Patrick+DePippo+Final+Portfolio

__**Learning Goal I**__

//Find more ways in which we, as a class, build knowledge together instead of building knowledge individually and learning more about digital and online tools that promote __#|collaboration__. //

Throughout this semester, I have used many new digital resources to help build and construct knowledge as a group rather than individuals. Although my first piece of evidence cannot be linked to a __#|physical__ record, participants in the Google Hangout can vouch how we as a group of individuals challenged one another to think more critically about what makes a digital native and whether or not they exist. Using Google's group __#|video conferencing__ tool, I learned about new ways to connect and construct knowledge with individuals from short distances all the way to people in different time zones! This experience has led me to consider using Google Hangouts in my future classrooms to connect and converse with other classrooms across the country and throughout the world.

Another piece of evidence of how I learn to collaboratively learned to build information through the blog posts, where we debated again about about how the evolution of the web has changed how it used, who uses it, and for what purpose. This blog post, a tool I had never used before, was a way to keep a running discussion that lasted for days, rather than minutes or hours, and promoted a constant flow of ideas. Again, such a tool allowed our class as a group to create knowledge together using our own thoughts.





A final piece of evidence is the group discussions our [|Google Group] held when talking about each other's idea shares. Here, we discussed how these different online tools could be used by teachers and __#|students__ alike, often mentioning how these tools could be used for collaborative learning opportunities (see Popplet and Prezi discussions).

Grade: A

__** Learning Goal II **__

//Become more knowledgeable about ways to build student motivation and the digital tools that best support and help them develop educational autonomy. //

I believe that I fulfilled this goal because I focused on finding digital tools that would help __#|students__ become more autonomous learners while also finding tools that would be fun and engaging, thereby building student motivation. A large piece of evidence to support my achievement of the latter half of this goal would be my personal project as I learned about Prezi and how its unique, nonlinear format allows users to organize information in a way that appeals to them, described in the classroom __#|application__ section of my analysis of Prezi:



Another piece of evidence is my final Prezi that I created: an interactive timeline of the history of the rock group, Led Zeppelin. This Prezi was by far my best of the three Prezis I created this semester because it was about a topic I was passionate about and wanted to learn more. I realized that if __#|students__ liked what they were doing and learning about, they will be more willing to __#|work__ harder on it without being pushed or prodded to do so (as noted in my personal project journal).

[|Led Zeppelin Timeline Prezi]

"Working on a topic that I really loved made me want to do better on this prezi than all the others and therefore, I felt compelled to learn new things to make it the best of all my prezis." -Excerpt from my personal project journal, Entry IV



Another digital tool I believe that will help promote student autonomy and build student motivation is Glogster, which I used for my copyright clarity assignment. Glogster allows __#|students__ to put out their message in a fun, creative way that will convince them that learning can be fun. Glogster also allows for students to advertise their message any way they want, how they want it, and how they are going to get it across. Bottom line is that more creative control will result in more motivation.

[|Glogster Poster]

A final piece of evidence that I sought out tools that would increase student motivation was my idea share of ToonDoo, the online comic-strip creator. With so many students into graphic novels these days, learning how to use Toon Doo seems like a natural way to integrate their interests with learning standards like retelling the main ideas of a story, citing specific examples from the text to support your ideas (in the form of dialogue or specific props). Many of my classmates commenting how they said their students would love something like this not only because they get to work with making their own graphic novels, but also because they get to use the computer. Again, finding ways to weave students' interests into classroom assignments and projects will help boost student motivation to complete them.

[|ToonDoo Idea Share]

Grade: A-


 * Learning Goal III**

//Become an expert in the variety of digital tools and know how these tools work and what are their individual capabilities, limitations, and impediments. //

This entire semester has been about learning how to use a variety of digital tools and knowing their pros and cons. My personal project has been all about learning how to become an expert at using Prezi. From my [|first Prezi] to my [|latest one], there is a vast difference in what I have learned to do with this unique presentation tool. I now have yet another option when it comes to presenting information instead of defaulting back to traditional presentation software. I also have analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of Prezi and other presentation software in my personal project journal and comparison papers which will help me determine which presentation software is most appropriate for different tasks.



Another tool I consider to be growing in my expertise would be wikis, which is evident in my personal wiki page. I had never used a wiki page before this course and could not even create a link to my personal wiki page, let alone make and maintain one. However, as the semester continued, I learned how to post images, create hyperlinks, and upload files. Although it may seem small and simple to some, I believe that I am a much better wiki creator than I was six weeks ago and will continue to learn how to improve my wiki making skills.

