Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Technology : Class of 2006

2005-11-16T13:40:00.000-08:00

Go see!!! ... It's official, Trinidad and Tobago have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany. Here are thousands of photos of our struggle as well as all the other teams who fought valiantly for a place among the top thirty-two teams which have qualified.

You can look at an overview of our team's performance during the qualifiers. Our Top Scorer was Stern John who produced a total of twelve goals during the qualifiers.

After finishing bottom of the pack in the final round of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan in 2002, Trinidad &Tobago have regrouped and made a decent fist of it in the Germany 2006 qualifiers ... only the second Caribbean side in history to reach a FIFA World Cup finals – Jamaica were the first when they reached France 1998.

Trinidad and Tobago are embarking on their 11th FIFA World Cup campaign since 1966. They missed out narrowly on qualifying in 1974, and in 1990 came tantalisingly close to going to Italy but were beaten 1-0 in their final qualifying match by the United States.

Trinidad and Tobago's most famous footballer is Dwight Yorke, who plays for Blackburn Rovers in the English Premier League. The twin-island state, which has a population of more than one million inhabitants, enjoyed their best win more than 30 years ago, beating Antigua and Barbuda 11-1. The national team took their worst defeat in 2000 when they lost 7-0 to Mexico in the Aztec Stadium in Mexico City.

Below is the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany Match Schedule.

The first teams to qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany on 8th June 2005 were Argentina, Iran, Japan, Korea Republic and Saudi Arabia. Today on 16th November 2005 (... DRUM ROLL) Australia, Czech Republic, Spain, Switzerland and Trinidad & Tobago all qualified. Germany automatically qualifies because they are the host country.

At its meeting in December 2003 in Frankfurt, the Organising Committee for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany approved the match schedule for the final competition to be held from 9 June to 9 July 2006. The draw to decide the groups for the final competition will be held in Leipzig in December 2005 at twelve different venues.

The opening match will be held in Munich and the final in Berlin. The two semi-finals will take place in Munich and Dortmund. Eight venues will each host five matches, while Berlin, Dortmund, Munich and Stuttgart will each have the honour of an extra sixth match.

Furthermore, in the group stage, no team will play in the same stadium twice, and there will also be at least two days in between matches in the same stadium. In addition, each venue will play host to two matches featuring one of the top-seeded teams.

As I close this chapter I must say a heartfelt thank you to Mr. Leo Beenhacker, who arrived to give us renewed hope to believe the impossible, when we were ready to throw our hands up and surrender to defeat.

We look forward to more from our SOCA WARRIORS in the future as they prepare for the FIFA WORLD CUP - GERMANY 2006.

Current FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking: 53

2005-11-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

Which emerging society does this cartoon reflect ?

(click on the image to enlarge)

2005-11-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

This seems to be a really good blog:

http://www.jasonrhode.com/blog/edtech_journals/

I hope you can find some really good information on Educational Technology there.

I must confess that it is a bit difficult to find some good online publications on Education, much less Educational Technology by our own local educators, here in the Caribbean.

2005-11-13T06:31:00.000-08:00

My Expectations ...

The Internet and other digital technologies have huge value as educational tools. Developing skill in these areas will serve as a catalyst to firmly engrain ICT into the education curriculum as well as providing a launch pad for further use of technology for life-long learning.

Any programme of such nature should consist of intensive, practical, in-service training and should aim to secure an expert level of proficiency in the management/supervision of the school’s network, the maintenance of the school’s stock of PCs and a sound competence in the management of the schools stock of digital media and files.

The programme should provide a whole new approach to incorporating every existing form of digital media to teaching and learning. It should facilitate teachers and administrators in developing material for the management of learning, comprised of each and every form of digital media, thus significantly expanding the scope of technological applications in education beyond software and hardware.

Upon graduation from the Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Technology; the Class of 2006, who registered for this programme having shared a vision in seeing the need for such an initiative in education, should be suitably equipped to facilitate the design and delivery of professional development programmes allowing teachers and the whole education community to benefit from this opportunity of redefining learning and instruction.

This new programme should be fundamentally practical in its foundation, and should enable these teachers and administrators to maximise the benefit of the new levels of access which ICT and other digital technologies will open up. Those who have been selected to assume the role and function of Education Technology Specialist at each specific institution should be enabled, through this programme, to deal confidently with the issues of network installation and maintenance, the maintenance of the computer itself and in particular the use of digital media in learning, whereby, facilitating their colleagues as well as their charges in the development of knowledge in the use of digital hardware and the development of digital output.

Consequently, the University should be committed to ensuring that teachers and administrators who avail themselves of this programme are offered the opportunity to achieve the credit and academic recognition commensurate with this development of knowledge and the acquisition of these new skills. Ultimately, I should expect that the quality of learning would be as a result of the scale of the opportunity provided.

Aims of the Programme

- To equip Participants with storyboarding skills to allow them to plan the creation of their own digital content and build a store of teaching materials derived from several digital sources.
- To assist Participants in developing the necessary skills to evaluate digital media content
- To equip Participants with the skills to select and operate scanners, digital still cameras, mini-disc recorders and digital video cameras.
- To equip Participants with the technical skills to capture and manipulate digital content sound, graphics and video.
- To assist in the application of learning theories to the creation of interactive digital content
- To provide Participants with the necessary technical skills to author their own digital content
- To provide Participants with the skills to publish their digital content in a variety of media such as Web or CD-Rom

Course Content

- Digital File Formats
Introduction to digital file formats
Sound and graphic file formats
Manipulating digital file formats for educational purposes

