Research Overview

Happy Sunday everyone!

It appears that the second half of the semester we will be working on a action research project! Dr. Pierce says that as a teacher you need to be doing action research and empirically investigating your performance and that of your students to 1) stay focused 2) use data to improve performance, and 3) raise the standard of professional practice in your setting. He is seeking to disrupt the norms of public education in WV by lighting an intellectual fire in us and assisting our intellectual ability to do some data analysis in our fields.

In order to develop our hypothesis and do our testing we will need access to Microsoft excel. Thus brings us to our assignment install Microsoft Excel data analysis tool pack apparently we will also need this excel "add-in". If you have Excel 2007 edition click on the prior link and you will be directed to directions on how to install it into your excel. If you have Excel 2003 you need to click here for directions.

I would have never figured out how to install the tool pack had it not been for a class mate of mine because the link provided to us from Dr. Pierce was for 2003 and I searched for about an hour on how to "add in" the pack. After looking at our message board I realized that this particular classmate had the same problem as me and provided the current directions for excel 2007. So beware of the difference between the two versions and choose accordingly which set of directions works for your version of excel.

This is what your direction for installment should look like if you are using Excel 2007.















This assignment although not difficult was time consuming because I couldn't figure out how to install on version 2007. Had the directions been more clear and a link provided for both versions this would have been a lot easier.

The standard that this assignment follows is:

I hope that anyone else that may have had difficulty with this assignment found this blog to be helpful and if you are just reading hope you found it to be educational. 

Andria

Self Asessment at Midterm

Wow! Can you believe we have reached the halfway point in this semester! It's crazy to look back on all my previous blog posts and see how far I've come since this class has started my knowledge has grown leaps and bounds! I also feel so much more comfortable using the different tools like jing, snipping, and bender converter. I am confident in my abilities to create podcast and even blogging (something I had never done before this class) and for that I am grateful and excited to see what I learn in the second half of this course.

For this assessment I was required to fill out a survey made my Dr. Pierce that required me to reflect on my previous work of the semester. During this reflection I learned that I have 15 blog posts, 7 discussion postings on black board, my recent PEW score of 93, and my MBTI code.  We also had to define TPACK in our own words and as if we were an interview with Dr. Pierce this was my definition:

" TPACK is a theoretical framework for understanding teacher knowledge required for effective technology integration. The TPACK framework was proposed in order to emphasize the need to situate technology knowledge within content and pedagogical knowledge. TPACK considers teachers’ knowledge as complex and multifaceted, approaches that focus on the attainment of

technology skills separate from pedagogy and content. TPACK acts as a useful framework for thinking about what knowledge teachers must have to integrate technology into teaching and how they might develop this knowledge. At the heart of the TPACK framework, is the interplay of three primary forms of knowledge: Content (CK), Pedagogy (PK), and Technology (TK). The TPACK framework builds on Shulman’s idea of Pedagogical Content Knowledge. Teachers who have TPACK act with an intuitive understanding of the interplay between the three basic components of knowledge. "

I think that having us reflect our work at midterm in a survey like this refreshes our head of how far we've come and what all we have learned. Something like this would be very useful in a classroom because the student can provide me with their personal reflection of their progress in the classroom. I could also see where they stand in achieving the learning outcomes for the course. I could use the collective results of this survey to see if I needed to go back and re-educate the students on a particular unit. For example, if the majority of students could not define TPACK, as stated in the learning objectives, then that is something I should reflect on re-evaluate my teaching methods and teach my students again. It's a good progress report for both the teacher and the student.

The standards that this type of survey would follow would be:

NETS-T Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments particularly provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

So that's a wrap the half way point has been reached! Stay posted the second half is on its way!

Andria

Pew Millineal Test

Today Dr. Pierce wanted us to take the Pew Millennial Test/Survey. This survey consisted of fourteen questions that related to modern technology and times. For example, it asked if in your household you have a land line only, a cell phone only, or a land line and cell phone. Another questions asked in the past 24 hours how many text messages did you receive, and if in the past 24 hours if you watched more than an hour of television, played video games, or read a newspaper. So now that you get the gist of what the survey consisted of here are my results:

93% Millennial! The higher you score, the more you have in common with members of the millennial generation. According to the timeline provided the millennial generation seems to be those born circa 1981-present. I was born in 1982 so that makes me fall into this category. I completely agree with this result I am very into technology staying up to date with what the latest and greatest gadgets are and keeping my current gadgets up-to-date on software and what not. I admit that I communicate more through e-mail and text messages and I don't have a subscription to a newspaper instead I rely on the Internet to provide me with local, and national news.

