Week 14: Using Gaming for Teaching and Learning

This week we talked about using gaming for teaching and learning. The primary game we talked about in class was second life--basically virtual life, a place where you can do everything in another world with a person you've created. We discussed in class whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. Although the Internet has wonderful programs that can be really useful for education, I think online games is where it becomes a little too risky.

Most children are used to navigating the online world, and as many parents can tell you, most already have online games they play. In this society, it's easy to become swept away with the Internet. It is so incredibly important for teachers and educators to teach children the importance of not letting the Internet take over their life. Using online games for teaching does the opposite. It reaffirms what children are beginning to believe--that it's OK to rely on the Internet for everything. I'm not saying every situation is a bad one, but you must be very picky and cautious about how many online games you use when teaching children.

One area where gaming really hasn't hit too hard yet is journalism. There are no clear, everyday uses for gaming in the journalism field. It is an interesting thing to think about, though. Using games for informing adults and attracting readers is much different than teaching children, first of all. In a constantly evolving world it's interesting to think about how you could use games in journalism. For instance, you could use them to accompany a story or in some interactive way on a publication's website. Actually, using it as an interactive way is really great idea. It'll be interesting to see over the next few years how games begin to permeate journalism.

All that said, I don't want to sound to critical. Like I said before, yes it is a very dangerous area to get into. But to be fair, it's important to evaluate all sides and look at the benefits of online games, too. The below video show how five graduate students from IIT Delhi are trying to make learning easier for  kids through games they are developing. The video, a news report from NDTV, shows the benefits to gaming for teaching and learning. They're really are a lot of benefits. You just have to be extremely cautious.

Week 13: Distance Education and Virtual School

This week we talked about distance education and its influence on  education and society. We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of distance education verse in-classroom education.

What does it mean to be a Gator? Can you be a Gator and not take UF classes on the UF campus? In reality, it probably doesn’t make that much of a difference when you're looking for a job. Your degree doesn’t specify whether it was online or not. But there is something special about being on campus. There’s something special about being around 50,000 other Gator fans.  Socially, you can’t compare the two. Education, however, is hard to measure. In today’s world it’s much easier to take online classes and that is generally an accepted thing. I think a lot of it depends on the classes and the major. Some classes, like science or journalism classes, would be better taught in the classroom rather than over the Internet.

Despite how much it has taken off, though, distance education is still being developed throughout society. It’s still something people are kind of iffy on.  However, some distance education classes can be used in really great ways. When I first started as a journalism student, I had a hard time getting the hang of some of my reporting classes. So, I took free online courses with the Poynter Institute. The Poynter Institute is not necessarily as school, but it’s a good example of how I have been able to use online classes to improve my skills as a journalist. The classes I have taken have been very good and helped a lot, which says a lot about how good online classes and distance education can be.

But just because I had some online success with class doesn’t mean they are all great. As we talked about in class, it is still an area very much up for debate; they each have pros and cons. A chapter, Benefits of Distance Learning, in A Teacher’s Guide to Distance Learning, provides a great look at some of the benefits for distance learning from a teacher’s perspective. We always look at the students when discussing whether distance education is beneficial or not, but what about teachers feelings on distance education? Check out the article for more details. Another article on QuintCareers.com provides a great list of distance education pros and cons. Both articles really show some of the drawbacks and benefits of distance education, so check out both for more details.

Week 12: Creating a Professional Web Presence

This week we talked about the importance of having a professional web presence, some online place where future employers can go to learn more about you and see some of your work. As college students getting ready to look for jobs, it's important for us to show that not only can we do a job, but we also know how to use technology and the Internet for educational purposes.

For our Web Presence assignments we are using Google Sites. Google Sites, like most of the other online tools we looked at this semester, is incredibly easy to use. Through using Google Sites we're able to create an online site with our resume, portfolio, and personal information. As we discussed in class, a web presence is an important development for students to have. It shows you are using the Internet in positive ways--for more than just Facebook.

