My group is Group 4. The members include Ariel, Charlene, Suzanne and myself. I am happy to say that we have created a Script and a Storyboard in preparation of our final Group Leadership Project presentation. I could sing the praises of the members of my group as each and every one has been present for group meetings, has contributed to our numerous Google Docs, commented throughout the process, indicated when ideas were "too much", or when we needed "more", and brought their wonderful sense of humor. This assignment doesn't require such discourse, so I will just say that our group meshed very well.
As a group, we tried to organize ourselves by our strengths, experience as well as our desire to learn. We each expressed the areas that we felt strong in and areas in we would like to grow. This complex mixture of expertise and desire to work with the unknown, landed us in various roles to offer advice to each other, learn from each other, and just plain 'ole experiment with elements of our project that some have never worked with at all. We broke our project into two phases: the prep phase and the execution phase. Ariel and I were tasked with the prep phase. Ariel's concentration was to be on the Script and my concentration was to be on the Storyboarding. Having said that, it is almost impossible to work on these elements in isolation, so it wound up that we both worked on both elements together as it became evident that the Script and Storyboard are really interdependent. Keep in mind, that nothing was finalized without the input from Charlene and Suzanne, who were certainly contributing to the framework and details of both elements. Alas, both the Script and Storyboard are complete and ready to view.
As we go forward, Charlene and Suzanne will be at the helm as they are going to drive the execution boat. Charlene will record our tutorial, which is really three mini tutorials, in Jing, of course based on the Script and Storyboard. She will record an introductory tutorial of about three minutes in length; another tutorial of about three minutes in length showing how to create a Google account; as well as a final tutorial, of about five minutes in length, illustrating how to commence and record a Google Hangout. Once that is complete, Suzanne will edit the tutorial into a refined work of art, adding transitions, sounds, and the like where appropriate. Again, all members of the group will be available to contribute ideas, commentary and the sometimes needed humor, while the second phase of our project is being created. We have even toyed with the idea of all of being present in the tutorial video as "invitees" of a Google Hangout. I'm looking forward to seeing the project come alive...moving from words on a page to a narrated video.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Part A - Brainstorming Session (GLP)
Our Group is number 4. The members other than myself include Suzanne, Charlene and Ariel. We were all present when we met on Sunday, October 7, to brainstorm about our Group Leadership Project. We were pretty organized because we had started a Google Doc earlier in the week and were brainstorming about our brainstorming before we actually engaged in the brainstorming. This proved quite beneficial as we had an organized and straight forward meeting together in which we stormed our brains and planned our project.
Google Hangout was our meeting venue of choice. {**************In our Google Doc we decided on Google Hangout, mainly because it was free, available to all of us, and we could learn how to record our session in it, which is something none of us had done, but wanted to learn to do. We were interested in learning a new web conferencing tool to build our repertoire. I have used Adobe Connect myself, as an administrator, which is why I didn't feel the need to utilize that web conferencing tool. I was finding the threat of way too many adds on Vyew daunting, just thinking about it. And the other web conferencing tools featured in the lab either cost money or were ones that I didn't think I would use often. As a group, we wanted to learn something that would be of value to us, not just for this assignment, but in our teaching careers. All of my students can have access to Google Hangout and will understand how to use it. The entire group felt this way as well and we thought we would like to become fluent in Google Hangout. We learned a good deal from our experience and I am eager to learn more.******************} The advantages of the Google Hangout technology were that we had no problems using it, and it was free. We could all hear and see each other well, while we each contributed, typed, planned and checked out internet resources as needed. We could all accomplish all these tasks independently on our own single computers, while sitting in our respective homes, resulting in a very productive meeting. Additionally, we recorded our session, not worrying about the length of it, knowing that it would be accessible later on You Tube. Our brainstorming session can now be viewed online and is accessible to anyone with the link and an internet connection. This is another advantage because it means that there would be no problems with downloading or accessing the video of our brainstorming session at a later date. This is a really nice feature of Google Hangout that I am sure I will use often in the future. Also, on Google Hangout, we could share our screen, watch You Tube videos together, play games, and the like.
One of the disadvantages of using this technology was really a matter mechanical issues with my computer. Unfortunately, my computer, a brand new Mac, was spinning it's Beach Ball of Death and wouldn't allow me to share my screen much, but the capability is there. Next time, I will close out some other applications prior to beginning a Hangout and maybe this won't be an issue. Nonetheless, we were able to plan out our project and agreed to meet the following Sunday on Google Hangout to follow-up on our progress.
