June 24 - 27
Wow here it is the last week of the technology course. It is crazy how fast 2 months went by. I feel that we learned about so many different sources of technology that we can use in our classrooms. Some of them I like and some I am not so sure if I would use them or not. It is hard when it comes to thinking about using technology in a classroom that you currently do not have. I know that if I get a classroom in the fall I know that I will not have access to as much technology as I would like but you learn to use what you have available to you. As teachers we have to learn this and try to expand on what we have already in our classrooms. Some schools are lucky to have access to several forms of technology.
For the last week we had to evaluate a web 2.0 source. I chose to do mine on Weebly since I spent so much time working on my classroom website over the course of these past few months. I will admit when it came to creating the Weebly site there were some things that I liked adding to the site and then some things that I didn't. I think Weebly is a great site for any teacher to use when creating a classroom website. Weebly offers so many different options to teachers and they don't even have to pay. I will admit that I did not know much about web 2.0 before taking this course and I guess I still don't know that much but I am looking forward to learning more about the different web 2.0 sources that are available to teachers out there!
Here is a link to pintrest which has tons of great links to Web 2.0 resources for teachers!
http://pinterest.com/esheninger/web-2-0-tools-for-educators/
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Classroom Websites
June 17 - 23
This week we had to create a classroom website. For the most part I enjoyed this assignment because it is something that I can use in my future classroom with just a few tweaks. I however did not enjoy adding the widgets or the creative cursor to my website. I feel that the widgets kind of take away from the important parts of the website. I tried to pick ones that would be the most relevant to the classroom but some of the widgets I wanted to use didn't work. I think that if I was to use this site with my actual classroom that I hope to obtain in the fall that I will eliminate the most of the widgets except the countdown. I also struggled with trying to add a cursor to my website. I could not get any of the ones from the website that was supplied to us to work so I searched for other ones. Again, I don't think that the cursors are anything special but instead are an again an unnecessary addition to the site. Mind you these are simply my opinions about the task that we were asked to complete. If I was to use this site for a real classroom I think I would try and make it so it is password protected so that I could add pictures of students completing projects or activities that I might assign in my classroom. I don't feel comfortable adding pictures of real students on the website for the whole wide world to see. Here is the link to my website: http://msdcampbellsclass.weebly.com/ I hope that you all enjoyed looking at it!
I think that this website is very interesting and helpful to teachers. I hope that you enjoy!
http://www.creativeteachingsite.com/
This week we had to create a classroom website. For the most part I enjoyed this assignment because it is something that I can use in my future classroom with just a few tweaks. I however did not enjoy adding the widgets or the creative cursor to my website. I feel that the widgets kind of take away from the important parts of the website. I tried to pick ones that would be the most relevant to the classroom but some of the widgets I wanted to use didn't work. I think that if I was to use this site with my actual classroom that I hope to obtain in the fall that I will eliminate the most of the widgets except the countdown. I also struggled with trying to add a cursor to my website. I could not get any of the ones from the website that was supplied to us to work so I searched for other ones. Again, I don't think that the cursors are anything special but instead are an again an unnecessary addition to the site. Mind you these are simply my opinions about the task that we were asked to complete. If I was to use this site for a real classroom I think I would try and make it so it is password protected so that I could add pictures of students completing projects or activities that I might assign in my classroom. I don't feel comfortable adding pictures of real students on the website for the whole wide world to see. Here is the link to my website: http://msdcampbellsclass.weebly.com/ I hope that you all enjoyed looking at it!
I think that this website is very interesting and helpful to teachers. I hope that you enjoy!
http://www.creativeteachingsite.com/
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
My Concept Map
I have attached my concept map so that my classmates have a chance to see it! Hope you enjoy!
