The Importance of Quality Education
By: Daniel Millions – Posted 05-15-2008
Summarized by:
Suhail Naaman
Teaching does not consist of teaching the material only, it include other subjects. For example teaching language also passes on the culture of the society. Education of the young begins at infancy which contains physical activities and then language.
The early at-home education may contain religious or spiritual aspects as well.
The culture of more industrialized world generally divides the levels of education for their young into several specific groupings. Primary education which deals wit more fundamental knowledge topics.
Beyond the initial required educational levels are the university levels of education.
Besides the academic fields of education, there are numerous trade schools that are designed to train individuals in the intricacies of a specific trade or occupation.
These schools focus on one area or career.
Wit the availability of scholarships and loans, a solid education in within the range of most citizens.
Truly Education is a process that the active mind will continue throughout their entire life as a new experience added to the wealth of knowledge that can be obtained.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Pros and Cons of Online Education for the World Citizen
By: David W. Morris - Posted 02-11-2007
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
We all know what is online learning. So many people prefer online learning especially for career development or to continue with their studies. Online education is a perfect and appropriate way of being educated specially for independent learners. Online education is an inappropriate way of studying for dependent students.
Pros of Online Education:
1- Cheaper: It is more affordable than class based courses.
2- More Convenient: You are not limited with a specified time.
3- Flexibility: You decide when to complete your assignments and readings.
4- Technology: You should have a computer and internet access, and you can work from any place.
5- Availability: Different reputable programs.
6- Accessibility: You can work from any accessible place.
7- Self-Directed: You control your learning environment.
8- Time Spent in Classroom: You can take any subject any time without being committed to any specific time in a classroom
9- High Quality Dialog:
10- Student Centered:
11- Level Playing Field:
12- Synergy:
13- Access to resources:
14- Creative Teaching:
Cons of Online Education:
1- The Technology: Should Be Accessible
2- The Institution: Need for qualified instructors
3- The Facilitator: Lack of essential online qualities
4- Perceptions/Reputation
5- No Instructor Face time
6- Little Support
7- Lacking Social Interaction
8- No Campus Atmosphere
9- Academic Honesty of online students
From the above we find that online courses more convenient especially for people who have jobs.
By: David W. Morris - Posted 02-11-2007
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
We all know what is online learning. So many people prefer online learning especially for career development or to continue with their studies. Online education is a perfect and appropriate way of being educated specially for independent learners. Online education is an inappropriate way of studying for dependent students.
Pros of Online Education:
1- Cheaper: It is more affordable than class based courses.
2- More Convenient: You are not limited with a specified time.
3- Flexibility: You decide when to complete your assignments and readings.
4- Technology: You should have a computer and internet access, and you can work from any place.
5- Availability: Different reputable programs.
6- Accessibility: You can work from any accessible place.
7- Self-Directed: You control your learning environment.
8- Time Spent in Classroom: You can take any subject any time without being committed to any specific time in a classroom
9- High Quality Dialog:
10- Student Centered:
11- Level Playing Field:
12- Synergy:
13- Access to resources:
14- Creative Teaching:
Cons of Online Education:
1- The Technology: Should Be Accessible
2- The Institution: Need for qualified instructors
3- The Facilitator: Lack of essential online qualities
4- Perceptions/Reputation
5- No Instructor Face time
6- Little Support
7- Lacking Social Interaction
8- No Campus Atmosphere
9- Academic Honesty of online students
From the above we find that online courses more convenient especially for people who have jobs.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Technology Planning: It’s more Than Computers
Dr. Larry S Anderson
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
If we want to focus on technology planning and all its potentials, we have to take one step back from technology itself, because technology planning is a very broad subject. As some planners say the technology planning has a noun and a verb, in which the noun refers to the planning document itself, while the verb refers to the kinds of actions, attitudes, and results that are involved in the process.
More than Computers? How?
Our technology plan should be about
· People
· Process
· Interaction between people and process
Technology planning seeks progress continually.
Conclusion:
As a result technology planning is more than boxes, wires, hardware. It is the people, process and the interaction between these two components.
Dr. Larry S Anderson
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
If we want to focus on technology planning and all its potentials, we have to take one step back from technology itself, because technology planning is a very broad subject. As some planners say the technology planning has a noun and a verb, in which the noun refers to the planning document itself, while the verb refers to the kinds of actions, attitudes, and results that are involved in the process.
More than Computers? How?
