Catching up and starting over…

Wow!  I can’t believe my last post was in October!  That is crazy, but I am sadly not surprised!  The end of the semester went by so quickly, I found myself having little to no free time to do anything “non-school” related.
In early November, some fellow instructors and I met and talked about how we could improve this course, and somehow, I ended up being the one chosen to make the changes.  This was a huge endeavor (and a huge honor), but since I was planning on making the changes any way so that the course would be easier for me to teach, I figured I might as well do it for everyone else.    Just for the record, here are the changes that I made (this was in the e-mail I typed out to them so I realize that some of this may not make sense to you :)):
· Main Page:

• I’ve added one of my colleagues’ “course tour” and “review of the syllabus” presentations to the main page rather than Module 1 so that they are easier to find
• I’ve added a “Course Overview” that describes how each of the modules are laid out
• I’ve added a Resource Folder on the main page that we can add useful resources for our students.  Right now there are some resources from the syllabus (OWL at Purdue and Netiquette) as well as some other APA style, online learning, and time management. 

· Modules

• As mentioned above, I’ve broken the Modules into sections for easier readability
• I’ve added some more detailed instructions for some of the assignments for clarity.  Another colleague sent me some extended directions for the Virtual Tour (one of our assignments).
• I’ve made sure that all of the Titles, Overviews, Objectives, etc all match up to the material in each module.
• I’ve combined two chapters (the chapters on Educational Software:  Administrative and Academic) and added another (Chapter 10 – Using the Web for Teaching and Learning).  Because I combined those two chapters, the number of modules stayed the same.
• I’ve added some resources that will hopefully help students complete their assignments like mini lectures pdf help files, etc.

· Assignments

• I have gone through and made sure the assignments matched the objectives for each module (One of the reasons why I combined the two chapters).  The assignments are pretty much the same, I just flipped some of them around to match up better with the module
• I’ve made the assignment drop box directions match the ones in the module.  Before there was some inconsistency between the two.
• I’ve added grading forms for each assignment.  You don’t have to use these if you don’t want to…it just made it easier for me to grade the assignments. 
• For the final assignment, I’ve created two options.  Since one of my colleagues teaches online, she has her students present in Wimba Live Classroom whereas I like to have my students present in class.  I created a page for each so that each instructor could choose.

· Quizzes

• I’ve gone in and made sure all of the quizzes match the chapters/modules.
• I’ve made them all 50 points (25 questions at 2 points apiece) just to make it easier to remember.
• As in the module, I’ve combined the quizzes for chapters 7&8
• Each quiz has a “Practice Test” that students can take
• This semester, I gave my students a cumulative “optional final quiz” that they could take for bonus points (because I didn’t let them make-up quizzes, and I counted off points for assignments being late), that was 100 questions worth 100 points.  I just combined all of the quiz questions from previous quizzes to create the item bank and the students liked having the opportunity to take this (whether or not they took advantage of it). 

· Web Links – I’ve added several links throughout the semester to sites we used during class activities. 
I was also asked to update our department’s bulletin board.  I’m still working on it some, so I will share pics as soon as I finish.
Needless to say, I am thankful I wrote some of my “changes” on this blog…it made it much easier to make changes in the course! :)
Maegan
P.S.  I was asked to teach the next class (CAT 250) this summer so next semester might be my last in 200!  I’m ready to make the best of it! :)

Technical Difficulties, Part II

Just when I thought the technical difficulties were out of the way, I ran into yet another one during our class meeting yesterday.

As I’ve mentioned before, when the course was designed, it was designed with the old version of the textbook and the designer had very little time to update it to the new textbook (which apparently changed a LOT of the chapters).  This lead to lots of inconsistencies throughout the course that we have all had to navigate through (quizzes not matching the material, Chapters being titled incorrectly, etc).  I usually catch them all, but yesterday, I missed one…a big one!  I had designed my class around the Digital Technologies lesson which is the material they were being assessed on, however, the powerpoint listed was on Assistive Technologies which a completely different chapter.  So, when I went to show the powerpoint to the class, it wasn’t the right one, and unfortunately I did not have one for Chapter 6 :(  I winged it and we discussed the digital technologies, did the activity below, and went on our way.  I felt like it went ok and since this chapter was fairly easy, I felt like they got all of the information they needed to know :)

