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//June 30, 2010//  Hello, my name is Dustin Kilgour. I am a Ph.D. candidate in Higher Education and am the current Director of Golf and Tennis for Ohio University. I have designed this page with the intent of using it for weekly journal entries as part of a requirement for EDCT 501 at Ohio University. However, my intent is not only to fulfill a requirement, but to also fully emerse myself into this technology with the hopes of learning its usefulness as it pertains to higher education. My career goal is to become a sports managament faculty member at a research oriented university and I am hopeful that the skills I learn in this class will add to the pedagological background I already have.

Although my experience with Wikis is somewhat limited, I am quickly realizing the capabilities of this technology. The use for personal information is quite evident. Being able to share your daily/weekly experiences with family and friends by uploading images and posting updates is something that is done regularly (see Facebook or Twitter). However, at first glance I failed to realize the impact it might have in an educational setting.

As I mentioned above, my interest lies in college teaching. Although this is my first experience with a wiki I believe that his technology can be very useful for weekly discussion boards and debates. Although the ubuquitious editting capabilities may present issues, the 24/7 access will be extremely useful. In the ever-growing sports management field, the presence of online learning is growing quickly. Being able to share information with people from all around the world will provide much needed insight to our new discipline.

//July 2, 2010//

Assigned the task of creating a concept map on a specific topic from my discipline, I had a hard time deciding which to choose. I'm not sure if I am burned out from teaching classes this Spring, but I decided to have a little fun with this assignment. So, I decided to choose a topic more off the wall, but close to my heart. I am excited to share with you my concept map of teaching you //'How to Swing a Golf Club'.// Please enjoy! []

//July 3, 2010//

Just experienced my first online presentation using AdobeConnect. The software worked pretty well and seemed to be a useful tool. Although it's not as impactful as a real life presentation, I was still impressed. My presentation is in a few weeks, so we'll see how it goes.

//July 7, 2010//

Just finished designing a Google Survey about technology use and sent it to friends and family. Hopefully I'll have enough results back by Friday, so that I can do my data analysis.

//July 9, 2010//

I spent the last few days in the hospital with my lovely wife, who is now 35 weeks along and expecting a baby boy in the coming weeks. Due to the hospital visit I got a late start on the Microsoft Publisher assignment. However, since my goal is to run a Sports Administration program, I decided to focus my newsletter on that.

//July 13, 2010// I just completed the Microsoft PowerPoint project and I found it very useful. Prior to today I considered myself quite versed in PowerPoint, but man was I wrong. I thoroughly enjoyed learning all of the nuances of the software and feel that its capabilities as a teaching tool are endless. I would feel comfortable using this at the college level and I prepared my simulation as such.

//July 16, 2010//

I just completed a project using VideoPad. Initially I was skeptical to the how this technology could be used in multiple disciplines. However, I was quite surprised at how my video turned out. I did a quick, 2 minute segment on the formation of Major League Baseball. Although it wasn't as in-depth as I would have liked it, the video was still a nice teaching tool. I believe that you can get the most value from VideoPad by allowing your students to create their own. For me the process of creating the video taught me alot.

//July 21, 2010// I completed my Wordle assignment late last week. Wordle is a unique software that promotes creativity and uniqueness. Its usefulness in my opinion is in the form of a post reading activity. I think allowing students to summarize and analyze the literature they have just read with Wordle is a great learning tool.

//July 22, 2010//

I just completed a grading rubric for a video assignment for a sports history class. I used a website called RubriStar to create the template. The website was easy to use and produced a nice rubric. However, in doing this project I began to question the purpose of rubrics in general. Are rubrics causing our students to lose creativity and strive for the bare minimum? Although this assignment was useful I left with a bad taste in my mouth for rubrics.