Using YouTube in Education

YouTube should be used as a media for learning because it brings access to a global network of learning available from any laptop or mobile device. There are numerous pros to incorporating video into the classroom. In my Masters program, YouTube has been used to view videos for discussion boards or for reference material on assignments. It has been effective in viewing and reviewing information to create my analysis on my own schedule. In addition, as a corporate trainer, I try to incorporate YouTube videos to keep the attention of my young employees. The best part about YouTube is that anyone can post a video, novice to expert.

As educators, we need to be prepared to teach students how to evaluate a video for accuracy, content and expertise. The downside to YouTube is that it is blocked from many work computers through broad security networks to prevent employees from accessing the technology during class or work hours. As a trainer, this limits the access to material while at work, and requires preplanning or instructing employees to view on mobile devices. Another con for YouTube is students is they need to be prepared to filter through numerous videos before citing one as a reference work.

The following list includes three great examples of learning and one poor example and how it can work for educational purposes:

A great example of this is How to Tie a Bow Tie (Howcast Media, 2009). The video has very simple step-by-step instructions. Below the video there is text to read or print if you need to refer back, but it does not overwhelm the learner at the same time. This Media group has numerous How To videos that can be viewed to help learn specific instructions.

Large corporations can use YouTube to teach retailers, customers and build excitement about their new products. Cisco created a video regarding a new shopping technology and their sales video is an excellent example of using graphics and audio to describe and teach. The Future of Shopping video (Ciscovid, 2010) is fun to watch and easily shows the consumer how their product will work.

Another good example of this is, How to Build a Peephole (BarbarasWay, 2009). The narrator has good graphics, simple text and a narrative that informs without overwhelming. This celebrity has a series that can be viewed to learn on a variety of topics.
Conversely, the video, How to Change Your Appearance in Second Life (Torley, 2007), is a negative example of using video for education. The intense music throughout the video, the author’s narration and complicated screen graphics distracts from easily understanding how change the avatar appearance. In this case, the learner is inundated with too much sensory information and it is difficult to follow the instructions. It could be modified to remove the music and have the narrator state simple sentences to describe how to change the appearance.

Educators should incorporate YouTube videos, but need to be preparing students to understand that “just because you can Google it, does not make it valid or accurate.” Helping them understand how to review, cross reference and corroborate sources, will give them tools to survive the new Web 2.0 and access to millions of pieces of information.

References:
BarbarasWay. (Producer). (2009). How to Install a peephole. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx4VBzIgwfg&feature=pyv&ad=4771626639&kw=how-to

Ciscovid. (Producer). (2010). Future of shopping. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDi0FNcaock&NR=1

Howcast Media. (Producer). (2009). How to tie a bow tie. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.howcast.com/videos/430-How-To-Tie-a-Bow-Tie?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HowcastStyle+%28Howcast+Style%29

Torley. (Producer). (2007). How to Change your appearance in second life tutorial. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqbuMi5N97c

Educators incorporating new technology

As educators dedicated to incorporating new, emerging technologies we will often be stalled by broad controls or individuals that do not yet see the value of trying new methodologies. It is important to me to understand how to use my current environment in the workplace, and still be able to try new software, or new opportunities for teaching my employees.

At home, Adobe Acrobat Professional had been installed on my personal laptop, and I have already had access to the software. I have used PDFs in many situations when I did not want my pages altered or edited. To complete this process, I perform a “Save As” and just change the “Save Account Type” to a .pdf file. I did practice the steps in the assignment, and did not encounter any problems.

At work, however, it was a completely different story. As a corporate trainer, we have situations where a .pdf file would be a great resource. My laptop has Adobe Reader installed, but our security controls limit me from downloading anything additional on my work laptop. I then made some inquiries to see how many people have full access to Adobe. It appeared it takes something similar to an “Act of Congress” to be authorized to full Adobe, which I found very surprising. So I continued to pursue some options I could use to overcome broad system controls. When I scan documents to my laptop, they automatically appear as a .pdf and I can use them with my Adobe Reader. I printed this page with my Discussion content, scanned it to my laptop, and created a .pdf document that I can use in Adobe Reader.