During the brainstorming session, we chose to make a tutorial of LiveBinders, a technology that replicates a three ring binder. This digital binder can organize material, including videos, graphs, polls, websites, etc., much like a tangible three ring binder would. Later, we chose to switch out the technology, but I will get to that below.
Being that most of us have used Camtasia, but not Jing, we decided to go with that technology to capture our tutorial. I am happy to use this technology because it is a free technology that I have not used, so getting familiar with it will benefit me as a student and teacher.{************We plan on making three separate tutorials using Jing. The first will be an introduction to Google Hangout, including a discussion of how it can be useful to teachers to connect with their students, students to connect with students and maybe even teachers to connect with teachers, if need be. The second tutorial will illustrate how to create a Google account and use some other Google tools. The third tutorial will feature Google Hangout and how to set up a Hangout, how to broadcast "On Air", screen share with various tools and how the "On Air" session is uploaded onto You Tube. We don't mind that Jing has some time limitations because we thought that breaking our tutorial into sections would allow teachers to view whatever section is needed by them. For instance, some teachers may already have a Google account set up and not need to view that bit of information. Or, a teacher may need to watch the tutorial more than once. Having the tutorial in sections would be more convenient in that instance so the teacher wouldn't have to watch a long tutorial just to get to specific elements of the tutorial. **************}
We divided our work into two main sections. One subgroup will be the structural creators, and the other will produce and edit the tutorial itself. We all agreed, however, that we will keep Google Docs up and running for each section so that we can all be involved in the entire production of our project. We decided that we will be better informed about the final product and learn more this way. Therefore, Ariel and I will be responsible for deciding which elements of the technology will be taught in our tutorial and will create the storyboard and script that will be approved by the other members of the group. We will work together through a Google Doc. Charlene and Suzanne will then be responsible for bringing the storyboard and script to life in Jing, and then editing it to perfection. And, this will also be approved by Ariel and I. At the time of writing this post, we are working on the storyboarding phase of the assignment. We plan to have a full group meeting again on Sunday, October 14, in order discuss the storyboarding and script writing status. I would expect all work in this area to be completed Wednesday, October 17 in order to prep the Part B Group Leadership Project for submittal. Once we are satisfied with the storyboarding element, Charlene and Suzanne will begin producing and editing our Jing tutorials featuring Google Hangout.
It is good that we developed such a solid plan at our brainstorming meeting, because the day after our group met, we decided to change the technology that would be featured in our tutorial from LiveBinders to Google Hangout. At the class Adobe Connect session, on Monday, October 8, with our wonderful instructor, Carolyn, Charlene and I were asking questions about some elements of our projects, when we suddenly felt an urge to feature Google Hangout in our tutorial. We emailed all the members of our group and they agreed, being that none of us had invested that much time in learning LiveBinders yet. We had invested some time developing the plan for our project, which we kept in tact. We merely switched out one technology for another and have since carried on without skipping a beat. We had such a good experience using Google Hangout at our brainstorming meeting, that this technology really seemed to be a more natural fit for us.
Google Hangout was our meeting venue of choice. {**************In our Google Doc we decided on Google Hangout, mainly because it was free, available to all of us, and we could learn how to record our session in it, which is something none of us had done, but wanted to learn to do. We were interested in learning a new web conferencing tool to build our repertoire. I have used Adobe Connect myself, as an administrator, which is why I didn't feel the need to utilize that web conferencing tool. I was finding the threat of way too many adds on Vyew daunting, just thinking about it. And the other web conferencing tools featured in the lab either cost money or were ones that I didn't think I would use often. As a group, we wanted to learn something that would be of value to us, not just for this assignment, but in our teaching careers. All of my students can have access to Google Hangout and will understand how to use it. The entire group felt this way as well and we thought we would like to become fluent in Google Hangout. We learned a good deal from our experience and I am eager to learn more.******************} The advantages of the Google Hangout technology were that we had no problems using it, and it was free. We could all hear and see each other well, while we each contributed, typed, planned and checked out internet resources as needed. We could all accomplish all these tasks independently on our own single computers, while sitting in our respective homes, resulting in a very productive meeting. Additionally, we recorded our session, not worrying about the length of it, knowing that it would be accessible later on You Tube. Our brainstorming session can now be viewed online and is accessible to anyone with the link and an internet connection. This is another advantage because it means that there would be no problems with downloading or accessing the video of our brainstorming session at a later date. This is a really nice feature of Google Hangout that I am sure I will use often in the future. Also, on Google Hangout, we could share our screen, watch You Tube videos together, play games, and the like.
