Thursday, February 25, 2010

My Class Newsletter! (NETS I & III)

For this assignment we were instructed to make a newsletter as if we were currently teachers. For this project we used Microsoft Word and the different tools on there. I made and Introductory newsletter for my pretend students introducing myself and some activities we would be doing. There was also information for parents on the newsletter that would go home with each students.


Class Newsletter

Journal 5: Animation Brings Lessons to Life (NETS I & V)

Animation Brings Lessons to Life


Ponton, R. (2009/2010). Animation brings lessons to life. Learning and Leading With Technology37(4), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=December_January_No_4_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4450&ContentID=24837&DirectListComboInd=D



A school in Virginia is allowing their students to use computers and technologies to help supplement real class activities. Some fifth graders watched computer screens as their science lesson came to life with dancing graphics on the screen. These teachers quickly realized that their kids were more engaged and retained more when they added a technological component to their classes. The kids were so excited about computer animations which got them excited about doing their assignments. Teachers and parents were very impressed with the students work which incorporated those technological components. They are even starting kids in the younger grades with these tools and activities as well to help get them adjusted to using computers to help add understanding to those assignments. This was seen in the fourth graders using it to help them better grasp the concepts of the US Constitution. This school district is also using these tools for language classes which help the students understand the verbs better when they have pictures and animations to go along with them. It is just with language classes though, teachers are also seeing concepts and ideas driven home in the students brains with the help of these animations. These supplements are also helping the students become deeper thinkers which makes the information more meaningful to them.


Could these ideas be used for English as a Second Language learners as well?
I think it would be awesome for them! Just like the high school students in their language classes to learn their second language, English learners could use programs like this to help them better understand and see the connections for their language to English.


How would this work with a low income school?
I think even low income schools have at least one computer lab and each class could sign up and come in once a week and get to use those computers to benefit and supplement their learning.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Journal 4: Finding Students Who Learn with Media (NETS I, III, & V)

Finding Students Who Learn With Media

Bull, G., Alexander, C., & Ferster, B. (2010). Finding students who learn with media. 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=25255&DirectListComboInd=D

This article talks about how important it is for students to use technology to make media. The Smithsonian American Art Museum employs a website, PrimaryAccess Movie Maker, where students are able to go on and create their own documentary with their own pictures, text, and sounds. This site is to help with social studies. By doing these activities students can better retain the information they are learning. Teachers are using this website because it is the easiest for the students to pick up on. Now they even have it to where it barely adds any additional class time to any topic they are studying at that time. They also did a "test" to see how engaged kids were with the technology and the actual history content. They found that most students, even if not interested in technology OR (not and) the historical content, still retained and had more of the historical knowledge. The students who weren't engaged in both the technological aspect and historical aspect had a low level of content knowledge as would be expected. The real issue here is not incorporating technology into the classroom, but to find engaging activities for students to do so they will be more interested in the learning the content.greater higher-order thinking and creativity" in their assignments and that is the most important thing. Specifically with this PrimaryAccess Program, it assesses the students as they go along using this material which allows for not having to stop and test them with a multiple choice test. Students who ranked engaged because of one of the aspects at hand, technology or history, demonstrated a "greater higher-order thinking and creativity" in their assignments and those things are really imporant.

Would student-created media work for all socioeconomic statuses?
I think it would because even if the kids don't have the materials at home they would be provided in the classrooms. And if this were the class, I feel the teacher would giver his/her students an adequate amount of class time to complete the assignment were they wouldn't need the program to finish it at home.

What other areas could student-created media work for?
I think it could be used in any area, not just social science. The students could do something with it for their English class like recreating a scene from a book, or making their own book/movie. If the teacher is more creative I think that will rub off on the students to help them be more creative as well.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Journal 3: Keeping the Peace (NETS IV & V)

Keeping the Peace

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 is about a school, Nueva School, that went one-to-one with laptops for students at their school. They administration, staff, teachers, and parents soon found out that students were too often using this new laptop for Instant Messaging. They weren't paying attention in class and parents were upset that the school did this "behind their backs". Parents wanted to be the ones to introduce IM and that part of the internet to their own children.  There was a  huge backlash for this schools actions in just giving their students new laptops. Parents were so upset about the IMing and IChat that the school actually ended up blocking it completely. There was also a negative reaction to this where some people thought that was drastic and that families should have the choice to let their kids use IM and Ichat if they allowed but the school kept their rule to let the whole commotion die down. This was a huge learning experience for this particular school and or any schools that would follow in its footsteps. The school now holds "boot-up camps" where kids learn the correct way to use and treat the laptops and parents also go through a "training" on how to set up boundaries at home and to explain to them why each student having their own is important to the students schooling and learning.

