CEP 800 Podcast Assignment

I was not quite sure what to expect from the students that I chose for my podcast. I wanted to understand how students perceive learning mathematics and how their conceptual understanding of the learning process aligned with the material that I h ave been reading for my graduate course. I did not want to lead my students in their thinking;therefore, I did not provide them with questions that guided them in one particular direction. Each interview lasted approximately ten minutes, but I realized that I should have had more recorded during the editing phase. I am passionate about film-making and I should have realized that I needed more coverage.

I found it quite interesting that the younger students focused on mathematics as skill development. They felt that although students were "wired" differently at birth, they could match advantageous genetic make-up by working harder than those students. I believe this line of thinking works well with the behaviorist model by using reinforcement to produce desired effects; the result is the learning of mathematical concepts. The Pre-Calculus student has had more experience with mathematics and felt that math is conceptually complex. He discussed the idea that mathematics is quite abstract and that genetics dictated which types of mathematical concepts would be able to be learned by the individual. Our course readings have discussed the behaviorist model and its inability to account for abstract thinking such as Einstein's. This student's comments regarding the abstract nature of mathematics would accompany the detractors of the behaviorist model of learning.

I figure that the students would understand how they learned, but I was impressed that they had formed arguments for how other students learn as well. I now wonder if there is a correlation that exists between how these students feel people learn and how people succeed in life. The younger students feel that hard work can offset genetic deficiencies, and my Pre-Calculus student initially stated that genetics play an overwhelming factor in the developmental process of a mathematics student. Do they have similar feelings about social class structure and societal/economic mobility? If so, what has led them to have these feelings?

Blog Posting Assignment 2

Technology transcends itself from novelty to an educational tool only when it addresses problems of practice. I have learned that you have to look at the educational need(s) that you are attempting to address and then decide which pedagogical strategies and technology can best serve your needs. The TechQuest project helped me develop skills related to the analysis of technology for educational purposes. It is important to understand what a piece of technology can do for you before you add it to your teaching arsenal. The SIG and TechQuest project relied on thorough educational research and the use of Google Scholar made it much easier to identify quality journal articles related to the different research topics. The search engine has evolved since I first used one about fifteen years ago, and I am curious to see the next iteration in Web 3.0.
I have become accustomed to using Google Documents for most of my office needs due to the ability to access the files from any computer connected to the internet. In addition, I have integrated the use of this software into my classroom due to its ease of use for collaboration. Collaborative creation is a direct result from the development of Web 2.0 technologies. The constructivist approach is a more accessible pedagogical strategy than it ever had been before.
The goals that I set for myself in regards to learning about technology integration are unreachable in theory. My goal to become more knowledgeable in the use of technology to address problems of practice is a never ending pursuit; yet, I have made considerable progress over the past three graduate courses. I have learned a great deal from the different group members that I have worked with as well. It has been great to observe the viewpoints that are coming from different professionals that are specialized in different content areas than mathematics. I have missed being in an educational setting with peers, and look forward to continuing the MAET program. I believe that an effective educator must always be evolving in order to keep up with the educational trends. I am a life-long learner that revels in furthering my own education and then applying the knowledge in my own teaching.

The concepts of the two large assignments (TechQuest and SIG) will be an integral part of my future development as a learner and teacher. I will continue to seek out technologies that can help address my problems of practice and become part of the global conversation with other educators. The internet has provided the platform for professional collaboration, and I hope to continue to join others' in the quest to develop educational resources for use by me and other educators. The knowledge that these communities can provide is exponential. I could be nearsighted and attempt to develop educational objects myself without the input of others or I can let others tinker with these objects and enhance them with original thought. I will continue to modify my goals in an attempt to become more of a global collaborator and continue to develop my educational technology analysis skills.

Project Evaluation

The TechQuest will continue to evolve as I address problems of practice with the unique types of functions throughout my career as a mathematics teacher. I will continue to explore the possibilities of GeoGebra as an effective tool for representing mathematical functions and continue to read current related research. I have become comfortable using the process laid out during this TechQuest will apply the algorithm to additional TechQuests in the future. My new familiarity with scholarly research engines will make further research time efficient and focused. I have learned and sharpened the skills necessary to analyzing technology for its pedagogical use. The abundance of technology that exists on the web is staggering and can prove to be overwhelming. The structure of the TechQuest helped develop the skills necessary to applying technology to educational concerns. Student learning should always focus the technology, and it seems that is not often the case. The TechQuest began with the identification of the problem of practice and followed with finding the appropriate technology to address the problem. We, as educators, often want technology that can do a million different things, but we should be focusing on technology that addresses an educational need in a way that cannot be done as effectively otherwise. Technology should not be brought into the classroom just for the sake of having technology.

