Blog Post #12-Reflections of Instructional Technology

LIVIN' THE LIFE!

     I've got the dream job with nine months on and three off with plenty of time to garden and practice dental

hygiene. When at the college there are so many great days with the students, especially last days!

     It's a secret among us, I'll let you in on it. We LOVE the last day as much as the students do. Though, I 

especially love spending it WITH the students! 

So now it's summertime and the living is easy.....and I'm taking a class! Another big secret...it's what we do.

                                                         P. Seaman photo

Hey, it's alright....really! Under the instruction of Lisa Kidder at Idaho State University I advanced my

understanding of building and benefiting from a PLN (personal learning network). Going in I piously thought

I knew all about technology tools and platforms for learning. It's okay.....I didn't even come close!

                                 C. Seaman Photo

YOU MAYBE?
      Upon entering this course I sincerely believed I was well connected electronically. I had an active Facebook account, a static LinkedIn account, and an archived Twitter account I had set up over two years ago. The terms PLN (personal learning network) and microsharing were unknown to me. My usual networking routine was to glean my email, conduct online searches and browse online libraries for information highlighting world news stories, educational topics, and advancements in health care. With this, I felt confident that as a forward thinker who was skilled in applying technology-I was on the cutting edge of lifelong learning.

                                     J. Sechrist Photo

 SHARING-MORE IS MORE
     Personal learning networks (PLN) are developed

around one’s interests and goals, becoming a learning

community that interfaces individuals with information, 

opposing viewpoints, connections, and collaborative

opportunities. Meaning is made via information bits known 

as microsharing. 

This includes text, links, videos, diagrams, photos and maps

to name a few. The more knowledge shared the more we

all know as we consider, question, and converse on the

topics. Connections are made and relationships deepen in

the virtual realm like trusted old friends. 

KEEP THE WHEELS TURNING!

HRD 5507: Instructional Technology has given me a basis of networking knowledge to take to the classroom. For all educators and professed life learners I'd highly suggest taking this course from Lisa Kidder at ISU. It is critical educators become digitally literate and move our students this direction also. Lepi (2014) tweeted an article that indicated digital literacy was one of eight skills students must possess to be competitive in the 21st century. Students and educators alike must all be practiced in accessing social media sites and technology tools to communicate, create, collaborate, and share with others. Moreover, we must become social learners where we are all comfortable teaching and learning from others in global, cross-cultural virtual environments.

     

C. Seaman Photo

TIME TO RELAX

It is time to take a bit of time to rest and reflect on my experiences in this course. In the future I will seek out

topics of interest to blog. I will obtain the information on topics via my new loves.....feed readers and 

Twitter. 

Let's keep the knowledge and learning rolling.....follow this blog and follow me on Twitter! Find me there:  @DrCindySeaman

References

Lepi, K. (June 7, 2014). The 8 Skills Students Must Have for the Future. Retrieved 5-13-14 from

         edudemic.com/new-skills-world-looking/ via Twitter.

Blog #11: Sharing Knowledge the Collaborative Way

Parowan Gap, Utah       www.parowangap.org

SOUTHERN UTAH 2014

     Just west of the small town of Parowan, Utah lies a great stretch of barren nothingness known as the Escalate desert. During early times of volcanism, paired sheets of sheared sedimentary rock emerging from parallel plates rose up creating the Red Hills. As the protuberances pushed upwards a river ebbed and flowed across the ridge cutting a perfect east/west cut known as Parowan Gap. To the Paiute Indian it was referred to as "God's own house" (www.parowangap.org).

Parowan Gap petroglyphs   C. Seaman Photo

FROM THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US-KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER 

     Inside the gaps' high cliffed walls, on rock that is less than suitable for messaging, early nomadic and semi-nomadic people etched an array of petroglyphs. There is ongoing debate as to what the glyphs represent and why they were chiseled here. There are dots, dashes, tracks, spirals, snakes, ladders, squiggles, and smiles dating back 15 million years http://www.utah.com/playgrounds/parowan_gap.htm. 

     The majority of experts involved as peer reviewer experts from the field of archaeoastronomical research agree that most of the glyphs represent the documenting and passing of early information. http://www.parowangap.org/peereview.htm 

     One scientist interviewed to describe the meaning of the etchings stated that the display of petroglyphs was not at all unique to Native Indian Culture. "Native peoples all over America worked out way to keep track of calendars and other types of complex knowledge" (Boma Johnson, 2000,  http://www.parowangap.org/peereview.htm).

POSSIBLY THE FIRST WIKI

     It is evident from this field trip that collaborative collections of knowledge to inform and educate others did not begin with the modern day WiKi. The WiKi gives us the space, like the cliffs, to leave information and to add to that left by others. There is plenty of space on the WiKi to add text or information existing in other media forms through use of widgets and links. Groups of individuals, like archaic people, can amend, add, or connect information left by others just as with the WiKi. Just as the rock was for the early peoples the WiKi space is living and morphing over time until the day it is closed and digitally archived to possibly be resurrected later in time and studied like the petroglyphic symbols in Parowan Gap.