What challenges have you faced in the workplace trying to incorporate a new technology for educational purposes?

Brooke

Working with a wiki

A wiki can be an excellent tool to enhance the learning of the group through collaboration and sharing of knowledge. Using a wiki is only as good as the development of the content template and can be the difference between a wiki success, and one that is not.

1. Specific goals and learning outcomes must be identified - “A successful wiki project must account the learning outcomes and goals of the project and the unique process of wiki collaboration” (West, 2009, p. 21). We must carefully plan and design the wiki at the beginning stage with the goals and learning outcomes identified. Pros – If it is identified who the learners are, what the wiki is about, specific wiki type, what challenges will be faced it can be a very powerful team tool. Con - Without strict learning outcomes the wiki may become unfocused, unorganized and lead to unproductive learning.

2. Learning must have relevant activities to apply to real situations - “Context gives meaning to content…The role of the instructor is not to provide learning…but to provide context in which learning can occur” (West, 2009, p. 22). The context clearly defines the purpose, goals, framework, and preparation and promotes the collaborative process. Pro – If the best practice is an area that is a dynamic sharing of knowledge, then it could be the best method. Con - If we fail for provide the proper context, the staff will work in a format that may not be applicable or effective to learning.

3. Design your framework – The wiki must be built and planned correctly so that it can provide meaningful learning. A successful wiki includes: clear definition of purpose, learning domain, desired outcome, template design, group rules and a clear assessment guideline (West, 2009, p. 31). Pros – Proper design and framework of the wiki: Knowledge Construction, Critical Thinking or Contextual Application, will be selected based on the learning goals. Con - If the framework is not designed properly, students may not provide the correct information, may become frustrated in the collaboration process and disengage from the activity as a whole.

4. Skill Level – Using a wiki is not difficult, but does require a short learning curve. Pros – Preparing warm up activities to allow the staff to practice in the wiki will be important to ensure they have the right skills to edit and share content. Cons – Not preparing users for the skills required could have some staff disengage in the process, others become overbearing with material, and others being destructive to the content.

5. Handling group struggles – Pros - When the group struggles whether by conflict, clashes, work ethics or other difficulties arise, being prepared to handle the differences, by asking questions, but not intervening (West, 2009, p. 45). Cons – No setting clear expectations upfront on group behavior can cause problems between the staff and make the wiki a battleground. “The cardinal rule for the wiki instructor is: Never Edit Their Page” (West, 2009, p. 51).

How have you used a wiki? Was it effective? What recommendations can you offer?

Brooke



References

West, J, & West, M. (2009). Using Wikis for online collaboration. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Course 3 Reflections

Finished up course 3 yesterday. The objective of this course was to instruct how to collaborate and learn in a virtual environment. As educators, we must be aware that our learners are incorporating virtual environments in all aspects of their lives, and we need to be prepared to interact with them on a new platform. The process of this curriculum allowed me to learn about new technologies and how they could be applied to education. We were tasked to first document the learning with a blog and link with our Twitter account to record our findings over the six weeks. Building mock classes and integrating with others taught us to understand the planning process and what evolution occurs, and privacy considerations, when a class becomes part of a social network platform. The instructor must build a thoughtful template for the learning, but the amazing growth occurs when the students collaborate. Managing the information overload is a key factor to successfully reviewing the assignments given to our learners. The realization that I can be linked to experts in my field, and draw upon their knowledge and resources is a fact that will help elevate my overall skill level and performance. Next to Number 4!

Brooke

Monolithic view of Education - Jean Piaget video

After viewing the following video from Swiss Psychologist Jean Piaget http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtNdLKqPCyI discuss the Monolithic view of our educational system.

