Week 14- Gaming as a Learning Tool

This week in class we discussed using games as a learning tool. With the ever expanding technology, teaching has grown from being limited to books and papers to include many new and innovative ways to convey lessons. Using games to teach students lessons or improve skills like memory is a great way to allow kids to learn while they are having fun. Children like to see their progress and playing games that have multiple levels and will allow them to set goals for themselves and reach them. I remember playing games when I was young to improve my skills in different areas. I had to find tiles that matched each other from a pile of them facing down. This improved my memory. For math skills I remember having to help a chef calculate how much the bill was for each table at his restaurant. Using games is also great because you can create a game to teach almost any subject, from math to English to music, to art. In fact, not only does using games online help children in the particular subject matter of that game, it also helps their technology skills that are now so crucial to have in life. It is important to note however, gaming is not a substitute for education, but a tool to enhance it.

While some games are educational, others sometimes blur the line between reality and fiction. Games such as Second Life or World of Warcraft which are role-playing games allow users to create an alter-ego. Sometimes though people get lost in their character and forget that there is a life past the computer screen. I read an article where a woman divorce her real life husband because he "had and affair" in Second Life even though he was loyal to her in reality. We all like to be distracted from life sometimes but when gaming becomes an obsession it is probably time to cut back. I think it is a little extreme that countries have embassies in second life. It's hard to imagine that someones job is only to stay on second life and answer questions about their country.

Telecommunication is not really related to gaming. The only similarity would be that in some games there is a plot or storyline that the user follows and advances on throughout the game. As a telecom. major, we sometimes have to come up with storylines that are creative and get the attention of the user. Whether the plot is in a game, commercial, or movie the only way the medium will be successful is if people are entertained.

This article I found does a good job of explaining how video games can teach children. It discusses how even children with ADHD who typically have a difficult time paying attention are able to play these games without distraction. Games offer something that normal teaching doesn't. Kids can read the screen which has directions for them which improves their reading ability.

Week 8- The Sound of...Podcasting

This week we learned about Podcasting.

Podcasts are media files, such as text, audio, video, etc. that can be played on the computer or downloaded to MP3 players. Users typically subscribe to a Podcast channel and download the content to their computers. Additionally, once subscribed if new updates are added to the podcast channel the material is automatically downloaded to the subscribers computer. Since its inception, podcasts have become easier to use and thus more popular.

We also learned how podcasting is being used in the educational setting. Duke University gave iPods to a incoming class and on those iPods were podcasts of orientation. Also lectures can be downloaded on them so one can listen to it multiple times. Podcasts would help students catch up or stay on track if they were out sick for an extended period of time. Teachers could also assign students to create their own podcasts which would help them learn and become familiar with the material and to learn how to effectively communicate the material. Studies have shown the podcasts have dramatically helped in learning another language.

However, there are some drawbacks, one must get permission to use a certain content before one incorporates it into the lecture, some material may be inappropriate for students because anyone can put anything on a podcast. Teachers must be taught how to record their lectures and turn them into mp3s. Students or even teachers may not have access to the equipment needed to listen or create podcasts as well as enough space on their hard drive to support all the mp3's they have to download. Additionally, some students are not auditory learners, they need to see the content, whether in text form or through graphs, in order to really comprehend the material.

While audio podcasts may not be very useful in the telecommunication field, video podcast are. One can upload their videos for others all over the world to see. Although, using audio podcasts is a little similar in that once the material is recorded, one should go back and edit the material. As a telecom production major, we have to edit our video and audio material all the time. When the levels of audio are to low we have to go in and raise them in a program such as final cut. We also have to make sure that when recording or in the editing phase that there is no outside noise to distract the listener from the important message we are trying to get across.

This video I found on Youtube breaks podcasting down in simple terms. It covers what it is, why it is popular, and how easy it is to use. It shows how traditional media, is time dependent -where one has to watch and listen to a show at a certain time whereas podcasting erases the time element and makes listening to your favorite shows easy to do anytime and anywhere.

Week 1 - Course Intro

The first week in class we learned what exactly Education in Technology was about. Educational Technology relates to using modern technologies such as computers, PowerPoint, etc. to help promote learning.

Using technology in the education setting is helpful because it can help relate information learned to a more concrete source. It also makes learning more flexible in terms of different learning styles. For example, some people are visual learners and seeing a chart on a PowerPoint slide may help them. Distance learning has grown because people who have circumstances and cannot physically go to school are able to get a degree online. It can also help prepare one to enter the professional working world with the 21st century skills necessary to succeed.
However, while technology does help in some aspects of learning, there are still factors that hinder the learning process. Environmental issues, such as a loud classroom may disrupt some students. One's personal filters such as your values or religious beliefs may cause a disruption in learning. For example if you believe in the Creation theory, you might not be able to accept/understand the theory of evolution. Psychological factors that are unique to each student can hurt learning, such as if one had a death in the family they may not be able to concentrate. Technology is also very expensive and may not be available to all people. Also, technology is ever growing and improving so what one learns today may be obsolete in a couple of years.

As a telecommunication major on the production track technology is very important to me for not only my field but also in the classroom learning about my field. In class we use technology everyday, we use video cameras and have to record what we shoot on tapes. Once we have everything we need recorded on those tapes, we need to edit. In the editing lab I have to using programs on the computer to cut footage, insert graphics and text, and to burn the final version to a DVD. Because Technology is ever changing and I will probably always be editing footage on a computer, I will always have to up to date on the newest programs available.

In this youtube video, the narrator explains how there are three different phases of technology that can be used to help educate. The first phase is the the most basic: it is having the teacher use a computer to teach the children from a PowerPoint or other information source. The second phase having the student find information through online searching. The final phase is having the student essentially involved in all aspects of learning. The student in not just turning in the homework, but they can publish their work on the web, can review their peers submissions and likewise have others comment on their work. With all this technological involvement it is likely that the students understanding of the material is better than if they were just passively turning in an assignment and getting the grade back.