Reflection Week 2

Reflection
Week 2

Prior to the class assignment on using blogs, I had no knowledge on the use of but did have some familiar with the purpose of blogs. My early impressions of using a blog was "why?' Could we use a discussion board view such as Blackboard or Angel? As I navigate and become more familiar with this tool, I am beginning to appreciate the purpose and usefulness.

In the article Falling Asleep at Your Keyboard: The Case for Computer Imagination, Dr. Siegel begins by asking the following questions:
1) Why haven’t learning technologies delivered to the same degree as technologies in business, science, entertainment, or communications?
2) Will learning technologies ever offer more than convenient access to information or mind numbing lessons?
According to Dr. Siegel, the answer has more to do with how we use the technologies to achieve learning rather than with the technologies themselves. Interesting idea and one which I had not considered especially being a novice in technologies.
Dr. Siegel’s discusses computer imagination; imagination vs. eye candy; imagination vs. imitation in e-learning; and scenarios computer imaginative e-learning. When he speaks of these relationships, he makes note of the features, practical applications as well as the effectiveness of each application. In describing computer imagination, Dr. Siegel notes that while this medium can present with impressive graphics and animations, it must also achieve some desired end. Having more than “flash”, will also advance e-learning applications resulting in higher level learning.
The scenarios according to Dr. Siegel takes advantage of the Web to move participants beyond content understanding and memorization to judgment and deep insight. Several months ago, I took an online course where the use of collaborative learning communities significantly improved my learning. The responses provided by my classmates were intriguing and contributed to my learning experience. The format stressed questions about content, evaluation of the resources or readings in relationship to the content, synthesizing the information and determining the relevance to our individual classrooms.
As SPED teachers, many of us may have used computer-based reading instruction for students with learning disabilities. When I consider Dr. Siegel's scenarios, I am led to put this in context for students with reading deficits. As a way of engaging these students, we rely on the impressive graphics and animations. Interactive reading selections which provide this "eye candy" has and will continue to assist students with learning disabilities to keep pace with their classmates in content area reading.

The Cone of Experience is a pictorial device which illustrates the progression of learning experiences from direct to abstract symbolic expression. The author quickly points out that the The Cone is only a model and does present with flaws. The individual bands within the Cone of Experience are said to be fluid, extensive, and continually interactive. Additionally, these bands are used for organizing instructional materials according to the kind of experience each provides. I appreciated the clarification that these experiences and materials are not placed into rigid,inflexible patterns. In many ways, I concur with the writer but I would suggest that our experiences enable us to see patterns. My role as an educator is one in which I not only assist in the transmission of information and knowledge but also in assisting students to understand the value and impact of their prior knowlegde.

In terms of the application of Dale's Cone, it seems that many bands of the Cone can be applied, Study Trips, Recordings, Radio and Still Pictures, and maybe Motion Pictures seem to more readily apply to RSS. As I navigation and further blogs to a greater extent, it seems study trips, demonstrations, and exhibits are seem to have a natural fit.

Working with at-risk students, it is critical to assist students in transferring knowledge from school to the real world. For students without expectional learning needs, this might be a natural consequence of knowledge acquisition. For this, I see the direct purposeful experiences as useful in working with my students. As a SPED professional I find that it is essential to first acquire the knowledge about student learning needs and then utilize strategies which foster quality learning. Abstract thinking is beyond the realm of possibilities for many of my students.