Make-Up Post from March 29th

I believe the biggest challenge I faced with trying to incorporate technology into a lesson was trying to force a particular technology into a lesson.  For example, if you are a fan of Wikispaces, but you are creating a lesson that does not require group-work, it might be and awkward fit to incorporate this software into the lesson.  I also thought that creating lessons based solely on a particular type of software did not work well.  I found that the best method of incorporating technology into lessons was to first have an understanding of a broad range of technologies.  When creating the lesson, focus on making a quality lesson first and foremost, without necessarily focusing on a particular technology.  Once a quality lesson is constructed, I would then revisit the lesson and see if any particular technologies could be easily incorporated to enhance the lesson.  I would not simply add technology for the sake of adding technology because that will make things overcomplicated and possibly lessen the value and efficacy of the content of the lesson.  However, when technology is incorporated in a meaningful and seamless way, I believe it can have many benefits for all members participating in the learning process.

Blogging

After reading about the activity in the article, I felt that it would not work nearly as well in a secondary setting.  Having students who are fully capable of understanding online blogging create their own colorfully decorated paper blogs seems demeaning to me.  I would entirely skip her activity of having the students create paper blogs, and simply have my high school students create real blogs.  The only value I found in this piece were in the blogging rules and guidelines to commenting sections.  I agree that properly citing information posted on blogs and avoiding plagiarism should be serious concerns when having students create their own blogs.  I also agree that it must be made explicit that any form of cyber bullying or harassment will not be tolerated.  Finally, I agree with the point about only posting things that benefit the learning experiences of participa  ting members.  However, I would take things a step further and require my students to support their opinions with evidence found from the internet.  From my experience, blogs can be a haven for unsupported beliefs, a practice which I would not tolerate in my classroom.

Cellphones in the Classroom

To be honest, I do not agree that cell phones can be a useful tool in the classroom.  While the article we read made some interesting points, personally I didn't find any evidence proving them to be a necessary part of the classroom experience.  I was actually quite upset with the portion of the article in which the kids were asked to take pictures of insects with their camera-phones.  The author said that this activity would make the kids excited to be working with their own cell phones.  How is that exciting?  If I were that teacher I could care less if the students liked or disliked their cellphones.  The point of the activity is to study insects, and I believe that students should be focusing on the beauty and complexity of insect species, rather than the intricacies of their mobile devices.  I am still unconvinced that cell phones provide more positives than negatives in the academic setting.  From my experience cell phones have been a source of distraction and an effective method of cheating.  I am not totally discounting the credibility of using cell phones as an educational tool.  I do believe it is possible, I just don't see it as being necessary or something I would spend time on as a teacher.  I strongly support the use of computers and tablets in the classroom and would rather my students use these tools than their cell phones.

If I were to use cell phones as a learning activity I would probably use a resource like "polleverywhere" to allow students to answer questions as a pre-assessment.  I would use their answers to determine their level of understanding on a particular topic, and then decide what content needs to be reviewed.  I would also consider creating a lesson on communications and how cell phones have allowed people to communicate with each other from just about anywhere in the world.  While this activity might not involve the students directly using their cell phones, it would be focused on the verbal communications aspects of cell phones. I personally do not own a smartphone, nor do I feel the need to own one.  I believe that laptops can perform any function a smartphone can, only with greater efficiency.  Cell phones were designed for telecommunications and I believe that is their greatest strength.  Personally, I would rather teach my students the historical significance of cell phones rather than teaching them how to download and use cool apps.  

Thinkfinity and SAS

The first resource I found was from the SAS page (which I think is far superior to thinkfinity).  I found an interactive activity that would be great to provide the backdrop for a discussion based class.  The resource I found was an activity that explores the fairness of the American tax system.  I would assign this particular activity to either a participation in government or economics class before engaging in a discussion on the fairness of tax policies.  The part that I liked best about this activity is that it provides educational videos and documents explaining the various aspects of taxation and their evolution through history.  I have often found that when discussing issues of economics and politics many students simply spew the opinions of their parents and have no personal opinion or evidence to support their claims.  I believe that assigning this informational activity will increase the chances of having a successful and engaging discussion in which students can form and present their educated opinions with supporting details. Resource: SAS QL #1185.

The second resource I found was from thinkfinity.  I found an interactive resource that allows students to explore the period of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl through accessing different websites.  I would assign this interactive activity as either homework or an in-class assignment to a US history class.  Again, I would probably assign this activity before a discussion based class.  I liked this resource because it provided information on the time period through a variety of mediums so that the students have more options and can choose the websites that best suit their learning styles.  I also believe that having students explore and find information on their own would promote a more exciting discussion. Through having the students explore on their own and then present their findings to the class, we would be able to utilize the unique perspectives and learning styles of each student.

Resource: http://interactives.mped.org/view_interactive.aspx?id=729&title=      

Copyrights

I had never given much thought on the topic of copyrights in the classroom.  After our last class I have realized that many of my teachers have violated copyright laws in the past.  I believe that in our current age all people must be aware of the legality of their actions online, especially with the sharing of information/media.  In a society that is becoming more dependent on digital devices and the internet for creating and sharing information it is important to know how to protect your intellectual property and also protect yourself from violating copyright laws.  I felt that the activity we did in class was an effective way of teaching the various forms of copyright protections that are available.  In my future classroom I would encourage my students to be aware of the consequences of their actions online and I would seek to give them the knowledge and skills to prevent themselves from violating copyright laws.  It is important that students know how to properly credit authors in order to ensure their success in academic and professional endeavors.  Citing sources is a useful skill to practice in not only online endeavors but in writing academic papers.

Flipping the Classroom

At first, I was skeptical about the idea of "flipping the classroom."  However, after giving this idea careful consideration I feel that it could be a beneficial practice.  I fully support filming lectures and having them as an online resource for students.  Even if the teacher chooses not to flip the classroom, having lectures available for students to watch again can help reinforce the material learned in class, and clarify points that may have been difficult to comprehend the first time.  I do agree that a main benefit of flipping the classroom is having the teacher present while doing assignments based on class material.  I can remember getting quite frustrated as a high school student when I would be unable to complete my homework and no one would be there to help.  As a teacher I would consider using this tool to save time from lecturing to promote more discussion oriented classes.  However, flipping the classroom could face several roadblocks.  If students do not watch the lectures they will undoubtedly be lost during the class session, and additional time will need to be taken to ensure these students understand the material.  Also, some students may not have regular access to computers or the Internet preventing them from easily accessing the online lectures.  Personally, I would try flipping the classroom, but only if my students supported it and were willing to do their part to allow it to be an effective teaching tool.

Digital Environment

Our first class session showed me how little I know about technology.  I mean, I'm not totally computer illiterate, but I definitely have a lot to learn if I am going to prepare students to succeed in an era where technological literacy is a requirement.  I thought the goals presented in our reading for this week were admirable, but I am skeptical as to how schools are actually going to incorporate technology in the classroom at the level the authors believe they should.  It is a sad fact that some school districts are better funded than others, and therefore can more easily afford the expensive equipment and programs required to create a truly 21st century classroom.  I wonder about the digital divide will now permeate into our schools (as I'm sure it already has), creating even more inequality among school districts with varied funding and access to technology and the resources it requires.  Overall, I am looking forward to learning more about technology and how to utilize it in the classroom and my daily life.