WIKI-WHAT I THINK......Really!

     I support the use of WiKi for collaboration and active engagement for work or student groups. Like brainstorming, mind-mapping, or cranial dumping it promotes ideas among groups that dramatically enriches learning. I use WiKi technology in a course I teach in Community Dental Health. Students post in the WiKi on various aspects of community events they have participated in as a group. Each year as the WiKi builds the students conceptualization of the event is expanded and dental health concepts that were once without founded meaning are assimilated to a higher degree and much more meaningful to all involved. Questions surface that may not have been considered without the WiKi and many "a-ha" moments ensue. 

     As an instructor I can easily study the data from my vantage to see which students invested time and contributed to the WiKi project and who did not. Many times on group projects the lines of collaborative efforts are blurred when it comes to seeing who did what. 

     To be involved in a WiKi as a student, I have found the most exciting aspect is the blank space to create....much like this blog! It is frustrating when first learning the ropes of the WiKi to figure out how to delete something you install, but take heed and be of good cheer.....someone has come through the gap before you and left for you there on a virtual wall, a digital glyph, a video tutorial, to instruct and assist you when the information is most needed. 

                                                                                    Bing Images

     I hope you venture off the beaten path to discover and learn each day of your life!  Dr. Cindy

C. Seaman Photo

Turning the Gears!

Technology Tools to Help Build Knowledge

A RESOURCE TO LEARN ABOUT TECH TOOLS

I have included some links of "About" technology tools one may use to facilitate in building the PLN or in instructional/training sessions. Each are designed to engage the participants and take learning to higher levels. Some have similar applications though may be more suitable for some situations than others (e.g. online instruction vs. face-to-face).

Click on the links below to access the well presented information for each tool:
Google                                                         

Dropr
LiveBinders                                                                     
Feedly
PearlTrees
InstaPaper
EverNote
Crowducate
Pintrest
Prezi
Today's Meet
LucidChart
Instapaper
Scoop it!
Google Hangouts
Goggle Drive
Instagrok

Blog Post #10 - Versal via 

I used a technology presentation tool that was VERY new to me to present my favorite discoveries of the course development tool known as Versal. Please click link to follow and review the features of both of these tools. 

Versal via Visme!

Check my new presentation created in visme http://my.visme.co/projects/feb682
Versal via Visme


<iframe src='http://my.visme.co/projects/feb682&iframe=1' height='600' width='800' style='border: 0px;' webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>http://my.visme.co/projects/feb682

Versal via Visme.htmhttp://my.visme.co/projects/feb682

Blog #9-Analyzing your PLN

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Lisa and Oliver Douglas         Photo: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/

     The popular sitcom "Green Acres" of the mid 1960's humorously highlighted life in rural America. The hardworking suit clad husband leaves city life to fulfill his dream as a farmer. The beautiful actress, Eva Gabor is cast as his high maintenance, socialite wife who comes along dragging her high heels and lamenting how much she will miss her Park Avenue, New York lifestyle. 

     Within hours of their arrival on the dilapidated farm they begin to discover the characters who make up the social fabric that embraces the boundaries of their newly acquired rural American acreage. They are all well-meaning characters who come to offer advice and to lend a hand to the gentleman farmer and his wife. In a sense, this was a social network of sorts. Neighbors arrived with instructions on how to operate a pitchfork and a tractor and feed hogs and hens. Local news was spread by the telephone party line. In a sense, contemporary social networks continue to provide assistance and learning, even so, in this age of technology and access to virtual environments social networks have changed dramatically.

POWER OF THE PLN

     A social network is a connection or a network that allows anyone the space to connect with others. These learning spaces may be face to face or online connections. Both of which are powerful to ourselves and others - the citizens of virtual immersive, connected, global communities. It is through a well developed PLN (Personal Learning Network) where we immerse ourselves in ongoing conversations that fuel our interests and passions. Becoming engaged and sharing with others is a valuable aspect of social networking allowing individuals to become engaged in experiences, other perspectives, and reflective thinking. These networked encounters provoke meaningful, experiential, constructivist learning. With networks we are smarter each day. This is the power of collective knowledge via construction of a well-directed PLN.

TOPICS INCLUDED IN MY PLN

     The topics included in a PLN should reflect one's interests and/or fulfillment of learning goals. Often times these learning goals are related to personal and career growth. Over the past month I have developed a PLN that represents personal and professional interests representing the spectrum of personal and professionally oriented knowledge. Topics in my PLN include: education, dentistry, innovation, inspiration, learning, leadership, business, art, and photography. I use Blogger, Twitter, Feedly, and Diigo. On Twitter I currently follow 107 entities an have 26 followers of my own! I feels at this point I have a well-honed direction of organizations to follow and gain from. It is interesting to note I have included art, photography,and inspirational sites to appeal to my visual and spiritual senses to complement and balance the mental input. 

Blog #8 - Va Va Voom Versal!!!!