The next time I proceed in a TechQuest project, I will pick a problem of practice that is more specific. The concept of the function is very broad and covers multiple years of mathematics. I should have focused on one particular type of function such as the linear function or sinusoidal functions. I believe that narrowing the project would result in a project that has a smaller development cycle. Educators continue to reflect upon lessons and technology and shape the malleable lessons we create. This TechQuest that I have begun to implement will continue until I retire as a teacher. Technology will evolve and problems of practice will be addressed in a plethora of ways, and it is my job as an educator to continue to improve upon my pedagogical strategies.

It is estimated that the modern human originated 200,000 years ago, and it is believed that written word started around 5000 years ago. Humans did not have the necessary transference of knowledge to develop the written word systems for 195,000 or so years, yet, since the development of word systems we have advanced technology to the point that we can instantly share information across the globe. The advent of the internet has allowed the sharing of information among students and professionals alike, and we now have the ability to evolve education by creating a network of highly informed educators by sharing content. The internet is providing a global landscape in which educators can collaboratively research and create educational content that is based on research-proven educational strategies. I would like to become part of the larger discussion and help create and share content that other educators can use as well.

TechQuest Implementation Blog

TechQuest Annotated Resources

I decided to make GeoGebra the dynamic software for my TechQuest. You can read my prior two posts to gain some insight into the design of my TechQuest. I will provide a description of my research method along with an annotated bibliography containing five the of the resources that are shaping additional research and the further implementation of my project.

Research method: After identifying GeoGebra as the tool i would use to address my educational concern, I refined my research by using a simple Google search to see the common results related to using GeoGebra to help aid in my quest to have students gain a deeper understanding of the mathematical concept of the function. This attempt of a basic search did not yield anything that I would later cite; therefore, I moved on to using Google Scholar to focus my search on scholarly articles and periodicals. I am comfortable using Google Scholar and find easier to use than some of the university engines used. GeoGebra is a relatively new product and is gaining momentum as an educational tool; therefore, research is slowly amassing to analyze its effectiveness. I limited my parameters to include only articles related to mathematical functions. A funny thing happened during my search for sources; I found that several of the articles were linked to a publication index that GeoGebra has on the wiki-page that they host on the organization's website. I found many great articles that related to the nature of my individual research (the function). I found only a handful of instances where the pedagogical shortcomings of GeoGebra were discussed using Google Scholar. I will continue to research for GeoGebra centric lesson plans, because I did not find any detail lesson plans related to what I am attempting to do. I did find examples of other technologies used to tackle similar situations, but I have not included them below.

Surprises: The software is used internationally and research is being done across the globe. I did encounter several articles that seemed to have grammatical errors in their titles, but the content was appropriate and did not contain these types of errors throughout. I found it interesting that some of these articles were published in periodicals. For example, I found the article Applications GeoGebra into Teaching Some Topics of Mathematics at the College Level by Diković. The article is from Serbia and I am sure that the translation is responsible for the awkward title.

I believe that my strategies were successful, and was aided by the My annotated bibliography follows below.

TechQuest Annotated Resources:

Hohenwarter, M. (2006). Dynamic investigation of functions using GeoGebra. Proceedings of Dresden International Symposium on Technology and its Integration into Mathematics Education 2006. Dresden, Germany: DES-TIME. Retrieved from http://www.geogebra.org/publications/2006-DES-TIME.pdf.

From the abstract: "This article describes the mapping and covariation aspects of functions and shows the dynamic ways of investigating functions with the free educational mathematics software GeoGebra." The abstract provided in this article is a near summation of my TechQuest. The content of Hohenwarter's article contains explicit use of GeoGebra's software to explore the mathematical function. The exploration of the different function types is germane to the educational concern I am addressing with my project. Hohenwarter's name appears on several resources related to the use of GeoGebra as an educational tool. GeoGebra offers advantages to students than traditional methods. Hohenwarter is the creator of the software and he understands the educational concern and how his software can help alleviate the problem. The content of this article will help shape my project due to its understanding of the concern and examples of how to use the software effectively.

