Week 2 online

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I will be dealing with the week 2 reflection in this weeks blog entry.

1. Identify at least two synchronous and two asynchronous online learning tools that would be appropriate for your targeted online learners. I use elluminate to teach my courses in a synchronous manner every week. Meebo is a instant chat application that I have also used to have a synchronous tool as well as the old fashioned phone call. I also use asynchronous tools such as email, and discussion boards in my on line teaching

2. List four different types of activities that you might use with your targeted online learners and identify an appropriate online tool to use in implementing that activity.
I use discussions which employ discussion board threads
I voting as an online tool while in elluminate
I use break out rooms and group reporting in elluinate
I use formative assessments with my students providing links to assessments I find on the internet using my classroom links in black board.


3. Is my initial contact warm and inviting? Are there things I did particularly well or could do better in the future?
I did revise my traditional greeting to make it more informational without making it too hard to read. I hope I have made it more clear and concise.

4. Is my initial contact clear and concise and yet user friendly? What are some strategies that help to format your contacts to make them as clear and concise as possible?
I think I have improved my initial contact email to be more clear and concise. It was pointed out by Ryan Boylen in our discussion board that he liked the positive reinforcement used. I think having a uniform format is very helpful. I try to make communications within a class uniform. Weekly announcements, format of assignments, where to find written information and reference materials.

This class will be a positive influence on how my communication for my online class is set up next year.

550 Week 1

Sorry for the delay, I misled some of the first lecture due to fatigue and pain related to my recent ankle surgery, so I was not aware we were continuing with these as well as last weeks reflections that we posted on the e-school network.
As I am getting ready to rock another blog this week I will defer to my thoughts of last week for this week.

I teach online and it surprised me that some in video felt they had a better connection with students teaching in the online environment than in a face to face environment. One high level leader involved with VHS felt that students should only take online courses as part time.

I feel that the biggest area in which online learning meets my students needs are in the flexibility it offers for my students to spend more or little time in different areas. They have access to many different references for receiving the information. Access to teachers time more is also more flexible and therefore more accessible.

My main concerns working in this environment are guaranteeing the authenticity of my students work. Secondly the trend if for the number of students I teach to increase. I have a difficult time creating a community of learners working with over 300 students online and it seems it will only become more of a problem in the
future.

Some thoughts online practice activities and simulations.

• I feel that the combination of Interactive multimedia applications and formative assessments are very powerful learning tools.
• Reference or reading material for the topic should be easily accessed.
• Different levels of exploration, supportive material and formative assesment make a module that much more useful.


Some good science sites you may wish to check out.

http://education-portal.com/articles/10_Universities_Offering_Free_Science_Courses_Online.html

http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/science_nation/index.jsp
This is a good resource for current science news, especially in video format.

University Colorado simulations science
http://phet.colorado.edu/simulations/index.php?cat=Featured_Sims

Comparing the size of biological components
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/
very cool interactive lesson on size of bacteria, virus etc.

1. click on link

2. mover slider on bottom of slide for viewing.

Photosynthesis
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.stru.photosynth/

Evolution

http://www.nationalacademies.org/evolution/
http://www.nsta.org/publications/evolution.aspx
http://www.millerandlevine.com/km/evol/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/index.html

Blood typing Game
http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/medicine/landsteiner/index.html

Hope these are helpful

Last Statistical Blog....

What did I learn? Statistically speaking I learned an high but unquantifiable amount of information about how much information is now our there and available to anyone with just cursory knowledge of how to use the internet. In addition I am fearful of how much information and therefore power could be gained and wielded by an individual or organization.

People have been manipulating people for a very long time and we have evolved defenses if you will to protect ourselves from the interpersonal types of manipulation that takes place from day to day. (Ok some protection, except from women, though I do recognize it but that to is part of the evolutionary game.) In Fact there is a movement to teach our students to recognize manipulation by studying such things as the Nazi propaganda campaigns, and yes even some time spent on the American propaganda being used. Our students are being taught to recognize manipulations in advertisement as well. Still as has been brought up in this course by others what type of training is being done for those students entering the Cyberworld and what implications do the new naivete's have for manipulation of future generations.

Will we evolve technical defenses against the invasion of privacy, ID theft and manipulation by marketers?

Week 3 blog

How did blog three follow blog 4, well technology assistance that is how. I was misled into believing that I had already completed the 3rd blog when I went to name the blog it gave me the option of naming it "Week 3 blog" which I assumed meant I had completed blog 3 but alas that was a very old blog three not the 520 blog three that I am currently working on.

