For this blog entry, I
will focus on technology that can be used outside the classroom at my
institution. Frankly, any technology that can be accessed by the internet is available
to my students and me. Also available to us through the institution are the
learning management system Desire 2 Learn (D2L); Microsoft 365, a suite of
productivity software; and One Drive, a file hosting service in the cloud
(formerly known as Microsoft Office Live; Denton, 2012). In addition, students
and I have available our personal mobile hardware -- smartphones, tablets,
laptops.—all of which I encourage students to use. According to a simple classroom
poll, all of my students have at least a portable computer or smartphone.
Some of the
applications and software I currently use are Microsoft Office Word and Outlook
email, parts of D2L, Wikipedia, wikis, and YouTube. I would like to learn other
applications in Microsoft such as Access and Excel. I would also like to learn
how to use OneDrive. Since the university’s IT department does not offer
workshops, the professional development opportunities available to me are
two-fold. First, I can ask the administrative office technology instructor for
help; second, I can watch Microsoft Office tutorials. Even though those
tutorials have been around for some time, I have not used them; however, taking
Walden’s “Effective College Teaching: Using Technology to Support Learning”
course has spurred my interest in drawing upon that training. Regardless, I
would like to see the university provide regular training on Microsoft products.
I believe that expanding
my range of computer skills will add to the effectiveness and efficiency of my
classroom life.
References
Denton, D. (2012). Enhancing
instruction through constructivism, cooperative learning, and cloud computing. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice to
Improve Learning, 56(4), 34-41. doi:10.1007/s11528-012-0585-1
Educause. (2011). 7 things you should
know about organizing files in the cloud. http://www.educause.edu/library/resources/7-things-you-should-know-about-organizing-files-cloud
Hi Susan
ReplyDeleteYou propose and interesting idea, Walden providing regular training on more Microsoft products. A few years ago, I took a class in learning how to use Microsoft Office Suits, which included Access and Excell. More students would benefit from increased understand of how the database structure used in Microsoft Access, could help with using Blackboard, Angel and other learning management systems used to manage course content. Improving skills could help mitigate faculty concerns when faced with changing or learning new technology. Ryan, Toye, Charron, and Park (2012) discussed IT changes that are made on a regular basis, and how the change process can be very disruptive if there is no change management process in place.
Nice work on discussing ICT used inside and outside the classroom environment.
Reference
Ryan, T. G., Toye, M., Charron, K., & Park, G. (2012). Learning management system migration: An analysis of stakeholder perspectives. International Review of Research In Open & Distance Learning,13(1), 220-237. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/
Hi Susan-
ReplyDeleteI'm curious as to how you might use Excel and Access in the classroom, as I understand you teach reading and writing. I teach history, so the focus is on developing reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Word and PowerPoint are widely used by students in their research assignments, but I have not even considered using Excel or Access. Digital Literacy is a focus area with my college's General Education Requirements (Arizona Western College, 2016), and I am always looking for ways to incorporate different technologies into my courses. I use Excel personally and many moons ago I used Access for my business, but I'm at a loss as to how these might be integrated into teaching lower-division courses that aren't math- or business-focused. Incidentally, I did find a straightforward WikiHow (2016) tutorial for Access and I must say it is much more user friendly than it was in the early 2000s! ~Monica
Arizona Western College (2016). General education courses & focus areas. http://www.azwestern.edu/learning_services/instruction/assessment/general_education/ge_curriculum_mapping.html
WikiHow. (2016). How to use Microsoft Access. http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Microsoft-Access
Thanks for responding, Monica and Ritchie. I just realized that I didn't have the settings right to notify me when someone posts to my blog!
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