Tuesday, July 31, 2007

9-A-1 Web Applications Assignment

The goggle notebook would be an application that I would recommend to a student. It has tremendous possibilities for educational research. The applications allow easy linking as well as original URL/websites. The instructor would be able to view the progress of the student's research at anytime by connecting to the internet. It is also feasible for collaboration on a student group project. It saves time for both the student and instructor and allows more flexibility with scheduling.
www.google.com/notebook

Monday, July 23, 2007

8-A-1 Assignment Big Shifts

Our college recently had installation of smart classrooms so that I can access the internet in my classroom. I foresee my teaching practice being supplemented by the most current nursing practices available. Administration supports hybrid and online courses and other technology for the nursing program. Students will have opportunities to read blogs about controversial issues in nursing and discuss and publish their ideas. They will also be able to collaborate with other nursing students from around the country and world on various topics. Students in the future will have the opportunity to develop an electronic online portfolio instead of a hard copy version. Collaboration among other nursing programs would become more commonplace. I envision myself becoming more multimedia oriented in the classroom. I believe in the premise that teachers can learn from their students. Students need to be more active participants and responsible for their learning. Nursing lends itself to laying a foundation of core nursing concepts. Students will have assignments to research the most current information about specific nursing topics. They will be expected to participate in discussion groups online and bring forth their real-life experiences to supplement their learning.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

8-B-1 Paperless Spaces

A paperless class would change my role as a teacher to that of a facilitator. I think that I would be guiding their learning process rather than providing content in a lecture format. Students would be more independent learners. I would be posting the reading assignments and tests on the computer more than I presently do. There would be more discussion points among all students rather than the usual few that respond in a regular class. I would have the opportunity to evaluate what the students are learning before they are tested and clarify any issues. I would add a larger percent of their total grade for their participation and discussion points.
Learning would be more independent and self directed. Students would need to have computer and internet access at the minimum. Students would need to be motivated and disciplined in this environment and take responsibility for getting involved in the learning process. They would be more active learners than passive ones. Learning would be more discussion oriented after core material was studied thereby allowing for more indepth analysis and critical thinking exercises. Learning would be more research oriented and allow the student to use more of their senses when learning. It could also determine if students are passionate about a particular subject thereby making a wiser career choice.
Learning could be measured by giving assignments or tests that are graded by the instructor online. A portion of the grade would be based upon specific criteria from a rubric for posting discussion points. It would be easier to build a learning network because students could be more available and flexible with their schedules. There would be more opportunities to network and engage in more indepth discussions with all students in the class rather than a few.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Skype Ideas

I would use Skype to connect with other nursing instructors to collaborate and see what they are doing in their classes and labs. It would work well with observing the patient simulations and labs that are being used at the larger institutions. It would be an opportunity to share information and ask questions.

Another use would be for new instructors to observe how senior professors teach their classes. This would be very beneficial for new instructors that are not yet tenured. Conversely, the new instructor could be observed by the senior professor, the experience critiqued and constructive criticism given to the new faculty member. This could be part of the mentoring program for the new faculty.

Sales personnel could introduce their new products to faculty without ever leaving their company thereby saving time and money.

This one is a bit like reality TV, but consider the possibility of nursing students observing procedures, or grand rounds in a hospital. Of course, you would need safeguards to protect patient confidentiality and obtain the patient’s consent.

It would be very educational to speak with nursing students in foreign countries and learn about their nursing program and studies along with their culture and views on healthcare.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Flickr: Photos from tkaren41

Flickr: Photos from tkaren41

Image citation: (2007, July 9). Desideratum. Retrieved July 9, 2007 from http://www.flickr.com/photos/keltanen/

I could use Flickr in my classroom when I want students to journal, reflect, analyze or involve them in a discussion about photos depicting topics such as aging, death and dying, cultural diversity, communication. This promotes their critical thinking skills and exposes them to different perspectives on the subjects. It also sharpens their writing skills.

Friday, July 6, 2007

5-D-1 Wikis in Classroom

This was my first exposure to wikis. I reviewed and read quite a few of them. The wiki that had the professor outline all of her course on it was incredible. Anyone in the world could have taken this course for free (not receive a grade of course). The Cool Cat wiki was also impressive.
I'm sure that the formatting and layout for the wiki will be most challenging for me. Also I learn better with new technology when I am face to face with another person. It is interesting to work with other's viewpoints and realize their perspective in a group project. From my additional research, it appears that Wikipedia accuracy rates fairly high. I've found myself using it alot to learn more about the terminology with wikis. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of the explanations. I would not hesitate to continue using it in the future.