This week Dr. Bert responded to the class' concerns about the workload and other related issues. He quickly adjusted the amount of work and the communication methods. That got me thinking about different styles.
Dr. Bert from the beginning told us that this was an emerging course on emerging technologies and things could be fluid. That was very difficult for me as this is my first graduate course in ETEC, I had no idea what to expect, how to think, how to plan, and whether or not I was even understanding what the course was about. So I was a little surprised when many other classmates said the workload was too much. I thought I was just spending a lot of time researching and thinking because I didn't know very much. I appreciate the lighter workload, but oddly I also miss the forced late-night learning. ;]
Back to the styles: when I started teaching 10 years ago, I had no training on teaching (I was told "please teach these courses and here is the book.") and the only role models I could recall were my stern teachers from the 60's and the 70's. So I began with my authoritarian, stern style and evolved from there. My goal is to emulate Dr. Bert some day: adaptable, personable, innovative, and very much involved. He could be comfortably retired but continues to teach to learn new technologies and to inspire the next generation of educational technologists. I wish I was 10 years younger so I could pursue a PhD in EdTech and teach like him.
Other classmates expressed that the group work has been the most challenging aspect of this course. That got me thinking about the various collaboration styles. Different styles and different schedules make the collaboration challenging, yet as Dr. Bert assures us, that is part of our learning. I hope I will continue to improve on becoming a better collaborator.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Don't Knock the un-Emerging Technologies
We've been immersed in identifying and learning emerging technologies. It's been fun; I love exploring and discovering new tools and technologies: contemplating the possibilities, consequences, issues, and what all these mean for education and for the society. Heady stuff.
Last Tuesday, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake crumbled buildings and killed many, in Christchurch, New Zealand. It happened during the busy lunch hour of a work/school day, so many people were caught by surprise. The city is now digging for hundreds still missing. Where was technology in all of this? Could technology have detected an impending earthquake and warned people? Is technology being used to find and rescue survivors still trapped in rubble? I hope so. That, would be an amazing application of the Internet of Things. A sensor might detect an impending earthquake and sends an alert to everyone's phone or some smart device. The device might even direct them to a safe shelter. Trapped survivors could send out a signal of their location if his smart device sensed an emergency situation (its owner might be injured or unconscious). I can imagine many positive applications of technology. Perhaps these tragedies will be catalysts for further development. Christchurch's economy has been badly damaged along with a third of its buildings, and one article mentioned rebuilding with a technology-driven economy. I'm not sure what that means, but it's encouraging to hear hope and vision already emerging while mourning for the loss.
On the personal side, my daughter's New Zealand Environmental Studies group is based in an old convent 95 miles north of Christchurch. About an hour after we heard the news of the earthquake, the director of program in Auckland emailed to let us know that the group was still in Samoa on a field trip. Good ol' email. A wonderful technology for worried parents! My daughter and her group returned to their home base on Thursday, and thankfully their "home" was not damaged. But they will be emotionally and spiritually affected by what happened to their neighbors and neighborhoods in Christchurch. An opportunity for growth. For now, email is all we have to keep in touch with her. I'm so thankful for the unemerging, unglamorous emails.
Last Tuesday, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake crumbled buildings and killed many, in Christchurch, New Zealand. It happened during the busy lunch hour of a work/school day, so many people were caught by surprise. The city is now digging for hundreds still missing. Where was technology in all of this? Could technology have detected an impending earthquake and warned people? Is technology being used to find and rescue survivors still trapped in rubble? I hope so. That, would be an amazing application of the Internet of Things. A sensor might detect an impending earthquake and sends an alert to everyone's phone or some smart device. The device might even direct them to a safe shelter. Trapped survivors could send out a signal of their location if his smart device sensed an emergency situation (its owner might be injured or unconscious). I can imagine many positive applications of technology. Perhaps these tragedies will be catalysts for further development. Christchurch's economy has been badly damaged along with a third of its buildings, and one article mentioned rebuilding with a technology-driven economy. I'm not sure what that means, but it's encouraging to hear hope and vision already emerging while mourning for the loss.
On the personal side, my daughter's New Zealand Environmental Studies group is based in an old convent 95 miles north of Christchurch. About an hour after we heard the news of the earthquake, the director of program in Auckland emailed to let us know that the group was still in Samoa on a field trip. Good ol' email. A wonderful technology for worried parents! My daughter and her group returned to their home base on Thursday, and thankfully their "home" was not damaged. But they will be emotionally and spiritually affected by what happened to their neighbors and neighborhoods in Christchurch. An opportunity for growth. For now, email is all we have to keep in touch with her. I'm so thankful for the unemerging, unglamorous emails.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Internet of Things
I must confess that I had never heard of the phrase "Internet of Things" before this class. Or could it be that it never registered in my mind because "Internet of Things" does not sound like it's some earth-shattering technology? Maybe. But this topic is fascinating. I find it the most interesting topic so far. Robots, sensors, tracking, coordinated automation, and autonomous devices in business, science, medicine, and technology. Wow. Truly the stuff of science-fiction that I used to love to read as a child.