As one of their assignments (actually the one that is due this Thursday), the students are supposed to create a Wiki (if you are unsure as to what a wiki is, it is basically a collaborative tool in which multiple people can edit its content…think Wikipedia), so I thought I would create a class wiki so that they could get used to using it during class.  Yesterday, we talked about different digital technologies that could be used in the classroom (digital cameras, scanners, handheld devices, etc) and I thought I would have the students research one of the tools and have them, as a class, contribute their ideas to a class wiki.  Good idea right?

Although I have used wikis in classes in the past, I have never had an issue with them, however, I learned an important lesson yesterday:  a wiki is a collaborative tool, but cannot be used for simultaneous collaboration.  Basically, every time a student would type in their idea, it would erase everyone else’s…it was a disaster!  Thankfully, I was able to think on my feet and have them input the information elsewhere and then I added it to the wiki (which by the way can be found at http://cat200fall2010.wikispaces.com/Digital+Technologies)

Anyway, hopefully my technical difficulties are out of the way…however, being a technology teacher has definitely kept me on my toes ;)

Things I liked:

• I really enjoyed the collaborative activity (although the technology didn’t work).  I think this will be a great resource for them in the future!
• I like that we were able to turn the class into more of a discussion rather than a lecture…I hate to lecture, but it is way the course is laid out and because it is part of the NCATE certification, I have to make sure I cover everything in the course.

Things I would change:

• Figure out a better way to use collaborative tools simulataneously.
• Create a wiki/blog/or discussion board for questions.  That way students can see the questions that have already been asked and either answer them themselves or see what I have answered.
• Make the changes needed to make sure that all material matches up (I won’t take time to list that all here, but I do have a running list :))

Until next time… :)

Technical Difficulties

I’m a little late in posting this, but it is midterm time and things are a bit crazy!

Before our last class meeting (which was almost two weeks ago…Yikes!  I told you I was behind!), I created a survey to really find out what was working for the students and what wasn’t and how I could help them do well in this course.  Although I am tender-hearted an often don’t take criticism well, I realize that it is for my own good and I can use it to improve myself which is exactly what I hoped to do with this survey because I certainly don’t want to be blasted with bad evaluations at the end of the semester when I can’t do anything about it.

Anyway, the survey results were fairly positive…almost all of my students told me that the jeopardy review game from the last class was extremely helpful (although they did fine on this week’s quiz without it), which made all of that hard work pay off.

I also asked the students if they would like me to send out messages through a CAT 200 Facebook group and over 50% said they would, so I have recently done so and have been sending out messages through both eLearning and Facebook.

The only thing that “irked” me (for lack of a better word) was one response.  I know that it honestly amounts to nothing, but because I am such a perfectionist, it rubbed me the wrong way.  This was the response that elicited that emotion:

Note:  the grading forms I’m referring to are what eLearning calls the built-in rubrics that I have been using the past few assignments.

Can you tell what irked me?  No, well let me point it out for you…

Ok, let me tell you why this irked me.

First of all, it had nothing to do with the question I asked…all I can figure is that particular student thought I was asking if my form of grading was helpful…I’m not sure.

Taking the comment as is, I was a bit offended because I go out of my way to make sure that I am doing everything I can to make sure these students succeed which includes being extremely clear about my expectations and assignment due dates (calendar on the syllabus, course calendar, MULTIPLE e-mails every week, reminders in class etc)

In saying that, the thing that bothered me the most is that students are EXPECTING to receive reminders about assignments.  Although I obviously don’t mind sending out reminders, it bothers me  that they feel that they are entitled to these reminders and unfortunately at this level, having professors that constantly remind you about assignments is RARE.  I hope that these learn this before it is too late!

Although the survey was completely anonymous, survey monkey allows me to pull out that one person’s responses, which I did and this particular student told me that they currently had a C in the class, so I realized it was just a student scorned and shouldn’t take it to heart.

