Wiki

This assignment definitely required a lot of time and energy... Although I only have myself to blame for not spacing it out more :). When talking with some of my peers, we thought maybe this should have been a requirement for the A contract, but the more I thought about it, I realized it was great that it was part of the C contract. Not as many people would have attempted the A contract had this been apart of it because it does seem like a very daunting task at first. I'm really glad in the end for having done this assignment because it showed me a lot of information I might not have otherwise found. I discovered a lot of different resources that will be beneficial to me when I'm a teacher and its great that I took the time to find it sooner rather than later.

Exit Slip #13

Desired Classroom Activity...
If teaching a sixth grade classroom, I would incorporate technology in a variety of ways. First, of course, I would have a HUGE interactive whiteboard (hopefully they'll be making big ones by the time I start teaching, and they also wouldn't be affected if more than one person was working on the whiteboard). This would be used for daily learning. All of my students would have their own personal laptop on which all of their classwork, interests and projects would be on. They would be theirs for the entire school year. By doing this I'm not only preparing my students for the modes of technology they will be working with in the real world, but also have everyone on the same playing field regarding their learning. And finally, I would have a class wiki in which to keep all students informed, as well as their parents. This way, parents are able to see exactly what is taking place every day in their child's life and see how they are doing in school. Parents will then be able to review this information and then find the different ways to contact me should they have any questions or concerns.

Class Ideas...
IWB
Video Streaming
Blogging
Scratch-making games
Epals-collaborative learning
Simulations/virtual labs
Online whiteboarding
Course Website/portal
Podcasting
1:1 Initiative
Wiki
Screencasting
Delicious-social bookmarking

We discussed Dr. Boyer's teaching philosophy (constructivism). After hearing it, it makes so much sense to me on why his teaching methods are as effective as they are. We won't learn anything if we aren't given the chance to DO IT. 

Changes in my Thinking...
My entire perception on how technology can be used as changed. I thought incorporating technology into the classroom meant using a computer. Shocking I know. This class has taught me so much. I really couldn't believe it was possible for me to be able to do all of the assignment (A contract). I'm actually really proud of myself and all I accomplished. It showed me how beneficial technology in the classroom can really be.

PSA Reflection

This assignment was really fun! I worked with a great group so it made the whole process of creating our PSA very enjoyable. It did require us to all exert a great amount of energy into this project. We first had to decide what we wanted to do and how to make up an effective PSA. We needed to look up statistics and related information. We then had to think about what we wanted our core message to be, and how it would flow through the announcement. Filming required all of us knowing what to say and how to say it. Editing was a group effort because none of us have really worked with Live Movie Maker before so it was quite an experience. Overall, I really liked doing this assignment, even if it's daunting at first. :)

Exit Slip #12

Notes from Video
Technology has revolutionized how teaching takes place. Moved away from books and handouts and instead had the students use computers (laptops) in place of these. Use blogs in order to keep both students and parents informed on what's taking place in class. Has an interactive white board within the class for more hands on learning. Helps students practice life long learning. Participate in online collaborative projects to work and connect with other students from around the world.

...

Took awhile to debrief about what we learned from the video. We discussed what we could do before, what we couldn't, and what we could do better as a result of using this technology within our own classrooms. We then did a jigsaw activity with the class about 7 brilliant and 7 stupid things teachers do with technology. It was nice doing it this way because we were able to learn about each of the different topics with only being responsible to first know about only one thing.

Exit Slip #11

We had the final group facilitate our discussion today. They used the jigsaw method of discussion which was really interesting and beneficial to see in action. We then did our standard debriefing about the group. This book really made me realize how our current education system needs some changing in order to better prepare our future students for the world that awaits them. With the ever increasing use of technology, schools are still slow to change their attitudes towards its use in the classroom. We then did a media search for the rest of the class period. It was a great activity since it showed how quickly we can actually find resources to add to our delicious accounts.

Rethink: Chapter 10

This chapter was great because it looked at all the main areas that we have to be considerate of when "rethinking" education in a technology world; how to learn, how to motivate, what's important to learn, career choices, the transitions between learning and work, educational leadership, and the government's role in education. The authors' also included their own vision for the future, what they hoped their book would inspire. I'm not going to lie, reading this last chapter intimidated me a lot because of the thought of all these changes that could be taking place in the next 10 or so years (who knows when, really). But it got me to thinking, as scared of all these changes as I am, it's what our future students need. Not even as teachers, but as members of our society, what we're doing now isn't meant for us, it's meant for the next generation. This chapter has really taught me that I need to not be as concerned as to what I'm comfortable with but to do what's best for the future generation.

I think it's a good time for me to be going through college right now; current teachers might struggle with this transition, thinking that if something's not broken, why fix it? But the truth is, something is broken. It broke my heart to know that only 14% of students with a C average will graduate from college. We know that nowadays, you pretty much need a college education to make real money; we need to help our students to get there. But they need to help themselves as well. I believe that students with a C average are more than capable of achieving good grades, but what we are teaching isn't applicable to them. We need to let them be in control of their learning, but with us there to offer them support and guidance when need be. They can't do everything on their own yet, that's why they are still in school. But we need to have more faith in them then we generally do. We need let them make some decisions for themselves. I think we'd find ourselves quite surprised that they can be greater then we give them credit for.

Exit Slip #10

We took care of some housekeeping briefly and then listened to the group facilitate our discussion on Rethinking: Chapter 9. They did a good job. They tried to incorporate Scrib-link into our discussion, but unfortunately it wasn't loading. So they quickly had us get into the groups we were supposed to orignially discuss our question with. We then discussed about our homework that's due for next week. We then had the rest of the class to either work here or leave.

