Emily

toc = = =Emily Johnson=



My name is Emily and I currently work at ESPN as a Content Planner. I am responsible for making sure closed captioning is on eight of our networks 24/7, as well as making sure taped programming comes to ESPN on time and to our guidelines.

I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Hartford in Information Technology.

As for my educational technology background, one of the things I'm working on currently is developing an online training program for my department which will help train other employees in my job function. It's currently in the beginning stages. I have worked with Adobe Photoshop, Flash and Final Cut Pro in the past to develop videos and presentations.

I live in Farmington, CT.

My teammate is //Kathleen//.

My **LinkedIn** username is emjohnson03. My **twitter** username is @emjohnson03 My **Skype** username is emily.johnson851

=1. Reflective Essay #1 (What I know and don't know about Research)=

Currently I don’t know a lot about research in general. I know that its purpose is to find out if a certain workflow or instrument is effective in whatever field it’s supposed to work in. I know that in research there needs to be variables which are put against a situation or based upon some kind of interactions. As the event happens, documentation is taken to see if it was effective or not. It can be measured by actual seeing or it can be measured by the responses given. Research has the following parts to it: title, abstract, introduction, methods, results, conclusion and bibliography (“Parts of a Research Paper, 2005). A research paper wants to put forward an idea or argument that you want to search on and using other data and your own, create new ideas and thoughts based upon what was studied (“Purpose of Writing a Research Paper”, 2009).

What I want to learn from the results is if a technology is more effective if it’s used in a wider scope or if it works better in smaller groups. It has been found that there have been limits to the research being done, due to the small sample size that exists (Herzig, 2003). I also want to learn if there are certain types of technology are better (ie, wiki’s vs iPads) with the way that students respond to the technology or maybe it doesn’t matter the type. As we grow further into the program, I want to know if students who have learning disabilities, benefit at all from the technology that is provided, regardless of the types. It has been found that video games help autistic children (Toppo, 2012). I also want to explore the idea of not using textbooks, rather use iPad’s in the classroom that will be able to updatable and give students access to the curriculum itself (Wells, 2012).

=2. Reflective Eassy #2 (So what did I learn?)=

After going through the course I feel like I have gained a greater understanding of technology research. That’s not to say that I have discovered all the different areas of it, but I have learned things about video conferencing, blogs, wiki’s and SmartBoards. I have really seen the limits of the studies themselves, a lot being that the technology hasn’t been around forever but also, the small sample size. Many of the studies that we reviewed did not have a big sample to take from which I did think to be true in the beginning of this course.

I enjoyed the case studies in the book “Models of Applied Research in Educational Technology”. While again they used a small sample size, the studies were easy to follow and the technology became as asset in the classroom and not a deterrent. I think the most important thing to remember is that the technology needs to be used effectively in the classroom and it needs to reflect classroom objectives and goals. It should not be used for excitement or because it’s new. It’s clear that through the reviews of literature and the case studies that when the technology is applied with clear goals, it can succeed.

What wasn’t addressed in the course was the use of iPads in the classroom and if it helps those who have special needs. Again, if I did my own research or simply looked online, I’m sure I could find some information. But again, the technology is so new that it needs to take time for studies to come together and for enough research to be done to make any kind of true assessment of the effectiveness.

So what did I learn? I learned the technology is an ever changing process in the classroom. That the literature and the case studies done supports the idea that using technology in the classroom is effective and useful and can add to the instructional direction of a goal. Having students drive the process by using the technology and then reporting feedback is vital to the success of the activity or even the success of the program that is being used. There has to be clear objectives and goals in mind and the teacher would work best when staying engaged in what the students are doing. SmartBoards, Wiki websites, Skype, blogging, podcasts and WebQuests all have a strong presence in the classroom and have shown through research to work and to engage but more importantly to re-enforce what the student is learning.

= = =3. Connecting through LinkedIn and Facebook= = = Kathleen and I together looked through LinkedIn and Facebook to connect with people who have enaged or written about technology in the classroom. We decided to focus on the topic of using iPads in the classroom as well as how autistic childrenn respond to the use if the iPad. A article I found was by Courtney Subamanian from Time.com where she writes about a study that found that kids score higher in literacy tests who use the iPad then those who don't. It has become an attractive technology but there has not been enough time to see if over the long term this is effective in actually boosting test scores. I reached out to the author who I found on LinkedIn and told her how much I enjoyed her article as well as asking her if this article comes from personal expierence or not. I have not heard back from her but I hope she knows how much her article really started the conversation between my partner and I to the use of the iPad.

