Final Blog

This class was a great resource for me to get ready for my own class which starts Monday.  I am a little nervous but I feel I am pretty much prepared so it will be an interesting week.  This class I was uncertain what to expect coming in.  The past 2 classes were very odd to me because I needed to use resources that I have never used before such as Blogger and Wikispapces.  Even though I hardly knew about them and never used them after this class I feel they are great sites for educational use.  I decided to create a Wikispace for my new classroom at IHGMS and I am in the mists of putting it all together and trying to manage it at the same time.  It is something new for me to try but I actually do like it.  The biggest thing I took away from this class was digital citizenship.  I have heard about it in other classes and we brushed upon it a few times but I feel that we touched base on it at least every class even if it were 5 minutes.  I am definitely going to stress digital citizenship with every student that walks into my classroom door this year.  I need to have them understand how to properly use a computer for useful and educational purposes.  This course also made me understand about new and different things that I would otherwise never knew existed such as Pecha Kucha and the list of the digital tools you had use play around with.  This course was overall exciting.  I enjoyed learning about how to take your classroom and education globally.  Being able to see what else is going on in another part of the world is fascinating to me.  This class was very informative, rigorous at times, but mostly it was a fun and relaxing experience for education.

Pecha Kucha

                I have never heard of Pecha Kucha before this past week but to be honest I like it.  It allows people to present anything they what in a short and timely manner.  The video I posted gives a good detailed look to what Pecha Kucha is all about.  The video gives you ideas on how to construct and design different Pecha Kucha’s.  The narrator offers ideas that about adding pictures that convey your message as you speak to your audience or have a slide with important information that you are speaking about.   Here is a quick over view of what I took from it:

§  Pecha Kucha is Japanese for the sound of chatter or casual conversation

§  Started in 2003

§  20 slides at 20 sec per

§  6:40 to present

§  Plan, practice, and use slides that are best suited to get your thought across

§  Time permitting Q&A after

§  Do a lot with a little

                Pecha Kucha I feel can be a very useful tool to use in a classroom.  It is a way to have your students presentations kept down to a bare minimum of just the facts.  It gives them the opportunity to showcase their true potential and how well they are educated with their topic.  Pecha Kucha is about having an opportunity for your voice to be heard.  It allows students to express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings about a certain topic.  P.K. also keeps the attention of your students due to the fast paced content and changing of topics every 7 minutes.  It aides you as a teacher in terms of class management and structure.  I feel that Pecha Kucha does have a place for education.  It can be a useful tool to help students search for what is best in their interest in order to receive a passing grade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSsj0wmeS00

New Media Literacy

                New Media Literacy to me is skills needed to work with the new and upcoming technology in today’s society.  They are skills that allow you to work and play around with new technology.  These skills I feel are not taught to us….instead we pick them up as we go.  As we play around with technology we discover new skills on how to operate the technology we are using.  It seems that the “digital natives” (those born in a completely digital world) are the ones who can easily pick up on the new skills whereas the “digital immigrants” (those who are not familiar with technology) are being taught how to use such technology.  I have taught my parents how to operate a computer and if there is ever an issue I get a call to come and help fix it for them.  Just recently I purchased an iPod for my mom for mother’s day.  I took me well over an hour to teacher her and my father how to use it when they are out walking.  The technology is new to them and it’s not their fault that they are not used to an iPod or some other new technologies, it was just the era they grew up in.

