16 months since my last blog post... it will probably be 16 more before my next. Life is great! I'm renewed, revived, and set free! Still working on my doctorate program, but have March 2012 set as my goal to defend my dissertation... Ahhh, that will be my next post.
"But forget all that - it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."
Isaiah 43:18-19
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Class is O-V-E-R!
Ok. So now that class is over, I'm wondering - Will I continue to blog? What will I blog about? Who in their right minds would even want to read my blog?
My response would be - from time to time, nothing, and no one.
So here is my first blog after class about nothing that no one will read. I feel like I'm writing in a dairy, in which only I will read.
My response would be - from time to time, nothing, and no one.
So here is my first blog after class about nothing that no one will read. I feel like I'm writing in a dairy, in which only I will read.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Final Project
This document summarizes the components of the final project for integrating technology in a first year, Introduction to Business course at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College. Links to the blog, blog rubric, wiki, and wiki rubric are located in this report. The components of the project include:
I. Project Description
II. Blog
III. Blog Rubric
IV. Wiki
V. Wiki Rubric
VI. Project Evaluation
Project Description
This project is created for the Introduction to Business course in the AAS Business program designed for freshmen students at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College. The course provides foundational principles in business, including advertising, marketing, law, management, and human resources. Upon completing this course, students will have the ability to describe how these areas efficiently interact with one another in the field of business. This course will allow students to gain a complete understanding of basic business principles, and ideally, afford students the opportunity to decide if the field of business is one they desire to study and be employed.
The current course design could be dramatically improved by incorporating resources and creating learning activities that integrate technology and challenge students to think critically. To do so, this course will be formatted to go beyond a blended environment in order to include various web 2.0 tools and create a “blurred learning environment” (Whitehouse, 2009) with eight face-to-face sessions, seven asynchronous sessions, and one synchronous section. Additionally, usage of a textbook will be reduced and resources available through the Internet will be incorporated to provide opportunities for students to become more aware of the availability of resources in the global environment. For this project, the emphasis integrating technology will include the use of blogs and a course-created wiki.
Students will utilize a bi-weekly “3-2-1” assignment in which they identify three key points, two questions, and one reflection question all pertaining to the weekly topic. This activity will serve as a method of formative assessment, allowing the instructor to track student progress and determine those needs that should be addressed in subsequent sessions. Additionally, this activity supports integration of technology and the acquisition of critical skills for living and working in the twenty-first century.
During class, students will work individually, as well as in groups, to create a class wiki. Since students will be communicating on various assignments through WebCT, this wiki is designed solely for the compilation and presentation of the final project. By scaffolding instruction, students will build this wiki, beginning in week one, and conclude the project during the final week of class. The wiki is created and managed by the instructor to serve as an organizing center for the final project. This will be a forum for discussion, resource sharing, and access to students’ personalized pages solely for the compilation of the final project.
All other course correspondence, including the syllabus, course schedule, PowerPoints®, links to the Internet, portals for submitting assignments, quizzes, and all other instructional materials related to the course, will be supported with WebCT. Since WebCT is already used in the course, this project will focus on integrating a blog and a wiki in the delivery of the course. While the WebCT portal will lock students out after completion of the course, the blog and wiki will be tools that students will be able to use as a resource long after completing the course.
Blog
Students will prepare a bi-weekly “3-2-1” assignment in which they identify three key points, two questions, and one reflection paragraph all pertaining to the weekly topic. As mentioned earlier, this activity serves several purposes. While other tools could be explored for the “3-2-1” assignment, such as a discussion board, an individual blog is a better choice in this situation. Student access to the discussion board in WebCT will be removed at the completion of the class, but students will be able to continue with the blog beyond the time constraints of this class. Additionally, students can choose to invite or maintain the blog as a private location for this assignment, encouraging a more open and honest self-reflective experience.
Instructions and an example of a potential student blog can be found at below in the "3-2-1" Student Post Example posting
Blog Rubric
To support student understanding of the expectation for this project, an ideal student post has been provided in the above link. Additionally, a blog rubric will be delivered to students.
Wiki
Students will contribute to a group wiki that focuses solely on the creation of a business plan; the wiki identifies the main components of the business plan. Each student will contribute to a shared page to add their key points for each section. Additionally, students will maintain their own page in each section to compile all components of the business plan. Finally, students will post any questions about the business plan in the discussion section of the specific section.
By scaffolding instruction, the student will have the opportunity to build the entire business plan in distinct sections throughout the semester, and should gather information from each section to compile the final business plan. While the instructor will facilitate and build the framework for the wiki, students will contribute to all sections. Ideally, students will support one another through the “tips” page, and receive feedback from peers during the semester that will help them strengthen the development of the business plan.
Instructions and an example of a potential student wiki post can be found at http://cbus150.wetpaint.com/.