What grades is this idea most beneficial for?
Although I feel like this is a good idea for schools, I don't know if I think it's a good idea for elementary schools. They are just too young. This incident happened at a middle school and I think it is important for students in middle and high school to be able to have their own laptop if possible. It would greatly help in their learning and also help not give them an excuse for not doing homework. Also classrooms could teach online lessons and use technology more.

Were the parents responses justified?
I believe they were because ultimately it should be the parents decision. The parents are the ones who raise their kids and whatever and whenever they want to introduce these new ideas and gadgets to their kids is their choice in their own time.

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

Using Podcasts to Develop a Global Perspective

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


In this article students at a technology high school in Ohio used podcasts as part of their social science class. Each group chose a topic that would help them understand the diversity of people in the world and how they think and respond to certain global issues such as terrorism and global warming. The students researched well known people linked to their topic, such as Al Gore for global warming, and researched how they would respond to certain questions. The students made a fake debate with "panelists", the famous people they researched. They wrote a script and then finally used the software to record a podcast which anyone on the globe could find and listen to. Through this project the students learned how to use the software and learned how to edit  their podcasts and how to put them on-line. But this lesson wasn't just about technology. The students also learned a lot about their topic as well; not only that, they learned what other people thought about their topic too.

Why is it important for students to use technology like podcasts?
It is important because the students not only learn the information better they are learning how to use more technology as well. With this technology they are able to reach more people as well. Such as using podcasts in this example; they are reaching people globally.

How can we incorporate more technology like this in elementary classrooms?
The kids might be too young to use podcasts and recording devices, but teachers can use this information to post things online that they kids are doing in the classroom like a cool science lab, or if the kids are putting on performances for a class project.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Social Bookmarking (Delicious.com) (NETS IV)

1. National Archives - I chose to focus on the American Originals exhibit. I saw that there were a lot of original documents that they have for students to be able to go on this website and use as primary resources. It is important to use primary resources so that you know the information is accurate of what "eye witnesses" or first accounts saw the information or saw the incident. It is important to see those things in the original language and tone also.


2. National Education Association - Student groups that that experience achievement gaps are: racial and ethnic minorities, english language learners, students with disabilities, boys/girls(depending upon what year in school) and students from low-income families. The three areas I feel fit with my teaching style are:
  •  Networking with families and communities to find the needs of the minority students. I chose this because I think it is very important to have parents/families and communities helping students through their education. With support from your family students typically do better throughout school.
  • Connecting with other schools and the programs they have dealing with their minority students. This is important to get other feedback to find out what works and what doesn't so you can have the best possible options for your students. You always 
  • Assessing you and your colleagues deficiencies so you can all grow as educators.  I think it is important to always be reflecting on best practices. That way you are always growing as well as your students.


3. Cyber Bullying - I got 3. When I was younger "cyberbullying" wasn't really around. I have done a few of those things but it was more because I was just curious, I wasn't trying to find out information about someone to use it against them.
While I was looking around the teacher section I came across the article that talked about how to handle the different types of cyber bullying and which tactics work for the different bullies. I was unaware that there even were four different types. Typically you just think of one kind of bully. But there are the "vengeful angel" who actually is just trying to defend someone and they don't even see themselves as a bully. To help them we can give places for them to report bullies anonymously so they don't take things into their own hands. The other types of bullies I knew of, and have experienced in my schooling and it was cool to see ways to help end them bullying kids.