                Media Literacy does fit into my content area.  I can use these skills in my computer class on a daily basis.  I know that once I teach the younger students how to use software correctly they pick it up easily.  I know for a fact that some of my students know more than I do about computers and that does not bother me, actually I am hoping this student can teach me a few things along the way.  Using media literacy will help all my students become better learners because they are finding new ways to problem solve by using the skills that they did or did not they had.  Some of these skills students do not know they have because they are just so used to the motions they think nothing of it.  We have skills that we did not know we had such as fixing a problem with your computer or iPhone.  You did not know that you could fix it but by playing around and using certain skills you were able to fix the issue that you had.  These skills can be used in all classrooms.  It is just a different way of using those skills without the use of technology.  Students need to branch out and find ways to solve the same problems without technology.  I feel since our lives now revolve around technology that we rely on it too much.  We are getting away from using our minds in critical ways.  We are too dependent on the technology that surrounds us and we start to forget how to do things that should be natural to us.  That is not the fault of anyone it is just how our culture is now and it will only continue to grow.  New Media Literacy and the skills that come with it will only become more and more useful as technology continues to grow. 

Article review 2

John Cunliffe

August 2, 2011

EDU 685

Article Title:  Educating the Citizen of Academia Online?

http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ927012.pdf

Review of article:

                This article discusses the pros and cons of distance learning.  In this article they are discussing distance learning in the Arctic/Norway section of the world.  Since Universities are sparse up there it is vital that students who do want to further their education they can must do it by distance learning.  The first issue they talk about is not being able to express oneself and show what you have to offer as a student.   I cannot learn just from a computer.  I need to personal part to it.  I need an actual teacher teaching me….the old fashion way.  I can and have learned a lot from computers alone but for me to understand something in depth I need someone there who can help me by teaching me the way I learn.  Teachers can adjust their teaching style to accommodate others.  I also enjoy the fact that if I do not understand something and I get it wrong, I can go to the teacher and ask for help and she knows I am trying and will help me whereas a computer will just continue and more on no matter if I answered correct or incorrect. 

                The second issue discussed in this article talks about the overuse of writing so they decided to use a tool called Elluminate Live.  This is a video conference tool.  This is not like Skype where you can see another person but more of a message board where all other students in your classroom can ask questions, show emotions about someone speaking, or talk into the microphone and ask questions verbally.  The tool they say is tough to get used to but once you do it is very useful.  This tool is to set up a “virtual classroom” so that students in different parts of the globe can attend class.  I have found an Elluminate Live Intro video on youtube.com that shows you the basics of the tool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbZohAS1hos 

Course Objectives:

                This article is all about Global learning in a couple ways.  First, it is talking about how sparse schools are in the North.  We are lucky that we have an option of where we would like to continue our studies.  Places such as Norway do not have that luxury; they “attend” a university because that is the closest one or only one for hundreds of miles.  Second, they are using a web tool that is made for gathering students who are “across the globe” into one mutual classroom.  The use of this tool is to assist students who are unable to go to your school due to the distance it is away from you.  The only downfall about this tool is that does not give you a face to face person, just a voice. 

Impact:

                I liked reading this article because it showed me that we are lucky to have the things we do.  Things we take for granted that we have all around us and all the tools that are at our disposal.  This article has made me start to think more about “distance learning”.  It made me think about projects where we could link up to other classrooms around the country or world and interact with other students at the same age level.  They could compare class work, rules and regulations for their room, or ever just the weather.  Anything that is different to them is educational because they now know that everyone does learn differently.  I cannot wait to get into my classroom and see where all this new technology will take me and my students.  Technology is forever changing so the possibilities for “distance learning” can only grow and grow.

Reflection:

“Think with, think against and think for yourself.” 