But if we think about the current availability of amazing technology such as GPS, wireless, the Internet, smart phones and silicon chips, just to name a few, we know that the stage is set for the Internet of Things to become a reality. One process, one industry, one person at a time, but I can't help but think of that day in the future when all those will be connected. Pretty exciting and pretty scary.
Dr. Alvin Fuse, our guest speaker in class last week, surprisingly did not mention any new medical technology that most of us had not heard of. He said imaging, such as CAT scan and MRI, is the biggest technological advancement so far. After reading a few articles on the Internet of Things, I was expecting Dr. Fuse to talk about embedding sensors in human bodies for monitoring and for preventive treatments. Dr. Fuse didn't say anything like that, so I was half disappointed and half relieved.
Why disappointed? A family member was declared cancer-free last July. Then in November she was in severe pain. By December, an MRI and PET scan showed tumors all over her body. No one expected her cancer to return so quickly and so aggressively. A very close friend's breast cancer returned for the third time, this time in the right brachial plexus, chest, and lung. The large tumor in brachial plexus has incapacitated her right arm, a real challenge for a busy mom with three boys. Such is life, but I wonder if my sister-in-law and my friend might have benefited from a monitor that tracked the body's cell activities. Will such a device ever become reality? I wonder. (Ultimately, our life is in the hands of the Creator, but it's hard to see the suffering.)
Why relieved? Would there be any price to pay in terms of privacy if we are constantly monitored? There are many security, privacy, and legal liability issues that will arise as a side effect of the rise in this technology. More on this later.
But if we think about the current availability of amazing technology such as GPS, wireless, the Internet, smart phones and silicon chips, just to name a few, we know that the stage is set for the Internet of Things to become a reality. One process, one industry, one person at a time, but I can't help but think of that day in the future when all those will be connected. Pretty exciting and pretty scary.
Dr. Alvin Fuse, our guest speaker in class last week, surprisingly did not mention any new medical technology that most of us had not heard of. He said imaging, such as CAT scan and MRI, is the biggest technological advancement so far. After reading a few articles on the Internet of Things, I was expecting Dr. Fuse to talk about embedding sensors in human bodies for monitoring and for preventive treatments. Dr. Fuse didn't say anything like that, so I was half disappointed and half relieved.
Why disappointed? A family member was declared cancer-free last July. Then in November she was in severe pain. By December, an MRI and PET scan showed tumors all over her body. No one expected her cancer to return so quickly and so aggressively. A very close friend's breast cancer returned for the third time, this time in the right brachial plexus, chest, and lung. The large tumor in brachial plexus has incapacitated her right arm, a real challenge for a busy mom with three boys. Such is life, but I wonder if my sister-in-law and my friend might have benefited from a monitor that tracked the body's cell activities. Will such a device ever become reality? I wonder. (Ultimately, our life is in the hands of the Creator, but it's hard to see the suffering.)
Why relieved? Would there be any price to pay in terms of privacy if we are constantly monitored? There are many security, privacy, and legal liability issues that will arise as a side effect of the rise in this technology. More on this later.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
ScreenToaster is Toast!
When we were discussing the definition of emerging technology in class, I recall Dr. Bert mentioning that these tools might be here today and gone tomorrow.
When our group for Assignment 3 began looking for a tool to capture the tutorial on screen, that is exactly what we ran into! ScreenToaster was highly recommended by many users, and the list of its features sounded perfect for our project -- except, screentoaster.com page would not load. I assumed that its server was down for the day, perhaps. But I had a funny feeling about it by the end of the day. Sure enough, someone mentioned in her blog that ScreenToaster had closed down. Alas. Another good emerging tool gone. Eventually we settled on Screenr, and think it will work well. Hmm. Life with emerging technologies.
Update: Add Bubbleply.com to the list. It worked last week but now their page says they have shut down. :(
When our group for Assignment 3 began looking for a tool to capture the tutorial on screen, that is exactly what we ran into! ScreenToaster was highly recommended by many users, and the list of its features sounded perfect for our project -- except, screentoaster.com page would not load. I assumed that its server was down for the day, perhaps. But I had a funny feeling about it by the end of the day. Sure enough, someone mentioned in her blog that ScreenToaster had closed down. Alas. Another good emerging tool gone. Eventually we settled on Screenr, and think it will work well. Hmm. Life with emerging technologies.
Update: Add Bubbleply.com to the list. It worked last week but now their page says they have shut down. :(
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Social Media: A Revolutionary Tool
As of today, Egypt is still in turmoil. The protesters want President Mubarak to relinquish his leadership post, and Mubarak refuses to go. If Mubarak did leave, no one knows what the alternative is. It could be better or it could be worse for the democracy of Egypt. We've been hearing that social media (Facebook and Twitter) has played a large role in instigating and in continuing of the protests.