Podcast Reflection

The podcast itself wasn't too difficult to do, once I understood how to work Audacity. I encountered difficulty when adding my music and sound effects and turned to the lynda.com tutorials for help, but they didn't really give me the answers I was looking for so I just fiddled around and figured it out on my own. I think the hardest part for me wasn't putting the sound effects in, it was finding ones that were appropriate and free online. I also did my podcast in stages so that way I wasn't overwhelmed when I didn't understand something; I'd just come back to it later. Overall, I think I exerted a great deal of effort into this assignment and am very proud of the work I did. It might have been due to my computer's microphone or that I wasn't speaking loudly, but my sound waves weren't incredibly high or noticeable on Audacity, which made editing a bit of a challenge. But, all the more reason to be proud when it came out the way that I wanted it to.

Rethink: Chapter 9

Throughout reading this book, the bottom line is there is a shift in where learning is taking place. My eyes are confidently open to the ways in which we can use technology both in and outside the classroom to promote and sustain a learning environment. There were some things in this chapter that I read that I don't necessarily agree with. I understand that children are going to play video games and that the right ones can promote deeper learning and I think parents should all at least try to be actively interested in their child's interests. But I don't think that instead of reading a book, you should go play video games with your child. I'm not saying that you can't do that, I think that's great. But I don't advocate doing something like playing a video game in replacement of reading with your child. And I know everyone has their own individual interests, but I don't think students, especially young ones, are going to go and network with people from all around the world about dinosaurs and create these amazing MUVEs. I don't know. Maybe they can and I'm just skeptical about it since I've never seen anything like that done before, but it just seems a little crazy to me.

I feel that as a future educator, I just need to keep my eyes open to what works best for my students. Learning is not longer black and white... There's a lot of gray area. I feel that the best way to serve my students is to just be open to what they really need. Times are changing, and if you can't get the job done, a school will find someone who will. In my future classroom, I hope to find a unique balance between both technology and the regular school. With the school system changing, we need to be ready for it. Taking a class like this shows me all the different ways that I can connect my students to a network outside of our classroom. Information like this can truly benefit all educators as it keeps them up to date with what to do. I'm not saying that every single time a new technology comes out that it must immediately be up and running in your class, but it really helps to be aware with what our students are using and how to relate to them.

BWP: Chapter 10 & Epilogue

This final chapter was really telling us not only what to expect in the future, but what we as educators must do to prepare. I really appreciated the "major shifts" headings as some information I had forgotten that was near the start of the book. This chapter was a great indicator of what changes we can anticipate for our future teaching positions. One of the shifts that really stuck a chord with me was "Many, Many Teachers and 24/7 Learning". I think originally I might have been inclined to see students relying upon other teachers for deeper knowledge might have left me feeling like I was somehow failing my students, that I wasn't able to provide for them as I should have. But, while teachers are knowledgeable, there are a seldom few who would deem themselves experts in everything. It's great that students are able to turn to the internet to enhance and continue their learning when their curiosity must be satisfied. Plus, while my students might network and connect with teachers from around the world on their educational journey, I too might find myself building relationships with students from other schools to better serve them. I think I need to stop worrying so much that I need to be the person with all the answers. I know if there's something I don't know, I turn to the internet; as should my students.

I really liked the Epilogue at the end of this book. Throughout reading, I was able to get a pretty good understanding of all the different tools and technology available for our use, but I wasn't entirely sure how someone like me would make use of them on a daily basis. It was incredibly helpful to have a brief scenario given to allow me to understand how I might one day use similar technologies when I'm a teacher. Truth be told, I sort of expected many of these technologies would be pretty time consuming, but it only took Tom McHale about 45 minutes to do all that he wanted. This book has really been a huge help into not only what I want my students to use, but what I want to use as well.

Exit Slip #9

We took care of housekeeping for the day. The presenters for Chapter 9 facilitated our discussion for today. Dr. Boyer then showed us an article of a charter school where approximately 124 students go to school in a one room school house where each student has their individual office desk to work on their projects. They are required to take the same standardized and state tests that students from public schools do and are required to meet the same requirements, which I wasn't really aware of. I thought this was really neat because I wasn't always 100% aware of what took place in a charter school. We then debriefed on the positives and deltas of the presentation. The group did super well and had a great concept (Venn diagram), but it got a little bit sloppy when having to write on it. Dr. Boyer then shared different tricks and tips to help us for our final iRLO project. We then discussed what we needed to do for our technology inquiry wiki. there's definitely a lot of things to focus on.

Rethink: Chapter 8

In this chapter, there was great discussion about three main components; customization, interaction, and learner control. These are all incredibly important factors as far as technology based learning is concerned. Technology is able to offer students to customize not only what they are learning, but how they are learning it. Many technology tools offer a wide range of interaction, which is greatly beneficial to the students' learning processes. And instead of the teacher being in charge of what the student is to learn, the student is able to decide for themselves. I feel that having students have more responsibility for their education in turn allows them to be successful. These three components tie into three main ways that schools can cope with technology; performance based assessment, new curriculum designs, and new approaches to equity in a digital world. As a teacher, I feel it is our right to find what works best for each individual student and allow them to pursue that. However, we do need to be mindful of what standards are set by both the state and school district and work within those confines. While reading the "new curriculum designs" portion of this chapter, I was a little hesitant to whether I agreed with the authors' ideas or not. And I know that it says that we're supposed to trust teenagers to choose their own paths, but I just don't agree with that. I don't care how be good of preparation you do, teenagers at 14 and 15 aren't really thinking about their long term or life time goals. Teenagers are still children. They don't need constant hand holding but they do need guidance.

