This week’s reading starts
with chapter 8; Evaluating Learning Technologies, Barbara N Flagg begins with
the statement that was ever so true, about the abundance of technology in the
last 30 years. I’ve been in technology geek and an adult for those 30 years. I
remember my first computer and IBM AT, it didn’t even have a hard drive and
used the old five and had inch floppy disks. Those were the ones that really
were floppy. Later I got my first hard drive it was huge and had a capacity of
20 MB. I have been building and upgrading computers ever since that time and
owned the ferry first MP3 player made by Creative Labs I can give you a
wonderful history on technology but also save that for another time. The point
of this chapter is to understand evaluating learning technology or this new
technology that has become prevalent in today’s society. One of the statements
at the beginning of the chapter that really got my attention that I feel holds
true in any project is, “By defining what it is you want your users to feel, know,
think, believe, and/or do after exposure to your project, you have a better
chance for success” (Flagg, 2008, p.78). I thought this was eloquent and that
educating is more than just adding knowledge but also should be able to change
attitude. There was an example of teams using PDAs as virtual tour guides that
would give them customized tours depending on their interests. This whole
concept just blows me away. This is an example of how technology is such a
powerful tool that can be used in informal science education but also can
create a little bit of complication in figuring out how to evaluate the impact
of this new technology. The next chapter, chapter 9; Evaluating Collaborations
kind of caught me off guard a little bit as I was considering collaboration has
nearly working with others. But as I see collaboration is also focused on
funding. It’s kind of interesting that I recently became secretary and
treasurer of a nonprofit and have been actively engaging in monetary
collaboration in order to fund a particular event which we hope will produce
enough income to support several youth organizations. So I guess I’ve been
involved in organizational collaboration without even knowing I was. But there
again, that’s a story for another time. I definitely intend to use this chapter
to assist me in my endeavors. Chapter 10; Evaluating Projects That Combined
Different Types of Deliverables, and we discuss projects that are made up of a
combination of different components such as combining an exhibition with interactive
online resources. Oh yeah speaking of online stuff, www.chihuahuandesert.org this
is a local Informal Science Education organization. They’re having a meeting Wednesday,
March 13 6 PM at Avila’s restaurant on North Mesa and Diana Perez of the Carlos
M. Ramirez TecH2O Water Resources Learning Center told me that
everyone is welcome.
References:
Friedman, A. (Ed.). (2008) Framework for evaluating impacts of informal
science education
projects
[On-line]. (Available at: http://insci.org/resources/Eval_Framework.pdf)
Hello Cameron,
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking me back to the good old days when he had floppy drives and floppy disks. I miss those days because it was easier for me to keep up with my information. I have lost so much information on these terrible thumb drives that it doesn't even matter about their capacity. Anyways, about the last three chapters...yes I too belong to a nonprofit at one point in time. We had a course where we had to all sit together and discuss different ideas for a nonprofit organization. I got some great ideas from people who were well experienced in the area and also those who had information on what forms are needed we beginning your own nonprofit organization. There was a great grant writer who also had some major input for all of us. What I have noticed is that the chapter on collaboration has been most influential to all of this week.
Take care Cameron and have a great Spring Break!
Cameron, I enjoyed reading your post on Reflection 6. I agree with you that by defining what it is you want learners or users to learn from instruction, an activity or a project after exposure to it will almost guarantee success. I also agree with you that this almost applies to any project. I could not help thinking about the quote by Lynn D. Dierking in Chapter 3 from Framework for Evaluating Impacts of Informal Science Education Projects, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”
ReplyDeleteThanks also for sharing the link to: http://www.chihuahuandesert.org/. This is a very informative website on the Chihuahuan Desert and I plan on going to the Mexican Poppy Fest, Saturday, March 23, 2013. Thanks!
I also look forward to reading your ideas about your proposal.
Benjamin, I hope you were able to have the opportunity to go to the poppy Festival. It looked a little bit windy that day. I opted for the talk they had at the TecH2O learning center put on by the Chile Institute of been MNSU. I learned a lot about Chili’s, from history to growing them. The organizer from the learning center actually emailed us copies of the PowerPoint in a PDF file. Hey, I hope you the best of luck in your project and hope you are able to narrow it down a little bit to make it a lot easier for you.
DeleteI loved your post Cameron. Great Job. Technology just doesn't just amaze me with what it can do for us but it amazes me how fast the technology itself advances. I remember when the internet first came out to the public and asking, "So what is email?" I can't imagine today's modern students even contemplating life without such a tool. I think that is why it is important as teachers to try and keep up with everything new coming out. This new generation of students seem to have some sort of an electronic device with them at all times. These type of tools is what interests them and drives them to want to learn on their own. We must take advantage of it!
