Review: Google Docs

Google Documents: 


This is a great tool for schools to use as it is FREE.  It has so many capabilities that are very similar to the Microsoft Office Suite, but also some extra features that are very attractive as well.  Besides the fact that it doesn't cost anything to use, it is available to multiple users (and at the same time if needed).  When creating a google document, the author can allow others to view and access the document too.  This reminds me a lot of the Wiki pages that we had created before and has a lot of the same capabilities that I wrote about with the Wiki pages.  What I like though about the google documents as opposed to the Wiki pages is that the educator is able to see who did what if the students are working in a group project.  This means a lot to the students who do their part in the projects because they will get a fair grade for what they completed.  For the students to did not do their parts, their grade will reflect that because the teacher can see what effort each student put in.  I also like that it is accessible from any computer with internet access.  When a student saves his or her work on a school computer, laptop, or personal/home computer, there will be times when they cannot access it or didn't print it out.  This may eliminate the use of paper in some situations, making it better for the environment too.  This is not only just for a "Word" document (text) but you can use it for the other parts of Microsoft Office Suite too.  There are similar "PowerPoint" presentations and spreadsheets like Excel.  The cost of buying the Suite is so much.  For a school that does not have the budget to provide this on each computer and in each classroom, google documents is a great option.  


Picnik: 


The program Picnik would be useful in a classroom for projects, especially for culture-related topics.  Students could use this program to edit and enhance photos that were taken of different countries or hispanic cultural items.  The ability to put text into the picture would be useful for both the teacher and the student to label and point to certain items.  The creative abilities of Picnik would make the lessons more appealing to the students if the teacher used them as a project cover or as part of a presentation of a project.  The students and teachers could also make bulletin boards using the creative things created with Picnik.  It is also free, which is a bonus.  There are enough features on the free version of this program for anything that a teacher or student would need.  You are able to purchase a more extended program for more options, but I cannot imagine that any basic classroom use would require the upgraded version of this.  

Week 13 Reflection

Reading about rich media on page 312 of Chapter 30, to me, defines why we are here studying what we are studying. The book states that "...current technology has greater capacity to deliver information to learners than learners have psychological capacity to assimilate that information." That statement is why this degree exists. We can teach so much more incorporating technology because it is much more efficient and effective. The book also spoke about how rich media is used in training. The training also then becomes more effective as well. "Rich media will only benefit learners to the extent that its capabilities are harnessed in ways that support human cognitive learning processes." I don't know if I can think of an instance where rich media (as defined by the book are products that incorporate high-end media such as video, animation, sound, and simulation) would hinder the learning process when used correctly. But, then who is to define what the "correct" use of technology is? And, who is to say that the use of technology may not confuse a student who might otherwise understand the concept through the use of paper and pencil only? I guess the first statement I cited from the chapter could not be true for all situations. 

But, then as I continued reading the chapter, I came across the section about the evidence that visuals can improve learning on page 315. I really think that this section is saying that in all cases, a visual, that could be a form of rich media, will enhance learning. When I think about the evidence and the tests that were done, I now feel like there really isn't an instance where a visual could not NOT improve the learning process in every situation. Hard to say. 

Another section of Chapter 30 that I really enjoyed reading was about minimizing the unnecessary visuals and text. Sometimes, teachers use too much which can make the lesson more confusing. I have experienced this as a student and also I have noticed myself doing it a couple of times when I was teaching. I was really excited about a lesson and used every trick I had in the book to try and explain this lesson. I thought I was tying everything (all of the materials) together very nicely and that it was all going to come full circle at the end of my lesson, but I had confused the students with all of the different visuals and worksheets. I would now be much more aware of the amount of extras that I am implementing into the lessons. Like the book says, the visuals and text need to be relevant to the lesson and not to distract the learners. They can be used to get the student's attention and interest, but not to the point where the point of the lesson is being lost.