Sangwin, C. (2008). Geometrical functions: tools in GeoGebra. In: MSOR Connections Vol 8, No. 4, 17-20. Retrieved from http://ltsn.mathstore.ac.uk/headocs/84Sangwin_C.pdf.

This article discusses GeoGebra's dynamic approach to the mathematical function. The free software allows both the Algebraic and Geometric representations to be displayed simultaneously. Mathematics is said to contain two main components: algebraic representation and graphical representation. The concept of the function is taught throughout a student's mathematical career and involves teaching and reteaching of the concept of mathematics with these two representations. Students often struggle with the relationship between the graphical and algebraic representation of the mathematical function. This article describes an experience with teaching the concept of function using GeoGebra. This article helped me gain insight into the functionality of GeoGebra as it relates to my TechQuest.

Karadag, Z., McDougall, D. (2009). Visual Explorative Approaches to Learning Mathematics. Retrieved from http://www.pmena.org/2009/proceedings/workinggroup90649replacement.pdf.

This article discusses the agenda from a focus group focused on mathematical representation and its shift from static to dynamic with the advent of technology such as GeoGebra. The article discusses the creation of dynamic worksheets in relation to GeoGebra. Students will explore an object created using GeoGebra and have to answer questions related to the mathematical object. An object in GeoGebra is akin to a manipulative that can be posted on a website or in a file off-line. The article contains an example of the unit circle and the graphical representations of the trigonometric functions. The result provided an interactive applet that addresses the connection between the two concepts in a way that pen and paper simply cannot do.

Böhm, J. (2008). Linking Geometry, Algebra, and Calculus with GeoGebra. TIME 2008 conference, South Africa. Retrieved from http://www.geogebra.org/publications/2008-TIME-Boehm.pdf.

This article introduces the features of GeoGebra and discusses the software's use to link the content contained in Geometry, Algebra, and Calculus. This document provides real examples of the educational tool used to address issues within mathematics. The idea of a function is universal throughout each of the sects of mathematics and the presentation contained highlights many different function types being addressed with GeoGebra. Furthermore, the article discusses the probable evolution of this software of the next few years. Functions are represented using algebra, tables, graphs, and mapping diagrams. An object created in GeoGebra can get very complicated if you are attempting to introduce many of these representations at the same time. Spreadsheet software (tables) will become integrated with the tools currently available to create software that is even more dynamic.

Diković, L. (2009) Applications GeoGebra into Teaching Some Topics of Mathematics at the College Level. In: ComSIS Vol. 6, No. 2, 191-203. Retrieved from http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/1820-0214/2009/1820-02140902191D.pdf.

From the abstract: "This paper presents new trends in technology and learning through Geogebra, which could be especially important for the future development of e-learning for College mathematics. Also, contribution of this paper is presentation of methodological frames on several specifics examples for teaching mathematics at the college level on interactive and creative way. Discussed in this paper are the findings of a didactic experiment where some number of undergraduate students were exposed to an innovative (to the departments) method of teaching and learning a part of calculus supported by GeoGebra. Statistical analysis confirmed the fact that the use of the applets created with the help of GeoGebra and used in differential calculus teaching had a positive effect on the understanding and knowledge of the students."

This article was aimed at college level mathematics, but the content of math courses in college and high school are very similar until you get past Calculus. The article lists the strengths of the software for representing mathematics using the interactive software and compares it to other methods of visual mathematics. The article does discuss the shortcomings of the software, but are relatively obvious in nature. Research is limited on the software at this point, and it does lack some functionality that will eventually come in time. Pedagogical strategies need to be paired with technology in order for successful student learning. This article addresses the pairing of cooperative learning with GeoGebra and the benefits that would result. Diković provides examples of the use of educational objects created in GeoGebra that tackle concepts in algebra and calculus. Furthermore, he describes a study done in a college calculus classroom that resulted in positive growth for students that were exposed the use of GeoGebra. This article provided me with insight into the effective use of objects created and actual research that was done to validate its use as an educational tool. The implementation of the TechQuest is dependent on research such as this article. The development of educational tools using GeoGebra is time consuming and can be quite involved, but the possibility for improved learning opportunities makes this software a viable tool.