One of the disadvantages of using this technology was really a matter mechanical issues with my computer. Unfortunately, my computer, a brand new Mac, was spinning it's Beach Ball of Death and wouldn't allow me to share my screen much, but the capability is there. Next time, I will close out some other applications prior to beginning a Hangout and maybe this won't be an issue. Nonetheless, we were able to plan out our project and agreed to meet the following Sunday on Google Hangout to follow-up on our progress.
During the brainstorming session, we chose to make a tutorial of LiveBinders, a technology that replicates a three ring binder. This digital binder can organize material, including videos, graphs, polls, websites, etc., much like a tangible three ring binder would. Later, we chose to switch out the technology, but I will get to that below.
Being that most of us have used Camtasia, but not Jing, we decided to go with that technology to capture our tutorial. I am happy to use this technology because it is a free technology that I have not used, so getting familiar with it will benefit me as a student and teacher.{************We plan on making three separate tutorials using Jing. The first will be an introduction to Google Hangout, including a discussion of how it can be useful to teachers to connect with their students, students to connect with students and maybe even teachers to connect with teachers, if need be. The second tutorial will illustrate how to create a Google account and use some other Google tools. The third tutorial will feature Google Hangout and how to set up a Hangout, how to broadcast "On Air", screen share with various tools and how the "On Air" session is uploaded onto You Tube. We don't mind that Jing has some time limitations because we thought that breaking our tutorial into sections would allow teachers to view whatever section is needed by them. For instance, some teachers may already have a Google account set up and not need to view that bit of information. Or, a teacher may need to watch the tutorial more than once. Having the tutorial in sections would be more convenient in that instance so the teacher wouldn't have to watch a long tutorial just to get to specific elements of the tutorial. **************}
We divided our work into two main sections. One subgroup will be the structural creators, and the other will produce and edit the tutorial itself. We all agreed, however, that we will keep Google Docs up and running for each section so that we can all be involved in the entire production of our project. We decided that we will be better informed about the final product and learn more this way. Therefore, Ariel and I will be responsible for deciding which elements of the technology will be taught in our tutorial and will create the storyboard and script that will be approved by the other members of the group. We will work together through a Google Doc. Charlene and Suzanne will then be responsible for bringing the storyboard and script to life in Jing, and then editing it to perfection. And, this will also be approved by Ariel and I. At the time of writing this post, we are working on the storyboarding phase of the assignment. We plan to have a full group meeting again on Sunday, October 14, in order discuss the storyboarding and script writing status. I would expect all work in this area to be completed Wednesday, October 17 in order to prep the Part B Group Leadership Project for submittal. Once we are satisfied with the storyboarding element, Charlene and Suzanne will begin producing and editing our Jing tutorials featuring Google Hangout.
