MAC Week 4 Comments for Scott Legere

"I now ride the bus. Every day, I walk 7 blocks to the Downtown Minneapolis 5th Street Station. From there, I catch the 94Express and ride into downtown St. Paul. If I'm a little early (a rare feat), I'm able to grab a seat by the window and sit relatively distraction free from the chaos that can be indicative of public transportation in a major metropolitan area."

Scott, I love that you have embraced the opportunity your commute has given you. Instead of fidgeting and complaining about the necessity of the commute, you have transformed your ride into a time for introspection and a spot of reading. I almost envy you the bus ride. How wonderful to be able to enter the classroom energized and enthusiastic, ready to share something you have just read. Once we begin to see the possibilities for ourselves as contributors, our whole focus turns toward looking for possibilities for our students.

MAC Week 4 Reading: Chapters 10-12

I have loved every part of this book, such a simple, joyful, uplifting message delivered in such an engaging fashion. The ultimate tale of The Art of Possibility occurs when we stop the downward spiral that inevitably occurs when we focus upon ourselves. The Zanders bring their message home with the "WE story." As I was reading, I kept thinking the sports mantra "there is no I in team." At first I was a bit distracted by the capitalization of WE throughout the final chapter. In the world of online etiquette, capitals generally mean shouting, but then I realized that maybe WE should be shouting for joy at the possibilities that WE collectively can enjoy. The capitalized "WE" is all inclusive. This proved to be the case as the authors discussed "we," meaning you and I, and referred to the sense of compromise that viewpoint implies.

MAC Week 4 Publishing_Leadership post # 2

The first two options I have been considering for publication of my project are Catholic Library World (Click on the picture above for more information), and N.A.I.S., the National Association of Independent Schools. Working in a parochial environment, I have chosen to focus on publications that are most likely to meet similar demographics.

I contacted Catholic Library World first, enclosing my abstract. I heard back immediately from Sigrid E. Kelsey that CLW would be interested in reading my manuscript and considering it for publication.

A copy of the manuscript can be downloaded from:

https://public.me.com/sharonbjones

MAC Week 4 Publish/Leadership post # 1

I admit, I am in a quandary trying to decide which route to take for the Publish/Leadership portion of this program. I have two very different paths I wish to take. Our school participates in the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) conference every year. I would love to present there. This year GISA is on October 1st. Obviously, this years presenters have already been selected. The submission form for 2011 will not be available until August 2011. Obviously this wont "make the cut" for having a venue accepted by the end of month 12. On the other hand, I would very much like to complete my article for publication, but trying to complete both a publication and presentation at the same time is quite daunting, even if it does include the same research information. My current thinking is to complete and publish the article this year, then prepare a presentation next year for GISA.

MAC Week 3 Open topic -- Ouch!

I've been so careful. I have an external portable drive just for backups. I am sure I have everything covered.

I had just finished restructuring my iWeb pages to include the prompts. Everything was saved, I just had to press publish.

"Unknown error. Your site did not publish."

Try again. Same response. Try a third time (yes, I do know that one definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again expecting a different outcome, but desperate times require desperate measures) all to no avail.

Ok. It's time to pick up the phone and call tech support. They give me the Apple care number to try. Apple is very nice and very helpful. We go through a number of steps, but ultimately the decision is made that we will have to go backward through Time Machine to get rid of the glitch. No problem. Everything is backed up.

So we go back to the last backup. Nope. Still wont publish, even though it had worked the day I did the backup. Let's go back one more. Nope. Still nothing. One week before that. Ahh. Here we go. Now iWeb will behave and I can publish my changes -- except this takes me back prior to last Sunday's AR Status post -- and I typed and stored those pages at school, where they are happily and comfortably resting on the server. We are unable to access the server off site. I am unable to enter the school after hours. As I rebuild my pages, I can't help having a sneaking suspicion that my original posts were better. Sigh.

MAC Week 3 Comment for Scott LeGere

In many ways, I found the Zanders's observations to be in line with those of Sir Ken Robinson and other contemporary thinkers. In his now famous TED Talk entitled, "Do Schools Kill Creativity", Robinson reminds us that if anyone is ever afraid of being wrong, it is quite likely that they will never try anything original out of fear of failure or rejection.

Scott,

I, too, thought of Sir Ken Richardson as we were reading this week's assignment. I even went back and re-watched the video after watching the film of Ben Zander.

You are so right about the media setting up unrealistic expectations for performance. That is one of the things music educators must overcome on a daily basis. So many students are afraid to try, for fear they wont be perfect.

MAC Week 3 Comments for Dana Kohls

"It was difficult for me to choose between chapter 7 and chapter 9 of this weeks readings. Ultimately, I chose chapter 9 to write about: Lighting a Spark. The quote in the opening story struck a cord with me; "Certain things are better done in person." When conveying passion for a subject it is always better to do it in person, that way the audience has a feel for your expression, tone, excitement, interest and these elements draw them in. This is especially true of technology leaders. Often times we feel that we are not heard and that we are swimming upstream, so the subject and the change we are trying to implement deserves our attention. When we display our knowledge and passion in person we have a greater chance of being heard and understood. This is why I don't have serious conversations via text or email. The tone is so difficult to tell and the affect is non-existant, so it has such great potential to be misunderstood, not taken seriously or even ignored."

Dana, I was also torn between chapters 7 and 9, however I chose to write about chapter 7. I am glad I did. You have expressed beautifully the "spark" that is best conveyed in person.

Just this week we have had an incident in our school, where a staff member sent out an email with suggestions for improvements to the school website. I'm sure her intent was to be helpful, but unfortunately the tone was misconstrued. Ruffled feathers all around! You are definitely correct that tone and intent can easily be misinterpreted when relegated strictly to print.

MAC Week 3 Reading: Chapters 7-9 The Art of Possibility

What an interesting and enigmatic reading this week! Would that I had read this prior to posting to the discussion prompts! The first chapter assigned this week dealt with “the way things are.” The discussion prompts dealt with our experiences with introducing new ways to do things into the school (or business) setting. The second topic dealt with the reason educators seem to be so resistant to change. Both of these topics spoke to me immediately, and I jumped right in and began cataloging all the difficulties I have had and PLACING THE BLAME for the resistance I had met. Reading chapter 7, though, reminded me that there are two things I must consider. One is “the way things are” and the other is “the way I perceive things to be.” As Ben Zander has said, “How fascinating!”