TechQuest Project Description

Identification of the Problem of Practice:

I am in my third year of teaching secondary Mathematics here in Michigan. This year’s junior class is required to successfully complete four years of high school Mathematics. They are expected to pass Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and an additional mathematics credit. I am sure you have heard the old house analogy when someone was speaking of the scaffolding present in the curriculum. Students do need to build on prior knowledge to climb through the content. The core content of algebra requires students to represent functions in a myriad of ways. Students begin with linear functions and advance to quadratics and beyond. The concept of a function is integral to the mastery of knowledge in secondary and post-secondary Mathematics.

In chapter six of their math standards, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) states “Functions are one of the most important mathematical tools for helping students make sense of the world around them, as well as preparing them for further study in mathematics (Yerushalmy and Shternberg 2001). Functions appear in most branches of mathematics and provide a consistent way of making connections between and among topics. Students’ continuing development of the concept of function must be rooted in reasoning, and likewise functions are an important tool for reasoning. Thus, developing procedural fluency in using functions is a significant goal of high school mathematics. (41)”

Students begin to question how the content covered relates to their own lives as they progress through these courses. The content requires students to master skills and knowledge that the students feel have little or no relevance to their own lives. I feel that the compelling problem of practice that I want to address in this TechQuest is: How can I help students identify the function that is best suited for modeling a given real-world situation? This is Algebra I content expectation A2.4.1, but is a core content piece throughout Algebra II, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus Courses. Students learn in various ways and I am searching for some technology that will help me incorporate many different pedagogical strategies. In their book Technology and to Support Learning, Bransford and Cocking state “Technology can help create an active environment in which students not only solve their own problems, but also find their own problems (Bransford 195).I am hoping to find technology that helps me create an active situation where real student learning can take place. In my own experience, I have developed related lessons that students can master the content temporarily, but cannot reproduce the content later down the line. For example, the student may be able to complete similar tasks during an Algebra II course, but will experience difficulty with a related activity once they have entered Pre-Calculus and are taking a pre-assessment. I want my students to have a memorable experience that will generate real learning related to this subject matter.

Additional Research and Resources:
In addition to the pedagogical research that I have listed above, I am using the following resources to help aid in my TechQuest: (this is not a final list of all the research that I am using to develop my TechQuest, but is what I am currently exploring)

Online Function Related tools:
http://www.geogebra.org/
http://www.ct4me.net/math_manipulatives.htm
http://education.ti.com/educationportal/sites/US/sectionHome/tutorials.html
http://www.fsmq.org/resources/using-algebra-functions-and-graphs,83,MO.html

Pedagogical research related to using technology with functions:
http://mathforum.org/~pcmi/technology11.25.09.pdf
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Assessing+Students

Established Lesson Plans: http://www.ncwiseowl.org/kscope/techknowpark/freefall/resources.html

Plan for Implementation:
During this course: The following steps will be taken during this course:
Research (Technology and Pedagogical): I am currently researching various technologies to employ to help solve this problem of practice. I believe that it will not be just one piece of technology that will lead me to the development of an effective pedagogical tool. I know that I will use some form of database/spreadsheet software and am leaning toward using Exel, but Google Document’s version could potentially win out in the end. In addition, I am investigating the use of GeoGebra as a graphing tool as well. I have used many of the applets before, but I will devote time to learning how to program for this software as well. I believe that I should use readily available technology that is at no additional cost to the district or me. I am hoping to develop a creation component for the students as well. I want to explore the concept of students using Google Form to create assessments for their peers that gets to the heart of function model identification based on real-life scenarios described.

Development: In the next few weeks, I hope to begin the development of the lesson plan that incorporates the above technologies. I will continue to tinker with the lesson plan and develop the technology in tandem with research –proven pedagogical strategies to create a memorable experience for the students.

After this course: I hope to address the following issues:
Implementation using a Focus Group: I want to implement the lessons within a focus group of mathematics teachers and a focus group of high school students. I will give the focus groups assessments at the end of the lesson to collect for analysis.
Reflection: I will collect data and analyze the assessments from the implementation. I will reflect upon the lessons and the use of technology attempting to address this particular educational need.

Address Issues: I will address any issues with my TechQuest lessons and make changes where they need to be made.

Re-implement the lessons: I will attempt to use these lessons again after I have made the necessary changes. I have always viewed education as necessarily malleable, and that we have to adjust the lesson continuously to serve our students.

