Reflection (week 8) - Mapping

Google Maps is a free tool from Google that allows us to view many panoramic images of the earth, providing satellite photos of the world and from different locations. Even, these images can be obtained from satellite mode, panoramic or relief. Google Maps is a great technological resource and I like it because it permits students to see graphically terrestrial geography. For example, in the geography class, this tech tool is quite interesting, because through its use we can see the states of a country, its lakes and rivers, mountain systems and other components. In addition, expanding the search, students can see which countries are close to that being studied at the time of the class.

The Department of International Admissions requests current students to be “Bronco for a Day”, which is an event in order to serve as guide to future students that have in consideration attend WMU. This event consists in a tour guided through the installations of the university and other activities. I believe Google Maps is a great tool to build the logistics of the tour, with relation to buildings and places of interest that can be visited.

In that sense, I can prepare the guide from this tool, marking the places I want to visit with the group, see the most appropriate routes and even take advantage of the WMU’s internal transportation! Also, to give participation to those who will attend the tour, I can send by email information of the university and ask them if they want to visit a specific place and/or if they want to attend any class, to make the necessary arrangements.

Also, finished the preparation of the map, I can send them the link to access the route so they can get familiarized with what we’re going to do that day, allowing them to get involved into their own learning process of WMU Main Campus. Therefore, using this tool, the participants can play an active role during the whole trip. This kind of activity helps learners to be more engaged during activities and obtain good results.  It has many utilities and their uses are so varied!

Note : The information is available on the website of WMU

Reflection (week 7) - Audio Podcasts & Human Performance Technology

The Human Performance Improvement is a goal where all the human capital of the company has an interest, since the staff of the institution is a valuable resource. I like the idea of encouraging employee participation in the practice of the institution, because the achievements are shared and all are participants in the success of the project.

I understand that by allowing students to actively participate in school projects are encouraged to contribute with their ideas, they may be able to make positive reviews and can achieve better results. The teacher must find ways to work with students, facilitating the inclusion of them in the work of the class, as students are the course's human capital.

The Podcast “How to Create Effective Workplace: Wellness Programs that Sticks” is about the role of Human Resource Management is evolving. The Human Resource Management must play a more strategic role in the success of an organization. All this because the management of human resources is facing new challenges both in the present and future, where organizations must become more adaptable, flexible, agile, and customer-focused to succeed. Must be a driven function with a thorough understanding of the image of the organization and be able to influence key business decisions and policies. In general, the focus of human resources today is based on strategies for staff retention and talents development. Human Resources professionals will be coaches, counselors, mentors, and succession planners to help motivate organization's members and their loyalty, in order to meet the challenges and overcome them.

The Podcast allows companies to record messages in a media file that is available online. Consumers, customers and employees can either listen to the podcast online or download the file to an Apple iPod, a smartphone or other digital audio player.

Podcasts are another way to distribute files very conveniently. You can listen to a seminar on the way to work or in the gym, providing flexibility when learning. Ultimately is another tool to get the updated information and share it!

Podcast link: 

http://www.learnoutloud.com/podcaststream/listen.php?url=http://traffic.libsyn.com/xeniumhr/Episode_22_-_How_to_Create_Effective_Workplace_Wellness_Programs_that_Stick.mp3&all=0&title=How%20to%20Create%20Effective%20Workplace%20Wellness%20Programs%20that%20Stick&productid=46484

Reflection (week 6) - Embedding Media & Psychological Foundations

I like chocolate with caramel, who doesn't? So, for this exercise I’ll use them to help students to calculate the price per ounces, from different brands.

First of all, student need to get familiar with the product, because it vary in ounces and price, depending of the size and the brand. Therefore, the learning theory of behaviorism could be used to teach students how to calculate and compare the unit cost of different brands like Snickers, Twix and Milky Way individually. We can teach students how to divide the price between the ounces of the product, and they'll practice it until they can perform this mathematical operation by memory.