Obviously “the way things are,” the resistance expressed by our administration to the use of technology with our students, exists. I even understand many of the reasons our particular district has set the standards that are currently in place, and I can continue to disagree with them, and work toward the development of a more enlightened policy. I may or may not be successful, but the primary reason for engaging in this program has been to arm myself with the skill set needed to help move education into the 21^st century. After reading chapter seven, I asked myself what benefit my students or I gained from me blaming the administration for the current status quo. The answer, of course, was “none.”

What “is” is. What needs to be changed, needs to be changed. Instead of placing blame, I need to be looking at a much bigger picture. It is not enough to know why something is the way it is. I must also look at what small steps can be taken to facilitate change. In much the same way as the example story of the father who felt his son was uncommunicative and walled off, even though this same son had requested and gained counseling for his family, I must look at the walls and barriers I am creating through my interpretation of the situation in which I find myself.

MAC Week 2 Free subject

Note to self:

If you ever enroll in another education course requiring action research, check the scheduled due dates for the project to make sure it actually coincides to times you have students!

I have loved every part of this program, but am really feeling the pressure now to complete the action research project. Cycle one fell during the last month of classes at our school. The only thing the teachers were doing at that point was review. While I was able to set up my training for asynchronous planning, there was no opportunity to deliver the unit to the students. Cycle two was scheduled during our summer break. We are a small parochial school. There is no summer school. Not only that, we had a major overhaul in our faculty over the summer. Since we are a tuition based school, enrollment determines our staffing needs. With the current economy, we have lost many of our students. This necessitated many faculty members being cut to part time. Some of them were not able to accept a contract that did not include benefits, and have left to seek other opportunities. The new additions are all excellent, and willing to pitch in and help with my project, but nothing can be done about the actual dates for our school attendance.

The second difficulty I foresee is in creating any visual record of the project in action. A large number of our students' parents refuse to allow any photos or videos to be made of there children. Many even refuse to allow their students pictures to appear in the yearbook or on the school bulletin board. I suppose the world has changed quite a bit since my own children were in school. I never thought twice about allowing their pictures to be taken and used on campus or submitted to the local paper in recognition of their accomplishments. I'm not sure what next month's course requirements will be, but I certainly hope I will be able to fulfill them!

MAC Week 2 Comment: Carlos Benitez

Chapters 4,5 and 6 of the book the “The Art of Possibility” continue to evolve within the subject matter of human behavior and very specifically as it relates to the contribution that falls to each person not only in terms of personal fulfillment but also in relation with what should be the contribution to others. The various writers on this subject have been very repetitive in that an important part of our own welfare is inextricably tied to the two-way relationship with our fellows, whether they are our relatives or just friends.

Even renowned authors such as Dr. Deepak Chopra continue stressing the importance of focusing on the positive contributions to others as one of the ways to find inner peace. At a recent conference in the Colombian city of Cali, Dr. Chopra moved hundreds of attendees at the conference "Reinventing the body, reviving the soul" made in the context of the seminar "Exposer." He was very explicit in saying that 75% of happiness has to do with the choices we make. "If we act in line with our creative expression, if our actions have purpose, meaning, and make others happy, we walk toward happiness." But what Dr. Chopra stated is not entirely new, other wonderful authors of these thematic, as is the case of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, widely known for his book "The Power of Positive Thinking" and its invaluable contributions to the theory of positive thinking, have repeated it hundreds of times. One of the great merits of Dr. Peale was to have spoken to us about these concepts more than fifty years ago; he always repeated about the importance of believing in yourself and make a contribution to the cause of others.

Carlos,

I agree with you completely in the power of positive thinking. I have long been an admirer of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. I think we often blame our unhappiness or lack of fulfillment on others, but in reality, we have the choice of how we will greet each day.

MAC Week 2 Comment: Denise Cullen

This week’s reading musings (draft)...

Fact: I haven’t been enjoying life as much as I could (and should be) over the past several years. Logically, my life looks pretty darned good on the outside, but emotionally on the inside I haven’t been having much fun. Could it be that I have been conforming to the pressures that I must constantly measure up? Of course, expecting that I should be having fun is an indicator. After all, isn’t that what they say, that if you’re not having fun, then something is wrong, or wrong with you?

Sharon Jones

It is so easy to fall in to the trap of trying to measure yourself against some arbitrary (and often changing) scale. I have found that the mood with which I enter a classroom sets the tone for the direction in which the class will go. That isn't to say that you have to smile and accept whatever behavior your students bring, but that your mood, energy, and enthusiasm can have a very real impact upon your students, both for their accomplishments and their behavior.

I have found that when I am at my "silliest" my students are better behaved and more engaged than when I am in "drill sergean"t mode. This even applies to my youngest (Pre-K) students. I can make them giggle as I use my "scary" voice and face to explain behaviors that are not appropriate. They actually seem to remember those. On the other hand, when I am frowning and fussing, they either tune me out, or shut down completely. There is definitely something to be said for the power of positive thinking.

MAC Week 2 Reading: Rule number 6

As we continue reading "Art of Possibility" I am struck by the genius and simplicity of the Zanders' philosophy. This week the reading centers on Rule Number 6: Don't take yourself too seriously. How many of our perceived problems might disappear if we only adhered to that one simple rule.

I have found that the kind of day I am going to have is usually self-determined. If I choose to be in a serious, critical mood, I can almost guarantee I will have a less than stellar day. Do the students behave worse than usual? No, not really, but my perception of their behavior is more negative. If I choose to come to school in a light and happy mood, ready to explore the limitless possibilities with my students, will I have a better day? Definitely. This dove-tails very well into the philosophy of "not taking myself too seriously."

Ben Zander, in his examples, explores the unlimited possibilities that occur when a "leader" is willing to relinquish some of his/her control and listen to those being led. Roz Zander, on the other hand, approaches her work through identifying the central self defined by the calculating self. As I was reading her anecdotes, I could definitely identify the characteristics that have developed into my calculating self and central self. Together, Ben and Roz have presented a compelling model for shifting the focus from ourselves and our perceptions, to the idea that we are contributors to life. When the focus is no longer on our own accomplishments, but on how we have contributed to the accomplishments of others, our understanding of the role of educator undergoes a complete transformation.