The four common places of education:

Teacher: This TechQuest addresses the concept of the teacher in a plethora of ways. I, the teacher, am responsible for the creation of the lessons that incorporate several different pedagogical strategies with current technology. The teacher is also responsible for the implementation of the technology as well as subsequent reflection.

Learner: Student learning is at the focus of any implementation of technology into the classroom. It is said that technology becomes a tool when it helps address an educational concern or problem of practice. The TechQuest will be developed with the learner in mind. It will attempt to create a memorable experience in which the students will create an artifact to showcase their learning as well.

Subject Matter: The TechQuest helps to address the overarching concept of functions within the realm of high school mathematics.

Setting: The TechQuest will be implemented in secondary Mathematics classrooms and will range from Algebra I to PreCalculus.

TechQuest Draft 1: Establishing a Problem of Practice

I am in my third year of teaching secondary Mathematics here in Michigan. This year’s junior class is required to successfully complete four years of high school Mathematics. They are expected to pass Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and an additional mathematics credit. I am sure you have heard the old house analogy when someone was speaking of the scaffolding present in the curriculum. Students do need to build on prior knowledge to climb through the content. The core content of algebra requires students to represent functions in a myriad of ways. Students begin with linear functions and advance to quadratics and beyond. The concept of a function is integral to the mastery of knowledge in secondary and post-secondary Mathematics.

In chapter six of their math standards, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) states “Functions are one of the most important mathematical tools for helping students make sense of the world around them, as well as preparing them for further study in mathematics (Yerushalmy and Shternberg 2001). Functions appear in most branches of mathematics and provide a consistent way of making connections between and among topics. Students’ continuing development of the concept of function must be rooted in reasoning, and likewise functions are an important tool for reasoning. Thus, developing procedural fluency in using functions is a significant goal of high school mathematics. (41)”

Students begin to question how the content covered relates to their own lives as they progress through these courses. The content requires students to master skills and knowledge that the students feel have little or no relevance to their own lives. I feel that the compelling problem of practice that I want to address in this TechQuest is: How can I help students identify the function that is best suited for modeling a given real-world situation? This is Algebra I content expectation A2.4.1, but is a core content piece throughout Algebra II, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus Courses. Students learn in various ways and I am searching for some technology that will help me incorporate many different pedagogical strategies. In their book Technology and to Support Learning, Bransford and Cocking state “Technology can help create an active environment in which students not only solve their own problems, but also find their own problems (Bransford 195). I am hoping to find technology that helps me create an active situation where real student learning can take place. In my own experience, I have developed related lessons that students can master the content temporarily, but cannot reproduce the content later down the line. For example, the student may be able to complete similar tasks during an Algebra II course, but will experience difficulty with a related activity once they have entered Pre-Calculus and are taking a pre-assessment. I want my students to have a memorable experience that will generate real learning related to this subject matter.

Lessons Learned: Areas of Growth

I have learned that effective teaching strategies lie at the center of any successful educational activity. The pedagogical strategy employed much match the best practice for the individual piece of content. It is important to vary the strategies when needed. Technology is a tool for teachers to use when it benefits learning, and can often provide for the students a chance to engage in idea-based learning and constructivism. It is important to analyze the technology and content to ascertain the pedagogical strategy that best fits the activity.

I had not given too much thought to using websites as stand-alone instructional objects before enrolling in my current graduate course. I now see that there is merit in creating these types of online experiences for our students. I evaluated Blogs and WebQuests in this course, and I generated my own WebQuest and STAIR. This process taught me how to evaluate the different technologies and decide whether they were worthy for use in the classroom. Educational technology will evolve with time, and it is important that we learn how to adapt to it as well as learn the current technology. If we were just taught how to use the current technology, the program would lose its value after a few short years. However, we are being taught how to evaluate and adapt to technology, and these tools are invaluable.

I am going to give you a glimpse of the goals I had set for this program and this individual course in order to evaluate my progress (the intended audience was my high school students):

It is my goal to integrate technology into the classroom only when it will make a difference.

• I intend to use technology to help you understand concepts that you might not have understood without the use of technology. I will use technology to help reinforce mathematical ideas by showcasing the material in a way that is unique to the individual technology.

• I will use different teaching strategies combined with technology to help you develop a strong sense of intrinsic motivation. In other words, you will engage in the activity without seeking external rewards.

