Social Media

1. What group did you join in diigo and why?

I joined a group named Google in Education in Diigo. I believe Google applications have a strong potential application in formal learning environments. If I talk about especially Google+, using Google+ initiates the classroom integration in a way that provides communication, project management, and full collaboration. To use its communication feature, teachers can publish test and due dates, clarify learning targets, review complicated topics, and offer extension activities for Gifted Learners. Thanks to “Google+’s project management quality, educators can distribute rubrics, clarify due dates, share critical handouts or disseminate multimedia content. As for its last educational feature, it is full collaboration. By using Google+, learners can collaboratively brainstorm a problem. With using it groups can compete against one another in a way that saying “circles” in a public forum.

 I think I can get lots of ideas from this group about why and how teachers should use Google applications in their teaching processes. I can find the using ways of Google+, Google docs, and other Google applications in education from this group.  Moreover, I can keep following innovative ways of using Google apps thanks to joining this group in order to keep myself updated. That’s why I joined it.

2. What is the appeal for the young and old to network in online places like the ones you examined this week?

Personal web was a little different before than today. As described in 2009 Horizon report, “… part of a trend that began with simple innovations like personalized start pages, RSS aggregation, and customizable widgets, the personal web…” Today it is more than this. Personal web can be organized and built according to an indivual’s personal needs and interests.

Using social media makes all learners and educators’ needs in updating software and finding technological support less than before. Therefore, people being willing to teach or learn do not have to waste time and money so much. This opportunity is also important to access the older educators or learners who do not have enough knowledge about using computer technology like updating some software or setting some devices on their computer. People in older ages can be more motivated by using social media because it does not require an expertise on computer to use it. Moreover, if these people need some specific information for their computer’s problems, they can get them easily because people in social media help each other. Therefore, the people prefer to spend more time in these social media. 

3. If used in a classroom, how might networking websites positively and negatively affect teaching and learning?

Social media is an important educational tool in terms of teaching, researching and communicating because social software can be access thanks to the web. So the need of updating software on individuals’ computers and local services for new tools is decreased. Social media makes communications of professionals in education strong via especially blogs that have deep dialogs. There is an intense interest of students on social Medias. It should be used to keep students’ attention on the contents of education as an attractive tool by educators. As for personal learning environments, I can say that they offer all learners a unique learning style based on people’s preferences. In the 2011 Horizon report, authors states that “PLESs serve a dual purpose: They enable students to determine the style and pace at which they learn while exposing them to technology that they may not otherwise encounter in traditional classroom.” (Johnson, Adams, and Haywood, 2011, pg.30, para.2) Therefore, using them in a classroom affects teaching and learning positively in order to meet all students’ unique needs.

Social media is also a way that allows to access information easily to realize independent researches to students. Because students have a keen understanding in creating a website or creating a video to share on social media like youtube, this situation includes a chance making a link between students’ creative enjoyable social activities and educational activities to educators.

As for negative effects of using networking websites in a classroom, if students did not trained and guided about netiquette, using these sites would not be a good idea in classroom. Moreover, there should be an age restriction to use some of networking websites. For instance, there is an age restriction to use Google+. Students should be at least 13 years old to use it. Except those, because social media is created via some software based on internet instead of based on desktop management processes; this situation causes unpredictable problems that students and educators face.

4. In what kind of site might you tend to spend most of your time networking and for what purpose?

There are different kinds of social media tools. They are blogs, synchronous communication tools, status broadcasting, image, audio, and video sharing, document and file sharing, wikis and social games. I am using instant messenger (MSN) to talk with my family. I spend some time for blogging in blogster.com so as to share my experiences. There is a website named TappedIn.com, even if I do not know if it is a social network. I rarely use it to get idea from other teachers by meeting at a particular date and time. However, I can say that I spend most of my time on youtube because there is a huge visual resource in order to find an answer to a question, to just get an idea about an issue, to find the things how they are created, to find tutorials for learning any kind of software, to share my works and to get a feedback from other people, and so on. However, I mostly use facebook. I log in at least every day to share some pictures/videos or an experience with my friends.