Week 1 Open Topic

My school has now completed the first three weeks of class, and everything is beginning to settle into a pattern. In addition to my music classes and administrative duties, I am once again the reading and math resource specialist for the 5th grade. In this role I have "inherited" an adorable young man who has an official diagnosis of Oppositional Defiant Disorder. In addition, he has exceptionally low short term operating memory. This little fellow is as sweet as can be. The only time the defiant qualities come out are when faced with testing situations. He participates well in class and can generally express the concepts that are being studied. When faced with a test, however, he totally falls apart and frequently will refuse to even take the test. Such an incident occurred this week. The students were to take a test on the summer reading selection, "Brian's Winter." When I saw my little fellow shutting down, I removed him from the class and we went to my resource office. Once there, I turned the test face down, and asked him to tell me about the book. As he talked, I wrote down everything he said. The longer he talked, the more excited he got about the story. When he finished, he was all smiles. It was easy to praise him on the excellent job he had done.

I then asked him if he would like to use the notes he had just created and take the standard test everyone else was taking. At first he felt like that would be cheating. We discussed the fact that everything in the notes came from his own brain. I did not ask any questions or prompt him in any way. Once he was sure that this was fair (he is very literal and extremely fair-minded) he turned over the test and began to fill in the answers. He was very proud of himself upon completion of the test, and even chose to answer the bonus essay question. My goal for this student is to work on strategies to reduce his test anxiety, and increase his ability to order his thoughts.

This week's reading on The Art of Possibility could have been tailor made for working with this student. His anxiety level when faced with any traditional measurement system creates a self-fulfilling prophecy of disaster.

Week 1 Comments for Karen Williams

This read was a very inspiring one, especially chapter 3 - Giving An A. I loved the author’s statement, “When you give an A you find yourself speaking to people from a place of respect that gives them room to realize themselves.” We are instructing and educating a very different generation of students who are very focused on peer competition and measurement. The author stresses the fault of this comparison by grades as it does not give a true account of a students ability. When you show a student a universe of possibilities by allowing them to create that universe it becomes more rewarding for them.

The “A Letters” demonstration by one professor, which he called a poetry of self-invention, was wonderful. He decided to give his students an A for the course if they wrote a letter as if it would be a year from that initial start day of class. The letters were awesome because students’ letters were written as though they had already accomplished their dream and universe. They were able to create their own future just by having the opportunity to be creative. That is truly a practice many of us should adopt in our classes.

Karen,

The idea of "giving an A" to the students by virtually having them determine their own goals is truly uplifting. I particularly like the idea that each student identifies where they are now in their development as a musician, and as a person, then determines where they wish to be in one years time. Through this method, the student is fully invested in the true goad - his development, rather than the artificial goal of a grade.

Week 1 Comments for Jodi Zeigler

The Art of Possibility

The power of positive thinking is truly a powerful tool! Zander’s experience with music is a perfect way to set the “tone” for explaining his views on possibility. I agree that we all seem to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I find myself making judgments and assumptions on a daily basis that are limiting my view on the world and things that are indeed possible. What we can achieve is limitless, but our ability to create a mind set that is open and judgment free is incredibly difficult due to the underlying information we learn growing up in our society. I find it amazing how often I hear my students saying they can’t do something before they have even tried it. It seems people are so terrified of failing that they are scared to even attempt something they may be great at. Zander uses his musical teaching metaphors to explain this view of limitless possibility, as a teacher I feel it is critical for us to embrace this mindset and try to instill it in our students, so their future is full of possibility.

Jodi,

I, too, have students who are afraid to try anything new. The idea that they might not be good at it just paralyzes them. I think it is a sad commentary that our tendency to measure and compare everyone is creating such a negative impact on young learners.

I have to carefully monitor our online grade reports, since the default setting includes the students rank on each assignment, and their overall ranking within the class. This is not editable on a global basis, but must be reset in each grade book for each teacher. Still, it is worth to time and effort.

Week 1 Readings MAC

As I was reading this week's assignment on The Art of Possibility, I was incredibly moved. I'm sure part of that is because I am a musician, and the Zander's approach much of their writing from the view a professional musician. In addition to this, though, we have a beautiful and well illuminated view into the human psyche. These readings open up the basic fear we all have of "not being good enough" for the task at hand. In education this can be devastating. Witness the student who feels himself (or herself) to always be judged against another student or sibling. As teachers, we easily fall into the trap of judging one student's performance against that of another. The bell curve effect -- that someone must be the best, and someone must be the worst, and all others must fall somewhere between -- has permeated the American educational system.

In The Art of Possibility, the authors allow a more individualized approach to the education of your students. It is not a matter of relaxing, or indeed removing, standards, but of taking each student and enabling them to reach their maximum potential. I was particularly moved by the concept of "giving the A" to students by having them basically determine their goals. The likelihood of a student reaching a goal he has set for himself is much higher than the likelihood of meeting a predetermined standard imposed upon him.

Since our goal as educators is to foster the desire to develop and succeed in our students, this philosophy seems tailor made. One of the biggest complaints I hear from fellow teachers is that no matter how "hard" they teach, their students are just not coming up to the mark. Perhaps the "mark" is one that the students have not yet had the experience in life to recognize.

I do recognize the enviable position we in the fine arts have, as opposed to the core curriculum teachers. While we meet both state and federal standards within our fields, students are not required to perform on national standardized tests to insure continued financial support of the institution. Still, I find that most students within the grade range of PreK through 8th grade really want to excel and please their parents and their teachers. Since each individual develops and reaches benchmarks at their own unique rate, the arbitrary standard of achievement not only crushes the spirit of the learner, but creates behavior problems within the classroom. Even within the top echelon of students, there is anxiety as to their position within the group. As educators, we have an obligation to assure that each student reaches his or her maximum potential, not just the arbitrary standard set by the law of averages. Yes, the student must acquire skills along the way, but the student who has been told he "can't cut it" certainly never will.

"Dana Kohls and I collaborated on the Udutu project because we are collaborating on the Action Research Project as well. The project focuses on establishing a PLN for our school district. The Udutu project will serve as a launch for Cycle II data collection and analysis, as well as deliver course instruction. "

Jeff (and Dana),

I really love your site. As a part of my Action Research, I created and used some video tutorials on creating an iGoogle account to use with Google Docs -- how I wish you had your learning unit up and running then! This is great. I would love permission to have my 6th grade teachers review the unit.

