"Losing Out on Lectures" Article

So, I updated the Current Events section of my blog to incorporate news with technology and pedagogy. One of the articles, "Losing out on Lecutres," found at: http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2009/02/26/22902/ discusses from the point of view of a Princeton freshman of not waking up for 9 a.m. lecture (to get up at lunchtime) and the hardships he has with finding adequate replacement for that missed lecture. He goes to the Blackboard from school, but does not suffice to find complete information. Even a classmate's notes were choppy. So, his stance is to have video recorded lectures available on the website, but does not state if this is to replace going to class or not (which some of the comments address), but that it would benefit when there are days that you simply miss class.
I agree with the video recorded lectures that it would be great to go back to the actual lecture and not simply rely on notes or even PowerPoint slides posted by professors. However, as I mentioned with podcasts, how is there going to be a way where this is fair for those students going to class? Is there a way to make those recordings secured, or locked, and only available to those students who attended class that day? Otherwise, there would be no students to lecture to at 8 or 9 a.m.
Many of the comments to this article are telling this student to grow up and deal with real life; however, there are a couple of students who really agree with this student's article. One comment in particular was of a medical student. This student is able to access video recorded surgeries that may last up to 8 hours.
So, all in all, video recorded lectures are a great addition to PowerPoint slides for students to take notes, but they must be handled and addressed in a professional manner. If the student does not attend that day, do they get that lecture video? If not that day, perhaps the next week make it available after quizzes have been completed? Or jus make them available one week before midterms or finals?

Technology in Tutorials

These past two weeks I have been using the computer to have studnets generate simple sentences with provided subjects, verbs, and adjectives. The second activity was putting nouns together with adjectives. The point to these exercises was to help with collocational knowledge that can help them in writing their papers for class. So, using the computer with Word to create sentences was not too difficult. In fact, correcting and inserting feedback is quite useful, and they don't have to carry another piece of paper, which they could eventually lose if they don't keep track of it. So, using computers for one-on-one purposes like this is very useful for both myself and my students.

Technology Downtime

As with Nancy and her Dell laptop, my laptop last week Friday also had some problems - I could not sign in on my laptop. I spent about one hour with the HP technician and hoped that the computer was still in warranty - I had a Compaq and he insisted that I needed to purchase an extended warranty for any further assistance. This time, I was still in warranty frame, but I was locked out - no password and no fingerprint scanner set up. So... I talked to him in the beginning that I knew about Restore Points, but only knew how to do it from the desktop, which, obviously, I couldn't get to. But there was a way to get there by pushing a Function button like you would be rebooting the entire system, but instead of rebooting, just choose restore. So, all in all, two hours and my computer was good again. But now I just want to back up my information and reboot it anyway.

Voice Recordings

Recording voice and putting on the Internet in a classroom setting may prove to be useful. For students, they can record their voice into PowerPoint slides, or Audacity, and post anywhere (blog, D2L, wiki page, etc.) for comments from peers or instructors.
For instructors, they can also record their voice into these programs for pronunciation comments or feedback without needing to be face to face in the office unless they had other questions. Not only this, but podcasting can prove useful if a student misses a lecture for a legitimate reason and you do not want to repeat everything you said, or perhaps miss an important point because you thought you said it already. So, podcasting can help teachers not only give students information for class, but ALSO for their own teaching reflections.
Reflections in teaching are a common occurrence in the College ESL program - observations by peers and director are common occurrances, and now we will be recording ourselves for review as part of our Practicum credit.

Fault of Relying on Technology

There is a fault with relying so heavily on technology, and I have found out a few times already. That is, if the technology you need does not work properly! Last semester, I arrived in my smart classroom on campus to find that nothing worked! The touch pad to say Start Up, the computer didn't work, even the phone didn't work! So, how was I supposed to call the Help Desk? Luckily, another ESL class was being held at the same time and I called the Help Desk from there. What happened? The main power cord from the entire unit came unplugged from the ground outlet. Hmm. So, easy fix, but I didn't know what had happened.
Also last semester, I planned on watching a video that required QuickTime software. The campus computers have QuickTime; however, it needed an update! As I tried to update the software, it told me if I don't have administrator access, I cannot install this program. So, two things come to mind in this situation: 1) If the software is already installed, why does it need administrator access to update what is already installed? and 2) To bring my laptop when I need something pertinent to classroom videos so I can hook up my laptop to the main unit and then show from there.
So, I have learned that technology is GREAT ... when it works properly! Therefore, in teaching classes, I must realize that sometimes there will be problems and learn to move on from it.

Issue of Privacy

In this technology-filled time, it is difficult to decipher what is private and what is personal. Therefore, many individuals must read the policy statements of certain websites like Facebook. I know, I know, people out there are groaning. I have been going back to the Facebook page to see their policy on defamation, among other issues. I know in night class we discussed this information already, but I really feel that this is important. I know when I was a child, I had an interaction online with a person in the south-central United States where I wanted to meet face to face. I never did, but the perosn I was chatting with, I felt they actually knew me, and knew what was important to me, more so than my parents at the time. So, as a young adult, I felt that this individual was a friend. In those days, it was just chat. That's it. But now, with Facebook, and MySpace, etc., there are photos and images, and photo galleries of individuals' lives!! Now, I don't want to talk to someone I don't know, nor would I add them as a friend if I don't know them. I prefer to know someone, or at least have some immediate friends in common before adding them as a friend to keep up with. So, all in all, I believe that education is power, and the more you know and can prepare for a new situation, or new Facebook-like site, the better!

Personality of Technological Communications

While I have been checking my email, D2L, and Blogspot, I find that I still get a feeling of who individuals are based on what they write on the computer. I know that face to face is the traditional way of communicating, and in the past it was necessary to travel by horse to get information from one person to another. In today's age, it is just not necessary. I like knowing that I can have a conversation with a friend across the globe simply via email connections. I would much rather travel there and converse with them, but since that option is not available, I am chained to the computer in order to keep up with happenings in their lives. There is no loss of communication by not seeing someone face to face. Although, the pragmatics of what is being said will need to be more explicit if a webcam is not used. So, I guess I still like technology, and I don't think that that will change anytime soon. I want to use it more, actually, and I just wanted to comment about how conversations via technology can still be intimate without face to face interactions.