Our education system has been rooted in a methodology of learning that has been effective for hundreds of years; but now as a global culture, we are experiencing a technological revolution. To answer whether our education system is rooted in a monolithic model of instruction and learning, I had to first go to Webster’s Dictionary to understand what the term monolithic actually meant. There were several definitions, “consisting of one piece; solid or unbroken: a boat with a monolithic hull; constructed of monoliths or huge blocks of stone: the monolithic monuments of the New Stone Age; characterized by massiveness, total uniformity, rigidity, invulnerability, etc.: a monolithic society, or Electronics: of or pertaining to an integrated circuit formed in a single chip. Education styles will always lag behind new technology, but successful teachers must take the role of a visionary and be adaptable to changing environments. The definition of the word monolithic intrigued me as we are evolving into a global mass of information, shared and connected through the internet similar to the electronics definition of the integrated circuit forming one chip. As a society we are moving from a rigid and uniform approach to a collective of many parts that create one unit.

Educators must be visionary, but the bureaucrats and administrators must also be open to new ideas and new methods to deliver curriculum. Piaget asked, “Are we forming children who are only capable of learning what is already known? When we continue to do something just because it worked in the past, we will miss opportunities to grow and can be impacted by competition. In the last few months, as I have returned to school, it is obvious to me that I had an enormous gap of knowledge and understanding of new resources, technologies and was not being as effective of a trainer as I could have been. There is new life in the way I teach, what I talk about with my students, how I relate to them on their level. The dedication to education is being able to meet the student where they are as each generation changes.
As educators we need to teach our students how to create new knowledge, how to spark passions for learning and develop their natural talents. Piaget said, “We should try to develop creative and innovative minds capable of discovery from preschool age on, throughout life?” However, we cannot abandon what has worked in the past, using history, examples, scenarios and case studies as methods to teach students problem resolution is still effective. If we can teach minds to interpret, analyze and make appropriate decisions, then they are equipped with skills to follow passions and develop talents.

After you view the video, what do you think?


Reference
Ccaldero. (Producer). (2007). Swiss psychologist jean piaget. [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtNdLKqPCyI.

Final week review - professional contacts

We begin week 6 and the final week of this class and I realize the online connection that I have made from a professional standpoint. I went back to our discussion boards in Week 3 and reviewed all of the blog addresses and twitter names to ensure I had everyone loaded in my Google Reader and am following them on Twitter. Five weeks ago when I began this class, I did not have a personal blog, Twitter account or use Google Reader. What am amazing transformation into the world of technology and I can see so many alternatives and options. This morning I reviewed my website which I want to develop into so much more. The difference is as I went through each segment I understood the terminology and understood so much more than when I created it just three months ago. I have made true bonds with my classmates in this class as we have interacted on a daily basis in some cases. They are teachers and corporate trainers and other professionals all working to advance their knowledge and apply it to education. I want to see them succeed and keep in touch on a professional level. Up until now, I found social networking to be used for personal updates and quite frankly, boring. I now recognize that I can connect with experts, I can follow them, learn from them on Twitter and in blogs and become part of a greater group from a professional level. The barriers are down and they can't judge me because I am a novice, the community wants the group to participate and make the "whole" smarter. Very cool! How have you used social networking to make your professional life grow?

Brooke

Mock Classes and Searching Passions

The process of sharing mock class information with my classmates has taught me a great deal. I have had to really learn how to "manage" lots of information using the tools of Google Reader, Diigo and Delicious. I can see that without these tools, you would be overrun with too much information and it would take too much time. I need to spend this week reviewing my RSS feeds and determining what my "passions" are so I can connect with the experts for my Stronger Than Espresso dream. I also found out about a new EM network that was created for women, by a Christian women to empower and yet provide a smaller circle than Facebook. I'll report back here what I find. I need to map out a social networking strategy to build my program so that the foundation is ready for next year. God keeps whispering the words Foundation, Training, Shield to me so I will dedication my Stronger Than Espresso blog to discover what messages should be uncovered. I look forward to learning more and how I can use technology to reach a broad network.

What passions do you have and how have you used the web to grow that interest?