Week 4 Future Report on LMO's

This video represents my vision for the future of LMO's in traditional education.

Week 4 comments for John Harvey

"This course is a good place to start in the development of a full-on Angels vs. Demons simulation game geared towards kids in late middle school/early high school. It is, of course, a very rough representation of the idea that I originally presented in this video for Game Strategies."

John,

I have loved your concept for this learning game since you first proposed it. Your videos and lead ins are excellent. I also liked that some of your scenarios are not really cut and dried. Too often when we are trying to help young people learn to make good choices, we use such obvious examples that the students just tune us out. Your game is much more realistic in helping students look at consequences even from seemingly innocuous choices.

Week 4 comments for Justin Kraky

"For my UDUTU lesson, I chose a project created in Musical Theory and Educational Applications. This lesson was designed for the Advanced Audio Production class at Keystone College, and teaches audio physics principles and terminology."


An excellent job on an excellent project. I would love to use this lesson this year with our Science Olympiad team. The material is very well organized, with small enough "chunks" on a page to insure the students remain engaged. The assessment was clear and straight forward. I admit, I missed one question because, in typical student fashion, I got in a hurry in scanning the answer choices and mis-read the selection!

As we begin a new school year, it is my task train the new teachers on the use of our LMO, Edline and GradeQuickWeb. Due to some major cutbacks in staffing this year, everyone is covering more classes and extra curricular duties, making the scheduling of training very difficult.

I decided this was an excellent opportunity to experience course building with myudutu.com, while creating an application that would be useful immediately in my school setting.

I have intentionally chosen to not include audio, since the majority of the teachers will be accessing from their classrooms, either during their planning period, or during quiet time activities of their students.

I intend to continue the lessons and assessments to include the reports generated for parent-teacher conferences, as well as the grade verification reports for the end of each quarter.

The following link will access the program in its current state. I welcome your input.

http://publish.myudutu.com/published/evaluations/22008/Course39972/v2010_8_28_5_24_48/course/course39972.html

Week 3 comments for John Harvey's blog

"Because LMSs and LCMSs are so complex, they need a wide variety of tools for their creation. One of these learning systems is one of the only places on the web where one would find an IT person, a graphic designer, a curriculum writer, a flash animator, an online filmmaker, and a host of other people all collaborating on one project. Thusly, many tools are needed, not only to create the media assets of the system, but also to write the web code and the course text and content. I have come to realize that the project manager for any LMS does not have a very easy job, and is required to either have OCD, or be the most organized person on the face of the earth."

John, I agree that an incredible number of people may be required to create sophisticated LMS and LCMS systems. Additionally, these programs are developed to meet a wide range of criteria for their clients. It is easy to understand the seemingly high price tag attached to these products. For this reason, many administrators, especially of small, financially strapped schools, are tempted to go with the least expensive bare-bones solution. I have also experienced an administrator who bought the "5 star package" but refused to pay for the training. Later, he complained that the money on the system was wasted, since we weren't using even half of the features. I don't really know if the unused aspects of the program were a good fit for our school, or if we would have been better served by a less expensive product, but I do believe that when changing to a new management system, training is essential for optimum results.

Week 3 comments for Dana Kohls

"Cloud computing allows for easier access and availability of web services and applications. One example is a school district's use of Google apps as a source of communication, collaboration and creation of content, as well as delivery. It is an inexpensive alternative to traditional platforms and software."


You specifically mention Google apps in your blog this week. You are entirely correct. This is an example of a wonderful tool for creating content. It is available to all schools, has the ability to limit visibility to your select group, and does not add to the already strapped budget of the educational institution. These were all factors in my decision to train our staff in the use of Google apps as a collaborative tool.

Week 3 Readings: Choosing an LMS/LCMS

In reading and researching LMS selection tips, the simplest and most obvious tip is sometimes overlooked. Of course, everyone researching a new LMS or LCMS will check to make sure that it is compatible with existing software. Having worked with vendors who claim their products are compatible, I have learned that the word "compatible" can be misleading. When two vendors are creating products, the emphasis is on the functionality of their own proprietary software. When the need arises for this product to work in conjunction with another product from a third party vendor, an uneasy alliance can ensue. While both companies try to maintain a working partnership, each is primarily concerned with the development of their own product. For example, it your student database or information system (SYS) is from Vendor A, and your Content is managed and deployed on software from Vendor B, the client must have assurance that upgrades and enhancements from Vendor B can be read and assimilated by the software provided by Vendor A. Sometimes a patch is required for the new upgrade to be compatible with the second software package. This is not always immediately forthcoming. For this reason, part of the process of selection should be determining the level of collaboration between your existing LMS and any proposed additional CMS or LCMS. It may actually be more cost effective in the long run to completely abandon existing systems in favor of one that handles all aspects of the clients needs. Many times, however, this is impossible.

Another area of concern is that of technical support. This is especially crucial when multiple platforms are involved. Man hours and resources are both finite in the education and corporate worlds. Determining the appropriate technical support liaison is critical for the success of the LMS/LCMS launch.

A third area of concern is future growth and development. While it is one thing to pick a system or combination of systems that meet today's needs, how will the panel determine the probable needs of the organization in 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years. Admittedly, this is the most difficult area for search committees to agree upon. Not only is it necessary for the committee to project the future needs of their organization, they must also project the potential technological developments of the prospective vendors.

The final, and possibly most difficult hurdle in the quest for the "perfect" LMS/LCMS system is that frequently the ultimate decision rests with people who neither use, nor understand the technologies being considered. The current financial climate has many administrators and trustees searching for the least costly solution, rather than determining the most cost effective solution for the long term. For this reason, extensive documentation of current needs, projected needs, system compatibility, and technical support must be provided.

While the primary emphasis of the articles used to draw these conclusions comes from the area of elearning, the same techniques should apply for traditional schools in selecting supporting technology for student information systems and course management systems.

