Web 2.0 Educator

Kelly Walsh is the Chief Information Officer at The College of Westchester in White Plains, NY. He has created a blog entitled EmergingEdTech: engaging students and enhancing learning outcomes with Internet and Instructional Technologies http://www.emergingedtech.com
This is a rich resource of information about Internet and technological tools that can be used in the classroom in various facets. Kelly blogs weekly on a particular topic and explains its uses for education. He provides many resources on innovative ways to use technology in the classroom. He also connects this information to its different uses for the needs of various students. He has a passion for emerging technology and the possible uses in education. This blog is an abundant resource for teachers who desire new and innovative ways to bring concepts into the classroom.

Type I and Type II Technology

Type I applications of technology in the classroom are those uses where students are being taught in a traditional way through the use of multimedia equipment. An example of this may be the use of an electronic textbook. I have had the opportunity to access textbooks through internet sources in some of the classes I have taken, however I have found them not to be much more helpful than a normal textbook. Another example of type I applications of technology are online flashcards. These allow a student to go through important vocabulary and regularly memorize their definitions. I have also had some experience with online quizzes and tests, which may have some added features like useful diagrams, but overall they are the same as tests and quizzes that a student might take in class. These tools are helpful if used correctly, but they do not allow for innovative approaches to learning. Type II applications of technology in the classroom are those uses where students are being taught in a nontraditional way through innovative approaches and hands on interactive uses of multimedia equipment. An example of this might be simulation software. In a chemistry class I took, I was able to use simulation software that illustrated how molecules might form when we performed our chemical reactions. This allowed me to understand what was going on and the possible reactions that might occur if the experiment was run wrong. Another example of type II applications of technology would be the use of such programs as PowerPoint presentations, which allow students to set up their own presentations and decide what things they want to include etc. Also, programs in which students develop their own creations, like art software, are useful for instruction.

My MEL Experiences

• Student/Teacher Relationship- One of the most open teachers I ever had was my high school chemistry teacher, Mrs. Cote. She was always willing to help me with anything I was dealing with. I didn’t just talk to her about Chemistry, but she took the time to help me with anything I might be struggling with. Having a teacher that you know really cares is really important. She was also able to laugh at herself, which helps the students to feel more comfortable. Knowing that she cared about my schooling as well as me as a person had a great impact on me.
• Interest- I have never been very interested in history, but one of my teachers allowed us to read a book on anything that went along with history from the time period we were studying. The book I read was Flags of our Fathers and I had read a book by the same author earlier, so I figured I would like this book. I was not disappointed, and I gained the most from reading about what was going on during the time period. Allowing me to read something that interested me instead of assigning a particular book made my learning experience that much more rewarding.
• Autonomy- For a class I took in aquaculture, I got to design and follow through with an experiment for the entire semester. I chose to create an apparatus that increased the density of algae, which could in turn be used to extract hydrocarbons for fuel. It was one of the most exciting and interesting projects I ever got to do. The teacher was there for support and help when I got stuck on various aspects of the set up and evaluation of the experiment, but overall I was able to do it myself. Being responsible for something that had meaning, and that I got to create was very rewarding.
• Connections- In a finance class I took, we were able to look up information on buying a home. This project was useful, because I hope that someday I will be buying a home and now I know what to expect. Being able to do the research on my own and seeing how all the critical pieces fit together helped me to see its relationship to my own life in the future. If the teacher had just told us about buying homes and not allowed us to research it on our own in a way that was relevant to us than we may not have learned as much.
• Context- When taking Biology, my teacher explained about some real research being done on how plants produce energy. She related it to how we might develop useful energy in the future. Seeing how what we were learning was currently being studied by experts, and why it was useful in the real world, made the subject more relevant. I would not normally care so much about plants producing energy, but hearing about its importance to researchers helped me to appreciate the subject.

Learning Style Inventory Results

The memletics graph results that were scored from my questionnaire are fairly accurate. I am definitely a social person, and I don’t like to be alone very often. I tend to do best when I can talk about a subject them with others. I am also inclined to think logically about what is going on. I like to think things through and understand everything I can about a subject if I am going to do anything with it. I don’t consider myself very verbal, however, I do like to get my point across and I may do that in a verbal way.