I was really excited about this assignment. As a journalism student, I'm always building up my portfolio with stories. Journalism is an applied field--it's a skill that's not taught through book work. To get a job as a journalists, employers want to see clips and photos. Sending in tons of copies of stories can get expensive. Being able to give a future employer a site for them to see a variety of stories you've written is such a plus. When I started by internship at The North Florida Herald last summer, one of the very first things the editor told us was that we have to have some online place to put our work. That was the first thing he told us! It's so important for student journalists to have somewhere to showcase their skills because in this day and age, you won't find a job without it.

The work, though, doesn't stop with simply creating a web presence. You have to constantly be developing your site to improve and reflect what you are doing at that point in your life. This blog offers "101 Ways to Create a Powerful Web Presence."  The blog really emphasizes somethings (like blogging every single day). The list offers great ways to continue to develop your web presence and impress future employers. 
 

Week 11: Open Source Software

This week in class we talked about open source software and cloud computing. Open Source Software are  online tools, like Audacity or Gimp, that people can download and use for free. Programs like Google Docs are cloud computing programs. Although open source and cloud computing can be difficult to understand, looking at the tools they produce really clarifies things.

Open Source Software is wonderful because it's free and very useful.  For instance, open source software allow people to use programs like Gimp instead of Adobe Photoshop. Open Office is another good example of open source software--it's a down-loadable program  that's compatible with programs like Microsoft Word. As we talked about in class, open source software and cloud computing are another great example of how technology can provide a multitude of benefits for users.

To be honest, I like open source software because it's free. Why? Beacause I'm a journalist (which almost guarantee's a life of poverty) and a college student. As journalism takes on more and more--from designs to online media--a journalist must be able to use a multitude of things. Having open source software can help make working on assignments and projects easier. I can use Gimp to work on designs and photos instead of buying photoshop. If there's a compatibility problem with a word document, I can use Open Office. I can use Google Docs for ideas and brainstorming, or I can use Audacity to create sound clips. Open Source Software is useful for anyone, but because the field of journalism covers such a large area, cloud computing and open source software really help me out.

There are a TON of resources out their for people to take advantage of. The few programs listed above are not the only programs out there. For a more complete list of open source software programs, check out this list provided by Damicon. The list breaks open source software down by category and is an amazing resource for people to take advantage of.

Week 10: Tech Tools for Critical Thinking

In class this week we talked about using technology for critical thinking. Critical thinking is essentially thinking logically and using reasoning skills, such as comparisons, cause/effect, deductive reasoning, analogies, critiquing, etc. Critical thinking also helps create ideas and stimulate curiosity.

Another great way to think critically is by using concept maps. Concept maps help organize your thought and ideas. Often times by putting your thoughts on paper you stimulate more ideas. As we talked about in class, there are many different online programs that can create concept maps for you, such as Webspiration, Bubbl.us, or Gliffy. Creating concept maps by hand are often a pain—if you need to change something, you have to erase and start all over. Online tools like these can help save time and organize ideas.  I used Bubbl.us to create a concept map (see below) and it was incredible simple!

One area where I found critical thinking to be very useful is in journalism. I have to use critical thinking all the time for the stories I write, whether it’s comparing notes between sources, drawing conclusions about a particular situation, or examining the cause and effect of different things. One of the biggest ways I gain information is though the Internet. It’s essential for me to know how to effectively use online technology for finding story ideas, writing stories, and looking for sources.  Concept maps are also useful for me in journalism. Many of my classes have talked about the importance of brainstorming techniques for ideas. In one class, we used concept maps to think of newspaper design ideas or to write headlines. The online world is becoming part of journalism, and finding ways to use new online technology for critical thinking is an important part of that development.

However, just because technology could help our critical thinking skills doesn’t mean it actually does. In order to use tech tools to think critically, we have to be looking for ways to develop better critical thinking skills through technology. More often than not, the things we use the Internet for are harming our thinking skills. An article in the UCLA Newsroom reports on a study that says Internet use has caused a decline in critical thinking skills. The article brings up a good point, and I think it’s important to remember that you need to use the Internet wisely. Check out the article for more details.

