Session 4 January 29 - February 4

Question: Identify yourself in one of the five categories of innovators. Provide examples to substantiate your self categorization.

After hearing the podcast for this week, I would have to categorize myself in the majority group of "early majority." There are definite individuals in our college that I can identify as innovators and there are people who I know would fall under early adopters. I am not one of them. But I do find myself more cautious about adopting a new idea or innovation when it comes to teaching techniques. I often consider and think about what the students' reactions will be regarding the new ideas. I usually wait until I have observed other teachers using the ideas or innovations before I will attempt them myself. An example is the MyMathLab program. At first, I thought it would be more difficult to teach with computer problems on a computer screen. But after trying it out for myself and one semester of teaching it, I would prefer this method of teaching rather than the traditional method of a standard textbook.
There is one individual at my college who I respect their opinion about new ideas and innovations. Usually, I will talk to this person and ask him about the pros and cons with using the new ideas in the classroom and get his opinion. I believe he is a very honest person who will tell me whether an idea is working with the students or it is something that is a complete waste of their time.
I would not find myself in the late majority because I am not resistant to change. I know of many teachers who fall under this category and believe that we should still be teaching using only textbooks and chalkboards! But then once a majority of the faculty begin putting the peer pressure of them to change, they decide to go with the flow. I am not resistant to change. And I definitely do not fall under the lagger category.

My activity log for this week is as follows:
Monday, January 29, 2007: Received the response units and brought 42 of them home. I will work on setting up my experimental class to demonstrate project #1.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007: Downloaded and listened to the podcast for this week. Began writing up notes from the lecture.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007: Finished notes for this week. Began writing up blog posting.
Thursday, February 1, 2007: Finished blog posting. I will comment on my classmates postings for this week.
Friday, February 2, 2007: I will work on setting up my experimental class with the PRS software. Computing services is installing the software on my office computer and the computers in the classrooms that I will be teaching in.
Saturday, February 3, 2007: Continue responding and commenting on classmates postings.
Sunday, February 4, 2007: Continue comments on postings. I will run through a sample class session using the PRS software at home before I bring it to class on Monday. Watch the Super Bowl.

My project #1 is going great. I will have the PowerPoint lecture done this weekend. I want to video tape my class using the PRS software as proof of my use of technology in the classroom.

My project #2 hasn't started yet. I did purchase a headset with microphone so that I can record the Camtasia training videos.

My project #3 began with data collection. I am requesting the cost of a classroom set of responders along with data collected from the students who have used the responders from project #1