Resources:

How to choose a learning management system. Retrieved August 20, 2010 from: http://wwwtrainingforce.com/content/choosing_a_lms.aspx

10 Things to Consider Before Choosing an LMS. Retrieved August 20, 2010 from:
http://www.mozealous.com/11-things-to-consider-before-choosing-an-lms/

LMO Week 2 Comments on Scott's blog

Scott's blog:

LMO Week 2 Blog


I own lots of filing cabinets. I'm not kidding. Seriously. Lots.

Why pray-tell would someone like me need such a bevy of storage capacity? Within these imposing black obelisks lies the readings, transparencies, news articles, and other educational materials I've collected throughout my past decade in the classroom.

Scott,

I, too, have an inordinate number of filing cabinets. Somehow, regardless of the number of files I have saved in various electronic media, I continue to save print versions of interesting articles and lesson ideas.

I believe the development of LCMS's are still in their infancy. They are still somewhere between the corporate model and the educational setting. To reach their most effective and usable form for educators, the LMS portion needs to be expanded to cover all the areas of the typical school SIS (student information system). The authoring components and the use of RLO's are an extremely important for the future development of these systems. The next step should be the development of RLO's that are not tied to a particular developer or software package. The possibility of a networked repository for SCORM compliant RLO's would break the field wide open for educators to take course authoring to the next level.

Week 2 Comments on John Harvey's blogpost

Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) are an incredibly important piece to the development of any LCMS. The Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative was established by the United States Department of Defense “to standardize and modernize training and education management and delivery.” (“ADL”, 2010) Essentially, to make RLOs available, standard, to organizations as they developed their LMSs.

John,

I am so glad you have broken the information in this article down in such an articulate fashion. I've read through the material twice now. The first time, my head was spinning. The second time I read it after reading your post and found it made much more sense.

LMO Week 2 Reading: Course Management Systems for Learning

Continuing through the "Alphabet Soup" of acronyms in educational technology, LCMS refers to Learner Content Management System. These systems have expanded the parameters of learning technology by coupling a Learner Management System with a Course Management System. Although the terminology often refers to "content," that is only one aspect of a course that can be integrated into the technology.

In an excellent blog enumerating the many different interpretations of the acronyms, LMS, CMS and LCMS, Don McIntosh discusses the differences between corporate LMS's and those in the educational field. In the corporate sector, the tendency is for an LCMS to be used for tracking an individual learner and specific content. There is rarely an available instructor. The individual learner is basically "check boxing" the content accessed from the elearning site. Within the education field, "content" is frequently replaced by "course." In this model, the educational institution generally already has the basic LMS in place through existing systems. Students have already been registered, and the capabilities exist to monitor their progress. In the education sector, authoring tools from LCMS's are used to build a full educational experience to include content, email, discussions, wikis, blogs, and educational media. An LCMS can be applied, not only to elearning, but also to more traditional face-to-face classes to enhance the learning experience.

On their site, simplydigi.com advertises their LMS/LCMS as a system that publishes online courses in an easy to access online catalog for learners to complete at their own pace. The LMS tracks teach student's accomplishments through the courses offered. In reviewing the features of this system, the emphasis is on the course catalog, and learner tracking. While SCORM compliant, and customizable, little information is given to the authoring tools available to create and deploy course content.



Resources:

McIntosh, D. (2007). eLearning & learning management. Retrieved August 12, 2010 from http://elearningandlearningmanagement.blogspot.com/207/02/lsm-vs-lcms.html

Week 2 Udutu Setup

1. Jones, Sharon

2. Accessing and using Edline/GradeQuick
An online class for new teachers to learn to use and customize our online communication and grading platform.

3. The lesson will be deployed from my school's server during the September faculty meeting.

4. EMDT LMO Month 10. To be deployed by Sept 21, 2010 to the teachers in my school. The lesson will ultimately be housed on the school server.

5. I intend to use the Best Practices Scenario template with Basic and Assessment slides.

Week 1 LMO Overview

Every industry develops its own vocabulary. That vocabulary is frequently full of acronyms. Education is no different. The education industry has recognized the potential of the world wide web and the prevalence of personal computers as a logical next step in the dissemination of instruction.

The first acronym in this veritable alphabet soup is VLE or virtual learning environment. As the name implies, this is a learning environment that happens in cyberspace rather than the conventional classroom. This is closely followed by PLE or personal learning environment. This implies a system whereby the learner directs the path his learning will take.

Next is LMS. This is a learner management system. This system originated in the commercial sector. Learner management systems are geared toward the individual learner in much the same way as the PLE. The learner is able to set his or her own pace.

The most often used acronym in elearning is CMS or course management system. Some confusion exists here, as CMS can also be used to refer to a content management system. As a course management system a CMS would handle all the tasks and materials necessary to manage a class of students within a set time frame. A CMS handles registering students, assigning students to classes, managing assignments and recording and reporting grades. In addition, student resources can be included.

The final acronym currently in use is LCMS, or learner content management system. Developed primarily for military instruction, this system adds an LMS to a content management system. In this way, small packets of instruction that can be reused in multiple teaching applications can be stored in a content library. These packets are called RLO's or reusable learning objects.

Resources:

Awidi,I. (2008). Critical factors in selecting a course management system for higher education in Ghana. Retrieved on August 5, 2010 from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolulm/CriticalFactorsinSelectingaCou/162513

Cormier,D. (2009). How to choose the right cms for education. Retrieved on August 5, 2010 from http://davecormier.com/edblog/2009/01/27/how-to-choose-the-right-cms-for-education/

Week 1 My comments on Dana's blog post.

Kohls_Dana_A Textbook Genesis: CMS The Next Generation

The problematic nature of introducing a course management system into education looms larger than expected. Two such problems that stood out after viewing the powerpoint and listening to the audio recording of McGee, Carmean, and Jafari (2004) are the need for assessment and standards and specifications for future course management systems.




Sharon Jones said... The rapid growth and development of new products to meet a new market usually results in proprietary operating systems. Hopefully, as the field of CMS development progresses, the industry will begin to create more standard systems. The scenario of professors working at several institutions is a common one in this area. Professors will be much more likely to embrace a CMS when they know they will not have to re-invent the wheel for every location.

Week 1 My comments on Sharon Hawn's blog

Sharon Hawn's Week 1 Reading

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

The importance of knowing the history of instructional development is crucial, for the future designers of instructional media. Within Wikipedia’s article, about the History of Virtual Learning Environments, it began in the year 1728. With only seven noted years mentioned prior to 1920. It can only be assumed that there wasn’t a lot developed during those periods or instructional development had a lower degree of importance to be noteworthy enough to publish such findings.

