As I suggested in the presentation this past week, there are so many tools that a person can use. That being said, it is vital to weigh the positives and the negatives of each tool that the educator is assessing before use. By running an ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) assessment, the educator may be able to look with a different lens on the tool and figure out if it is truly something they may want to adopt in their own teaching practice.
In practice I can see myself using the ZOOM software online to both engage and provide a real-life experience to the learner that I would be teaching online. This software has a huge benefit for both the learner and the teacher as it allows for a virtual face-to-face experience for both parties. By focusing on the speaker, the program gets the viewer to know what is happening and what member of the group is speaking. As we know, non-verbal communication is a large part of language exchange between people, and as such, the ZOOM program effectively uses this tool to help portray what the speaker is truly attempting to covey. The ability to share your screen with the population of ZOOM members adds an interactive process to the learning that may be taking place.
When referring to an interactive experience for learners, I instantly think of the SKYPE in the classroom exchanges. This allows for classrooms in different countries of the world to communicate ideas that may have worked in their classroom or school. Further diversifying the learning that has the potential to take place in classrooms. Sharing ideas and happenings in the classrooms creates a collaborative environment in schools overall. Many students are amazed that they are able to “look into” schools in different countries, solidifying the privilege that Canadian student have in the learning world. I have used this in the past, but have not for a couple of years, ECI833 has re-kindled the interest in using this media form.
The online media tools that are available in the classroom have exploded, with everyone attempting to make money off the public education sector. Over saturating the public sector with online tools, is the goal for these agencies to effectively “bleed the money dry”. Some questions that might be asked might include:
Are all these tools user friendly for classrooms and age groups?
Are school division spending money wisely on technologies, or are they simply following suit?
Are the educators able to balance all these technologies or are they almost being forced by division leadership?
As we move forward the element of digital learning and distance education may never see limitations.
krammerblog 
I fear sometimes as educators and divisions we spend some money too freely because it is a highly touted new product. I’ve commonly believed in that open education side where it is best to find the free version of a similar service.
I’m hoping when I start doing research for my group’s presentation: Virtual and Augmented Reality, we will see some of those digital limitations begin to break down for hands-on distance learning.
Side-note, try to include hyperlinks to important points or information in your blog posts!
Thanks for an informative presentation this week!
Great post Adam and really good questions to think about!
Thank you for the advice in regards to improving my post styles @Logan. This is a brand new learning experience for me and I will slowly start using some different formats.
[…] was super pumped for Kirsten Hansen’s, Adam Krammer’s, Stephanie Grand’s, Lorraine Wagner’s, Venessa Vogel’s and Sharon Flaman’s presentation […]
[…] Digital citizenship: fostering a digital presence and creating a networked learning community. And from that networked learning community, perhaps presents opportunities to collaborate with professionals from around the world to invite to contribute to class sessions (Adam reminded me of this idea with Skype). […]
Hi Adam, I think that Zoom is a great tool from a teacher’s perspective but one thing that I find a little distracting is the chat. I like that students can listen and chat at the same time, but it goes back to that multitasking aspect of it. When we are in class as soon as I start reading the chats I’ve missed, I have to block out what’s being presented making me sometimes miss important information. Other than that I think it’s a great tool for distance education.
Hi Adam, Such an interesting post! Your video clips really add so much – I’ve just never considered Skype as a classroom tool I was really amazed by the Aquarius visit via Skype. As quite a traditional teacher, I often look at technology with a critical eye…. But this was truly “eye opening”. Thank you!
Great post Adam! I imagine a great portion of time as an educator can be consumed assessing the features and feasibility of online tools presented to you. I must admit I never fully appreciated how consumerized it could be as the tools we have used thus far have been free. I can just imagine how the fees can add up. Thank you for bringing this to mind! I feel teachers spend enough out of their pockets already during the year to add to their classrooms and I can imagine this could present as just another added expense if not covered by an already strained school system. Thanks for your post! Great videos too!