In order to use technology to make a difference in your lives, I have to grow as an educator by increasing my skill in using technology.

• I plan to dedicate myself to my studies in the pursuit of obtaining knowledge related to technology use in the classroom. I can learn the advantages and disadvantages to different technologies by reading other educators’ research on new and developing technologies.

• I will practice and experiment using technology to the point that I have mastered its practical use in the classroom. I know that I will encounter success and failure during my trials. I know that these failures will be learning experiences and are part of the educational process.

• I know that collaborative experiences are essential and that I cannot accomplish all of my goals without the help of others. I plan to seek out assistance when I experience difficulty in my academic pursuits.

It is my goal to develop skills and integrate the technology with the overall goal being increased student learning.

The above goals were centered on existing technologies, and I will continue to strive toward these goals. These goals are continual and will never be fully reached. I intend to continue to progress and become more comfortable with the web 2.0 educational technologies. I plan to become more equipped to deal with future technologies as well. I want to further explore the development of cross curricular WebQuests and STAIRS. I know that my first experiences with these stand-alone instructional objects had a steep learning curve, but the process of actual creation will become swifter. These new goals will be added to my overarching goals that were listed above to help me become more adept at integrating technology into education.

Online Learning Experiences

This week I read the Michigan Merit Curriculum Online Experience Guideline Companion Document for my graduate course. This document addresses the core principles of student learning online. It is very practical by nature, and offers their characteristics of quality online learning experiences.

I first attempted to follow the links to the educational games that this guide offers as tools for the classroom, but I was thwarted by our ISD’s firewall (external blogs have also been defeated). I decided to investigate these educational games due to the fact that I could not use them to teach any content at my particular school. I was not that interested in them to begin with, but I know students like games of all different varieties.

I was pretty familiar with most of their online experiences. The teachers at my high school incorporate many of these experiences into their classrooms. I was surprised to actually see that students are only required to have twenty hours or online learning experiences. I would imagine that our students are easily getting that within a two or three month span.

I am interested in using implementing an interactive discussion with an expert that uses mathematics in their profession. I could see this type of experience bringing relevance to a subject that students continue to argue that no relevance exists beyond Geometry. I would love to see an initial conference between my students and my friend, let us call her Sally, which works for NASA. Sally has been involved with several different research projects and could showcase examples of the type of work she has been doing. Students would then begin a research project that is related to that particular type of work. In this hypothetical situation, students would then be able to ask Sally questions using an online discussion forum.
I believe the above situation would be hard to implement due to the availability of these experts. I have attempted to reach out to several professionals before, and it was hard for these individuals to commit the time. However, I had a leading motion-capture filmmaker visit my film club this fall. He hosts a website that contains content related to the aspiring and professional motion-capture artist. He invited the students to become part of his community. In addition, our film club will be sending him our next short once it is completed and we will be receiving his input. I am interested to see if he is willing meet using video conferencing since he currently resides in California.

I am introducing collaboration across different of my sections using Google Documents, but would love to collaborate with a classroom in a different county or even country. I am ignorant of the ways in which I can find willing classrooms in other countries. I think I need to dedicate some time to exploring ways to find other willing teachers and time to craft an engaging way to collaborate with another class.

Students within my school district are receiving many online experiences; yet, I think we can make these experiences much richer. It will take time to bridge connections with other teachers and professionals to truly create a lasting experience for our students through collaboration.

My Analysis of Google Documents

I am part of a jigsaw activity in my educational technology course. Our group decided to explore the components of Google Applications. It was my task to investigate Google Documents to determine my opinion on its educational merit. To distinguish things a bit more: I was looking at the word processing aspect of Google Documents as opposed to the Form, Presenter, or Spreadsheet (which are all contained under the document page).

The Good: The word processor (Document) software that is available via Google immediately interested me. I bought a new computer right before my senior year of college. I did not purchase Microsoft Office once my trial expired. I had to make sure that I had to modify my document by saving it as an .rtf file in Microsoft Works in order for my professors to be able to access the file. The students at my district do not all have Microsoft Office active on their home computers. Google documents helps solve this dilemma by housing this software free of charge.The word processing software reminds me of the Microsoft Word version circa 2000. Most of the basic word processing features can be found such as formatting, tables, ability to insert images and links, and the ability to add comments. I did enjoy ability to insert mathematical equations using insert Equation. The school computer that I have has the ability locked out for some particular reason, and I am glad to see it contained in this software.