Online Learning and Blackboard Site Creating
June 10 - June 16
While reading through this weeks articles it made me really stop and think about online classes in general. I have taken several online classes through out my college career included my first Master's program that was done completely online. However, for any student to be successful when taking an online class or classes they have to be fully prepared because online classes can be more difficult or challenging then on campus classes. Students have to be good written communicators since most of the communication is written. If a student is unable to clearly express his or her thoughts in a nonverbal way then they are most likely not going to be successful in an online course. But sometimes students are uncomfortable with communicating nonverbally and can "give up" and become less motivated to do the work that is required of an online class. Another part of being a successful online student is being self-motivated as well as self-disciplined. A student needs to be both committed and discipline when it comes to an online class because they are not sitting in a classroom on a daily or weekly basis so they need to step up and make sure they are checking in to their class every day to see what students might have posted on the discussion board and respond to their fellow classmates or to simply turn in an assignment. Again, this links back to the written communication skills because as a student you want to be able to post a response not only to the question posed by the teacher but reply to what your fellow classmates have posted as well as asking them questions related to their posts. This is going to make the online classroom a more successful one because in order to make an online classroom environment more welcoming and excited the students need to be able to feel safe about what they can post and know that they are not going to be criticized by their fellow classmates. But again this is a good way for students to learn from each other by reading what their classmates have posted to see if they think the same way or to just simply see another individuals way of thinking about the topic that you may not have even thought of. Another important aspect of making a student successful online is knowing how to use the technology that is available to them. If a student does not know how to use the basics of a computer they are not going to be successful in an online learning environment. As teachers we are going to try and make sure that all students are going to be successful in the online learning environment but we can not sit there and show our students how to go about the basics of a computer. This is where the student needs to decide whether online classes are for them or not. Online learning is an amazing opportunity but it can be more challenging then the traditional classroom setting. So as a student you need to think of what is going to help you be a more successful student and if you can't communicate nonverbally, be self-motivated and self-disciplined, be committed, or have the basic knowledge of computer skills then online learning might not be right for you. But that is ok because online learning is not for everyone and there is nothing wrong with that.
We also had to create a Blackboard site. I have to admit that I did not have much fun creating my own site. I tried to watch the tutorial videos that were provided but at first I couldn't see any of the images and when I went to YouTube to watch them a few of the videos I felt did not help me a lot. When I tried to watch the video on how to create a DB post it seemed like the video skipped some important steps and well I just tried my best through playing around on the course site to create my course site. I guess that is how we learn through trial and error. I am just wondering if this course would have been a little bit easier if it was a hybrid course and we could have had a step-by-step guide from our teacher how to create a blackboard site. I guess this links in with the discussion about a successful online learner. Sometimes I feel that certain concepts are better learned if taught in an actual classroom rather then the students having to figure out how to do things by themselves. I have attached a link to an article about Converting Face-To-Face learning to Hybrid Course. I hope you enjoy reading it!
http://flightline.highline.edu/id/online/converting.to.hybrid.pdf
While reading through this weeks articles it made me really stop and think about online classes in general. I have taken several online classes through out my college career included my first Master's program that was done completely online. However, for any student to be successful when taking an online class or classes they have to be fully prepared because online classes can be more difficult or challenging then on campus classes. Students have to be good written communicators since most of the communication is written. If a student is unable to clearly express his or her thoughts in a nonverbal way then they are most likely not going to be successful in an online course. But sometimes students are uncomfortable with communicating nonverbally and can "give up" and become less motivated to do the work that is required of an online class. Another part of being a successful online student is being self-motivated as well as self-disciplined. A student needs to be both committed and discipline when it comes to an online class because they are not sitting in a classroom on a daily or weekly basis so they need to step up and make sure they are checking in to their class every day to see what students might have posted on the discussion board and respond to their fellow classmates or to simply turn in an assignment. Again, this links back to the written communication skills because as a student you want to be able to post a response not only to the question posed by the teacher but reply to what your fellow classmates have posted as well as asking them questions related to their posts. This is going to make the online classroom a more successful one because in order to make an online classroom environment more welcoming and excited the students need to be able to feel safe about what they can post and know that they are not going to be criticized by their fellow classmates. But again this is a good way for students to learn from each other by reading what their classmates have posted to see if they think the same way or to just simply see another individuals way of thinking about the topic that you may not have even thought of. Another important aspect of making a student successful online is knowing how to use the technology that is available to them. If a student does not know how to use the basics of a computer they are not going to be successful in an online learning environment. As teachers we are going to try and make sure that all students are going to be successful in the online learning environment but we can not sit there and show our students how to go about the basics of a computer. This is where the student needs to decide whether online classes are for them or not. Online learning is an amazing opportunity but it can be more challenging then the traditional classroom setting. So as a student you need to think of what is going to help you be a more successful student and if you can't communicate nonverbally, be self-motivated and self-disciplined, be committed, or have the basic knowledge of computer skills then online learning might not be right for you. But that is ok because online learning is not for everyone and there is nothing wrong with that.