Our technology plan should be about
· People
· Process
· Interaction between people and process
Technology planning seeks progress continually.
Conclusion:
As a result technology planning is more than boxes, wires, hardware. It is the people, process and the interaction between these two components.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
The Pedagogy of Technology Integration
By: Mabel CPO Okojie, Anthony A. Olinzock, and Tinukwa C. Okojie-Boulder
Summarized By:
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
Technology used for teaching and learning should be considered an integral part teaching and not as an extra objective. There is a relation between instructional technology and pedagogical concepts. Technology integration is complex and is made up of processes of interconnected activities.
The Scope of Instructional Technology:
Technology is a tool to enhance instruction. The term educational technology means media, models, audio, video ---etc. This definition is very narrow because it separates technology from pedagogical process. As mentioned before there should integration between technology and pedagogical process.
Technology motivates students for learning by using different strategies. At the end technology is the use of these tools to enhance learning.
Problems of Technology Integration:
Using technology in teaching is not an easy thing to use. Technology should fit the objective of the study. Also teachers and students should be aware of the technology itself (well trained) to make the best out of it.
Technology should be part of the curriculum rather than a discrete activity.
Conclusion:
The purpose of this article is to show how teachers can improve their use of technology to support instruction. It is important the instructors know technology as part of pedagogical process, and to use technology integration in their teaching.
References:
Mabel CPO Okojie, Anthony A. Olinzock, and Tinukwa C. (2004).
The Pedagogy of Technology Integration
By: Mabel CPO Okojie, Anthony A. Olinzock, and Tinukwa C. Okojie-Boulder
Summarized By:
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
Technology used for teaching and learning should be considered an integral part teaching and not as an extra objective. There is a relation between instructional technology and pedagogical concepts. Technology integration is complex and is made up of processes of interconnected activities.
The Scope of Instructional Technology:
Technology is a tool to enhance instruction. The term educational technology means media, models, audio, video ---etc. This definition is very narrow because it separates technology from pedagogical process. As mentioned before there should integration between technology and pedagogical process.
Technology motivates students for learning by using different strategies. At the end technology is the use of these tools to enhance learning.
Problems of Technology Integration:
Using technology in teaching is not an easy thing to use. Technology should fit the objective of the study. Also teachers and students should be aware of the technology itself (well trained) to make the best out of it.
Technology should be part of the curriculum rather than a discrete activity.
Conclusion:
The purpose of this article is to show how teachers can improve their use of technology to support instruction. It is important the instructors know technology as part of pedagogical process, and to use technology integration in their teaching.
References:
Mabel CPO Okojie, Anthony A. Olinzock, and Tinukwa C. (2004).
The Pedagogy of Technology Integration
Monday, April 28, 2008
Thinking about Technology Effects on higher Education
By Mohammed F. Fahmy
Summarized By
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
When a person thinks of technology, the first thing that comes to mind is resources, and usually resources allocated are not enough to achieve the stated goal.
But still the change is important, Should we implement every technological discovery?
The answer is no. There are so many factors that control implementing new technology.
The most successful sectors in implementing new technologies are the industry, military and education.
Recent Changes in Academe:
Ehrmann (1999) described the three main revolutions.
1. The major transformation took place 2500 years ago when the oral exchange was replaced by reading and writing.
2. Students and teachers shared the same facilities.
3. Technology revolution-the computer age.
Technology and the classroom:
Old technology was replaced with new technology, also distance learning was created and integrated e-commerce into college and university Websites and all other institutional services.
Academe and the information Society:
Fahmy, Mohammed (2004), mentioned the big sectors that did have the technology change and on of them was the industry. But now the move is from industrial to an information society.
1. The creation of numerous and diverse higher education providers that are global and more technologically advanced institutions.
2. The higher education providers are either brick universities or virtual universities or both.
3. More individualized higher education in which students set the educational agenda due to their diverse backgrounds.
4. A shift of focus of higher education from teaching to learning.
5. The focus should be on teaching as a dictated by for-profit and other new providers in higher education.
6. The professors’ name will be more important than the institution name.
7. Degrees will be replaced by transcript.
8. Maintaining portfolio for students.
9. Public and private support will be directed students rather than institutions.
References:
Fahmy, Mohammed, (2004). Thinking about Technology Effects on higher Education. The Journal of Technology studies
Summarized By
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
When a person thinks of technology, the first thing that comes to mind is resources, and usually resources allocated are not enough to achieve the stated goal.