Anyway, moving on!  This session, we talked about lesson planning and the assignment that is actually due next week actually deals with lesson planning (I’m not sure why the assignments were not switched to match up with units, but I’ll deal with that later).  For our in class activity, I actually had students go onto ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange), check out the state standards, and choose a grade level, subject, and standard they were interested in.  As part of the assignment the students are to create a wiki and paste their lesson plan there, so I went ahead and had them create the wiki so they are good to go for the next assignment.

During the class meeting, I gave students a tutorial on how to use the Wimba LiveClassroom which we would be using in the assignment due that following Thursday.  I walked them through step by step and even pointed them to the video the course developer made on how to complete the assignment.

I was hoping that this would alleviate some of the questions I would receive, but boy was I wrong!

I was BOMBARDED with questions about this tool.  I understand it is hard to learn, but this was crazy!  Every time I got the same question more than once, I would send out an e-mail to the class.  I don’t mind helping students, but what I do mind is when I go out of my way to help them (like send them e-mails on how to troubleshoot), I do expect them to use them before they send me an e-mail asking the same question that I just addressed.  When I found myself answering the same questions that I just addressed in MULTIPLE class e-mails, I got a bit frustrated that I was going to all of this trouble to send out multiple e-mails and them not even bother to read them.

Because the students were having so many problems, I ended up extending the assignment until this past Monday.  Although we didn’t have class, I spent the entire day answering e-mails from students and redirecting them back to the e-mails I had previously sent (Alth0ugh I do get e-mail alerts on my phone, because of the eLearning mail tool setup, I actually have to go log in on a computer to reply to their messages, which means on days like this, I am literally tied to the computer.)

Thankfully I did get the majority of them through the assignment with only a few minor breakdowns (both mine and their’s), but it was an exhausting process.  I was feeling very defeated until I received this e-mail from a student who had literally had a breakdown.

It definitely made my day and made me realize that all my hard work is worth it :)

Anyway, here are the things I have done:

• Made note of all of the problems students have ran into using Live Classroom to be better prepared to help students in the future.
• Submitted midterm grades for my students and was happy to see that I only have about 6 students out of 6 with grades lower than an A :)
• I made a Facebook group to communicate with my students Note:  I am not friending any of my students, they are just allowed to join a group I created and I send messages through there.

Things I want to do or would change:

• Type out a troubleshooting/FAQ pdf to use for future classes and direct students there when questions are asked.
• Create a FAQ on a discussion board/blog so that I can refer students there rather than having to answer the same question multiple times.
• Figure out better, quicker, and more effective ways to communicate with my students (i.e. maybe create a class e-mail account?)
• Fix the discussion questions and assignments so that they match up with the units.

Anyway, I meet with my students again on Monday so I’m looking forward to another great class! :)

In full swing…

The semester is officially in full swing…my students have completed their first module and we are getting started on the second one!

When I met with them for our third class meeting, I started off by talking a little about the last assignment and some problems I had (them not turning it into the right location, incorrect formatting, etc).  I also made sure to point out that for their next assignment, I created a rubric so that they would know exactly what I expected and it would be easier for me to grade.

I also gave them some time to calculate their grades so that they were aware of what they had in the course.  I plan on having them do this every once in a while, just so they can’t e-mail me at the end of the semester telling me they didn’t realize they were in bad shape.

After we went over the class material, we played a game of Jeopardy to review for their upcoming quiz.  I hope that by doing this it not only helps them prepare, but also realize they HAVE to read.  Anyway, we played in teams, and I gave the team that won 2 bonus points, and the others 1 (since they all had to take turns being the “leader” so they all participated).  Although I was pretty hesitant about playing a game in class (I thought they would think it was stupid or childish), they really enjoyed it.  I think we, as college educators, sometimes forget that we sometimes need to make learning fun.  I also gave them access to the practice test so hopefully they will use that to help them prepare as well…we’ll see on Monday.

I just got finished grading their third assignment and for the most part, I was pretty pleased with their grades.  Of course the points I had to count off were silly things that could have easily been fixed (not using the specified font or not posting to their blog), they did MUCH better on this assignment.  I also really liked having the rubric so that I didn’t end up like this….

