Wanna Know How to Fix the Schools? Ask a Student!

This article encompasses more than just the profile of one student; it embodies the belief that we need to be listening more to kids.  There is a difference between listening and hearing and Michael DeMattia speaks out on behalf of fellow students.  He runs the mobile devices program for his school and sees first hand what it means to his fellow students.  Trust was one of the key components of this article and the use of restrictions and filters when it came to using the Internet.  As he puts it, kids are no different than adults in that they don’t want or need someone looking over their shoulder.  He uses a great analogy when it comes to technology and teachers reluctance to embrace it; “you need to fill the pool up and patch it as you go.”  Unless you give it a try, how will you know what you can or cannot do?

I’ve seen many teachers over the span of my education that talked at kids instead of to them.  While looking at my own teaching style I will try to find a way to do the later.  The Internet and the technology that is seen today was not around when I first went thru school and as things change you have to be willing to change with it or fall behind.  That especially rings true when it comes to utilizing new technology within education.  Seeing how technology can help you reach the children of tomorrow can only be achieved by actually trying it out.  If it doesn’t work try something else or do it a differently.  I read a great article recently that ended with, “Learn to fail or fail to learn” and I think it speaks volumes when applied to using technology in teaching.  I will be implementing both these types of practices when teaching and actually talking with the students about what is working or not working can be a great resource.

This article models part of the NETS-T number 1 by promoting open communication collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students.  We are together in this process and if we allow our students to see that and believe it, maybe then it can become truly a collaborative effort in the thinking, planning and creative process of education.

Fingal, Diana (August  2011).  Copyright:  Wanna Know How to Fix the Schools? Ask a Student!  Learning and Leading with Technology, 39 46.

Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

PLN Reflection

What is a PLN?   PLN is an acronym for Personal Learning Network and began with basic email communication in the early 80’s until the 90’s when the Internet was accessible for information gathering and mass communication.  Now, in this new century, it has grown in astronomical proportions in which people can socialize, access information on almost any topic or build communities in which to learn and share information on topics such as how students learn or even ways to become a better teacher. While learning and creating my own PLN I have had to define what I wanted to learn and how I could share the information obtained through new digital media with my students of the future.  As an educator I will be able to use many digital tools such as RSS feeds, Diggo, Twitter, Classroom 2.0, Promethean Planet and even my own Blog, to obtain and disseminate information to peers, students and parents, in new and educational ways.  It will continue to help me grow as a life long learner and in turn transcend information into the classroom by incorporating new ideas with new ways to teach or share them.  I have already read and seen many interesting blogs, tweets and videos that will aid in my future teachings.

In order to streamline information to me, I use RSS feeds from such sites as Education World, KPBS News: Education and Discovery News, to keep up to date on news about education in the classroom and how it affects us globally.  For example, I get updates about classroom organizational tips or gaining insight about what can be gained by offering choices to students.  In Discovery News I get access to scientific discoveries about unprecedented blooms of ocean plant life and how that could affect people around the world. 

By using Twitter I can further my reach but in a quicker way, sharing tidbits or links to websites.  These can then be saved in social bookmarking sites such as Diigo to share with individuals or groups that share a common interest.  In my opinion Twitter is just a fast way to reach a lot of people globally to get the ball rolling to find information on a particular subject.  It is also a great place to help others by sharing the knowledge I have or gained through other networking arenas so they can grow and share, basically pay-it-forward.  Currently, I am following Education Week that gives me a unique insight into some of the major issues and solutions that are happening with education throughout the country.   Oceana sends me wonderful “tweets” on the latest news that is affecting our oceans, which also incorporates policy and science.  I think through following both of these sites I will be better suited to educate my students by keeping up to date on current and ongoing issues.

Diigo I have found to be a great resource for compiling large amounts of information gained over the Internet.  I am able to bookmark any sight into my own library or share it with other groups I have formed.   It’s basically a hub that you can fill on the fly and access later to look for the information you need.  It has several tools for highlighting and making descriptive notes or TAGs that others can use.  I will definitely be using this in the class as not only a research tool but also a means for social networking and collaboration on projects that students can do together. 

Using classroom 2.0 or Promethean Planet is another great way to build your PLN through social networking sites for educators, which connects teachers with common interests or needs.  It is an area where you can share and discuss hot topics in forums, share videos or blogs and even form groups for cooperative learning through online activities, even attend a conference if you can’t make it in person.   I have subscribed to Classroom 2.0 and through it researched blogs and videos on building your own network.  Being new to PLN’s I need help in the understanding of how all the resources available can be used together to build such a network and to clarify what resources I want to use and be a part of.  The video I watched had great insight on how all these tools can be used and managed once streamlined and linked together.  She explained twitter in greater detail and helped me further understand how it can be helpful in filtering the useful information from all the extraneous information that is flowing through the Internet.  I also found Promethean Planet, which is an interactive whiteboard community that was created “by teachers, for teachers”.  With no effort at all I found a great article on how to teach the scientific method to kids in High School.  Within the same location there is what they call the teachers lounge which has great resources for all levels of education but for me, has much more resource for science teachers than I have seen else where.  I’m still exploring all it has to offer and will share what I find in future posts.