                This quote above was in the article and the author explained his thinking around it but I would like to extend my thoughts of what this means to me.  It is a very interesting and useful quote that could be shared with any student you may have.  Think with.  I like this one the most because it actually reaches out to many students who in fact do think with.  Students now are learners who need to see, feel, and play with the object in order to understand it no matter the object.  If you want a student to get the hang of certain software, they need to play with it in order for them to become comfortable enough to use it in a way that is constructive.  In order to give your students a chance to learn you need to let them explore what you teach in a manner that they learn best with.  Think against.  This one I feel is about pushing yourself to find out more than what you initially thought.  Instead of just giving a bland answer go against yourself and find out more, push yourself to higher limits so you can understand further and gain a better knowledge on the task that was given to you.  This part of the quote also implies that it is okay to not always agree.  In many cases I have learned something but felt that they way the teacher explained it was not useful to me.  I would go about the process that was taught and teach myself a way to obtain the same answer just in a simpler way for myself to understand.  Think for yourself.  This one challenges students to be original and creative.  You do not always need to follow the crowd and just say what they said and be content, go ahead and express what you think and feel about a topic of study.  Those to think for themselves tend to understand things better because they have a grasp on what is being said and how they interrupt that in their own minds and can elaborate more on the subject at hand.  Finally this article was an easy read which made me realize that others do not have the same opportunities as we do and that even though other countries to not have the same amount of resources we can still learn from them.  They introduced me to the idea of “distance learning” and how it can affect your everyday life for the better and prepare you for your future. 

Journal Article

John Cunliffe

July 26, 2011

EDU 685

Article title: Evaluation Across Contexts: Evaluating the Impact of Technology Integration Professional Development Partnerships

                After reading this article I found a few parts that interested me and that I wanted to talk about them a bit more from my perspective.  This article was a very good one to have and did bring up some quality points about technology integration.  This first excerpt was mentioned in the introduction:

“Teachers can use technology to transform the teaching and learning context in a way that will position their students for future opportunities in the global context, preparing them for the flattened world that technology has helped to make possible.”

               

                First they mentioned that the “technology world is flattened.”  I remember we talked about this earlier this semester.  I agree with this quote that technology is basically a tool for our future to use to gain a better understanding of what is out there for them to grab a hold of and make their own.  Teaching with the use of technology is beneficial to our students.  They now have the resources to obtain any type of information that they would need in increase their knowledge.  With the emergence of technology we have become equal, we have become smarter, and we have become a world with nothing standing in our way of achieving a better education.  Before technology not everyone was equal or of the same status.  There were “barriers” or walls in the way of certain people throughout the world that told them that they were not allowed on the other side.  Technology itself tore down those walls.  Within the internet everyone is equal, everyone has a say in what they will do in their future, and no one can say otherwise. 

               

                The second excerpt that I wanted to discuss a bit is more towards to the end of the quote where they mention collaborative evaluation:

“Technology Integration Professional Development, (TIPD) evaluation must provide feedback and information that is useful for all stakeholders in their roles. The evaluation should be nested in the contextual realities in which the technology is integrated. It should take into account the dynamic nature of technology development. To accommodate such demands, many researchers are advocating for collaborative evaluation approaches that are participant oriented.”

                I do agree that sometimes in order to evaluate someone’s performance you need more than one person evaluating.  Not everyone is able to make a clear and concise evaluation unless there are more people on board who are looking for different things.  As a “soon to be” technology teacher I feel that I will be under a microscope from many different pair of eyes.  Everyone at Iber Holmes Gove and Raymond district would like to see what I can bring to the table as an educator.  As for students they are always trying to get the teachers approval no matter what.  I prefer the method where there is peer evaluations going on.  With the use of peer eval’s going on in your class you are having students learn from their peer’s mistakes.  It is a win/win situation for the students in terms of learning.  Evaluations are the most important feedback that anyone can get.  It is not a way of telling you that you did great or that you messed up here and there; instead it is a way for you to become a better learner which in turn makes you a better educator because our best evaluators are our students.

http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ918900.pdf

Scratch in the classroom

                When we started Scratch I was a little slow at getting it because I need to play around with things before I start to understand it.  After class I began playing around with it and I am getting a little more comfortable with it now.  It was fun to know that I created an “Avatar” and was making him do everything I wanted him to do.  Now that I have my own classroom and some young kids in grade 5, I may use Scratch for a project.  Scratch can be used for any subject and it is fun to use, which is what kids want.  They don’t want to go to school and be bored and be forced to learn, instead they want to go to school, have fun, and not know that they are being educated.  Scratch can make that happen.  Scratch makes students open their minds and become creative.  They can make their “Sprites” look like whatever they feel and make them do whatever they want.  With Scratch, they hold a world of expression, students now cannot be afraid to show who they really are by expressing themselves through a “Sprite” in Scratch.  Not only will Scratch be a creative tool for lesson and learning but can also help students come out of a shell and express who they are without ridicule.

