Lesson 6 Blog

This lesson has opened up our eyes quite a bit regarding Network Learning Environments since we have been creating our units. I think one of the really positive things for us is that in designing these networks we have been able to build off of or learn from the interactions that we have had as a group to incorporate ideas and strategies into our own environments.

One of the interesting things I have discovered with this particular group in this particular semester was how most of our communication took place via Google Docs. We did have our communication through Elluminate, but not in the same manner of other classes where that method is the dominant form of communication. Here we actually did more communication and collaboration via GoogleDocs and email and yet I felt a closer tie to this group than some of the other ones. It really changed my perspective on how network learning can function in an online class and how I might be able to implement those concepts and experiences into my offline classroom. Again, I can't speak for the other group members, but this past three weeks has definitely been a positive learning experience for me.

I also felt we had a very positive expereince preparing our presentation for this class. I had a really good time preparing the presentation on Google Docs and then actually going through the presentation as well. It was pretty cool presenting a new topic like that to my peers rather than my students that are much younger than me. Our peers had great questions and were very active which made the presentation that much more enjoyable. I also throoughly enjoyed the presentation I sat in on and participated in and wish that I had had the time to participate in more of the presentations. Overall, its been a very educational semester!

Lesson 5 Reflection...

This semester is challenging traditional notions of online and network learning. The Web 2.0 tools to which we've been introduced are more than web-based software. Web 2.0 platforms offer portals to new ways of interacting online.

The discussions among our classmates reflect much of the mental tug-of-war we are experiencing as we learn to drop old-think embedded concepts and pick up new distributed learning paradigms. Having grown accustomed to viewing computers and the internet as storage facilities where organizing, sorting, and retrieving are more easily facilitated (Web 1.0), I discover I'm conceptually challenged to take the next step of realizing how Web 2.0 connects us beyond the mere sharing of archived documents. Web 2.0 fosters new attitudes toward networking, collaborating, and generating creative portfolios, be they mashups of work, school, family, or anything else imagined.

Web 2.0 is a global sandbox (a creative commons) where we get to share EVERYthing. And since we is smarter than me, the new connected world is synergistically recreating the future landscape in which we live and learn.

Posting this comment on my ETC647 Blog at same time...

Trying to post here as well as on blog as a test.

in reference to: Example Pages (A Guide to Google Sites) (view on Google Sidewiki)

Lesson 4 Team 1 Blog

The requirement to investigate an organization for its ability to have and maintain a network learning environment was a chance to get into the real world and see what was really happening.

We investigated Tucson Unified School District. Within the district Technical Services (TS) has responsibility for over 23,000 computers placed in 125 schools. From network infrastructure to computer maintenance, TS is the department to acquire, implement, and sustain TUSD's computer systems.

In doing this assignment, I was able to get a much better understanding about a network learning environment. It is more than having an iGoogle account with loads of gadgets implanted on it. It is more than the hardware and software, and it is more that just using technology to keep kids engaged in their lessons. It is about connecting in a way that is conducive to knowledge gathering and learning about that knowledge.

Using Google Docs to collaborate on the report was a great way to work with others across distances. The document was a true team effort and the set up of Google Docs let it happen easily.

Lesson 3 Team 1 Reflection

During this lesson I have been extremely proud of the way our team came together to get our Lesson 5 presentation together. Most of us were caught a little off guard, because we had not looked ahead, but the group responded magnificently! Thanks to Dallas we came up with a superb topic and have been working from there. Sometimes it can be taken for granted that you will always find a good group in these classes and after speaking to other students I have realized what a special group we have. Everyone is very talented and works together flawlessly. With a deadline approaching and backs against the wall, this is the group to have!

Initially it was challenging trying to figure out what to do for the upcoming elluminate presentation, but as a group that challenge was overcome quite quickly. It is hard to say that anything has really been challenging when there is a solid team working together as this group has been. Probably the biggest challenge is communication at conflicting schedules, but using different forms of communication and online collaboration this group has been able to overcome that challenge with ease.