As stated numerous times, this world is changing, and we need to be ready for it. I found while reading this chapter that their are plenty of ideas proposed that I don't necessarily agree with. But the point of education is to constantly evolve into a better practice for the betterment of our students. Just because I don't agree with something doesn't mean it won't be effective, and if it is something that is expected by our standards then there's really no other option but to comply. The point of the matter is, we are living in a time where the way we might have learned is different from the way our future students can learn, and we need to be prepared to make accommodations. There's nothing wrong with holding onto personal beliefs and ideas, as long as we are open to what is truly best for our students.

Screencast Reflection

http://screencast.com/t/gvCC3xvHX

Preparing for this screencast definitely required some effort. Not only did I have to spend time exploring and figuring out my cool tool, I then had to think about the SWOT analysis. I wrote my entire script for my screencast in order to refrain from audible pauses (uhm's and likes), which required time to do as well. I think I probably recorded my screencast at least 5-6 times before I was satisfied. The firm 5 minute time limit was sort of hard to work within, since I know I rushed at the end to talk about my final thoughts. But I knew I probably wouldn't be able to do another screencast as well and with as few errors as my final one so I left it.

Doing a screencast was actually kind of fun. I think it's good practice to share a project like this with our peers now to prepare us for working with our future colleagues. I think it also helps us learning how to speak professionally, since we want to set a good example for our students. 

BWP: Chapter 9

This reading really taught me that social networking sites are far more useful and innovative than many of us give them credit for. By using social networking sites as a way to expand our horizons and connect with others who have similar interests from around the world, we are able to better prepare our students for what's out there. There's an occurring trend that students take more pride in their work when they are publishing it for others to see who are genuinely interested, not just their teacher. Social networking sites allow students to put their ideas out there and not only have others comment on them, but allow a deeper knowledge to grow for our students. Plenty of what our students will learn can come from the outside of the classroom. By incorporating social networking sites, we are not only having our students work with a tool that they are more than familiar with, but we are having them use it in an academic sense. However, because a vast majority of schools have social networking sites like Facebook blocked, using sites like Ning is a great alternative. While some teachers are able to find success in fighting for the right to use Facebook within their classroom, others have yet to do so.

As a teacher, I don't think I would even try to fight for the use of Facebook in my classroom. As a user myself, I would want to try to keep that specific site as one where students are able to keep in contact with their friends. I would more than likely try a different site, such as Ning, to still get the same effect but in a more school friendly approach. While it did state in the reading that Ning isn't perfect, I feel that that's okay. As an educator, it is up to me to work out the problems that may arise by using such technology. I really like that the author always states that prior to using any of these tools within the classroom, we should use them first. Clearly I would want to experiment with and explore a site like Ning by myself prior to introducing it into my classroom. By doing this, I could discover some perks that I might not have even known about before, or I might even discover that this isn't necessarily the site for my students and want to explore and find a different one to use.

Exit Slip #8

We facilitated the discussion today for our class on Rethinking Chapter. We needed to watch our "uhms" and to make sure our directions were clear, but overall we did really well. I'm proud that we thought of a unique idea of how to have our peers communicate with one another. Because of the weird class layout, we weren't always able to see everybody very well but all in all I think we did a good job.

After debriefing, we looked at webinars. I've heard about them before but I never really knew how they worked. They actually seem like an incredibly useful tool. It's something that I think would make online classes much more enjoyable and interactive then they tend to be. We then discussed our podcasting assignment. We can look at articles for inspiration to discuss but they have to relate to students who are PK-12, not older. Dr. Boyer told us how beneficial it will be to use to have a script written up in order to do our podcasts (and screen casts) and to not just "wing it" when we do the recording. We then went over the homework for the next week. Some of the items aren't due for awhile but I think I'll try to get them done anyways. It's going to be a busy weekend. :)

Rethink: Chapter 7

I felt like this chapter was another chapter that was just tying everything together that we've been reading about. It really told you what can be lost and gained by the use of technology both within and out of the educational sphere. One of the points that struck a chord with me was that because of all this educational technology, there will be less competition with the schools. I just don't believe this to be true. There will always be something to divide people from one another. I'm not saying this is right or how it should be, just simply stating how things are. There will always be people who are more wealthy than others, who will always be able to afford the next, up and coming form of technology to assist their child to be the very best. Middle to lower class families can't always afford the newest of everything. But I feel that not having access to technology doesn't mean that you can't be as educated, if not more educated, than those who have all of these resources available at their fingertips.

As a future teacher, I'm well aware the impact and role technology plays in students lives... I'm living it right now. But I want to make sure that I do my very best to make sure all of my students learn to their fullest potential, with or without technology. This is not to say that I won't have my students do countless projects within my classroom that incorporate all the benefits of technology, but I don't think I'll be expecting my students to work outside of the school with these types of tools. My mom is a teacher back at home and she told me that a little less than half of the students are on the reduced/free lunch program. If parents aren't able to afford lunch for their children, I certainly won't expect them to afford owning a computer. I feel that as educators, we need to be increasingly aware of our surroundings, and that depending on where we work, incorporating technology can be an easy and common occurrence or something far and few. We need to recognize the confines we are working with and work within them. All students deserve a great education, regardless of what their parents can afford, and it's up to us to give it to them.