Teach Good Digital Citizenship

                In order for your faculty to understand the true meaning of what a good digital citizen is you need to show them.  You should show them both the good and the bad of the internet.  How social chat rooms can both be useful or hurtful to teens.  Some teens find comfort in them being able to express themselves and others find themselves being ridiculed to no end.  The video “Growing up Online” was one that did show both sides of the story. 

                Bullying is a huge issue right now in school and cyber bullying is now a new type of bullying.  I would show a variety of videos that show the results of cyber bullying.  These reports are not pleasant but they are real.  They do show how the internet can be harmful to many.  If someone wanted to “tease” or “ridicule” a peer than all they need to do is post something online and it catches like wild fire and spreads all over.  Just a small post can ruin someone’s life.  I would show my faculty that the internet is very useful in a school setting but it needs to be monitored and any type of inappropriate use should be noted and brought to an administrator’s attention.  Just like so many argue that we need to change the way we teach due to the uprising of the internet and multimedia tools, I would not just lecture and say do this do that, I would show them how to promote good digital citizenship.  I would make it interactive for all members of my faculty or workshop.  Using videos would get the right message about digital citizenship across to the teachers.  I know that for a fact my school would be a much better place knowing that everyone from teachers to students would understand how to use the internet to better themselves not only as students or teachers but also as citizens to our community. 

Digital CitizenShip

                Good ol’ Digital Citizenship!  My, how things have changed since I was in junior high and high school.  I can remember being in school when there were no computers except for the ones in the main office.  Now-a-days there is multiple computers in every classroom.  I can remember using a computer in high school, in a computer lab, and the teacher just instructing us on how to complete our work using a computer.  I do not remember them lecturing us on how to use the computer in a safe and respectful way.  The internet was not as huge back then and the chances of us going to or finding a bad website was very low.  We just did what was needed of us and if time was left we could e-mail friends.

                Today is a whole new ballgame.  Permission slips and other papers need to be signed by parents and students in order for them to have access to the computers in the schools, students need to review a booklet and take a test on how to use the computer properly, and students are constantly on watch from teachers and administrators.  For students to become a good digital citizen they need to know how to respect the computer and its use.  Far too often students abuse their privilege with a computer, they type swear words, play games, and/or check out bad websites.  Some students are so good that they know codes or passwords to get by the blocked sites set up by the school.  In a link provided to us I would have to agree with Suzie Nestico where she stated, “Part of being a responsible Digital Citizen as a teacher is being in the know.” (1)  Us as educators need to know what is going on around us and what is interesting to students today.  For us to stay in the loop with our students is progress in the right direction.  We could understand our students better….to a degree, know what intrigues them, and see how they may feel about certain current news topics.  Facebook was mentioned in her post.  I’m not sure that I feel the same way about it.  She said she does not accept current students which imply that she does have former students on her account.  I feel that you should not have any Facebook friends that were students. 

                In order for us to teach our students how to be a good Digital Citizen we need to promote it and show them first and foremost.  Show them how to use the internet in a safe manner and show them that the door is wide open for them to succeed in school using the internet.  We can teach them how to use computers through projects or assignments.  I would assign a group project in the form of a PowerPoint presentation.  Groups of three would show me what a good Digital Citizen is to them.  I would like what they thought Digital Citizenship was before the project and what it means to them after I have taught it in the PowerPoint.  After all groups have presented I would then have an open class where we would jot down the main points on what it really is to be a good Digital Citizen.  Teaching them young and early in their school years will help them understand and know how to use a computer as they get older in school and beyond and hopefully become a model student and citizen.

