After writing the last blog it dawned on me to write a conclusion.

I feel that I have gained valuable insight into the world of technology and incorporating it into my classroom. This class has made me more comfortable with making that incorporation. I have gained valuable skills used in teaching not just technology. Rubric construction was one of the hardest things I had to learn. I am not real good at it as of yet but I have made a promise that for every assignment I am going to design a rubric to accompany it. This class has opened my eyes to a new realm of teaching. Once I finish my masters degree, I think I am going to apply to the EdD program and specialize in technology. I just don't want the cows to know about it. I really enjoy this concept and maybe deep down I am not a cowboy but a closet tech geek trying to get out. My final thought - I should have taken this class a lot earlier in my career. What fun! To bad it is over but now I can go camping for a few weeks. Thanks for everything.

The last day of class. I am very glad that I have taken this course. This class will "rate as one of the best classes" I have taken "in the past three years". The last class was a great way to have closure. I like the way the class was organized and the way the final webquests were presented. I like group activities and the chance to learn from everyone in the group. I recieved some valuable feedback for my project, which I have just finished correcting. I look forward to teacher feedback as well. Thank you very much

I have finished my webquest and I am ready to present it on Thursday. I just need to dot the I's and cross the T's. I feel that this is a good foundation to integrading technology into my dairy production course. As you get older it is not the grade you recieve in a course but it is the information gained in the course that is most beneficial. I have learned and grew as an instructor more than I can express. I am very pleased with the content of this course and the way it has helped me with my profession. From blogs, wikis, rubistar, and dreamweaver I will be forever indebted to EDUC 632. I will recommend this course to everyone. The most important thing that I learned is the process of how to incorporate technology into teaching content. Thank you.

Marcopolo was interesting web site, I wish I could find one for dairy production materials. I am truly amazed at the information that is available for teachers of all disciplines and for students of all grade levels. I explored some lessons and standards to see how they were related. I can see where teachers would have a tough time trying to incorporate new techniques when they are required to meet certain criteria but I feel this site could help with that. What a challenge!

I aslo became aware that I do indeed have standards that need to met but they are just called objectives. That reminds me that I have to change my webquest to say so.

Homecoming 2004 

I just finished the NCrtec learning evaluation tool. I recieved very high scores in the High Performance Technology section. This is understandable since the students I teach have access to many computer sites at the University of Delaware which are very well equiped . My scores for Engaged Learning were high except for Instructional Model and Grouping - they were average. I am going to go back and read the overview to gain some more knowledge on how to bump my average scores up to the high level. I was impressed that I am going in the right direction and that my students should not have issues with technology since it is readily available. It is now up to me to improve my teaching.

It has been since last week that I have had an addition to my blog. I have been busy preparing for various work related activities. I have also spent some time thinking about my webquest. I feel that I have put together a nice foundation upon which to build my new style of teaching on. I will not go grazy and revamp my whole course because some information is best taught in a normal lecture. However, I will try to incorporate new techniques and styles when I review my syllabus for future classes.

I would like to extend a thank you to everyone in EDUC 632 for thier help with my webquest. They gave me support I have learned to rely on my insticts and I am trying to develop more confidence in my decisions. I truly feel that this class should be taken by anyone who is a teacher or instructor. It has helped me more than words can describe.

I have successfully finished the rough draft to my webquest. I have conquered the beast and feel triumphant. I need to present it to my class and recieve feedback to make it better. I am very pleased with myself and this course. I have learned to add technology to my dairy class in a way that will reach non-dairy students and hopefully spark an interest in the diary industry. I have learned an immense amount of the use of the internet and using it to teach content. I also learned new programs such as blogs, wiki's , and various sites to enhance my teaching. I am very enthusiastic about teaching dairy production when it comes around again. I did have trouble separating learning content and learning technology but I think I have that figured out now. Thanks for everything.

While trying to put together my webquest I went back and revisited Building Blocks of a Webquest this site proved invaluable in putting my information the proper order and context.

In the process of trying to do a rubric I found a great site to help me with my confusion. I am well on my way to completing a rough draft of not only my rubric but my webquest. I am so fortunate to have taken this class. I am even more excited about teaching than ever before. This class rocks now that I am feelling more comfortable about the final project.

