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.