                Intellectual property and creative rights are important because it teaches our students to be truthful and honest.  They should know that plagiarizing someone else’s work is not only wrong but also against the law.  Although they know that it is wrong students still do it and try to get away with it.  When a student works hard on a paper or an assignment they have a certain ownership to it.  It is their “masterpiece” that they are, at times, extremely proud of.  Teaching students to work hard at something and in turn they will be proud of what the accomplished is a huge step in helping students understand what is right and wrong when it comes to using the internet.

1.       http://coalcrackerclassroom.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/digital-citizenship-in-schools-inverted/

More and More technology?

• Is the incorporation of a global education expensive in not only dollars but in time with the students? Teachers often complain that more and more is added onto their plates and each additional item means less time for what's important.

                For education to become effective there needs to be a limit on what is taught and to whom.  After having been thorough high school and college I have now learned that not everything I was taught in those years I use today.  I understand math is important, I get that, but the quadratic equation?  Really?  When am I ever going to use that in today’s world?  I feel that it is a long complicated process to get an answer for nothing.  Why do they want me to find the value for X, (X + Y = Z) when Y = 33 and Z = a dog playing poker!  Why not just tell us what X and Y equal and I will tell you Z’s total.  Back to technology now.  I know that many aspect of technology is important but are all?  Yes and no!  Yes because everything a computer does is helpful in its way and yes because it is our world today, computers are in everything and are everywhere.  No, because a lot of the programs do not meet everybody’s needs.  Can we teach every student individually to meet their technology needs?  Nope!  But we can teach what is needed for education purposes.  All districts have their requirements for what is needed to be taught in computers so that students can move on and graduate.  I understand that there is more and more new technology coming into our world at a rapid pace but we need to find out what programs and applications are best for the students education.  Don’t waste all this time and money on trying to incorporate new technology that will not be useful to a student.  Stick with the basics and then some on what will be best for them in their school years.  Why add more technologies to learn but less time to show them the proper way to use it.  Take one step at a time and show them what they need for the immediate future and how it will benefit them in the long run. 

Ready to work/Return to sender

1.       “Applied skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, and communication; the survey also found though that too many new entrants to the workforce are not adequately prepared in these important skills.”

                This problem that I found in the article is one that really needs to be changed.  They are huge, essential parts to having a business be successful.  If I were an educator and I had to address these issues and fix them I would incorporate a project that would cover all 3 issues.  I would have students work together as a team where each student was required to present their own part of the project.  I would give some direction but I would have them try to think and figure out where they would find their material to present. 

                As an employer I would recommend that all new hires take an onsite “team building seminar”.  This would be constructed by an employee from human resources and it would help all incoming employees understand the importance of working to together in communicating for a company to become successful.  The seminar would be held every year so that employees can brush up or improve on their skills and become a better worker in their company.

                 

2.        “Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of incoming high school graduates are viewed as deficient in basic English writing skills”

                Writing skills I feel is lacking due to the 21^st century of computers.  All computers tell us how to spell something correctly or if a sentence needs to be fragmented.  Students just click on the correct word and move on without learning how to spell that work they missed.  If I were noticing that my students were lacking in Basic English writing skills I would make a rough draft requirement for all essay type assignments.  I would have all students write out their assignments by hand before they could type it.  I would review their work and show that there are changes that need to be made.  I would have them look up words in the dictionary, fix any fragmented sentences, and have a peer proof read their work before handing in a “final rough draft”.                

                If I were an employer, I would talk to HR about employee development.  I would have all new hires take a college level course that focuses on writing and writing skills, comprehension, and critical thinking skills.  Since it would be a requirement for all new hires no one would feel singled out and all new hires would be either brushing up on old skills or learning new ones that would help them become successful in their new career.    

