Potential impact of technologies such as LMS/LCMS (Week 10)

During this week we discuss the future of education under an environment were technologies such as LMS/LCMS can be accessed by anyone. I believe this is what we all want in the future. To prepare for this future we need to encourage students and instructors in the possibilities of many technologies. Accessibility is just one part of the whole issue. I think it is equally important to have instructors and student familiar with all these new technologies.

Learning Management Systems and Content Management Systems (Week 9)

Learning Management Systems are virtual location to create, distribute and evaluate educational courses. Content Management Systems are related to learning management systems because the latter are were the content or learning resources is storage, allocated, maintained and reused. I found a blog where his author (Prof. Conway) post his notes about a presentation he gave on instructional technologies. (http://drconway.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/asking-the-wrong-questions-of-instructional-technology/)  Here he cites another blog were the author writes about how currently Learning Management Systems are trying to include many of the features in Web 2.0. He suggest that instead of incorporating these tools the users should redefine the functionality or how we are going to use these technologies. 

“To continue the series on a new vision for Learning Management Systems, I want to turn our attention to the new direction that I think the LMS program should go. Instead of going more complex by adding more and more buzzword tools, I want to see LMS companies go the opposite direction: more streamlined. In my opinion, the way to go is a simplified user interface that is focused on active learning, constructivism, and openness.



As I stated in an earlier post about this subject, we need to start seeing the LMS as the control panel of a subway system. As trains go all over the place, they relay information back to the control panel so that the head conductor can know where they are going and what they are picking up on the way. In other words, use the tool to make the instructors job easier while also launching students out on to the web to learn.” (http://www.edugeekjournal.com/blog.php?id=197)

 

I think the train analogy applies very well to the possible diverse functionality we can give to complement these technologies.

 

Emerging Educational Technology Tools - (Wireless) Week 8

This week in class we discuss the wireless infrastructure and how this technology might influence in K12 educational environments. Many of us agree there are more advantages than disadvantages in having this technology available. In the school I work we have wireless access to the Internet and to the online school recourses in every physical area. Students bring their laptops to give presentations or to just connect to the online services. It is very pleasant to just open your laptop in the stairs or under a tree and still have access to the Internet through the wireless LAN.

Last week I heard the IT guys discussing prices for every point of wire connection. It is $150.oo per point. It is more expensive than a router and a wireless signal. The benefits of wireless LAN also influence in the use of technology in classes by teachers and students. This will have to be also reflected in the curriculum and in the school direction toward technology.

Synchronous Learning Environments (Week 7)

This week discussion is about synchronous and asynchronous communication. Synchronous learning environments permit the instant communication between the parties. In asynchronous communication you send or post a massage and waits for future answers. There are different benefits of using one of these technologies. I believe the combination of them in learning environments will enhance the educational capacity of the learners and also minimize the limitations both techniques have. I am interested in the different technologies to achieve both communications.  

In Lachlan’s blog you find the following recommendation about synchronous technologies:
“The main one that I have had experience with is Adobe Connect (AC). AC has many provisions built into it including: video, chat (typing), voice, file sharing, desktop sharing, in fact, any type of software sharing and other useful tools too many to list.  

… the beauty of Adobe Connect and other synchronous applications is that even if one party doesn’t have all of the hardware to be able to speak to the other participants, they can still type in their comments in a chat box and be heard.”

(http://lachlan7.edublogs.org/2008/04/01/synchronous-communication-in-practice/)

I once try to use Skype for a presentation. The person receiving the presentation did not have a microphone in their computer and Skype did not allowed the transmission. Apart from this incident it worked perfectly and it is free. I haven’t use Adobe Connect but will be trying to use its trial subscription.

Audio and Video Emerging Technologies (Week 6)

This week in class we where reading about audio (posdcasting) and video (screencasting). Richardson (2006, p. 112) defined podcasting as "the creation and distribution of amateur radio, plain and simple". He defines also screencasting as "capturing what you or your students do on the computer with an audio narration to go with it" (Richardson, 2006, p.122).

Personally, I prefer screencasting because I like to have a picture or idea of what I am hearing when dealing with an educational topic. The different educational scenarios’ where this technology can be used range from simply presenting a specific task in the computer to create laboratory procedures narrations. I am concern with the time consuming and effort it requires from the teachers to develop a project with screencasting. A possible solution to this was mention by professor Toledo in this week discussion. Lets use the student to help teachers in these tasks. I am sure that by preparing the video they will learn the procedures and at the same time for them it is a straightforwardly task.

References:

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Online learning environment – Motivation (Week 5)

I came across this very electrify blog where one of the post is about Moodle. First, with a very contagious excitement the author express her believe that while learning this type of environment one should be putting into practice this learning by using it.  

“I’ve been bothering them for a while now since I’m on course #5 and I’ve realized that I should be using what I’m learning in these courses while I’m taking them!”

Hence, Learning new educational technology and it application can be a positive motivator to used it. This is a central theme in one of my KAM’s.

The author also gives her opinion about Moodle and why she thinks is a useful tool.

“ I think Moodle is really cool because it’s open courseware, so it’s free and everyone can get at it and add to it, and it’s really innovative (as a result of being open). Designing your learning environment is really strightforward because it also does NOT require the user to know how to do html coding, which means you can get right to creating your course, rather than creating the environment too.”

Therefore, online tools, such as Moodle, should be also user friendly and easy to set up. This is also a positive motivator. 

The link to this blog is:  http://grail.oise.utoronto.ca/blog/watsonj3/2008/10/04/im-getting-moodle/ 

Blogs and Wikis in Education (Week 4)

This week we read about blogs and wikis in education. A blog or web log is a communication tool that can be used in very different ways. Primary can they can be use for the discussion of a specific topic. The discussion is listed and then the blog followers can post they opinion base on what they just read in the other posts. 

Wikies are virtual sharing spaces. They can be use to share any type of digital information. Collaboration is facilitated through the use of this technology.

I strongly believe in the potential of these technologies in education. However, as any other educational instrument its success is going to be related to the clear educational goal for what it is being used. Garner (2000, p.34) mentions, “Before embracing any new technology, we need to declare our educational goals and demonstrate how a particular technology can help us achieve them.”

Gardner, H. (2000). Can technology exploit our many ways of knowing? 32-35.