BWP: Chapter 8

Prior to this reading, I had heard of podcasts but I wasn't entirely sure how they worked or what their purpose was. This chapter helped me see the benefits of using this technology within the classroom. Especially for those with learning impairments or those who are more auditory learners, it would be a great tool to implement to accommodate these types of students. Screencasting is great because in an age where technology is playing an increasingly popular role within the schools, you are able to show students just what to do. I can see screencasting being used in such a way that allows my students to watch the screencast on a project and then come see me if they need any additional help. I feel that this also goes along the line of having the students take responsibility for their education; they are taught something and if they feel that they still don't understand, it is up to them to seek out the teacher's help. I feel that the teacher is still teaching, but instead of wasting time going over things that a screencast could cover, students are asking questions about things they genuinely don't understand. As far as live streaming goes, I can see how it can give students a very hands on learning experience. However, the teacher who filmed his class everyday... I don't think I would ever do something like that. I feel that too often both adults and children alike try to put on a show when they know someone could be closely watching them (for better or worse, I suppose) but all the same, I think it is something I would use as an educational tool, but not instill it in my classroom the way some other teachers have.

One of the core things I anticipate doing when I'm a future teacher as a result of this reading is pay attention to what my individual students need to better their learning. Some might need a podcast, while others won't care for it at all, and that's okay. Other students might really put forth their best work knowing it will be published (video casting) while others might want to watch something and then have the opportunity to actively engage in a discussion about the topic. I feel that to be the best teacher I can, I need to have each student try each of these options for a period of time and then allow them to pick what works best for them. They could switch it up every assignment or they might prefer to stick with one way of doing things; but the important thing is that it is a decision they made that they benefit the most from.

Exit Slip #7

Today in class we listened to a group facilitate a discussion about Rethinking Chapter 6. They did a really good job dividing up the class into discussion groups and by designating places throughout the room for us to go. They set a really high bar for the rest of the semester. I'm really excited to present next week. Dr. Boyer then went over different tips using the SMARTboard. It was a great help because there were quite a few things that I didn't know how to do. Even if it doesn't pertain to my specific IWB lesson, it's helpful to know how to do it in the future. I didn't know how to lock words so that they can still move yet not be edited. And I learned how to make clones of something that I want my students to drag across the SMARTboard. We learned to pay great attention to the coloring of our backgrounds and text. We also learned how we shouldn't include more than roughly 36 words per slide when creating presentations.

I think I might meet with Dr. Boyer to help me make some changes to my IWB. If not that, for sure with my Scratch lesson. Dr. Boyer discussed how he was on Skype and how we are able to reach him that way if office hours or email doesn't always work. Before we left today we did a mid-semester course evaluation.

iRLO Reflection

The iRLO assignment was challenging. It definitely wasn't something that you could just throw together. It took time to just explore and figure out how things get pieced together. I feel that people who didn't really experience that great of difficulty probably have a more computational mindset. I look at things and see them for what they are, not always how they function. This assignment was good because it caused me to think in a different way than I normally would've. After looking at some of the other assignments after I had posted mine, I felt like mine was maybe not as "cool" as everyone else's, but it still required effort from me in order to get it to work, which made me proud. I'm looking forward to seeing what critiques my peers give me in order to better my iRLO and perhaps get some more help.

Rethink: Chapter 6

This chapter really helped me understand the overall shift from where education started and to where it is now. The other chapters were building up to this and I felt like this chapter was just tying everything together and helped me understand everything prior to this a lot more. This reading has led me to believe that education isn't points on a line but rather a continuum, things are constantly evolving and changing. But sometimes this change is happening so slowly we don't ever realize it until way after the fact. The three phases that were highlighted in "Rethinking" took a long time to get to the way they were. As a future teacher I wonder what types of trials and tribulations lie ahead of me my first year teaching, my 5th year, my 25th... Will the greatest amount of good for the most amount of people keep changing? And if so, what will I do to stay caught up? What if this technological shift does have an ever increasing amount of students being home schooled or being involved in distance/online education? If we're individualizing instruction (which I have no arguments with) and allowing students to pick the topics that interest them or that will enhance their career choice, I feel like we're going back to the ways of apprenticeships in some sense.

From this reading, I feel that the best I can do is to keep an open mind to the world around me. Not every one thing is suited for every one person and this holds true in education. Not every student will learn best in a regular classroom set up with the general curriculum, while others can greatly excel at it. I feel also that too much individualization without precedent might allow students to "slack off" or only want to learn about subjects the they find interesting. I'm not saying you can't further your knowledge about a particular topic, but if I had my choice I wouldn't really have to deal with science unless it involved looking at animals. There are some things that we have an obligation to teach our students and I just hope that we don't completely veer away from that. 

BWP: Chapter 7

Once again, I learned about a new technology tool. When first learning about Flickr, I figured that it was just a website that one would upload photos to, edit them, and could share them with their family and friends. Clearly I was greatly mistaken. Flickr not only allows you to post pictures and videos but grants you access to view others photos as well as comment on them, use them with their permission, as well as find pictures that are related to yours. The possibilities are truly endless. The reading also gave a few examples of how one might go about incorporating Flickr into their classroom, which I found to be incredibly useful. This reading showed me that sometimes you need discover the true capabilities of a tool before totally overlooking it. If I would've gone off of my main assumption of what I thought Flickr was, I'd be missing out on a great enhancement to my future classroom. This reading also has started to make me think how much more pride students would have in their work if their audience expanded beyond the walls of our classroom. Having people from all around the world view, comment, and even use students' work is such a beneficial experience.