3.       “Concerned about the tech skills of the future workforce also emphasize the importance of information and communication technology literacy”

                A large issue today with technology in schools is that it is rarely taught.  The basics maybe taught but there are hardly any classes that go beyond just basic use.  Since today’s teachers are mostly older, they have trouble incorporating technology into their classrooms.  They do not know how to use it and frankly a lot feel that they have taught their way for many years so why change anything now.  They NEED to change it now because the world around them is changing.  Technology is everywhere and with the students now being known as “digital natives” students are expecting to have technology in their classes.  Students, I feel, learn better if there is technology involved.  They are more engaged and focused on what is being taught and they are getting a better understanding of the material because they are being taught in a way they are comfortable with.  Teaching today is not lecture and note taking; instead it is using new technology tools and having the student interact with the same technology.  Since teachers will not change their ways a lot of students are not getting the proper knowledge about computers, their software, and how to use it all in a proper manner.  So when a student is job searching out of high school and you need knowledge of some type of technology than that student is pretty low on the hire page due to his or her lack of technology savvy. 

               

4.       "Most teachers have gotten to the point where they tolerate technology, but they're not exactly sure where and how to use which technology to its best effect," Fadel says.

                It is a positive thing to know that teachers now are “tolerating” technology.  Before it would be their way or the highway type of attitude when it came to technology in the classrooms but if they are unsure where to take technology next then that is where the problem lies.  Tolerating and actually using are two totally different things.  What good is technology if the educator is unable to use it effectively to help their students learn?  I feel that there should be classes or workshops throughout all schools in all states that teach the educators how to properly use technology in their classroom.  They need to be taught how to operate the equipment correctly, how to use it for assignments, and really how to make it beneficial for the students to learn.  If all teachers understand how to use technology in their classes than their classes would be a much better place for our “digital natives” to learn. 

               

               

Blog 2: Incorporating global projects, education, and collaboration into the classroom?

• What is the general purpose and reasoning behind incorporating global projects, education, and collaboration into the classroom?

It shows your students that there is a variety of ways to becoming educated with the use of technology.  Using certain collaboration technology tools such as Skype and a computer camera, students can meet and talk with friends from around the globe.  Together they can work on an assignment with students from across the country or across the world and come up with two totally different outcomes. They could then learn different views from different countries.  This opens up a whole new chapter for both sets of classrooms that are Skyping with each other.  They could work on incorporating global projects with each other and possibly come up with a solution that could better their lives as well as others.  It could be the smallest solution but at the same time it got the students to think as one and as a group they started to make a difference in their worlds.  This type of collaboration and global projects are what teachers are hoping their students understand and know that even at their age there is a way that they can help make a change and encourage them to continue to think of new ways to better their world around them.  When students are interested in something and are having fun then they hardly think of what they are doing as educational.  Technology in the classroom is vital to all students.  When you bring technology into your classroom you’re bringing in a world of education, knowledge, and fun.  Students look forward to using technology to create something that can be their own “masterpiece” or create something that can make a difference in someone’s life.  As long as a student is engaged and having a good time putting in the hard work needed to see a difference in what they created than a student doesn’t care if it is educational, they will still do it no matter what.  Not all education is enjoyable but if you can make it enjoyable than you have the whole classrooms undivided attention, which is rare in most cases.

Video Flatteners

When watching the “World is flat” video I found it to be quite interesting.  The 10 flatteners that Friedman discussed were eye opening, especially when he talked about UPS owning almost everything!  When he started to go though each flattener and mentioned that the world was flat, I felt he was talking about everyone in the world being equal.  The taking down of the Berlin Wall and the internet boom are signs that point to people becoming equal with everyone.  Anyone can go anywhere now with the internet, I could take a tour of Ireland today and later tonight get a tour of England.  The world is at everyone’s fingertips who is able to own or get use of a computer.  The internet has grouped a wide variety of people from rich to poor, high society to lower economic, all races, religions, and cultures into one large group.  The toppling of the Berlin Wall took one country that was divided and made it whole again.  No one saw others as being lower than they were but instead as equals.  These two flatteners were thoughts that stuck in my head after watching the video.  That is what I thought of when Friedman was speaking of times that changed our lives.