For the purposes of this activity I first used my iphone to access the webct course and my own moodle course. I had been using my iphone to access Met courses throughout the program. I was able to read, compose and post to discussions within the webct course but not to my moodle course. I then tried it with my ipad 2. The webct course displayed quite well and posting to the discussion forum was not a problem. However my Moodle course does not display quite right on the ipad. The splash page bleeds over into the navigational menu on the right and I was unable to edit the resources. I was able to find an app for the i phone and ipad for Moodle, mtouch+, however I was not able to find one for webct. The moodle app enables you to interact more fully with the moodle course, a handy app for anyone who will be using moodle on a regular basis.

Using a wiki for discussion and group collaboration was an interesting experience. The wiki discussion differed from the discussion forum in that it facilitated the building, extending of knowledge on a focused topic. The discussion was focused solely on the topic without sidebar discussions. Sometimes in the forum discussions the focus scatters into other directions and the main thread gets lost. This is not necessarily a bad thing as the side topics are current and related to technology use from different perspectives. The biggest challenge for me was the visual layout of the discussion. It was a jumble of words compacted into a small space that took a long time to unscramble and piece together. I think that a smaller group contributing may have made it more manageable.

The ability to explore a wiki came at a really good time for me. I am totally new to using a wiki, but need to use one for another course. I figured I would experiment with the tools available in the tool kit which would help me with the assignment. Having explored Wikipedia, Wikispaces and clicking on edit to view the code used to embed or center images/video, and playing with the mark-ups I felt I was ready to write my wiki entry for etec 510. I was wrong. On the surface it looked easy however authoring a complete entry and figuring out page layout turned out to be a labor intensive task. The ability to see how others had been able to lay out their page was helpful and through trial and error I was able to finish the entry. It is due this weekend, however every time I go back to it I change something and the changes are becoming easier. I think that my next encounter using a wiki will be less focused on learning how to use the tool and more focused on using the tool, I hope.

My Moodle proposal is posted, yeah! It was an interesting process trying to put yourself in both roles, analyzing the proposal from both perspectives, as the writer but also as the person/organization receiving the proposal.

Posting the proposal was also interesting. I learned plenty about using HTML which will come in useful. I can now make a simple table , which I was pretty darn proud of, and work with links.

Moodle Encounter!

My first encounter with Moodle went much better than I initially thought it would. The initial sifting through the information was the most time consuming part of the activity. After looking at the various resources on the page I was feeling quite overwhelmed by all of the new information. I decided to stick with it and try the activity.

The creation of the welcome page and the forum was surprising straight forward. I was able to create the welcome page and the icebreaker without difficulty. I left my first encounter with Moodle feeling much less intimidated but with the feeling that building my course will be a huge learning curve for me! I am sure there will be many challenges and anxious moments along the way but in the end I will have learned a new skill.

Reflection on Web design and Html authoring

I spent my rainy, cold Saturday afternoon working through the section on Web design and HTML authoring in the e-tool kit. Initially I was very intimidated, html was like a foreign language to me, and I was never good with languages! The activities were very well laid out, each activity building from the one before it. Effective use of scaffolding!

I was able to navigate my way through the activities with a few re dos along the way. At the end of the session I was seeing double but had been able to create a web page, link web pages sketch a plan for a website etc. The CSS part of the tutorial was the most challenging and I am still not completely sure if I could make use of it. I came away with a sense of accomplishment!

Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity:

In my teaching I have pursued other means for students to demonstrate their learning and motivate reluctant, disengaged students. Through the use of   technologies such as smart boards, computers, digital cameras, flip video camera, classroom website and free applications on the internet, such as photostory 3, glogster, edublogs and web sites I have enabled students to interact in their learning process and motivated them to show what they have learned. I have had success using these tools to enable students to create artefacts that excite them and their parents. Click the link below to view an example of Grade 3 student work.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments:

I have made use of technology to enable students to move beyond traditional paper/pencil experiences to complete projects that are outcome based. These projects have enabled all students to demonstrate their learning through presentations of their artefacts. Students who were reluctant to engage in paper/pencil tasks have been given their chance to shine through the use of technology.  Students have demonstrated learning using Glogster in Social Studies, Health, Language Arts and Math, and using a video camera and smart board for demonstrating problem solving strategies and explaining mathematical thinking. Students who in the past have been reluctant to volunteer to “show what they know” have been eager to step up and demonstrate their learning.

Model digital-age work and learning;

I model digital age work through the use of technologies in the classroom and with parents.

Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility:

This is a difficult topic for primary children. I teach students internet safety as well as the etiquette for using the net.

Engage in professional growth and leadership:

In the past 2 years I have led professional development within the school on the use of smart boards in the classroom and in creating smart board files tailored to teach specific outcomes. I have also inserviced staff/students on how to use such applications as edublogs, glogster and photostory. The goal for next year is for all classrooms K-6 to have a classroom website and I am actively engaged with administration planning inservices for September.  In the area of professional growth the MET program has enabled me to participate in a community of practice dedicated to technology and its use in teaching and learning. Through this opportunity I hope to become proficient with new learning technologies available to aid in delivery of programs across the curriculum in order to improve student success. Also through yearly professional growth plans I am able to incorporate opportunities to access professional development in my areas of interest and need.

Step 2

My goals for this course;

1) To become familiar with new technologies and tie these technologies to educational theory to enable me to integrate technology based on sound pedagogical theory.

2) To begin to develop a framework to help me select appropriate technology for integration in a primary classroom.

2) To develop a better understanding of digital storytelling, collaborative tools,  the use of moodle and their application in the classroom.