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.

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!!

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.

Blog Post #6

Remixing Chemistry Class
By Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams

This article is about a group of teachers that started a program using podcasting. The teachers film their lectures and make them available to students. These podcasts can be given to students that missed a class, or to students in the event of an absent teacher. Podcasts are also being used as homework. The teachers give the students a podcast of a lecture so that students can use class time for labs and other hands on work with teacher assistance. So far the podcasts have been proven to be helpful to students.
Q: How do all students get the technology to play the podcasts?
A: I'm not sure how all studnet will get the technology. Hopefully these podcasts can be played on a basic TV or computer
Q: Is it worth it to have the lectures as homework instead of other activities to test the students knowledge?
A: I disagree with this aspect. I don't think students should replace homework with podcast lectures. Homework shows teachers what they need to revisit in future lessons and how well their students are learning the material. I think the activities used as homework completed in class with teachers assistance is not necessarily effective.

Blog Post #5

Staff Development

By Jennifer Arms

This article, “Staff Development” by Jennifer Arms, explains a meeting teachers are going to where they get a refresher course in technology. The meeting is set up in a coffee shop to make the atmosphere more friendly and relaxed instead of restricting and professional. These meetings are designed to enhance program development within schools and put teachers on the same page their students are in terms of the use of computers and other technology resources. The teachers are required to participate in three, two-day training events and one online meeting. The online meeting is crucial because it puts everything the teachers learn in the training events to work and the teachers can actually use what they have learned. In addition, the teachers are able to evaluate if they need another tutorial session or if they are good to go and can use the technology tools in the classroom. This article shows a sample of one of the schedules used at the meetings and the schedules incorporate a lot of time for the teachers to collaborate with one another. This gives each teacher the opportunity to think of the technology on a bigger scale, not just the usage in their classroom.

Q: Do these meetings really give teachers the full capability to use technology in the classroom?

A: I think it would at least give the teachers an idea. If will take practice and trial and error to see where the technology works the best in their curriculum and where it doesn’t.

Q: Do teachers have to pay to go to these meetings of does the school pay?

A: I think at some schools it is a requirement and other schools it is just recommended. At the schools that require the teachers to go, I would assume they would pay for it. At the schools that either recommend it or do not mention it at all, I think the schools would still pay for it if the teacher requested to go.

Web Quiz

Software Review: Learning.com

Web Browsing: Grades 6-8

Browsing Basics

5. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:
a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:

a.	understand and use technology systems.

b.	select and use applications effectively and productively.

URLs

1.	Creativity and Innovation
	Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
	a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

2.	Communication and Collaboration
	Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
	a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students
a.. understand and use technology systems.

b.	select and use applications effectively and productively.

Web Searching

3.	Research and Information Fluency
	Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:
	b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

4.	Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
	Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
	c. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.

5.	Digital Citizenship
	Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:
	a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.

6.	Technology Operations and Concepts
	Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:
	a. understand and use technology systems. b. select and use applications effectively and productively.

Validity and Sourcing

1.	Creativity and Innovation
	Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:
	a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

2.	Communication and Collaboration
	Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
	a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media. b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

5.	Digital Citizenship
	Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:
	a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology. b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.

6.	Technology Operations and Concepts
	Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:
	a. understand and use technology systems. b. select and use applications effectively and productively.

Mini Review:

This series of information helped me to understand where new users of the internet and other technologies need to start. This series gives students the basics. Also, this tutorial might be helpful for the older generation that did not grow up with the internet and computers. The only barrier I could predict when using this product in a classroom would be interest. At this point the internet is being used by students at a very young age, if not in the classroom than at home, and students at this grade level, 6-8, might not have an interest in learning the basics because they already know how to use the internet and other technologies. On the other hand, I do think it is important to educate all students and internet users regarding the importance of digital citizenship and the duty each user has to only post accurate information and proceed with caution on the internet. I did not face any problems while using this program. I thought it was very user friendly, a little slow paced, but very user friendly and easy to use.


