Week 3 - Podcasting

I found podcasting to be by far the most challenging project I've undertaken for this class. I was starting from scratch with no experience in audio editing and little knowledge of the terminology or technology. I came away with a fair working knowledge of Audacity. I also have a better grasp on two of the concepts we had talked about in class. I have a better feel for the novice experience. As a novice, I have enough familiarity with creating a podcast that I can follow directions but I can't make accommodations for any variance from the script. This podcasting experience has provided a concrete example of the zone proximal development by leading me just beyond my previous skill level through guidance and collaboration.

Schreiber, Fukuta and Gordan (2010) concluded “...students preferred a live lecture to video podcast, although knowledge gain was not significantly different.” The students were tested on Bloom's knowledge level. Based on this article, I would view podcasting as being as useful as a lecture for the same purposes as a lecture, to deliver knowledge broadly, quickly and conveniently. To me the abilities to pause and repeat a podcast are appealing. I was surprised by the concerns raised by the students about interruptions and about being less likely to finish. It seems a certain level of discipline is needed to effectively use podcasts. This study compared podcasts to lecture to measure changes in knowledge. I'd like to see how podcasts might be used to tackle some higher levels of learning.

Week 2

Technologies
One of the technologies I used this week was the image sharing site Flickr. Setting up the account was not difficult. There’s still quite a bit for me to learn to get the full potential of this site, but the basics are straightforward.  I was comfortable with the privacy options. I uploaded and tagged a raw picture http://www.flickr.com/photos/micemom/5374088002/ and one I had edited http://www.flickr.com/photos/micemom/5374088002/. Searching, I found not only pictures but Groups who share my interests.
My experience with Flickr led me to another discovery. I wasn’t sure about how I could use the images in terms of copyright and fair use and in terms of Flickr etiquette. My first tendency was to google “copyright” and try to bone up on it. It didn’t take long to realize that was overwhelming. On the other hand, my son is an archivist at a university library and is very knowledgeable in this area. A call to him cleared up some but not all of my questions. I’ll call him again to learn more. Slowly, I’m learning to make use of technology and my social network and rely less on my own individual memory.

One of the other technologies I used for the first time this week was Delicious. I accessed it through FireFox which I use as a secondary browser. I like the idea of tagging and the ability to organize bookmarks. Once I got the Firefox extension installed, bookmarking and tagging was easy. But before I install the extension for Google Chrome I want to understand more about the privacy options and automatic sync options.

I also uploaded a video
http://www.youtube.com/my_videos?feature=mhsn
Wow! Eleven views and only five are from people related to me by blood or marriage.

I can be followed at twitter.com/SecondSpring2
Considering most of the interests I’m following have something to do with epidemiology, I fear that I am actually becoming less cool by being on Twitter.


Comment on Chew and Eysenbach
The biggest shift in my attitude and behavior this week was looking at Twitter.  My previous outlook on Twitter can be summed up in this Facebook exchange:

My 19-year-old son:
I've desided that I'm not hipster enough and that you lesser people don't know enough about what  I'm doing at all times. Therefor, I've made a twitter. Follow me at twitter.com/xxxxxxxx
Son’s friend:
not only do you update your status an inappropriate amount but your spelling is appalling   
                                             
Frankly, I saw neither use nor ornament in Twitter. Granted it could serve to alert a group in an emergency.  It might be used to quickly share useful links or information.  But Facebook does those things. Then I read Chew and Eysenbach’s 2010 “Pandemics in the Age of Twitter: Content Analysis of Tweets during the 209 H1N1 Outbreak” This “infodemiology” study analyzed tweets to provide near realtime information on public response to the pandemic. As a health educator, I find two aspects of this study particularly interesting. One is in the ability to identify possible misinformation. This knowledge would allow public health educators to more effectively adapt their educational messages. Second is the authors' suggestion that analysis of tweets can be used by public health authorities to be aware of the real or perceived concerns of the public. Looking at the volume of tweets and  at the rates of expression of humor, frustration or concern can be helpful in determining the public’s perception of risk. The Health Belief Model, a popular tool used by health educators, considers perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of risk to study health behaviors. Having a tool to quickly gauge perceived risk could be very useful to health educators applying the Health Belief Model. I now see Twitter as a valuable tool for public health research and planning.


Application of Learning Theory
Thinking about the application of leaning theory, I am recalling a situation in which I was the learner. Two years ago I decided to become certified as a Red Cross first aid and CPR instructor. The facilitator for the certification course was a retired Cornell extension agent. I was very impressed by his mastery of the content area and his teaching skills. He not only taught how to teach, he modeled how to teach. First the desired behavior was coded by readings, lecture and videos.  In the class we had opportunity to rehearse the desired behavior and receive feed back.  I often refer to the notes I took in this class and try to reproduce what we practiced. Many times find myself conscientiously trying to emulate the instructor. I even follow his suggestions about the way to dress for class.
I see this as an example of Social Learning Theory. My adopting a valued outcome was facilitated by coding and modeling. The fact that I respected and identified with the facilitator made it even more likely that I would take on the targeted behavior.
  

Week 1

My experience setting up my own blog


This was something entirely new for me. It seems a mini rite of passage. I was fairly comfortable with the passive use of the internet but adding content was something left to specialists, not somebody like me. It’s not that I now think of myself as an expert. But I no longer feel that only experts can be contributors. I do feel that I’ve entered a new world.
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It was nice to be reminded of how powerful active student participation in learning can be. I could have memorized the list of differences between WEB 1.0 and WEB 2.0 from the class notes. (Sadly, I’m afraid too much of what is called patient education still consists of giving someone a handout and expecting them to memorize unfamiliar terms) The hands-on involvement, and in this case bit of an emotional component, made it something I’ve internalized more than memorized.

Thoughts on Fischer’s comparison of blogged and written reflections of medical students


Based on my limited on experience with blogging - these few paragraphs and keeping up with my son-in-law’s travel plans - I’m not surprised that Fischer found so little difference in the content or level of reflection. Blogging seems to have the feel of writing in a journal or diary.

One difference I thought about would be the expectation of privacy. It’s impossible for me not to draw a line between a private written journal and a public blog. Does anyone still keep a diary? I see them in the stores. I wonder if someone of these generations who share so much publicly still throw shoes at little brothers caught reading a handwritten diary.

Back to school - first class

I’m doing this blog for a class I’m taking in emerging technology in education. I started out teaching using a felt board and here I am blogging.  Will wonders never cease.

I’m hoping that through this class I can use some of the applications of science available today to build some bridges - between generations; between the savvy and the intimidated; between the university, health-care professionals and everyday consumers.

So, some of the things buzzing through my head after the first class -
We talked a lot about Gen X and the Millennials. Is there even a place for Boomers, and yes even the Greatest Generation, in this connected world?  My challenge, my personal challenge, is to help find that place.
I was somewhat heartened by the fact that not only do I know what  a Kinect is, I use it regularly. But I don’t use it the way my Millennial offspring do, most of the time. But there are times when the Kinect, Wii, Facebook, etc. bring three generations together. The same technology that often separates and segregates sometimes forges bridges.

I know, Boomers write blog entries that are way too long. Later

Oh, yes, I still have the felt board - it never runs out of bandwidth.