There are a few things I plan to do after reading this chapter. First and foremost is to totally understand whatever it is I'm looking at. As stated earlier, what I thought Flickr was happened to be far away from it's capabilities. In order to see what can best serve the classroom, you need to know what it is. That's what I plan to do with any tools I happen to use in my future classroom. I want to stress to my students that people from all around the world actually care and are interested in what's going on in our classroom. They care about the work that they are doing and might even have helpful comments to aid us in our learning adventure. By allowing students to post their work on the Internet using tools like Flickr, they are connecting with people who they otherwise might not have known existed. And all because of using a simple tool. Using this type of technology allows us to give our students a diversity that we probably wouldn't be able to offer inside the normal classroom setting.

Exit Slip #6

I was in charge of doing the "What we did in class today" wiki. Today's discussion group did an incredible job. They had a neat way of putting the class into groups (card colors) and had all the materials prepared and ready to go for the class. While they did have changes listed, they did a really good job and are something to try to strive for for the rest of the class. We spent the rest of class time discussing the iRLO. It was really useful to have Dr. Boyer show us the different tools available and ways to use the Scratch program. I'm really glad that I watched some of the tutorial videos on how to use Scratch before coming to class today. I felt like I wasn't totally drowning in a sea of knowledge today. That was nice.

Rethink: Chapter 5

There are a variety of different education outlets that I wasn't aware of until reading this book. Actually, I suppose I knew about them but didn't really acknowledge how powerful they actually are. Prior to this chapter we had been looking at pro technology vs. anti technology, and how the American school system needs to change to accommodate the future needs of today's youth. But after reading chapter 5, I feel that that's exactly what is happening in the United States, as well as worldwide. Granted homeschooling is nothing new, but it's becoming increasingly popular, with the use of many online sources to assist both parents and their children/students. While I've never seen a learning center before, I've seen commercials for them as well as have heard about their benefits. I think it's great that if students have needs that aren't being addressed at school, they can get them met elsewhere. I can relate to distance learning as I took an online class in high school and I'm taking one right now. I feel a major pitfall with distance learning is that when you aren't in a classroom setting, it allows students to not do their work.  I remember watching PBS all the time when I was a little kid; I loved it! I think many of those programs are great because they really do teach children something. I understand that video games can aid in the thinking process, but since most games don't have a reflection portion, integrating video games into an educational setting would definitely require some background research.

With all these different facets of education, I feel it would be incorrect to say that our schooling system hasn't changed. It has reinvented itself. Maybe not to the degree that enthusiasts wish, but clearly schooling is no longer taking place in just the classroom. I think we can all recall hearing the saying "college isn't for everybody", and I think that's true. But maybe, the classroom way of learning isn't for everybody either. I think as a future teacher it's not only my job to educate my students, but recognize what works best for them; and it just may be that that won't be in the confines of a school. With all these different outlets and ways of learning, why not allow students to venture to something else if that works best for them?

Reflection about IWB

I made a mistake when I first submitted my lesson. I thought it was only supposed to be one slide (or one activity). After reviewing a few of my peers IWB lesson, I realized my error and spent time to correct it. While my lesson has yet to be reviewed and given corrections, I am proud of the work I did. It was my first time ever having to use Smart Notebook so it took a little exploration to understand what you can do. I'm know there's much more I'm able to do using Smart Notebook software... I just haven't discovered it yet. I also had to search around for material to use within my lesson.

I think doing a lesson like this and having it critiqued just goes to show that teaching is a continuum; it's never over. You can always do something to improve your teaching. It's important to be open to what people are telling you; some people might be completely wrong with the advice their giving, while others might be dead on. Sharing your lesson is almost like collaborating with others, making the end result even better. They might have an idea for your lesson that you never would've even thought of. Students deserve to have the very best educators, and sometimes in order to be our best, we could use a little help.

BWP: Chapter 6

Chapter 6 focused on the social web; more specifically Twitter and social bookmarking. As far as Twitter goes, I'm still a little confused about the relevance of it. I understand how it works (more so than I did before) but I feel that there's better tools available for both myself and my future students to connect to others. Maybe Twitter, like a few other tools I've learned about, is just one of those things I'll have to go on and explore myself in order to make better sense of it and realize all of its advantages. Having been using Delicious for a few weeks now, I felt a little more comfortable reading about how it works. Diigo, while I understand the differences, I don't fully understand the benefits of using it over Delicious. I did find it very interesting that you are able to highlight or add a sticky note to works on your Diigo account. That might be a new way to track student thinking on different reading assignments for them. This technology makes me think about the concept of differentiation, and that as future educators, we will be judged on how well we can make accommodations for our students. Technology like this, while isn't something I don't think I might be interested in, might very well be a great way for some students to learn about and connect with others.


As a result of this thinking, I need to start being more open to new ideas, and that even if I don't necessarily agree with or fully understand them, I might have a student who would benefit greatly from tools like the ones we've read about for today. While things like Twitter are still relatively new, I need to take into consideration that these are tools that might one day be the every day norm for my students and therefore they will probably be more advanced and comfortable with them than I am. I need to not only make sure that I am doing the proper amount of exploring for each of these tools, but also allow myself to learn from my students; they will always know more about the current technology than we do. Our students need to be prepared for a whole world run by connections and technology, and we need to get them ready. 

