Reflection on Group Project Collaborating on a Word Document

Our project was to collaborate on creating a concept map and a word document. We created the concept map without much trouble. Creating the word document we could collaborate on was more of a problem. Dr. Wang had to show us, to upload the document as a google document before we could both open it for editting. We then learned that we could both edit the document at the same time, however when one saved the changes the other editor's changes were lost. This project taught us we would have to cooperate to collaborate when working on a word document in google docs.

View my articafacts: Click here for the concept map and click here for the word document.

Reflection on Ways to integrate digital images into your classroom

Students today are used to being bombarded with images in every aspect of their lives. They encounter images watching television, on the computer, riding in a car down the street, and even in the school house. By adding digital images to presentations, handouts and room decorations we create a type of normalcy for them. The images help to keep them engaged in the current topic. Images are also valuable in showing rather than telling about events or items we are trying to get them to relate to or understand. The expression "A picture is worth a thousand words" is as true today as when it was coined years ago.


Images can be captured from anywhere. They can be scanned from documents, books, magazines, newspapers and countless other hard copy sources. Images can also come from photographs taken with a digital camera, a cell phone or even a video camera. The images can then be uploaded or downloaded to slide presentations, handouts, web pages or printed and put on the walls, ceilings, doors and windows. The images can be manipulated to look like anything you want them to. A little imagination, a few pieces of equipment (camera, computer, printer, etc...) and you have an attention grabbing lesson for your students.

Reflection on Concept Mapping Assignment

I found the concept mapping to be very interesting. I have used similar tools when developing computer programs, but the programming tools were not as colorful and diverse as the Inspiration tool. It was confusing at first, having so many options. By taking the project one step at a time, I was able to make decisions on how to present each part.

This tool would definitely be great for getting down on paper which individuals would be doing which parts in collaborative projects. This might help to more evenly distribute the workload in groups where normally you would have one or two strong personalities who end up doing the bulk of the work.

View my artifacts: Word Document Format, GIF Format, and Inspiration Format

Reflection on Groups Assignment

The assignment was to establish a Google group. Kristine was designated as the Group moderator for our small group. We were each to post a discussion question and respond to the other group members’ discussion questions. We were supposed to also post a page with links to items for a topic relating to something in the class. Finally we are to create a word document to be saved in Google Docs and posted to the Google group and then posted to our Blogfolio.

I have used Yahoo groups in the past and find them easier to use, but that may be due to being already familiar with them.

I didn’t have any trouble setting up a group in Google Groups, but trying to follow the postings was confusing to me. It seems to all run together. I couldn’t tell if a posting was for a discussion question, a response to a discussion question or the page/list of links we were required to post without opening the post. Perhaps if some guidelines had been established as to how to name the subjects of the posts it might have made things a little clearer for me.

I also get frustrated when I log in to try to respond to posts, but some of the students wait until the day of class to do their postings. I work and have to come straight to class from work and so am unable to access the websites prior to class. One of my co-workers is in an on-line class. They are required to make their initial posting within 3 days of the class and the responses must be posted within 5 days of the class. This allows everyone a couple of days to do the response and gives the instructor a couple of days to view them.

All in all, I am learning there is more than one way to accomplish some of these actions. There are tools available to anyone who is willing to spend some time figuring out how to use the. An investment of time up front may be rewarded with time saved later on. Knowledge of these tools will go a long way in allowing a teacher to come up with innovative ways of getting information to the students.

To view my artifact for this weeks reflection on Groups Assigment click here for the page of Ethics Links