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Thursday, March 18, 2010

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Journal #4 NETS 1,4, 5

Finding students who learn with media. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5),
Retrieved on March 4, from 
http://www.iste.org/A/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25255&DirectListComboInd=D

Summary: In the article, “Finding Students Who Learn with Media” by Glen Bull, Curby Alexander and Bill Ferster, the authors discuss the benefits of a “student-created media” in the classroom.  According to the authors, students are engaged in their learning in classes where they can use web-based tools like “primary access.”  PrimaryAcesss is a moviemaker application, which is accessed online that allows students to create their own short documentary films about any social issue or study.  The students use their own text, primary source images and audio narration when creating the documentary film.  The website also provides primary source documents.  The authors also mention the storyboard tool provided on the PrimaryAccess website.  The storyboard is used to create a “visual historical narrative”, which also allows students to engage in their learning.  According to the authors teaching students to use these web tools are not time consuming.  The authors believe that providing these web tools to students can in return help teachers “provide instruction and assign task that best meet students individual needs.”  The authors believe that using an application like PrimaryAcesss in a classroom can help the teacher gather data about a student’s performance.
Question 1:  What occurs when students are not engaged in the moviemaker or storyboard activity? Not all students are engaged in media online tools. Differentiating instruction is always important.  Other students might want to write traditional essays or might need additional scaffolding to increase “content mastery and task management.”
 Question 2: How will I incorporate this into my classroom? The primary access tool is a wonderful tool that all teachers should incorporate in their classrooms.  I would probably use this tool when teaching something historic in my classroom like the Civil Rights Movement. I believe that it is a good experience when students are able to search and use their own primary sources to create their own documentary.

Journal #3 Keeping the Peace NETS 3,4, 5


Levinson, M. (2010). Keeping the peace. Learning and Leading with Technology37(5), Retrieved on March 4 from,
http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfmSection=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25237&DirectListComboInd=D

 Summary:
In the article “Keeping the Peace” by Matt Levinson, the author talks about the benefits of integrating a “laptop program” in schools to introduce technology to students. The author talked about a school called Nueva School whose students, teachers and parents were divided on the issue of the appropriate use of instant messaging and video chatting at school and at home.  The school allowed students to iChat, but it soon became a problem because instant messaging had become a social network even during school hours.  Many parents felt betrayed by the schools because they felt the school had taken their rights as parents to give permission to their children to use instant messaging.  On the other hand, there were other parents who did not oppose to the use of instant messaging because they felt that it was a new opportunity that their children should experience.  After the controversy the school decided to implement a “laptop program” and a “boot-up camp”, which helped students, teachers and parents learn about the appropriate use of technology. The school also used new guidelines which included: a “partnership with Common Sense Media”, a signed policy before using laptops, an IM program for use at school with teacher permission and limited use, and informational workshops for parents. 
Question 1: What could have Nueva School done to prevent the controversy about Instant Messaging? I believe that all parents have rights over their child’s education.  I believe that the school should have asked for the parent’s permission before letting the students Ichat during school hours.  The school should have educated their students before letting the Ichat.
Question 2: How can teachers educate their students about Ichat?  There is many ways teachers can educate their students about Ichat. There is many websites that can help teachers teach introduction to technology.  The important issue is to educate students about Ichat safety.  Students should also be educated with time management when it comes to technology. 