ReplyDeleteHey Cameron,
ReplyDeleteFor me it was programing an Apple IIE in high school, but I never owned one. I still have a 5.5 in floppy disk in my desk drawer to remind students where we came from and that things change rapidly. I liked that you were also impressed with the PDA addition to the project idea. I really think that with imagination and technology knowledge and skill, a project can be almost anything. I look forward to hearing about your project idea, I'm sure you will use some sort of awesome technology and I am looking forward to learning from you.
cameron,
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your reflection. I too appreciate how far we came come as far as technology is concerned. I must though agree with the author that we need to have ih mind a clear goal and objective which we want our learners to achieve with the use of technology. We cannot completely eliminate electronics from out classrooms because how melissa pointed out our students carry one or more pieces of technology with them daily so might as well use them for their educational well being. I also wanted to say i think it is great that you are part of a non profit organization way to go. I agree with the author when he says collaboration is an essential tool in an informal science project not only financially but as a means of professional development and growth.
Monica, hey, I’m all about nonprofit organizations as a matter fact it was one of the founding members of The East Side Youth Connection, which is an organization that helps mentor kids. It’s funny; one of the other founding members is Robert Cormell who is currently running for mayor. He has my support. I feel grassroots organizations, where people feel the importance of engagement in their communities are key in the creation of a healthy community, just as your volunteer work with the kids in the robotic competition is invaluable. I wish that more programs like yours were available in El Paso.
DeleteCameron:
ReplyDeleteBoy 20 Megabytes, hug? and no hard drive, wow.
I am astounded by the huge advancements that have taken place in just what is it 20 years or so? It is indeed amazing how far we've come with the technology; it behooves us as educators to get more computer "savvy" because if we don't then it is just a matter of time that our knowledge which will be more computer based will be obsolete and this might make us obsolete as well.
I guess in the near future we will be texting our doctors our concerns and she or he will be texting us our medication and so forth.
wow.
Good Job Cameron.
Ruben Estrada
Hi. Cameron,
ReplyDeleteThat is a good reflection on your collaboration with organizations. I believe your project will have collaborations with organizations too! I went to the link you provided in this post! It looks very interesting! Many educational events! I might attend some events if time permits. Thank you for sharing the great resource!
Cameron,
ReplyDeleteits very interesting to see how technology has evolved and shaped the way humans interact, learn, and just go about their normal activities. This is a conversation I've had with my friends, although my friends and I are in our mid-twenties we still remember at least an elementary and middle school experience in which computer classrooms were a novelty and a teachers classroom was just equipped with bookcases, student desks, a teacher desk and a green "blackboard." Investigations or homework were done by encyclopedias and going to the library. It feels silly that us as new adults are able to use the phrase "Back in my day this technology was not available"
I saw a youtube video which said that a technology much like the PDAs was the future of education in which students would learn everything at their own pace through this self-sufficient computer programs. Although this seems far-fetched, today we have some students entering pre-K knowing how to use a computer!
Its interesting to read for Friedman discussed this type of informal science education when we know that technology has been become an imperative tool in the classroom.
Karla
Barbara Flagg talks about technology in the last 3 decades. It is so funny how you mentioned about the floppy disks and how much more advanced technology has come such a long way in just a few years. You are right in pointing out that “by defining what you want your users to feel, know, think, believe and/or do after (being exposed) to your project, the better one does with his or her project. That is to say that the better you know your project, the better your participants will understand what is expected of them and the more in line with your guiding parameters they will be and the more successful you will be with your project.
ReplyDeleteNice Job
Ruben
Its funny how I was taken aback as well when I read that very passage; here I was collaborating with myself and I did not even know it. I too have experienced a bit of non-collaboration from my colleagues but when it comes to getting the help or at least the tacit support from the right administrator, there you go, there is your collaboration. Funny how we see resources as money in one arena and see only people as resources in another arena.
ReplyDeleteGood job
Ruben
Cameron:
ReplyDeleteChapter 10 seems more and more clear as to what “deliverables” are. Take my project for example, I have been doing a class on science (astronomy/physics/math) as you may know from my presentation last week.
As far as assessements, I have formative and summative assessments. Formative are of course the ones that are always on-going and summative are the ones that are at the culminating point of a lesson or unit.
As far as the deliverables, it is the multiple components expecting to interact in order to achieve a desired impact.
Take my project for example, I have students doing vocabulary, science/math problems, and I also have them doing collaborative, cooperative work at their stations; they will be creating posters, and also a models of the solar system.
All these of course are the deviveables.