EDUC 639 Research Showcase Blog

Here is a video about my group's research prospectus. Enjoy!

EDUC 639 Wiki Reflection

The First Time I Used the Wiki:

The first time I used the wiki, I created it for our team. I created it knowing the title of our project and that it could be a good place for our group to share contact information. Within the next week, I began working on the wiki for our webibliography, posting textbook choices and articles to review. This was the first time I used the wiki for content-related work, and for purposes of this reflection, I will consider it to be the first time I used the wiki.

Working on the wiki for the webibliography contributed to my knowledge development because it taught me about the project. I did not read any of my peers’ articles or texts, just viewed the titles and reference information to avoid duplicates as best as possible. Working on the wiki both contributed to a positive attitude toward the project and contributed to a negative attitude. Being the creator, I feel as though my team put more pressure on me for everything to exist in the wiki, when they had a lot of control and power to edit all parts of the project. It made me feel stressed because I had to ensure that everything my team expected was a part of the wiki when it needed to be. From the very first time I worked on the wiki, I felt responsible for my entire group’s project, which added a lot of stress to this course. I immediately appreciated that my group was very responsive to emails about the wiki and adding information for the webibliography to it!

A Time in the Middle When I Used the Wiki:

            I used the wiki quite often for this project, checking it almost every other day for the duration of it. I edited the content when our group collaborated for the proposal, which is the part that I will reflect upon here. Our group met in a synchronous online chat to create the proposal for our wiki literature review. I was editing it through out our chat. This role contributed to my knowledge of the project and what was expected for the literature review portion. It helped my attitude because I was eager to work with my classmates and was pleased that everyone was available for the chat, even though not everyone could participate due to technological issues. However, I did become frustrated at times because some of my group members would respond to an idea that was said much earlier in the conversation, and I felt as though I repeated myself several times. We are all very busy, but it is important in a short time frame synchronous communication that we all give our full attention (as best as possible) to keep the conversation concise and to the point.

            With respect to my future career, I think that collaborating to create the proposal showed me how it can be used in group work in grade school. I currently teach kindergarten, and do not think a wiki is appropriate for students. I can see how it can effectively keep group members involved in their projects and provide access from anywhere with an Internet connection. I can see students collaborating on a wiki in class, then working on it from home, and understanding exactly what they are to complete at home because they created the document in class together. This could also prevent issues with transferring documents from one computer or server to the next!

The Last Time I Used the Wiki:

The last time I used the wiki, I felt very accomplished. I spent a ton of time in this course working on it and ensuring that all the seams were sewn as my group members contributed to the project. Overall, a lot of being the group leader consisted of keeping the team organized. I think that part of the organization is due to the volume and amount of work required for a successful project, and the other part due to the fact that I like lists and being organized.

The last time I worked on the wiki contributed to my knowledge about BYOD in a school system. I learned a lot from the research my classmates completed and enjoyed reading their work one final time. I am pleased with how everyone worked together despite varying schedules and feel as though so much of our project relied on these different schedules. It was definitely a stress relief looking over it one final time before determining that our paper was complete!

In a final note, working full time, I am not sure that being a group leader in a project this involved was the best choice for me.  It was very stressful, especially since I had limited access to the Internet as the project neared its due date. I also felt as though when I tried to divide tasks, some group members did whatever they wanted anyways, which did not help the organization of the group. I became very frustrated at this. I know someone has to be the leader, and think I might try being an active group participant next time instead.

EDUC 639 Webibliography--BYOD

Here is the link to my webibliography: (It is too long to post here :) )

http://educ639byodmovement.wikispaces.com/file/detail/EDUC639_Webibliography_Steeb_Taisia.doc

EDUC 639 Muddiest Point Blog

I enjoyed watching the presentation for this week. As I was writing my post, I was actually able to link the content from the presentation to the interview I did a week or so ago. Enjoy!

Brown, D. (2013). Presentation: Ask the expert-Dr. David Bown. Liberty University. Retrieved from Liberty University Blackboard.

M. Walsh, personal communication, November 1, 2013.

EDUC 639 Most Important Theory

I really enjoyed the readings for this week, and the text I read which is listed below. I had no trouble choosing a theory for this blog, and am interested in researching the topic I discuss further. Enjoy!

Collins, A., & Halverson, R. (2009). Rethinking education in a technological world. Rethinking education in the age of technology (pp. 128-146). New York City: Teachers College Press.

EDUC 639 Most Important Point Blog

Please view the above video for my most important point blog, as gathered from an interview with my school's technology integration specialist. Please excuse the date of this posting, as my interview was scheduled for earlier in the week and was postponed until today. Thanks!

M. Walsh, personal communication, November 1, 2013.

Mobile Technology, Social Media, and The Flipped Classroom (for EDUC 639)

This is my introductory blog video post for EDUC 639. In my video, I discuss a little about myself, and I share my thoughts on mobile technology, social media, and the flipped classroom in education. Enjoy!

EDUC 630 Blog 4

I love using technology in day to day life. I think it is best when I am discussing a topic with friends and a question comes up. It is so easy to use a smart phone to search for the answer to the question, which usually sparks a new debate. This is a great benefit of technology--I suppose this makes me a part of the culture that loves having a ton of information available at their fingertips.

As with TV, magazines, and newspapers, using technology can consume a lot of unproductive time. There are shows and articles that do not have any benefit to the reader, other than some form of entertainment. However, there are a lot of opportunities to view/read engaging information, and this is what I like to do. Using technology, TV, and newspapers/magazines to learn things that I am curious about is a benefit to me (the newspapers and magazines I view are mostly online).