- Digital File Generation
Tools used to create digital files (Digital cameras, minidisks, scanners, digital video)
Key criteria in purchasing digital media creation tools
Basic operation skills (Digital cameras, minidisks, scanners)

- Digital File Publishing
Publishing digital files in educational applications
Use of digital media in educational contexts
Digital Literacy and school planning

- Introduction to Digital Applications
Introduction to Digital Content Tools
Introduction to Authoring Software
Image creation
Capturing and manipulating graphics

- Digital Media and Learning
Educational Technology Foundations
Learning and cognition theories
Digital Content Evaluation
Design Principles
Creating interactive resources

- Digital Publishing to the Web
Introduction to Dreamweaver
Principles of Publishing on the Web
Adding extra functionality to educational Web pages
Creation of animations
Flash

- Pedagogical implication of Digital Media
Multimedia in Pedagogical environments
Self-directed instruction
Collaborative learning environments
Project orientated environments
Problem solving
Student Multimedia authoring: Authentic Assessment and Electronic Portfolios

- Digital Video Production
Capturing digital video
Editing digital video
Publishing of digital video
Computer based sound editing and recording

- Local Area Networking(LAN)
Introduction to networking
Peer-to-Peer networking
Designing networks for schools
Designing and maintaining Server based networks
Broadband, ADSL, Firewall

- Front Line Maintenance
Basic computer troubleshooting
Repairing common hardware and software faults
Upgrading and repairing computer hardware

Evaluation and Assessment

Students were not required to have profound experience in ICT or digital technologies therefore Lecturers, Facilitators and Tutors will assume basic knowledge at best and are expected to use appropriate language as well as appropriate examples.

The course will be offered in venues with the appropriate ICT equipment and in close proximity to suitable tutors.

Tutorials will be scheduled where tutors would be able to suitably evaluate the candidates and provide relevant feedback before any formal assessment is administered.

Assessment on the core content taught in each module will be based on the presentation of assignments, originating with an agreed contract in hard copy, with the tutor, accredited by the University.

Feedback

This will be timely and effective.

2005-11-03T21:13:00.000-08:00

I created my first website (YEAH!!!), which is still a work in progress, and I am presently working on my first podcast. As soon as I read the instructions manual from Georgia I will put my podcast online. (I knew it was too good to be true, somewhere, somehow, something literary had to be slipped in ...)

I think my blogging assignment is ready (scratching my head vigorously and liking how that sounds), although I am not too sure, since I have had no response to my plea for suggestions (SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH).

Anyway, I am in the process of putting the finishing touches on my Power Point Presentation.

That leaves me with concern for only one assignment , my three documents to be done in Publisher. I will try to finish them by the end of the week.

Life goes on and so do we ...

... but I do need to say again how tickled pink I am at having created my website!!!

Thank you Dr. P for responding to our concerns in such a timely manner and thank you MGRC for your help, I hope you know that we ALL appreciated it.

2005-10-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

To all my fellow colleagues,

I thought that I could kill two birds with one stone: blog and share information all at once.

Should you be interested in creating a web page in HTML, here are some useful links:

http://www.pagetutor.com/

http://www.w3schools.com/vbscript/default.asp

http://www.learnflash.com/mentorbegin.html

Michelle will tell you more.

2005-10-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

I teach Mathematics and Information Technology as well as co-ordintate the Mathematics and Computer Science Department at my school. We are now implementing ICT in our curriculum. So far, the implemetation phase is progressing well. We have recently completed our multi-media laboratory.

We have identified how ICT can benefit the school system in different ways. In particular, the introduction of ICT to the curriculum can assist us in better equipping our students with practical skills for the twenty-first century, regarding computer and internet technologies.

I became interested in the Diploma in Educational Technology, offered by the Univesrity of the West Indies, St. Augustine at the School of Education because I believed that it would have espoused the two fields of education and technology. So far, the content of the course has met my expectations.

Since I am involved in Mathematics and Administration, with a limited background in Information Technology, I would prefer to select two electives for my practicum, which I believe could support the primary functions I am required to perform at my school.

Although Photography is one of my favourite hobbies and I see so much potential for Audio in the field of languages ( J'aime le francais !!! ), I am leaning more towards, Desktop Publishing and Web-page Development. I was considering Video, but I do not have access to the equipment in my "natural" envinronment.

Our IT students register for the technical proficiency examination; therefore becoming more involved in the use of application software would expand my skill and knowledge base, for classroom instruction, as well as co-curricula activities such as assisting in the publication of a school newsletter.

On the other hand webpage development supports a much greater need. It gives staff, students and stakeholders access to information (confidential infromation not included). It allows me to publish syllabi, schemes of work, lesson plans, lesson notes, homework assignments, model assignments/answers, reinforcement activites and information for parents. It also allows me to network with others in my field in order to collaborate on projects and market initiatives that my department would choose to undertake.

Primarily, I am interested in acquiring tools for developing proficiency within my department with a view to enhanced student performance.

I can hardly wait to see the student's face when the Mathematics literally comes alive with the application of flash technology ( hint hint ).

If you think I may have ideas you would like me to share, then please feel free to blog me. I would also be happy if you would be willing to share some of your ideas with me as well.

2005-10-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

Just taking a break.

2005-10-23T16:22:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time when it was free, I was in Tobago walking along the beach at Pigeon Point.

Ah yes, those were the days when tsunamis, mini or otherwise, were things you read about in geography books at school.

It was ironic to see this interesting tourist hanging out of the tree with a camera, trying to get a perfect view of a sunset.

I suppose it must have been a premonition which made me give him my camera and ask him to take a shot for me as well.

Oh, how things have changed.

Well, I have never been to Tobago since and tsunamis are no longer things I just read about in books.