LoTi... What is everyone up to?

After evaluating the LoTi levels I believe the school district I work in is at a 1 or a 2 depending on the school. The middle school I work in has SMART Boards in every class as well as a few computers. There are also 2 computer labs and a class set of laptops that can be 'rented' for a classroom for a few days. At the high school, almost no classes have SMART Boards, and if they do they are rarely used. If technology is used in either school it is usually teacher-centered and the teacher does all the work. Student usually only get on the computers to complete assignments, that are almost never Web 2.0 tools. The highest level I have seen is Exploration, this is usually with internet educational games or research papers. I believe that the reason for the lack of use is based on minimal availability as well as curriculum restrictions. There is not enough money to have computers for every student, or even every classroom. At the secondary level there are also restrictions on time because of intense curriculum standards and testing.

My personal level is a 2 at Exploration. I am not very skilled, but have had a little experience with using technology in the classroom as a student. I have only used PowerPoint, SMART Board, as well as research tools on the internet. In order to upgrade my level, I plan to continue to explore Web 2.0 technologies as well as take part in professional development classes.

How did my first week go?

After the first 'in person' class, I left with many questions about the class. What is the overall goal for the course? How will the assignments play out? Will I understand everything? and to be honest will I be able to get an A? I do not know much about teaching with technology other than basic computer functions, the internet, and basic Smart Board operation. I am hopeful that I will gain lots of experience with different technologies that will be easily incorporated in my secondary classes in the future.

Exploring the Moodle site the first week was overwhelming! The site was very full and had lots of information which was, at times, confusing. I muddled my way through it, only to get to the first class very confused because I understand very little about the jargon and actual activities.

After the first class, I was able to write down information about the assignments, but I found myself not really understanding what I wrote the day after. I wanted to understand more about the group collaboration, what we would be working on. I also wished that we would have all the assignments for the course laid out in one place so I could get started on some of the ones in the future.

The whole first week I kept exploring the Moodle site and figuring out just how to get started. There was so much to choose from, that I ended up choosing blog, wiki, and pws sites that were easiest for me to use. Since I am such a beginner I knew that I did not want to overextend myself and wanted to try to keep things as straightforward as I could. I choose Blogger, Webs, and Wikispace for my websites. I also started a Gmail thread with my group members to discuss our logo, motto, and group name. I think we all had some great ideas! I was confused with some of the assignments, but after reading through them and playing around with them I was able to understand them a little better. I also knew that asking Dr. S and my classmates was the best way to make sure I was doing things right. I learned that the Blog and the PWS are not as confusing as I thought, but adding extras to make it 'pop' is difficult. I knew how to create a PDF file, which made the test file assignment easy. I still can't wait to find out more about the WOW assignment and what we will be doing with our Wiki's!

Philosophy of Education survey results

After tallying my results, I found the following:

#1 Humanism

#2 Information Processing

#3 (tie) Constructivism/Reconstructivism

#5 Progressivism

#6 Behavioralism

#7 Perennialism

#8 Essentialism

The results were not surprising. I already knew I am not an essentialist, I am not a fan of standards and I am not a fan of core curriculum. I believe that student's interests should be allowed and having extra classes such as 'Politics', 'Fashion Design', and 'Graphic Design' allow for students to enjoy school and explore their interests. I was also not surprised by my number one choice. I am all for the individual student and helping them find their voice and their niche in life. I think that school should be a place where they can grow and explore their interests and feel safe.