It's like having your very own Fisher Price toy, two hours a week!

While reading Chapter 14 I really enjoyed Figure 14.1 that laid out Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering Model simply and effectively.  It allowed me to really grasp what the chapter was driving at with Human Performance Improvement/Human Performance Technology.  Since I work in a normal office building (I haven’t had the good fortune to be in a classroom yet!), I found that this model really spoke to me and I was able to relate in several ways.  Currently, I am a Quality Lead who works with around thirty specialists on their customer service skills and adherence to company and team policies and procedures.  I spend my time evaluating phone calls and providing feedback in one-on-one sessions with the specialists.

Going through each cell in Gilbert’s model, I am directly relating to our team’s meetings from the beginning of the year where we were (and still are!) deciding what is expected of our specialists to become “experts” in their field and what was expected of us to help them achieve their goals.  We also needed to understand what tools the specialists needed to reach these expectations (whether they were training documents, the proper access to software programs, etc) – the Quality team is still struggling with outdated software of our own, so we are using this as an opportunity to approach our leadership about our needs.  Moving to Cell 3 we are still trying to come up with new and effective ways to reward and recognize the specialists for a job well done.  Cell 4 focuses both on the specialists on the floor and the Quality team, since we are constantly needed to stay up to date on current trainings and process changes.  Cell 5 gives the Quality team the opportunity to provide feedback to the specialist’s leadership in hopes to further their career and make sure they are in the best position for their skills.  Understanding a specialist’s motives makes the reward/recognition piece a little easier to understand for Cell 6.

I believe that this type of thinking would help teachers and students understand their interwoven roles and what they can expect from each other.  I think Cell 6 is very important, because a teacher needs to understand what motivates their students and how to reach them better throughout the school year.  If they are more interested in one-on-one time with the teacher, perhaps there would be more time made available for that particular student to have that time.  Or if having their name on the board with a gold star means more to another student, perhaps that process could be used for the entire class in hopes to motivate multiple students.

For the second part of this week’s reflection, I found a podcast on iTunes by searching “middle school education” and playing with some different options before coming across “Savvy Science.”  I was unable to find a website for this particular podcast, but it was published on iTunes by Harrison Middle School in Arkansas.  This podcast had actual students conducting and explaining science projects, and where they can be found in real life.  One example was students teaching the viewer how to make a lava lamp with oil and water.  I think this was a useful podcast because it had the students really think through their experiments and understand the science behind it; my father always told me was the only way to ensure I knew or understood something was to be able to teach someone else.

I think podcasts can be useful in classrooms if the material is relevant to the lesson or if the students are able to share their material with other classes through this medium.  Personally, I think a lot of podcasts are made by people who like to hear themselves talk – but looking through the educational podcasts, I see that they are useful in teaching various subjects a little easier than using a text alone.

Oh, so they have internet on computers now!

My Flicrkr page!

How is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain. Remember when I took that home winemaking course, and I forgot how to drive?

In regards to the scenario in which teachers and students were provided laptops preloaded with e-versions of the textbooks they would normally use during the year and wireless access to the internet, I can think of a few reasons why this had little to no impact on the way the classes were taught.

Even though it was a grand gesture to supply laptops and internet access to the students and teachers, not providing them the instruction or training on how to use the machines as an instructional media device.  Students who have never had a laptop before could possibly view it as a luxury instead of a tool for the education.  I think that both groups would see the laptops and Internet access as being more for personal use (writing papers, grading, etc) instead of integrating the technology back into the classroom.

I think another reason this scenario would have failed would be because of the limits they are faced with.  Laptops are great, but simply installing e-versions of textbooks onto them, in my opinion, does not scream breakthrough in the use of instructional media.  When I read this scenario, I immediately thought “Okay, great… but how is that any different from having the book?”  To me, it just makes you not have to carry one more thing.  But without the proper software to present the material and make it actually jump out the class; it’s essentially not going to get you anywhere.

One other reason I believe this scenario did not work was because the teaching methods of the teachers, nor the material and how it could be presented in different fashions, was not taken into consideration.  By providing everyone with the same technology, it was just rehashing the fact that computers were not effective tools (per the 1980s, etc).  By not considering the audience, it is just a random use of technology.

If the teachers were provided an introduction to all of the programs and ways to use their new laptop, I believe this would have been a huge benefit.  There is only so much one can learn by just poking around in the dark; given the proper instruction on how to integrate this piece of technology into their classes I think the teachers would have been more successful throughout the year.  And by leading as an example, they would be able to train/teach their students how to use their laptops a little more productively. 

In a perfect world, I would have much rather seen the students and teachers be equipped with a more updated and versatile piece of technology – the iPad.  I am a huge supporter of this piece of technology and the ways in which it can be used in various classrooms with great results.  It allows the students to be more hands-on and focused on certain tasks and lessons by using applications that are geared specifically towards that lesson.  Teachers are able to use the screen share function to demonstrate different examples and other forms of media; and they are able to easily carry the iPad around the classroom with them in case a student has any questions that they would need to refer back to their desk/computer for.

Gotta do whatcha gotta do.

     I really enjoyed reading the “7 Things you should know about… Social Bookmarking” article and the scenario it listed for Dr. Smith and Dr. Brown.  Social bookmarking seems like such an excellent and care-free way to organize your bookmarks for your own personal use, and also to share with co-workers, friends, and fellow posters.  I love the way that you can create “stacks” on my delicious.com – it is so easy to group together certain topics that you are interested in.  I made a stack that focused on Education and Technology, with another stack focused on our upcoming trip to Disneyland.  
     Using a social bookmarking site in a classroom would be extremely handy for students to share links if they are working on a group project – this way they have easy access to all the sources that could potentially be used.  Teachers would also be able to share different links with their students to help solidify a concept they were teaching; they could provide links to YouTube videos, Wikipedia pages, photos on Flikr – the list is endless.  Not only would students be able to view this, but other teachers and parents as well.  This would help other teachers if they had similar lesson plans find information quickly and easily; it would also allow parents to be updated on what their students are studying in class at their own convenience.
     The 2008 definition, to me, was the most efficient and made the most sense.  It was also the definition that was the closest to my preconceived concept of what Educational Technology was.  I didn’t actually think that I could make a career out of Educational Technology; I was under the impression that it was a tool/device that was used in the classroom by teachers.  However, I really like the idea of individuals being solely dedicated to the growth of Educational Technology and making sure the ethics of this area is protected.  As a member of a support team at my own job, I understand how valuable having a group of people making sure that everything is working well behind the scene is. 
     I think as time goes on, this particular career will become even more valuable.  It will be necessary to understand what means of technology are best used in certain situations.  And with technology becoming increasingly visible in the classroom, the dedication to the ethical use of technology will also be very important.  I look forward to learning more about Educational Technology as a career as the class goes on, and possibly seeing how I would be able to fit in to the definition.