Connecting with Courses on FB, Ning and PB Works

This week the assignment was to connect and join our classmates mock classes on FB, Ning and PBWorks. First off I have to say we have some very talented and creative people. Her are my pros and cons. Facebook the class was not as easy to set up and customize as Ning, but it was very easy to send the invitations, to accept and to work with my group. The cons is that now I have access to many of their Walls and their personal contacts. As an educator that line between professional and personal needs to be carefully managed if FB is being used. Ning was very easy to set up and customize, and easy to send the invites. The con was every invitation I received from a classmate I had to complete two pages of login, password, dob, city etc. I kept thinking, I have an account, I have my own network -- please remember me, this is a a waste of time. Also with the Ning basic account, I was unable to view Groups on my Main Page. I know that I am connected to numerous groups but I have to go to each of them individually, or upgrade. Since Ning charges after the 30 day trial I really have to want to stay or cancel my account. PW Works was very easy to invite and accept. I like that all my wikis are on my Wiki Account Page and I can easily go to each one to view. The only downside to PB Wiki is that many of classmates did not turn off the notification by email when they make a change so my email is burning up with hundreds of edit notifications to their wikis. I really don't need that information. A good experience and took more time than I ever imagined to navigate, add, filter through all the emails and make comments on the sites. A great learning activity!

Students and Learning

After reading the USA Today article, Scientists ask: is technology rewiring our brains, I have to say that I agree that students are different. From my training experience, I teach employees over the age of 18, many that have been “digitally wired” (Dovarganes, 2008). Many of my students have extreme difficulty sitting still for more than 45 minutes, all my lectures have to be very short or they lose concentration. As a whole, they do not have proper reading skills, poor spelling ability and their handwriting is not legible. Our employees frequently tell me they have ADHD and that is why they cannot sit still; however, I do not know if this is a medical diagnosis, or just a common statement they have heard to explain their behavior. When I began in the Department and grading assessments, I began to recognize common banking words that were being spelled phonetically versus the correct way as written in the text. In order to overcome this, I made a point to write each of the words on the board and have everyone write it in their books spelling the word. It has improved the assessment scores. I segment all of my learning to make sure that I talk for no more than 20 minutes before changing the pace. I also provide long pipe cleaners in my classes, and find that my students twist, bend and create which improves their ability to pay attention. For classes that last several days, I have different toys that I bring for each day to add to the pipe cleaners to keep bringing something new. Keeping their hands busy appears to be a requirement to listen and learn, which has become so prevalent in their life with communication by text. Socially, I believe that they would rather text someone, than talk to them. Actually, just last week that was a topic in the classroom on a break; students were sharing the fact that they don’t like to talk on the phone to people, but they would be happy to sit and text for hours. This new group of learners, do not perform the traditional “deep reading” skills (Dovarganes, 2008); it appears they “skim” information and create their own conclusions. When I was taught there were long sessions of lectures, note taking, and requirements to sit still. My employees would not be able to perform through those conditions, they have to be taught in short segments, with lots of movement and frequent breaks to check their mobile devices or a physical withdrawal sets in. I am curious about the new wave of medical diagnosis that must be on the horizon due to the use of mobile technology. As educators are we prepared to identify the signs of internet addiction?


References

Dovarganes, D. (2008). Scientists ask: is technology rewiring our brains? USA Today, Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2008-12-03-digital-brain_N.htm

Set up Delicious Account

Created my Delicious account for social bookmarking at http://delicious.com/soulfullcreations. I already use Diigo as my social bookmarking tool and really like its ease of use. I find that it is my source of information when I am going between computers and researching on the go. I like the look of Diigo better and find it easier to navigate. What do you find are the pros and cons of Delicious vs Diigo? If you haven't had a chance to try either out, log in, and set up an account. They are free and it is a location for you to load, sort, organize, and share with others web sites and other URL information that you find on a particular topic. Share your experiences?

Brooke

Inviting Classmates to join or mock classes

This week we will be inviting all of our classmates to join our classes in Ning, FB and in PB Works. I did have a chance to log on and view all of my class mates contact information so they can all be added, but I am having questions on the best way to contact them? The way I will approach this is to first print a list of all the students in my class so I have all the names. I have also sent an email to the class with my links. Then go to the Discussion threads and work through their postings or reply to emails they have, or will send to me to ensure I have everyone in the class. My Ning and FB classes were mock courses. My PB Works class is one that I want to pursue and include as a part of an overally training program.

