Friday, April 17, 2009

LAST BLOG POST!!

Podcasting the Classroom
by Brian Flanagan and Brendan Calandra

This article explains the benefits and previous trials regarding podcasting classroom activities. Podcasting is a technology that allows students to listen to recorded audio pieces such as a lecture or any type of information that can be auditorily listened to. All of the podcasts can be downloaded onto an MP3 player such as an IPOD as well. The article describes a trial run that was put on at Duke University in 2004 where the incoming freshmen were handed an IPOD that had a lot of necessary information recorded on it including orientation schedules, advise from current students, and a lot of other pertinent information incoming freshmen need to know. Additionally the podcasting technique was used throughout several classrooms on campus where instructors could record lectures as well as students being able to record projects of different sorts. There are several benefits to using podcasting technology in the classroom and this technology is very versitile as well. Music students can use podcasting to critique or memorize music whereas other students can record lectures containing hard material so they can listen to it again. Podcasting does not yet have a set up of technical support if something were to happen to an individual podcast but the system is still new so support is in the works.
Q1: why do we need this new technology when we have tape recorders?
A1: I don't think there is really a reason. As with most technology there is always a new software or an update that makes it bigger and better- same with the tape recorder: it is going out of style
Q2: Can video projects be recorded?
A2: I would assume it would depend on your MP3 players capability. If it is a video IPOD I would guess that you can record and playback that sort of media.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Post #8

Catching Up
By Anita McAnear

This article is about summer time and what the author uses summer time for in addition to the new programs that the Learning & Leading site has to offer for the upcoming school year. At first McAnear states what she uses summer for- catching up. I use it to forget all that happened the year before and rest my brain. There is no need for use to spend the time we have to relax doing things that stresses us out. She also talks about a new researched-based program for teachers has arisen and how it will make large advances in the use of technology in the classrooms. McAnear lists three articles that she believes are the most effective articles from that year. She feels like "Electronic Editing" by Leigh Zeitz is a very important article for teachers that are not extremely computer savvy to learn the basic tools the computer offers.
Q1: Why was this article written?
A1: Maybe to assess the previous months articles and the contributions authors have made to the website. On the other hand, it could have been a signing off article for the author.
Q2: What do you use summer time for?
A2: I use it for complete relaxation. The only commitment I have is to my job other than that I will spend most of my time at the beach or laying around. Can't wait!!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Post #7

The ABCs of Privacy Practices for Educators
by Melissa Dark, Clewin McPherson, and Joanne Troutner

In this article, Dark, McPherson, and Troutner assess the privacy issues that we all encounter while using the internet. Teachers face issues of privacy even without the internet- for instance when they leave the classroom, they must trust their students aren't going to go into their computers and change grades or into the files in the room and take anything. There are also issues of privacy in regards to other students. Students are typically not invited to know grades or situations pertaining to other students. Medical information is also stored in computers within a school district as well as social security numbers and those files need to be kept private, too. These are important issues and it is imperative to protect information throughout the district. In order to do this, using complex passwords is a step. Capital and lower case letters, as well as numbers making the password longer than 8 characters for each password.

Q1: Is total privacy on the internet really possible?
A1: I don't think so. It is always possible for someone to hack into a system because there is always someone out there that is ahead of the curve. There can be someone reading exactly what I am doing right now!
Q2: What happens when a student is able to retrieve all of the information that teacher has access to because he or she left the computer logged in?
A2: I think this is inevitable. Teachers can't be thinking about logging out of a computer at all times especially in an emergency situation. I forget to log off of my computer all the time.