5. In what ways will this benefit you and what do you think might be the drawbacks?

Actually, being on facebook keeps me updated about what is going on in the world and among my friends. I believe if it is used for reaching experts or experienced people in any subject while searching something, we can get lots of benefits. It can be also used to communicate with other educators to share our experience in classroom. Our students can be connected with students living all around the world, while doing an assignment which required some interviews of getting different views form other peoples. However, if I use it a lot, I began to feel lazy about everything because I can waste my time, if I focus on some entertainment elements there. The other bad thing in using it, it is dangerous if you share your all information there for robbery or any other illegal attempt from other people.

Youtube also very important to me, even though if it is in the category of a personal web. Using youtube to learn anything has an obvious benefit because it is a visual resource. I am a visual learner so it helps me a lot in learning. As for its drawbacks, we can feel to be threatened by other people after sharing a video which is created by ourselves, if they comment on our video in a way hurting us. As for another its drawbacks, we should not trust in the comments for any video because the comments sometimes do not reflect the reality.

 

References

Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K. (2011). The NMC horizon report: 2011 K12 edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from

http://utetpt5550.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/49357920/2011-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf 

 

Gaming

"What do I think about gaming in the classroom?"

As we see games everywhere, they are in classroom, too. I believe these games meet standards-based academic content and 21st century thinking skills at the same time. These games create an efficient and fun environment for learning experiments.  Moreover, they provide students communication, collaboration, problem solving, and even thinking in a different way. Maybe, the most important feature of game-based learning is supporting experiential learning. Plan formulation and strategic thinking are also other good qualities of some of games.

Describing at least 3 of the gaming/simulation/VR sites you explored

Math millionaire (Game) http://www.gameclassroom.com/

It looks like the TV program named who wants to be a millionaire. The rules, and appearance of the screen are almost like the TV program. There are some math questions. After choosing a choice, it asks if  I am sure about my answer just like the TV show. I have the rights to wildcard that are 50% chance, phone calling, taking just 500, and asking audiences just like the TV show. By answering them correctly, gamers get money. If I chose the wrong answer, it says “Sorry! That was the wrong answer” Then, I get the check as much as I earned, and leave. There high level of this game, too. There are also logic games and word problems in this website. They are like an essay quiz in math class. For instance, one of the questions was “Terry solved 5 puzzles. Naomi solved more 78 than Terry. Then, how many puzzles did Naomi solve”? They vary levels.

Planet Dinasour (Simulation) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014m55k/features/planet-dinosaur-game

There was science fictional back ground music in this simulation. It was a little bit scaring for me. With this simulation, people can grow their own dinosaur and watch it explore and flourish in its environment. People should make their own dinosaur collection roared by unlocking dinosaurs, plants and objects for their environment. Before starting the simulation, navigation seem on the screen to introduce what the symbols mean in the simulation. Then, there was a tutorial. To start the game, dropping dinosaur into the world should be done. When I did it, I got a feedback saying “Excellent” with a new duty’s instructions. Then, I fed it by a fish. By feeding it, it grew. After that, I got another feedback saying “Well done!” with an another new duty. With these achievements I would unlock new things throughout Planet Dinosaur like growing new dinosaurs. However, some kinds of dinosaurs took more time than others. I also had to choose a habitat which includes sufficient foods depending on the dinosaurs’ kinds. I got a feedback saying “Your dinosaur doesn’t like this place. Therefore, I needed to find another habitat that which is fit to the kind of my new dinosaur.

 

Virtual Cell (VR) http://vcell.ndsu.nodak.edu/animations/

With this website, learners get a first look, advanced look, and flash movies about cells’ activities depending on their levels. These activities are ATP synthase, protein trafficking, electron transportation chain, protein recycling, insulin signaling, mitosis, regulated secretion, and something like that.  First look base on 3d pictures. Advanced look includes more expanded of first look with detailed information. As for flash movies, they are really cool. They give a general information about the topic first. Then, announcer explains the each elements of the biological action through showing a moving 3D picture of them. I watched the photo-synthesis flash move. It was really cool. I watched the each steps of photo-synthesis. I saw the all elements running in this biological action in moving 3D pictures like ATP transferring in a photo-synthesis. Instead of imagining how these biological actions occurs, these flash movies give us a really helpful understanding

