Module 7

Blogging is an awesome resource to use in academic learning environments.  Students have the ability to discuss topics that are significant.  Student collaborate and share ideas about the topic and often complete group assignments and group work via blogs.  One English professor at my work noted how students writing and critical thinking skills had enhanced from the use of blogging.

Using blogs to learn about finances and budgeting is fun for students. Once in a lesson, I provided students with a $500 budget to take an imaginary vacation. They were tasked with reporting research on where they went, how much the vacation cost, how long did they stay, hotel cost, transportation, and food expenses, including excursions if any. The students learn life skills, budgeting, management, math, and that money can be limiting.

I had some students who never been out of their city, even those who had a fear of flying.  Therefore, to avoid embarrassment or lack of vacation leisure for some and restraints for others, I set the budget. Blogging can be used for positive social change because students had the opportunity to view images, listen to stories, and watch video about vacation places, in state, out of state, in the country and out of the country. They had the leisure of choosing the destinations within their budget. There are times when some individuals cannot afford to take vacations, so to dream about a vacation may have a positive social change for the individual to become more motivated and inspired to attain high goal.

Cain and Fink (2010) addressed the legal and ethical issues associated with social media, such as blogs, individual have a freedom of speech.  However, this freedom must collaborate with the rules of the institution.  Dr. Bates (2013d) explained that college educators have a responsibility to inform students about proper internet etiquettes on how to use social media.

Reference

Cain, J., & Fink, J. L., III. (2010). Legal and ethical issues regarding social media and pharmacy education. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 74(10), 1–8. 

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013d). Sustainability and ethical considerations [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Module 6

In recent years, educators are increasingly employing online collaboration such as Edmodo and blogs for group projects and assignments. The contributions can lighten a teacher’s workload; provide time saving lesson plans, and flexibility in the teaching process.  The idea is to increase peer support, group and collaborative learning to enable low achievers to perform a collection of coordinated functions, tasks, and activities (Marchis, 2013).  Higher achievers would be able to share their voice and ideas for the benefit of group work.  Finally, all students will have the ability to participate in a more constructive and social learning environment. 

                Some of the course work would require that students complete group projects and providing feedback upon literature.  Research found that sociability and visibility are two human characteristics are significant in online engagement (Marchis, 2013). The software within Edmodo would expose students to stimulating educational environments when they are used by teachers who are skilled in their operation and who believe that the technology can foster different skills (Foley, 2012).  

                Access to resources like text, graphics, via internet, simulation experiences or type of applications would permit the learner to choose the work to obtain correct answers, including when learning is to be performed in an interactive or engaged manner (Dr. Tony Bates, 2013a).  Finally, teachers would have the ability to assess the student’s learning without establishing additional resources.  Assessments would be immediate and graded using multiple choice questions, writing rubrics, also E-portfolios of work that demonstrates mastery of contents. Student’s results could be emailed to the teacher for a final grade (Dr. Tony Bates, 2013a).   

                 

Reference

Foley, L. (2012). An investigation into the use of interactive whiteboards in VTOS centres in Munster.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2013e). Dr. Tony Bates: Using technology to engage students and assess learning [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Marchis, I. (2013). Experiences of teaching educational software development for pre-service teachers. Paper presented at the , 1 190-195. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1436956080?accountid=14872