Thursday, February 25, 2010

Journal 3 Keeping the Peace (NETS IV and V)



Levinson, M. (2010). Keeping the peace. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfmSection=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25237&DirectListComboInd=D

This article was about a school in Nueva that decided to have a student to laptop ratio of 1:1. Every student at the school gets a laptop. The laptop had technologies on them like instant messaging and ichat. Since the students were allowed to take the computers home, this brought many problems for the school and families. Some families did not want their children to use ichat and instant messaging, and did not like that the school forced those technologies on their households when they were not ready for it. Some parents welcomed the socialization for their children and claimed it helped take away school cliques. The laptops were supposed to be about education and they were beginning to become quite the opposite. Students were instant messaging and ichatting during class and that was distracting to them and teachers. It eventually led to parent meetings and the school came to decide that they would ban the instant messaging and ichat websites from the laptops. Some people welcomed the ban others did not.

How would a 1:1 laptop ratio change the dynamic of a classroom?
Students would be able to access a vast array of knowledge and information on the Internet. I could also see the laptops becoming extremely distracting and taking away from learning. There would definitely need to be boundaries in place.

How could instant messaging and ichat help students?
Instant messaging and ichat would come in handy when students had questions outside of school. They would be able to work together on assignments outside of school.

Journal 2 Using Podcasts to Develop a Global Perspective (NETS I, III, and V)



Maguth, B.M., & Elliot, J. (2010). Using Podcasts to develop a global perspective . Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25244&DirectListComboInd=D

This article was about a school using podcasts to do research on other cultures. The school was a science, technology, engineering and math high school in Columbus, Ohio. Podcasting allows students the opportunity to interact with digital technologies and apply what they know to reach a wider, even global audience. They had to research a global issue from different perspectives. This made them discover that different nations, politicians, and people have varying views on topics. Podcasting makes students plan, research, write, and edit, so the assignment was challenging and meaningful. They had to use software they were unfamiliar with to edit out mistakes and incorporate enhancing features like volume levels and commercial breaks. The final part of the project was showcasing the work on the Internet, where they would be accessible to local and global audiences.

How could a student benefit from an activity like podcasting?
It is an authentic learning experience that allows students to showcase a degree of depth on an important global issue. It can lead them to be well informed on multiple perspectives and give them a chance to discuss current global issues. The assignment teaches students many great forms of technology that they would surely use again.

What would I use podcasting for?
As an elementary teacher I would podcast things for my students parents to hear. I could also use podcasting to explain projects or base a project off an already created podcast.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Social Bookmarking (Delicious) (NETS IV)


1. World War I claimed an estimated 16 million lives. The influenza epidemic that swept the world in 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people. This deadly virus attacked One fifth of the world’s population. Within months, it had killed more people than any other illness in recorded history. Primary sources are extremely important in the classroom. Student’s needs to know how to site and use sources that are directly related to the topic they are studying. 

2. * Racial and ethnic minorities
    * English language learners
    * Students with disabilities
    * Boys/girls
    * Students from low-income families

a. Determine the diverse groups served by your school. Consider cultural, linguistic, racial, and ethnic diversity. Find out the degree to which families and students in these groups are accessing available school services.

I think it is important for diverse groups to know and understand the resources that are available to them. School services can be helpful to entire families because they can help in many fields. One example could be an interpreter at a counseling appointment. 

b. Network with other schools that are developing and implementing culturally competent systems. Adapt the processes and information that are consistent with your school's needs and interests.

It is always good to be consistent with other schools in a community. Community awareness is just as important as being culturally competent at schools. If the schools and neighborhood work together, results will be greater.

c. Gather and organize resource materials related to culturally diverse groups for use by school staff.

I think it would easy to gather information about groups and give it to school staff. I would definitely help with any cultural diversity awareness at the school I work at. This could be as easy as leaving print outs in the lunchroom.

3. I scored 6-10 Points: Cyber Risky
Well, you’re not perfect, but few people are. Chances are you haven’t done anything terrible and were just having fun, but try not to repeat your behaviors, since they are all offenses. Keep in mind the pain that your fun might be causing others!
This caught me off guard; I did not realize anything I did in my past was considered cyber bullying. I read an article that described the four different types of cyber bully’s. This was very informative and it made so much sense. The personality types that cyber bully are the vengeful angel, the power hungry nerd, the mean girls, and the inadvertent cyber bully. I think that in order to solve the problem, people have to be aware of who the cyber bully’s are. The article pointed out that the solution needs to address each type of cyber bully’s special issues. This website enlightened me on an issue I was not concerned with. Now I can see why as a future teacher, I need to be aware of this issue.

4. From the “Subject Access” area I chose Health, Physical Education, and Fitness. I am in a PE class this semester so I was interested to see what would come up under this subject. There was a-lot of neat websites that could definitely be used in a health or PE class. A few of my favorite were the activity calorie calculator and the BMI calculator. Both these could help raise awareness to students about obesity and health. The best website was the Dole website. It had activities and lesson plans. It had exercises and lists of what kinds of foods are good to eat. There were also games and tasks kids could participate on. From the “Teachers Helpers” area I chose gadgets and podcasting. There was an awesome website called Educational Podcast Network. The Education Podcast Network is an effort to bring together into one place, the wide range of podcast programming that may be helpful to teachers looking for content to teach with and about, and to explore issues of teaching and learning in the 21st century. I think this could be a very useful tool as a beginning teacher.
5. My top three scores were interpersonal, verbal-linguistic, and musical. I watched the video Multiple Intelligences Leave No Child Behind. The video discussed a school that allowed children to develop all their multiple intelligences.  They approached multiple intelligences with PODS which were courses designed around a particular intelligence. They focused on strengths and weaknesses. If you learn your strength early your success in the future will be furthered if you stay on track. It was about understanding strengths on an individual level. Key Learning Community has an authentic curriculum and assessment. I think a school that focuses on students on such an individual level is a great idea.

6. I chose grade 3 to 5, and the subject was Social Studies, the topic was discussing differences with early-grades children. The lesson involves reading two stories to the children: Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni and Chameleon’s Colors by Chisato Tashiro. The first book is about why every person is different and the benefits that can come of it. The second is about a chameleon that is tired of always blending in and he wants to be special. After reading the two books the teacher will start a classroom discussion by asking what is the message of these two books? I could use these books and this type of lesson in my class to discuss the importance of self-respect and individuality. It is a good way to teach tolerance and acceptance of everyone’s differences because the stories show how differences are a good thing.

7. Question 4: In a 2007 study, UNICEF rated the treatment of children in the 23 wealthiest countries in the world based on 40 indicators of child well being. Which two countries received the lowest ratings?  The answer was the United States and the U.K. This shocked me, I cannot believe that the U.S. scored so low on the treatment of its children. What a sad fact.
Question 6: The U.S. military budget is by far the highest of any country in the world. How much higher is the U.S. military budget than that of China, the world’s second biggest military spender?  The answer was 7 times higher!!!!! Wow, all I hear is one-day China is going to run the world, it also shocks me that we spend so much more on defense than them. I am beginning to think some of the spending must be unnecessary because we should not be spending that much more than China.

8.  d:-O Hats off to me! I scored 8 out of 10 on the netiquette quiz. I think it is important to have manners online because it is cowardly to say things only because people don’t know who you are. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t get pissed when his or her computer crashes from a virus L . One of the rules was remember the human and I think that sums it up, we are not computers and there are feelings involved in almost everything we read, say and do. J