I have not made a post for a few days. There has been a few reasons: first I have been home taking care of a bunch of sick children and two I really needed a break from my webquest. I needed some time to sit back and actually think about what I was doing and why it mattered. I was really getting hung up on developing my rubric. I did, however, go back and read our assigned readings on rubrics to helpme get back into the proper frame of mind. I am back and I am going to start work on my rubric.

This rubric creating is one of the hardest things I have had to do. I don't know how I am going to develop one for my webquest. The one I made for class was neat but rubistar did all the work I just did minor adjustments. It felt like I was cheating, I feel bad but it said it better than I could. Isn't that what teaching is about the license to borrow and adapt to our own use.

I am glad we talked about rubrics and I am extremely pleased to have Rubistar. This is the best site ever. I have always had trouble developing a rubric and this is a great resource tool. I don't know why I have not seen or used it before. This will make my life much easier.

I am now starting to see clearer. I have to totally separate the webpage from the content. I want to evaluate my students rubric they create for evaluating a cow site and not the site. However, with out a good rubric my students can't possible build a good site.

This has been a struggle for me but I am starting to get the picture.

I am also going to look at dairy industry information (data sets and online tools) to see how they can be used in my classroom. It is hard finding the time to find the stuff redesign it and then impement it. What fun!

It took some time but I think I have finally came up with my data set to use for my class. I think the students can choose a bull to mate for their cow. By using Select sires they have access to the bulls we normally have on hand at the University farm. This will give them a real world setting and maybe we will use the selection for an actual breeding.

When playing with the online tools I found a cow cam.

I just finished reading The internet and Classroom Learning and it started me thinking about the stage we are in when we talk about internet technology. Do you think that one day all students will be using this technology and it will be outdated - will it be a never ending battle for us, as humans, to keep up with technology to use in the classroom. I remember the conversation we had in class dealing with "how to find all of these resources?". I think it is our duty as educational professionals that we need to take classes like this one, be members of professional organizations, and go to conferences to learn what is out there. I feel that the internet will be mainstream teaching and we can be some o the educators that make it that way.

I also feel that if we are not supported or given enough time to implement the new strategies that we learn that it is all for nothing. Teachers never have enough time or resources but we have to start to find ways to make it fit. I know my first year I was just trying to survive let alone do new stuff.

My final project will be having the students create a web site for the cow they are assigned. The main dish will actually be having the students develop a rubric on what makes a good cow site. My job will then be to actully grade the rubric not the web page. I am starting to have trouble disconnecting the use of the tools and the idea of getting the content across. I have a tendency to want to grade on what the web site will look like and not if the students learned the content. I learned the rubric on the rubric will give me a hihger level learning and teach content. I am glad I got that resolved. I am onw trying to tie my scavenger hunt and data set into my webquest.

My blogger is letting me post again.

I have figured it out, I think. I will use a scavenger in part of my "Process" in my webquest. It took me some time to figure it out but if I use it as part of the process it should work. Now I must develop a scavenger hunt.

While reading how to set up Scavenger Hunt sample guestions, I have decided to design scavenger hunt to do as a warm up exercise for my web quest like a introduction. Still working on the idea but basically I will ask studetns, who was the Internation Holstein show grand champion in 2001? I will then ask who was her sire and dam. I will continue by asking to describe or define what ceratin terms mean in a cow and bull pedigree. I like the idea of this especially if the students are new to cows or the internet. It shold make them feel more comfortable with the content and the technology. Does that make sense? I am gong to start looking for some resources now.

My blog will not publish what I am writing.

THis is what it is saying:
001 java.io.IOException: EOF while reading from control connection

While reading Taboo Topic No Longer I began to wonder if my webquest will fail the first time I go to use. I just hope all the time and effort I put into it will actully pay off. I will use this source to make sure I have covered all my bases. There is one quote about the amount of time a project takes and the success that is gained. Translation - the more time and effort you put inot the better it will be. I think I have the the infrastructure to support it but I am worried about my students learning the content and using higher level thinking.

I think that the communicating in real time using AIM and being able to talk to another person over a computer was one of the greatest things I have seen/heard. How do you incorpaorate it into a learning experieice? In WebCt I have set up chatrooms and discussion boards for my students to use but I guess I could use AIM. I was thinking of each section or group actually setting up a buddy list for this particular class. Then set up mandatory times everyone has to log on and particaipate in the discussion dealing with the weeks assignment. It would be like setting up meeting times for everyone to go over information but you don't have to physically be there.