Citation:

Learning.com. (n.d.). Web Browsing: Research and Citing Sources. Retrieved March 2, 2009, from http://platform.learning.com
National Educational Technology for Students 2007 (2007). Retrieved March 2, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/
NETS_for_Students_2007.htm

blog post #4

Passport to Digital Citizenship

By: Mike Ribble

This article, “Passport to Digital Citizenship” written by Mike Ribble explains a conference that ISTE held to refresh teachers regarding new policies, tools, and techniques. At this conference, the ISTE updated the audience on a new policy regarding the internet and students’ usage of the technology put in the classroom. Also at this conference, ISTE introduced a new book titled Digital Citizenship in Schools. This book released the nine elements of digital citizenship. Some of these elements included the legal rights and regulations in terms of the use of technology, the privileges and freedoms of digital citizenship, and the risks attached to using the internet and technology. The elements help outline the ethical aspects as well.

Next the article explains a cycle of integration of technology into the classroom and how to use technology properly as well as educate students on the appropriate manner in which to use technology in the classroom. I found this article extremely interesting. Now that technology is such as large aspect in our lives, it is challenging to introduce the proper usage of technology to a new generation. Even the current technology users need an update on the ethical ways to use the internet as well as other technologies.

Q: Do students need to learn the basics in a classroom?

A: I don't think that it is necessary. These days everyone knows how to use the internet and I don't think that it is necessary to waste time in the classroom to teach them. It is important to teach the ethical aspect but not the basics.

Q: Is this conference a requirement?

A: I hope it is not a requirement, I would assume not, but it is different for every district. This meeting seems like it would be really long and dragging.

Teacher's Weekly

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcc9v6b3_8hdztchhg

February 2009

"What I Hope to Bring to the Classroom"

Jennifer Short

For as long as I can remember, I have been attracted to teaching. I enjoy
learning and I enjoy spreading information that I have learned to
others. For the past five years I have been teaching ski and
snowboarding to all ages. For the past 3 years, I have been working
intently with a ski and snowboarding program that caters to those
individuals with disabilities. I understand that teaching on the snow
is quite different than teaching in a classroom, but through my
experience I have learned a great deal, some of which I will carry into
my own classroom.

I am going into teaching because I think that everyone deserves to have a
great teacher. I remember my own grade school teachers, the good and
the bad alike. I also remember what wonderful impressions that the good
teachers left on me and how they furthered and influenced my everyday
life. I can only hope that I have that influence on a life.

In my classroom, I hope to create a warm and welcoming environment, one of
learning and one of acceptance. In today’s society, the norms are
praised and the seemingly “different” are looked down upon.
Furthermore, people are generally “afraid” or “unsure” about the
unknown. We cannot get around the fact that the disabilities are
noticed by onlookers, but as special education teachers, I believe that
it is our duty to educate the onlooker about what the disability is. With this information of the unknown we can strive towards further classroom acceptance.

Jenny Short

Jennifershrt8@gmail.com
http://shortj422.blogspot.com/

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Life Long Dream
By Courtney Moore

When I get into a classroom, I think I will be more hands off. I will lecture a little bit but I would hope that most of my class will be a discussion. I want my students to be running the discussion with me just guiding it. By the eleventh grade students know how they learn best and what they need to do to get the important information into their minds. By this time, students are mature enough to have mature conversations inside a classroom without embarrassing other students for not knowing the answers or asking "stupid questions". Also the students are mature enough to be held accountable for the work they were assigned. I will hold my students accountable but also not assign busy work. I want them to understand the fundamentals of the class as well as the United States and I want them to be excited about it as well.

