November 28, 2010

This is my last blog. The latest e-mails from the ITFORUM listserve caught my attention. It was the registration for the On Demand FETC Virtual Conference and Expo, which is available until the end of January 2011. I have been listening to a couple of the presentations and am very impressed that these are free. One lecture, near and dear to my heart is "Professional Development in a Web 2.0 World" by Meg Ormiston. I have just presented on Personalized Professional Learning Network (P2LN). This term is my own original twist to the PLN that is currently a buzz word in the tech world. I have been avoiding Twitter as much as possible but she has convinced me why I need to use it for professional development. I knew many people used it but I am sold on using it. I use Twitter for those few gifted specialists who want the latest information and do not want to wait for the FoG (Friends of Gifted) e-newletter to come out. The hardest part is that Twitter is blocked at work now. I will continue to subscribe to this listerve as part of my P2LN. Thank you for requiring this listserve!There has been  a lot of information to help me grow and learn as I continue my journey in Instructional Technology!

I also want to thank you for using Camtasia and telling us about this screencasting software. I have purchased it and am using it to provide online classes for gifted specialists across the state. This program was an answer to my prayers in how to put a PowerPoint presentation on Moodle- in sections with my voice discussing those sections.

November 21, 2010

I have found the enthusiasm and the participation in the weekly discussions on the ITFORUM overwhelming. Just when I am ready to read and participate, they are moving to a new topic. The main discussion lately have revolved around the following

“Designing instruction approaches the subject domain from the vantage point of the facilitator who will "instruct," whereas designing "learning" is from the vantage point of the learner's experience. With that said, a good Instructional Designer will take both needs into account” Dallas

I think this is very important for all of us to consider as we begin our journey in the doctoral program. We must consider our audience and the learning experiences we provide. While it may be easy to design a course based on the teaching style of the facilitator, facilitators need to step out of their comfort zones to include styles of all earners in their courses. Yes, I will add that learning styles can and should be taken into consideration to help student learn to their best ability. Easily we can provide visual and audio, materials, like screenshot movies (Camtasia), group discussions and group work, and individual work or combinations of group and individual activities from which learners may choose.

November 5, 2010

I am amazed at the resources readily shared and made available to members. It can be quite overwhelming with the papers, ebooks, and web links. This is one of the most active listserves to which I belong.

I belong to several ISTE special interest groups. The Innovative Learning group asked for volunteers to review proposals for the 2011 conference. I volunteered and was selected. I had to read through five proposals and evaluate them based on the rubric provided. It took me two days to complete this online process. Several of the proposals sounded good but ISTE standards were not connected to them or the projects sounded like they were just starting. I wish I could attend this conference but I am restricted to one  out-of-state conference per year. I plan to participate with the listserves more frequently and would like to attend the free webinars provided through ISTE and the networks. Teachers can find high quality professional development from their professional organizations through listserves, webinars, and courses any time of the year and online!