I also think WebCt has chat rooms that are available for use. Whats the difference between chat rooms and IM?

I have been using my blog incorrectly and will now try to use it properly. Let me try to link to my website.

A quest on the web. A webquest. I have not heard of such a thing until this class. I have used the web when showing my students how to look up bull proofs at certain bull studs but the idea of creating a lesson plan integrating the web seems tricky to me. I would like to use this media into my curriculum and hook my students at the same time they are learning the content I would normally be standing up there just talking away. While reading about webquests and all that goes into to them I am starting to think that my final project will be tough. I like the idea of a cow web page but will they learn the content. I think it has to do with the recipe - how it is set up. There is not a lot, a few, on reading dairy pedicgrees on the internet or in books. I have some stuff but most of it is just from being around it and picking it up and asking questions.

Farmers have changed the way they farmed in the past twenty years but many instructors have not changed the way they have taught in the past twenty years. I do not want to be one of those teachers. I remember my first year teaching I had great ideas and ambitions but when push came to shove I did not have the time to implement all the ideas I wanted to do. Guess what? I fell right back into being teacher centered-lecture based-plug and chug instructing. I want to develop a good webquest to get my students involved in learning. There is only 68,000 dairy farmers in the US. Do I think that any of my students will actually go inot the dairy industry? NO, but they will be able to breakdown a pedigree if they do go into the industry. I only need that one little sliver of light to make it a worthwile lesson. I will probably learn more from them than they will from me. I can't wait.

The rubric used for evaluatin a webquest was a good idea as was all the examples. I just don't know how my webquest will fit in.

Loti doti I like to parti. What a neat concept, a questionnaire that can generate information about a teachers instructional practices (CIP), personal computer use (PCU) and level of technology implementation (LoTi). I have never heard of such a thing. As the class and the readings got into the actual meaning of the scores it seemed like the same process we use when we evaluate a cows body condition score except for a cow a score of one means she is skinny and a five means she is well over weight. You will receive three scores after filling out the questionnaire - a CIP, PCU, and LoTi score. I did not do too bad but can improve. Do all teachers have to take this test? Do college professors have to take this test? (I think it would open some instructors eyes)

For the CIP I recieved a score of 4. This is based on a scale of 0-7, most peopele usually fall between 2 and 5. This basically means that I lean toward learner-based curriculum design.

I recieved a 5 in the PCU category. Again, this is from 0-7 with the average being between three and six. A score of five means that I am kind of comfortable and proficient in using computers.

My LoTi score was in the fuzzy area of a 3, the ideal would be a 4b. Basically I have a teacher centered style to my classroom. I kind of knew this going into the test, but recognizing and admitting that you have a problem is the biggest step. One of the main reasons I am in this class is to try creat new learning strategies for my students. It will not be done overnight.

Alright now it is time to start thinking of my final project and making it more than a three. I hope...

practice 

The issue that I found very useful today was evaluating websites. I am having a tough time evaluating sites that I really do not have a background on. It is like it was done on purpose so I would feel like my students when they start to research a topic that they have little knowledge of. I am glad that I have the five "golden rules" used to evaluate web sites: Accuracy, authority, objectivity, currency, and coverage. This seems like a simple task with a black or white answer but I have found a lot of gray areas. I will working with a partner so hopefully two heads will be better than one.

I do feel this is a good topic for students to spend some time on. One of the major problems that people have is who to believe. What if you saw a milk jug touting that this is BST free milk, would you believe it? Think about it. BST is a natural hormone just high producing cows have more than low producers. So all milk has BST. How about a news program depicting UofD as having the best football team on the East Coast. UofD is not bad but what division are they in? What year or time of year was the program aired? This evaluation can teach students to become critical thinkers and researchers.

I am glad to be working on this exercise and have the many resources to help me evaluate web sites. I feel that the examples helped in some ways of making the picture a little more clearer. I am, however, starting to worry about the final assignment. I have to start to thinking about teaching content using this new technology. That is going to be tough for me. I am an old drill and grill style of teacher but that is why I am here - to make my instruction mor meaningful.

Anyone reading this can comment. I would like to add a picture in the section to right "about me", How do I do that. I would also like to edit the links on the right. Please help!!

I just wanted to add a picture to my blog.