I have experienced fear of becoming a teacher but never doubt. When I was in Kindergarten, each day Mrs. Wilson would choose a student and would ask them the same questions: Your name, your birthday, if you have any pets and/or siblings, and what you want to be when you grow up. She would write all the answers down on a giant lined piece of poster board. My answer to the last question was that I wanted to be a teacher and a mom. That feeling and want has never gone away. I fear that I chose to be a teacher very young and have never changed my mind because this is all I know. School is all I know and where I am comfortable. I know many of my friends aspire to be doctors, lawyers, business men and women, but how do they know they are comfortable there when they have not been in a hospital situation, or a court room, or an office situation? I am comfortable in a classroom and I can't wait to run my own! If you would like to know more about me please visit my blog !

Contact information
Courtney Moore
Moore121@csusm.edu
CSMoore06@gmail.com

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"Teaching to the Less Advantaged"
Jennifer short

After I graduate, my hope is to teach mild-moderate special education
students. I have always been interested in the way that the brain works
and develops, (many times differently for different people). Growing
up, I was constantly around groups of people with special needs. My
aunt and uncle ran a "camp" that allowed these people to go out into
society and do things that they normally wouldn’t have the
opportunities to do. Events such as skiing, mountain climbing, nature
walks and body boarding were some of which were included in these
activities. In addition to this, my father taught a special education
Sunday school class and I taught an adaptive snowboarding and ski class
for individuals with special needs for several years.

I hope to bring my experience to the classroom in a positive way. It is
common knowledge that in the special education department, there is a
shortage of teachers. Many of these students need personalized and
direct attention, and many are not getting it. Many of the special
needs children are being made to sit-in on regular classrooms because
of this shortage. Although integration (to a certain extent) is a
healthy way of helping these specific children learn, some are not
ready to be put into the regular class room and some feel threatened.
If records show that they are ready to move on to a regular classroom, or if they feel comfortable and confident in doing so, than by all means, they should have the
opportunity to do so. It is my hope to provide these students that
don’t feel comfortable in a regular learning environment with the
one-on-one attention that they need and deserve.

California Special Education Laws

Califonia Department of Education: Special Education Standards

Special Education Lesson Plans

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United States History in the Classroom
By Courtney Moore


My area of interest is United States History. The most interesting area of history for me is the time period of our founding fathers and the establishment of our country as well as the United States involvement in World War II and the Cold War. Currently, the Cold War is my major interest. I also enjoying learning about Presidents and each of their efforts to make America the super power and the country they want it to become. Each president has something that they hid from the public, some more than others. This makes politics as fun and interesting as it is. We never know the whole truth. I love to read and learn about the creation of our country. I also love learning about different religions. There are so many religions and versions of religions in the world that the learning never ends!
As far as teaching history, I want to teach United States History.

I cannot wait to share my passion with students. Currently, US History is taught at the eleventh grade level, please see the California Standards for Social Sciences for additional information.
Eleventh grade US History is the last effort to establish some sort of
political knowledge and stance in students that will be voting within
the next year. As the saying always goes, we need to learn history to
learn from our mistakes and to not repeat them. The new generation of
voters needs to at least have the basic knowledge of the past so that
we don't repeat the mistakes previous generations have made.


Library of Congress
CNN Archives
Take a History Quiz!

All photos collected from Google Images February 11, 2009 in addition to private photos brought in from the authors

Blog post #3

Virtual Success
By Julie Young, Pam Birtolo, and Raven McElman

In an article titled Virtual Success by Julie Young, Pam Birtolo, and Raven McElman, the authors explain the advantages of a school fully online. In Florida, the first statewide public virtual school in the United States opened in 1997. This school went out of the box to try and reach it's students. The students learn all the tools they need and that other students learn in a physical classroom, but online, on their own time, and from the comfort of their own home. It is home schooling, tech school, and traditional classroom all combined. Students feel the advantages of this online school because everyone learns differently. Also, some students want to focus on their Olympic or professional sports as well as other concentrations and this online school gives the students the flexibility they need to pursue them. As college students we are familiar with online classes but this gives the opportunity to high school students as well.
Online classes are a great way to integrate the new up and coming technology that the younger generations use every day and know. There are several ways to integrate technology and computers into the classroom. The three main types of classrooms are classrooms completely without computers also known as traditional classrooms, classrooms that meet in person throughout the week but also have an online component, or a classroom fully online. All options work for different students but it is always beneficial to have the options for everyone to choose from to cater to those hands-on students.
Q: Are online classes at the elementary level possible and/or beneficial?
A: I think it is possible but not beneficial. There are a lot of other aspects outside of the curriculum that students learn being on the campus of the school. They learn a lot of social skills that they wouldn't get from being only online.
Q: Would online classes be beneficial for high school?
A: I think they would but in small, controlled settings. Only some classes should be offered so that the student still has to be on the high school campus for some of the week. I think having an online aspect to classes would be great also.