If you want to see where you stand within the millennial generation click here!

This survey was fun to take and delivered results that I already knew but still good to have confirmation of. See ya all next time!

Andria

Personality Blog 2

The second part of the personality assignment was to take the Jung Typology Test. After completing the questionnaire you will obtain:
1)Your type formula according to Carl Jung and Isabel Briggs Myers typology along with the strengths of the preferences
2)The description of your personality type
3)The list of occupations and educational institutions where you can get relevant degree or training, most suitable for your personality type - Jung Career Indicator

After completing the 72 yes/no questionnaire my personality type according to the Jung Typology Test is ENFJ: Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging with high percentages in each category. You can see this below.

According to Keirsey the results of this personality test would categorize me as a Idealist: A portrait of a teacher. Click here to read more about this temperament. Keirsey says that even more than the other Idealists,Teachers have a natural talent for leading students or trainees toward learning, or as Idealists like to think of it, they are capable of calling forth each learner's potentials. Teachers (around two percent of the population) are able - effortlessly, it seems, and almost endlessly-to dream up fascinating learning activities for their students to engage in. In some Teachers, this ability to fire the imagination can amount to a kind of genius which other types find hard to emulate. But perhaps their greatest strength lies in their belief in their students. Teachers look for the best in their students, and communicate clearly that each one has untold potential, and this confidence can inspire their students to grow and develop more than they ever thought possible. Teachers like things settled and organized, and will schedule their work hours and social engagements well ahead of time -- and they are absolutely trustworthy in honoring these commitments. Valuing as they do interpersonal cooperation and harmonious relations, Teachers are extraordinarily tolerant of others, are easy to get along with, and are usually popular wherever they are.Teachers are highly sensitive to others, which is to say their intuition tends to be well developed. Certainly their insight into themselves and others is unparalleled. Without a doubt, they know what is going on inside themselves, and they can read other people with uncanny accuracy. Teachers also identify with others quite easily, and will actually find themselves picking up the characteristics, emotions, and beliefs of those around them. Because they slip almost unconsciously into other people's skin in this way, Teachers feel closely connected with those around them, and thus show a sincere interest in the joys and problems of their employees, colleagues, students, clients, and loved ones.


Although not exactly the same the results of the JUNG and MBTI both placed me into the Idealist temperament category. I think that the previous result more shows my personal life and that this result shows more of my career personality. I believe that a person can have those two distinct personalities. 


Because of this personality type I can effectively lead a group of people because of my verbal abilities. As a ENFJ personality as a teacher I would consider people the highest of priorities and communicate personal opinion and willingness to become involved. I can also communicate in speech, particularly face-to face and publicly charismatic. Thus making a a good group leader because of all these positive influences.


I encourage everyone to take both these personality tests and see where you fall it will help you both personally and professionally.


Catch everyone next time!!
Andria

Personality Blog 1

This is a cool assignment to learn more about our personalities. I love any sort of personality test that interprets who I am as an individual and majority of the time those tests are spot on which amazes me! We were required to take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality inventory. There were four categories: Favorite World, Information, Decisions, and Structure under each category two preferences were listed after you selected you preference in each category you have your own personality type which can be expressed as a code with four letters. You can see this below:

My 4 letter code was INFP which indicates that I am "Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened." Which I completely agree with!

Then you can take your four letter code and go to Keirsey Temperament Website and find your temperament personality. Again my four letter code was INFP according to Keirsey I fall into the healer temperament. Keirsey describes the healer as having a profound sense of idealism that comes from a strong personal sense of right and wrong. Healers live a fantasy -filled childhood- they are the prince or princess of fairy-tales-an attitude which, sadly, is frowned up, or even punished by parents. With parents who want them to get their heads out of the clouds, Healers begin to believe they are bad to be so fanciful, so dreamy, and can come to see themselves as ugly ducklings. If you want to read more about healers click here. 


I definitely agree that I do fall into the healer temperament. Most people say and I agree that I never seem to lose my sense of wonder. A lot of people might say that I see life through rose-colored glasses and to me that is ok. I also agree with this because I am highly intuitive about people. I rely heavily on my intuitions to guide me and use my discoveries to search for value in life. I am always on a continuous mission to find the truth and meaning underlying things. I take everything that I learn and sift it through my value system to see if it can better or alter my path in life. So I think that the MBTI is spot on with me and it describes my personality to a tee. 


