Journal 2: NETS II - IV

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock!. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx

Miller, S.M. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Leading and Learning With Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx

Summary:

The first article focuses on informing the reader about how to navigate a new Twitter account. Ferguson uses the idea of a Personal Learning Network, or virtual community based on collaboration and communication about education, to frame her discussion. Although she seems enthusiastic about the uses of Twitter, her article did mention that Twitter takes time and commitment. Some people even have too much information for just one account. This is where I see a flaw in Twitter. The knowledge it can link you to is great, but the scope of all those links adds up fast and can be overwhelming. The second article does a better job of convincing the reader that Twitter is a useful tool in connecting with others. Something I liked about Miller is that she talked more about how to make the best of your Twitter experience through organization, rather than how to expose yourself to the world of Twitter like Ferguson discussed.

Question 1: Will I ever use Twitter in my classroom? How?

Honestly, I don’t think I would ever use Twitter in my classroom because I do not like the format/clarity of the actual “tweets,” the way it quickly turns into an overwhelming almost spam like queue of thoughts and the amount of time each child must spend checking for new “tweets.” If I did use it, it would probably only be to post links for my students.

Question 2: Can twitter be a useful resource in expanding knowledge about the world?

As the articles suggest, Twitter has more uses than it seems to at first. I think it is a great way to connect with people you would not have had the opportunity to talk with outside of the Twitter zone. I also think it is a wonderful way to share a mountain of knowledge about virtually any topic in a quick an easy way. The downside is: that mountain of knowledge seems to be an endlessly overwhelming climb.

Journal 1: NETS I - V

Light, D. (2011). Do web 2.0 right. Learning and Leading with Technology, 38(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/February-2011-Do-Web-20-Right.sflb.ashx

Summary:

This article discuss how to use technology to engage students in their writing using tools such as blogs and wikis. David Light and his colleagues traveled throughout the country interviewing teachers about their success in incorporating these tools into their classrooms. Wikis were not found to be a common tool in classrooms. Blogs, on the other hand, served as a useful way for teachers to create discussion forums that facilitated conversations with their students and parents. The research on blogs argues that daily use of these sites were more effective in learning than for just special projects. Light wrote that both individual and classroom blogs are a good way for teachers to have conversations outside of class with their students and allow kids to post and reflect on their thoughts and computer findings. The classroom blog seemed to generate more interest in that it created discussions between students, as well as teachers. Both, however, highlighted certain students insecurities about sharing their work. Light went on to discuss the nature of this fear and suggested that teachers carefully consider the audience by limiting the viewer access to students, teachers and parents alone. The last part of the article talked about teacher responsibility in enforcing appropriate behavior on these sites. I was somewhat disheartened after reading this because none of Light’s solutions to the student’s insecurities seemed to address the problems fully.

Question 1: How could I prevent cyber-bullying or other peer-related issues from arising if a classroom blog is used?

If I used a class related blog in my class, I could post a list of requirements for student comments to help student generate constructive responses. I could also inform students that both their parents and I would be reading all of their comments and taking any necessary actions to prevent misuse. One option could be suggesting that students post a compliment about their peer’s post as well as something constructive.

Question 2: How could I encourage shy children to share their thoughts?

I could try to create a comfortable virtual atmosphere by avoiding topics that could create personal issues. I could also have the kids work together in creating the blog or have the class as a whole determine how the blogs should work so that every child has ownership of it.

Technology Self-Assessment: School 2.0

NETS III, IV, V

This is an assessment that I took online to determine my understanding of the NETS requirements before participating in a technology class.

I choose to investigate the NETS-T Module: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility because I feel that teaching students about cyber safety and how to use digital tools properly is the most valuable safety precaution that a teacher can take in the modern technological world. I followed a link that talked about teaching every student in the digital age, which led me to an online book that discussed new media in relation to brain and learning development for diverse learners. The chapter I focused on talked about impact of high standards and increased learner diversity on universal learning. It went on to discuss how modern communication technology can be used to reach out to every type of learner. Although this was not a new topic for me, I loved how the discussion tied in the Multiple Intelligences theory because it highlights the importance of looking at education as a multifaceted science. No child’s brain develops the same way as another and, therefore, it is foolish to expect that every child be held to the same type of standard. The individual, not the majority, should define standards. As such, the importance of developing new teaching methods and technological resources has become more apparent in recent years. Through these new tools, education is being transformed into an interconnected world of learning in which every child is able to glean information from others.