Exit Slip #5

Took care of housekeeping. Found out we won't be assigned our peer reviewers until our next lab. Our presenters for the Rethink book discussed about the development of American schooling. We did an activity that looked at the different components that makes up the schooling and analyzed negatives about them and what we can do to change them. I learned that our system isn't a perfect specimen yet, that there's always room for improvement. We debriefed on positives and changes. Things I want to take away from their presentation that I want to remember for mine is to watch my audible pauses, be sure to speak up, to encourage deeper thinking with what we're sharing our peers, and make sure we know what we're talking about. We then discussed the iRLO assignment. This is another assignment in which we'll have to turn in a draft for. I found some more sites that I want to add to my Delicious account. We learned about Scratch, which is a program that helps develop interactive activities. I was intimidated about this assignment, but it looks like it's going to be really fun. I think I'm going to watch a video tutorial about Scratch so I understand it a little better. At the very end of class Dr. Boyer showed us how using Google Scholar is a beneficial source in looking for information for our inquiry question.

Rethink: Chapter 4

Is it bad that this reading didn't really make me think that much about technology and how it affects teaching and learning? To me, this reading just made me realize that the education I have the access to now isn't anywhere near to how it started off as. I think too often as students we complain about the "tragedy" that is school, but ultimately, it's a luxury we take advantage of. I guess now that more I think about it, apprenticeships ended because of the need for a different kind of educational institution. As stated in the text, this only happened because the surge of immigrants needed to get a proper education in order to participate actively and objectively in the government. If you think about it, teaching the immigrants English was a form of technology. Today's youth is going to need a lot more than knowing how to speak English to be valued members of society. The more I keep reading this book, the more aware I become that some changes need to take place within our educational institutions for the betterment of our youth. In th reading, it said that schools are incredibly slow to change, that it took roughly 100 years or so to get the system the way it is now. For better or worse, I think we need to not completely rush the technological changes we are striving for. Instead, we need to take gradual steps towards the ideal academic institution. We've learned in our BWP book about all the wonderful tools that are available to us, many of which are free. Prior to this class, I really didn't know that much about them. For student learning, if we want to be able to move forward, I think we need to start educating the older generation first.

As a result of this reading I can think of a few ways to react... Get my future students parents involved. Sending notes home frequently so the parents know exactly what is happening. The best way for our schools to change in the technological path we want them to is be keeping everyone involved educated. Another idea for me to consider is that unfortunately, change doesn't happen overnight. Many of the technologies I take advantage of today weren't even around 20 years ago. In order to one day have the school system change to the most accommodating institution for the future that lies ahead, we need to appreciate the small accomplishments that are made, instead of zeroing in on the end result.

BWP: Chapter 5

I had used RSS my senior year of high school for my Contemporary Global Issues Class. It might have been my case of senioritis, but I didn't really understand fully how an RSS worked. Flash forward to college and doing a research project meant either looking around aimlessly on the Internet or hunting around the campus library. The RSS feed is a great tool in aiding those in the research process as well as people who just want information about topics that interest them. In almost all of my classes, we keep hearing about individualized instruction and how we need to start tailoring the curriculum to meet each child's needs. Incorporating RSS into the classroom could do just that. Students could not only have a bit of free rein on what topics they want to learn about, but they would also learn how to become better researchers. I feel that an underlying theme throughout reading this book is to ultimately give our students more independence with their own education. I don't think incorporating this type of technology would in any way make a teacher become a facilitator. We are merely showing students the tools that might enhance their thinking.

As a result of my thinking in regards to RSS, it would be neat to do a research project in which the students would use the "general" methods of finding their information. I would then introduce RSS and allow them to work with that. After they've had time to work with each different mode of investigating, I would allow them to choose which one they wanted to continue on using. I believe one of the most effective ways for students to make the best decision for themselves academically is by allowing them to try different things. Maybe they would like the old school way of looking things up and that has a place in research as well, but they would also be able to see the world of information and resources they have available right at their fingertips.

Exit Slip: #4

The group for Rethink: Chapter 3 presented after we took care of some housekeeping. The presentation focused on the skeptics' of technology. I enjoyed the presentation because it allowed me to realized how much of an enthusiast I actually am. Following the presentation, we did the postitives/changes chart which got me to thinking about the expectations I hold for me and my group members when we do our presentation. We reviewed our technology inquiry questions... I was excited that I didn't have to alter my question at all :)

We then began to look at the interactive whiteboard lesson. It looks like it's going to be really fun to do. Dr. Boyer showed us how to use the notebook software and different resources that can help us complete the IWB lesson. We also looked all of the criteria for this assignment. I think I want to do a lesson about history.

Rethink: Chapter 3

It was interesting to read about what skeptics of technology thought. I definitely found some of their thoughts well grounded while others were a bit outlandish. I'm sure there's plenty of teachers who are very adamant about using technology within their classrooms. While that's great and everything, but about the students who don't have computers at their home? I know what the statistics said in the book, but I would still worry about students who were underprivileged and didn't have a computer at home to do their work on. Of course I was aware that there are things that never can be taught by computers. Even after reading the skeptics' point of view, I don't  understand if technology is beneficial to the education of the students, to why not incorporate. It might not be best to have a bunch of different technology within a given classroom, but I fail to see why it wouldn't work to use some technological resources within the classroom and have homework non technology based. I know it said that teachers generally use whole class instruction to get their point across, but using stations or centers in a rotation process could be just as effective. The teacher would still be able to maintain a sense of authority while the students are getting the best of both worlds. The skeptics' concerns come from a good place, but I feel like they aren't being entirely fair to all the good and help that technology offers. We are in a time where we need to look at each child's individual needs and from there customize a plan to fit them. And it might incorporate technology.