Sharon,

I agree that understanding the history of the development of any learning theory is essential. The world in which we live is always changing. The information our students must know to be successful couldn't even be imagined as little as 20 years ago. Education, therefore, is always in flux, and must continually change to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

The progress that has been made in the development of distance instruction courses not only affects the online and distance students, but also the traditional on campus students, as educators embrace the many resources and benefits available through personal computing.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 - 02:08 PM

Week 1 My comments on Scott's blog.

EMDT Scott

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

LMO Wk 1 Blog 1

Honestly, I am not at all surprised that our readings this week trace the origins of distance learning back almost 300 years. More importantly, I think it is critical that supporters of distance learning programs reiterate this fact in light of the many recent criticisms which have been brought to bear on VLEs within the last several months.

I think the social nature of humanity is ingrained deep within our beings. For millennia, we have communicated with each other and passed down information through oral history, hieroglyphics, pictographs, stone tablets, and virtually every other medium discovered. Furthermore, communication and negotiation between peoples is vital to the stability of any civilized community.


Scott,

I certainly agree that many of my colleagues seem skeptical about online education. Even my administrator tried to talk me into looking into a program at Georgia State (since she is currently pursuing an additional advanced degree there). I did actually look in to their programs, but my reason for choosing Full Sail was not because it is online, but because I was interested in the particular line of courses that comprise this program. I would have been interested in taking these courses even if a degree program wasn't in place.

After nine complete months with the program, I am a strong and vocal advocate of both online/distance education in general, and Full Sail in particular. I do realize that an online program's effectiveness depends on many factors, not least of which is the VLE.

Week 1 Readings comments

Wesleyan College, Macon, Georgia

As I was reading through the articles for this week's assignments in LMO, I was particularly struck by the Dartmouth Writing Program insight on "Coming up with your topic." In this article, the author, Karen Gocsik, discusses the different methods of reading for different purposes. In particular, she discusses the need for active reading in preparing for scholarly writing. Active reading involves questioning as you read, jotting notes, examining your emotional response to the material, and forming an opinion about the material. I was struck by the common sense nature of this approach.

I have always loved to read, and read a great deal for pleasure. When I am reading for research, though, I have always taken notes - generally in outline form. I have always attributed this as my personal method for staying focused on the material and keeping my mind from wandering. I have always done the same thing at lectures and talks even when they were not required for academic purposes. To the best of my recollection, I was not taught to do this in school, but developed the technique as a tool to keep my mind from wandering.

So the question is, why aren't we teaching our younger students this technique? There are many reading strategies and interventions that are being taught at the upper elementary level. Some actually touch on the ideas of active and passive reading, but most are geared toward basic comprehension, rather than the development of a new point of view. It is no wonder that many students feel overwhelmed in making the transition to institutes of higher learning.

As a new school year begins, I plan to try incorporating some reading and writing activities in my class to expose my students to active reading strategies. My field is music, and I have a plethora of materials on hand that would be perfect for just such and activity. The resultant skills would be invaluable across the curriculum.

Source:

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/topic.shtml

Jones_Sharon_Wk1_History_of_VLE's

I have always been fascinated by history, be it the history of art, music, religion, culture, or education. In reading about the history of virtual learning environments, I was shocked to see the time-line begin in 1728, however after reading the entry I find that if fits quite neatly into the tapestry of distance learning.

Correspondence schools have been well documented in both film and literature. These early versions of distance learning have formed the image many people have of virtual learning environments. As the name implies, these involved written assignments being submitted by mail to an invisible instructor, who would then grade and return them by mail. This model is still in use today as seen with "The American School."

As television became universal in the 1950's and 60's, virtual learning environments expanded to include visual material. School began subscribing to on-air classes through public broadcast channels. This was a model I participated in during elementary school. I attended a small parochial school that housed two grades per classroom. The classroom teacher was responsible for teaching all subjects to two different grade levels. Science, in particular, would see one grade level going to the media room (the only one with a television) to partake of a televised science lesson. We would return to the regular classroom to write an essay on what we had learned. We really looked forward to these sessions, and thought them quite good at the time. They were quite well-done and a lot of fun, but offered no opportunity for student involvement or interaction.

This week's reading also covered the early online classes. These apparently followed a similar video approach to education, much like the early PBS shows. The end result must have been similar to merging correspondence classes and PBS videos to form a class that involved a video presentation of the material with a submitted written response from the student. The primary advantage to the original correspondence model would be better instruction for visual learners, and quicker feedback response from course instructors.

In the 1990's, the prevalence of affordable home computers and access to the internet created a market for technology assisted virtual learning environments. The marketplace now had a demand to create an integrated learning management system that could deliver education at least equal to, or possibly superior to on site instruction. While many campuses developed class schedules to accommodate work schedules, there was no way to overcome the difficulty of distance in meeting the needs of students who had jobs or families. This was always one of the reasons, in my opinion, for the popularity of distance education, and this is one of the areas that make the new online learning environments so enticing.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_virtual_learning_environments
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_virtual_learning_environments_1990s
http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/

Jones_Sharon_Wk1_LMO Welcome

With the beginning of a new school year, I will again be faced with the challenge of meeting my goals for my personal growth and educational development with meeting the needs of my students in an increasingly more complex world.

This blog was originally created for another class in the EMDT program at Full Sail. Since that time, it has been inactive while I have focused on other methods of designing and utilizing media for the classroom. Now it is time to return to this blog as a way to share my discoveries on this educational journey.

BP12_2010023_OneMinuteMessage#2

My Web 2.0 tool of choice for this week is the Mendeley Desktop, located at Mendeley.com. I have found that my middle school students are sadly lacking in organizational skills. This tool not only helps them organize their material until needed, but also teaches them strategies of organization which can be applied to other areas. I've chosen to use the first Web 2.0 tool I reviewed (GoAnimate.com) to create this entry. Enjoy.