We also had to create a Blackboard site. I have to admit that I did not have much fun creating my own site. I tried to watch the tutorial videos that were provided but at first I couldn't see any of the images and when I went to YouTube to watch them a few of the videos I felt did not help me a lot. When I tried to watch the video on how to create a DB post it seemed like the video skipped some important steps and well I just tried my best through playing around on the course site to create my course site. I guess that is how we learn through trial and error. I am just wondering if this course would have been a little bit easier if it was a hybrid course and we could have had a step-by-step guide from our teacher how to create a blackboard site. I guess this links in with the discussion about a successful online learner. Sometimes I feel that certain concepts are better learned if taught in an actual classroom rather then the students having to figure out how to do things by themselves. I have attached a link to an article about Converting Face-To-Face learning to Hybrid Course. I hope you enjoy reading it!
http://flightline.highline.edu/id/online/converting.to.hybrid.pdf
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Concept Maps
June 2 - June 9
Well another week is done. This week we had to make a concept map about a chose topic. I figured that I might as well do my concept map on the Revolutionary War since I spent so much time creating the Prezi and lesson plan. The concept map was a little easy to do and was also a little bit of fun. I am not sure however if I would use something like this in my classroom but I might have my students do it because it is an easy way for students to display important information about a topic is a quick and easy way. I think that creating a concept map this way is going to be more creative then having to do one on a poster board. Below I have included a link to an article from Stanford about using concept maps in the classroom. I hope you guys enjoy it!
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/SUSE/SEAL/Reports_Papers/Vanides_CM.pdf
Well another week is done. This week we had to make a concept map about a chose topic. I figured that I might as well do my concept map on the Revolutionary War since I spent so much time creating the Prezi and lesson plan. The concept map was a little easy to do and was also a little bit of fun. I am not sure however if I would use something like this in my classroom but I might have my students do it because it is an easy way for students to display important information about a topic is a quick and easy way. I think that creating a concept map this way is going to be more creative then having to do one on a poster board. Below I have included a link to an article from Stanford about using concept maps in the classroom. I hope you guys enjoy it!
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/SUSE/SEAL/Reports_Papers/Vanides_CM.pdf
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Internet Resource Evaluation #2
How could I use this: I think I
would use this site to create simple diagrams to use in my classroom discussing
various topics. I also think that I would encourage my students to learn how to
use this site so that way they can create a flow chart or diagram on a topic of
their choosing. I think this way they could share a concept with the class that
they worked hard on by creating a flow chart or diagram. I think I would have
the Standard package so that way my students’ work could be kept safe. This
package would also keep my diagrams private and safe as well so that way I
could use them the following year without having to worry about losing my work.
Ease of Use: This site seems pretty easy to use. This site is used to create flow charts and diagrams. The user can select from a pre-made template or create one from scratch. The user can simply place the shapes where ever they want and can simply add text and connections by adding a line connector. Changing the size, color, and fonts is easy by simply clicking on the properties box. Finally, the user can easily export to a variety of different formats making their project easy to share with others!
Cost: Gliffy has three different price plans.
1.
Free: no private diagrams, 2 MB of storage space, the
user can create 5 diagrams, and there is no collaboration feature.
2.
Standard: Cost is $49.50/year for each user. The user gets
200 MB of storage space, 200 diagrams, unlimited collaborators as well as
access to private diagrams.
3.
Pro: $99.50/year for each user. Also, there is unlimited
storage space, diagrams, and collaborators.