It is good that we developed such a solid plan at our brainstorming meeting, because the day after our group met, we decided to change the technology that would be featured in our tutorial from LiveBinders to Google Hangout. At the class Adobe Connect session, on Monday, October 8, with our wonderful instructor, Carolyn, Charlene and I were asking questions about some elements of our projects, when we suddenly felt an urge to feature Google Hangout in our tutorial. We emailed all the members of our group and they agreed, being that none of us had invested that much time in learning LiveBinders yet. We had invested some time developing the plan for our project, which we kept in tact. We merely switched out one technology for another and have since carried on without skipping a beat. We had such a good experience using Google Hangout at our brainstorming meeting, that this technology really seemed to be a more natural fit for us.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Part B - Application of TPACK
1. TP(Technology/Pedagogy)
My WPP uses a website technology, Weebly, in order to serve as a resource that can be accessed by students as needed throughout the semester. I've chosen a website as the platform for this resource because it will always be accessible at any time, day or night, and believe me, many students work well into the night when I am sleeping soundly. This technology is familiar to them as the Weebly sites provide intuitive functions because they are constructed like many websites on the internet. Students will understand how to navigate through the website without any lessons on how to use the technology. My pedagogy for this particular project is to approach the topic of plagiarism as an academic unit by providing a formal setting for the information and also to give students a person to consult with on the topic, leaving it open for discussion throughout the semester. This information is not part of my core curriculum as I am a teacher of world religions, so I cannot justify taking a portion of our semester to cover this topic as a unit in our class. It must be something that the students work on outside of our class. My intent is to empower students to develop their knowledge and understanding of plagiarism and to use this knowledge, not only in their current class with me, but in their future courses in college, as well as in the workplace and anytime that this knowledge is needed in life. It will absolutely impact each and every assignment submitted by a student in my class as writing is required in two assignments each week in my online courses. This information can make or break a student. If plagiarism is committed, they will receive a zero for the first assignment and be removed from the course, with an "E"as a final grade, on the second offense. I therefore, need a technological tool that is easily used by students and accessible, without intervention from me, that will guide them on how to avoid plagiarism, reducing the number of students faced with the undesirable consequences of engaging in plagiarism. I will, of course, stress to students that I am available to discuss plagiarism and and answer questions, however, I need this tool to inform, provide specific instructions, give practice and then provide students the ability to assess their own knowledge. The Weebly blends technology and pedagogy seamlessly.
2. TC(Technology/Content)
The Weebly is a way that students can access the material related to plagiarism on whatever level is needed at the time of encountering the Weebly. Some students don't know the definition of plagiarism, at all. Some have a vague idea about plagiarism, but don't know how and when to apply the rules of proper citation. Some students know about plagiarism, but don't understand how proper citation plays into the picture. What most students seem to be lacking, is the knowledge of copyright and ownership of "words", which is the whole reason plagiarism is illegal and why proper citation methods exist in the first place. Therefore, the Weebly meets the student at the point in which the student needs to be met. A student can access the materials that she needs without having to work through the subject matter that is already known by that student. If a student only needs to confirm the mechanics of a style of citation, such as APA, then he can just access that information. If a students needs to understand the definition of plagiarism, then she can read through that portion of the material on the Weebly. The Weebly will provide comprehensive coverage of the topic of plagiarism and the student can use the portions of the topic that serves her, specifically. And, because the Weebly never sleeps, unlike the instructor, the student can find the information needed at the time that it is going to be used, which fosters learning and retention. The student can access the material and apply it immediately as the student is working because the Weeby will be up and running as long as the student has an internet connection. On the Weebly, one will be able to become educated, interact with the tutorials, assess and test one's knowledge of the topic, and have access to my contact information if questions linger or clarification is needed. The Weebly technology will comprehensively present the content in a way that just one instructor can't. Email, the LMS, a Google Hangout, or telephone call cannot provide students a thorough encounter with plagiarism like the Weebly plagiarism site can.
3. PC(Pedagogy/Content)
I would like to erase the confusion associated with plagiarism, as the confusion seams to cause a fear of plagiarism, which ironically seems to generate more instances of plagiarism. My pedagogical approach for this project is to present the topic of plagiarism as an academic unit, explain why plagiarism needs to be avoided, and also give the student the opportunity to consult with me regarding plagiarism. Through the use of the Weebly site, plagiarism will become a topic that causes less confusion and fear in students. The content will be presented to students in a way that educates them on copyright and authorship and distinctly illustrates proper citation methods. Receiving the material in a compartmentalized platform that covers the content from the very roots all the way to the applied practice, will serve to enmesh the pedagogy and the content. The student will find that the content is reliable in every sense of the word. The content is directly pertinent to the success of the student, not just in the student's current class, but in all classes, and all throughout life. Also, the student will find that the content is available when the student needs it, even potentially after the course with me has come to a close. Also, the content is already curated, meaning the student is not going to have to conduct an independent internet search, which may result in mixed messages, scattered information, information that is not detailed enough, and information from sources that are less than sound. Most importantly, the student can rely on the fact that the newly obtained understanding of plagiarism is correct. The student will learn the definition of plagiarism, the foundation of it, or copyright, how to avoid the consequences of engaging in plagiarism, as well as assess one's own understanding of the topic. The pedagogical goal is to give the students a well rounded study of plagiarism, similar to the experience one would gain in an English class. When students can learn the material needed in order to avoid plagiarism and then assess their own understanding of this topic, then the goal has been met. As long as real learning is occurring, students are becoming empowered to observe the rules of copyright, avoiding plagiarism and feeling they can consult with me to develop their skills in this area, then the pedagogical and content goals of this teacher, will be satisfied...alas.