As a result of this reading, I feel that I'm more aware of where skeptics' are coming from in regards to technology. I'm a strong believer in knowing both sides of a story therefore you are better able to form your own opinion. I feel that that's what has happened. I believe I'm better able to teach students because I know both the benefits and shortcomings of using technology in my classroom. As stated in previous posts, technology is meant to enhance our teaching abilities, not replace them. Why on earth would I keep from students from using technology if it was benefiting them and they had access to it? Answer: I wouldn't.

BWP: Chapter 4

While discussing wikis in one of my other education classes, I was lost as to why a wiki would be beneficial in the education process; why not just have all students keep blogs? I really liked that they put pictures of examples of wikis because it allowed me to understand that a wiki is very similar to our D2L set up. The only difference prior to reading Chapter 4 I saw between a wiki and a blog was that a blog generally only had one author while a wiki was a collaboration of everyone who wanted to participate. This made me remember being in high school and teachers telling us to not use Wikipedia because anybody can add, change or erase whatever they want to and that it's not a very reliable place to look for information. BWP taught me that Wikipedia is actually a good site to use when looking for information and that the actions of those trying to "vandalize" the site are normally corrected within a few hours. Using wikis within an educational setting allows students to actively participate in their education instead of the teacher being the dictator. Students being able to edit content as well as see how whatever they add might be edited gives a real hands on approach in the ways of constructive criticism. By reviewing such editing with your students, it might further enable them to understand why what they had written was incorrect. This has the possibility of leaving a lasting impression on the students of certain critiques they've been giving as opposed to the teacher just correcting a worksheet. Wikis have the capability to truly get the entire class involved in the learning.

I think I would probably try to implement a wiki within my classroom. I know they had talked about an easier "beginner" version, so perhaps something like that. And while many of my teachers tried to deter me and my peers from using Wikipedia as a reliable source, I plan to encourage my students to use it. This might sound like a stretch, but being an editor as one is when using a wiki, is very centralized (to me at least) around English and reading. If teachers were to use wikis not only in English, but in all other subjects, we'd be teaching our students to think more critically. One of the greatest things about using a wiki is that it gives you the opportunity to connect with people all around the world. What better way to instill tolerance and understanding in today's youth by learning about different cultures from the youth of those cultures?!

Exit Slip #3

We listened to three of our peers present on chapter 2 from our Rethink book. After their presentation we discussed about positives and changes for everyone to consider for presentations in the future. I learned about the importance of "wait time", and that we should allow 7 to 10 seconds for our audience to respond after we ask a question. We reviewed the benefits of using Google Advanced, which I definitely plan to use in the future.

We talked about the technology inquiry assignment. I think I want to do something about students with exceptionalities since that is a population that I have a great passion for. Dr. Boyer showed us a smartboard site that can assist us not only in this class but when we actually begin teaching as well.

Rethink: Chapter 2

While being in this technology class, I must admit that at times I am still a little skeptical of being able to greatly enhance our students' education with technology. Chapter 2 showed me just how wrong I really was. The list of enhanced capabilities (just in time learning, learner control, interaction, scaffolding, games and simulation, multimedia, publication and reflection) opened my eyes to how beneficial technology can be. Teachers learn about having to incorporate a variety of teaching methods to appease students different learning abilities. We are in an age where we need to start individualizing our instruction for each student. I'm starting to grasp why using technology within a classroom setting can allow our students to learn more than perhaps they might if everyone is just sitting in their desks listening to me lecture. There was one section in the reading that really made sense to me. It talked about "how much of school is like learning tennis by being told the rules and practicing the forehand, backhand and serve without ever playing or seeing a tennis match" (23). How can we expect our students to really value what we're teaching them unless we show them how it will help them in the real world. And what better way to do that than to use different outlets of technology?

I can say that before this class I probably wouldn't have felt very inclined to use technology in my classroom... what would be the point? But now, I feel that if we want to get our students excited about learning and have them feel that what we are teaching them really will help them one day, we are better able to illustrate the benefits using technology. I feel that there's few other options to explain to our students how having them do math, science, English, or history will help them be valuable members of society without the use of technology.
By using technology, students will not only have a better understanding of what they're learning, but I believe that they will actually want to learn.

BWP: Chapters 1-3

For starters, I guess I wasn't totally aware of how relatively new the Internet is. The first chapter opened my eyes to the struggle older teachers are encountering in this technology based environment. I find it incredibly important to take into consideration what tools and technologies were available to today's teachers when they first began their careers. A part of the reading I found both interesting and useful was the teacher's toolbox. I had heard about quite a few of these "tools" in the past but I didn't really have a clue of how beneficial they could be in a classroom setting. The reading really taught me about how to be more open and understanding to the types of technologies my future students are being raised using on a daily basis.

Chapters 2 and 3 gave me a crash course on web logs (blogs). Some extremely useful information I found was showing the reader what blogging was and what it wasn't. I think that this distinction can really help teachers understand how to effectively implement blogs, along with other technologies, within their classrooms. I think the author made a great point when she discussed that before teachers can have their students use technology within the classroom, the teacher must first. That's a lesson that I will try and practice when I become a teacher. 

Growing Up Online

Honestly, this video scared me. I'm not blind to the fact that students are now growing up in a technological age, but at the same time I feel that technology should only be used to enhance what the teachers are teaching not replace them. The two teachers they showed I felt were at opposite ends of the spectrum. The male teacher felt students needed to be almost entertained to engage them in the learning process. I totally disagree. If you go through all this work to have your students sit there and be "entertained" how are they ever going to be beneficial in society one day? On the other end, a female teacher who had been working for 30 years steered clear of using technology in her classroom. I disagree with that as well. It's about finding the right balance between incorporating technology into the classroom environment.

