28. Blogfolio

1.      1.Introduction Video:

a. The introduction video symbolizes a way of communication. Within the NETS-T standards students can use this under the fourth standard as technology communication tools. This standard states that the students will use combinations to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audience. Also, the standard states the students will use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.

b. This assignment has taught me that communication is very important, even if it is through technology. As a student, I am taking online classes and to be able to communicate with my teachers is very crucial. Communication is the key to success in all fields of work and study. It is very import to form these skills to be able to relate to your students and understand their needs.

c. I do not believe I encountered any problems with this assignment. It was a simple task to complete. However, there is one thing that comes to mind and that is what I was going to say to make a good first impression.

d. I solved this problem by allowing myself to think of what I would want to know about someone I have never met. After this thought process, my mind began to flow. Soon I was starting with the basics of my life.

e. I plan to integrate this source of technology into my teaching by allowing my students to record a short video of one another telling a little about themselves. Then I would play it back to the class.  This could be the ice breaker for first day nervousness. This is also a great way to loosen up the students who are shy. 

2.    2.  John Hunter- TED Videos:

            a. TED videos taught us a lot about subject matters we were interested in. With this said, the third standard of NETS-T would be the appropriate standard for this activity. The TED videos allowed us to use technology tools to enhance our learning of teaching methods. By doing this it helped us gain knowledge of how we would want to interact with our future students.

b. TED videos have taught me a lot with other people use teaching methods within different environments. For example, the way John Hunter conducted his class was unlike anything I had ever heard of. The project for the kids was so brilliant, and a great way of teaching them about communicating.

c. I do believe the only problem encountered with this particular subject of event would be the administration. The way the class was allowed to roam and talk with each other whenever they felt, would probably be a complication. This may be a distraction for other classes around theirs.

d. I would solve this problem by discussing the issue of the task before hand with the administration. I would explain the importance of the lesson and methods of my choosing. I would allow myself to be civil and recognize the complications this may cause for surrounding classrooms.

e. I would this method in my classroom to show students the importance of discussing problems. This also allows students to have hands-on tools to help them remember the lesson and to embrace it. I would choose a project similar to his and allow the students a week over time to implicate the project. 

3.    3.  Concept Map:

a. The concept map would have to be the third standard of NETS-T. The third standard is technology productivity tools which states that the students will use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. The standard also states students will use productivity in constructing technology enhanced models, preparing publications, and producing other creative works.

b. This assignment was the most helpful in preparing me for my future career. I learned so much and had a great time as well. We were able to create a concept map of lesson plans from an activity of our choice. I chose to pick math because I thought it would be more of a challenge. By doing this project is showed me how much thought a teacher must put into every lesson.

c. It also taught me more about the common core state standards and how I can see why it may be a problem for the older teachers to integrate them into their lessons. When you have been teaching for so long in the way you are used to, I can understand how learning to educate with a new set of standards could be difficult.

d. However, the education system is constantly changing. Whether it is change from old technology to more updated, or the curriculum becoming different after a very long time, we have to learn to adapt. If do not adapt how can we stay upbeat with the programs. The world will not wait on you. You either sink or swim.

e. I definitely plan on using this concept map idea into my lessons. This would be great for brain storming for an essay for the students. The concept map allows the students to see the breakdown of the main idea and into the subtopics of an essay. 

4.    4.  Do Not Track Me:

a. Do Not Track Me is without a doubt the second standard of NETS-T. The second standard is social, ethical, and human issues which states students will understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology, and practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software. The standard also states students will develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support life- long learning, collaborating personal pursuits and productivity.

b. This assignment taught me to always be aware of what is going on online. This site allows you to see who tracks you while using the internet. Just from jumping from one search to another you could get over ten trackers. Using the internet calls for certain actions to be met. You need to be aware of how easy it is to be linked to someone without even trying.

c. To be honest I did not encounter any problems with this project. I found it to be very helpful and quit shocking of who I found tracking me. I feel this is a great site for everyone to use to become aware of issues being faced with the internet.

d. I would integrate this activity into my future teaching by teaching my students about the issues people face every day while using technology. You can never be too careful when using technology whether you are just browsing the web, or opening spam. It is all to be taken very cautiously, and I plan on teaching my students as much as there needs to know.