Things I did this week that I liked:

• Played Jeopardy to help them review for their quiz
• Created a rubric for their assignment
• Taught them how to figure out their grade in the course
• Created a column in the grade book that tells them how many points they currently have
• Got all of their assignments graded and returned just 2 days after the due date! :)
• Added all of their blogs to my google reader so I can check to see if they updated before I grade their assignment (which was part of the requirements for each assignment)
• Alex helped me create an Excel spreadsheet to keep up with grades when I’m not logged in.  It is much easier to look at and having grades in two places helps me make sure I didn’t make a mistake.

Things I want to change:

• Since the rubric was so successful, I want to make sure I do it for every assignment next semester.
• Organize my online gradebook…I’ve got it the best I can get it right now, but I want to do that from the beginning next semester.
• Build “in-class assignments” into my participation points rather than just using them as bonus points.
• Set up an account on Soshiku so students can be reminded of assignments by text

I’ll update after their quizzes on Monday…I just hope they all remember! :)

On Grading

This week my students had their very first assignments due and I was anxious to see how they did.  The assignments started rolling in early in the week and I got busy grading.

I honestly had no idea what to expect for these first two assignments.  The first assignment was to write a 1-2 page paper on educational technology.  It was more of a reflective paper because it asked students to reflect on experiences they’ve had with technology in the classroom whether it be their own or something they’ve observed, give me their definition of educational technology, and to provide some benefits and limitations of using technology. They were to write the paper (using APA format) and then e-mail it to me as an attachment.  The second assignment was to set up a blog on Blogger, post their paper as their first blog post, and send me the URL.  Both pretty simple assignments right?

Apparently, not as simple as I thought.  They had so many issues with this assignment that I NEVER thought they would have, therefore I had to think long and hard on how to handle it.  Here are some examples:

Situation#1:  One student wrote their paper telling me all about their classroom experience, but didn’t mention technology until the very last sentence

My dilemma:  I could just count off and record the grade, however, I wasn’t sure how many points to count off because there was no rubric set in place for this assignment.  IF I did this, this particular student would also not be getting anything out of the assignment.

My solution:  I sent the assignment back to the student allowing them to correct it for partial credit.

Situation #2:  I had several students who turned the assignment into the Assignment Dropbox instead of e-mailing it to me as stated in the directions.

My dilemma:  I could just count off points, but again, I wouldn’t know if they actually knew how to do this task.

My solution:  If I caught it before the deadline, I e-mailed them to remind them to e-mail it to me and gave them full credit.  Some never bothered to send it to me, so I ended up just counting off a couple of points and moving on.  Again, I didn’t have a rubric so I just had to use my best judgment on how many points the submission process was worth.

Situation #3:  Technical issues (Examples:  Several students did not understand what a URL was and once I explained it to them, they continued to submit the wrong URL; One student had a problem with cookies on the Blogger site, the eLearning mail tool wouldn’t let students upload a file from their computer, students who use Macs can’t submit their documents, etc)

My dilemma:  I told them at the beginning of the course that computer issues weren’t acceptable excuses for not turning in their assignments and I gave them a list of computer labs on campus that they could use in case of problems BUT because I know how frustrating it is to run into problems like that when you are getting ready to turn in assignments.

My solution:  I did the best I could to troubleshoot for my end…this included looking up instructions on how to convert a .pages file to a word document, the help section on eLearning and Blogger, and even letting student submit their assignments different ways.

Of course, I also ran into the problems of students submitting assignments late or not submitting them at all and although I have  a late turn in policy in place, I did extend it for the first assignment.  The writing style and formatting was another issue that I am going to tackle when I meet with them again next week.

