Wikis and more…

The work I have completed during my Masters studies has led me to focus on developing curriculum for Bible study groups. My concept is Christian Education Technology Integration (CETI) which incorporates various technology tools in the operation and delivery of the curriculum to  increase interest, participation and productivity. The goal is to transform passive, “sit in a circle and talk” groups into interactive and engaging discussion groups.

In my June 2009 post I shared the implementation of the curriculum and my attempts to gather feedback from the participants. I conducted personal interviews with the participants that did not respond to my e-mail request. I received rich, valuable comments from the group members. One suggestion to increase the use of the wiki by the participants was to provide a workshop or lesson on wikis to further educate the members that were not familiar with the wiki and its uses.

This quarter I had the opportunity to experience practical application of my studies by creating a slide show presentation on wikis and develop an implementation plan to integrate the use of a wiki in the women’s study group I am currently working with. This process has been enlightening and exciting for me as I further develop my curriculum development skills in my work in Christian Education. The combination of my passion and talents has made my work a joy and I am looking forward to the group’s growth in learning and spiritual maturity.

VoiceThread

VoiceThread is an online resource for sharing photos and videos. What makes their service unique is that the site allows you to add an audio narration to your media presentation. The software is very user-friendly and allows you to share your “masterpiece” via e-mail or uploaded to your blog/wiki. Your media is stored on their web site so there are no downloads and you are able to access your “threads” from any computer via the Internet.

There are many valuable uses for this application. I used VoiceThread to create a slideshow of my grandson’s third birthday to share with family. A colleague created a presentation demonstrating the progress one of her students made in his reading skills over the course of the school year. VoiceThread is a very effective tool for sharing multimedia online and I encourage you to check out their web site for your personal or professional use.

Three Steps for 21st Century Learning

What Makes a Good AUP?

Most acceptable use policies (AUPs) are a list of what not to do on the Internet and, for some, support the notion that the Internet is a “bad” place to venture and explore – especially for children. A well-constructed AUP should not only outline restrictions and prohibitions, but should also promote the value of Internet usage. Andrew Churches, an educator and Internet communication technologies (ICT) enthusiast, very succinctly expounded on Digital Citizenship and has created an acceptable use agreement (AUA) based on these six tenets:

1. Respect yourself
2. Protect yourself
3. Respect others
4. Protect others
5. Don’t steal
6. Protect intellectual property

Lots of discussion within the responses to his posting of the AUA generated good suggestions to the revision of the fifth tenet as it was the only one that was phrased negatively. Dave Sands’ suggested re-write was, “Act with Integrity. I will cite sources for media and information. I will purchase, license and register all software. I will purchase my music and other media, and only use it for my personal needs.” Most of the responses were in agreement with his perspective and and also included requests to use his work as a basis for the AUPs that the readers were working on themselves. Churches’ freely offers his work for use in developing AUPs and will publish the final product with a Creative Commons “share and share alike” license on his wiki.

Action Research Feedback

When I began the Masters program I wrote a paper on the impact of technology integration on adult education and corporate training. With the knowledge, tools and technology I acquired during my major emphasis I created a curriculum that transformed a “passive, sit in a circle and talk” group study into an interactive and engaging discussion group. Creating a wiki, updating the groups web page, incorporating video clips and e-mail messages/reminders into the curriculum and operations of the study group have increased interest, participation and productivity.

Initially, I attempted to gather formal feedback from group participants by passing out a simple four question survey but did not garner the response I was hoping for. The hard copy of the survey had the URL for the online version of the survey printed at the bottom for those that wished to submit their responses electronically. Most participants answered “yes” or “no” and did not provide any comments as requested when completing the paper version. The online survey received fewer responses. After making personal inquiries I learned that because I passed out the hard copy of the survey at the end of the study session, most people quickly marked a response in order to leave. The feedback I received from participants about the online survey was that the URL (generated by Survey Money) was too long and complicated to type and access. From that information I created a link to the survey on the wiki’s home page and study resources page – two pages that all of the participants access on a regular basis. Once I made the changes I received two more responses that provided detailed comments, but the overall response rate – less than 40% – is not acceptable for me.

Since I know the participants personally, I have decided to create and send an e-mail with more specific questions to elicit feedback regarding the study group. In the case of non-responders, I plan to conduct a personal interview with them. I believe that if I pose the right questions I will get the detailed, comprehensive feedback I’m looking for. Wish me luck!

Technology & Culture

Below are some interesting articles and reports that discuss the impact of technology on culture and vice versa.

Does technology change culture or culture change technology?

http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/blogger/2006/07/10/does-technology-change-culture-or-culture-change-technology/

Cultures are very robust and change slowly. It’s typical for a new technology to be adapted within a culture and used to support existing patterns of behavior.

For example, she said that mobile phone manufacturers have developed popular phones for Muslim users that support their religious practices by (1) reminding them when it is time to pray, (2) orienting them towards Mecca and (3) disabling incoming calls for 20 minutes.