How do you approach inviting attendees?

Brooke

Classes on Ning, Facebook and PBWorks

Submitted assignment to create classes in Ning, Facebook and PBWorks. I thought Ning was the easiest to navigate. Facebook was not as good and I fear that students will be so distracted with the other notifications, that learning will suffer. My wiki was created to support an actual course I want to create for my Stronger Than Espresso program so it was really great. I am excited about the format and feel it will support the objectives.

Web 2.0 - Learning 2.0 - Medical 2.0?

Hi, As I reread Minds on Fired AGAIN I keep identifying new trends and monumental shifts that are occurring and twenty years from now we will look back and use these models to teach marketing, psychology and sociology in our ever changing universities. Last night I was reading the supply push versus demand pull and remembered years ago in my undergrad program learning those in relation to marketing and inventory management theories. Thanks to Sam Walton, yes, Walmart's founder, who applied Just in Time inventory methods JIT to transform how inventories are managed. At the time, no one knew that the economy as society knew it was transforming. I have been pondering the widespread events of this technological transformation and realized this forward motion would only stop if there was a major catastrophy due to technology, and enormous crime event, or that the medical warnings of cell phone usage and wireless waves was really proved true. I wondered what medical changes would be occurring in our society and envisioned that AA would not include some form of Mobile Anonymous. I saw this News article that was just posted and included the link as it appears new medical labels are being generated for internet abuse and addiction. Makes sense it would begin with teens. http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/teendepressionlinkedtointernetoveruse

As educators, are we preparing for this aspect as well? Are we just jumping on the bandwagon to catch up, without keeping a contingency plan or safety net? I just wondered what would happen if twenty years from now if we forced our young into a new array of health problems, depression, obesity, ADHD and other sensory issues based on the requirement that they always have to be online?

What are your thoughts?

Brooke

Ad Sense for Blog

Who has used Ad Sense for their personal Blog? What are the pros and cons to monetize your blog? I had been opposed to it at first, but now am more curious as to the possibilities?

Any thoughts?
Brooke

Facebook class design

Working to design a class for a Facebook application for my Week 4 assignment. Still concerned about the privacy issue and how could I protect those who come to log in? Today I did an informal poll of my class of 14 how many of them use FB and 2 were under the age of 30, but extremely opposed to using it. Two over 40 did not have an account, but weren't concerned. The rest did use FB but when I asked how they would feel to take a class on FB they were not receptive to the idea, which surprised me a great deal. They defined FB as a way to keep up with family and friends that they would not be able to otherwise, not as a way to learn effectively.

What do you think?

Brooke

Pros and Cons of social networks for LMS alternatives

Just submitted the assignment with the pros and cons of each type: FB, Ning and PB Works. FB has the broader network, but privacy and special educational features lack. Ning is simple to use, but the cost and specialized features for educators is lacking. Did search their apps and surprised that out of 253 there was none for educational purposes. Hmm? Is that something that needs to be created to bridge the gap between social networking and LMS systems? I do believe that PB Works is a great fit for many educational applications. It is simple to use, easy to design, allows for private and team pages and collaborative projects to occur to promote learning. The key to a wiki is in the design. I have found that process much more challenging than I expected to develop template pages and format how I wanted the learning to progress in my wiki. What do you think about social networks replacing current learning management systems?

Brooke

Developing Classes in Facebook and PBWorks

Good morning,

This week I need to create my class in Facebook and I need to think about how I will formulate that. How will I use the social network to help with the class formation? Facebook is so widespread it could be a great alternative because students are already there everyday. I was able to easily create a class in Ning and my PBWorks wiki is already under creation. The Ning class was so easy to do, I hope the FB application works as well. I only have one piece of the Ning class that I couldn't complete which grayed out and I don't know how to make it work. This week I teach classes and will be traveling for work which will keep me busy and will need to carve out time to complete my school work. Also printed the document, Minds on Fire, so I can review when I have time to complete the written assigment. Another full week of learning ahead.

Have you created a class on FB? How did it work for you?
Brooke