GoAnimate.com: Students' first research paper by spinster2


Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

BP11_2010023_Comments for Russ's blog

My comments on Russ's post can be seen here:

http://russellmgaspard.blogspot.com/2010/02/bp82010022oneminutemessage1.html?showComment=1266638899099_AIe9_BGxEIG4DGy-xiWlJ1kW7kY48arfn6C3kehN41zYWVHXAZxhpVGZ6j_W10CmId0FeF4SaB66QQXroC0FtTfTvEEFn_pBK0XbZ5e4EODpdkNYOomBKmycOK7AytuC_xrSq1606Ty4g-ZbvZ_Tee9R4FMtHVlVsqDNrXYDrqcLvic8KDaH2B7ZqRxasJQ3q5maQeI9iMpj6kVEmfkd77WN_La_O1hAWSbqmoFlMXRYUoT4LAijaJI#c388984221095143585

BP10_2010023_Comments to JHarvey blog

Follow this link for my comments on John's blog:

http://jhspiritofmedia.blogspot.com/2010/02/bp9web20t3-youtego.html

BP9_2010023_Web2.0_T3Mendeley

I've decided to go in a somewhat different direction this week as I continue to research Web 2.0 tools. My past research has centered around tools for my students to use in the classroom. I decided to look this week at tools I can use as a student. In this pursuit I've discovered Mendeley.com. This site is a true 2.0 tool for serious students involved in research. Mendeley is a free tool for organizing your research materials. It works across all major platforms, and includes an importer button for your tool bar. Mendeley allows you to import your research materials in a number of ways. The importer can save abstracts, keywords, and citations from a number of sites including Ebsco. In addition, you can drag and drop your PDFs into the Mendeley desktop. The program then extracts the document details, including keywords and references. Your resources are now available to you from any computer by simply logging on to Mendeley.


Your research materials can then be organized into collections. This enables you to work on multiple research projects at one time, or to organize your files by sub-topics for your primary project. Articles can be filtered by publication, author or keywords.

I currently teach middle school students an introductory course on writing a research paper in collaboration with the social studies teacher. At this age, the emphasis is on process and the number of sources required is quite limited, however the statistics view in Mendeley can definitely benefit students as they are learning to review the available literature. Viewing the number of times the various articles have been accessed can assist the students in selecting articles to review. The simple organizational tools will help the students develop their own organizational hierarchy, thereby improving the flow of their writing.

The final, and to my mind, most exciting attribute of Mendeley is the ability to share collections. For my purposes, I can invite my critical friends to review the materials I am considering and make recommendations. The broader implication is the ability for colleagues to collaborate even if they are not in close proximity. Through shared collections, the amount of material reviewed can grow exponentially. Within my class, there are usually several students working on the same topic. The ability to share collections should improve the depth and understanding the students derive from their research. Each student will still be responsible for interpreting the data and creating their own paper.

BP8_2010022_OneMinuteMessage#1

My favorite Web 2.0 tool to date:

PB7_2010022_Link to my comment on John's blog

www.kerpoof.com

To see my comments on John's blog:


http://jhspiritofmedia.blogspot.com/2010/02/bp32010021web20tools.html

BP6_2010022_Link to comments on Dana's blog

My comments on Dana's post:




http://dkohlsgradblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/bp42010021web20tools.html#comments

BP5_2010022_Web2.0 T2 Quizlet.com

As I have continued my research into Web 2.0 tools, I've started mining the information in the various blogs I am following.  In doing so, I have stumbled across an interesting little program I can utilize in my music classes, but that would also be appropriate for absolutely any subject that has a set vocabulary that needs to be mastered -- in other words any subject!

The application is Quizlet.com.  I found this application through one of the music education blogs I am currently following.  J. Pisano's blog Animusic.com/education has listed a number of interesting technologies for music educators, however most of them are items I already employ in my classroom.  The real interest I have for Quizlet.com is that it is applicable to any subject, not just music.  Every area of learning has a specialized vocabulary that must be mastered to move beyond the fundamental stage.  Quizlet.com offers a simple yet entertaining way to accomplish this mastery.  Most of us who received our education prior to the digital revolution probably remember using flash cards to master vocabulary and basic mathematics facts.  I certainly remember learning my multiplication tables through flash cards.  As many teachers have discovered, many parents today are not able or willing to invest the time to assist their children in the mastery of fundamental facts.  Parents frequently respond, "That's your job" when asked to assist their children in acquiring basic skills, and yet the sheer volume of information young children must master makes daily drill practice during class time impractical.  Enter Quizlet.com.  Teachers are able to set up various games and drills to begin with familiarization of basic terms and continue through to mastery.  Many subjects and sets have already been saved, such as the music theory example pictured above.  Creating new entries and adding them to the aggregate knowledge base is both quick and easy.  Once the information set has been loaded, but students can be assigned the vocabulary unit for homework.  Frequently, students finish classwork ahead of the other students.  When this occurs, the students could then go on the classroom computers to work with the terminology for the current subject matter.  The unwillingness or inability of a parent to interact with the child in learning the vocabulary would no longer be an issue.

Lesson plan using Flickr

As I was researching possible uses for Flickr in an educational setting, I came across an interesting lesson plan for Middle School students.  The original plan, from PerdueUniversity, called for using Flickr as an asset for a lesson in vocabulary.  The basic idea is to locate pictures in Flickr that represent the vocabulary being studied.  These are uploaded into your Flickr account.  A worksheet is created using the same pictures, with a blank space for the word, and another for the student's definition.  The suggestion was made to include a word bank on the worksheet.

To implement the lesson, the worksheet is distributed, and a slide show of the Flickr images is played.  As each slide is shown, the display is paused, allowing the students to study the picture and write down the vocabulary word that corresponds to the picture.  The student then provides his own definition of the word.  The same procedure is followed for each additional word in the lesson.  At the conclusion of the lesson, the students are divided into small groups.  They then discuss the words they assigned to each picture.  As a group,  they self-evaluate the responses.  The final activity would be the entire class reviewing the results of the vocabulary lesson.

While I like the basic idea of this lesson, I would much prefer a lesson based on descriptive writing.  An image could be displayed on the whiteboard or with an overhead projector.  Initially the group would discuss the picture, establishing the subject matter and/or setting.  The students would then be challenged to develop a word bank of adjectives or descriptive phrases either for the entire photo or of some element of the photo.  Then, using the word bank of descriptive elements they have collected, the students could either be required to write a descriptive paragraph about the photo, or write a short story based on the photograph.  The final paragraph or story can then be shared with the class.  As a group, suggestions can be made to assist the writer in developing an engaging descriptive vocabulary.