It is a small thing this tech assistance but I find it very helpful and miss it when I move between my two computers. Each Sunday night I send my students there weekly what to do email. Using my laptop means that when I type in the subject line to the email that choice will appear for each of my classes when I click on the proper field. This saves mere seconds but I become aggravated when using my PC and performing the same task when this particular word processing assistance does not automatically give me the choice.

It is not such a time saver as a mental break from having to repeat a step, I mean it only saves me a couple of seconds but I feel a great relief incompatible with the time saving convenience, very interesting. These may be the simple things that make users happy and from someone who spends most of his time online, the happier the better for this user.

Week 4 blog

So in a troubling display of the power of Data we were introduced to Bill Trancer. He might be a very nice guy, obviously a very smart guy, but his use of data and trends to manipulate online users and other consumers gives men the willy's. What Willy's are I am not sure (too busy to look up the root, if you know please add a comment.) but the thought that all the key strokes online by everyone are analyzed and dissected with hopes of better being able to sell me products gives me pause.
It isn't that I am particularly naive (though in some ways I certainly am)I understand the capitol economic system and the apparent wealth and value it has given to the American people. I also understand it is the job of the marketing department to manipulate us into buying their products. What worries me is my understanding of brain studies that have shown that we are very susceptible to emotional, visual and other stimuli that bypass what we wrongly believe is our cognitive logical abilities to consider and think.

So it worries me that the Marketers will get ahead of my brain in the arms race that is consumerism. Do I really need that Ford Mustang Convertible or do I just want one? OK so I choose a bad example the Mustang is so obviously a need. In many instances our need for things may be influence with ever increasing sophistication changing our wants into needs. Thanks for reading the ramblings got a go buy some more stuff I just saw online.

Welcome to the Big Apple!

I was in New York City, Wow! I had planned on writing my week 2 blog while in New York, I figured I was there for four whole days. I would take a walk to a cafe with my computer some morning while my wife slept in. Or maybe sit in a cafe in the afternoon or some evening and reminisce about technology in New York. Well New York was awesome, the only time I set down was to eat! The Technology presence in New York was evident in Time square, where almost every building outside our apartment had some sort of plasma display with vivid pictures and colors displaying all the beautiful items and people money can buy. I was also able to use my BlackBerry everywhere in Manhattan, and I mean everywhere; From the top of the Rock, to the underground subway, on the Brooklyn bridge and on the Staten Island ferry.
With that said, even if for a minute I headed out with my briefcase(or attaché perhaps it's really a satchel, man purse?) I would have been hard pressed to find a place to hook up. (with my wireless that is) It did make me stop and think, how we need a wireless infrastructure in this country. Well need may be a bit strong. I would like one is more appropriate. If it is good for me though it may well be that it is good for commerce in general. How much would it cost, how much would it help? I wonder.
While wondering I wondered as Mic Jagger once said "all over Manhattan" actually perhaps those aren't lyrics in a Rolling Stone song but they are close, related or someone may consider them tangential at the least. Which through the fun of word association and rambling leads me to another New York Minute.
I had just assumed I would hate New York, just in the same way I hate driving in downtown Chicago and just how I hate the Yankees. (Yes I came home with two Yankee hats, what's a fella to do.) Hadn't Jagger told us all about it in that song "Don't mind the maggots" (Now I know they sang that!) Well if you have not been there in a while it is time to go back. It was like a Walt Disney vacation set in a huge city. Really everyone was happy, I even thought I say Mikey Mouse walking around Santa was there in full force it must have been some kind of conference there were hundreds of them mostly in groups of 7-10 and very few sober and it was not crazy expensive though signs of rich people were everywhere. Which was kinda fun though puzzling as well as we never did see anybody who was rich, how do you think they manage that, probably pay folks like me to make sure they don't see folks like me. Interesting huh?

Taming the Wild Data points of life.

This week I had to ask my brilliant children for help. I remember loving the lab work in college but hating the calculations especially determining standard deviation. I even whined to my son and daughter when they told me I had to calculate the cumulative differences between the data and the mean in a field with only 7 entries. They tried to console me and tell me that if I entered the data into the graphics calculator and did some logical and simple (Magical Mystical digital manipulations) calculations it would all become clear and I could reach a transcendent level of data understanding. Of course I didn't. I take it on faith that the statistical manipulations are useful and I have seen some evidence though the clarity of the moment quickly fades into a fog of confusion. I know with time and training I can tame the wild numbers and learn to ride this wave of data, but I have to tell you I fear that this horse truly hates me.