The other article I found was actually just an abstract of a study that asks the question on how the iPad can be used as a teaching tool for children who are on the Autism spectrum, The study talks about first graders who were videotaped in a classroom who were seperated into groups sharing the iPads. Also, it talks about how a math activity was used in a concrete way and then taught again using the iPad. The study found that not all students responded to the use of the iPad but can be a helpful tool when engaged properly and re-enforcement of the material. I connected with the author through LinkedIn and told her that I wanted to hear more about her research since all I read was an abstract.

= = =4. To Tweet or not to Tweet= = = When jumping onto twitter I have found an abundent source of information, There are alot of groups that focus on educational technology and a lot of folks who tweet about some very popular websites filled with ideas and studies of technology that is going on in the classroom. Some popular twitter handles I have found: @edtechtalk @DellEDU @techreview @EdWeekTeacher

Through the tweets, I have found also some very cool websites: []

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I have found that through tweets, I can linked to some interesting articles, blogs and discussion posts about the use of educational technology. It can be alot of opinion as much as fact and it's interesting reading about people's different thoughts and feelings on the future of educational technology and how it can both hurt and benefit students.

=5. Youtube Video Confrencing= =media type="youtube" key="yatSAEqNL7k" height="315" width="420"= What makes this a powerful video is the immediacy that we can see things now. What I like about this video is that it shows, not just the instructional benefits but the overall benefits of video in general. "Seeing" is so powerful.

media type="youtube" key="1mRQjYG4u-U" height="315" width="420" This is an older video but brings video conferencing to a Texas classroom. You can see the different ways that they use video to engage students. I thought it was cool to get the teacher's thoughts on this and see how much interaction the children liked. I think the idea of "virtual" field trips is a great one. = = =media type="youtube" key="UjwevIzDZto" height="315" width="420"= This is more discussion based but also talks about the new Ciscio HD telepresence system. It outlines the program and talks about how it can be used in a classroom (ie college). They have some cool products that can help students find older lectures and concepts that can be through up through the years all on video. It does alot of "show and tell" with assignments and you are making yourself responsible for your own learning and collaberation with other people. It makes everyone more aware of what is going on and doesn't fall to one specific person or teacher. It sounds like this was developed based on the needs of the students and their wanting to be interactive and "plugged" in. = =

=6. Responding to a Blog Post=

I responded to the posting "[|Before Spouting Off]". This is what I wrote in response to the article:

"I'm very much a passive agressive person. I like to think that saying nothing is better then saying anything, especially when I feel wronged. I'm one of those people who don't like to make a big deal even if I have been hurt or wronged.

I don't work in a classroom, but in I have found in my personal expierence that I'm either very happy or when I feel upset or angry, I hold it in, don't say anything and then I become angry and quiet inside.

I do agree with posters that you need to be constructive and diplomatic with your responses, especially when you are angry or hurt and you should take a moment to compose yourself. I do think that there is a time when you need to let it go though and not bring it up, especially if alot of time has passed. It's not effective if two weeks later you say something. I know in my personal life when I have done that, the other person is going, what? I thought that was done and buried. (And then that can set off a whole other discussion about being honest and upfront)

You should respond though if someone says something out of line but you have to take a step back, be the bigger person and maybe even do some reverse psychology on them, as they say, kill them with kindness. I would hope in that situation that the other person would be so put off by the reaction, that they themseleves apologize and realize how silly they were. I have been in situation where people react, take out their hurt and anger on me and then realize later, it wasn't about me. It wasn't about what I did. It was their own hurt and anger letting through. I think you have to be sensative to the other person, even if you are wronged and hurt. You need to be the bigger person and continue on your own way. You know that you are a good person and you don't need that to be thrown at you. You shouldn't take it and you should act in an adult manner, but you also shouldn't fight fire with fire. Taking the time to see where they are coming from can be a healthy way of looking at the situation and letting yourself know it really isn't about you."

=7. Responding to a Podcast= = = I decided to listen to the NPR Podcast, "How Can Videos Flip the Classroom"

The podcast consisted of Salamon Khan talking about his videos that he has produced that are instructional in math, science and language. He orginally did it for his cousins but as more people stumbled upon it he found that people were using as a resource in the classroom and allowing students to access them at any time. It has "humanized" learning.

What I love about this podcast is the story of the videos from the person himself, Salamon Khan about the evolution of the program and how it has become more about the students developing their own process and their own learning. The whole idea that students are taught to the test and just get through the material and thus have gaps. It allows students to work at their own pace and allows students to take the time to understand the concepts with as much time as they want. What I like about this model is also the accessibilty that people have to this. If you can't afford a tutor, well if you have Internet, you can with using these videos. It makes things much more wordly and accessible for all. The classroom can become "global" and give people the chance to learn from not just their own classrooms but classrooms across the United States and across the world. It makes things so much more diverse and interesting to have that. = = = = = = = = = = = =

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