Chapter 7 Learning Artifact

This chapter was an interesting one. I felt like I already knew about 50% of it pretty thoroughly, but the remaining part of the chapter was fairly new to me. I want to start by just stating that I really liked how Jonassen wrote this chapter and addressed some important issues. Like when he said that if we as educators do not use what is common for our students to use in their everyday lives, that we will lose them ( in essence). Students learn more easily when they can relate to what they are learning and when they feel like the information they are learning is valuable to them. To be honest, technology is what is valuable to them. So not using it in schools and classrooms just does not make sense. They like it and it can be meaningful learning when used appropriately. Next, I love that he addressed the difference between promoting interactions and using technology inappropriately to interfer with interactions (ie the cell phone converstaion in the middle of a dinner party). When teaching about technology I think it is appropriate, and our duty to socaiety, to teach some rules of "courtesy". It is not that difficult, just like how Jeff started his class out by saying that myspaces and facebooks are all fine and whatever, but not appropriate to check during his class time-IT is just RUDE! Those were just some of my favorite little highlights.
Moving on though. I felt like I was already well aware of how instant messaging works, and blogs, chats, and discussion boards. None of these are new to me; I have used them both for assignments in classes as well as for personal things. However, even though Ihave breifly been introduced to podcasting in class- it was extremely helpful to read about it and all the details associated with it in this chapter. There were numerous types of software and sites listed to assist in podcasting ( and vodcasting) and the chapter gave lots of examples as to how to use it in the classroom.
The topic I learned the most on was actually videoconferencing, and synchronous timing. This was interesting because I am always amazed at just how much we can do. Like where Jonassen tells about how students used the videoconferencing to talk to the judges. That is just amazing and so incredibly wonderful. I can remeber when we used to have to write what three ( or however many) questions would you ask the author/or the president/ or whoever if you could. Now you really can ask those questions- and even better you can get a response. That is so exciting to me, and hopefully to my students too.
Lastly, I really only have a couple minor questions from this chapter. One, was there podcasting before the Ipod? Because even the author talk SO much about Ipod when he was discussing the podcasting and many of the resources and things associated with the podcasting were by apple Ipod. Just wondering. And second, with the "Radio WillowWeb", is that really on a radio station like in your car? Or is it just like any other podcast that can be downloaded, uploaded, and listened to on the computer or whatever. So, here are my reflections. I wish I could have created a video something or other, but for one I do not have the equipment- and two I wanted to play with the voicethread some more. So remember to check out the voicethread that is linked to this blogpage too because it relates to this chapter as well.