Things I would like to change:

• Rubrics, rubrics, rubrics  - Not only will it help me grade the assignments, but it will help students know what exactly is expected of them for each assignment.  I have already started on one for the next assignment and I plan to create one for each of the remaining ones as well.
• Help resources – I have already begun compiling a list of sites and documents that might help students if they run into problems.  Although I can’t MAKE them use them, they will be there if they choose to use them.
• Don’t assume they know ANYTHING – Even though the directions may seem elementary, I’m going to make sure that I include the most detailed instructions for each assignment.  I’m also going to go over the general rules of APA because it was clear the students did not follow these rules at all!
• Stick to your policies – I planned on doing this anyway, but because this was the first assignment, I was a little more lax HOWEVER for the next assignment, I will just count off points for incorrect formatting and submission rather than deal with having to e-mail them to remind them what the assignment instructions are.  Also, I am going to make it clear that I will not be searching everywhere for their assignments so if they MUST submit it in the correct place.

My first grading experience was definitely an interesting one.   I caught myself saying things like:

• I’m so sorry, but I do not have access to your blog password.  You might want to try to click on the Forgot password link to see if they can send it to you.
• Thanks for submitting your URL, but this is the incorrect one.  I do not need the address for eLearning, but the address for your blog.
• When I said your URL should be yourusername.blogspot.com, I meant that you should put your user name in the first part of the address, not just send that back to me.
• I understand that you didn’t drop any cookies on your computer…that is not what it means when it says you have a problem with your cookies.

And for smiles this week:

This is a little how I felt when grading papers this week…thanks PhD comics for letting me know I’m not completely alone! :)

When I was grading the last assignment this morning, I saw this in the header…

Professor Slaten…I kind of like the sound of that ;)

I won’t see my students this week but they do have their first quizzes…I hope they remember to take them!

I’ll be back next week with more fun stories :)

Round 2

Last night I taught my second round of classes.  Both classes went fairly well, but not absolutely amazing.  I’m definitely still in the process of finding my ideal teaching style for them all while trying to learn the material that has to be covered. 

I have to say, I do enjoy teaching two classes back to back.  By the second class, I’ve gotten more comfortable with my lesson plan (as I’ve already taught it once) and am able to “tweak” things if necessary (i.e. spend more time on a topic that the first group got stuck on).  Needless to say, I’m looking forward to starting my second semester of teaching in the spring so both groups can have that same luxury.

I have been pretty impressed with their work ethic for this first set of assignments.  They had a discussion post due Sunday and most of them (as in 45 out of 60) had posted by Wednesday or Thursday of last week.  They have their first real assignments, a short paper and the set-up of a blog, due this Thursday, and my phone has been blowing up with e-mails letting me know that many have e-mailed their papers in.  I haven’t done the final count, but I know it is quite a few!  This eagerness will probably dwindle down, but I’m enjoying it so far!

Speaking of assignments, grading is definitely something I’m having to get used to.  This week (as in Sunday to Sunday), my students have (or have had) three assignments due so 60 students times 3 assignments = 180 assignments for me to grade.  Obviously some of the assignments are easier to grade than others (like the discussion posts), but because I am big on giving feedback, even the little ones take a while.  Since the students have been turning them in early, it has been easier to grade them in small clumps, but I’m sure there will be a time when I have all 60 assignments rolling into my inbox at the same time.  It is definitely a learning process and I’m still trying to find the best way for me to handle this.

Okay as for this week (not just class, but work outside class as well) these are the things I felt went well:

• I’ve been pretty proud of myself getting back their assignments in a timely manner and thankfully not skimping on the comments.  This first assignment was more of a personal reflection so I didn’t give as many writing “pointers” as I normally would, but I hope to do so on future assignments.
• I love having a lesson plan.  The past two weeks, I have typed out a very simplistic lesson plan (basically talking points), but it helps keep me on track and helps me remember everything I need to cover with BOTH classes.  As the class goes on, I jot down notes so I can make changes for next semester or even the next class.
• This week, the chapter served as an introduction to educational technology as well as the technology standards for teachers and students.  I planned a couple activities for students to see these standards in action to help them hopefully better understand these standards.  I’m very thankful I did because it really seemed to help them remember them better because they could put an example with the standard name.