In addition, students can access these files from any computer in the world that has access to the internet. The students in my district save their files on their personal share drive that is eventually wiped at the end of the year. Students only have access to the files at school unless they transfer the files using Flash Drives, email, or another online site. With Google Documents the file is stored online; therefore, students can easily access the file from home or school. The text that you are currently reading was typed using two different computers in two different locations. There are limitations to the file size you can have saved, but you can have a limit of 5000 documents and spreadsheets combined and 5000 images stored. For the average high school student, I do not see this as being too limiting in nature.

I was impressed by the instant save feature included with the product. The document saves every 20 seconds and saves all of the different revisions that you have done on the document. You can pull up older revisions if you want to compare different drafts of the same document. A student can easily share access to the teacher or other peers by clicking a share button. Teachers or other students can leave comments on the text. The ability to see the different revisions offers the teacher the chance to see the progress of the document. Teachers would no longer have to have the students print off multiple drafts to make comments. You could eliminate the majority of paper included in an English classroom.

Google Documents has the ability to translate your document into another language by simply clicking the Tools button on the toolbar, clicking translate, and then picking the language. I was thrilled by this feature that I do not remember being included in Word 2007. We are becoming a global learning community, and I could see students engaging in meaningful communication with students across the globe due to this particular feature. I cannot comment on the effectiveness of the translation due to my inability to speak any language other than English fluently.

The Bad: I did find some of the aspects of Microsoft Word that I wish Google Documents had. I realize that a free source can not have everything, and I imagine that some of these features could be included in future versions; however, I do want to highlight some of the shortcomings. I do miss the Smart Art, inserting sound, and other advanced features of Word. Several of the shortcuts you may be used to such as CTRL+Enter to start a new page are gone. Students will have to become accustomed to the small changes in order to take full advantage of this software. You can still highlight a word and check the definition and thesaurus. In fact, you are inundated with definitions from across the web; however, it is not as simple as highlighting the word, and right clicking to find synonyms or definitions. Instead, you have to highlight the word, select Tools,
and then look up the word. It is just a step backward in regards to a thesaurus in my mind.

Integrating Google Documents into the classroom: I believe that most high school students already have the skills needed to use Google Documents as a word processor. They would be able to tell you the differences between the software and Microsoft Word fairly easily. The ability to use the software to collaborate would take some scaffolding on the teacher's end. Students can share their documents and work together to create a piece of writing together. Students can also peer edit fairly easily as well. Peer editing is a part of my writing process, and now I feel that input can be returned to me very easily. My friends in other states and countries could easily access my document to make comments and/or changes. The teacher would then be able to see who made revisions and when they were made. You would still have to talk about ethics surrounding collaborative work.

Every subject could use this free product to help create a paperless environment in which students and teachers collaborate to produce an easily accessible document. I discussed earlier on how the application could be integrated into an English classroom to showcase the progress through the revision history, but this feature could be used throughout all of the subjects. I can imagine the old idea of a pen pal being used more effectively in today's Social Studies class due to the translate feature. You could have students communicate with students from a foreign classroom about real global issues. The imagination of the teacher is really the limit at this juncture.

The teacher would have to ensure that the students all have Google accounts, and would have to show the students how to use the functions of this particular application. They would have to monitor the students' documents and make sure that they have shared the document with them. It could be very easy to have someone else write a document for a student (there has always been the ethical issue). If a teacher is tracking the revisions of a document, they would be able to see who was accessing the document to make changes.

Responding to the use of Web 2.0’s Blogs

Blogs found their way into the classroom shortly after their creation. The whole gamut of instructional strategies could be utilized with blogs in an educational setting. The idea of students creating reflection pieces that become classroom discussions can be used to fit both student-led and teacher-led models. At the most basic level: a teacher could create a blog related to a piece of content, and students could take part in the online discussion. I teach mathematics at a high school that has at least a laptop for every two students. Students could easily use their blogs as a place for a mathematical journal. Students would explain how they used the mathematics. If the site for the blog was able to use math type, then students could really explain their problem solving strategies.

