Hypothesis Testing

This activity took way longer than expected because I forgot to sort my variable before I performed my t test.  I couldn't figure out why my answers didn't match up until a few hours later when it finally hit me.  Fun stuff. 
I already had the data analysis toolkit installed in Excel from the previous activity.  I sorted my variable and then under data analysis I selected the t test option for two-sample equal variables.  I highlighted my other variable and my test was done.  The results that were under 0.05 meant that there was evidence to reject the null hypothesis. 

Here are my tables:

	AGE	Gender	Teaching
Score	0.42	0.28	0.06*
D.Posts	0.00*	0.44	0.06*
MelScore	0.08	0.37	0.01*

P=.05

	Chrome	Firefox	IE	Safari
Score		0.13	0.02*	0.01*
D.Posts		0.15	0.19	0.24
MelScore		0.45	0.62	0.15

The standards addressed would be #3 Model Digital-Age Work and Learning and #5 Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.  Teachers demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. Teachers evaluate and reflect on current research to make effective use of digital tools and resources.

Data Preparation

For this assignment we had to develop two research questions from the Excel data.  We had to identify the dependent and independent variables and state our hypothesis and null hypothesis.  I had to refresh my memory and look up the meanings of different variables.  I wasn't sure what a null hypothesis was exactly. 
Here are my research questions:

1.  Does gender affect a person's millennial score?
Independent variable-gender
Dependent variable-millennial score
Hypothesis-If gender is related to one's millennial score, then women will have a lower score than men.
Null hypothesis-Gender is not related to one's millennial score.

2.  Does age affect which browser a person uses?
Independent variable-age
Dependent variable-browser type
Hypothesis-If age is related to one's browser type, then older students will use Internet Explorer.
Null hypothesis-Age is not related to which browser one uses.

The standards addressed in this activity are # 3 Model Digital-Age Work and Learning and #5 Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.  Using Excel demonstrates fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.  Teachers also model effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

Excel Basics

The first thing I did for this activity was to open Excel and install the analysis tool pack.  I opened the shared Google Doc and saved it in Excel. I changed the variables to numeric codes by using the find/replace options.  I sorted by ascending/descending order and then by levels.  The average for the blog posts was calculated. Apparently I am below average, which is disappointing because I have done the required amount of posts.
This activity was easy enough.  I don't have much experience with Excel but all I had to do was play around with the program to find what I needed.
The standard addressed would be #5 Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership. Using Excel to manipulate data would allow teachers to make effective use of digital tools and resources.

Research Overview

I agree that education is "fad based" not "research based."  Each year teachers and students are asked to use new programs.  Then the next year someone decides these programs aren't working so new programs are implemented.  I understand that there aren't a lot of outside influences to affect the education system in WV.  We are a small state with few universities.  To be a consummate educational professional, you would have to look outside of the state and attend conferences and study scholarly research or you would have to start your own data collection and research. It is hard to pososess all of the skills needed to be a great educator because there is so much to learn and so much is changing.  It seems once you learn something, it changes and you have to learn something new.  Especially in WV there are a lot of barriers because there are few resources available to us.  There is also a lack of funds to support continuing education.
The standard addressed would be #5 Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership because doing research requires teachers to continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school.  Teachers would evaluate and reflect on current research to make effective use fo digital tools and resources.

Self Assessment@Midterm

I did the self-assessment and I feel like I'm keeping up fairly well with the classwork.  It is overwhelming and time consuming but I'm keeping my head above water.  I think it is good to take time and self-assess so you know exactly how you are progressing and what you really need to work on.  I'm praying that this class only gets easier from here but I'm having my doubts.

Pew Millenial Test

  I took the Pew Millenial Survey.  Below is my score.

I'm not sure if I should be embarrassed or what.  I am 28 years old so I guess I don't quite fit in with my age group.  I don't have time for TV and I'm usually a week late reading the paper.  I definitely don't have the time for a Facebook account, nor the desire for one.  I send texts occasionally, I'm religious, and I'm a teacher so a high paying job is obviously not that important.  I just want to be a great mother and wife at this point in my life. 

Personality Profile 2

     The personality quiz gave me a slightly different score than my previous one.  Instead of an INFJ, I received an ISFJ.  The results were still very similar.  I am a protector who is interested in the safety of those I care about.  Family is the center of my life and I want nothing more than to keep them safe and happy.  I have a strong sense of loyalty and responsiblity, especially towards family and friends.  I strive to keep others away from the dangers of the world.  I don't like change, especially at work where practices constantly change.  I value tradition.  My shyness is often mistaken as coldness.  This is one of the biggest obstacles I face.  I am actually very warm-hearted and sympathetic but can initially seem distant.  I am very hard-working, but overworked and undervalued.  I definitely do all the work but receive little credit.  Often I feel unappreciated at home and work.  One of the careers I am best suited for is education.  That's a relief. 
     These results might help me in leading students and teachers.  I think once you understand yourself you can better understand and help others.  Being aware of my shortcomings can help me improve my teaching and mentoring.
     This activity would address standards #3 Model Digital-Age Work and Learning and #5 Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.  Teachers collaborate with students using digital tools and resources to support students success and innovation.  Teachers improve their professional practice by identifying teaching strategies for their students.

Personality Profile

      I read this and then used this to find that my own personality type is INFJ.  I focus on my own inner world which makes me an introvert.  I interpret and add meaning to the information I take in which is called intuition.  When making decisions I look first at people and circumstances which is called feeling.  Finally, I prefer to get things decided when dealing with the outside world which is called judging. 
     I feel like I do seek meaning and connection in my ideas, amongst my relationships, and with material possessions.  I especially have possessions that are very dear to me and have significant sentimental values.  I believe I am very insightful about others and a very good judge of character.  I really want to understand why they act or think as they do.  I am very rooted in my values and will not compromise.  I do have a very clear vision about how best to serve the common good.  I also am decisive when it comes to implementing my vision.  I know what I want and will find a way to accomplish my goals.
     I fall under the category of Idealist Counselor.  I definitely want to reach my goals without compromising my personal ethics.  I always want to act in good conscience.  I would never sleep at night or function in the day with a guilty conscience.  I like to speak of what I hope for and imagine of people.
     So far I agree with the results of my personality type and can apply what is being said to my every day life.

Audacity

Here is my Audacity project. 
This was a vey time consuming and stressful activity.  Every program I used to complete this activty was new for me.  When I finished this project, I was so relieved.
I downloaded music to use for my project and imported the audio into Audacity.  I then edited each track down to 10-15 seconds.  I recorded my narrative and moved the tracks around to complement the story.  I adjusted the volume of the music and my voice and also used effects like fading in and fading out music.  It took me days and days to edit my project.  When I finished, I exported my project as an MP3 using LAME encoder.  I created an account with Podbean and published my podcast there.  Finally I embedded my project into my blog.
This would be neat to use in the classroom, especially if students used Audacity to share their music history.  That would be something I think they would enjoy sharing and others would enjoy hearing.  My only concern would be the difficulty of the task. 
The standards addressed would be #1 Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and #2 Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.  Creating an Audacity project would be a great way to promote, support, and model creative thinking.  Teachers would design learning experiences that incorporate digital tools.  The learning activity would be personalized and address diverse learning styles.