But still the change is important, Should we implement every technological discovery?
The answer is no. There are so many factors that control implementing new technology.
The most successful sectors in implementing new technologies are the industry, military and education.
Recent Changes in Academe:
Ehrmann (1999) described the three main revolutions.
1. The major transformation took place 2500 years ago when the oral exchange was replaced by reading and writing.
2. Students and teachers shared the same facilities.
3. Technology revolution-the computer age.
Technology and the classroom:
Old technology was replaced with new technology, also distance learning was created and integrated e-commerce into college and university Websites and all other institutional services.
Academe and the information Society:
Fahmy, Mohammed (2004), mentioned the big sectors that did have the technology change and on of them was the industry. But now the move is from industrial to an information society.
1. The creation of numerous and diverse higher education providers that are global and more technologically advanced institutions.
2. The higher education providers are either brick universities or virtual universities or both.
3. More individualized higher education in which students set the educational agenda due to their diverse backgrounds.
4. A shift of focus of higher education from teaching to learning.
5. The focus should be on teaching as a dictated by for-profit and other new providers in higher education.
6. The professors’ name will be more important than the institution name.
7. Degrees will be replaced by transcript.
8. Maintaining portfolio for students.
9. Public and private support will be directed students rather than institutions.
References:
Fahmy, Mohammed, (2004). Thinking about Technology Effects on higher Education. The Journal of Technology studies
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Diversity within Unity
Essential Principles for Teaching and Learning in Multicultural Society
By James A. Banks
Summarized By
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
A group was formed from a political scientist, a sociologist, four multicultural education specialists and two psychologists. There were other members from other universities. This panel was modeled to write reports for the national Academy of Sciences and to solve problems through the most effective actions that can be taken to solve it. These panels are called essential principles, which lead to the improvement of the educational policy and its practices, eventually help to improve the intergroup skills.
The 12 essential principles are summarized below.
Principle 1: Professional development programs for teachers to know more about
Ethnic groups in the American society.
Principle 2: All students should have equitable opportunities to learn.
Principle 3: Curriculum should cover all social, political, and economic contexts.
Principle 4: Supplementary material to develop knowledge.
Principle 5: Developing intergroup relations.
Principle 6: Stereotyping that has effect on racial and ethnic relations.
Principle 7: Learning about values.
Principle 8: Teacher should create the right environment to interact with students.
Principle 9: Students from different racial groups should interact with each other.
Principle 10: Members of the school should learn collaborative skills and dispositions in order to create a caring environment for students.
Principle 11: Funds should be distributed equitably.
Principle 12: Teachers should use different cultural techniques for assessment.
Conclusion:
School must respect diversity groups for a unified nation-state.
Reference:
Banks, James A.(2001). Diversity within Unity: Essential Principles for Teaching and Learning in Multicultural Society.
Essential Principles for Teaching and Learning in Multicultural Society
By James A. Banks
Summarized By
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
A group was formed from a political scientist, a sociologist, four multicultural education specialists and two psychologists. There were other members from other universities. This panel was modeled to write reports for the national Academy of Sciences and to solve problems through the most effective actions that can be taken to solve it. These panels are called essential principles, which lead to the improvement of the educational policy and its practices, eventually help to improve the intergroup skills.
The 12 essential principles are summarized below.
Principle 1: Professional development programs for teachers to know more about
Ethnic groups in the American society.
Principle 2: All students should have equitable opportunities to learn.
Principle 3: Curriculum should cover all social, political, and economic contexts.
Principle 4: Supplementary material to develop knowledge.
Principle 5: Developing intergroup relations.
Principle 6: Stereotyping that has effect on racial and ethnic relations.
Principle 7: Learning about values.
Principle 8: Teacher should create the right environment to interact with students.
Principle 9: Students from different racial groups should interact with each other.
Principle 10: Members of the school should learn collaborative skills and dispositions in order to create a caring environment for students.
Principle 11: Funds should be distributed equitably.
Principle 12: Teachers should use different cultural techniques for assessment.
Conclusion:
School must respect diversity groups for a unified nation-state.
Reference:
Banks, James A.(2001). Diversity within Unity: Essential Principles for Teaching and Learning in Multicultural Society.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Reflection as a Critical Component of the Technology Adoption Process
By: Koszalka, Tiffany A
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
Today’s educational technology training focuses on only how to operate the equipment. But there should be a reflection component that is added to the professional development program which helps educators attend to the cases beyond skills development and move toward educational technology adoption.
