Thursday, December 4, 2008
What I activity I liked best. GOOGLE SITES
My favorite activity this semester was …I can’t narrow it down. I really liked a lot of them. If I had to pick my top two, I’d have to say I really liked Camtasia and interactive Google maps (and Google sites and Podcasting and Picasa 3 and social bookmarking). (and oh, I liked Wikis even though I’m still learning about them.) Okay that covers the favorites. Okay I’ll narrow it down. I like Google sites the best, but only because I can incorporate so many other technologies into it. I have spent the most time on Google sites. I’m using it to do my final project. I am going to test it out on this year's eighth graders. With the site, I am using Camtasia, Google maps, photos, and of course Google gadgets. I am giving the students access to a social bookmarking account and teaching them how to add YouTube. There will also be Camtasia videos for the students to learn how to do the things I am asking them to do. I like the Google sites because it is so easy to use, and it is FREE. I can give editing access to no one, or anyone I choose. My site can be public or private. (I actually used it this year to e-mail my kids Christmas list along with photo and links to stores that carried the items.) I really like the dropdown menus that help me put in whatever Google gadgets I need. It is very simple to put in links, extra pages, and photos. I really like that there are different types of “preprogrammed” pages to choose from. I can add a page that gives access to documents. This is very handy for all of those handouts and study guides the students keep losing. In addition, I can make it all accessible right on the main site page. Even people with little computer experience can navigate their way around a well-designed Google site. I think it will be easy for the kids to use. Also, parents will be able to see what their kids are doing in class. I love it. There are a lot of reasons to love Google site. One of my favorites is the editing setup. If I make a mistake and have saved it, I can go back to a previously save version. I don’t have to clear the whole thing and start from scratch. How could you not like this program? I hope my next class in my Master’s degree are as useful as this one.
"The Near Future" very cool stuff
In Chapter 31 "Emerging Instructional Technologies: The Near Future", we were supposed to write about something that made us go “Wow! That’s so cool!” I found three wows, all for different reasons. After reading a little about them, I would be interested in learning more, or maybe even participating in one of these fields.
My first “wow” was when I read about Cognitive Science and Neuroscience. “Researchers are studying brain regions that appear to give rise to memory and retrieval process, thereby making it possible to monitor the levels of knowledge acquisition and retention…Can a gentle electrical impulse focused on a specific brain region spur acquisition and recall of to-be-learned information? If a learner is temporarily unable to focus on the task at hand or is experiencing a more general sense of low motivation, can focus neural stimulation assist the learner to refocus…?” This could be a new direction for learning disabled or brain injured students. Could this retrain the brain to think and process at a level considered “normal”? Can a devise be used to help students learn at the same rate expected of average or above average students? I know there are ethical rules to work out, but the potential for students whose brains honestly don’t function correctly is astronomical. Maybe it could be used in brain injured patients or people with Alzheimer's. This is a WOW in my book.
The next “wow” was in Advanced Performance Tracking. The book gave an example of teaching a person to learn a better tennis serve—something I could use work on—however, I believe it could be used for so much more. The sleeve with the “microhydrolic capabilities” could be used for so much more than improving sports. My daughter has a hard time holding a pencil correctly and it shows in there writing. A devise like this could help her and other young children with other similar problems. On a larger scale, technology like this could aid in both physical and occupational therapy. One word, WOW!
The last “wow” was when I read about Cybernetics and Nanotechnology. When I read about the professor who walked around with a nanocomputer inside of him, I was a little freaked out. But, as I read further, I thought “wow”. A tiny computer that can be controlled by a person’s nervous system that will open doors or go over e-mail, or even run a bath is incredible. Would this be possible for quadriplegics or paraplegics? Even if it’s not, it could help those who suffer from muscle debilitating diseases. Again, endless possibilities. Giving people back their independence and, in some cases, their dignity. What better way for technology to serve mankind?
I must admit, I did not understand a majority of this chapter. If I had, I might have a bigger list of “wows”. As it stands, I am quite impressed with the future of IDT and am looking forward to learning more.
My first “wow” was when I read about Cognitive Science and Neuroscience. “Researchers are studying brain regions that appear to give rise to memory and retrieval process, thereby making it possible to monitor the levels of knowledge acquisition and retention…Can a gentle electrical impulse focused on a specific brain region spur acquisition and recall of to-be-learned information? If a learner is temporarily unable to focus on the task at hand or is experiencing a more general sense of low motivation, can focus neural stimulation assist the learner to refocus…?” This could be a new direction for learning disabled or brain injured students. Could this retrain the brain to think and process at a level considered “normal”? Can a devise be used to help students learn at the same rate expected of average or above average students? I know there are ethical rules to work out, but the potential for students whose brains honestly don’t function correctly is astronomical. Maybe it could be used in brain injured patients or people with Alzheimer's. This is a WOW in my book.
The next “wow” was in Advanced Performance Tracking. The book gave an example of teaching a person to learn a better tennis serve—something I could use work on—however, I believe it could be used for so much more. The sleeve with the “microhydrolic capabilities” could be used for so much more than improving sports. My daughter has a hard time holding a pencil correctly and it shows in there writing. A devise like this could help her and other young children with other similar problems. On a larger scale, technology like this could aid in both physical and occupational therapy. One word, WOW!
The last “wow” was when I read about Cybernetics and Nanotechnology. When I read about the professor who walked around with a nanocomputer inside of him, I was a little freaked out. But, as I read further, I thought “wow”. A tiny computer that can be controlled by a person’s nervous system that will open doors or go over e-mail, or even run a bath is incredible. Would this be possible for quadriplegics or paraplegics? Even if it’s not, it could help those who suffer from muscle debilitating diseases. Again, endless possibilities. Giving people back their independence and, in some cases, their dignity. What better way for technology to serve mankind?
I must admit, I did not understand a majority of this chapter. If I had, I might have a bigger list of “wows”. As it stands, I am quite impressed with the future of IDT and am looking forward to learning more.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
