Instructional Technology Ponderings

For the last couple of weeks my instructional technology students have been talking about and exploring the importance of digital literacy. They have been exploring the Internet by conducting research and identifying effective strategies to implement in order to critically evaluate information found online. As a class, they have explored necessary competencies to develop good research questions so they could/can conduct effective and efficient online research. Lastly, they have been exploring both ethical and legal issues of using all types of information found online.

Through this process, my students have explored Web 2.0 tools in order to share, collaborate, and experience learning and teaching in this digital age with colleagues, students, and the digital community. In creating content for online use, each student is slowly becoming digital citizens. Students are personalizing readings and investigations because they are becoming a part of the digital society. Meaning is beginning to take shape. As a class, they ask questions of the information they are finding, seeking, and creating. They begin to ask themselves, am I digitally literate? Are my students digitally literate?

Through this entire process my students are exploring and experiencing the first steps of critical thinking in this digital age. Each student is beginning to connect the ‘digital dots’ by reading, interpreting, and creating media in all formats. Slowly, they are beginning to understand what it means to be a citizen in this digital world. It has been a good couple of weeks so far this summer.

I was reading the Examiner.com today and found out that George Mason has received a $7 million grant to create an interactive history Web site. The goal of this site is ‘to improve history instruction throughout the United States’. The site will provide lesson plans, forums for discussions, and each lesson will be aligned with state history standards.

The Web site itself states that it is…

Designed for high school and college teachers and students, History Matters serves as a gateway to web resources and offers other useful materials for teaching U.S. history.

To visit the site directly, go to http://historymatters.gmu.edu/

As more and more of these quality sites are placed on the Web, information becomes more accessible and necessary.

Today, I am back on the topic of simulations. I ran across this simulation, Darfur is Dying, today. The ‘game’ is a narrative simulation where the player takes on the role of a displaced darfuian, and negotiates with forces that are threatening the survival of his/her refugee camp. This game was created as a part of a contest.

On the Simulation Web site itself, it states,

Darfur is Dying is a viral video game for change that provides a window into the experience of the 2.5 million refugees in the Darfur region of Sudan. Players must keep their refugee camp functioning in the face of possible attack by Janjaweed militias. Players can also learn more about the genocide in Darfur that has taken the lives of 400,000 people, and find ways to get involved to help stop this human rights and humanitarian crisis.

Interesting. I wonder what people think of this simulation and how this could be used in a classroom instead of a lecture. Would it be beneficial?

How can these tools help teachers become better teachers? Can they?

I was reading an article this morning, Virtual classroom at the University of Central Florida puts teachers to the test, in the Orlando Sentinel and found it interesting. Interesting on many levels - first, I am planning something similar this coming fall with a class. Second, I believe simulations can and do provide a rich experience for students at any level.

As teachers, we search for effective strategies and methods that provide both dynamic experiences for our students and opportunities that encourage thought and discovery. Simulations are one such opportunity. Simulations provide a sense of immersion into an environment and hopefully provide opportunities for the learner to participate and to think as they would in the ‘real world’ - (outside the classroom walls). Thus, processing, making decisions, and learning.

I am planning to implement a dynamic, live, and very present type of simulated experience this coming fall in SecondLife.  I will be doing this in a beginning course for teachers at CGPS, Teaching and the Development of the Learner. Students will have opportunities to role play in this world and to practice maintaining a safe and productive classroom environment. Students will use this simulated environment by creating avatars and participating in different roles (student and teacher).  As the article suggests, if there is a problem in the classroom, you must fix it. Students will have opportunities to practice doing just that. The benefit, it is simulated and they will receive constructive feedback with opportunities for practice.

It is an interesting and good article. Take a look.

Today, the keynote speaker of the Faculty Academy on Teaching and Learning at UMW, Dr. Janet Murray, had an interesting presentation on the expressive possibilities of the digital medium that many of us are immersed in. This digital medium is engaging especially in the world of education. Many educators are slowly beginning to walk the walk of new media and to begin understanding or should I say gasping the abundant possibilities it holds for each of us as communicators, storytellers, and brain stretching orators. A couple of questions that I continually ask are -

•  How can this new technology make us smarter?
• How can we use this new technology to help us think critically about topics and to stretch our brains, even further? And,
• How can we best utilize this medium to enrich the lives of our students?

In my presentation today, A Conversation with the University Committee on Digital Initiatives, we explored the need for the University itself to develop, maintain, and allow to flourish a cyberinfrastructure that’s main focus revolves around good pedagogy, content, and technology. Interesting and meaningful discussions. 

Interesting Web sites that I have found today.

A librarian has set up a Wiki page identifying Web 2.0 tools. This is a nifty and necessary resource.

http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/

Mnemograph is in beta format and is looking for testers. Sign up and try out this really cool Web-based Timeline tool.

http://mnemograph.com/

Twitter on my brain. How about Students using Twitter, any ideas? Youth Twitter has students use twitter to think and create. Worth a look.

http://youthtwitter.com/

Learn more about Youth Twitter by checking out the Web site - Teachers Teaching Teachers.  They have done a little piece on YouthTwitter and it is pretty interesting.

http://teachersteachingteachers.org/?p=167

By the way, I have just set up a page on LibraryThing. Nothing listed yet, but something I will be filling in soon.

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/teresacoffman