Golden Line:

Paragraph 14

"With no provable evidence of plagiarism, I had no grounds to fail him or even raise this with administrators."

How does it relate to our reading? This line epitomizes the dilemma college instructors face when we suspect a student of using AI. We wonder what are the consequences for the student, other than a lack of learning.

How does this line speak to you and in what ways? This line stood out to me because I had this exact situation happen to me with a student in a summer reading class. I had no way to "prove" the student used AI. I confronted the student and they denied using it. This situation is making me think how I might need to reword my syllabus to address these situation.

Paragraph 4:

"VR offers a visual and interactive experience that transforms abstract ideas into something tangible and more accessible."

How does it relate to our reading?

This line boils down what I think is the main draw of virtual reality (VR) in education. It allows educators to partially bridge the gap between an idea and an experience. While sometimes it can be difficult to give students the level of access to experience that we'd like as educators, using technologies like VR can be helpful to counteract that.

How does this line speak to you and in what ways?

This line speaks to me as someone who went to school in a rural area where the ability to get hands on experience with science and technology were limited. I think any technology that can be incorporated to bridge the divide between theory and practice is extremely important. Immersive technologies such as VR can allow students another medium in which to engage with concepts, which can help them learn in a more meaningful way than just seeing images, videos, or text alone.

"One goal, Wallace said, is to make critical training more accessible to attract a skilled first responder workforce."

I just feel that is a very out of touch selling point from the president of the company. This device will probably do a good job of getting new students a little emersion and variety in what can be a very repetitive set of skills practice. I also like that the device can be loaded with new protocols and standing orders to help everyone learn and practice up to date or changed orders, which will benefit the senior and skilled folks. However, to suggest that people are going to move to this department or county because they have a VR training tool is really a bridge too far. I also think the Mayor's assertion that this new tech is limitless goes to show how little people outside of public safety really understand what it is we do.

This line speaks to the reading because it is encapsulating the fraught way that many educators are viewing AI. The reality is, folks are having trouble avoiding it. It is now embedded into Google and being used in MS Word. Though some may be tempted to ignore AI as a concept, it is becoming more and more difficult to do so. Where does this leave us as educators?

For me this line resonates with a deep skepticism about AI. As an English instructor, crafting original ideas, brainstorming, proper grammar, and gathering/evaluating source material are of vital importance. When shortcuts abound, what are we really left teaching? How to use prompts efficiently? (This reminds me of the concern over calculators. If a computer is doing the work--where does that leave us?

“People who have not used it [OER textbooks], people who are less aware of it, think lower of it, because they think it’s a free thing, it’s this random thing on the internet, there’s no standards" (Mowreader para. 12).

Please explain why you chose the Golden Line. How does it relate to our reading?

This article was making the interesting observation that while teaching face-to-face is still the most popular modality, online teaching has become more common, and with online instruction becoming more common, so has the use of online education resource (OER) textbooks. I was interested in the quote I included above because the article's main point about OER textbooks seemed to be that we need to talk about them more, both in regard to possible benefits (like accessibility and affordability) and drawbacks (possible lack of retention and sometimes a lack of website support for troubleshooting OER user problems).

Why/How does this line speak to you and in what ways?

My field of study in my graduate program was literature, so the ways we consume texts, as well as which texts become popular and why (canonization), are important subjects to me. I think these need to be discussed more: how do we read online texts and why? What are their affordances and limitations? Also, and perhaps most significantly for instructors, how do we educate our students on how to read digital texts versus other texts, particularly given that retention of content is often lessened when content is viewed on a digitized screen?

This line truly speaks to me because while so many complained about online learning and virtual instruction, my students and I were able to experience that when digital technology is used properly and effectively, students (and teachers) can still learn, collaborate, and engage with others in a manner that builds both their social and academic development in a fun and productive way. In fact, my classes had an amazing time learning together online and it was truly a wonderful experience for us.

There are a number of other tools out there which can do the same thing, but most are overwhelmingly detailed and complex. I don't need this. I want something intuitive enough for introductory students to get the gist in 5 minutes or less, while still being able to yield interesting insights. Using this tool, I can ask questions like "Was Bisbee Arizona underwater at the time when the Dinosaurs went extinct (66 million years ago)?" and the tool itself provides the pathway to answering the question. I can make these questions much easier or harder if I need to without having to introduce overly complex tools or worry about things like downloads or high usage of computer / memory resources.