My contribution to my group's expert page has helped me become an expert in multimedia publishing with an emphasis on podcasting and screencasting. A large part of creating the expert page was learning how these technologies worked and then finding ways to explain it to my peers. Having done a majority of the legwork in creating my group's expert page, I had to learn how podcasts and screencasts were made, what they could and could not do, and what uses did they serve. As such, I have made several screencasts throughout this semester, from my idea share to a component of my personal project, and while I have not had to make a podcast yet, I now know that I have the tools and the know-how to create one for my students.

Grade: A

__**Learning Goal IV**__

//Learn “digital manners” to help students know what is appropriate and inappropriate in terms of what they produce and create on websites. //

I believe that I have partially met this goal based on two pieces of evidence. The first piece of evidence is my [|Glogster] poster about copyright law and what you can and cannot do with copyrighted materials. The Digital Age has made it increasingly easier for anyone with an Internet connection to plagiarize and steal other people's work. My Glogster poster illustrates what I learned about the permissible use and the illegal use of copyrighted material from Hobbs' __Copyright Clarity__ book. My new knowledge about copyright and fair use will allow me to pass on and clarify this information to students who often do not know what is and is not considered to be plagiarism or violating copyright law.

The second piece of evidence is from a few article article I read (which I found while trying to fulfill Learning Goal V) about digital manners and how to appropriately use social media websites. The first article I read was by Ribble, Bailey and Ross about how too many students are using the internet for illegal or inappropriate activities such as pirating music, sending threats to others students, and communicating with strangers online. Ribble talks about using the NETS Goals we are using to establish own learning goals as a good starting point for students to learn how to safely use technology and how to become more responsible digital citizens. The second article I read was by Winn. In his article, Winn stresses the importance of having students realize that the same rules that apply to how they behave and interact with one another in the real world should also be used as the basis for how they behave and treat those in digitized worlds. Winn's practical approach of reinforcing the idea of using common courtesies, not giving out personal information to people you don't know, not committing acts you know are against the law, and other real-world applications gave me greater insight of how to reinforce digital citizenship in my students.

[|Text Unto Others As You Would Have Them Text Unto You]

I believe I only partially met this goal because while I did go out find my own sources of information, I should have considered revising this goal to make it more applicable to the modules we were doing for assignments.

Grade: B+


 * __Learning Goal V__**

//Read at least two articles about emerging technology uses in the classroom per week. //

Out of all the goals I have set for myself, I would this one to be the most rewarding because it helped expose me to the many uses of new technology that are being used in the classroom all across the world. From using podcasts to help students learn in and practice in music class, to using iPads to help struggling learners read, to having first graders use iPod touch apps to help improve their math skills and using Moodle in the classroom, I learned about how technology is working its way into our education system and the way in which we teach our children.

The only real source of evidence I can provide for this are the articles themselves. Out of all of them, I found the White article on Moodle and the Sheppard article on comapring reading on the iPad greatly differs from reading print material the most fascinating.





Grade: A


 * Reflection on Essential Course Questions**

Who am I as a technology user?

I believe that I was more of a consumer of technology rather than a producer or contributor to it before this course. Having participated and learn how to use a variety of digital tools and new technologies, I am beginning to see that a technology user isn't just a person who uses pieces of technology for personal needs alone, but also is a person who uses technology to help others understand and accomplish their goals. As a technology user, I have become more aware that these digital tools can only be used to their full potential when I see myself as a developer, a collaborator, and as a person who can put it as much as I take out of their use.

How can technology improve teaching and learning?

As I have learned throughout this semester, technology has the potential to help teachers and students alike reach those of different learning styles. Digital tools give us the power to individualize and personalize our own learning at a greater rate because the tool can be manipulated to meet our specific learning needs. Technology can also improve the way we communicate with one another by giving us the ability to bring even more voices to the table, and with those voices come fresh ideas.

What digital skills must students develop to succeed in school and beyond?

Technology is becoming a more integral part of our society each and every day. As such, students must learn how to adapt to these new digital tools and be prepared to learn the latest version of a gadget or piece of technology. However, I believe students must learn the same skills they learned before the piece of technology came about--how to read, how to decode, how to analysis and synthesis, how to critically examine and compute--before moving on to learning how to use the piece of technology to achieve goals and solve problems. While technology may continue to change how we learn, it will not change what is needed to learn: reading, writing, thinking, and interpreting.


 * Future Goals**

Learning how to write grants for technology and digital tools for low-budget schools.

Begin reading more online articles and e-books to read the same way that more tech-savvy people do and notice the differences.

Start a LinkedIn account to network with other educational professionals and literacy specialists.