Journal #6

In the article, Mapping Student Minds by Ariel Owen, a new workshop called Kids in Creeks is explained. Kids in Creeks is an interactive program which allows students to collect data and input it into Spreadsheets as well as teach students water quality, and creek health. The teacher who oversaw the activity incorporated technological devices such as Palm Pilots which could download their data to a WISE database at school. The instructor found that this technique eliminated errors which occurred with written data. Enhancement of this program is with a school environmental club which collect more data in an after school program. The ultimate result of the program is to use the data found and connect it to cause and effect of annual changes in the creek.
What exactly does this program teach?
The article explains that a challenging aspect of this project is for sixth-graders to find inverse relationships. The program helps students develop critical thinking skills which are necessary for their development.
What are some of the other benefits of the program?
Not only does this program teach students their relationship between their activities and the creek while allowing scientific and critical thinking skills, but in incorporating an after school program, it gives students a positive outlet for what would otherwise be idle time.

Journal #5

In the article, Can you Hear Me Now? by Sherry Turkle, the negative aspects of technology are laid out. Sherry Turkle bluntly shows that we have become a culture of always-on, meaning that people are unable to turn off their technological devices even when we need quiet time to think. Turkle breaks down what she thinks is the five most negative aspects that keep people connected to their technological devices and disconnected from reality. They are: the creation of fake virtual selves, loss of time to make time for self concentration, adolescents who lack enough decision making autonomy, lack of public privacy, and lack of focus on one activity or person. The most striking portion of the article is the author’s interpretation of “the tethered adolescent.” The author speaks of parents feeling as if there is some sort of safety net in giving their child a cell phone. They always know how to get a hold of them and where they are but the problem with tethering their child to a cell for is the child’s loss of autonomy. I believe there is more to it than that. Not only does the child loose autonomy in life choices which mark their ability to accept decisions and their consequences but the child also is developing a dependency on technology that does not necessarily need to be part of their growth process. More on the issue of adolescences and technology is, they see their parent is plugged in: always on the phone, texting or on the computer and they learn that this is the proper behavior. After all, children mirror their parents. They adapt many of the parents aspects and being plugged in is one of them. We are developing a culture where people are les relying on their own ingenuity and more on an electronics.

How do we establish an equilibrium between technical realities and face to face realities?
There is no black or white answer to this question. It is important to educate our public on the positives and negatives of the “always-on culture” so they can adapt a personal working relationship between the two realities.

How should teachers handle adolescents and their increased use of cell phones in schools and their classrooms?
I don’t think that it should be the teacher’s choice to ban cell phones from the classroom but to require that they are kept out of reach (perhaps placed on the desk where the teacher can observe them)while students are in the classroom, so as to prevent playing on cell phones during class hours.

Journal #4

In order for teachers to incorporate new technological tools into their teaching, they will need to learn a specific knowledge called “technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). What differentiates between a teacher and another person who is specialized in the same subject area is a teacher’s ability to make subject matter intellectually available to their students. So with all the new technological tools available for interactive subject matter learning, the next step would become how to framework those tools to accentuate your lesson plan. The article, Too Cool for School? No Way! written by Punya Mishra and Mathew Koehler, shows that in order to do this we have to have a “creative repurposing” strategy. “Such repurposing is possible only when the teacher knows the rules of the game and is fluent enough to know which rules to bend, which to break, and which to leave alone.”

What is the first necessary step for teachers when trying to incorporate new technological tools in their lesson plan?

The first step with technological incorporation into lesson plans is first for “teachers need to develop a willingness to play with technologies and an openness to building new experiences for students so that fun, cool tools can be educational.” Teachers have to maintain their ability for lifelong learning and use this to benefit their class.

What exactly is TPACK?

TPACK is technological pedagogical and content knowledge. In application, TPACK would be the teacher’s ability to use their knowledge of a technological tool and be able to teach it to the individualized learning strategy of each student.

Journal #3

Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Blog, written by Patricia Deubel,Ph.D., gives yet another example of the importance of having a purpose to an educational assignment and the necessity of teaching ethics for each new technological tool. Dr. Deubel tells us that when incorporating tools of technology like blogs it should not just be for fun. It needs to have instructional “standards, goals, and essential questions with corresponding understandings, knowledge, and skills that you desire students to acquire.” Though blogs can be useful teaching tools teachers will also have to practice proper ethics. This means teachers will have to mediate to insure that students are posting “factual truths” as opposed to just “free expression.” Students will need to remain in the boundaries of blogging for educational purposes. Blogs require a lot of teacher initiative and interaction but the rewards from having a spot for student/ teacher interaction are endless.

