Essential Skills - Communication and Critical Thinking

This week we are considering ways in which technology can be used to support learning in the areas of communication and critical thinking. And while I am still struggling a bit with the text - a situation I attribute to the fact that as a non-classroom teacher I have never developed a lesson plan or been called upon to apply the principles of teaching and learning standards to classroom activities - I am beginning to make some connections between the concepts we are studying and what goes on in the virtual school I am affiliated with. On the other hand, I am having no trouble applying what I have learned about the Internet, web searches and online word processing to what I do outside the classroom and in support of iQ Academy.

As I am writing this, I am staffing an information booth for iQ Academy at Discovery World Museum in Milwaukee, WI and it occurred to me that this is a perfect example of using technology to support education (in this case, educating parents about the virtues of virtual education). There is communication going on here in the form of a printed promotional booklet (created using word processing and desktop publishing applications), an Internet connected laptop to demonstrate how online courses work (check it out at www.iqacademywi.com), and good old fashioned conversation.

We are also engaging children (and some curious adults) in a puzzle cube activity that requires some critical thinking skills to solve.

Puzzle Cube in a jumbled state

Solved Puzzle Cube

In this activity, students are given a puzzle cube in a solved state and instructed to twist it up into a jumbled state. They then have to manipulate the individual cubes until the puzzle is returned to it's original configuration. I have observed student try to solve it without assistance, some ask clarifying questions or seek out additional information (critical thinking skills) that will help them accomplish the task. Some get frustrated easily and give up while others stick with it until they are successful. Very interesting observations!

Planning our participation in this event also incorporated technology supported communication in the form of emails, phone calls, faxes and a web conference. The key assessment metric would be, "Did our presence at this event increase public awareness of virtual school options in Wisconsin and more specifically, did it increase enrollment in iQ academy Wisconsin?" The first part is nearly impossible to measure, but by collecting the names of prospective students I spoke with today and comparing that to students who apply for open enrollment and actually enroll at iQ, I can see if my efforts today had any measurable impact. I can use that research to direct my decision making when it comes to scheduling recruitment activities next year.

Here comes a family that looks interested - gotta go!

Using Productivity Tools (More) Effectively

I will be the first to admit that although I use web-based productivity tools almost every day, I know that I do not take advantage of all the available features. For that reason alone, I am excited to start this 3rd class in the MEIT program - Using Productivity Tools Effectively.  I am interested in learning about anything that will help me communicate more clearly, accomplish tasks more efficiently and expand my information technology knowledge base.

Week one has been a mixed bag in terms of my expectations. I enjoyed the graphics program assignment - particularly the FACEinHOLE program. Who says homework can't also be fun. I actually created several graphics before settling on one to submit for the assignment. Here one that didn't make the cut (one look and you will know why):
http://www.faceinhole.com/show.asp?id=ea67c7dacd1614163ac
I can envision a really fun engagement/community building activity for my virtual school students utilizing this program. We also had to create a presentation using a program other that PowerPoint. It was interesting to explore some of the other options out there, but frankly, I didn't see anything that can match PowerPoint's feature rich environment. I use presentations frequently for open enrollment events, student/parent orientation sessions, student engagement activities and staff development meetings The alternative presentation programs I looked at may be good options for people who don't have access to PowerPoint, but I think I will stick with what I know.

The thing I have struggled with most is the text book: "Supporting Learning With Technology" by Egbert. As one of the few non-teachers in the cohort, I am really swimming in uncharted waters here. A lot of the focus is on teaching standards, lesson plans and classroom applications with which I have no experience. It has taken me a considerable amount of time to digest this information. The instructor estimated a little more than 5 hours of study time for this week and I have already put in more than 14 hours! I may have to rely on my study team and/or consult with some of the teachers I work with to help me bridge the knowledge/experience gap.