4. Guide for Educators - For "Subject Access" I chose Math because I think kids start disliking it at a young age because they don't really understand it. Since it comes naturally to me I have this desire to want to teach all kids that math IS understandable and that they CAN do it. They just need to practice, just like they practice reading, and like other subject areas it is fun! In one of the links it was Animals and Shapes lesson. I could definitely see myself using this because they can see their everyday shapes and have to match it to the different parts of an animal, such as a triangle and the animals nose. In the Teacher Helper section I chose Assessment and Rubrics because I think it is important to always try to better yourself as a teacher and to do that you need to see what other teachers are doing that you may like better or that they are more efficient. A lot of things in the younger grades aren't based on letter grades, but they are assessments and rubrics and that is how they are graded.


5. Multiple Intelligences - Logical-Mathematical - 69%, Naturalistic - 50%, Interpersonal - 44%. I watched the video "Multiple Intelligences Leave No Child Left Behind". While watching this video and all the different kids it became so evident to me that almost all schools now-a-days don't allow for children to express their creativity. Sure there are art projects, and they have creativity in their writing, but kids don't get to show it in Social Studies and Science and P.E. and Math. When these subjects do have a "creative" aspect, it usual is just art; using colors or drawing, etc. Like the teacher towards the end said, "We need to teach kids the process of learning, not just the information." I truly believe this and I believe kids need that creative freedom to figure out how they learn best.


6. Teaching Tolerance - I chose 1st to 2nd grade in Social Studies/Art and the Lesson is called City Blocks. In this activity the children build a city made of blocks and then they run the city, some years they have elections, some years kids would just declare themselves some sort of ruler. They build house and streets and other necessary buildings. It is just like real life where if something happens in that town there are punishments. One year a little African American boy accidentally knocked over a house and the kids tried to send him to jail, but the teacher explained how that wasn't a fit punishment for the crime. It is important in this activity to show them that racism and being negative to other cultures isn't right. This activity is to help the kids be tolerant of each other and let them know that it's alright to be different.


7. Multicultural Education - The first question I found interesting was "What percentage of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender high school students report that their teachers “never” or “rarely” respond to homophobic remarks made by other students, according to a national study by GLSEN?" I was so shocked to see the correct answer was about 84%! Even if teachers don't agree with that lifestyle they have a duty and responsibility to treat all their students fairly and should defend any bullying and bad mouthing! Teachers need to fight for the rights of their students.
The second question I found most interesting was "According to the National Center for Education Statistics, what is the percentage of U.S. schools with no teachers of color on staff?" I was astounded that the answer was 40%. That is ridiculous. With how culturally diverse we are supposed to be as teachers you would assume that the schools hiring us would be the same way. But, I think it is also important to realize how many more white people go to school to be teachers than African Americans and that may also be the reason for the such drastic number.


8. Netiquette Guidelines -I got 100% on the Netiquette Quiz. :-)) I think it is really important to teach ids about netiquette, just like real life people's feelings can get hurt and then people attach what you say online to who you are offline. It is also important to teach kids because then they could teach people they know and if all people knew the rules there would be less people online being rude, spamming, and flaming on discussion boards or in chats and it wouldn't waste so many people's time and energy. 

Journal 1: Computing in the Clouds (NETS III & V)

Computing In The Clouds


Johnson, D. (December/January 2009-2010). Computing in the clouds.Learning and Leading with Technology37(4), Retrieved fromhttp://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/DecemberJanuaryNo4/Computing_in_the_Clouds.htm


Cloud computing is a technology that more and more people are taking advantage of. It allows people to save documents in this "cloud" that is always on the web. No more carrying around zip drives and no more worrying if the computer you are going to be working on next has the same software and programs as the previous computer. Clouds also help save computer space and memory which helps keep your computer faster. An important factor for schools is that most are free! They can buy computers with smaller memory because the computers won't need as much. Also schools can use these web based tools to store their grades, communications, and other management things they need to do online. It is also very important for schools to know is that your information and data are safe. They cannot be sold because the thing you are using doesn't own your information or data. For example, if its google they can't do anything with your information. Something else that is a great benefit is that unlike personal computers, these large networks VERY rarely crash and when they do they aren't down very long, just like Google.

Is cloud computing something that I would like to see being used in my classroom?
Absolutely! I think it is a great idea especially for places with limited resources. This works great for schools with low budgets and multiple students can use the same computer without using a lot of memory and slowing the computer down.


There are some tasks that don't work as well with cloud computing, what are they and why?
Some things such as video editing and large documents that need more memory. They don't work well, on netbooks for example, because they don't have enough space.