Week 9: Social Tools and Cloud Computing

This week we shifted to talk about social tools that use cloud computing. Cloud computing is using server-based applications as a service rather than being tied to a specific platform on a specific machine or device. For instance, Google Docs and Delicious are both good examples of cloud computing. Cloud computing is Internet-based and can provide easier access than using a specific server or platform.

Because cloud computing was a little technical for me to understand, thinking of cloud computing in terms of Google Docs and Delicious, both of which were assignments in the upcoming weeks, made cloud computing much easier to grasp. Google Docs and Delicious allow people to access the material you’ve created or added. For instance, in Google Docs people can access a document you’ve created (if you’ve invited them) and add to or edit what you’ve already done. Google Docs is a great group organizing tool. Instead of going through meetings and a long series of emails, Google Docs allows every one in the group to share ideas in one place on their time.

The benefits of social tools and cloud computing can affect almost every job, group, or organization. For journalists, cloud computing programs like Google docs is a great way for journalists to share notes and stories and to check accuracy. For instance, if I'm collaborating with another writer, Google Docs would be a great way to fact check and make sure we have the same notes, or to brainstorm ideas about stories for the next magazine or newspaper issue. Similarly, bookmarking sites like Delicious can refer people to useful sites for other projects, ideas, etc. My professor uses Delicious quite a bit, and I have found her bookmarks on Delicious really helpful for my projects. The sites help with my assignments and give me ideas for future projects.

HowStuffWorks.com outlines the benefits of cloud computing more specifically than what my general examples can. The article explains in more detail what cloud computing is and what it specifically does that is so much more beneficial. I also recommend Google Docs for Educators. The Google site explains how teachers can use Google Docs to help their students. Although it might not seem like, students can benefit from cloud computing programs like Google Docs, and the site helps teachers implement them in the classroom.

Week 8: The Sound of…Podcasting

 This week we talked about the use of sound for teaching and learning. In the previous weeks, we talked about the importance of visual literacy and a child’s need to learn by seeing things, whether its through digital storytelling or other forms of visual literacy. Just like visual literacy is an important aspect to a child’s learning, so is auditory learning. 

With today’s technology, using sound to convey messages is a new way to teach topics or stories. One of the most popular forms of using sound to do this is through podcasting. Although we didn’t do any podcasting this week, we were asked to create a sound file using programs like Garage Band or Audacity.

The assignment was cool one—one that allowed you to try something new and potentially have a lot of fun with it. We even looked tons of available music and sounds that are available for anyone to use. However, as exciting as the assignment was, my experience showed me a different side of technology—the uglier one.

Evidently, my computer has a problem with recording sound. I (tried to) use Audacity to record different musical sounds, but the recorder or sound device had a problem. Technical/Computer problems like these illustrate the negative side to the programs and technology now available. Everything as a negative side, and this is technology's. Although the podcasting and sound programs like Audacity are very beneficial, it’s important to be aware of the problems that can arise.

As I’ve stated through much of my blog, one area where podcasting can be very helpful is journalism. A journalist's job is to covey information, so it only seems logical that a journalist pursue every facet that could tell information. Podcasting is already widely used in journalism. UF’s College of Journalism and Communications even has a class where student are required to have a podcast. Podcasting in the media could be used in a variety of ways—for interviews with celebrities or prominent people in the community, with sports broadcasting, or with other unique stories.  Like with digital storytelling, a journalist's options in the world of auditory-based technology are endless.

But despite how important it is in both journalism and education, it’s not necessarily easy to pick up. You can’t be expected to use this cool program to express your opinions, thoughts, and beliefs if you have no idea what to do. The following video, found on Youtube and made by tinkernet.com, is a tutorial on how to create a podcast. Assuming you don’t have the technical problems I did, it should be quick to pick up.

Happy Podcasting!