Culture, Society and Advanced Information Technology

http://www.cra.org/reports/aspects/aspects.pdf

Summary: The workshop found that recent breakthroughs in the speed, communications capability and storage capacity of digital information devices would have far-reaching and unforeseen effects on families, communities, institutions and democratic processes. To understand the social consequences of these breakthrough technologies, government, academic and corporate researchers need to build on the solid foundation that exists in studies of sociotechnical systems, media studies and online communication; in the social science study of computing; and in the social sciences generally.

To further this understanding, the workshop explored the implications of these new technologies for the education and careers of social scientists as well as for social science methods, funding, ethics and theory.

Technology and Culture

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1902836,00.html

Some argue that Twitter is a form of digital narcissism, the toy of the moment for an attention-deficit-disordered culture. But as Johnson notes, the Twitter platform is ultimately about an accretion of tweets, the way hundreds of thousands of pixels form a detailed and complex digital image. Twitter underscores Marshall McLuhan’s famous aphorism that the medium is the message–the idea that technological form shapes and determines the culture. McLuhan challenged the traditional notion that content–whether in print, in film or on television–is automatically more significant than the medium through which it is delivered. What we now accept is that the medium changes the nature of what, and how, we communicate. Twitter does that too.

Grantwriting & Me

During my undergraduate studies at UWT I was part of a group called “Community Builders” which focused on philanthropy, community involvement and volunteerism. My community work and desire to continue to serve my community after graduation led me to complete a minor in Non-Profit Management in addition to my major in Business Administration. I felt compelled to learn all I could about non-profit work and even thought at one time that I would establish a non-profit myself.

My coursework in non-profit studies included grantwriting which I applied to the work I was doing for an area non-profit organization. I submitted five grant proposals/applications on their behalf and two were successful. They weren’t for “big bucks,” but the funding enabled the organization to further its goals.

Below are links to web sites that I feel are valuable resources for anyone interested in grantwriting. It is a sometimes arduous process that can be confounding without proper guidance or tools to make it as pain-free as possible, but can also be rewarding when your hard work pays off.

GrantProposals.com
This site is a wonderful resource for the beginner grantwriter as well as the experienced grantseeker. The site provides tutorials, a sample inquiry letter and proposal, as well as advice from funders on preparing a successful grant proposal.

Technology Funding Sources and Grant Writing
Texas Instruments provides a valuable resource for those seeking grants for technology. The site offers grant writing tips and resources, a guide to federal and private funders, as well as advice from successful grant seekers.

Northwest Educational Technology Consortium
This site provides resources to individuals or organizations seeking federal funding through the U.S. Department of Education for educational technology grants.

Podcasting – Things to See

Podcasts are video broadcasts that can be viewed on your computer, iPod or other personal video devices. iTunes has a free download that helps you organize, browse, subcribe and share podcasts. There are also other podcast directories available on the Internet that you can find with Google or your favorite search engine. Below are a couple of podcasts and their web sites that I found interesting and an online podcast directory:

• GeekcastOnline – This podcast is hosted by Aaron Crocco and he provides how-to segments and the latest tech news available.
• Blogging, Podcasting and Vidcasting – This podcast is hosted by Sherman Hu and he simplyfies and demystifies technology with how-to’s and time-saving tips.
• Digital Podcast – This is a podcast directory that has a wealth of podcasts on a variety of topics. Caution: iTunes filters out inappropriate content where other sites may not. For example, one of the the categories listed on Digital Podcast is “erotica” and you may not want your child or student browsing that topic.

What’s Out There?

Wikipedia defines Web 2.0 as “the changing trends in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aim to enhance creativity, communications, secure information sharing, collaboration and functionality of the web.” I found a great site that houses links to many sites that provide tools, services, software and information related to Web 2.0. The site is Go 2 Web 2.0 and is very visual and user-friendly. It can seem overwhelming at first because by default it displays every site out there and there are a gazillion of them! You can focus your search by topic using the search dialog box or selecting from the tag cloud which is my preference. When you move your cursor over a site you get a brief description of the site, but if you click on it you get a more detailed description and link to the site below. Check it out!!

My Vision

April 21, 2008

January 1, 2009

Our church burned down last year and this year we broke ground on our restoration project. The new building will have an enlarged sanctuary, more classrooms than before and a state of the art audio/visual system. I see us moving into a new building with a restored faith and a genuine enthusiasm for the work we are called to do.

I see our Christian Education department enhanced with the integration of technology and the Word of God. I see the children in our Vacation Bible School classes learning with the technology they use in their social life and will use in their future vocations. I see increased participation, collaboration and a renewed passion in our Bible Study classes with the incorporation of technology. I see our Sunday School classes connecting outside of our Sunday morning sessions. I see the church’s web site enhanced to become a “one-stop shop” for all of our ministries and a portal of outreach to our community.

I see an awesome opportunity awaiting Eastside Baptist Church and am blessed to be a part of it.