Journal #2"Using Podcasts to Develop a Global Perspective"-NETS 1,4, 5

Maguth, B.M., & Elliott, J. . (2010). Using Podcasts to develop a global perspective. Learning and Leading with Technology37(5),
Retrieved on March 4, 
from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25244&DirectListComboInd=D
 Summary:
In the article “Using Podcasts to Develop a Global Perspective” by Brad M. Maguth and Jeff Elliott, the authors talk about the benefits of using podcasts in the classroom.  According to the authors podcasting can allow students to reach a wider audience online to address global challenges or even other important issues.  Podcasting also allows students to “collaborate with diverse global populations.”  Podcasting are being used in classrooms to help students learn about other cultures.  According to the authors another benefit of podcasting is that it allows students to interact with digital technology.  The authors strongly feel that podcasting can help students be more engaged while learning.   Podcasting also helps students communicate with their peers about global challenges.  According to the authors podcasting does involve a lot of hard work, which include, planning, researching, writing and editing.  Podcasting also allows students to create scripts, embed background music and even allows students to record debates.  The authors feel that an assignment that uses podcasts can help students experience a deeper depth of study in an issues like global warming and it can help students know about multiple perspectives about an issues and gives students the opportunity to discuss about global issues.
Question 1:  How would I incorporate podcasting in my classroom? There are many materials that can be covered and discussed with the help of podcasting.  Global challenges, current debates, and cultural diversity are some materials that students can discuss by using podcast.  I will definitely integrate podcasting in my classrooms because it lets students collaborate and create creative, and informational data.
Question 2: What educational technology standards for teachers does podcasting meet?
The educational technology standard for teacher that podcasting meets is the standard “model digital-age work and learning” because teachers are able to “exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of innovative professional in a global and digital society”

Journal #1 Computing in the Clouds-NETS 3, 5


Johnson, D. (2009). Computing in the clouds. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(4). Retrieved on March 4, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/DecemberJanuaryNo4/Computing_in_the_Clouds.htm

Summary:
This article discusses "cloud computing" which is the use of web services to help maintain data and applications.  In this article, author Johnson believes that integrating "cloud computing" in the classroom will be beneficial for both the students and teachers. Johnson also believes that cloud computing can be inexpensive for schools that are spending more money on other services that are not as effective as the online approach of "cloud computing." Johnson believes that web services are beneficial for school-specific tasks, photo storage and editing, word processing, presentation and much more.   Johnson is also an advocate of netbooks because according to him they are "inexpensive, reliable, lightweight, and easily maintained, with a long battery life and a high degree of functionality” for kids and teachers. The author made me think about the benefits about cloud computing because schools would definitely benefit financially from this approach.  I believe that it will take practice and time for teachers to become experts. It also makes me think about the students benefits the students will gain. 
Question 1: How will incorporate “cloud computing” into my classroom?  Since cloud computing is web services that helps maintain data and application, I can help store gradebook and reporting information.  I would also help my students develop the technological skills to learn how to use these web services.
Question 2: What educational technology standards for teachers does “cloud computing” meet? I believe that the standard that “cloud computing” meets is the model digital-age work and learning because the “teacher demonstrates fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Social Bookmarking-NETS 1, 4,5

Social bookmarking is a technology tool that is used to bookmark educational sites for yourself.  The website SocialBookmarkingDelicious.com allows the user to share these bookmarks with peers who are member of this site. This is an effective tool because it allows teachers to find educational sites that benefits them.

1. Primary sources are important to use in classroom because it gives students a deeper connection and understanding of a topic. There should be many primary sources when presenting a topic to the students for example documents, autobiographies, letters, diaries of the historical event or period of time.  The exhibit that I chose was the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire.  The website has photographs and documents about the damage that the earthquake brought to San Francisco.
 
2. The student groups that experience achievement gaps are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender students, ethnic minorities, English language learners, students with disabilities, boys, girls and students from low-income families.  The area that fits my teaching style is from the quote “determining the diverse groups in my school and learning about the student’s families and their access to school services.” I believe it is very important to know about a student’s cultural background because it can help me understand their values, goals, and personalities. It will also give me insight about their feeling toward their education.  It is important for teachers to relate and understand student’s diverse cultural, language and ethnicity because it can help the student achieve and feel welcomed in a classroom. The other quote that fits my styles is “engaging school staff in discussion and activities that offer an opportunity to explore attitudes, beliefs, and values related to cultural diversity and cultural competence.” I feel it is very important for teachers to become aware of the different cultures that students bring to a school.  All educators need to become multicultural aware because it is important to know what his or her students values, beliefs and attitudes are in life, and in school.  The other quote that fits my style is “build and use a network of "natural helpers" at school and in the community as well as "experts" who have knowledge of the culturally, linguistically, racially, and ethnically diverse groups served by your school.” It is important for students to relate to other people who are of the same culture. I believe that inviting people from different cultural backgrounds into my classroom can help my students learn more about their cultures and other cultures. It is also important for students to become multiculturally educated.

