Reflection on Flyer, Progress Chart, and Quiz.

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0Bx2hDvQyhVLnMjRhYTMyOTAtMTUzZC00YTE0LTlkODAtMDk0MjNjMWY2MGNm&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0Bx2hDvQyhVLnNmY1NDU5NmMtOTYyZS00MDM4LWExNDMtN2I4N2NiMDM2OTcx&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0Bx2hDvQyhVLnMzg5NmU3N2QtMTM3OC00ODU1LWI0ZDAtODFkNTBkYjc5MGFk&hl=en


I had to create a flyer, progress chart, and quiz to present during a meeting with the parent of one of my children. I am currently teaching 9th grade World Geography at Harrison Central High School, so I used my class to create the projects. The flyer was probably the easiest of the three assignments. I found a free flyer template on http://www.office.microsoft.com/, which made it very simple. All I had to do was fill in my information about the meeting; I included what the meeting was for, what I would be presenting at the meeting, where and when the meeting would be held, and my contact information. I didn’t really run into any problems.

The progress report was done on Microsoft excel. I made up eight names of people instead of using the names of my real students for confidentiality reasons. I put the student’s names running down the first column in alphabetical order, and the assignment names running across the first row. I included five grades for Unit 5, and calculated an average grade for each student using the tools offered by excel. I actually found this assignment pretty easy too, even though I have had problems using excel in the past.

The quiz was done in the form of a power point presentation. I have done many ppt presentations in the past so I was able to create it pretty quickly; the only problem I ran into was adding buttons so that I could move back and forth throughout the presentation easily. I was trying to figure out how to add the buttons when suddenly my presentation disappeared, of course I hadn’t saved it yet. I was so upset, so needless to say I redid the whole thing, minus the buttons and saved it.

When I tried to submit it to drop box, I could not attach the files. I have had online classes before and have experience turning in attachment into assignment drop box. When I tried to attach the documents, the little computer that usually shows up was not there. I gave it a few minutes to load, but it never appeared, the spot was just blank. So I emailed my assignment into Dr. Wang. Overall the assignment was fairly easy, but I did run into a couple of problems.

Week 5 (Chapter 5 & 6) question # 3

What are authoring systems? What is the difference between drill-and-practice software and tutorial software? When is it appropriate to use each in teaching and learning?

An authoring system is a computer program that allows people, who are not programmers, create software with programming features. These programs include power point presentations which allow students to view lectures online, and tailored multimedia lessons, which are based on the computer. Hypermedia format, which allows students to jump back and forth throughout the presentation or lesson, is used for both types of authoring systems. For the most part, authoring systems offer a multitude of graphics, interface, and other gear educational software requires. Another advantage of authoring systems is that everyday people can create their own web pages, which would especially be beneficial to teachers who want to provide a learning tool for their students that can be accessed at home. The benefit of authoring systems is the ease with which students and teachers can create their own programs for educational purposes.

Tutorial software is designed to present new information to the student and consists of two types, linear and hypermedia. The linear approach is formatted by using a step by step process. For example, at the University of Southern Mississippi most students have to take the plagiarism tutorial sometime during their college career, which in my case I have had to take it twice for two different classes. Basically it has several sections that you read about plagiarism, what is considered plagiarism and examples of plagiarism in student’s writing. Within each section there are quiz questions you have to answer, to help you decide if you have learned enough to go to the next section. After you have finished all of the sections there is a comprehensive test that you have to pass, in order to display you know what plagiarism is, and if you do not pass, the tutorial lets you know what sections you need to review in order to pass the next time. The hypermedia approach is formatted to allow students to go through the learning program in any order they choose, but it is still similar to the linear approach because the students have to complete some form of evaluation and still receive feedback from the program. Tutorial software can be very beneficial to the student’s learning; even though they may sometimes find the way the information is presented to be boring.

Drill and practice software is intended to review earlier learned content, instead of introducing new information to the student. This software gives instant feedback to the student after answering each question; therefore the student knows where he/she stands throughout the lesson. This software can also gage what level of learning the student needs to be on by increasing the level of hardness if the student gets the question right, or decreasing the level of hardness if the student gets the question wrong. This way the student eventually masters the content of the lesson by building up to that mastery. Drill and practice software is beneficial to the student because they can find out what their weaknesses are in each lesson and then work on those weaknesses, even though it can be boring and a little repetitive. The teacher benefits because the drill and practice software helps them remediate the student, making the teacher’s job easier. Teachers should use the tutorial software at the beginning and throughout their lesson, and use the drill and practice software at the end of their lesson to make sure they go back and cover what needs to be re-taught to the students.