After reading the information about safety on the web today I am less concerned about my children using the internet but still fearful. I was horrified when I read the statistics and crimes related to this ballooning technology called the internet, however, I was glad to see some things parents can do to place some structure or controll on the use of the internet. Having children is difficult enough and we all know how we felt about our parents at certain times but the world seemed a lot smaller back when we were younger. The internet has opened up the world for everyone to see - you are out there for everyone to see. I like the fact that the government is aware of safety issues brought about by the internet and are taking steps to set up laws to protect our children. I am also glad to see the private sector companies get involved and provide programs that can filter or censor material on websites. I am definetly going to arm my home computer to ensure my children are not exposed to harmful material before they actulaly need to see it.

I am aware of the censorship issues of some sites not being opened due to a few choice words or descriptions that may actually be beneficial for learning. I am also aware that the nightly news seems to show more violence and destruction than many websites. How to find a balance between what is too much and what is not enough? This is where I think we as parents can step in and start educating our children at a young age the pitfalls of the internet. As I get older I am getting more and more like my father, I also remember times when I swore I would not treat my kids like that. I am and I do. I am my father. Teach your children and teach them well and they will become good adults.

I am glad that I am taking this course to learn some of the issues and the slang that is used in this techno world. I just wish I had a Communciation for Dummies book to translate and access these wonderful tools with more confidence.

I have been thinking all night how to incorporate a blog into my freshman class. This class is usually around 100 students. It would be easy to tell them to do it but it will be a lot of work to keep up with or spot check 100 blogs for a whole semester. I will also need to develop a rubric for the assignment. This would be like a lab diary for students to use as a learning tool. I was also thinking of incorporating a wiki into the freshmen course. I don't know. I will see how it flows for this course. I will keep brainstorming and see what I can come up with. I am sure we will learn some tricks of the trade in class to make things easier.

There were three other articles, one dealing with Project based learning and two basically dealing with posting information on the web. I am not going to descuss the PBL article because I think everyone has a good idea on how this can enhance student learning if it is used properly. The one idea the really struck me was the idea of usijg the internet for evil. I was reading A Web Policy Primer and Posting Student Work on the Web when they discussed posting pictures of students on the web. I thought - what is wrong with that? Then I thought about the little girl that they found out in Idaho - I think that is the state. How could someone be so cruel!

I have always worried about the information on the internet being false. I do not want my students to find incorrect information. I now have to worry and make sure I am not doing anything to put my students in jeapardy. I am sure that is why they have Web Development Policies or "Code of the Web" to help ensure we are doing the right thing. This technology has a tendancy to move faster than the government can write laws. I do feel technology is a great tool teachers can use to teach the content it just takes some time and a review of the policies.

Chapters 16-20 in Internet Literacy were good starting points for basic design elements that a web page is composed of. I thought the idea of developing an online resume was a great way to incorporate the learning of content with the use of new technology. Most students will have to develop a resume so why n0t have it posted on the web for potential employeers to look at. The book uses netscape and front page as the main programs for developing web pages. I wonder shy DreamWeaver is not used as a demonstration model since it is "highly reccomended".

Most people are not aware off this but there are many web sites devoted specifically to cows. I had an idea while I was reading about resume development. I could have my students adopt a cow at the University farm and develop a web page about her. If you go to www.holsteincentral.com you can witness some of the farm pages with cow information. The students could learn the content that is presented for each cow or bull while trying to design this website. I think I might have to use this as a teaching tool. The only problem is that most instructors are of the traditional sage on the stage rather than the guide on the side. I heard that at a Problem Based Learning conference I attended a few weeks ago. I am also considering using blogs as a tool for my students but that is just in the thinking process since I really just learned about it today.

The Internet Literacy readings were a nice introduction into how the internet was invented. It brings back memories of the first time I figured out how to get on to the web and once I got on it took me forever to get off. Since I did not know what I was doing my first phone bill was outrageous. I signed up for a service that was a long distance call from my home. This was also when you paid for time by the hour. I really can't complian because after that I went out and bought some shares of AOL which helped put a down payment on the house we are currently living in. Just reading about the purpose of the internet and what it now has become is just mind blowing. There is information available for everything for anyone. Letters to freinds that use to take days and weeks can now be mailed in a matter of a second. That is just to cool. I have to run. Thanks