Explaining the benefits that sites such as the ones I explored offer in educational environments

The game named math millionaire is a really good game to allow students to demonstrate themselves about what they leant until now. Authors from the In 2011 Horizon Report K-12 says “The students then take interactive quizzes to demonstrate then knowledge they have gained” (Johnson, Adams, and Haywood, 2011, pg. 20, para. 5) I would like to talk about other perspective of the game named math millionaire. It is really proper not only make learners to play it but also make them to design the game. In 2011 Horizon Report K-12, authors states that “One way to engage students with educational gaming is to give them a hand in designing games….The idea behind the challenge was that it would be build both critical-thinking and creative design skills.” (Johnson, Adams, and Haywood, 2011, pg. 18, para. 5). This game gives instant feedback by giving a chance to earn money and facing a failure. They are important because these provide experiment to learners. From 2011 Horizon Report K-12, writers state that “Proponents also underscore the productive role of play, which allows for experimentation, the exploration of identities, and even failure.” (Johnson, Adams, and Haywood, 2011, pg 18, para. 3)

Even though Simulations are used in Hollywood and surgeries, it is also very good educational material. In the simulation named Planet dinosaur, it was not a gesture-based simulation but it teaches the learners how to grow/evolve of dinosaurs. In the 2011 Horizon Report, authors alleges “Continued experimentation in the development of AR simulations, games, texts, and situated information bode well for the expansion of AR in higher education learning in the coming year.( Johnson, Smith, Willis, Levine, and Haywood, 2011, pg. 18, para 2). In the article named Virtual Reality/Simulations, Strangman and Hall state that” Computer simulations and virtual reality offer students the unique opportunity of experiencing and exploring a broad range of environments, objects, and phenomena within the walls of the classroom. Students can observe and manipulate normally inaccessible objects, variables, and processes in real-time.” (Strangman and Hall, 2009, para.5). As it is highlighted in the article, this simulation is a good educational source to help teach K-12 students about Lives of Dinosaurs because learners cannot observe a dinosaurs life in reality as known.

As for VRs, I would like to mention about Virtual Cells as I explored it. VR may be used in terms of enhancing, motivating and simulating students; understanding of certain events, especially those for which the traditional notion of instructional learning have proven inappropriate or difficult. In the article named Virtual Reality/Simulations, Strangman and Hall  state that “Virtual reality is a technology that allows students to explore and manipulate computer-generated, 3-dimensional, multimedia environments in real time.” (Strangman and Hall, 2009, para.3) Therefore, I think Virtual Reality technology in education opens a door to learners to teach them topics in a style of interaction in order to develop understanding more proper mental models of complex systems and processes. I explored the photo-synthesis with 3D pictures and flash videos from the VR named Virtual Cells. Biology is one of those difficult topics that traditional notion of instructional learning have proven inappropriate.  It involves enriched teaching materials like VR because they are mostly about micro things and processes we cannot watch or afford in daily life. This technology is already used in training and simulation. I believe it will also make a difference to education as we know it during the next decade. 

References

Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K. (2011). The NMC horizon report: 2011 K12 edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from

http://utetpt5550.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/49357920/2011-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf 

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., and Haywood, K. (2011). The 2011 horizon report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from  http://utetpt5550.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/49357936/2011-Horizon-Report%282%29.pdf

Strangman, N. and Hall, T. (2009). Virtual reality/simulations. Retrieved from

http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/virtual_simulations

 

 

Open Content and Ethics

Emerging technologies have a big effect on teaching and learning environments. These technologies have created their own materials that can be used in education: Open content, Creative Commons, and eBooks. First, let’s talk about their relevance to teaching and learning.

Web-based technologies provide opportunities teachers and students a high quality teaching-learning environment. These technologies are more than a tool. They provide students to create different things, meet other people, explore the world, compose things, express themselves, be a part of online content, find different way to reach knowledge/ literacy and use different free online applications created by people.