Both inquiry and idea-based models could be explored by the students using blogs as reflection pieces. Other students would be responsible for commenting on their peers blogs and a great discussion could be documented. The value of a blog does not disappear once the assignment is completed. The record is kept, and you can have the students return to a particular student blog later in the course to connect content. I think that student blogs would work most effectively with an idea-based instructional strategy. Students would attempt to apply and explore this big idea and document their thoughts. The high level of thinking that observed would leave a larger imprint in the students’ minds.
It is important that a system is created in which the teacher monitors the blogs. It would be very easy to subscribe to each blog using their RSS feeder page. The teacher has to take an active approach when dealing with these particular sites. In addition, it will take considerable scaffolding on the part of the teachers at this school (from all of the core areas) to ensure that students are using the blogs effectively.

I would love to experiment with blogs in my classrooms. However, it seems that our intermediate school district has blocked most sites that include the word blog in it. I am still searching for a way that does not cost the school district money to employ the use of blogs. I am not sure if I would be immediately ready to have the students create blogs that are completely public. I have witnessed many blogs and other threads contain public comments that attack the other in inappropriate ways. I could imagine that my older students could handle these types of comments better than my younger students. Again, there is scaffolding involved with having students manage their own blogs. I realize that there is great value in creating global dialogues for students, but it has to be monitored very closely.

I could see myself using blogs as a reflective journal piece where students comment on the application of various pieces of content. For example, students might discuss how they might apply quadratics in problem solving situations. They might comment that they can use a quadratic model to solve physical science problems that involve the trajectory of an object. The student would have to explain the process of finding the x-intercepts and their relationship to the objects height and so forth. I like the idea of using blogs to discuss the problem solving strategies and real life applications, because students will be able to come back and reference the great blog entries. The students will be able to use them as study tools when they get closer to a traditional type of assessment. I could also see myself as a tool to use when students are involved in an inquiry-based or idea-based project. Students would use blogs to document their progress and their individual or group’s line of thinking. The other groups and myself would be able to reply to their post and engage in a group discussion.

Editing Wikipedia

I had never given much thought to adding or editing content on Wikipedia. The malleable encyclopedia had been used mostly for starting points when I was research something ingrained in pop-culture. The resources that are contained at the end of the page were more valuable to me than the text that could be edited by the world.

An assignment in my graduate course asked me to edit my school district's page on Wikipedia. I immediately felt that I was overstepping my boundaries as a teacher for this school district. I am a representative of the school district; however, I do realize that the page is public and has the ability to be edited by the countless masses. I familiarized myself with the mechanics of editing a Wikipedia page, but decided to only update with a little information. Our school district houses and maintains health clinic that services the community. In addition, I added a link to our athletics' page since there existed an Athletics heading without any following text.

The Search for Updated Math Webquests

Computer-based instructional objects should be interesting to the students. I found countless examples where the math content was simply just skills based. I find it hard to believe that these would actively engage most students.

These particular types of educational resources are not dissimilar to other resources. There are examples that are short activities and there are long term projects that do exist. However, I found most of them to be created in the vein of a daily activity. There are some daily computer-based instructional objects that had merit, but unfortunately had too many broken links.

I did happen upon a Webquest that involve the creation of bridge, Don't Burn, Build. The activity was to take about two school weeks. I feel that the content of the assignment would prove to be more interesting to students than a skill building instructional object. This Webquest asked the students to do things individually and then collaborate in a group setting as well. There are links that are broken, but the bridge design project could be well done after finding new links. I really enjoyed the concept that the students would have to produce drawings and potentially a 3-D model of the bridge.

If you happen upon any exemplary up-to-date math Webquests, please point me in their direction. I just may not have been searching in the right locations.

The BLOG

A traditional website site often contains the facts and opinions related to the the holder of the web address. A website for your local movie theater is a traditional website. It conveys the key information for potential consumers. These sites can represent sole individuals, but usually they are representative of a collective such as a business. A traditional website often evokes integrity and hosts a place for commerce.

A blog oftentimes relays the viewpoint of an individual. A traditional web site can be home to opinions as well, but you can think of blogs as an online journal. A blog can create a community in which a discussion is posed and other followers respond; creating an on-going dialog between the manager of the blog and readers. This same effect can be created using a traditional message board thread as well. Companies and individuals that deal in the news business have really adopted the blog as a way to translate their stories and opinions. In addition, blogs have blurred the line between journalism and professional journalism.

Blogs tend to not have as much integrity as a traditional website. Blogs can point consumers in the direction toward commerce, but due to their nature, are not usually the center for commerce.