My WPP uses a website technology, Weebly, in order to serve as a resource that can be accessed by students as needed throughout the semester. I've chosen a website as the platform for this resource because it will always be accessible at any time, day or night, and believe me, many students work well into the night when I am sleeping soundly. This technology is familiar to them as the Weebly sites provide intuitive functions because they are constructed like many websites on the internet. Students will understand how to navigate through the website without any lessons on how to use the technology. My pedagogy for this particular project is to approach the topic of plagiarism as an academic unit by providing a formal setting for the information and also to give students a person to consult with on the topic, leaving it open for discussion throughout the semester. This information is not part of my core curriculum as I am a teacher of world religions, so I cannot justify taking a portion of our semester to cover this topic as a unit in our class. It must be something that the students work on outside of our class. My intent is to empower students to develop their knowledge and understanding of plagiarism and to use this knowledge, not only in their current class with me, but in their future courses in college, as well as in the workplace and anytime that this knowledge is needed in life. It will absolutely impact each and every assignment submitted by a student in my class as writing is required in two assignments each week in my online courses. This information can make or break a student. If plagiarism is committed, they will receive a zero for the first assignment and be removed from the course, with an "E"as a final grade, on the second offense. I therefore, need a technological tool that is easily used by students and accessible, without intervention from me, that will guide them on how to avoid plagiarism, reducing the number of students faced with the undesirable consequences of engaging in plagiarism. I will, of course, stress to students that I am available to discuss plagiarism and and answer questions, however, I need this tool to inform, provide specific instructions, give practice and then provide students the ability to assess their own knowledge. The Weebly blends technology and pedagogy seamlessly.
2. TC(Technology/Content)
The Weebly is a way that students can access the material related to plagiarism on whatever level is needed at the time of encountering the Weebly. Some students don't know the definition of plagiarism, at all. Some have a vague idea about plagiarism, but don't know how and when to apply the rules of proper citation. Some students know about plagiarism, but don't understand how proper citation plays into the picture. What most students seem to be lacking, is the knowledge of copyright and ownership of "words", which is the whole reason plagiarism is illegal and why proper citation methods exist in the first place. Therefore, the Weebly meets the student at the point in which the student needs to be met. A student can access the materials that she needs without having to work through the subject matter that is already known by that student. If a student only needs to confirm the mechanics of a style of citation, such as APA, then he can just access that information. If a students needs to understand the definition of plagiarism, then she can read through that portion of the material on the Weebly. The Weebly will provide comprehensive coverage of the topic of plagiarism and the student can use the portions of the topic that serves her, specifically. And, because the Weebly never sleeps, unlike the instructor, the student can find the information needed at the time that it is going to be used, which fosters learning and retention. The student can access the material and apply it immediately as the student is working because the Weeby will be up and running as long as the student has an internet connection. On the Weebly, one will be able to become educated, interact with the tutorials, assess and test one's knowledge of the topic, and have access to my contact information if questions linger or clarification is needed. The Weebly technology will comprehensively present the content in a way that just one instructor can't. Email, the LMS, a Google Hangout, or telephone call cannot provide students a thorough encounter with plagiarism like the Weebly plagiarism site can.