How do you let your students know what is expected of them both ethically and educationally when using a classroom blog?

As with any new class and the coming of a new year, a teacher has to spend the first week or two establishing class rules and ethics. Upon use of the classroom blog, a teacher will have to every explicitly explain the goals and rules to students for using the classroom blog. The teacher will also have to put some sort of grade initiatives so the students will be sure to participate in the class blog. Again, the teacher will have to be sure to mediate because some students will test their ability to break the rules.

What are some helpful cites to help beginners with their classroom blogs?

www. Classblogmeister.com/bloggers contract.doc
Edublogs.org
www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/47
www.teacherfirst.com/content/blog/blogbasics.cfm

Journal #2

In the article, “Social Networking for the K-12 Set,” Jim Klein tells the positive attributes to having a social networking website which promotes interactive learning and dialogue between students, parents, and teachers. The article tells that social online networking is helpful in four ways: it is an easy way to promote the use of technology, it promotes communication between teacher and student through technological means, it allows for discussion through workgroups, and creates an effective learning environment. “It is possible to create a safe and comfortable, relevant environment for students, teachers, and staff to create, collaborate, and grow in.”

With the continual California budget crisis, will this be a cost effective way to promote learning?
Yes. Online social networking is completely free. To start up a system would only require initiative and drive. The benefits from a communicative learning system completely outweigh any difficulties having to train people to learn how to use an online networking system.

Will there be negative problems with a system that allows people from home to view online social networking? Controls can be added that only allow people who have joined the group to go on and read the network. Also, all comments written can be viewed by a presiding teacher or administrator who could make sure that comments being made were related to education and not personal social life.

Journal #1

The article, Your Google Guide by Doug Johnson, at first sight seems to be just another how to guide, where a detailed explanation of how to use the most common, widely disseminated search tool was re-explained. What struck me the most was the authors end comment in which he stated, “I really do hope that the school media specialists reading this column have learned nothing new, that as the information specialists and the search experts in our schools, we have long since mastered the basics of Google and other search tools.” But, what we think most people know how to do might actually be the complete opposite. I definitely learned something knew from the article. Kudos to the author for simplistically giving advice that could benefit our future generations.
So, how could I take the advice and make it beneficial in my classroom? For one, I would print the poster of operators near the computers so that any forgetful student could easily look up and see beneficial ways to advance their search. And two, I would give a preliminary lecture and assignment that would require my students to learn and utilize the advance search techniques, not only for Google but for other search engines as well.
Why is it important to teach students to know the difference between sponsored and non-sponsored websites on Google? As the author said, it is important to know why the sponsored links are highlighted at the top of the page. They have paid to advertise so they have special privileges. While this does not mean that Google has a bias for them, it is important to understand that the most commonly seen websites may not pertain to the information that you are trying to find. A good analogy would be; even though you see and hear about the most popular kid, they may not have all the qualities that you would want in a companion. So you move on to make friends with the people who are not seen or heard about as much!

Edu 422 Assignment #1

Technology: I completed my computer competency requirement a year and a half ago. I did not take a class but took the CCR test. The only part of the test I had trouble on was the Excel spreadsheet. The reason for my difficulties was because I have never had to use the Excel program before. Needless to say it took me two tries to complete that part of the test. Other technology experiences I have had are, of course, endless essays for history classes using Word documents. Also, I have previously had a Myspace account but deleted it because it gave too much information for many others to see. I use my PC daily to check email, shop, research, and keep a personal calendar of events in outlook.
Education: I have been a mother for nine years and a mother of two for five years. This means I have also been a teacher to my own for this same length of time. With their onset of school life, I became a frequent volunteer in their schools. I enjoy being in the classroom helping children to discover and learn new things. I have also done foster child tutoring through the EDU 364 class here at CSUSM as well as observed in five different school settings for the EDU 350 class. I will be beginning the credential program this fall.
EDU 422: I am hoping to learn helpful techniques and technological programs from this course that I will later be able to take into my own classroom. I would like to make myself as informed as possible so as to be better equipped to educate our young.