Wiki Rubric
To support student understanding of the expectation for this project, an ideal student post has been provided in the marketing plan section of the wiki in the above link. Additionally, a wiki rubric will be delivered to students.
Project Evaluation
Evaluation of this activity will be conducted through both formative and summative activities. All of the formative assessments should be performed at multiple points throughout the semester to ensure all areas in the formative evaluation plan are constantly monitored for progress. Ideally I will take time during three of the class sessions to monitor the areas focused in the plan.
I will conduct the formative evaluation for this course during face-to-face instruction in weeks three and eight, and during an asynchronous session during week twelve. All summative evaluation activities will be completed during the final week of class.
I. Project Description
II. Blog
III. Blog Rubric
IV. Wiki
V. Wiki Rubric
VI. Project Evaluation
Project Description
This project is created for the Introduction to Business course in the AAS Business program designed for freshmen students at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College. The course provides foundational principles in business, including advertising, marketing, law, management, and human resources. Upon completing this course, students will have the ability to describe how these areas efficiently interact with one another in the field of business. This course will allow students to gain a complete understanding of basic business principles, and ideally, afford students the opportunity to decide if the field of business is one they desire to study and be employed.
The current course design could be dramatically improved by incorporating resources and creating learning activities that integrate technology and challenge students to think critically. To do so, this course will be formatted to go beyond a blended environment in order to include various web 2.0 tools and create a “blurred learning environment” (Whitehouse, 2009) with eight face-to-face sessions, seven asynchronous sessions, and one synchronous section. Additionally, usage of a textbook will be reduced and resources available through the Internet will be incorporated to provide opportunities for students to become more aware of the availability of resources in the global environment. For this project, the emphasis integrating technology will include the use of blogs and a course-created wiki.
Students will utilize a bi-weekly “3-2-1” assignment in which they identify three key points, two questions, and one reflection question all pertaining to the weekly topic. This activity will serve as a method of formative assessment, allowing the instructor to track student progress and determine those needs that should be addressed in subsequent sessions. Additionally, this activity supports integration of technology and the acquisition of critical skills for living and working in the twenty-first century.
During class, students will work individually, as well as in groups, to create a class wiki. Since students will be communicating on various assignments through WebCT, this wiki is designed solely for the compilation and presentation of the final project. By scaffolding instruction, students will build this wiki, beginning in week one, and conclude the project during the final week of class. The wiki is created and managed by the instructor to serve as an organizing center for the final project. This will be a forum for discussion, resource sharing, and access to students’ personalized pages solely for the compilation of the final project.
All other course correspondence, including the syllabus, course schedule, PowerPoints®, links to the Internet, portals for submitting assignments, quizzes, and all other instructional materials related to the course, will be supported with WebCT. Since WebCT is already used in the course, this project will focus on integrating a blog and a wiki in the delivery of the course. While the WebCT portal will lock students out after completion of the course, the blog and wiki will be tools that students will be able to use as a resource long after completing the course.
Blog
Students will prepare a bi-weekly “3-2-1” assignment in which they identify three key points, two questions, and one reflection paragraph all pertaining to the weekly topic. As mentioned earlier, this activity serves several purposes. While other tools could be explored for the “3-2-1” assignment, such as a discussion board, an individual blog is a better choice in this situation. Student access to the discussion board in WebCT will be removed at the completion of the class, but students will be able to continue with the blog beyond the time constraints of this class. Additionally, students can choose to invite or maintain the blog as a private location for this assignment, encouraging a more open and honest self-reflective experience.
Instructions and an example of a potential student blog can be found at below in the "3-2-1" Student Post Example posting
Blog Rubric
To support student understanding of the expectation for this project, an ideal student post has been provided in the above link. Additionally, a blog rubric will be delivered to students.
Wiki
Students will contribute to a group wiki that focuses solely on the creation of a business plan; the wiki identifies the main components of the business plan. Each student will contribute to a shared page to add their key points for each section. Additionally, students will maintain their own page in each section to compile all components of the business plan. Finally, students will post any questions about the business plan in the discussion section of the specific section.
By scaffolding instruction, the student will have the opportunity to build the entire business plan in distinct sections throughout the semester, and should gather information from each section to compile the final business plan. While the instructor will facilitate and build the framework for the wiki, students will contribute to all sections. Ideally, students will support one another through the “tips” page, and receive feedback from peers during the semester that will help them strengthen the development of the business plan.
Instructions and an example of a potential student wiki post can be found at http://cbus150.wetpaint.com/.
Wiki Rubric
To support student understanding of the expectation for this project, an ideal student post has been provided in the marketing plan section of the wiki in the above link. Additionally, a wiki rubric will be delivered to students.
Project Evaluation
Evaluation of this activity will be conducted through both formative and summative activities. All of the formative assessments should be performed at multiple points throughout the semester to ensure all areas in the formative evaluation plan are constantly monitored for progress. Ideally I will take time during three of the class sessions to monitor the areas focused in the plan.