5.      5.Augmented Reality:

            a. Augmented reality apps really speak for themselves on which standard they belong with which is the third standard, technology productivity tools. Students use this tool to enhance their knowledge of the surrounding world. They allow you to become more involved and experience things as if you there. This helps gain the students attention.

b. The augmented reality app lesson helped me see how useful technology can be to everyday uses in life. Technology is becoming a major influence in today’s world. By using these apps and mine that I chose in particular allowed me to see places out of sight. I knew where to go before I was close to my destination. It also allowed me to view any store that was near my destination as well.

c. The problem I encountered with my augmented reality app was the use of using it while driving. This is also a major issue with traffic laws. In plus I am not a very good multi-tasker, which is strange considering the era of my generation.

d. I would handle this problem by allowing myself to use this only when walking, or to pull over. You can never be too careful when it comes to driving and safety.

e. I would integrate augmented reality apps into my classroom by allowing them to use these for everyday uses. If the class was study maps, this would be a great way to teach them about navigation. This can also be implemented in geography as well because it can allow you to see building and streets of the destination. 

6. Voki:

            a. Voki is a way that students and teachers can communicate through animated characters that you can create. Students could also use this to communicate with each other within projects.  This would be the fourth standard of NETS-T, technology communications tools. Voki allows the students to use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, and others.  

            b. Using voki to illustrate a character introducing students and parents to a class showed the importance of communication through technology, and also the use of tools in the classroom. There are many different tools that can be used in classroom with technology. The voki was a tool used to welcome students and parents into a class, but could be used when reading a lesson. For some students hearing sticks better than reading.

            c. The only problem with using technology tools in class that comes to mind is that if the lesson involved the student to participate with own device. Not every student will have a device most likely.

            d. This type of lesson will need be thought out ahead of time for this reason. You can allow groups of students to work together by assuring all is allowed to participate.

            e. I could integrate technology tools into my lessons very easily considering the era we are living in. For example, I could use Voki just as we did in class to welcome students into the classroom if I held an online class, which is becoming more common every year. 

7. Web 2.0 Sites:

            a. The web 2.0 sites were great tools to help you within projects in the classrooms. This would also be the third standard of NETS-T, technology productivity tools. The websites allowed many different varieties of suggestions like concepts maps and search engines. The students will use the websites to enhance their learning, increase their productivity, and it will help promote their creativity.

            b. This assignment has taught me that there are so many tools you can use through technology that will help enhance any project for the students. I never knew half of them existed and this activity was a great way to introduce them to the class. These websites can make a major difference on how well the students will remember the lesson as well.

            c. The only problem I encountered with this activity is that some on the sites did not allow you to do a lot on a free version. Another problem I noticed is that some of the search engine sites designed for the students were not that great on the information they had available.

            d. An easy way I thought to solve this problem was to review the sites ahead of time. By viewing the sites ahead of time will ensure you if the site is capable of benefiting your lesson and the students project. The reason for this is because some of the free versions may be just enough for the lesson or project, but it is always good to make sure.

            e. I could use almost these tools to integrate into my future lessons as a teacher. My favorites have to be the concept maps sites. The reason for this is because you can do many activities with concepts map. For example, students can use them to organize thoughts of an essay, they could use them to make flow charts in history, or even break down problems in math. There are just so many ways to integrate concept maps into any lesson.  