I think that one of the better technology strategies that has been learned from this lesson is the use of diigo. I for one struggled with this technology early on, but the use of the discussion posting for diigo has been tremendous. I really like that we can share our bookmarks with Delicious and then highlight areas of importance for each other/others using diigo. I was a bit slow in picking up this web 2.0 technology, but now that I have a grasp on it I think the other group members will agree it is invaluable. It allows for users to investigate a resource at leisure and prepare comments for others for when they have the leisure to explore. It definitely bridges the communication gap when it comes to when different people have time to explore various sources.

Group one has definitley benefited from the information learned in this lesson. It will go a long way in assisting us for our group presentation during lesson 5. Additonally, lesson 3 has provided a great opporunity to dive into the subject of digital literacy. It is intersting to think that just having a base knowledge of computers does not mean that you are digitally literate. This lesson has highlighted the importance of being literate in all things digital in an era where mobile technologies are so important to communication as well as a means to connecting to valuable information. We have definitely seen it, however, in the use of Twitter, Facebook, and other Web 2.0 technologies.

Lesson 2 Reflection: A Taste of the Next Generation...

The next generation has been labeled the "mashup culture of uncertainty who face an unknown future." They are distinct from previous generations in that they don't consider uncertainty to be stressful. Actually, what stresses this new generation is "predictability." They enjoy flying by the seat of the pants, taking life as it comes, reacting to wants and needs in the moment. They don't care so much for rigid expectations, mundane busy work, and rule-laden environments.

The previous generation suffered future shock which is just the opposite. Future shock is the fear that we don't have time to prepare for what's before us. My generation prefers the predictable over the alternative. We don't mind thinking outside the box as long as we have a box to begin with!

When these two worlds collide, they produce what I have been experiencing this semester. I was beginning to murmur to myself about how confused I was with regard to assignments and due dates in my three classes. I was searching for something predictable, rigid, scheduled, only to find inconsistencies between calendars, syllabi, and lesson instructions. I was flabbergasted!

Then it dawned on me. Here I am studying about education and learning in the techno-age and among the mashup culture. This is the world they expect; the world in which they're coming of age. They don't know future shock as we do. Their "norm" is different from ours.

This has been my experience. And this is only my opinion. I guess I could say, this semester my understanding has been broadened. My concepts are being dropped. New paradigms are coming into view. How about you?

Team 1 , lesson 1 reflection

• Team work of which I am proud.

Overall I am very pleased with our group! We started communicating early and kept on communicating. We started with phone contact (via Dallas) which was nice since it helped us get to know each other better. Then we primarily communicated through Vista mail. However, we decided that since we were the first group we should make our thought process more visible to others so we decided to have most of our communication in the group 1 section to serve as a possible model for future groups. I think we all did a great job in (1) coming up with interesting questions (2) keeping discussions running smoothly (3) Posting some thought provoking reflections and (4) effectively keeping track of member postings. All in all a very fun and professional group to work with. I am most proud of our strong presence in week 2. Our discussions seem to be keeping folks involved.

• Team work which I found exceptionally challenging.

Since our communication skills were excellent and everyone put a lot of work in the only real challenge we had was deciding which questions to ask to the group. Everyone posed a lot of good questions and we wanted to post questions which were both fun and interesting but that also got people thinking and hopefully pulling in outside information on.Reflections on technology and instructional strategies that you and your team learned from this lesson.
Again keeping in good contact and putting your thought process in the discussion area helps other groups in modeling later. Be ready to communicate in multiple ways. We used phones, IRC/ "chat", email, vista mail and google docs in addition tot he discussion forum.

• Anything your team would like to share

Keeping in good communication from day 1 is key. It's nice to call each other and get to know each other. I can say we had it easy since everyone here is a great team worker and happy to put in their share for a nice finished product.

Image from Despair.com.