learning English was growing different approaches were used such as Assisted-Language-Learning (CALL) - and Mobile-Assisted-language-Learning (MALL).  Both are very important as virtual aids teaching student pronunciation, vocabulary, articulations and so forth.  The animated talking head animation help with saying words and telling stories to students. (Wik & Hjalmarsso, 2009). 

As a future educator I could incorporate Voki (www.voki.com).  Voki allows students to create their own personal avatars and it is also free.  They are great in practicing speaking, writing and reading skills with students of all ages.  Creating an animated character and giving it a voice can be fun to do and helps in breaking down the inhibition that many students face with recording themselves speaking in English.   Students will be ask to create virtual presentation using Voki speaking avatars on what they have learned thus far in the course. Depending how long the course is on could incorporate 2 of them, one half way thru the course and one ant the end of the course.  Students have fun creating them as well as the peers have fun listening to them.  Voki allows students to demonstrate their learning and test their stylistic devices, it reinforces classroom instructions, and it’s fun.

Open Education

            Below are two resources I am across in my research this week and feel could be incorporated into my teaching.  Like all each have its pros and cons, but with proper planning and organizing each could be used. 

OpenLearn (www.open.edu/openlearn/)

OpenLearn allows student to have free access to over 8,000 hours of materials to use for their studying as well as getting expert opinions on various topics available thru English Open University courses.

 LnaguageBox - (www.languagebox.ac/uk)

Languagebox – a tool used for organizing, managing, storing, and publishing ones’ own teaching work (resources) on the web.  It is great for sharing activities, exercises, handout, podcast, videos, etc. One can store anything you could ever imagined.  It is fairly , signup is free and one will be able to take advantages of its resources. 

 
                                                                   References

Lin, C. & Tseng, Y. (2012). Videos and animations for vocabulary learning.  A study on difficult words.  Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 11(4), 346-355.

Wik, P. & Hjalmarsson, A. (2009). Embodied conversational agents in computer assisted language learning.  Speech Communication, 51 (10), 1024-1037.

Xizo, X. & Jones M.G. (1995). Computer animation for EFL learning environments.  Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the International Visual Literacy Association, , Chicago, IL