I will conduct the formative evaluation for this course during face-to-face instruction in weeks three and eight, and during an asynchronous session during week twelve. All summative evaluation activities will be completed during the final week of class.
Monday, November 30, 2009
"3-2-1" Student Post Example
Activity Description
Students will complete a bi-weekly “3-2-1” assignment in which students identify three key points, two questions, and one reflection paragraph all pertaining to the weekly topic, and will post this assignment to their individually created blog. These activities will serve as a method of formative assessment, allowing the instructor to track student progress and determine what needs to be addressed in subsequent sessions. Additionally, these activities support integration of technology, acquisition of critical skills for living and working in the 21st century, and support student progress toward self-reflection, communication, and the ability to synthesize information into succinct and valid responses.
To support student understanding and provide clear expectations, a rubric will be developed and distributed to students during the first class session. Additionally, students will be able to view an example of the assignment.
Student Post Example
Three Key Points
This lesson was easier for me to grasp, and related to my current position more than other lessons this semester. For this reason, I interacted more with my group, and participated more in class. Additionally, the section on blogging and podcasting as promotional tools was the most interesting. While I often blog, and have viewed a few podcasts, I never thought about employing these tools in my current position. While I do not make the marketing decisions at my company, I do believe I will introduce this idea at the next department meeting.
Students will complete a bi-weekly “3-2-1” assignment in which students identify three key points, two questions, and one reflection paragraph all pertaining to the weekly topic, and will post this assignment to their individually created blog. These activities will serve as a method of formative assessment, allowing the instructor to track student progress and determine what needs to be addressed in subsequent sessions. Additionally, these activities support integration of technology, acquisition of critical skills for living and working in the 21st century, and support student progress toward self-reflection, communication, and the ability to synthesize information into succinct and valid responses.
To support student understanding and provide clear expectations, a rubric will be developed and distributed to students during the first class session. Additionally, students will be able to view an example of the assignment.
Student Post Example
Three Key Points
- When building brand awareness and attracting customers to purchase your product or service, you must be completely aware of the available advertising media, its cost, and effectiveness of reaching your target customer.
- Building relationships through public relations requires the ability to listen clearly to your customers, adapt your strategy to customer requests, and inform your customers about the ways you are responding to their needs.
- In today's rapidly changing technology, it is just as important to understand how viral marketing, blogging, podcasting, and other forms of mobile media can be used to effectively promote your product or service.
- Other than those identified in the text, what are some examples of companies that effectively used viral marketing, blogging, podcasting, and other forms of mobile media to reach its customer?
- What are the most effective sales promotion techniques to reaching customers for a new business?
This lesson was easier for me to grasp, and related to my current position more than other lessons this semester. For this reason, I interacted more with my group, and participated more in class. Additionally, the section on blogging and podcasting as promotional tools was the most interesting. While I often blog, and have viewed a few podcasts, I never thought about employing these tools in my current position. While I do not make the marketing decisions at my company, I do believe I will introduce this idea at the next department meeting.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Project Progress
The group meeting on Tuesday definitely help me clarify my direction for the project. Based on the discussion, my project has only slightly changed (see Updated Project below). After thinking about Dorothy's comments further, I do feel the need to slightly scale back the integration of technology at this point. While I haven't totally decided, I believe I'm going to change my 3-2-1 project to only include a blog, thus removing Twitter from the project during the initial weeks. Since I am looking for students to improve their ability to synthensize their reflections, I will attempt to integrate Twitter toward the end of the semester. This integration will depend upon the ability of students to pick up the integration of WebCT, blog, and wiki's.
More information on the progress of this project will follow. Any comments are encouraged.
More information on the progress of this project will follow. Any comments are encouraged.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Project Progress
Well another unsuccessful virtual meeting this week. I sure hope I'm on the right track with this project. But this class has surely taught me a few lessons.
One: A group of six professionals with busy schedules is just as difficult to get together in a virtual environment as a typical face-to-face meeting.
Two: When using social networking tools - smaller is better. You should minimize the quantity of social networking tools that you try to implement at one time.
Three: Slow Internet connectivity S*&#&!!!
One: A group of six professionals with busy schedules is just as difficult to get together in a virtual environment as a typical face-to-face meeting.
Two: When using social networking tools - smaller is better. You should minimize the quantity of social networking tools that you try to implement at one time.
Three: Slow Internet connectivity S*&#&!!!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Reflection for the Week
Well, my reflection for this week is fairly brief. I spent the majority of the week working on the Instructional Design course to organize the material for the Integrating Technology project.
The group meeting was move to next week, so I should have a better organized project and something worth posting a reflection about.
The group meeting was move to next week, so I should have a better organized project and something worth posting a reflection about.
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