Reflection

I have very much enjoyed this course and learned a great deal that I have already applied to my teaching.

'Tis time to reflect . . . . 

Quest 1: Frameworks for Using and Evaluating Technologies
  
This opening quest explored TPACK and SAMR as framework to guide the use of technology to increase student learning of content, in addition to the ISTE Standards for Students and Teachers. The most useful of these for me has been TPACK and SAMR as I feel these frameworks are applicable to the the graduate level student in my courses. With regards to ISTE Standards, I would like to see standards developed for adult students - undergraduate and graduate.
 
Quest 2: Using Technology for Professional Learning

The Digital Toolbox I began assembling in the second quest has been one of the most useful assignments as it required me to explore other new technologies and consider possible assignments and ways to integrate them into my courses. The Personal Learning Network I developed has been slow to grow, primarily because I have not had the time to truly focus on expanding it and keeping up with tweets and google posts. I have been slowly adding to this network but reading and reflecting is something on which I plan to concentrate over the winter break.  

Quest 3: Digital Citizenship

I love the art of digital storytelling and am looking for ways to integrate such an assignment next semester. I enjoyed crafting my digital footprint video and have been using this in my courses. Creative Commons was new to me, and I have been sharing its information with my students.

Quest 4: Authoring and Presenting Content

 It turns out that I have been designing Learning Objects for years without knowing that was their official "title." During this current semester I have used Thinglink and created several interactive videos...and will continue doing both of these...and gradually revising older videos to be more interactive.

Quest 5: Communication and Collaboration

I tend to integrate social presence, teaching presence, and cognitive presence in my courses, striving to keep these in balance.  This course has helped remind me to do this, to concentrate on developing community. Student feedback tells me this has paid off as they write of how they feel a part of a group and that they really enjoyed interacting with and learning from their classmates. 
 
Quest 6: Assessment and Feedback

I had been planning on integrating digital portfolios into the CCA program but simply had not had the opportunity to investigate the process or the various programs available. Thanks to this quest I now feel better equipped to lead the students (and myself) into this next stage.

I also learned how to use SnagIt to create video feedback for student assignments - was a great gift!   Students tell me they enjoy the detailed feedback and the friendliness of it, telling me they appreciate the time I am giving them.We all love to be appreciated!

 Quest 7: Get Your Game On

My favorite quest!  I love designing games and gamification...and now have a course planned for next semester than I will gamify!   thank you!!!!

As a sidenote.....  I explored Second Life and have read a variety of articles on using SL in the classroom, but there were enough issues with the program that I decided not to use it.  I had considered this program in the past as a possible way for students to meet synchronously, but I am just not sure that meeting in SL would be better than them meeting through webex.  the learning curve in SL is high, and, trying to be cognizant of my students' time, I am not sure that this would be time well spent. I also considered Mindcraft, but, again, was unsure that time students spent in this program would be worthwhile.


Quest 8: Cracking the Code

Years ago - 1990s - I designed a webpage for my husband's business.  This was when web design was only done using html code, and i taught myself how to code.  Coding has changed, and the new code taught in this quest differed from what I had used in the past, but this served as a good refresher.

So what?

I have thoroughly enjoyed this course and have learned a great deal, much of which has already been integrated into current and future courses. Because the CCA progam is fully online, I frequently struggle with  pedagogy and the best way to present content and to engage the students, making sure the experience is worthwhile and not busy work.  I fell better equipped to do this now, providing a progam that is pedagogically sound and engaging. 

Now what?

Now, the fun begins!

As to current courses, this is grading crunch time, and I am concentrating on providing multimedia feedback on projects, papers, and videos.

After finishing those projects, I plan to gamify one course for spring then finish revising two additional courses, including creating more interactive videos,  providing choices in assignments, and reorganizing.

Students will be introduced to Digital Portfolios during their Spring Program meeting, with portfolios optional for students who started prior to fall 2014 and mandatory for the new group.

I will also begin crafting my own e-portfolio - that should be fun as well.  I also plan to start a new blog on Tech Tips for Higher Ed, so stay tuned..... this blog will explore technology tools for academic and non-academic use in the higher ed arena... teaching, marketing, student services, fundraising....... 

I look forward to continuing this technology journey.

Who knows what neat tools and ideas will spring up next!

My Digital Toolbox

http://www.pinterest.com/mollyduggan0/tech-tools/

Designing my Digital Toolbox has actually been quite fun, forcing me to look for and experiment with additional tools.   Not every tool I tried made it into my Toolbox, however. .... and some tools started in the toolbox and have since been removed.


Criteria for selection

Rather than using ISTE Standards, SAMR, or TPACK, I used the Garrison (2007) framework based on social, teaching, and cognitive presence. Tools had to help me develop one or more of the three types of "presence" to enter the toolbox. Our class had also established criteria, some of which were also used to help determine whether or not a tool stayed in the toolbox.

Because my students are all full-time working adults, only some of the class-chosen criteria factored into tool selection.  Following is the list of class-developed criteria.  Those that entered into my choices are starred. For a tool to remain in the toolbox, it had to meet at least 6 of these criteria. Tools are also marked with SP, TP, and CP, based on Garrison's framework noted above.

1. Is it user friendly? *
2. Is it interactive? *
3. Is it age appropriate? *
4. Is it accessible on multiple devices? *
5. Is there another tool that does the same thing?
6. Is the tool sustainable?
7. Does the tool have substance?
8. Is it free? *
9. Is it web-based or does it require installation?
10. Is it accessible?
11. Is it customizable?  *
12. Will students have the skills they need to be successful? *
13. Does this tool meet my needs regarding legal issues, ethics, and privacy? *
14. Will it help me deliver content to my students? *

 Usefulness of the Toolbox

Several tools have already been integrated into current classes as well as those in design for next semester. For example, I have used Thinglink to house tasks (What is Organizational Culture?, Organizational Cultures & Subcultures, Handling Conflict, Fundraising and the Community College)  within our LMS, SnagIt to prepare screencapture videos of interactive assignment grading, and Camtasia to create interactive videos (Digital Footprints: Your Footprint, Your Responsibility and Best Practices in Designing Presentations). Students used Sketchtoy in an introductory forum to draw their definition of leadership. I used Zaption to add a question-and-answer component to a video on Tribal Community Colleges and  created a Library quiz for next semester using Google Forms, along with Brainshark to turn a narrated powerpoint into a video, and Powtoon to create a cartoon regarding course assignments.

Even more important, students have used several of these tools (Thinglink, Brainshark, Camtasia, and Powtoons) in their class presentations. Their choice to use some of these tools helps validate my own choices - evidently students did find these tools to be useful, easy, and appropriate.

The Future

Future assignments will provide students with more tool choices, all saved in my digital toolbox. As I continue to expand my toolbox, assignments will shift, providing students with even more options. I really enjoyed this process and may even add an assignment requiring students to develop their own toolboxes.

Organization of resources  is key, and I am considering reorganizing my toolbox...I am just not yet sure which way would be best. Categories of tools might be one way of organizing - all infographic generators in one toolbox, all audio recording tools in another...Organizing according to presence might work, but many tools would be in several toolboxes.


Until then, I will keep searching for new tools, keep noting possible assignments per tool, and keep growing my toolbox.

Reference

Garrison, D. R. (2007). Online community of inquiry review: Social, cognitive, and teaching presence issues. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 11 (1), 61-72.