Creative Commons is one of these materials. In the video form our class’s PB work page, it is defined as “Creative Commons is design to save the world for failed sharing.” It offers us sharing our creative works with other people’s in control as much as using other people’s works. In the same video, speakers state:

Creative commons give us to ask these questions to other people: Can I reproduce it, can I copy it, can I put it in my textbook, can I use that photo? Creative common gives tools to creators to make a choice about copyright. I take your staff. Do I have to offer to next person in the same terms?

 It creates a culture to share with the all people in the world by preserving identity of the things shared with others. Everything might be mash up with other things there like flickers photo people shared. To give another example, artists make music together thanks to creative commons. It is actually an access to shared things in control. If there is not creative commons, creative works/ things might be stolen easily. It is really important to keep those from cheating. It gives us a chance to use these works legally through its unique tools. The author states from creativecommons.org “The combination of our tools and our users is a vast and growing digital commons, a pool of content that can be copied, distributed, edited, remixed, and built upon, all within the boundaries of copyright law.” (“None to Claim Their Bones,” 2013).

Electronic books are also a rising interest on especially campuses.  They provide students read required books and even take notes in digital environment thanks to modern electronic readers. (Johnson, Adams, and Haywood, 2011, p.9, para.2). Today’s textbooks paper based are not enough for today’s students’ ability and talents. These paper based textbooks cannot belong 21st Century. In the report, it is talked about e-books are not just a text or just devices access with.  They include different things. The authors (2011) alleges that:

What makes electronic books a potentially transformative technology is the new kinds of reading experiences that they make possible. Publishers are beginning to explore richly visual interfaces that include multimedia and collaborative elements. (Johnson, Adams, and Haywood, 2011, p.8, para.3).

Some e-books also include featuring quizzes, note-taking, study cards and other features. They are really worthy to be used for every subject and grade level. I would like to just say that they are amazing to increase students' engagements because they provide gorgeous full screen books, interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, fast, fluid navigation, highlighting and note-taking, searching and definitions, lesson reviews and study cards.

As for open content, I can say it is a respond to existing expensive published resources. They have also lots of other functions in teaching and learning. One of them is providing different types of information like experience about it. Authors (2011) from 2011 Horizon Report say “Information is everywhere; the challenge is to make effective use of it. Open content embraces not only the sharing of information, but the sharing of instructional practice and experiences as well.” (Johnson, Smith, Willis, Levine, and Haywood, 2011, p.22, para.1). This report also highlights open content as an affordable solution to textbook. Thanks to them, different forms of information can be collected and shared among not only students but also educators. Except these benefits, it is also updateable easily compared with published resources. In summary, they are an answer for many lacks of education system.

Despite of these benefits of those technologies, there are some challenges facing schools in using these materials. The writers in the 2009 Horizon Report say:

In many grade schools, on the other hand, integrating these kinds of technologies into teaching and learning has proven difficult because of barriers such as policy constraints on using online tools, the fact that many students do not bring laptops to school and policies that restrict internet access in many schools. (Levine, Smith, and Smythe, 2009, p. 6, para.2).

For example, students can read eBooks through their computer, smartphone, tablet or eReader device.  However, using eBooks in education is not affordable because all of textbooks are not free. Moreover, if they do not have these devices, how can they be included to education system?

I believe that these technologies will change the way of education in all context because these technologies use will cause a big shift in how we teach the content to students. For example, one day all classes will have an online content, web-based learning management system and online/e-book required text-book. Some of them might be just online classes. Because online classes materials should be very high quality, educators do/will need to use open content, creative commons and eBooks to reach different types of information.

 

References

Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K. (2011). The NMC horizon report: 2001 K12 edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from

http://utetpt5550.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/49357920/2011-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf 

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., and Haywood, K. (2011). The 2011 horizon report. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from  http://utetpt5550.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/49357936/2011-Horizon-Report%282%29.pdf

Levine, A., Smith, R., and Smythe, T. (2009). The 2009 horizon report: K12 edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Retrieved from 

http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2009-Horizon-Report-K12.pdf

None to claim their bones: About the Licenses. (2013, February). Retrieved from     http://creativecommons.org/licenses/