Reflection #2

I can truly say I have learned a lot in just two weeks!  Prior to this class, I knew very little in regards to Blogs, RSS feeds and Wiki’s.  During the creation process, I found myself in a trial and error mode, clicking on various things and hoping things would start making sense.  After being successful at creating a blog, I am still learning to navigate around.  As for the RSS feed, I am still trying to figure out how to find and add feeds of interest to me.

Blogger- This media form would fall in the Still Pictures, Recordings and Radio portion of the cone.  Blogging is usually in the form of text but can be enhanced with pictures, links, sounds, etc.  Although you could discuss individual parts of a blog and fit those components into various parts of the cone, I chose to view it as a whole.  For example, having the author of the blog, the reader of the post and the commenter.

Imaginative Educational Use- Using the Blogger as a journal and making connections with other districts to form journal buddies.  There is actually a Journal Buddies website where you can obtain writing prompts. http://journalbuddies.com/

RSS Feed- This media form would fall at the top of cone with Verbal Symbols.  In the article Horn states that “printed words are only the symbols of symbols”.  Within an RSS Feed it’s mainly text.  As I am thinking about the different parts of the cone, I am finding myself wanting to fit these tools into multiple parts of the cone.

Imaginative Educational Use- A RSS feed pertaining to college education that includes program studies, fafsa, scholarships, and education loans.  As a mother of two teenagers this would be beneficial for college preparation.

Wiki – This media form would fall in Educational Television.  Again, this is in the form of text with enhanced pictures, links, sounds, etc.  However, I feel that within this tool you are more likely to include digital resources and you can achieve a deeper understanding of particular aspects of the discussion.  Who knows you might even begin to research something you weren’t set out to do. 

Imaginative Educational Use- Creating a Wiki on outdoor activities across the world.     This could include the activity, location of activity, season of activity, places to participate in activity, organizations for contact and area businesses for equipment and uniforms.

Dale, E. (1969). Audiovisual methods in teaching. New York: Dryden Press. Ch. 4 The Cone of Experience

Siegel, M. (2003). Falling asleep at your Keyboard: The case for computer imagination.