Flexibility of Design: This
site seems really easy to create any flow chart or diagram that you need in
your classroom or business. The user of course will have a lot more flexibility
with their designs if they choose one of the paid plans compared to the free
plan. Also, there are no private diagrams for the users who have the free plan.
The collaboration feature can also add some additional benefits because you can
revert back to what you originally had if you don’t like something someone else
did.
Security: The only plans that are protected are the Standard and Pro. With these two plans the site stores the users’ documents on secure servers that are backed up so no information will be lost. The users who simply have the free plan can only have public documents so their work is not secure.
How could I use this: I think I
would use this site with my students to encourage them to make a simple
presentation. I think this site would be simple enough for any student to use
in the classroom. I like how this site focuses more on the information that is
being presented rather than a whole bunch of different styles. I think this
would be a good site to use with the students in order to get them used to
making simple diagrams before setting them free on a site that has more
features. I would want my students to understand the basics of making a diagram
so they don’t feel so overwhelmed if they were starting out on a more complex
site.
Ease of Use: This site is pretty easy and simple to use. The users simply double clicks and places the popple wherever they choose. The tools that the user can choose from to enhance their popple are borders, font size, text alignment, pictures – both clip art and drawings, connecting to an existing popple or deleting the popple can be found all around the popple. This makes the site very simple for any user. The user can also add YouTube videos, as well as pictures from Flickr and Google maps. The only downfall is that you cannot edit the shapes or designs and can’t export to a variety of formats.
Cost: Popplet has three different plans:
1.
Free: 5 popplets and can use all of the features.
2.
Monthly: Cost is $3/Month and can create unlimited
popplets while using unlimited features.
3.
Yearly: $30/year and can create unlimited popplets while
using unlimited features.
Flexibility of Design: There is
not much creativity in the way of design style. This site is simple and basic
and just focuses on the information that is being presented and not much on the
design of the popple.
Security: This site offers three different levels of security. The user can choose to share their popple, collaborate with other users allowing them to make additions, or collaborate with other users by allowing editing. The users chooses whether to keep their popple private or share it publicly.
How could I use this: I honestly
do not think I would use this site in my classroom because it was difficult to
figure out how to use and only after a little bit of playing around was I able
to figure out what to do. I don’t think this site is very student friendly
either especially not with the younger students since they are drawn to
different colors that “jump out” at them and draw them in.
Ease of Use: Unlike all of the other sites I have evaluated both this week and last week this one seems very complicated to figure out how to use. It starts by not giving the prices for the different plans that are available. I think that the prices should be listed so that any individual who is interested in signing up can see the different options. There is little explanation on what to do when you start your project. Once the user clicks start here, you can edit the text and point size. The only color that you can have is black or white. The feature button allows the user to change the background picture, place a picture, add a link, or delete the bubble. It is simple to save.
Cost: Slatebox offers two different plans that also include 3 different options for the organization plans. However, there are no prices listed for any of the plans.
1. Free: This option is for one user only and allows private/public
slates with a URL
slatebox.com/YourName.
slatebox.com/YourName.
2. Organization Plan: Team slates with URL organization.slatebox.com,
app store with access to both free and paid visualization apps, dashboard
management, and unlimited slates.
a.
Basic: 10
users with all the features listed above.
b.
Pro: 60
users, with all the features above and IOS/Android support.
c.
Massive:
125 users, with all the features above, IOS/Andriod support and bonus
integration features.
Flexibility of Design: Like I
mentioned above this site is not very easy to use and does not offer many
design features. Also, the user has to do much of the figuring out on how to
use the site through exploration because there is not much help. If you ask me
it is very boring and too complicated for most users.
Security: The user decides whether they want their slates to be private or public. All of the plans allow both private and public slates.
