Week Two

The primary focus of this week's lesson was the usage of spreadsheets and databases in the classroom. We also did some exploration of education wiki's and even watched a Monty Python clip about the machine that goes ping! Unfortunately, there were some rather unsavory parallels between the clip and reality and, in that, correlations to education were also to be found. What can I say? Sometimes life really does imitate art, which is not always a good thing.

Integrating Technology in the Classroom - This site offers multiple usages for both spreadsheets and databases in the classroom and even talks about the origins of the word spreadsheet - it comes from ledgers that accountants keep. I currently have a career in finance/banking, so I have fairly extensive experience with spreadsheets and spreadsheet creating software, but we will talk more about that in a bit!

Apparently educators are using spreadsheets and databases in all kinds of interesting and exciting ways! Databases are amazing tools that allow us to access almost all of the data there is to be found in the world. The above-referenced article gives the idea of allowing students to access census data so that they can map socioeconomic conditions across generations and analyze outcomes. Isn't it amazing that we, as educators, have this opportunity to facilitate our students' correspondence with all of the information to be found just at the click of a few keys? I for one find it amazing! I also worry about the over-dependence on technology among the global society, but I think that may be a post for another time.

I digress. I suppose that I thought that the only educational applications for spreadsheets would be in grading and mathematics, but I am pleasantly surprised to have discovered that this is absolutely not the case. We can chart war and plague casualties in history, we can quantify various concepts in science, and, while I haven't really thought of any, I'm sure that there will even be applications in my future English classroom! 

As a Credit Analyst, I use spreadsheets absolutely every day and, honestly, I am a compulsive web browser, online shopper, Netflixer, and Googler, so...I think I might have this database thing down, too. The analysis tool we use to compile our credit memos at work is Excel-based, but it is locked for editing, so I frequently have to build my own spreadsheets to analyze things that I cannot fit within the framework of our primary application.

Weekly Questions 

- What did you learn this week that you will use immediately in your classroom? 

As mentioned above, I learned that spreadsheets are not just for use in math classrooms or my finance career. I can use them for all sorts of things - maybe even (here's my first English-related idea) to compile a reading race something like AR, that will chart the number of books each student has read and managed to score at a predetermined level on a comprehension-based exam!) 
 
- What steps will you take to implement this in your classroom?


There are probably already quizzes and such developed for books that would be read by high-school aged students, so I would need to do some research to see if those resources exist.

- What challenge(s) will you face when using this in your classroom? 

I find, in my own educational experience, that students are reticent when it comes to assigned reading tasks and I would probably encounter some resistance in implementing such a program.
 
- What will you do to overcome the challenge(s)? 

I would hope that my own passion for the written word and the changes and opportunities that that passion has wrought in my life would be inspiration enough, but, if that fails, I always find the option of failure to be motivational! ;)

Tech Explorations 

Tech Exploration 4 - Concept Mapping.

1. Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be thorough in your response.

XMind – XMind is a highly visual program that facilitates digital brainstorming through the creation of flow charts that allow the user to connect data streams to a central theme in order to form a cohesive unit of information. There are templates formed to provide multiple methods of compiling information for various industries and implications

WiseMapping – The concept of WiseMapping is very similar to the concept of XMind in that allows the user to create diagrams that start from a central idea and branch out into larger representations of a person’s brainstorming. The description of mind mapping on the WiseMapping site is easy to understand and lends a sense of having been created and geared toward a large variety of applications

2. How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.

XMind – XMind seems to be more suited to a professional and corporate environment than a school one, especially since many of its templates (SWOT Analysis, for example) are aimed at the professional sector; however, I can see practical applications for XMind in the classroom, as well. This program could be very helpful in presenting information to students in a new and interesting way, especially if you are expecting them to make connections between seemingly disparate elements. Also, students themselves could utilize the program in developing presentations for a multitude of school projects.

WiseMapping – I have the same reservations with this program that I have with XMind, but WiseMapping does have specific educational resources built in and would lend itself to the same variety of classroom applications as I have discussed with XMind.

3. Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth. Why or Why not?

XMind – I, personally, like the program very much; however, as I indicated before, it seems to lend itself more to a professional setting than a school one. Also, while I found it fairly straightforward and simple to navigate, students may have some difficulty with the same and, as multiple of the templates are things that would not be useful to them at all, they could get bogged down in the options. The free version does seem to provide ample resources for creating effective flow charts and the pricing of the paid editions seems fair. All that said, I would not be inclined to recommend this resource for use in an educational setting.

WiseMapping – I would come closer to recommending this program than I would XMind. Firstly, it does not require a download as it operates through HTML. I find that people are more likely to use programs that do not require downloads as we are ever more concerned about the security of our information and the vulnerabilities inherent within that framework. Also, the more advanced downloadable program that is geared toward businesses and educational environments is completely free, though there is an applet for making donations to the company.

Tech Exploration 2 - Animoto

1. Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be thorough in your response.

Animoto – This resource allows the user to develop personalized videos from photographs and videoclips. There is a smartphone app and the program interfaces with Facebook so that it is widely accessible to a variety of users. The site is colorful and vivid and signup is a breeze, especially since it can be done through Facebook. All the user really has to do is pick a theme, music, and add his/her photos/videos and the program does all the work.

2. How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.


Animoto – Kids, teenagers especially, love to take photos and videos of themselves and their friends doing…well, mostly really dumb stuff from the evidence that I have seen, but why not put a positive spin on that? Ask students to submit photos and videos of themselves studying or interacting with classroom information in some way for a class video; use the resource to chronicle a class trip or community service project – the possibilities really are endless.

3. Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth. Why or Why not?


Animoto – I would recommend this resource simply for the fun and novelty value of it, as it would allow teachers to bring some visual interest into the classroom in a new and interactive way. The program is extremely easy to use and the more advanced editions that have costs associated with them seem to be reasonably priced.

Tech Exploration 3 - Google Docs and PhotoPeach

1. Describe what you learned from exploring this resource. Be thorough in your response.

Google Docs – Google Docs, which now seems to be powered by Google Drive, allows the user to create documents through a web browser. The program is comparable to the Microsoft Office suite of programs in that you can create documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and etc., much the way you would using the various programs in Microsoft Office. What’s interesting about Docs, though, is that it is a web interface and all documents are compiled in your Drive folder so as to be readily accessible and located in the same place.

PhotoPeach – PhotoPeach allows users to create personalized slide shows. It markets itself to educators as a resource for facilitating learning in areas such as presentation, expression, writing, and etc. Privacy settings are engineered so that a particular video can be coded public, unlisted, or private. This resource is similar to Animoto and it also interfaces with Facebook, so that one’s social media photos can be easily uploaded with just the click of a few buttons.

2. How could you use this resource in a school setting? It does not matter if it is in your field or level, you need to understand how the resource might be used in educational settings.

Google Docs – An educator could create a Google Drive file for the classroom, where various presentations and documents could be stored for easy access. As it only requires a Google account to sign-up, it would limit the need for potentially expensive software purchases such as the Microsoft Office suite of programs. This could be the direction in which educational institutions go in order to cut down on costs.

PhotoPeach – One of the really interesting elements of this program is the ability to create interactive quizzes within the documents. A visual display accompanied by a soundtrack and photos could provide a quizzing environment for students that they find novel enough that they wouldn’t even care that they were taking a quiz!!

3. Would you recommend this resource to other educators? Like/Dislike; Ease of use, fee or not, and so forth. Why or Why not?

Google Docs – I would recommend this resource to other educators as it only requires a Google account for access and it seems to be completely free. It allows freedom of movement within the web interface and the Google dashboard allows access to any number of Google programs, so that moving back and forth during a classroom presentation would be quite simple.

PhotoPeach – I can see how this resource would be an asset in the classroom. Presentations can be opened up to allow parents and other educators access so that progress within the framework of a classroom could be assessed. The pricing for the Class Premium edition is relatively inexpensive especially for the multiple applications to which the program lends itself.