Friday, February 27, 2009

Surveyin' Survey Monkey

We were charged with creating a precourse survey that would gear towards a potential or existing online course. I will be piloting a course in resume writing/cover letters/ePortfolios for Cooperative Education at the College of Lake County. I have geared my precourse survey to this online offering for fall 2009.

Survey Monkey Link

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Bloom's Taxonomy (?)

I'm not 100% sure why, but this Casey case study and Bloom's taxonomy is eluding me. The case study felt like organized chaos. Was that the intention and then we developed a plan using the taxonomy or is there just too much going on around me at the moment that I was just plain having hard time concentrating?

Here is my taxonomy as it relates to the Christine Casey case study on journalistic ethics, etc.

Assessment taxonomy table template

Review the course objectives and activities from the Casey course. Then decide which objectives and activities belong in which ‘Bloom’ category. This type of analysis will help you, not only develop your course assessment plans, but will also help you decide which assessment activities are most valuable.

This website provides a simple explanation of Bloom’s categories:

http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html


Bloom categories


Learning objective verbs

Activity

Knowledge

(recall, list, define, identify, collect, label)


Identify,Collect

Students will do research to explore how the standards of taste have changed with time.

This can be accomplished easily in both face to face and online classroom situations.

Comprehension

(summarize, describe interpret, predict, discuss)


Summarize, Interpret

Students will share their ideas about what is tasteful and what is not with the class.

In a face to face classroom, students can verbally share in an informal setting or in a stand-up forum at the front of the classroom. In an online classroom scenario, the students can share in reflective journaling and/or in an online discussion forum.

Application

(apply, demonstrate, illustrate, classify, experiment, discover)


Demonstrate

Students demonstrate new knowledge by creating individual guidelines for questionable language, subject matter and photographs.

Student displays can be created for face to face classrooms in addition to the student presenting facts or a situation statement in front of fellow face to face classroom students.

In an online classroom, students could explore the use of video diaries, wiki collaboration and/or uploading developed documents to demonstrate new knowledge of standards of taste.

Analysis

(analyze, classify, connect, explain, infer)


Classify

Students will analyze and classify a 6-point code of ethics for journalists.

An excellent team project in both a face to face and an online environment.

Synthesis

(combine, integrate, plan, create, design, formulate)


Design

Instructor works with students to design a class discussion where they share and analyze their findings.

In a face to face classroom situation, I foresee the opportunity for these students to take their knowledge “on the road” (a.k.a…to another classroom). I see the students targeting a classroom in a lower grade and instructing using a mixture of presentation tools (lecture, discussion, audio/visual) to develop new learning in these younger students.

In an online classroom, a class discussion can still be designed, but its intent would be more towards teacher fellow student in the course.

Evaluation

(assess, recommend, convince, compare, conclude, summarize)


Assessment/Conclusion

My view:

Students show evidence of being well versed in the issues of standards of taste by successfully lecturing about and discussing pros and cons of these issues with target classroom students.

Applicable in face to face classrooms and online. Supplemented by written evaluation and potentially further discussion.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Midterm final doc and more...

Providing a link to our midterm assessment wiki. My part included evaluating Zoho.com for peer to peer assessment.

Group projects can be so cumbersome, but this was awesome...working with Susan and Margaret.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Midterm follow up and Module 4

Well, I have submit my preliminary report for peer to peer assessment tools. I had selected Zoho and have reviewed a majority of its open source tools. I need to get back in there and further review the Presentation tool and look at what web conferencing (a paid tool) has to offer so I can add that to my portion of the report.

I think that my team members and I are working well together and that we will have a great project. I think that the hardest part is that the final piece is going to end up coming down at the wire. I'm hopeful we don't have to wait that long to pull it together (I have a full weekend this weekend), but if that is the way it has to be...that's the sacrifice that needs to be made.

I'm glad to have had a chance to get to know my team members a little better.

Our hearts go out to Phyllis and send thoughts and prayers her way for her and her family.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Zoho.com and the midterm

It looks like we might be trying to use Zoho.com for bringing together our midterm project. I'm hoping it doesn't end up being too cumbersome for the quick turnaround we need. That worrier part of me coming out for sure.

It is a cool tool...with all of its available programs. But when the heat is on, the learning curve of a new program always overshadows the potentials of something that new. Totally understandable..we've all been there.

Oh well, we will see how it goes. It's going to be a crazy week personally, professionally, and studently :) but we will muddle through and somehow come out sane. Question of the day: do only insane people say things like that?

Friday, February 6, 2009

Midterm project - in action

We have divvied up the project assessments and I will be doing the peer to peer assessment. I think I am going to evaluate the site Zoho as it has many capabilities for working in a peer to peer assessment situation.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Whatnot

I don't have any reflections about the class at the moment, but I was thinking about lefty Pres..

Left Handed Presidents...trendy

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Concept Mapping and more

I am looking forward to working with my group on the midterm project. I will be covering either peer to peer assessment or collaborative tools for assessment. Should be interesting.

The concept map was an interesting activity. I always enjoy new technologies...this was no exception. The trial of the Inspiration software was good. I laid out (below) a concept map for my upcoming Resume/Cover Letter/ePortfolio (Fall 2009) pilot workshop for Cooperative Education for the College of Lake County. Some more details need to be considered and added, but the basics are down and a good start.

I'm enjoying this course and look forward to more assessment options other than the traditional survey style assessment.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Module 3 Concept Mapping

My Concept Map. I know I have some gaps, but this is what I could think of for the moment. Will definitely build on the concept I have started.

Midterm group

Waiting to see what the status is of this midterm project. Seems like we are going to be assigned a group, but waiting to find out. This is a hard part for me...if I don't get the assignments done early in the week, not good for the schedule so this waiting is KILLING ME :)