Friday, May 31, 2013
YouTube Video
May 24 - June 2
This week's assignment was basically to make a YouTube video and then review a couple of internet sources. It took me a little time to decide what I wanted to make my tutorial video on and I wanted to keep the topic simple. I remembered that I did a lesson while I was student teaching on the water cycle. I wanted to keep my video simple so that most 1st graders would be able to understand that and I am pretty sure that I was able to do that. I did not get into a lot of detail in my video which again keeps it pretty simple for the younger grades. I ended up taking my iPad and recording a PowerPoint presentation that I made. I would like to think I am pretty good with PowerPoint since I have made a couple personal videos using PowerPoint and my own video camera but this time I tried to just record with my iPad since it would be easier to post to YouTube that way. I did get my pictures from Google I simply googled images of the water cycle and picked the most basic ones since the water cycle can get more complicated for the higher grades. I have included a long video of the Magic School Bus talking about the water cycle since this was the video I showed when I actually taught the lesson. However, I rented the video from my library. :)
http://youtu.be/1PDx773RPR0
This week's assignment was basically to make a YouTube video and then review a couple of internet sources. It took me a little time to decide what I wanted to make my tutorial video on and I wanted to keep the topic simple. I remembered that I did a lesson while I was student teaching on the water cycle. I wanted to keep my video simple so that most 1st graders would be able to understand that and I am pretty sure that I was able to do that. I did not get into a lot of detail in my video which again keeps it pretty simple for the younger grades. I ended up taking my iPad and recording a PowerPoint presentation that I made. I would like to think I am pretty good with PowerPoint since I have made a couple personal videos using PowerPoint and my own video camera but this time I tried to just record with my iPad since it would be easier to post to YouTube that way. I did get my pictures from Google I simply googled images of the water cycle and picked the most basic ones since the water cycle can get more complicated for the higher grades. I have included a long video of the Magic School Bus talking about the water cycle since this was the video I showed when I actually taught the lesson. However, I rented the video from my library. :)
http://youtu.be/1PDx773RPR0
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Internet Resource Evaluation
How could I use this: I think I
would use this site to create short videos for teaching a specific concept. In
order to do this I would probably need one of the more expensive plans to do
this. I would also use this site if I wanted to share important moments that
happened in my classroom. This site would be a good way to share these moments
with the parents as well as other teachers in my school.
Ease of Use: This site seems pretty easy to use. Their philosophy is to create simple and beautiful videos. You start out by choosing the pictures you want to add to your project and then finish with adding the music. Of course you get more choices if you go with a more expensive package but it looks like you can make a beautiful project at any level. There is also an iPhone and Android App for easier sharing with your family and friends.
Cost: Animoto has five different options for individuals ranging from beginners to professional.
1.
Free: includes 30 second web quality videos with limited
styles. Individuals also have access to 600+ tracks. However, you can’t save to
your computer.
2.
Plus: Cost is $30/year or $5/month. 10 minute web
quality videos with access to 40 different styles and 600+ tracks. With this
option individuals can download to their computer.
3.
Plus HD: $99/year or $15/month 10 minute HD videos with
access to 40 different styles and 600+ tracks. With this option you can
download to your computer.
4.
Pro: $249/year or $15/month. 20 minute HD quality videos
with access to 56 styles and 2,000+ tracks. With this option individuals can
download to their computer.
5.
Premium: $499/year. All the features that are found in
the pro package plus the option of selling to other business. Also included are
Vimeo Pro membership and access to more commercially licensed music.
Flexibility of Design: There
are not many designs available to the free users however if you are looking to
make something very basic then I think you can do just fine with the package. I
also think that the basic package might work for lower elementary teachers. However,
I think an upper elementary and high school teacher would want to choose one of
the more expensive packages so they have more choices but only if they feel
that they would use it more than once or twice in their classrooms.
Security: All of the videos you make are private unless you choose to share them with the public.
Add media? The site can grab
photos from Facebook, Flickr, Photobucket, Picasa, SmugMug, or Instagram. If
you want to access photos that are on your computer instead of one of the above
mentioned sites you can use the Lightroom or Aperture plugins for easy uploading.
How could I use this: I think I
would use this as a way for my students to evaluate a project that I have
assigned them. I think this would be a more fun way for my students to record
what they learned while creating their project as well as possibly asking
fellow students about what they learned from their project. This will encourage
students to be detailed with their reflections without having to write down
everything. This might work for students who struggle with writing their
thoughts down or can be used with students who are blind and have assistance
from a parent or other adult who can do the dialing on the phone for them.
