665: Week 7

For your ARP, how did you select the technologies that you are utilizing? How have your learners responded thus far?

For my AR project, we have used Blogger, Google docs, Google spreadsheet, Google sites, Skype, and various Microsoft Word tools. I am also going to podcast the interviews I am conducting so that I can reference them later and the students can hear themselves as well. I already did one podcast with my student teacher as we were looking over cycle three AR feedback .

I selected each of these tools because I thought they were the most applicable to what I wanted the students to produce. For example, with Blogger, I wanted the students to be able to reflect about the No D policy and multiple redos. All of those responses as well as the work we are doing with Cycle two and three are posted here: http://sites.google.com/site/annesmithomet/ar-data . I also use Blogger to record and reflect on all of my learning http://learningandlaptops.blogspot.com/ . Additionally, I needed a place to store all of my writing and data collection as well as the work I am doing for my other classes. At first I was going to use Dreamweaver to create a website, but then MR had us use Google Sites for our LC’s (http://sites.google.com/site/actionresearchpepperdine/ ) and I found that to be a tremendous resource to combine all of my reflections and learning http://sites.google.com/site/annesmithomet/Home . I have also used Google Docs to create a survey for my cycle two report http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pJAz57RdAiee_QwkZw-tJSA&hl=en and have used it to plan work with my LC http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ah9rsddn9chb_130phdr4nqh&hl=en . Skype has been a great tool when discussing my AR with my LC. It is so nice to have the dialogue with my LC when I am showing them data, needing assistance reworking parts of my lit review or cycle reports. The verbal feedback has proven to be invaluable.

All of my learners, as well as myself, have responded positively to all the technology tools. They really enjoyed after our survey this past Friday, seeing the poll automatically fill and data appear instantaneously. I also think it was important for them on the reflective pieces to respond to one another’s comments. I am anxious to see their reactions to the podcasts and hearing one another reflect verbally about the multiple redo policy.