The ease of use and availability of technology can sometimes be frustrating. Though I really like using it, I do appreciate time for family, friends, and meaningful conversation. I become very irritated when someone I am talking to uses his or her phone in the middle of a conversation or while out at dinner. There is definitely a balance, which can be hard or easy to find depending on your expectations and the expectations of those you are with.

EDUC 638 Blog 3

The video contains my thoughts on Chapter 7--Can you hear me now? (Hall) and Chapter 8--Data communications, the Internet, and educational applications (Picciano), how communication is extremely important, and what I think of it as a professional.

Hall, D. (2008). Can you hear me now? The technology director's guide to leadership: The power of great questions (pp. 173-192). Eugene, Or.: International Society for Technology in Education.

Picciano, A. G. (2011). Data communications, the Internet, and educational applications. Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed., pp. 133-184). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.

EDUC 630 Blog 3

Watch the video for my thoughts on social networking in education. Thanks!

References: 

 

facebook.com. (n.d.). Facebook. Retrieved September 25, 2013, from facebook.com.

Google+ Hangouts    Google Hangouts . (n.d.). Google. Retrieved September 25, 2013, from http://google.com/hangouts.

World's Largest Professional Network | LinkedIn. (n.d.). World's Largest Professional Network | LinkedIn. Retrieved September 25, 2013, from http://linkedin.com.

twitter.com. (n.d.). Twitter. Retrieved September 25, 2013, from twitter.com.

Check out this article about how schools will change in a few years:

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/how-school-will-be-different-in-10-years.shtml

I am not so sure about #2...I think there is some existing research stating the exact opposite, but I'll have to look into that another time. And it appears that this article was published in 2011. Have things changed so significantly in the past two years that, as a teacher, I have no fear of the elimination of PE or recess?

Feel free to comment :)

EDUC 638 Blog 2

Here are my thoughts on Picciano, Chapter 5, about data-driven decision making in schools and how it is implemented in my school. I feel very fortunate to be part of a successful data driven decision making team!

Picciano, A. G. (2011). Wisdom and data-driven decision making. Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed., pp. 68-90). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.

EDUC 630 Blog 2

This is my reflection on useful web resources as a kindergarten teacher and student in education. Enjoy!

BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts . (n.d.). BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts . Retrieved September 10, 2013, from http://brainpop.com.

BrainPOP Jr. - K-3 Educational Movies, Quizzes, Lessons, and More!. (n.d.). BrainPOP Jr. - K-3 Educational Movies, Quizzes, Lessons, and More!. Retrieved September 10, 2013, from http://brainpopjr.com.

Graphite | The best apps, games, websites, and digital curricula rated for learning. (n.d.). Graphite | The best apps, games, websites, and digital curricula rated for learning. Retrieved September 10, 2013, from http://graphite.org.

Welcome to Discovery Education | Digital textbooks and standards-aligned educational resources . (n.d.). Discovery Education | Digital textbooks and standards-aligned educational resources . Retrieved September 10, 2013, from http://discoveryeducation.com.

Welcome to Twitter. (n.d.). Twitter. Retrieved September 10, 2013, from https://twitter.com.

EDUC 638 Reflection 1

These are my thoughts and reflection on chapters 1-2 (Hall) and chapters 1-3 (Picciano). Overall, I think it is great to integrate the content from both texts in order to understand how to lead in educational technology while understanding the essential components for an effective program. Please share your thoughts and comments. Thanks!

Hall, D. (2008). The technology director's guide to leadership: The power of great questions. Eugene, Or.: International Society for Technology in Education.

Picciano, A. G. (2011). Basic concepts of planning. Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed., pp. 14-34). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.

Is this what schools will look like in 5-10 years?

This video got me thinking about how k-12 schools will change over the next several years. Society has changed, but what about schools? Why do they seem far behind? Post any comments or feedback after watching the video. Thanks!

EDUC 630 Blog 1

Here are my thoughts on Blog 1: What are the barriers to technology in schools and what will schools look like in 5-10 years. At the end, I mention technology literacy, which I think could be a great discussion topic--I would really like to hear what others think "technological literacy" might look like. Thanks!

EDUC 638 Introduction

This is my introduction for EDUC 638. Enjoy!

About Me (EDUC 630)

Hello--my name is Tai Steeb and I live in Arlington, VA. I moved to this area from Pittsburgh, PA, where I was born and raised, when I was offered a job to teach kindergarten. I am beginning my third year at this school and love working with young students. I am currently pursuing a master's of teaching and learning with a focus in educational technology and online education. In the classroom, I have developed a love for using technology in the classroom and am very excited to be a part of this degree program through Liberty University.


I really enjoy using technology both personally and in the classroom. I use it to keep in touch with friends from high school and my undergraduate studies. I have made some videos using Windows Movie Maker and iMovie for both personal and professional use. I browse the Internet for teaching ideas and often find great ones to use in the classroom. I use SMART Technologies with my students--from presentations to programs that allow my students to sync their netbooks with my computer. I also like using Kidspiration so my students can use pictures and stamps to display their ideas. I love using Bookflix (by Grolier) and BrainPopJr with my students as well.


In my spare time, I really like reading, tap dancing, and exploring the museums and monuments of the Washington, D. C. metro area. There are so many things to do in this area—it is a lot of fun! Being from Pittsburgh, I bleed black and gold and am extremely proud of the Pirates this season, and am ready for the football and hockey seasons to get underway!


I am looking forward to getting to know others in this class!