Ease of Use: This site seems pretty easy to use. You start by calling the phone number on the website and record your commentary. Then you head to their website to retrieve your recording. You can start with a basic recording that is a minute long with one picture. Finally, you pair the recording with your photo and you’re ready to share it with your family and friends.
Cost: This site is free to record, publish and share on blogs or websites. You can also upgrade your author account to a monthly fee of either $6.99 for 50% royalties or $34.99 for 70% royalties.
Flexibility of Design: There is
not much flexibility to design but it does seem very flexible to record
whatever you need to record. Also, since you are calling a phone number to make
your recording you can design from anywhere in the world!
Security: You make the decision of who gets to see your project. You can choose whether you want to share it with the public or just share it with your family and friends.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How could I use this: I think I
would use this site if I had an upper elementary or high school classroom.
(However, right now I am only subbing so I don’t have my own classroom yet but
hopefully next year!) I think this site would encourage older students to take
their learning outside of the school building and be more interactive in their
learning. I also think that this site will help older students to take
responsibility for their own learning because they might have to respond to a
given post every so often or have to email their teacher an answer by a
specific date. I think with the availability of technology in today’s world
this would be an amazing option for older students to “take their learning into
their own hands”.
Ease of Use: This site encourages students to become more excited about learning! The classroom discussions can be continued in a safe online environment. The site seems very easy for both teachers and students to use. Teachers can create an online classroom in which they can track students’ progress, continue classroom discussions, set reminders, as well as having an easy way to communicate with both parents and students about important events that are coming up. There are also apps available in iTunes so that students can take their classroom with them where ever they go. There are also other apps that are available that help assist the student’s learning and help the teacher amplify their lessons using digital content.
Cost: This site is free to sign up.
Flexibility of Design: This
site seems very straight forward and easy for any teacher to use in order to
create an online classroom environment that works for them as well as their
students. The many different options also help teachers in creating their
online classroom.
Security: Unlike the other sites, Edmodo requires the teacher to monitor what goes on in their classroom. The teacher needs to inform the students about all of the procedures of working in the online classroom and make sure the students are following through with these procedures. The teacher can also create an Edmodo school domain to protect both the students and the teacher themselves. Once the school domain is up and running, the school personal who is in charge of the domain will have access to all student and teacher activity provided with full discloser.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Internet Safety and Cyber-bullying
May 20 - 26
This week we learned about internet safety and cyber-bullying. I think this two concepts are linked together but are also important topics individually. Since technology became so much more easily accessible there are things that both parents and teachers need to do. I think both parents and teachers need to work together to keep kids safe when using the internet. Both teachers and parents need to show the children how to use the internet and technological sources that are available with care and respect. I also feel that it is the parents responisblity to monitor the child when they are using any forms of technology and put blockers on the internet. However, the problem with blockers sometimes is that children are smart and know how to get around them so the parent needs to make sure the computer is in a public place and should be sitting in the room with them or nearby so they can keep an eye on their child to make sure he/she is not looking at something they should not be.
When doing a little research about cyber-bullying I came across this article because I found it very informative. I think it is so crazy to see how much violence in school has changed since the addition of technology. Computers are now allowing children to bully another from the privacy of their own home. Schools often feel that they can not step in when a child is a victim of cyber-bullying because the incident did not happen on school grounds. However, just because an individual decides to cyber-bully someone it doesn't mean that they aren't going to physically, mentally, or emotionally bully the child while they are on school grounds as well. Some individuals might choose to be a cyber-bully because they can be annoynmous and feel that someone will not find out who they are. However, I think that this is where both the parents and schools can come in handy. I also feel that schools need to have information workshops about internet safety and cyber-bullying so parents can know what to do if their child becomes a victim or becomes a cyber-bully.
Keith, S., & Martin, M. E. (2005). Cyber-bullying: Creating a culture of respect in a cyber-
world.
Reclaiming Children and Youth, 13(4), 224-228. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214193728?accountid=27927.
