Web Conference - March 12, 2011 - Dr. Kay Abernathy

This was my first experience with a web-conference and I have to say it was very educational. Not only did it allow me to have live contact with other students, it provided us with the ability to receive answers to questions immediately. Dr. Abernathy was able to answer many questions that we asked her, which cleared up some confusion we seemed to be having with regards to the class. One question that was posed dealt with the availability of the weekly readings. Dr. Abernathy discussed how we need to make sure that we are using APA properly when writing our assignments. Some students seemed to have questions about when we should use APA and if we needed to cite people from personal interviews. One student stated that she wondered whether the STaR chart surveys teachers have to complete actually indicate advancement in technology. She felt that most teachers complete the survey without really having an understanding of what the survey is really evaluating. Some teachers just complete the survey without really paying attention or analyzing each criterion. The web-conference then moved on to the use of Facebook and other social networks in the world of education. Some students indicated that such networks are banned by their districts and teachers are forbidden from becoming "friends" with students within their schools. The conference then moved on to discuss the use of cell phones within the school. With the availability of such a wide range of technology, it only makes sense to find ways to use the "Smartphone" in your instruction. Dr. Abernathy gave examples of books and other readings that would provide students with information that would allow us to implement this type of technology within our classrooms. I also think that teachers need to find some way to implement web-conferencing into their curriculum. This live form of technology is great for students to have hands on, one on one contact not only with one another, but also with their instructors. Again, I found it very educational.