The images that stuck most with me from the video was of the girl with the eating disorder and of the young boy who committed suicide because of cyber bullying. I have no tolerance for people being mean to others, you never know how the words that you can say (or type) to someone else will affect them. I would make it my mission to instill into my students the idea that you don't have to get along or like everyone, but you will respect everyone. I would make sure to inform my students' parents the dangers that can be found within a computer. However, it doesn't have to come to that if parents begin open and honest relationships with their children about the proper uses of technology. By teaching our youth proper technology etiquette, we might not have to worry as much about the many threats that are posed and instead reap the benefits.

Site Evaluation

There were about five categories I looked at when evaluating whether or not a website is credible. 1. Who's the author? Is it a name you might recognize? Is it even listed? 2. Is the site biased in any way? Instead of giving you the facts on a topic, you get a sense of trying to be swayed one way or the other. 3. What is the context of the site? Even if you know very little about the topic you're researching, there might be some completely outlandish information embedded within it that you know makes the website unreliable. 4. Are there any citations that support where this evidence came from? Are the links from these citations to actually see the sources? And finally, 5. Are there dates that tell you when the site was created and when it was last updated? It's important to view all of these categories as a whole and not just individually. Just because you might be able to find the dates of when the website was created and who the author is, doesn't mean you can just ignore the rest of the criteria and completely trust the site.

While researching the four sites, there were two that I felt could easily identify were not credible while the other two took a bit more digging. Take for instance the tree octopus website. I couldn't find an author or citations (just a long list of books about tree octopi) and it was last updated on the day that it was created. All the put aside, the mere context of a tree octopus should allow the reader to know they're looking at an unreliable site. The second site focused on Martin Luther King Jr., which didn't offer an author, citations or dates. Again, just skimming over the site showed extreme bias, where a part of the site discusses Jewish companies being promoters of "hate crime". Such a site shouldn't be taken as the truth. The Explorers site was difficult for me. While skimming over, I found authors with information about them, links to references and when the site was last updated. Then I actually started to read the information and found that the context didn't make sense (explorer in the 1500's getting his armor from eBay.com?) And finally, the DHMO site looked pretty reliable at first. It looked like there was SO much good information. I could find an author and the date it was last updated, but I couldn't find any citations to support what I was reading. What set me off was all the links to click on to donate money to "the cause". There were Mastercard, Visa, and Paypal logos all around the site, causing me to believe there was some bias involved.

This activity showed me that sometimes you have to do a little digging in the right places to find out whether or not you can trust the sources you are looking at. In a time where technology is becoming increasingly prevalent in our schools, we need to make sure our students know that you can find great information online, but that you need to know how to filter out the good sites from the bad.

Rethink: Preface & Chapter 1

I really liked how at the beginning of chapter one it began listing approximately 10 different scenarios in which technology had been a positive factor in a variety of people's lives. While I was aware of how beneficial technology is, these different situations opened my eyes to the truth that there isn't just one type of technology nor one specific way that lives can be enriched and improved due to the Knowledge Revolution. I completely agreed with the statement that read "The changes sparked by the Knowledge Revolution are neither all good nor all bad" (pg. 6). While I do worry that sometimes technology is beginning to be the center point in our youth, I also understand the importance of working with what the students will be able to relate with.

I am a bit torn on how I will react to this technological revolution. I believe the technology should really only be used to aid an educator, not replace them. I intend to use a variety of different technological tools to be able to educate my future students but to also keep in mind that I need to pull my own weight; I can't leave it to advances in technology to be the sole reason behind a student's learning.

Exit Slip #1

There were quite a number of things I felt I learned today. Number one being grateful for a professor who goes through and explains things. The homework schedule makes more sense now. It's surprising how effective silence can be; allowing us to think of questions that need answering. 

Now onto topics that were discussed in class. I remember having to do social bookmarking for only one class while I was in high school. Maybe it was because I didn't really like my teacher for that class and wasn't really paying attention, but I had no idea how incredibly useful social bookmarking can be. I found it very interesting that our delicious account is something that isn't only beneficial to us to complete the B contract, but as a tool when we begin our teaching careers. 

I've heard about wikis before but it's safe to say that I didn't really fully understand what they were until today. I thought it was really neat how if a student misses a class that there doesn't need to be any miscommunication between teacher and student, rather the student can take the initiative to look on the wiki to find out what they've missed. This way, I think it leaves more to the student to take care of their own grade then it does the teacher. While I'm aware that the wiki can do more than just a summary of the days events, I really liked the format that it was being used in. 

Reaction to Digital Autobiography

I spent the better part of an hour working on this assignment. While it wasn't a terribly time consuming activity, it was something I felt that required some focus. I had to put a bit of thought into decided what it was I wanted my autobiography to zero in on. It's not something you can just throw together in a matter of minutes.

After completing this task, I found that it wasn't incredibly difficult and that it was kind of fun. I feel that it relates to this class by effectively communicating to others about ourselves while using technology. In a way, it's almost a new age method to introducing yourself to classmates. Instead of doing the standard "Give your name, where you're from, and three things about yourself", you can now provide a neat visual aide.

I feel that this activity shows us all as future educators that there's more than just one method of going about things and that we are able to incorporate technology into different facets of our curriculum.

Digital Autobiography

http://www.photoshow.com/watch/bd8Sg9TK

ED 331: First Post

1. Technology is the use of electronics in order to convey an idea, thought, or concept.


2. Technological integration describes the uses of different electronics in order to accommodate all students throughout different curriculum. As an example, this might appear as students using power point to display a presentation.