8. Privacy Put First- personal websites

            a. In this activity we were assigned to create our own website to promote online safety or being aware of cyber bullying. I feel this activity meets two standards, the first- basic operations and concepts and the second- social, ethical and human issues. The reason for this is because to create a website you must be proficient in the use of technology. I learned a lot about creating a website I had never learned before. Another reason is because we had to understand the issues being faced with technology in today’s world. We have to understand the societal issues that people come in contact with every day.

            b. This assignment has taught me to be more aware of issues I can come in contact with by using technology. There are identity thefts, hackers, and stalkers out there every day looking for their next victim. Also this assignment helped enhance my use of technology by teaching me how to create a website online.

            c. I did not encounter any problems with this activity. It was easy to follow how to create the website. It was also simple on how to search for my information to use for the website.

            d. I would integrate this into my lesson by allowing my students to create flyers on either cyber bullying or online safety. This will help enhance their technology skills and also inform them on the dangers of using technology. I feel everyone should be aware of what can happen when using social sites or putting personal information on your computer before using technology. 

9. Movie Maker:

            a. Movie maker was a fun activity that allowed us to use technology to publish a story to show to the rest of the class. With this said I feel it goes along with the fourth standard, technology communication tools. The reason for this is because it allowed us to publish a story through technology to show to our class. We also used a variety of media and formats to publish the movie.

            b. This assignment taught me how useful tools can be when trying to communicate to an audience. This project gave me a chance to tell a story about a wonderful vacation my family and I took this past fall. It also allowed me to show how close I am to my family.

            c. I did not encounter any problems with this activity. I thought the activity was very fun and exciting. I liked how we got the chance to make a movie and show to the class a little more about myself.

            d. I would integrate this movie project into my lesson by allowing my future students to show a story of kindness. I feel this would be a great lesson for all students to have more experience in while researching the topic and becoming more familiar with the use of technology. 

My Course Refection:

            This course has be nothing but inspirational for me. It reminds me of how happy I am I chose to study to become a teacher. I have learned more in this class about education than my past two years of school. I was introduced to TED. TED showed me that not every classroom has to be conducted the same way. I want to keep my students attention as much as I can and John Hunter showed me how. With that said, this class has revealed many issues in the education systems today. I was not aware of how many problems there are.  Also this class has taught me how important technology is in education. Every year teachers are being introduced to the latest gadgets of technology. I feel this class has helped better prepare me for the future use of integrating technology into my classroom. This class also showed me many technology tools that would be great to use in the classroom. I have never thought to use any of these tools till now, and I am so grateful I was able to join this class and learn so much over a short amount of time.

            Along in every class I have my weak and strong point. Some of strong points are that I always try to stay up to date on assignments given. I like to put my school work first before leisure time. In my opinion I feel if I stay on task and not lag behind I would have more time for leisure that way instead of waiting till the last minute. I am also willing to try new things with technology. Even though I had never had a blog before I was excited about the idea. I feel like my weak point was not being aware of the major issues within the education field. I have learned so much from this class about the recent issues that education systems are being faced with today. I feel I should make a goal to always be up to date on these issues. I should pay more attention to the news and local papers.

            After this taking this class, it has introduced me to many new technology tools. I would integrate concept maps for sure. Students could use these for almost anything such as an organization map for essays, flow charts for history, or even a break down chart for a math problem. I would integrate PowerPoint presentations with the notes for the lesson and have the students follow along. I would also use augmented reality apps as well as devices in the classrooms. There are so many ways I could think to integrate technology into the classroom after taking this class this semester. I am just overwhelmed with how much I have learned, in a good way of course.

            The thought of the class being centered in a blog was different to me. However, I realized how beneficial this was for this particular class. The blog let us reflect our opinion on the articles given in class as if we were a part of the discussion and not being lectured to. I also like how the blog allowed us to help keep track of our assignments. This way we know what needed to be completed and what was already completed. The blog was also great for students like me who have never had a blog before. I loved being able to work with something new. This made the class challenging and interesting at the same time. Overall, this class has been a great guidance for me. It has introduced me to many new things about technology and I am very grateful for it.

27. My Movie

26. A Conversation With a Bad Teacher

In an article, written by Hana Maruyama, portrays an interview about a teacher, John Owens, who decided to quit his job in magazine publishing to become a teacher. Owens faced many challenges right off the bat. One of the greatest was being the school administration’s relentless focus on data. Hana states how the administration demanded teachers to maintain an 80 percent student-pass rate for their courses. At one point, Owens declined to participate in a workshop for writing teachers in New Jersey because he did not want to take time away from the students. Later, when he had problems with a parent, his principal not only refused to defend him but did not ask for his side of the story.

