CEP812 - Group Leadership Project

We used a combination of tools to create are beautiful final project, such as, Windows Movie Maker, Camtasia, Jing/Screencaster, and YouTube, to upload and output the final product. Well, Jing was used to create the tutorial sections, that was the best idea that one of my group member’s wanted to go with so that we could show the actions of taking the tutorial live, instead of just screen caps.  I used Camtasia, to edit, add, cut, and enhance the tutorial clips. Camtasia because the videos files from Jing are export out as .swf (Flash file), and so when I took it into one video editing software it did not do too well, and then I took it into Camtasia and the .swf was compatible. Finally, the use of Windows Movie Maker came very last minute, due to the non-compatibility of one of the group member’s audio files in Prezi. The end product was supposed to be in Prezi, which is what the group agreed on in the very beginning.  But when the audio files did not convert as the Prezi blog said it would, an executive decision was made and was moved over to WMM. In the end, using WMM made out a lot better than using than using Prezi.  

What I learned from the development process is that every member in the group has their roles and their strengths. I considered one member the leader of the group, she was the one that made sure things got done, and kept everyone on task, and probably was the most stressed. The other member was get it done guy, and that is what he did, he got the tutorials done, and did not need much more info. My role was the creative guy, I was the one that took all the parts and put them together, which then the leader put the final touches to the whole project. When knowing what you are supposed to be doing, it makes working as a group so much easier, especially when you have a group that has the same vision. Oh and as usual, if something can go wrong, it usually does, but quick thinking, is always good to counter act the situation.

I personally would not do anything differently, except from jump, decide to not do the presentation in Prezi. It is cool tool, but it very limited to when it comes to creativity and using outside media files. I learned in my 810 class about the PowerPoint Kiosk mode, and so I might have considered running the tutorial through there, so it would be a stand-alone interactive tutorial. Overall I am greatly pleased with our final product, and the work that the whole group put into.

CEP 812 - Professional Learning Plan

Hello World,

Well here it is, after re-doing the video clips, Camtasia having its own problems, and then Youtube and Camtasia not wanting to work together like they are supposed to.... my Professional Learning Plan brought to you by CEP 812 :) . Hope you like it. Enjoy!!

CEP812- Classroom 2.0 post

Here is the I joined and replied to. Classroom 2.0 Forum

CEP 812 - Poll Everywhere

So, my poll everywhere experience didn't really go as well as planned. I thought it was going to go a lot better than I thought. Only because I thought that I would have my responses to my question, and I really wanted to watch the bar status go up and down. Hence this is one reason why I kept the poll open, mainly cause this a serious question, because I really would like to know where I will going this summer.
If I had classroom, I would use this to be able to let the classroom have a say so, in some of the decision making. This would be one of the only democratic moments in my classroom.


See the results of the my Poll Everywhere question!

Get a free sms student response system at Poll Everywhere

CEP812: Wicked Problem Project: Part D - Findings and Implications

The project, Thee Best of Both Worlds, E-mentoring program was implemented as much as could be during this course. In which if given more time, a couple things would have happened.  I would have made the pre-qualifying survey more precise with detailed questions.  From there the actual e-mentor survey would have been administered, and after a qualified pool of candidates would have been selected, mentors will be notified. After the mentor selection, there would have been a selection of high schools students that would have been given a survey of participation. A group of students would be selected based on need of academic motivation will be selected. The success would have been measured by academic performance or rather increase in academic performance over a time span, short and long term. The only part of my implementation was completed was showing that college undergrads, grad students and alumni are willing to commit to being mentors, which came from them taking the pre-qualifying survey that was created with survey monkey.

With the results I received I know that I would be able to get more mentors to take the survey. I was a little disturbed how some people could not follow the simple directions of putting their name down on the survey, seeing how it was the first question on the survey. I needed that answer so in case they qualified; I could get in contact with them. But I guess too, it is my fought for not expressing the need of knowing the name of the person that took the survey. Being limited to only the basic account of survey monkey does raise a flag, on considering if I would stay with that survey tool or use another one. As of right now, I would use another one, and one with more basic options.  Even if the survey tool would only let me create three surveys with unlimited questions, it would prove to be more useful as a startup.