This article discusses how school
violence has changed as we entered into the 21st Century. The new
forms of technology that are available to students today have caused an
increase on a new form of bullying – cyber-bullying. This article gives a view
into this world, by first defining who a cyber-bully is, and some practical
solutions for dealing with the problem. The article also discusses some
differences between girls and boys when it comes to cyber-bullying in order for
the reader to gain a better understanding of cyber-bullying. The article
concludes with some signs that parents can look for to see if their child is a
victim or cyber-bullying or if their child is in fact a cyber-bully.
This article is useful for someone
who wants to gain a simple understanding of who a cyber-bully is. The authors
include some results from several surveys as well as scholarly information to
help express the facts. Finally, this article helps the reader to see how
violence has changed significantly since the 1990s and technology has become
more readily available to individuals of all ages.
Shariff, S. (2005). Cyber-dilemmas in the new
millennium: School obligations to provide student
safety in a virtual school
environment. McGill Journal of Education, 40(3), 467-487.
Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/202731440?accountid=27927.
This article discusses how
cyberbullying is a psychologically devastating form of cruelty that is
effecting many adolescents today. It discusses the current policies in regards
to both the legal requirements and expectations of the schools to oversee and
supervise the on-line actions of the students, while ensuring the safety of
students, education, and interactions among students in the online environment.
This article begins by defining what a cyber-bully looks like as well as the
conditions of cyber-bullying is also discussed. Also, this article gives a
brief discussion on the schools response to cyber-bullying. This article ends
with both emerging and established laws to help provide guidelines for schools
to prevent cyber-bullying and protect all students inside and outside of the
school building.
This article is very significant
and useful because it discusses cyber-bullying as an extension of bullying and
the three main troubles with monitoring a potential cyber-bully. The section on
roles and responsibilities is very significant and useful to parents and
teachers. The author also includes the legal obligations and policies that
schools are required to follow which is very helpful to the reader. Finally,
the author includes scholarly research to help express the importance of the
topic.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Teaching Teachers about Technology
May 13 - 18
I think it is so important to incorporate technology into the classroom. However, I feel that not all teachers are going to be ready even though we need to be since technology is a MAJOR part of our world today. Our students are growing up in a world that is very technologically based and we need to be able to meet the needs and demands of todays world. Unfortunately, not all teacher education programs are preparing our teachers for these demands. Universities are rethinking their teacher education programs. If teachers want to be able to use technology correctly and effectively in their classrooms, they need to be taught during their teacher education programs. Since there are new types of technology that are coming out every year, most teachers feel that they are unprepared to take on the task of incorporating technology into their classroom. Teacher education programs need to be able to prepare the students for the classrooms today by helping them to learn how to use the different types of technology that are available to them and how to use them in the correct way. Most importantly, teachers need to be able to demonstrate how to integrate technology into their classroom by using meaningful forms of technology as well as build their own self-efficacy in using technology. By doing this the teacher is able to help promote the student’s critical thinking skills as well as problem solving skills. I also feel that schools need to help teachers who already have a classroom and have been teaching for several years with the demand of technology. Schools should have professional development in order to assist students. I understand that sometimes this is going to be difficult but if we are demanding so much out of our teachers, the schools need to give some assistance. Even if this means talking about different types of technology over a few months during staff meetings. Another idea to think about is is all this technology worth the cost because let's face it technology is not cheap! I hope this video helps to get you thinking!
http://www.npr.org/2013/03/03/173372736/teaching-2-0-is-tech-in-the-classroom-worth-the-cost
I think it is so important to incorporate technology into the classroom. However, I feel that not all teachers are going to be ready even though we need to be since technology is a MAJOR part of our world today. Our students are growing up in a world that is very technologically based and we need to be able to meet the needs and demands of todays world. Unfortunately, not all teacher education programs are preparing our teachers for these demands. Universities are rethinking their teacher education programs. If teachers want to be able to use technology correctly and effectively in their classrooms, they need to be taught during their teacher education programs. Since there are new types of technology that are coming out every year, most teachers feel that they are unprepared to take on the task of incorporating technology into their classroom. Teacher education programs need to be able to prepare the students for the classrooms today by helping them to learn how to use the different types of technology that are available to them and how to use them in the correct way. Most importantly, teachers need to be able to demonstrate how to integrate technology into their classroom by using meaningful forms of technology as well as build their own self-efficacy in using technology. By doing this the teacher is able to help promote the student’s critical thinking skills as well as problem solving skills. I also feel that schools need to help teachers who already have a classroom and have been teaching for several years with the demand of technology. Schools should have professional development in order to assist students. I understand that sometimes this is going to be difficult but if we are demanding so much out of our teachers, the schools need to give some assistance. Even if this means talking about different types of technology over a few months during staff meetings. Another idea to think about is is all this technology worth the cost because let's face it technology is not cheap! I hope this video helps to get you thinking!
