Week 2 Assignment

Think about what are the strengths of online (and potentially educational) tools and how they can best be used to take advantage of these strengths.

Edgar Dale (1969) Cone of Experience

Siegel (2003) Computer Imagination

links are reversed

Impressions of Bloggs and RSS Reader

Dale's Cone do each tool lend itself and why

Imaginative ed use of a Blog or Rss

Strength/Weakness

Postman: What is the problem to each of these tools is the answer?

Postman

I have not gotten into blogging like many people have. Being a large consumer of information RSS allow me to read multiple perspectives on various topics. I have been using an RSS reader in some form ever since I purchased my 1st smart phone, the Palm Treo. At the time my reader of choice was Bloglines I have currently use Google. One of the many feature I like about RSS readers are they not only gathers and groups topics of my interest but good blog writers have their topic inside the 1st couple of sentences so you get a great summary of their current writing. The short summary and relevant information in one spot was idea for my 1st smart phone.  I could  and do catch up on movements in the stock market, politics, and the lasted posting from education technology gurus right on my phone anywhere anytime. As for blogging not as excited. I am glad it is a requirement for this class. I have tried on many occasions but just have not been able to stick with it. Somewhere in my digital foot print is a  Word Press blog, a couple Twitter post and facebook account. I think my issue with blogging is summed up in the Postman article when he says “Information has become a form of garbage. It comes indiscriminately, directed at no one in particular, disconnected from usefulness.” I know that writing preservers thoughts and that is how I have convinced myself each time to retry blogging.

Part 2:
Edgar Dale’s Cone of Experience and how can we move students through the various levels using today the technology of today (Bloggs and RSS).  I found it very interesting that Dale was apply the latest technology of 1969 to the cone of experience could easily be applied to the technology of 2011. While reading I noted how I could leverage the power of blogging and RSS readers into his Cone of Experience.
The Cone

• Direct, Purposeful Experience, Learning by Doing.
• Contrived Experience - Simplified experience (models and simulations)
• Digital Citizenship - Case Studies and Simulation designed to teach students about Fair Use.
• Dramatized Experiences - Assumption of roles or dialogues that may give us an opportunity experience an event from the past or fictional reading
• Blogging discussion from this perspective. Reconstruction in a blog from a Historical perspective using the historical knowledge of the time. Assigning student different roles- Settlers, Ranchers, Miners, Native Americans, Outlaws, Tappers of during the settling of the west. - Giving all students to be actors in the reconstruction. - Students use RSS to follow the movements of their peers
• Demonstrations - Observation and Perception
• Exhibits-  typically spectators are not allowed to manipulate. - Planned and executed by students - seeing and doing
• David’s Science - youTube video posted on a blog
• Still Pictures and realistic drawings and recordings
• podcast and video cast
• Visual symbols - Chalkboard communication, flat maps, and diagrams, charts
• CMS Moodle, Google Maps, Webspiration or bubli.us
• Verbal Symbols - horse ->not looking like a hourse when spelled.

“We do not use any one medium of communication in isolation Rather we use many instructional materials to help the student conceptualize his experience so that he can deal with it effectively.”

Finally the Postman question of what is the problem each of these tools is the answer.  RSS Readers is an easy one it does constantly keep us updated with the latest news post or blogger we are following. Most importantly is it gathers in one place. On my smart phone I can go to my Google Reader and update myself on the latest postings. The problem is it is very easy to get buried in all of the collected readings. Blogging I know works for a some and I would like it to work for me. I just do not see it as being an answer for any problem I currently have.