3. PC(Pedagogy/Content)
I would like to erase the confusion associated with plagiarism, as the confusion seams to cause a fear of plagiarism, which ironically seems to generate more instances of plagiarism. My pedagogical approach for this project is to present the topic of plagiarism as an academic unit, explain why plagiarism needs to be avoided, and also give the student the opportunity to consult with me regarding plagiarism. Through the use of the Weebly site, plagiarism will become a topic that causes less confusion and fear in students. The content will be presented to students in a way that educates them on copyright and authorship and distinctly illustrates proper citation methods. Receiving the material in a compartmentalized platform that covers the content from the very roots all the way to the applied practice, will serve to enmesh the pedagogy and the content. The student will find that the content is reliable in every sense of the word. The content is directly pertinent to the success of the student, not just in the student's current class, but in all classes, and all throughout life. Also, the student will find that the content is available when the student needs it, even potentially after the course with me has come to a close. Also, the content is already curated, meaning the student is not going to have to conduct an independent internet search, which may result in mixed messages, scattered information, information that is not detailed enough, and information from sources that are less than sound. Most importantly, the student can rely on the fact that the newly obtained understanding of plagiarism is correct. The student will learn the definition of plagiarism, the foundation of it, or copyright, how to avoid the consequences of engaging in plagiarism, as well as assess one's own understanding of the topic. The pedagogical goal is to give the students a well rounded study of plagiarism, similar to the experience one would gain in an English class. When students can learn the material needed in order to avoid plagiarism and then assess their own understanding of this topic, then the goal has been met. As long as real learning is occurring, students are becoming empowered to observe the rules of copyright, avoiding plagiarism and feeling they can consult with me to develop their skills in this area, then the pedagogical and content goals of this teacher, will be satisfied...alas.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
WPP Part A- Description of Need or Opportunity
I need a tool to help students fully understand plagiarism. My students are in college. It is surprising to learn how many of them know little about plagiarism or how to avoid it when writing assignments. From the survey results I've received from students thus far, I've discovered that about half of them have never formally learned about plagiarism in an educational setting before attending Henry Ford Community College. Some have learned about it from other sources, and some have not learned about it at all. This is quite shocking to me on one hand, but on the other, I see evidence of this more often than I am comfortable with. This semester about 1/4 of my students engaged in plagiarism on some level within the first two weeks of class. Being that I teach world religion courses, and not English courses, I need a comprehensive and reliable resource for students regarding plagiarism, that is not part of the regular curriculum. I also need this tool to deliver information on multiple levels because some students understand some aspects of plagiarism, but have misconceptions about other areas of it.
I will create a Weebly. This Weebly site will discuss the definition and scope of plagiarism and also methods for proper citation in order to avoid plagiarism. It will serve as a repository of different types of information and interactive elements that will be useful to students who hold various levels of misconceptions on the topic. The Weebly site will be used on an "as needed" basis throughout the semester, and I'm sure it will be used often. When plagiarism occurs, I will certainly send students to the Weebly site to get the information they need to help them be successful in my course, as well as future courses and in the workplace. I will also have a link to the Weebly site in the online courses that I run, so that students have access to it at any point that they choose to check it out. This will provide an extra resource at the click of a button that can educate them at the time that they need it. They will no longer have to research a topic they understand superficially, which in and of itself is worth the effort, as this type of research generally yields poor results in this area.
I plan on continuing to research more resources, but I have found a good deal of resources thus far to help implement my Weebly plagiarism project and my Diigo account is filling up fast. My gracious instructor has advised that there is some wonderful information in "21 Things 4 Teachers" and "21 Things 4 Students", which I will certainly use as a guide regarding copyright and Creative Commons. These sites get to the root of plagiarism by discussing copyright so students understand the whole reason why proper citation is needed, instead of just learning about citation as a "rule" to follow. I have also found many tutorials and short films, and such, in MERLOT. What I like about the two examples linked above is that they address the topic in a thorough manner and present it in a way that makes sense and in a format the promotes learning. I plan to link to some of these tools in the Weebly to provide another platform for education. Some of these tutorials and films are well made and there is no need to recreate the wheel in this regard when the resources are of such high quality and willing to be shared by the authors. As far as content goes, in addition to the above, I will also be writing much of it myself. Also, I plan on using the results from my student survey to help refine the kind of information presented to students. This will help guide me in my overall plan. These resources will serve as examples of how information is presented, what type of information is important, sources for interactive elements as well as resources that will be used by students directly.
I plan to get the Weebly up and running this semester so that students can begin using it as soon as it is finished, within a few weeks or so. At this moment, I envision tabs on the Weebly covering the topics: Plagiarism Defined, with tutorials; Avoiding Plagiarism, which will highlight citation methods; Copyright; Creative Commons; Consequences of Plagiarism, which may include an active blog where students can share stories; and Resources. {******I initially planned to have the entire Weebly site completed by November 20. If this proves too daunting of a task, I will prioritize giving the most attention to the home screen, defining plagiarism, explaining copyright, and providing resources and tutorials promoting proper citation methods, such as APA, MLA, etc. ********} I expect to then continue the use of the Weebly as a repository for new and interesting information that I find and build the site over time. Beginning with next semester, I plan to have students take a quiz for assessment purposes and then require them to visit the Weebly site and take another quiz afterward.