Adoption of Innovation:
The educator has to form an attitude towards the behavioral intent to pursue or reject the innovation. And this begins when the individuals learns of the innovation.
Interaction, successful practice with an innovation, and careful reflection about new situations and outcomes will make a good base for adopting technologies.
An Approach to Prompting Reflection:
Structured, short, open-ended questions help educators move through the stages of adoption. “Educators pay more attention to strategies of inquiring about their reasoning and develop greater abilities to enhance teaching and learning through the innovation” Koszalka (2003).
Conclusion:
The most successful development sessions support educators in a cyclical reflective process to help them specify for themselves the relationship between the theoretical benefits of an innovation and successful practice.
Reflections help educators also to integrate technology strategies that lend themselves to the configuration of the classroom.
Reference:
Koszalka, Tiffany A (2003). Reflection as a Critical Component of the Technology Adoption Process
Selecting Media For Distance Education
By: Ely, Donald P
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
This is a kind of learning where learning group is separate, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors.
The following will show what the kind of Medias used is.
Online Learning is only one type of distance learning:
Online learning is another way to distance learning where the teacher does not meet the students face-to-face. Using the computers and the contemporary technological tools will enhance the process.
Print:
This kind of learning is called correspondence learning which is conducted largely by mail. Paper – books were being used so is now in addition to eBooks.
Radio and Telephone:
All learners have to listen to the radio at the same time, later on was replaced by phone conferences.
Audiotapes and Television:
This is another way of distance learning through disc recordings and recorded tapes.
Traditional versus distance education:
The computer has changed the traditional offerings of distance learning, now technology is more integrated than the traditional learning. Now they are using emails, chats, telephone conferences ---etc.
Selection of the appropriate Media:
This section depends on the objective of the course itself. If the course needs audio or printed materials or some instructional designs.
Conclusions:
“Special considerations for distance learning
· Determine your primary delivery approach.
· Review the course outline to determine where media can be used to facilitate learning.
· Ascertain availability of student access to the media selected.
· Locate appropriate resources to fit your objectives or plan to create them”.
Ely, Donald, P (2003)
References:
Ely, Donald P (2003). Selecting Media for Distance Education. Eric Digest.
By: Ely, Donald P
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
This is a kind of learning where learning group is separate, and where interactive telecommunications systems are used to connect learners, resources, and instructors.
The following will show what the kind of Medias used is.
Online Learning is only one type of distance learning:
Online learning is another way to distance learning where the teacher does not meet the students face-to-face. Using the computers and the contemporary technological tools will enhance the process.
Print:
This kind of learning is called correspondence learning which is conducted largely by mail. Paper – books were being used so is now in addition to eBooks.
Radio and Telephone:
All learners have to listen to the radio at the same time, later on was replaced by phone conferences.
Audiotapes and Television:
This is another way of distance learning through disc recordings and recorded tapes.
Traditional versus distance education:
The computer has changed the traditional offerings of distance learning, now technology is more integrated than the traditional learning. Now they are using emails, chats, telephone conferences ---etc.
Selection of the appropriate Media:
This section depends on the objective of the course itself. If the course needs audio or printed materials or some instructional designs.
Conclusions:
“Special considerations for distance learning
· Determine your primary delivery approach.
· Review the course outline to determine where media can be used to facilitate learning.
· Ascertain availability of student access to the media selected.
· Locate appropriate resources to fit your objectives or plan to create them”.
Ely, Donald, P (2003)
References:
Ely, Donald P (2003). Selecting Media for Distance Education. Eric Digest.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
IT literature Review
Weblogs in Education
By Tan Yuh Huann, Ow Eu Gene John, Jeanne Marie Ho Pau Yuen
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
Weblogs are used to refer to journals. Also a weblog is accessible to the public and can be edited by the people themselves. And a blog can be created very easily in three or fewer steps.
The Potential for Blogs for Teaching & Learning:
Blogs has so many potentials for example,
· Exchange of ideas.
· Efficient information retrieval.
· Personal Journaling.
· Personal reflection.
· Community building Collaborative task.
· It contains text, audio and video in addition to hyperlinks.
Some issues and concerns on the use of blogs for Teaching & Learning:
The following concerns were found only in Singapore
· Scaffolding of learning tasks.