3. I received a 1 on the “Are you a cyberbully” quiz. I believe it is accurate because I respect people even when they are online.  It is very important to respect others profiles (facebook,twitter,myspace).  I feel that I am going to be a good role model for my students when it comes to cyber bullying. I learned that there are four types of cyber bullies, which include, the vengeful angel, the power-hungry or revenge of the nerds, the mean girls and the inadvertent cyber bully. The four types of cyber bullies have similarities, for example, they all seek power and they all want control over their victims.  Most have been victims of cyber bulling and are seeking revenge.  There are also some differences, for example, their motivations for cyber bullying their peers.  Means girls usually gossip about their fellow peers because they are usually jealous of their victims or they want to “fit in” with the rest of their peers.  Some of the cyber bullies do not even know the harm they are causing their victims. This information can definitely help in my classroom because I can teach the different types of cyber bullies to my students. I hope some students will even learn to recognize that they have become part of cyber bullying even when they did not know.  I am planning to integrate into a lesson plan many information gathered from this website. 


4. The area that interested me the most in the “subject assess” was the science and technology information.  I like that the website has resources for learning about the American Museum of Natural History.  This website also has a collection of activities, and articles that I can use in my classroom to teach my students about astronomy, biology, earth science and many more subjects. There is also information about Albert Einstein and his biography and importance in science.  There is many information from this website that I can use to create lesson plans.  The area that interested me the most in the “Teachers helpers” was the “slide shows for teaching.” This website has links to PDF, Flash, HTML versions of slide shows to help educators with a variety of subjects for example, there information on the introduction of internet that will definitely help me teach my students about the internet. There is also many more links to information about HTML, computer classroom guides and information about Web 2.0 tools.

5. The grade that I chose to do my research on was kindergarten to second grade.  The subject was arts and the lesson plan that I was most interested to help me teach tolerance to my future students was the “friendship pizza” lesson plan. The lesson’s goal is to promote acceptance and friendship.  The activity is to help students create a “friendship pizza” with different types of ingredients.  The ingredients represent good traits that friends should have towards each other. All of the students participate and create the “friendship pizza.”  The crust of the pizza is made up of accepting and friendly thoughts and the sauce and ingredients are made up of friendly actions.  Some examples that students gave for friendly actions were “eat with me at lunch,” “tell someone they look nice”, “eat lunch with me.” The teacher leaves blank toppings so that students can add other friendly ingredients to the pizza for the rest of the year.

6. My top three intelligences according to the quiz are intrapersonal (88%), naturalistic (67%) and verbal-linguistic (67%). The video that I observed was the interview with Howard Garder.  I learned that there is a need for curriculum change.  According to Garder students need to take more time learning about a subject.  Garder believes that students learn too many subjects and too much material in a quickly manner that they are not given the opportunity to understand and analyze the subject or topic. Gardner also believes that most students “have a very superficial knowledge.” I also learned that students should be exposed to a subject longer than a month.

7. One of the questions that I found interesting was “What percentage of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender high school students report that their teachers “never” or “rarely” respond to homophobic remarks made by other students, according to a national study by GLSEN? I was shocked that 84.5% percent of teachers do not provide a safe environment for their students.  I believe that teachers need to be role models for their students, and teaching tolerance is an important trait that a teacher should carry. 
The other question that I found interesting was “According to the National Center for Education Statistics, what is the percentage of U.S. schools with no teachers of color on staff? I believe that all schools should have teachers from different ethnicities. It is so critical for students to have relationship with teachers of different cultural backgrounds.



8. My grade on the Netiquette was an 80%. I believe it is very important to teach students the core rules of Netiquette. I would like to teach my students the core rules of Netiquette because it can prevent them from becoming cyber bullies.  I also believe that all students should know what cyber bully means and its damage to themselves and others. Students should also learn that cyber bullying is the same or sometimes even worse than regular bullying, which is mostly done at school. I will also teach my students the different types of cyber bullying. I believe that all students should learn or know how to behave online.  : ^ D