{******I have read some articles, one written by Jonathan Bailey, that explains how to teach about plagiarism in a manner that actually helps students. Tackling plagiarism as an academic unit really helps in eradicating the occurrence of plagiarism, instead of just expecting students to comply with the rules of plagiarism, although they haven't been formally instructed about it's meaning or purpose. One key component related to this is to have students learn why avoiding plagiarism is important. Many think of it as just some random set of rules that they are supposed to follow for some reason. Stressing the importance of individuality, credit for work and copyright will aid students in deepening their understanding of why they should observe these "rules", which will in turn make them more likely to find the practices valuable enough to employ themselves. Additionally, providing students with a person to consult about the topic, instead of just instilling fear about it, will also go a long way in alleviating the prolific nature of plagiarism for today's students. I will use information such as this to help guide me in constructing my plagiarism Weebly and believe that these strategies will help this project be successful.*******} I will be able to assess success of this project, if the scores improve from the assessment quiz to the quiz after working on the Weebly site. But, I think the most fulfilling sign of success for me will the absence of plagiarism throughout the semester. And, I would hope that some positive student feedback would also occur. I expect that students will be happier having been educated on plagiarism so that the issue is no longer something on which they struggle to understand and apply.
I will create a Weebly. This Weebly site will discuss the definition and scope of plagiarism and also methods for proper citation in order to avoid plagiarism. It will serve as a repository of different types of information and interactive elements that will be useful to students who hold various levels of misconceptions on the topic. The Weebly site will be used on an "as needed" basis throughout the semester, and I'm sure it will be used often. When plagiarism occurs, I will certainly send students to the Weebly site to get the information they need to help them be successful in my course, as well as future courses and in the workplace. I will also have a link to the Weebly site in the online courses that I run, so that students have access to it at any point that they choose to check it out. This will provide an extra resource at the click of a button that can educate them at the time that they need it. They will no longer have to research a topic they understand superficially, which in and of itself is worth the effort, as this type of research generally yields poor results in this area.
I plan on continuing to research more resources, but I have found a good deal of resources thus far to help implement my Weebly plagiarism project and my Diigo account is filling up fast. My gracious instructor has advised that there is some wonderful information in "21 Things 4 Teachers" and "21 Things 4 Students", which I will certainly use as a guide regarding copyright and Creative Commons. These sites get to the root of plagiarism by discussing copyright so students understand the whole reason why proper citation is needed, instead of just learning about citation as a "rule" to follow. I have also found many tutorials and short films, and such, in MERLOT. What I like about the two examples linked above is that they address the topic in a thorough manner and present it in a way that makes sense and in a format the promotes learning. I plan to link to some of these tools in the Weebly to provide another platform for education. Some of these tutorials and films are well made and there is no need to recreate the wheel in this regard when the resources are of such high quality and willing to be shared by the authors. As far as content goes, in addition to the above, I will also be writing much of it myself. Also, I plan on using the results from my student survey to help refine the kind of information presented to students. This will help guide me in my overall plan. These resources will serve as examples of how information is presented, what type of information is important, sources for interactive elements as well as resources that will be used by students directly.
I plan to get the Weebly up and running this semester so that students can begin using it as soon as it is finished, within a few weeks or so. At this moment, I envision tabs on the Weebly covering the topics: Plagiarism Defined, with tutorials; Avoiding Plagiarism, which will highlight citation methods; Copyright; Creative Commons; Consequences of Plagiarism, which may include an active blog where students can share stories; and Resources. {******I initially planned to have the entire Weebly site completed by November 20. If this proves too daunting of a task, I will prioritize giving the most attention to the home screen, defining plagiarism, explaining copyright, and providing resources and tutorials promoting proper citation methods, such as APA, MLA, etc. ********} I expect to then continue the use of the Weebly as a repository for new and interesting information that I find and build the site over time. Beginning with next semester, I plan to have students take a quiz for assessment purposes and then require them to visit the Weebly site and take another quiz afterward.