 Traditional Lullaby Learning

     The room darkens and the Power Point lecture presentation begins. Or should I say death by Power Point hoovers then quickly overcomes all individuals in the room as demonstrated in this video:

You're Killing Me with Your Power Points!

                          Photo Credit: http://youtu.be/_JU48-FVqvQ

     Seriously, how can we listen, look, and take notes? And some of the slides have so many words no one can keep up, let alone.....stay awake! Oh, and online Power Point presentations are even worse. Your first thought is always, "hey, I can read these slides by myself!" Then, as the instructors voice over drones on and on you quickly slip into REM sleep.

Excite, Engage the Learner

     Capture the audience with simplicity, creativity, and most of all as the presenter show your passion for the subject. Really think about your audience and how you will connect with them. Use the KISS rule! Keep It Stimulating and Simple. As an assistant professor of Dental Hygiene I now enjoy lecturing. 

Dental Hygiene Ethics Lecture. "It's a Jungle Out There" C. Seaman Photo

     In the beginning I was only focused on delivering the content. And as you may relate, completion of this task in itself was overwhelming enough without having to consider how the lecture was received. 
Recently, I discovered an exciting and engaging course development tool called VERSAL.

http://www.versal.com

   Developing classroom and online courses that stimulate both  learning and thinking can be achieved with this tool. VERSAL's extensive array of gadgets allows course developers to insert photos, maps, videos, sounds and links to mention a few. The learner is captured with 3-D rotating graphics to learn various subjects. Formative and summative learning is developed and measured with the insertion of  diagram labeling exercises and interactive quizzes. The gadgets assist the educators to develop courses that draw the learners in so that they may BECOME the problem. Wow! That is exponential student engagement.

Forget What You Know

     Jacob Barnett at TEDxTeen reminds all of us to forget what we know. Seek out methods that will immerse the student deeply into thinking.
Forget What You Know

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq-FOOQ1TpE

     VERSAL is a technology tool that will offer educators may options to stimulate thinking and engage the students without rocking them to sleep in the classroom or the online environment. This technology is uncomplicated, user-friendly, and simple to develop and deploy. I would also recommend VERSAL in the business setting to clearly convey complex issues and to train employees.

Photo Credit: blog.hreonline.com

Blog #7. Pump Up the PLN for Performance! 

Sore Arms and Self-Talk

     With sore arms from summer Cross Fit training, I reached for the fitness magazine peering down at me from the bookstore shelf. Maybe I was looking for training tips and maybe I was simply seeking motivation to continue with the class. God knows how many times I had tried to talk myself out of another day of class and how I pressured myself  to continue on using positive self talk.

Training vs. Working Out

     Flipping through the contents of the magazine an article on "working out" verses "training" caught my eye. The article suggested when going out for an exercise session to see it as "training" rather than a "workout". Why? Because training is what athletes do to reach goals and steadily improve. When you "workout" you go through the motions of an exercise routine or complete the time on the treadmill. When athletes train they track their performance and work consistently to improve metrics such as distances, reps, weights, and recovery times. This is one of the reasons I enjoy Cross Fit. There is training and then there are tests. Outcomes testing is a challenging, yet satisfying means to chart real improvements in performance and overall fitness over time. 

It's All About You!

     Really it is, and this is NOT a form of personality disorder or deviant behavior. When your train, always look at your performance and NEVER compare this to the levels demonstrated by others. Remember that everyone has different aspirations and are at a different levels of fitness. Keep the performance focus centered on yourself. Set relevant, attainable, and clear training goals and put in your best efforts. Each training session is for your benefit. Own it!

Performance PLN Development

     To achieve the maximum benefit of microsharing in building your PLN (professional/personal learning network), it is important to look at it from the athletic perspective...the eye of the tiger! Let me be your coach and get you started on a PLN for performance plan. Follow these training steps for incredible outcomes:

• Set Goals. Long-term (what do you want to obtain from your PLN). Short-term (which microsharing applications will you select, who will you follow).
• Set a Schedule. This is important as time is a valuable resource and must be used wisely. Set a specified time and work to stick to it when tweeting, or blogging. As with athletic training, keep it regimented when it comes to time. Too much time spent leads to lowered focus, injury, and/or burnout.
• Shake it up. Add variety to maximize your results and to avoid stagnation. 
• Stick with it. Noticing results and improvements in performance will take time so stay with it.
• Self Focus. Look at your progress and do not focus on the number of tweets your peers completed in the past hour, or that your sister has more followers. Which leads to the next item:
• Go for Quality. Poor form and sloppy repetitions does not lead to improvement. As with microsharing applications and use really hone your connections down to those who either match or challenge your interests.
• Evaluate Outcomes. Periodically, evaluate your PLN goals and rewrite them if necessary. In a complex world things change. Your professional and personal goals may change. Take time to evaluate your performance achieved from your PLN. Do you need to work harder to tone weak areas in your progress? Are you where you set a goal to be or do you need to redirect and establish new goals? Make the changes and move on!

  

It's Your PLN!

     Yes, it is! Don't just work it, train by it for personal and professional performance that is achievable!