CEdO 599 Post#3

As I conclude my work with my culminating project and portfolio, I can't help but reflect on this graduate program. It is hard to believe how far I have come in such a short period of time. My early posts lamented my fledgling knowledge of technology, and now my comfort level is significantly improved. My final project has come at the right time because the more time I spend on it, the more I realize that I am barely covering the basics. There is so much more that should be and will be explored with Google Wave. I also realize that as much time as I spent throughout this program trying to learn the materials, I have only begun to learn about technology. But the skills that I have learned, paired with a natural curiosity, have shown me how to be successful with technology. And now we all move to probably the most important phase of the graduate program. Will Richardson is an advocate of learning communities where individuals share their knowledge to help others improve. We now have the unique opportunity to share what we have learned with our school districts, and hopefully continue to learn about technology as it evolves. When I first started teaching, I was amazed at the amount of locked filing cabinets filled with pedagogical secrets. This lock and key system is being replaced with an environment built on the sharing of ideas. Sure, there are still those (probably more than we would like to admit) that do not embrace any new ways of thinking, but there are many more eager to share what they know to help others get better. I feel like I am now prepared to contribute to this environment, and I like the challenge of convincing others to challenge what they currently do in the classroom. We always have to remember why we do what we do. I chose teaching because of the students, and they will always guide my teaching and personal learning. Any ideas that help me make their experiences more rewarding will be welcomed until I am led out to the pasture and no longer teach. This program has opened my eyes to many new possibilities, and I look forward to where this new knowledge will lead me in the future.

CEdO 599 Post#2

As I am intensifying my study of Google Wave, I am starting to see some significant applications for my classroom with this tool. Wave seemingly has taken the best characteristics of many tools and rolled them into one. At the same time, it can be challenging to describe exactly what Wave can do. There is instant messaging in real time, which allows users to type at the same time. The creator of the Wave can set access rights to control what can be edited. Links can be inserted as well as video. Slide presentations can be shown and embedded into websites and blogs. Messages don't have to be linear and threads can be created anywhere during the conversation. I could go on and on because these features only scratch the surface.
I think students will love the IM function of Wave, and that will allow me to introduce appropriate behavior when commenting in a Wave. Since I am lucky enough to have a set of netbooks for my classroom, I could see Wave being a nice tool for collaborative note taking. The fact that there can be many conversations (threads) within the initial conversation is really intriguing. This Wiki-like functionality could really be a powerful tool for extending the conversation. With that said, Wave is really focused on the conversation itself, and allowing for that conversation to be without limits.
My project itself involves the creation of a keynote presentation concerning Wave. This presentation will be used throughout the year when I am teaching staff at my school and others about Wave. I am also creating screencasts about basic functions of Wave and then more advanced features. My initial thinking was to make two screencasts, but there are so many characteristics to cover that more might be warranted. I am also making screenshot handouts to help user familiarize themselves with Wave. The bulk of my time has been experimenting with Wave and reading as much as I can concerning its evolution. Wave, much like the conversation it allows users to create, is constantly changing and being refined. The more I study, the more I realize that I have only scratched the surface of what this tool can accomplish.

CEdO 599 Post#1

It is hard to believe that I am embarking on the last class in this graduate program. With that said, the focus has shifted to my culminating project. Along with that, I want to make sure that my portfolio is a solid representation of what I accomplished throughout the program. My final project involves the study and implementation of Google Wave at my school. I have been occupying my time of late getting reacquainted with Wave and all it has to offer. My goals for the project involve teaching the members in my department how to use Wave and to utilize this tool for curriculum development. A secondary goal is to lead two in-service offerings for all staff members at my school. I think that both objectives can be accomplished, but there are factors outside of my control that may limit the scope of my effort. If my department isn't comfortable with the functionality of Wave for curriculum development, it will be a hard sell to get the group to use it as the vehicle to get class offerings in order for the following school year. Also, if none of the faculty members at my school sign up for the in-service concerning Wave, then I will be presenting to empty chairs. At the same time, the attention spans at some of the in-service offerings are the equivalent of speaking to empty chairs. Regardless of what happens outside my control, I know that it is imperative to improve my knowledge of Wave. I am feeling more comfortable with Wave the more that I study what it can do, but I know that my work has just begun. So off I go to improve my initial plans for my project. Whereas I don't want to tinker too much with the plans, I do want to make sure that I am specific with my goals and that the scope of my effort is reasonable and achievable.