Saturday, June 27, 2009

Journal #8

"Passport to Digital Citizenship" L&L Dec 2008/Jan 2009
Since there aren't a written code of laws or norms for digital technology, it's important to lay down some standards or expectations of users so that it may be used appropriately.
According to Ribble, what are the nine elements of digital citizenship?
1. Digital access
2. Digital commerce
3. Digital communication
4. Digital literacy
5. Digital ettiquette
6. Digital law
7. Digital rights and responsibilities
8. Digital health and wellness
9. Digital security
These elements are laid out more like a heirarchy, so that if the digital security may only be obtained if the previous eight elements are fulfilled. It should be the user's goal to fulfill all nine, especially in the classroom.
So how do we teach digital citizenship?
Ribble points out that teach students to be good digital citizens, they must "reflect" on technology and its role in our society. This means that students must more than the applications themselves, but the impact they have in a technological age.

Journal #7

Should Students Be Your "Friends"? From L&L May 2009
Now that we have addressed the importance of technology in the classroom, it's important to recognize boundaries. Because it is more accessible (i.e. from home as well as school), teachers and students can communicate via e-mail, instant message, and now Facebook/Myspace.
Some wonder since these are social networking sites, is a teacher getting too familiar with their students by adding them as "friends" on Facebook or Myspace?
There is still some debate. While others believe it's simply another channel to communicate missed assignments, etc. others think it's a less professional environment than that classroom. While teachers and students are encouraged to interact with one another, they are to do so with some restraint; social networking sites provide personal information that is not necessary for, and sometimes detrimental to, a normal teacher-student relationship.
Although teachers have been warned, what do they think of using social networking sites to communicate with students?
Again, the jury is still out. One teacher said it was the same as calling home or e-mailing, while another indicated that these sites provide technological and networking skills that e-mail cannot. Others were more wary of Web 2.0 applications because of the behavior users often exhibit on social networking sites, claiming "there's a lot of flirting."
Since there is nothing set in stone, it seems the decision is ultimately left up to the teacher to make a professional decision.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Journal #5

The way children and teenagers perceive technology is much different than myself or my parents. Younger generations have access to a virtual world that is constantly evolving, though they have never been without it. Turkle analyzes that though technology grants immediate accessability, it degenerates our self-identity and respect for authenticity. Her annecdote with daughter at the museum, though an isolated incident, reflects the attitudes of many young people today: the real world lacked the impact desired so they want a technological solution...fast.
Turkle makes a good point: the way we interact with technology affects our day-to-day lives, especially for those who were raised with it as second-nature. These interactions and attitudes are going to affect the way we teach.

Journal #3

I think that in "repurposing" technology for the classroom, the teacher has to be selective in which application will compliment their lesson plan. Certain applications are more beneficial, and students can use technology to learn about a completely different subject. Blogs and wikis provide students a greater area to work, whereas Twitter limits the student to 140 word posts; it seems more thought and effort would go into Twittering than the Tweet.

Currently CNN is making their network more interactive by encorporating blogging, Facebook/Myspace, and Twitter to their daily programming; while it encourages the viewer to contribute their opinions in an accessible way, their opinions then become the news. The same may be true of technology in the classrooms, where every student has the same expertise as the teacher. So there needs to be a sense of authorship, for every student to take pride in their work, but their must also be structures in place where they acknowledge the teacher's authorship of the lesson plan.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Journal #2

Social networking within classrooms has many benefits: it exposes students to a greater level of diversity than their physical school location alone; students learn and practice different technological skills they are essentially required to have as adults; and it empowers students by giving them authorship, or coauthorship, of a webpage.
However, with the internet comes issues of privacy and security, and keeping the students safe in a virtual classroom. As Klein discussed, it is key to have a secure website so that only those allowed access have access.

Journal #1

Google has become so embedded in the way we access technology, it's almost become second nature. If I cannot remember something off the top of my head, my first instinct is to Google it. I'd go so far as to say this search engine has almost become a second brain for those of us who spend too much time on the computer. However, Google is not always used effectively (i.e. "googling yourself"):



In addition to the "misuse" of Google, it's difficult to find exactly what you're looking for without a long hunt. Using key phrases instead of key words helps narrow the search, or using advanced search eliminates words/phrases you don't want in your search results. For example, get rid of phrases like "for sale," "offer," "$," etc.
Google, and all search engines are powerful tools to be used in the classroom, but it's also important that teachers and students know how to navigate through the junk.

Monday, June 1, 2009

self introduction

Hello everyone,
This is my first blog on blogger. I've never been assigned a blog before, so I guess it means I have to show some restraint and not say whatever comes to mind. Let's get to it. This is the first time I have used the google version of blogger, although I have blogged before. I am competent (some might say..."literate") on the computer, and I have an iMac at home, although it's a 10.2, so it must be a paperweight by now.
As for my educational experience, I am a graduate of CSU Chico, where I obtained my BA in English with a minor in creative writing.

I am currently taking this class as a prerequisite for the multiple subject teaching credential program in fall. Upon completion, I hope to get into a 5th or 6th grade classroom. I do have experience working with children, but not really teaching them the way I am learning how to; mostly I have done volunteer work in classrooms, and I am with a lot of kids in my current job (at a petstore) but that is a retail environment.
And lastly, let's talk about what I am expecting to get out of this class. I know the technology is moving faster than I can keep up with (I was already surprised that our first assignment was to write a blog). I hope that this class will not only share new technology with us, but teach us how to adapt with it, and embrace it in our classrooms.
That was a far-too-serious note to end with. Not my style at all. I sincerely apologize to all of my long-time readers and will improve on this for next time. Bailey out.