http://www.npr.org/2013/03/03/173372736/teaching-2-0-is-tech-in-the-classroom-worth-the-cost
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Technology and the classroom
May 6 - 12
This week we learned about technology and how to integrate it into the classroom. Both articles that I had to read were very informative and definitely helped me to understand the importance of technology in the classroom. Our world is changing and has changed greatly since I was in grade school and this is simply because of the introduction and the availability of different types of technology that are available to todays students. I could not have imagined taking a course online when I was in grade school or evening having an iPad that allowed me to take my learning to a whole new level! I think that technology greatly impacts our world today and as teachers we need to learn how to adapt our classrooms to meet the needs of our students and to be able to explore the different types of technology that is available to us. It is hard for me to imagine that one day there might not be any school buildings and everything is going to be a virtual classroom. I think technology has its ups and downs. Not all schools have access to technology sources so how can these schools be helped in order to keep up with the schools that have access to many different types of technology. I also think that technology is becoming more obtainable as we progress through the years and we need to be able to create our lessons around the technology that students have access to. However, in some school districts students might not have access to technology so can we expect all students to use technology to upload daily homework assignments or to even use technology, such as YouTube or Prezi, to complete an assignment. The link that I have provided is very useful because it helps to explain how the roles of both the teachers and the students have changed since the use of technology has been introduced into the classroom. I also agree that the motivation and self-esteem of students can be greatly increased through the use of technology because the students enjoy using technology so therefore they are more motivated to complete a task and when they are more motivated to complete something then they are going to have a higher level of self-esteem when they complete it and even moreso when they receive a good grade on it. Finally, the students are more willing to work with one another and help each other when it comes to working on tasks that involve technology. As teachers we need to do what ever we can to help our students desire and want to learn and if we have to do that through the use of technology then so be it!
http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html
This week we learned about technology and how to integrate it into the classroom. Both articles that I had to read were very informative and definitely helped me to understand the importance of technology in the classroom. Our world is changing and has changed greatly since I was in grade school and this is simply because of the introduction and the availability of different types of technology that are available to todays students. I could not have imagined taking a course online when I was in grade school or evening having an iPad that allowed me to take my learning to a whole new level! I think that technology greatly impacts our world today and as teachers we need to learn how to adapt our classrooms to meet the needs of our students and to be able to explore the different types of technology that is available to us. It is hard for me to imagine that one day there might not be any school buildings and everything is going to be a virtual classroom. I think technology has its ups and downs. Not all schools have access to technology sources so how can these schools be helped in order to keep up with the schools that have access to many different types of technology. I also think that technology is becoming more obtainable as we progress through the years and we need to be able to create our lessons around the technology that students have access to. However, in some school districts students might not have access to technology so can we expect all students to use technology to upload daily homework assignments or to even use technology, such as YouTube or Prezi, to complete an assignment. The link that I have provided is very useful because it helps to explain how the roles of both the teachers and the students have changed since the use of technology has been introduced into the classroom. I also agree that the motivation and self-esteem of students can be greatly increased through the use of technology because the students enjoy using technology so therefore they are more motivated to complete a task and when they are more motivated to complete something then they are going to have a higher level of self-esteem when they complete it and even moreso when they receive a good grade on it. Finally, the students are more willing to work with one another and help each other when it comes to working on tasks that involve technology. As teachers we need to do what ever we can to help our students desire and want to learn and if we have to do that through the use of technology then so be it!
http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html
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