Chp. 3 & 4 #2 Why is it advantageous for educators to share resources & programs on a network? What concerns are associated with program sharing?

Networking computer systems are made up of two main components. The server is the main computer which connects other computers and printers together. Many computers can be connected to one server; these computers are usually referred to as network workstations. Besides the benefit of being cost effective, sharing resources through networking has many other advantages. Data can be shared, hardware such as printers and scanners can be shared between many classrooms, and teachers and students can use e-mail and electronic pen pal to keep the lines of communication open.

Sharing programs is also very beneficial for schools. By using a network system, programs can be installed and maintained by using a server, instead of having to manually install software onto individual computers, this saves time and a lot of headache. Also, software programs are sometimes discounted by vendors when installed onto a network system, which cut costs for schools. Upgrades are quicker when using a network system because only the server has to be upgraded, and if a problem occurs with any computer’s software within the network the problem can be solved by repairing the server. Although there are many advantages of using a network to share resources and programs there is one major disadvantage. If the server has problems with its programs, all of the computers are affected. Some schools combat this problem with housing back up servers or back up program disks, which does add to the initial cost of the system.

I think networking computers should be used in all schools because the benefits far out way the problems that may occur within the system. I like the idea of being able to send emails, as a form of communication, between teachers because it is quick and easy. I also think that networking systems help give more time back to the teachers because if a teacher’s computer has problems with its software the problem can be fixed through the server and the teacher does not have to worry about fixing it on his/her own time. I also like the idea of being able to share programs with other teachers especially if they are in the same department. For example, if the whole science department had to use the same nine weeks test for all of the Biology I classes, they can share the test information through the network instead of having to print out copies for all of the teachers, or having each teacher download it to their individual computer.

Chapter 2, Question #1: How can instructional design model help you develop your instructional plan? Identify the steps of the DID model and explain.

Sometimes teachers can become overwhelmed by the amount of information that must be taught in a school semester. By using an instructional design model; teachers can step back and look at the semester as a whole and then break it down into sections that may be more easily managed. Teachers must remember to remain flexible when implementing an instructional design model in order for it to be successful. The dynamic instructional design (DID) model is made up of six parts and allows teachers to continually monitor their progress by using a feedback system, which allows teachers to correct mistakes along the way instead of waiting until the end.
The first step of the DID model is getting to know the students. Teachers should research their students to find out what kind of learner they are and what their ideal learning environment is. Also teachers should take into account their students home life and backgrounds when preparing their lesson plans. Once teachers have a firm grasp on who their students are their lesson plans can be adapted to fit those particular students. The second step of the DID model is stating your objectives. By using performance objectives, students know exactly what they will learn and what is expected of them. Learning objectives are also beneficial to teachers because they are able to keep track of what they should be teaching and they are able to gauge whether their students successfully completed their learning goals for each lesson. Teachers must remember to be very specific when choosing their objectives for each lesson because they have to be able to measure what their students have learned. Teachers are also able to make sure they incorporate the various degrees of learning (DOK) when using specific objectives.
Step three of the DID model is establishing the learning environment. The learning environment can have a huge impact on how the students are able to comprehend the information that is taught to them. The physical and nonphysical environments should be considered by teachers when they are making their lesson plans. For example, the seating in the classroom should be organized in a way that facilitates learning and the air temperature should be suitable for the students. The atmosphere of the classroom is also very important, if the atmosphere of the classroom is hostile; students will probably feel uncomfortable and will not comprehend what they are being taught. The fourth step of the DID model is identifying teaching and learning strategies. Teachers need to think ahead and decide how they are going to plan their lessons, what new information will they introduce to the students and what past content will they have to remediate on. Teachers need to decide what methods and media they are going to use to implement their lessons, for example giving a lecture to the class using power point presentations. Teachers also need to decide how they will get their students actively involved in the learning process. The fifth step in the DID model is identifying and selecting technologies. Teachers must select the most appropriate technology for each lesson and they must be able to use that technology effectively. The last step in the DID model is evaluating and revising. Teachers need to evaluate their lesson plans and revise any parts of it that did not work as it should have. Teachers can have students take a questionnaire to find out how the students felt about the lesson and to see if the students felt like they met every objective successfully.