These are the things I would change:

• I had been thinking about doing a check-in question to encourage them to read the chapter before class and this week gave me even more reason to do so.  This week I started out the class session with a discussion and prefaced it by saying “This would be an example of your check in question”. I chose a question that I felt was pretty obvious if they’d even attempted to read the material and honestly, if they’d thought about it, they would have been able to answer.  My first class did well and told me the answer right off the bat, but when I asked my second class, I swear I heard crickets chirping, so apparently they did not read.  Hopefully this check-in question or activity will motivate them to read before class.
• For next semester, I am going to try to develop grading rubrics for each of the assignments.  I know I feel better when I have a rubric to follow,  and I would like my students to be clear on my expectations as well.  I didn’t have time to do so before this class started, but I definitely hope to do so before next semester.
• I didn’t feel that I was super engaging last night.  A friend that is a veteran teacher said I was fine and I shouldn’t expect for them to be super excited about everything, but as a teacher (especially an elementary one) I want them to get excited about what they are learning.  I’m going to do my best in the future to make sure I am at least keeping them active so they are not just having to listen to me talk the entire time.

Office Space

No, I’m not talking about the movie…I’m talking about my new home:  my office!

Although I don’t have my own office (yet! ;)), I am enjoying having my little cubicle/carrel thing, to work in during the day before my classes.

Here are some pictures of my new home!

My side of the office - I’m in the last one on the right (you can see my red bag by my desk :))

My desk on my first day – I’ve decorated a bit since then (I’ll get to that picture in a minute)

The view from my desk…I’m so thankful to have a “window seat”

 

My desk decor at the beginning of my second week…it is definitely a work in progress!

Just wanted to share my new home!! I’ll share pictures as I add more decor ;)

2 Down, 16 to go!

Yesterday was the big day, and as much as I was looking forward to it, I’m so glad it is over!

For some reason, even though I have taught quite a few times, that first day is always nerve-racking…especially since this time it was an entire different age group than I’m used to teaching :)

I feel like it went pretty well…the second class more-so than the first.  I used this first class meeting to just introduce the course, syllabus, eLearning (or classroom management system) and although I did my best to make it more entertaining, you can only do so much with the “housekeeping” stuff!

I have about 60 students, so it is going to be a lot of work, but I really enjoyed it!  Most of them are elementary educator’s so they are excited to be there and anxious to learn some technology tools to use in their classrooms.  I, myself, am anxious to start sharing my love of technology with them!  They are all great though and I look forward to working with them more this semester!

Things I enjoyed about the class:

• I started off by having them play a “Lingo Bingo” game in which they had to identify chat acronyms….they loved it!  I’m definitely using this again next semester!
• I had them fill out their information using the form feature on Google docs.  Although I had originally planned on having them doing it on paper (and the only reason I switched is because I don’t have my copy code to make copies yet), I’m so thankful I did it that way.  Now, all my students’ info is all nice and neatly organized in an Excel spreadsheet!
• I used a new tool (or new to me) called Wiffitti to have them give me their definition of Educational Technology.  We’re going to look back at these definitions as we go through the course to see how it has changed!

• I had them turn their screens off to keep them from playing on them while I was talking…it seemed to work well!

Things I would change (and some I did by the second class):

• I changed the video I used from YouTube to introduce the topic to them.  I liked the second video better because it was shorter and seemed to fit in better with our topic.
• My class is in a computer lab so I don’t like that I can’t walk around, but I can’t really change that too much!
• Next semester, I might go ahead and start on the course material…I know they were probably bored to death with all the intro stuff and we were all anxious to get started on the content!
• This time, I created a separate document with some of my personal policies.  I’m going to check with my professor next time (who is the program coordinator) and see if I can include that in my syllabus.

I think it was a great class and I’m looking forward to meeting with them again next week!

Twas the night before classes…

I will be teaching my very first college course (well courses because I teach two back-to-back) tomorrow.  I am excited, terrified, anxious, nervous and every emotion in between.  I have spent my entire life preparing to be a teacher, but an elementary one.  Although I am not worried about my teaching ability, because I've spent the past seven years learning how to be a "good" teacher, I'm a little nervous about adapting my teaching techniques to adapt to my new audience.  Thus, I've established this blog to chronicle my journey from an elementary teacher to a college instructor.

Welcome aboard! :)