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final reflection

As a non-degree seeking student, returning back to school after receiving my Bachelor’s 3 years ago I thought it was time to touch up on my technology skills. Just in the short 3 years a lot has changed, from the way which Carmen is set-up to the way which students are communicating with each other. I learned there are a lot of effective ways of communicating with each other such as through google documents, and also discussion boards. In the discussion boards I like how the professor has the choice to limit the material the individual posting can see until they have made an initial post. This allows users to create their own ideas, and truly reflect on their own thoughts.

Along the way during this course I noticed how precisely the assignments were chosen to really hit upon the many different online tools and resources. I was aware of many of the resources, but really did not know them as in depth as I was required to explore. This really took my online resource interpretation to a whole new level, I believe before this course my mind was still stuck in the old fashion going to the library to get the resources needed. Now I am more comfortable and confident to explore the internet.

I do believe I have a long ways to go to really grasp technology, but I also feel as if it is changing so quickly that I would have a hard time keeping up with the changes. This is why I thought the assignment on searching google deeper was very beneficial to me, because I was already pretty confident on doing a standard search, now I am able to use it as a more in depth resource through the advanced search tool. I also really enjoyed reading the discussion boards of my classmates on the resources they have found useful. This opened up my mindset to changing how I search the web and making it easier to find exactly what I am looking for quicker.

In my future with an Early Childhood Degree I am always searching for the most up to date information on child rearing, child and family safety, and also on the legislative side of the field. There was an assignment which we were guided through finding credible information, and I found this as one of the most valuable assignments overall. There are many times when I have to be the professional in my field, and share the most up to date information with families. Presenting valuable information is very crucial, and I now feel more confident in searching the web, and also finding the credible information that I am really looking for.

This course will be useful in my near future in that aspect, as well as my growth in the education field. I am not sure at this moment where I would like to take my degree, but if I was to continue into graduate school all this information would be exceptionally valuable in being successful. With being a full time working student, the more short cuts to presenting quality work the more beneficial it will be to my time management.

 

Searching and Researching

Searching and researching is a topic in which all college students will need to be familiar with, and be able to  know how to access if needed. On the Ohio State University’s website there is a library tab where you are able to search the database for a variety of topics. Also if you are a more hands on learner you may access such resources in the library itself, and also ask for assistance from the librarian. When researching one of the most important ideas is to have accurate and up to date information. You can access the publication date for the source from the tab, on the library’s database. Another important idea is to remember that all sources used need to be cited to ensure there is not any plagerism occurring, and the ideas in your research are valid.

On the World Wide Web there are many different search engines to use to find the most up to date and accurate information. Google is a common site, which allows you to use a more advanced search, as well as a scholar search to find the exactly what is being researched. With that being said, there are sites on the world wide web which are NOT credible and can be edited by anyone. One to mention is wiki and those associated with it. Therefore when completing a research paper, you may use the world wide web as a resource, but the library’s database will present the researcher with more credible sources.

Web-Enhanced Learning

Good Evening,

Tonight we are going to touch a bit on web-enhanced learning. If you are ever wondering how to go about starting a new project or fixing a simple problem the world wide web probably has a video tutorial for you. Recently I went to YouTube with some assistance on changing my brake lights, and with the specific information typed into the search box I was able to find a quick you tube video. The task went from having no idea to me completing it within 15 minutes, was a piece of mind. This strategy can come in handy when placing together a blog such as this, or trying to give yourself a quick tutorial on a new program being introduced.

There are many different ways to approach a project for school. I am an auditory learner so I benefit greatly from the benefits of videos, as well as audio videos. There are often times when the text is below the video as well, so if you believe you misunderstood what was being said you have the context right under the video. If you are traveling you can also open and save a video for feature viewing, or share it with others. Different teaching strategies which can be embedded into the video are pictures representing ideas, maps or grids representing quantitative data. These strategies allow viewers and users to bring all their information together and allow users to have a better understanding of the context being represented.

 

Education

The video summarizes the main areas most important in the first three years of Montessori education. The video shows hands on demonstrations of techniques used, as well as the language and vocabulary associated with the technique. The narrator speaks slowly and his words match the pictures on the video allowing the viewer to get a real life look inside of the classroom.

I am an early childhood educator and was looking into the different philosophies related to the field. I have a young child and are fortunate to receive the Ed Choice Scholarship for his education, and was looking into Montessori. This video gave me a real life inside look on the reasoning behind their philosophy, and really made me feel engaged. Before the video I did not know very much associated with Montessori, but as the video explains the different stages of sensory, self help skills, and language more in depth.

Technology Today

Technology today can be helpful, as well as challenging.There are many different ways to approach an assignment or challenge based on your way of learning. You can read the general directions, or there are often YouTube tutorial videos which walk through the different processes the products are able to perform. Lately I have been looking more into some of the new free products available to students and have found a lot of websites such as a common used website www.easybib.com. There will always be different challenges with how quickly technology is changing, keep in mind if you are comfortable with a particular program keep it book marked for future use. There is no need to change if your needs are being met.

As an instructor, this week was a little bit of a challenge at first for me. I am only 28 years old, but I feel as if it is exceptionally hard to keep up with technology now a days. In my work profession I do not need to access such programs enough to keep up with the updates; therefore when needing to to use programs such as Timeline, it takes me twice as long to put together a presentation. This is the time when using familiar programs will benefit you and your work. The program which I have book marked for presentations is www.animoto.com, it walks me through the program step by step and this is what I need. Web-enhanced readings typically allow you to access while traveling as well as in more remote areas.The overall conclusion is as a student you need to find what works best for you. Researching the internet and exploring more programs will allow you to figure out which ones meet your needs.

 

Good Evening

Good Evening,

Tonight I am going to discuss the importance of communication competence with technology based courses, at the professional level. Some of the main ideas which I am going to address are the following: routines, group projects, tutorials, email/ office hours, and deadlines.

Let’s begin with addressing routine and schedules. It is important to lay a consistent foundation, as a professional to students, from the beginning of the course. Providing the students with a set schedule and expectations will allow them to set their own personal boundaries for completing the course work. A detailed syllabus with an outline of the assignments, group projects, and deadlines are essential for students because it gives them an insight on the amount of time needed to achieve a passing grade.

The other main idea which needs to be approached is open communication. The professional needs to be confident and organized in the information they are conveying. This gives the students a sense of security in approaching the professional if unsure about the information. Following through with set office hours which are assigned at the beginning of the course, and also being flexible to meet the needs of the students will also allow the student to feel and also be successful in the course.