BP3_2010021_Web2.0 T1 GoAnimate.com

As I began my research into Web 2.0 tools, I decided to focus on new areas that I hadn't experienced yet.  There were two programs that intrigued me.  One was Storybird.com and the other was GoAnimate.com.  I was looking for tools that could be used in the various curriculum areas I teach.  My primary subject is music, however I also am involved in resource and in that capacity work in upper elementary reading and mathematics.  My target audience ranges from Pre-K students through 8th grade.  For this reason, I decided to concentrate on GoAnimate.  While Storybird is visually stunning and I will definitely explore it with an eye to working with my younger students, GoAnimate can be geared to a wider demographic.

GoAnimate.com: First day of school by SB Jones

Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!

I selected the topic of a new student coming in to a school.  There have been quite a few new students added in to our school over the last month, and we have another who will begin this Monday.

This is always a very stressful time for the new student. The current students are very welcoming here, however many of them have been friends for years.  The new student may sometimes feel excluded.  This little video is intended to encourage a new student to look at their  individual interests and strengths.  They will find themselves surrounded by other students with similar interests, making it much easier to establish new friendships.  I have some definite tweaking to do on this particular animation, but I feel confident I will be able to create some helpful classroom videos on a wide variety of subjects.  Also, with the ability to set the duration of the scenes, larger amounts of text can be included to encourage reading fluency.  I am also planning a math based animation to encourage mastery of the multiplication tables by my 3rd grade students.

BP4_2010021_RSS Feeds

As I continue my research into blogs and Web 2.0 technologies, I've discovered several sites I believe will be very helpful.  The first of these is Little School House Blog.  This site gathers articles from multiple sources dedicated to No Child Left Behind, and Race to the Top.  Teaching in Georgia, I appreciate being able to read the latest articles discussing educational issues that pertain to my state.

The next site I'm rather excited about is Synthesizing Education.  This is a very active site with articles covering a wide range of subjects.  So far I've read articles on standardized testing and on teaching students how to think.  The blog categories listed include accountability, assessment, critical thinking skills, technologies and many more.

The next three rss feeds I am following are all specific to music education.  The first of these is Music Teachers Helper.  This site consists of tips for music teachers.  Posts are organized in the a wide variety of categories.  Some of these deal with finances and studio management, while others focus on technology and performance.  The first posts I've read have dealt with music theory and history.  There are currently 20 posts on composing and arranging, which will be my next personal reading assignment.

Debbie Cavalier has an interesting blog on Music, Education, and Technology.  The first post I read at this site referenced the January 17th episode of the hit TV show "24."  Two cartoon music videos created by Debbie and Friends were playing in the opening scene as Kiefer Sutherland and his "granddaughter" were watching TV.  The post continued to expound on the licensing opportunities for original music offerings.

The final blog I will mention today is MusTech.  This site features posts covering general education, music advocacy, music education and music technology.  A project of Dr. Joseph Pisano, this site includes a list of music educators to follow on Twitter.

I have organized my rss feeds into 3 folders.  One contains the various education blogs to which I subscribe, the second has the links to my FSO contacts, and the third contains my fiber arts blogs.  This has helped me better utilize my time and stay on track.

Clip art image courtesy of:  http://free-clipart.net/

BP2_2010021_EduUses4Blogs

I have long been a subscriber to a variety of blogs devoted to fiber arts and music, but had never particularly considered searching out blogs related specifically to my teaching.  This was partly due to the limits my school system had placed on Internet access, but to a greater extent reflected my traditional schooling.  

The first thing I noticed when I began my research was the wide variety of content areas being written about with regards to blogging in education.  I expected to find articles about blogging as a way to increase writing skills, but was surprised at the number of sites and articles featuring blogging for science and math classes.  Sawmiller (2010) has written about the application of a classroom blog as an integrated technology for the science classroom.  While previously the Internet may have been used primarily for research, the addition of a student blog has opened up several interesting opportunities.  One such opportunity was the development of an online portfolio showcasing the student's work.  Additionally, students who typically refrain from participating in class discussions have been able to publish their thoughts and have their results immediately available for student review.

Luehmann and MacBride (2009) found blogs to provide a method for students to express themselves and for teachers to support student-centered instruction.  Blogging was also found to allow the students to engage in authentic scientific inquiries.  Perhaps the most interesting point given in favor of classroom blogs was that blogs extend the conversation beyond the classroom. This extension of time the students spent discussing and reflecting upon the material can only increase the amount of understanding experienced by the students.

In an article written  to explore the use of blogs in support of literacy programs, Zawilinski (2009) addressed the importance of framing your questions and setting your guidelines to achieve maximum interest and involvement from your students while working collaboratively to develop higher order thinking skills.  Zawilinski again stressed the advantage of continuing an in school activity with an out of school tool to deepen and expand the level of involvement with the content material.

These examples have caused me to pause and think about the possible benefits of a class blog in my subject, music.  While the primary focus of my class has always been performance, the basic study of theory, notation, history and genre are necessary for the proper interpretation of a given piece.  Guided prompts in a blog could also encourage the students to relate the music to a broader spectrum of experience.  Parallels could be drawn to the worlds of art and literature through the historical timeframe of the piece being studied. 

The biggest challenge for me isn't so much a matter of ideas and structures as it is receiving permission to engage in a classroom blog.  I intend to continue my research by looking more closely at edublogs.org.  I then hope to prepare a request for the superintendent of schools to be allowed a pilot program in one class.  Meanwhile, I will invite more of my colleagues to follow my blog as I continue through my EMDT program. 

References:

Luehmann, A. & MacBride, R. (2009). Classroom blogging in the service of student-centered    pedagogy: Two high school teachers' use of blogs. THEN: Technology, Humanities, Education &  Narrative, (6), 5-36. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database February 5, 2010

Sawmiller, A. (2010). Classroom blogging: What is the role in science learning?  The Clearing House, 83: 44-48. doi: 10.1080/00098650903505456

Zawilinski, L. (2009). Hot blogging: A framework for blogging to promote higher order thinking. Reading Teacher, 62(8), 650-661. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database February 5, 2010.