Concept Mapping provides a visual platform for the creator's thinking process, whether it be derived from another source/text, creative brainstorming, or elsewhere. Maps are used as an organizational tool, offering the viewer visual/spatial information, rather than auditory or text alone. For many learners (in the classroom, or in a boardroom, etc.), these maps present the "big picture" by illustrating sub-topics and information in one space. They may enhance presentations, assist the creator in developing outlines for presentations/papers, or serve as a way to organize thoughts during group discussions. Here, the concept map is used to present Dexter's eTIPS, summarizing the article's main points.
If I had access to a program such as Inspiration while in grade school or high school (and especially undergraduate school), I believe I would have enjoyed the outline process much more. I am a visual and kinesthetic learner, and the process of creating maps such as these is engaging, stimulating, and fosters better comprehension of the meaning behind the word grouping/phrases. I wish I could access this at work, offering it as a problem solving tool to my students!
RE: Teddy Bears Blogging
I am not surprised to learn about this teacher's experience with blogging for classroom based learning in a second grade class. Blogging is a cheap, secure way to provide a forum for discussion--or other materials, for students. I have experience using blogs for educational purposes (as mentioned in my Dexter response), and would love to find meaningful ways to use them again. Each time I used a blog for my classes, I have used wordpress.com.
As for blogging... well, I used to think it was interesting, until it became clear that everyone has a blog... it's just a bit overwhelming. Millions and millions of blog posts, and trying to read any is like speed-dating. Unfortunately, we have to exercise interest and motivation to participate in the process. Search, sort, and then read. Ugh, the reading. At first, it seems a worthy trade-off: your time for an interesting, imaginary friend of sorts. Then it becomes clear, that there is just a lot of stuff you are not interested in. But (as in dating) to get to the good stuff, you have to spend otherwise valuable time sorting through the over-saturated pool of blog-material.
I am bothered by the use of blogs as marketing tools--yuck, pituey! However, I enjoy the unwritten rule that there are no rules, and magically, I am writing a blog RIGHT NOW!!! And I am not overly concerned about anything, because in blog-land, we are not really ourselves, we are better than ourselves. We have an audience (we hope), and yet we are alone.
I have created blogs for my work (more than once), and I recently started a blog, something I promised myself I would do before returning to work after maternity leave. It's been about 3 months since I have posted anything, and to my dismay, I have had only one visitor. It turned out to be my husband. What are the odds??
Right now, I am feeling more curious than ever about using technology, and less inhibited by my fears of looking foolish--or breaking something. I am also newly curious, because where I was once judgmental about the overuse (so I thought/think) of technology, I now see it as opportunities for new freedoms. "Freedoms" might mean making life, or a task, easier, more accessible, more mobile, or "freedom" may mean expanding choices or opportunities for self-expression.
I am old enough to have once thought "I don't need to learn how to use a computer. I don't like the idea of it, and I will get along fine without it." (old-timey is cool!) But then college and employment began to prove otherwise. So, partially (or maybe mostly) out of stubbornness and ego (fear of looking clueless), I continued to resist the idea of technology, though in reality, it was slowly leeching into my life. And though I still don't understand the level of psychological, financial, and social sacrifice offered by so many in the modern world, I am finally truly interested in learning more about technology. Much of this new curiosity comes from the context of teaching, and looking for new ways to reach my students, and assist them in the process of becoming independent. Because I work with young adults, and also because I work with young adults on the autism spectrum, I am facing unique challenges: how to become relevant, how to motivate, how to connect, how to communicate, how to prepare...
Through these attempts, I have learned--and am comfortable with, but not as adept as I'd like to be--Power Point, Internet, blogs, Word, bubble maps, you tube, simple photographing, using a video recorder (old fashioned tapes), cartooning sites, and more. I feel that because I have simply figured these things out as I went along, for survival's sake, that I am missing out on a lot. I would love to learn about all the things I have never heard of, such as a "wiki." What is a "wiki?" I am extremely excited about this class, mostly for professional purposes, but for personal as well. I think I will feel comfortable admitting to what I don't know, and asking for assistance when I need it. (This is something that is much more difficult for me to do at work--I feel like an impostor.)
Dexter provides a good overview of the questions that instructors should ask when utilizing technology. That technology is new, should not be the reason to use it; rather the value that the technology can add to reaching the instructor's learning goals. I found the questions Dexter provides to be very useful, and I wish I had a more thorough and thoughtful approach to an attempt I made a couple of years ago to implement a "new technology" into my classroom.
In an effort to provide my students with a private, interactive "home base" for resources, information, and documents, I had them each set up a blog, where they used privacy settings so that no one could access their blog other than myself and other program staff. The idea was that once they graduated from their program, they could readily access much of the work we did over the semesters (personal organization is frequently a problem for my students, and tend to lose papers, etc.), as well as other resources to assist them in their on-going process of finding employment, etc. I also thought that by using a "blog," self-motivation would have increased. Unfortunately, the obstacles experienceed by my students using these blogs outweighed any potential added value. Additionally, I did not have the interest or support of other program staff that would have been necessary to keep the use of the blogs afloat and relevant. My eagerness to implement a new method in order to solve an ongoing issue for my students caused me to lose sight of the fact that ultimately, staff would not have time to track another organizational system outside of the current (and more critical) one in place. This experience serves as an illustration of how reflection and consideration of Dexter's eTIPS may be of value in my future attempts to use technology in the educative experience.
This is my first blog post. I am so excited about this class!
Concept Mapping provides a visual platform for the creator's thinking process, whether it be derived from another source/text, creative brainstorming, or elsewhere. Maps are used as an organizational tool, offering the viewer visual/spatial information, rather than auditory or text alone. For many learners (in the classroom, or in a boardroom, etc.), these maps present the "big picture" by illustrating sub-topics and information in one space. They may enhance presentations, assist the creator in developing outlines for presentations/papers, or serve as a way to organize thoughts during group discussions. Here, the concept map is used to present Dexter's eTIPS, summarizing the article's main points. 