Owens states, suddenly it became clear to me that Ms. P and Co. weren’t so much interested in making me a good teacher as proving I was a bad teacher.  

In my opinion all administration should protect their faculty and integrity of the school. Administration should at least hear out the story from the teacher before deciding to go against their judgment. Teachers are the ones working with these students every day. I feel they should know the best outcome.

Owens’s career in teaching ended less than a year after the incident. He published an article and later published a book, Confessions of a Bad Teacher: The Shocking Truth From the Front Lines of American Public Education. 

Owens was asked questions pertain to his book my favorite being, You argue in the book that teachers have become scapegoats for our failing education system, in your opinion, why do we scapegoat teachers? Owens replies, I think we keep hearing from people like Bill Gates that the teachers are the most important aspect of learning. All these experts kind of slide over the fact that poverty has a lot to do with kids not learning.

I will have to agree with his statement, and also add the fact that the home life plays a major deal as well. Not all students are taught the same morals and values in their homes. I have always heard every time I tell someone I am becoming a teacher is the shake of theirs heads no. They add, the children are so bad these days and you are not allowed to discipline them. I feel some students need a little guidance in their life. It hurts to say but the manners of most children these days are declining.

25. Kids Can't Compute

An article by Mike Elgan, expresses how kids cannot compute. He explains how the most computer-savvy demographic is now probably aged from 25-55. He uses himself as an example of how these ages are the computer-savvy demographic. His first computer was a Commodore 64, which forced him to confront the basics of how computers work. His second computer was a PC, which required him to memorize commands and operators. Mike explains how these actions helped him gain the knowledge of what was “under the hood” of the computer.

Now days the computers do not force users to confront what’s going on “under the hood.” Mike states how kids grow up using iPads and iPhones have no reason to know or care about even the most basic facts of computers. Kids today are more focused on apps and services. He states how the young have agile minds, high energy and insatiable curiosity of youth, which is always a valuable asset.

The cause is that computers are now super-easy to use and getting easier all the time. The effect is that newer computers do not require skills or knowledge about how computers and networks function.

Mike believes the solution is hiring managers should watch out for knowledge, skill, and perception gaps. For young people is education. Software development should become a core part of the public education.

I agree with Mike on his thoughts of how the older generation knows more about the software, and how the younger generation has lost that knowledge. The reason for this is that technology of using computers has become more advanced, but less complicated for users. Maybe some background information on software could benefit the younger generation, but technology will only continue to become more advanced and easier to use as we age as well.

24. SAMR, LMS, BYOD

The SAMR (Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition) model offers a method of seeing how computer technology might impact teaching and learning. Every year another technology system grows greater and more gadgets are being used with in the classroom. Teachers are being thrown these things without the knowledge of how to operate in most cases. I believe the SAMR model has the right idea in mind. The model will provide the teachers knowledge of what gadgets to use according the level of students they will be teaching. It will also be the right gadget for the lesson at hand.

I feel students should have some type of background in an LMS environment. I feel that the LMS environment is a good option to have for students who may have children or a family, and are going back to college. I also feel it is good for students you can learn through the environment without having to actually attend the college every day. However,  in some ways though it is hard to understand the task at hand when all through high school you are used to having face to face contact with your teachers to help you. 

BYOD( Bring Your Own Device) has its ups and downs. In school systems, not all of them will have the money to provide devices to all the children leaving them to bring their own for the lesson. I feel in a way this is an opposing battles. When you have students you cannot afford to bring one, do you let the students who can just miss out on the opportunity? Or do you let them bring theirs with the consequence of the less fortunate students miss out on the lesson? There are ways to arrange groups which could help the situation, but I feel the school should arise a budget to have classroom sets if they want the devices integrated into the lesson.