Blog post #2

Chatting it up Online
By Pamela Livingston

This article explains a new program geared towards students at the authors of the books they are reading. This new system gives students access to the authors directly. This system is similar to the Instant Messenger that the current high school students use to chat with their friends online. In the past, students that wanted to contact the author of a book they had just finished would have to email the intended author and wait for that author to find the time to get through all of the emails and reply. Sometimes this would take months. By using the chatting system, the authors and students will meet on the site at a designated time and the students have direct access to the author. They can ask questions about the book, as why the author wrote the story, the author's motivations, etc.. Once the chat is complete, the students and teachers have access to the transcript of the conversation. This is a helpful tool to be used later in the classroom to analyze texts.

Q1: I wounder how this would work in a high school setting. Would it be plausable?
A1: I think it would be plausible if more authors were to participate. There are many authors that I would like to talk with to ask what particular aspects of their stories meant from books like Catcher in the Rye and Canterbury Tales. There are many questions I would ask. I think that we should find a way to make this available to high school students, they would benefit greatly to a system like this.

Q2: How can we make this system more efficient?
A1: First, the participants need to be vigilant at checking email and waiting for a notification of a chat request. The teachers would email the authors with a chat request using the chat website or system itself so the notification would be very visible. Then the authors and teachers would work out a time so the students can ask questions. The system should duplicate the technology used by American Online Instant Messenger and this system would work. As long as the students were prepared for the chat and had questions ready, this chat system would be extremely efficient.

Going on a Desktop Diet #1

Going on a Desktop Diet

By Michael St. Jean

This article, written by Michael St. Jean, is directed at the staff of school districts. The article is about a school district in Rhode Island that needed new software as well as an overall update in their computer department. Because they did not have the funds to buy new, updated computers, the staff decided to convert their old, out of date desktops into “thin clients”. A thin client is “a network computer without a hard disk drive, designed to be especially small so that the bulk of the data processing occurs at the terminal computer”, or central computer. Before this choice was made the staff had to propose their idea to the school board. They presented the budget for their converter program as being a $90,000 for terminal computers. Then they presented the estimated costs difference of new computers including all of the updates and constant software updates as being $800,000 to $1 million in long term difference. The school board agreed and the school district was able to proceed.

The terminal computers were just as innovative as well as functional. They could handle most of the necessary requirements for the students, teachers, and administration. These terminal computers also proved to use less electricity in the lab so the energy costs decreased at the school sites.

Q1: If the terminal computers are able to perform the same functions as the typical desktop computers, how would it use less energy as well as not crash the terminal server?

I think the terminal computers as well as the thin clients have the newest technology. Most of the new technology is energy efficient including light bulbs and heating systems. I don’t completely understand how the terminal computers don’t crash because it is handling all of the requests from about a hundred other computers, and at the same time!

Q2: If this saves so much money for the bankrupt school system in Rhode Island, how come all the other bankrupt school systems are not using this technology?

Some schools get grants from local businesses like Qualcomm and IBM. Other schools get donations and do fundraising for many years to earn the money to buy new computers. But there are some school districts that do not have computers for the students to use at all so maybe the school districts don’t know this kind of technology is available.

http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=August_No_1_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4077&ContentID=21651&DirectListComboInd=D