The downside of the tool is that only certain instants in time are visible, not a continuum. You can't pick any date you want, only those which are available. I find that this can be turned into an advantage though, as students may be challenged to fill in the blanks as a way of testing their understanding of changes in Earth's continents and oceans over time.

The other downside, not related to the tool itself, is that many students come with knowledge gaps in geography which I struggle to address in the course. I suspect I will need to find some way of making some practice with geography available for students that need it but at the moment, I only work on geography skills in my F2F class as a discussion / activity. Students struggle to identify countries based on their modern day political boundaries. They don't always have a clear mental model of where Earth's continents are today, which ocean is which, so the tool ends up being too far from what they already know. A student who can't name which continents border the Atlantic ocean without looking it up, those students will struggle to make the leap to different configurations of those continents in the past. I have one question on a lab where I ask about India, whose tectonic collision with the main continent of Asia is what results in the formation of the Himalayas. Except, less than half of students seem to be able to comfortable identify India based on what its modern political boundaries look like. The tool can show the Earth as it is today, just set it to 0 years ago, but sometimes the difficulties of the questions I ask about it end up in the wrong place.

The review of the integration of technology in physics education elucidates

substantial benefits in enhancing learning methodologies and student

engagement. It is evident from the studies discussed that technological tools such

as simulations, virtual and augmented realities, and interactive software significantly

enrich the educational landscape. These tools not only facilitate a deeper

understanding of complex physics concepts but also cater to diverse learning styles,

making physics more accessible and engaging to a broader range of students. The

shift towards more dynamic and interactive learning environments is crucial as it

aligns with the evolving educational needs of the digital era, providing students with

the skills necessary to thrive in technologically driven contexts.

However, the

implementation of these technologies is not without challenges. The lack of

adequate training for educators and disparities in technological access are

significant barriers that need addressing. For technology integration to be truly

effective, it is imperative that comprehensive professional development programs

are implemented. These programs should equip educators with the necessary skills

and confidence to utilize technological tools effectively. Moreover, ensuring

equitable access to these resources is essential to avoid exacerbating educational

inequalities. By addressing these challenges, the potential of technology to

transform physics education can be fully realized, leading to improved educational

outcomes and greater student engagement.

I included the entire section from the paper's conclusion because I believe it highlights the role of technology enhancement of physics instruction. However, the piece that really stood out to me was the insight for the need of continuous professional development of the faculty to allow these tools to be used most effectively and equitably.

In my own personal experience, when I decided to transition from traditional lecture/lab instruction to physics education research (PER) informed studio methods, I was immeasurably aided through a series of National Science Foundation funded workshops and week-long seminars that helped me to understand an implement the results of that research. Key to that was robust institutional support along the way. Without those opportunities, it seems unlikely that I would have been able to integrate PER into my teaching pedagogy to the level which I have. This paper highlights the need for that type of support if institutions are going to expect faculty to transition to greater technological use.

Golden Line:

“EdTech tools simplify administrative tasks, improve teaching methods, and boost student engagement. The result is a more connected and interactive learning environment.”

Please explain why you chose the Golden Line. How does it relate to our reading?

I completely agree with my golden line. I feel that Technology has brought some challenges, but I think that the benefits outweigh the challenges. Technology makes our jobs a little easier when it comes to using platforms to track students’ progress. It also allows instructors to use different teaching methodologies that we can use in the classroom to meet students’ needs, and it provides educational opportunities to students.

Why/How does this line speak to you and in what ways?

I remember when I first started attending college in 2006 and I remember having to use paper forms to register in classes and we also had paper form for our degree map. Now, students can enroll themselves in classes and look at their degree progress. Technology has given students the opportunity to consider the different class options for their degree. Also, Technology allows students to earn a degree without having to be on campus. I was fortunate to use technology (Zoom) in my ESL courses. I feel that by using Zoom I was giving the opportunity to adult learners to learn English without having to leave their homes. Technology makes our jobs a little easier.