Other technologies that I would incorporate would be the use of social media, of course. We would be linked into the majoring players, Facebook, Twitter, and even Foursquare. The Foursquare accounts, will a fun way to keep track of the mentees, without really keeping track, and would as serve as statistics that I would keep. This will help me understand some of the patterns of the mentees which may give some insight as to why they are in need of academic motivation.  After learning about Polling software, there would be implementation of monthly polls. This is use to get feedback from the mentees and the mentors, and this would be the same question, “As a mentee, do you feel having your mentor is helping you do better in school and life” , “As a mentee do you feel you have improved in school” and “As a mentor, do you feel your mentee is doing better in school”.

At this present time, this is no evidence from myself of a problem of practice, but by their being some literature on e-mentoring shows that their some truth to this practice. I do not think I would have done anything differently for a project of this magnitude, unless the ideal overall was different. I would probably just focus on one particular section same as I did this time. But now thinking, I would use graduate students to mentor undergraduate students, but yet still a have the same format as having two mentors. Then I would try to use the same template with slight modification on high school students. The lesson learned is allot more time, and it will prove beneficial to be able to get more completed or at least what is expected to be completed.  Given the proper resources I would try to bring this project to fruition. I know that a project/program as such would be greatly beneficial to the success of high school and college students. I personally would not change anything, and may consider still moving forward with this program.  

CEP 812 - Mobile Learning

 

While expIoring the mobile learning lab I actually found a very useful tool that I read about in Classroom 2.0 i saw the forum “Java applets to quizzes to mobile phones”. In that forum there was a program talked about that I would definitely implement called http://www.mobilestudy.org where you can create quizzes for mobile phones. This can be away that will be a way to let students do what they naturally do every day anyway. This probably would be better suited for college students, only because I would believe that that majority of college students would have or own smartphones.  In my classroom it would be a quick way to throw a pop quiz to see if some of the main points of the lesson were understood. It can also work well with homework assignments, being able to make sure students are aware of what is to be study that night or week. What one challenge would be, is making sure that all the students have the mobile hardware to access these types of quizzes, which could be corrected by having the students just as easily take the quiz online as an alternative.  

Outside of the mobile quiz app, there are many other mobile tools such as; iPods/iPads, flash drives, mp3 players, kindles, and flip cameras. I personally have only had experiences with using flash drives and remember one particular experience. I was working in the media lab undergrad, and was tired and rushing to catch the bus. I was in such a hurry, I left my flash drive in the computer, and of course when I realized I had left it and tried to go back the next day it was gone. The worst part is, nobody returned it to me, and I lost the majority of my work from the current course and past courses. I have only had to use flash drives for doing major media and large gaming projects and video content.  When I was adjunct game instructor, my students did not use flash drives that used external hard drives, mainly because there was not enough space on the flash drive. Some my students even used their ipods, as storage devices, and when I asked why, they told me it’s because they know that they always carry their iPod, so therefore they will always have their work. Although it made since, most of them still forgot their work, go figure.

If I had my own classroom, I would definitely use kindles as a means for text books as a second option physical text books. One so no students would be able to use the excuse of, “Oh I have too many other books” or “My book never stays open, so I didn’t bring it” (these are actually excuses I heard in my class). Another reason is because it would cut down on having my students have to carry multiple books for just my class. I would tailor the course readings to go with books that are Kindle purchasable, such as these. 

That would be the only thing I would I would definitely like to implement that on a list of uses to in the future of my teachings. Depending on what I would be teaching there is a possibility of using iPads, but I'm not quite sure how well designing or editing would work on that type of device. or if the same software that is available on Mac's are have been downsized to work on iPads.

My CEP 812 song... titled CEPCEP812

http://www.soundation.com/studio/play/?audio=7398667e62d92c465eb724159576c12a