The MBTI framework can improve performance in a learning environment by providing insight into a child's learning style which can then help the student, the student's parents, and the teacher increase self-awareness and general awareness to the students strengths and weaknesses as learners.

If you have the time take the MBTI inventory and compare yourself you might just be surprised to how accurate it really is. By performing a MBTI on students a teacher would be satisfying NETS-T standard 1 facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity.

The NETS-T standard this would follow would be:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:

c.

promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning,and creative processes

 
See ya next time!!
Andria

Audacity Project 2

So the follow up to the previous blog:

After the editing of the project was completed the project needed to be saved. (I highly recommend saving the project throughout the entire process so you do not lose a single edit). The method of saving the project is to save it to a MP3 sound file. This requires downloading the Audacity Lame encoder. The lame encoder is another free download and it is necessary to download if you want those MP3 files.

PODBEAN:

The next part of the assignment was to create an account with podbean. The free account is all that was needed to after I registered for my account the next mission was to upload my audacity project into a podcast. 

So before you listen to my podcast here is what my "story" is about: motivational swimming music. I was a competitive swimmer for many years and what got me to reach higher mental levels and better swimming results was my music. So the podcast you are about to listen to is highlights of my favorite motivational music I listened to throughout my swimming career. I hope everyone enjoys.

Andria Snell PODCAST

It should bring you to a screen that looks like this:

I enjoyed this task because it was very challenging both mentally and creatively. I know for sure that I will use this knowledge in my future career as a teacher and as a individual. Before this assignment I had no idea how to organize yet publish a podcast now I feel like I'm experienced enough to regularly publish podcasts for whatever situation my call for one. I do think teaching this to students would be a bit difficult especially for little ones but I can see it being a great tool to help creatively deliver lesson plans and reinforce learning. It's also a great tool to reach out to parents so that at home they could listen to what is going on the their child's education. You can also use this to communicate with other peers and gather ideas from other people. Again I see audacity and podbean becoming very useful tools in my career. 

The NETS-T that this assignment fulfilled are:

particularly by using audacity and podbean teachers are able to demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. Also teachers communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.

I hope that everyone enjoyed my podcast I hope that I completed the assignment they it was meant to be completed and I'll catch everyone in the next blog. 

Audacity Project

The project that we were given this week is a project based on using Audacity software. Audacity is a free open source software for recording and editing sound. The task was to create a podcast that is a narrative about something. I was allowed to pick the topic but the podcast had to be a mix of my voice and a minimum of 8 songs, sounds, linked together on a common element or combined to enhance the theme. Excerpts from the songs had to last 5-20 seconds with minor exceptions when necessary.

Taken this is all in was a tad bit overwhelming and to tell the truth this was the most time consuming and difficult project I have had to date in this particular class. Not to say that the challenge wasn't fun because in a way it was. It was quite the feeling after accomplishing this because by reading the directions I was about as lost as a deer in headlights. Good thing that Dr. Pierce is wickedly awesome because, as always, he provided great examples to listen too. Now if you listened to his example you were probably even more intimidated by this assignment. I listened to it and thought to myself, "oh yeah right I have to create that"?!? But alas with some Audacity tutorial help the project started to become a reality.

The content of this project came mostly from us speaking. We had to use a microphone either built into the computer or an external microphone. Then we had to pull media content, (songs, or sounds), from whatever site we chose. I gathered all my song content from either what was already on my computer through my media player or youtube. By using youtube I still had to get that particular video clip downloaded into MP3 form that's where our past assignment, bender converter, came into play. By using bender converted I was able to download those clips from youtube into mp3 titles and then I was able to import those files into my audacity project.

Once I watched all the tutorials on how to navigate and use the audacity program I then began to make my project come to life. With the aid of editing tools I was able to edit  my "audio tracks" by time sequence, delete unwanted parts of media, and then add special effects such as fade in and out to imported media clips. Once I got into the flow of how Audacity works the task became more and more simple you just had to establish a rhythm and keep going for it. One thing I did notice that probably made the project the most time consuming is the need to go back and listen to your project after each addition of a new audio track. If I wanted my project to flow it took precise timing and a lot of editing to make sure the fluidity was there. I also had to go back and do volume control so that music wasn't overpowering my voice. It was these little things that made the task very time consuming. Below you are going to view my audacity project.

I am going to publish a second blog to show you the completion of this project.