One educational technology that I discussed during week two, was online media, which according to our text would be better classified as Interactive Multimedia, or “integrated technologies.” I spoke about how I felt this type of technology is a great substitute for many life experiences. I also talked about how instructional media are capable of giving students a world view, any place a teacher would like to take them is accessible, which many students would not otherwise experience. Instructors have the capability of interacting with other classes, bringing in speakers, or experts in many fields of study into the classroom. The other educational technology I utilize in conjunction with Interactive Multimedia is Computer-based Technologies, using a Computer based instruction program called Blackboard. Both Interactive Multimedia (IM) and Computer-based Technologies (CBT) can be “used in one or more of the five categories of use,” explained in the article in the following ways.
One lesson plan idea, using CBT such as Blackboard, was inspired by something that I loved to do growing up, writing to pen pals. IMs, such as Google Maps allows for creation of what I called Webpals, instead of a written letter exchange, students create an E-change of learning and understanding, on the web. The lessons developed are enumerable (i.e., environment, culture, life). Students discuss these questions with their Webpals. As a class, students review questions and responses posted by their Webpals and then post them within the description boxes on Google Maps. Google Maps is also used to pinpoint the locations of students involved in Webpals. This activity, as a class project incorporates the use of CBT, Blackboard, within a group discussion forum, to be edited and monitored by the students. The instructor acts as facilitator for the project.
Barab states in his article “that the goal for creating these environments is to stimulate and sustain students as they investigate various phenomena.” The five educational uses are based on the idea of “grounded constructions,” which establishes “learning environments that situate or contextualize the content being learned.” The use of CBT, such as Blackboard and IM such as Google Maps, provide the “context of inquiry that provides meaning to that which is learned,” which is the basis of the five educational uses: “Information Resource – provide information to support learner inquiry; Content Contextualization n- situate the material to be learned within a rich context; Communication Tool – facilitate collaborative and distributed learning; Construction Kit – provide concrete tools for building phenomena/understanding; and Visualization/Manipulation Tool – present phenomena for scrutiny and manipulation.
As I think about Siegel's article, I am looking at the educational technologies, CBT (Blackboard) and IM (Google Maps). Siegal states that “e-learning is more effective when the designers use the computer imaginatively to increase understanding.” In this regard, I believe both technologies qualify as “computer imaginative.” Blackboard, because it brings a classroom into a learning environment, which is only limited by the instructor's imagination in designing opportunities and experiences for students, using a wide range of tools, Google Maps being one, to effectively increase thinking and learning.