Then, using the theory of cognitivism, students could know how much is an ounce of each product and then be able to know the estimated cost of the package according to size. Also, using this theory, they’ll be able to determinate which size is better for their convenience (fun size, normal size or large size). Using cognitivism, the teacher give basic instructions and help to guide the students in their own learning process.

Finally, having the information of how much cost an ounce of Snickers, Twix and Milky Way, students can choose which brand is better in price according to the ounces of the package. That's when the theory of constructivism comes in, since students will have their own experience and will built their own opinion of which brand and/or size is best. Students will be the protagonists of their learning, where the teacher is only a guide who will address the discovery process of the students.

By the time that students are able to put into practice what they have learned and can decide on the processes to be applied, in order to obtain good results, we can say that the lesson has been learned since the students were able to create and develop new skills.

Reflection (week 6) - Embedding Media & Psychological Foundations (III)

One of the attractions of Dominican Republic are the beaches, so here I marked the ones that are most visited. I particularly love the beach. Every time I could, I went there to enjoy the sea, the sand and the sun!

A- Juan Dolio, San Pedro de Macoris, DR
B- Bayahibe, La Altagracia, DR
C- Punta Cana, La Altagracia, DR
D- Las Terrenas, Samana, DR
E- Cabarete, Puerto Plata, DR
F- Sosua, Puerto Plata, DR

                                
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Reflection (week 6) - Embedding Media & Psychological Foundations (II)

This time I want to share a video which captivated me since the moment I watched it for the first time! It was made by a tourist who went to Dominican Rep. with his brothers and his best friend, and started a journey to discover the "hidden and unhidden beauties of the tropical Caribbean island". 

I cannot be more proud to belong to that magnificent piece of paradise!



                            

Reflection (week 6) - Embedding Media & Psychological Foundations (I)

This time, the idea is to illustrate how to pursue the integration of visual and interactive images and media into classroom. We have many ideas of how to improve the learning experience so, it's time to work!

Keeping the storytelling in mind, here I show you some pictures of my beautiful Dominican Republic!

1. Segafredo Ristorante, Zona Colonial, Sto Dgo, DR. 

This is one of my favorite places to visit back home, because it's at the beginning of the colonial zone of the city. It's very stylish and suitable to share a bottle of wine with some friends. 

2. Altos de Chavon, La Romana, DR.

The biggest attraction in La Romana, Dominican Republic, is Altos de Chavón, a re-creation of a medieval European village conceived from the imagination of Roberto Copa, a former Paramount Pictures set designer, and Charles Bluhdorn. The landscapes, the view of Chavon river and whole village is exquisite. 

3. Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration, Santiago, DR. 

On a hill overlooking Santiago is a high marble monument. Construction of the monument began in 1944 on the orders of then-dictator Rafael Trujillo. He named it the "Trujillo's Monument to Peace", and was designed by architect Henry Gazón Bona. Trujillo was assassinated in 1961, after which the monument was renamed the "Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration", in remembrance of the Independence Restoration War of 1863, in which the Dominican Republic regained its independence from Spain.

These are just a brief examples of how rich my country is and also, how many places still there waiting to be discovered!

Reflection (week 5) - Instructional Design and Technology in Classroom

In classrooms has been implementing the use of technology as a way of support the work of teaching. The example describes that have been provided to teachers and students laptops with internet, using these tools at all times.

However, the use of these resources has many advantages for learning and also many other disadvantages. Therefore, the teacher should make use of applications that allow him to measure the performance of their students, such as virtual classrooms, work group collaboration and online quizzes. Because what cannot be measured, cannot be improved.

An example of a classroom project could be a photo sharing (keeping as a storytelling project as well), so teachers can incentive his students to use any application to create this assignment and share experiences in class. Speaking about that, I decided a long time ago to create a user in Instagram, because through this application I can share my points of view, what impacts me and what I like. Also, I can follow another users, create and follow hashtags and trend topics. So, click and look my Instagram!

Finally, the use of technology in the classroom is a challenge, since the cooperation of all is needed to achieve positive, long-term and quality results.