So today, the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, held a town hall style meeting at Twitter headquarters, fielding questions sent in from around the world via Twitter. The State Department is trying to make a point that the social media is an important tool for diplomacy. ("US ambassador to UN hosts town hall at Twitter HQ")
Seems that our class discussion on social media is very timely. Social media began as a way for people to network socially. Now it is a tool for business, politics, education, and even diplomacy. It's time we taught the next generation how to properly harness the power of social media.
So today, the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, held a town hall style meeting at Twitter headquarters, fielding questions sent in from around the world via Twitter. The State Department is trying to make a point that the social media is an important tool for diplomacy. ("US ambassador to UN hosts town hall at Twitter HQ")
Seems that our class discussion on social media is very timely. Social media began as a way for people to network socially. Now it is a tool for business, politics, education, and even diplomacy. It's time we taught the next generation how to properly harness the power of social media.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
What Web 2.0 Technology?
Dr. Bert's questions from the last formal class session were 1) what emerging technology am I currently using? 2) what emerging technology are my students/children using? and 3) what 3 technologies do I think will have most impact in the classroom in the next 2-3 years?
I have two children in college. When my daughter left two years ago, we asked, "why don't you email us?" Because nobody emails anymore, she said. So, what do you do? Well, Facebook, IM, text, and Skype. Mom and Dad very quickly had to learn the new ways of communicating. She would also like an iPhone but we don't see why she needs it. That's another story. She is currently in New Zealand for a semester so we have a few months to think about it. ;)
I began using Facebook Group and Laulima Forum for a class I'm teaching this semester. I use them in lieu of classroom discussions, and find that those educational social networking tools can be very useful. They seem to stimulate (force?) the students to think more before converting their thoughts into written words. The added benefit is that even the shy ones have a chance to contribute and everyone listens. Our class time is usually for guest speakers, topic introductions, and also for reviewing the written discussions.
I think another reason why those tools work is because my students were already using them. They were familiar with Facebook and Laulima, and they continue to use them everyday. I think some are on Facebook 24 hours a day, and they are on Laulima for most of their classes. So it's easy for them to just do another task for my class. I like the social aspect of Facebook too, where I get to eavesdrop a little more about what they are discussing outside of class, and they get to "hear me" some times. Of course there are downsides to Facebook. I think I'll use this for the Discussion assignment so will talk about it more later.
What 3 technologies will have the greatest impact in the classroom? For now, I'll pick social network, mobile technology, and augmented reality. I'm just starting to learn about augmented reality, and think it's likely to emerge more quickly than virtual reality. I just might have to get an iPhone to explore these emerging technologies. :)
I have two children in college. When my daughter left two years ago, we asked, "why don't you email us?" Because nobody emails anymore, she said. So, what do you do? Well, Facebook, IM, text, and Skype. Mom and Dad very quickly had to learn the new ways of communicating. She would also like an iPhone but we don't see why she needs it. That's another story. She is currently in New Zealand for a semester so we have a few months to think about it. ;)
I began using Facebook Group and Laulima Forum for a class I'm teaching this semester. I use them in lieu of classroom discussions, and find that those educational social networking tools can be very useful. They seem to stimulate (force?) the students to think more before converting their thoughts into written words. The added benefit is that even the shy ones have a chance to contribute and everyone listens. Our class time is usually for guest speakers, topic introductions, and also for reviewing the written discussions.
I think another reason why those tools work is because my students were already using them. They were familiar with Facebook and Laulima, and they continue to use them everyday. I think some are on Facebook 24 hours a day, and they are on Laulima for most of their classes. So it's easy for them to just do another task for my class. I like the social aspect of Facebook too, where I get to eavesdrop a little more about what they are discussing outside of class, and they get to "hear me" some times. Of course there are downsides to Facebook. I think I'll use this for the Discussion assignment so will talk about it more later.
What 3 technologies will have the greatest impact in the classroom? For now, I'll pick social network, mobile technology, and augmented reality. I'm just starting to learn about augmented reality, and think it's likely to emerge more quickly than virtual reality. I just might have to get an iPhone to explore these emerging technologies. :)
Teamwork
Last week was busy. Really, really busy. A new HP desktop needed to be set up (finally replaced our 6.5-year-old Dell), my laptop died, our son's friend collapsed, BIIF swim meet took 2 full days, my dear hubby had a birthday and a dozen other things stretched me all in one week. So I really appreciated my team who collaborated to come up with Assignment Proposal for ETEC647. Especially Kim. She came up with the idea and she wrote up a great proposal. I did very little. Thanks so much, Kim!
I also found out how challenging it is to have a team meeting in Elluminate. As wonderful as these emerging conference tools are, without video, it's very difficult to read body language. I appreciate Skype even more now, and can't wait to try a multi-party Skype session.
I wonder if smaller groups might work better when we have to work together over distance?
I also found out how challenging it is to have a team meeting in Elluminate. As wonderful as these emerging conference tools are, without video, it's very difficult to read body language. I appreciate Skype even more now, and can't wait to try a multi-party Skype session.
I wonder if smaller groups might work better when we have to work together over distance?
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