Being a relative newcomer to the world of PLN’s and social networking, it has been difficult in the beginning to understand how it can benefit me now or even in the future.  After countless hours of reading blogs and watching videos, I have started to truly understand and appreciate how these tools can benefit my students’ and me in today’s digital era.  It puts specific areas of information of my choosing at the tips of my fingers in a manner that gives me the control I need to organize and share it.  The key is to figure out what tools you want, more importantly that you have the time to use and maintain them all.  It seems with all the social media out there, that everyone just joins to extend their networking range.  I think the opposite is a better way to go.  Start with a couple of key areas, grow a network that you can learn from and contribute to, then expand into new areas when you can or need to.  It will be interesting to see how my PLN grows and contributes to my learning and teaching over the coming year.  I will share updates to my growth, good or bad, as I move forward.

Reading Redefined for a Transmedia Universe

The idea that in today's digital world there is little need to actually carry books anymore is not only interesting to think about but becoming the norm.  What is considered reading? Does it only involve the written word or does it more encompass additional stimuli such as graphics, interactive displays, audio or motion.  It also makes us re-define what is considered a book.  We know that today books are displayed through digital means but what about additional artifacts.  Does it even need to have pages, be linear or kaotic?  Just a few differing thoughts brought up in this article by Anette Lamb.   A book now is considered to be a published collection of related pages or screens.  It's interesting to see how reading through an e-book could be so appealing today.  It gives readers control over the way it is presented, changing font size and text, background color or even the entire layout.  Within the "book" itself you can hear audio having words pronounced aloud,  glossary of terms or even hyperlinks to other texts, images or video is useful for all ages but has even more of an impact on English Language learners.

Having a multitude of resources to choose from when it comes to educating our children seems to have no limits in the digital age.  Through the use of e-books, interactive video lessons or assisted programs using different Technology tools, kids have more resources than ever before.  The trick is to make sure that with all these bells and whistles that kids don't get distracted and off topic and actually take away from their learning experience rather that contribute to it.  I think whatever the media, any way to get kids excited about reading or learning would be considered a good thing.  Since not all children have the same resources we need to be cognisant of that fact and be sensitive to the individual needs of each child.

As Lamb talks about, as kids catch up with the possibilities of what the digital age can do for them with regards to reading ad learning, teachers will be exploring ways to use the same technology to inspire their desire to learn.  Within the ability to get and read books online teachers and students alike need to take great care in knowing where the information is coming from.  In doing so meeting NETS-S standard number 5 engaging in professional growth and leadership.

Lamb, Anette (November 2011).  Copyright: Reading Redefined for a Transmedia Universe. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39 13-15.

Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

Students Strike Gold with Bowling Alley Webpage

This article, written by Tasha Candela, was a great representation of the incorporation and implementation of the NETS standards and their application in the classroom.  Her thoughts were that in today’s world, having a web presence and standing out is a way to separate you from the rest of the world.  She is a teacher of an advanced web design class and asked students to create a website for the local bowling alley.  She had them apply the knowledge they had learned so far, such as HTML, CSS and Photoshop and present a finished website to the owner by the end of semester.  She allocated 35 hours or 13 class periods to complete their project.  In preparing for this project she used the NETS standards as her guide.

As a future educator I can see how applying these standards while preparing for projects can ensure that students get the full experience and walk away with a well-rounded education and experience.  Building a website, first allows kids to be creative and innovative using digital tools and resources.  Working in pairs she was able to form a collaborative effort between students building on their personal excitement and creativity.  Further more, she used a business that was close to school that the kids new about and could relate to, making gathering resources more accessible and easier to access.  In the process of taking a project of this magnitude, students inevitably wood face many challenges.  These hurdles made students use problem solving techniques as well as decision-making skills needed to successfully finish their project. Finally, throughout the process she taught the students about copyright laws, plagiarism and Internet safety and felt it was “imperative to model understanding of social, ethical and legal issues and responsibilities related to digital culture”.

As per this article, the project Candela put forth for her student really met all the NETS-T standards.  It is quite interesting to see how a project at the higher grade levels and one with such magnitude and scope can truly encompass education in this digital age.

Candela, Tasha (February 2012). Copyright: Students Strike Gold with Bowling Alley Webpage. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(5 40-41.

Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

Copyright: Do it Right the First Time

In digital times, infringement of copyright has been easier to break than ever before.  Songs, music, photos and art are all online an available for anyone to grab.  This article makes a great point about how if we are to afraid of breaking these copyright laws we can stifle the creativity of students and disallowing the collaboration use of all the media that is available.  Sum educators believe that if it is used under the name of education than everything is fair game.  Both are misleading but understanding what copyright is and how we can collaborate using the technology legally is the first step in helping our students get creative the right way.

Copyright law protects the Constitutional rights of citizens giving them exclusive rights to their prospective works whether it be an artist, writer or inventor.  It prevents one from reproducing, playing, distributing or slightly altering the original form of that work.  It is a common miss belief that if you are using it for personal or educational use than it is ok.  Using even a copyrighted sound for personal use or a school project would be considered a violation of copyright law.  Wells shares a great story about a class project that where students used original soundtracks in a history video that was originally intended for the classroom only.  The video was so good it ended up on local television and was immediately shut down do to copyright violations.  If he had a better understanding of copyright laws he could have educated his students on how and where they could obtain and license the media they needed or wanted without breaking these same laws.  His research led him to Creative Commons allows you to create your own license and where the Artists have already given their express permission to use their work as long as credit is given.  Sites where you can find these works include Jamendo.com, Google Images and Flicker and students can use the digital resources found there to create the project they are working on.

This article is just another example of NETS-S standard number 5 for students.  It not only advocates for the safe and responsible use of information and technology but implements a positive attitude towards using that technology as well.  In addition, it supports collaboration within the school and students that promotes personal growth in learning and responsibility within the technology itself.

Wells, David (May 2012). Copyright: Do it Right the First Time. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(7) 35-36.

Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

One Book to Connect the World

I read this title and immediately thought that from what I have been learning in just a couple short weeks that this idea isn’t only possible but actually probably not to hard either.  Sharing books in a club is no new idea, but sharing a book globally actual was until Pernille Ripp thought about uniting kids globally. Her thought was even though they do not speak the same language they would share the same feelings and reflections. She began with Twitter, sending out the idea to the world and within minutes received twits back on how to sign up.   These simple ideas lead to the creation of the Global Read Aloud Blog.   To make this thought a reality she incorporated different technologies and set up a lesson plan over a four week period introducing small pieces of technology at a time with reading in-between.  First step was to set up a Blog using Kidblog.org and teach her kids how to use it responsibly.  Once it was up and running she used Twitter to promote it using a hashtag and through wiki.  The results were immediate and endearing!

When thinking about lesson planning and teaching I always seem to revert back to the ways in which I was taught.  As I have begun this journey to become a teacher I am learning everyday how technology has changed the face of education forever.  Where kids cannot only communicate with other children from around the world but can share in an experience that will stay with them forever.  Technology is not only helping us teach a certain subject matter but also expanding those lessons to other areas.  Through this idea, her kids had the opportunity to learn about new technologies at the same time learn about kids and areas from around the world.  They tracked their connections on google earth and made their classroom and the world a little bit smaller.  It brought them together as a community and triggered and eagerness to learn and share!  Taking advantage of tools such as these one can immediately see the advantages and I believe more will follow her footsteps in other educational areas.  As a future teacher if I can build that type of community and desire to learn anything can be possible!

The experience that this brought to her students exemplifies NETS standard number 1 where they demonstrated creative thinking and developed an innovative process using technology.  They created original works expressing group and personal expression all while reading a book.  Since some groups were further ahead than others they even were able to see trends in reading expressions and hear about how other kids were interpreting the story.

Ripp, Pernille (2011-2012). One Book to Connect the World.  Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(4) 32.


Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

Citizenship Through School-Based Social Networking

Citizenship Through School-Based Social Networking is a great article about the use of social networking within a school environment. In today’s world there are more and more occurrences of inappropriate online relationships and cyber bullying. The question it raises and addresses is how do kids of today know what is considered to be an appropriate use of social networking tools. By creating a school-based network, teachers can create safe environments with tighter controls. These types of social interactions will allow teacher, students and administrators to communicate on a platform that is not only open but accountable as well. Like Myspace and Facebook, students can create personal profiles, upload photos, videos or even music and at the same time be able to join groups to follow similar interests. Unlike other social networks these are limited to the school only and has NO privacy. Every comment or post instantly networks every participant!

Winn makes some very good links to how and why this can be used in our schools and in our classes. Since there is no privacy within the network, all communication tends to be appropriate and there is little suspicion of inappropriate online relationships that could potentially harm students or faculty alike. It also encourages a sense of digital etiquette since every comment can be read by anyone, even posts from teachers or administrators. Through this type of network teachers are able to communicate with students, give assignments and asses progress. One history teacher went so far as to set up a subnet and have his kids create profiles for historical figures. They would then assume the identity of that person, posting pictures, comments or videos. This brought history to life where it otherwise would be “one dimensional”.