· Plagiarism
· Legal Liabilities
Conclusion:
Blogging is new in Singapore. From the above we can see that teacher can transfer their knowledge to the students. Also Blogs gives the students the opportunity to work individually and as a group. Also the blog is way of integrating technology with curriculum.
The blog is a big warehouse where you can store your articles and retrieve them by the editor and the public.
References:
Tan Yuh Huann, Ow Eu Gene John, Jeanne Marie Ho Pau Yuen. IT Literature Review, Weblog in Education.
By Tan Yuh Huann, Ow Eu Gene John, Jeanne Marie Ho Pau Yuen
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
Introduction:
Weblogs are used to refer to journals. Also a weblog is accessible to the public and can be edited by the people themselves. And a blog can be created very easily in three or fewer steps.
The Potential for Blogs for Teaching & Learning:
Blogs has so many potentials for example,
· Exchange of ideas.
· Efficient information retrieval.
· Personal Journaling.
· Personal reflection.
· Community building Collaborative task.
· It contains text, audio and video in addition to hyperlinks.
Some issues and concerns on the use of blogs for Teaching & Learning:
The following concerns were found only in Singapore
· Scaffolding of learning tasks.
· Plagiarism
· Legal Liabilities
Conclusion:
Blogging is new in Singapore. From the above we can see that teacher can transfer their knowledge to the students. Also Blogs gives the students the opportunity to work individually and as a group. Also the blog is way of integrating technology with curriculum.
The blog is a big warehouse where you can store your articles and retrieve them by the editor and the public.
References:
Tan Yuh Huann, Ow Eu Gene John, Jeanne Marie Ho Pau Yuen. IT Literature Review, Weblog in Education.
Fostering Foreign Language Proficiency
What the U.S. Can Learn From Other Countries
By
Donna Christian, Ingrid Pufahl, and Nancy C. Rhodes
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
By
Donna Christian, Ingrid Pufahl, and Nancy C. Rhodes
Summarized by
Suhail Naaman
Abstract:
The authors was trying to show how teaching other languages programs in other parts of the world are better than our programs here in the United States, and if there are ways to adopt these programs and implement them here in the United States.
Introduction:
Our country usually doesn’t look for any experiences from other countries because they think that their country is the leader of the world and they know everything, which is wrong of course. The statistics shows that 50% of the European adults know another language fluently while only 9% of the American adults are highly proficient in another language. On this level so many concerns from the federal and state pops up (e.g. No child left behind, Short of teachers---etc.) which makes learning a second language as secondary subject. But there is still a question that should be asked, how can we achieve the other countries in learning a foreign language?
Countries that Take languages seriously treat them as important core subjects:
Most of the European countries consider learning another language just like learning mathematics, reading, writing, science ---etc. Besides that some countries had established a very successful immersion programs like Canada.
Conclusion, what can the U.S. Do?
The country can promote foreign languages through government supported programs or state of the art language programs that begin instruction early. At the end we should learn from other peoples’ experience, and always try to integrate technology to curriculum, and one of the best ways is to use the blog in our schools.
References:
Christian, D., Pufahl, I., Rhodes, N. C., Fostering Foreign Language Proficiency: What the U.S. can Learn From Other Countries. Phi Delta Kappan 87 no3 N 2005.
Introduction:
Our country usually doesn’t look for any experiences from other countries because they think that their country is the leader of the world and they know everything, which is wrong of course. The statistics shows that 50% of the European adults know another language fluently while only 9% of the American adults are highly proficient in another language. On this level so many concerns from the federal and state pops up (e.g. No child left behind, Short of teachers---etc.) which makes learning a second language as secondary subject. But there is still a question that should be asked, how can we achieve the other countries in learning a foreign language?
Countries that Take languages seriously treat them as important core subjects:
Most of the European countries consider learning another language just like learning mathematics, reading, writing, science ---etc. Besides that some countries had established a very successful immersion programs like Canada.
Conclusion, what can the U.S. Do?
The country can promote foreign languages through government supported programs or state of the art language programs that begin instruction early. At the end we should learn from other peoples’ experience, and always try to integrate technology to curriculum, and one of the best ways is to use the blog in our schools.
References:
Christian, D., Pufahl, I., Rhodes, N. C., Fostering Foreign Language Proficiency: What the U.S. can Learn From Other Countries. Phi Delta Kappan 87 no3 N 2005.
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