First week of classes/ Game Theory

It's been an exciting first week of classes. Teaching EME4406 has been going real well. I have an average of 4 students in each section. The website is still a work in progress, but it's getting there. My coteacher fixed most of it up, and I just have to play with some of the headings for the lab section. http://education.ufl.edu/Courses/EME4406

I'm especially excited about my Game Theory and Design class with Dr. Ferdig. I was up half the night on Monday because every time I was about to fall asleep I would get a new idea for my final project for that class. I've already started doing research for the class, and can't wait to get started on the project itself. I'm creating an educational RPG for either 7th or 8th graders. I'm not sure of the details yet, but I have a storyline set up, as well as a potential testing base. One of the things I have to figure out in the next week is how I want it to be used, whether it's going to be for parents to help their children, or for teachers to use with their students, or even as FCAT practice. I probably will not talk too much about it on here though until close to the end of the semester, unless I have a question about something in it.

EME5054: What is Instructional Technology? What are some journals and associations in Ed Tech?

In Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology by Reiser and Dempsey, Section 1 discusses what Instructional Design means. Whenever I'm asked by my friends and family what I'm doing as an Ed Tech major, I've always just said finding and implementing computers in classrooms, but after reading this section there's so much more to it than that. "The field of instructional design and technology (also known as intructional technology) encompasses the analysis of learning and performnance problems, and the design, development, implementation, evaluation and management of instructional and noninstuctional processes and resources intended to improve learning and performnace in a variety of settings, particularly educational institutions and the workplace. Professionals in the field of instructional design and technology often use systematic instructional design preocedures and employ instructional media to accomplish their goals. Moreover in recent years they have paid increasing attention to noninstructional solutions to some performance problems. Research and theory related to each of the aforementioned areas is also and important part of the field." (p7)

So basically, it's the process and tools used to incorporate technology into a learning environment or workplace.

Chapter 26 discusses different journals dealing with instructional design

The International Forum of Educational Technology and Society "encourages disscussions on the issues affecting the educational system developer and education communities. The forum conducts multiple online discussion threads on specific topics concerning the design and implementation of integrated learning environments. The discussions are aimed to be definitive and helpful in reaching conclusions that are then disseminated to the public. [http://ifets.ieee.org]" This journal is not located in our library or on the Ed Tech page.

Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (CITE) is an online peer reviewed journal, established and jointly sponsored by five professional associations (AMTE, AETS, NCSS-CUFA, CEE, and SITE). This is the only joint venture of this kind in the field of teacher education. Each professional association has sole responsibility for editorial review of articles in it's discipline. [http://www.citejournal.org] This journal is found in our library as well as on the Ed Tech website.

The American Educational Research Association AERA which is listed on the Professional Organization page of the Ed Tech website is "concerned with improving the educational process by encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education and evaluation and, by promoting the dissemination and practical application of research results." I keep hearing about this organization in my classes and from my colleagues in the department and I'm glad to finally know what it means.