{******I have read some articles, one written by Jonathan Bailey, that explains how to teach about plagiarism in a manner that actually helps students. Tackling plagiarism as an academic unit really helps in eradicating the occurrence of plagiarism, instead of just expecting students to comply with the rules of plagiarism, although they haven't been formally instructed about it's meaning or purpose. One key component related to this is to have students learn why avoiding plagiarism is important. Many think of it as just some random set of rules that they are supposed to follow for some reason. Stressing the importance of individuality, credit for work and copyright will aid students in deepening their understanding of why they should observe these "rules", which will in turn make them more likely to find the practices valuable enough to employ themselves. Additionally, providing students with a person to consult about the topic, instead of just instilling fear about it, will also go a long way in alleviating the prolific nature of plagiarism for today's students. I will use information such as this to help guide me in constructing my plagiarism Weebly and believe that these strategies will help this project be successful.*******} I will be able to assess success of this project, if the scores improve from the assessment quiz to the quiz after working on the Weebly site. But, I think the most fulfilling sign of success for me will the absence of plagiarism throughout the semester. And, I would hope that some positive student feedback would also occur. I expect that students will be happier having been educated on plagiarism so that the issue is no longer something on which they struggle to understand and apply.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
A Funny Thing Happened with Technology (CEP812)
Feel free to view my movie about a funny thing that happened with technology a few years ago. It is my very first iMovie (I just bought a Mac). I had so much fun making it and working with iMovie. I admit, however, my son...he's nine...had to help me troubleshoot a couple of times. I should be proud of that, not embarrassed, right? Anyway, I hope you don't think my movie is too corny...or maybe that's the point of this assignment. Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Favorite Technology...so tough to choose just one
Please have a listen to my podcast regarding my current favorite technology. It really is hard to choose just one technology that is my favorite with so many new ones emerging every day. My laptop has to be the piece of technology equipment that I use the most. I am a moody worker. Sometimes I can work away in my office at home, but sometimes I need to work in a busy cafe, my favorite being Starbucks, or a cozy cafe, like "Meant To Be" cafe in downtown Farmington. Or, at the library, outside in the summer, in an airport, and any place that I can get a wifi connection.
For the purposes of this assignment, I think Weebly is my favorite non-hardware technology. I like creating a site that is useful for my specific purposes and the purposes of my students. I feel that my Weebly site has greatly increased in my WR 130, Introduction to the Study of Religion, online students, the deep learning, retention of information and internalization of our subject matter. It provides the "campus" effect of an online class wherein I give my take on the more formal resources assigned in the class. Providing my interpretation of the material and how that particular material fits into the larger scheme, seems to help students engage with the subject matter in a less superficial manner. I think I am in good company when I say, we instructors like that!
For the purposes of this assignment, I think Weebly is my favorite non-hardware technology. I like creating a site that is useful for my specific purposes and the purposes of my students. I feel that my Weebly site has greatly increased in my WR 130, Introduction to the Study of Religion, online students, the deep learning, retention of information and internalization of our subject matter. It provides the "campus" effect of an online class wherein I give my take on the more formal resources assigned in the class. Providing my interpretation of the material and how that particular material fits into the larger scheme, seems to help students engage with the subject matter in a less superficial manner. I think I am in good company when I say, we instructors like that!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Introduction to CEP 812
Hello everyone in CEP 812! I am Tracy Marshall. Below is some information about me and my interests. I expect to have a wonderful semester and grow a good deal as a result of it.
Please feel free to view my Voki introduction. I'd say that my education passions focus around 21st Century Skills. I'd like students to begin thinking about technology as a tool to build success. No longer is education and technology afforded only to the wealthy. These tools that can help one communicate effectively in our global society, provide a means to develop one's academic skills in general and serve as an aid in learning that is suitable to all types of learners. I would like students to understand that technology goes far beyond socially interacting with friends. If used with a purpose, technology can empower any individual that wishes to succeed by building one's communication and collaboration abilities and preparing one for the professional world. I work at Henry Ford Community College as an adjunct instructor teaching World Religion courses. I have created four different courses that run on a rotating basis. Since I mostly work online, I have captured some pictures of a few of my courses and pasted them below. They are my labor of love and are always morphing. I look forward to meeting everyone this semester, working together and learning lots of great stuff!  |
| This is a photo of the introductory page of WR 130. |
 |
| This is a photo of the introductory page of WR 233. |
 |
| This is a photo of the introductory page of WR 131. |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)