This article is a perfect example of NETS standard number 5 for students. It not only advocates for the safe and responsible use of information and technology but implements a positive attitude towards using that technology as well. In addition, it supports collaboration within the school and students that promotes personal growth in learning and responsibility within the technology itself.

Winn, Mathew (2011-2012). Promote Digital Citizenship through School-Based Social Networking. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(4) 11.

Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

Checking the credibility of websites

When searching the Internet there are a variety of areas to look at while determining if the information you are reading is coming from a credible source. First, you can do an advanced search through the search engine you are using by adding certain words, specifying a .net, .org or .edu and even search for exact wording.  Once at the site, you can look through the about us feature and get more information on who and what they are all about.  Once you begin reading through the website, are there multiple opinions or is this a one side view.  I would also look for affiliations with other companies or organizations that would give it credibility.  In addition, I would want to know who was involved with this site and was I able to find out any information about them or who funded their research.  Lastly, I would look to see what type of resources, if any, they would label and if there were links to that research or other government findings. If there are not any accredited links it could be possible this is just one persons view and if so what is their agenda? Always look at what you reading and think about where it is coming from!

Not an Expert? Then Go Out and Find One!

The article "Not an Expert? Thank Go Out and Find One!" talks about the digital age that teachers live in and how there is little hope keeping up with the speed at trends in science and technology. One of the key components of this article was the truthfulness that the educator shares with his students and that is that he is learning just as they are. As he puts it, the industry is just to progressive for any full time teacher to keep up with so why not find someone who is an expert it that particular field and use them to help fill in the gaps of his educational plan. Instead of faking it he uses subject matter experts (SMEs) for any given topic and uses them as consultants for his class. He then uses a short steaming video, stopping occasionally to discuss what they are learning. By the end of the lesson they have all learned something new together which also helps build class unity.

While looking into the future and thinking about how I will keep up with new information and new technology, I think this article shows how we can do it. Connecting with the kids through not only being honest but learning side by side, I believe will be a great way to connect with the students. With the use of steaming videos and the Internet search possibilities, the amount of information that is accessible today is greater than ever before. Experiencing learning through the Internet may be new to me but I'm sure that the kids of today are already using the Internet to access information, why shouldn't we. They will be able to see first hand about life long learning and how when you don't know something or are not proficient at it, that there are resources out there to help you get the knowledge you desire.

This article seems to represent the NETS standards number 3 which Model Digital Age Work and Learning. As teachers we need to learn how to use the current technology available and find ways to transfer the information to our students through creative learning and teaching. it describes being able to communicate relevant information or ideas to to not only our student but to peers and parents alike. Being able to collaborate with students at the same time using new technology or resources that is available is another keep component. The last important point for NETS standard number 3 is to "Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning. I think the last one really sums it up and shows our students not only how to find information but how we can all use it together a learning tool.

Bill Heldman (2011) Not an Expert? Than Go Out and Find One! Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(1), 30

Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

Maniputate Cells on the iPad

The article "Manipulate Cells on the iPad" was written by an educator discussing the importance of digital skills in adding the learning process for kids. The lesson makes use of the iPad to breakdown the phases of Mitosis having kids make a flip book of each stage which includes interactive video, simulation games and websites to help better understand the process. The article gives a great breakdown on the process each student goes through and how this process not only brings them together as a group but also helps get them integrated into the digital age. The lesson is broken down into three learning stations putting them in small groups, which fostered their collaboration and communication skills.

As a future educator I am very interested to see how technology will be used in the classroom. More and more we are hearing that these types of exercises foster a new type of learning in such a changing time. Kids are growing up in a technology age like none other. With new technologies, comes new challenges. I have seen first hand how this technology can help bring kids closer together and allow them to learn in a variety of styles. Learning how to work together, analyze information and help fellow classmates in crucial to the overall development of kids. I am also excited to try and implement theses techniques in a time of budgetary cutbacks where instead of being able to do a frog dissection in real life classes are moving to doing a virtual dissection. Although I think a hands on approach is better where possible, technology to could possibly allow for a more thorough and dynamic approach.

This article represents NETS standard number 2 “Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes identified in the NETS·S.” It also helps communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using the latest technology. Teachers as a whole should be open to these types of learning tools and how they can encompass a wide variety of not only learning techniques but teaching to the individual learning styles of each child.

Jessica M. Richardson (2012) Manipulate Cells on the iPad: Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(5), 39

Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/welcome.aspx

Underwater video from Fiji and Tonga

Using images from Wordle.net seems to be fun and not to difficult! I'm not sure about wrap around text but we'll try that later.