Friday, October 21, 2011

Journal #5

pIEDRAHITA, C. U. D. (2011). Spreading ed teach to spanish speaking educators. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/september-2011-member-profiles.sflb.ashx



In the article “Spreading Ed Teach to Spanish –Speaking Educators” by Claudia Uribe de Piedrahita was very interesting. I chose this article because we really don’t talk about Spanish speaking education. Claudia Uribe and her husband manage the NGO which is the nongovernmental organizations. The NGO is dedicated to improving the quality of primary and secondary education in Latin America through the effective use of ICT, focusing on less-privileged schools and communities. She was originally not into education and had a different field of practice but after her 22 year old son died she wanted to make a difference for all of the underprivileged students out there. Uribe de Piedrahita works tirelessly to connect Spanish Speaking educators to modern tools, but she knows there are many more pieces to the puzzle than merely offering support and education. She then in 2001 recognized the lack of Spanish language resources for teachers, the foundation launched Eduteka a cite packed with information about and resources for integrating technology into the classroom. I think what she is doing is so great. She is out to help everyone around her and make sure these students are getting the same education as anyone else.

What can we do to make sure that Spanish speaking educators are getting the same resources? We need to make sure we are putting our knowledge out there and they are able to get the information we are giving them.

How can we as educators get more involved and start programs like Claudia did? We need to put ourselves out there in the community and research different topics, and let people know we are interested.


Journal #4


 Basham, J. B., Perry, E. P., & Meyer, H. M. (2011). It's in the bag. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/store/my-virtual-products.aspx


Reading the article “It’s in the Bag”, by James Basham, Ernest Perry, and Helen Meyer, at first I was a little confused about digital backpack but by the end I fully understood. The digital backpack is an actual knapsack that contains an array of digital and hardware tools, resources, and instructional materials handpicked to engage learners in project or problem based learning experiences. I think this is the coolest thing ever and is a great way to learn and an awesome way to use all resources. I loved when they used the digital backpack with the elementary students and they went to the zoo. It made the students really think and made them use all their resources. It took imagination, creativity and time to do the project. Inside the digital backpack there are three main components: foundational technology, modular technology, and instructional support materials. The digital backpack provides a powerful, flexible, and teacher friendly design for engaging learners of different ages, interests, and abilities.

If the school you are at does not have the resources to be able to do digital backpack, what can you do about it? It is very important that every school has the resources needed for the students to learn, but if that’s not the case then push for it. Get the parents onboard; get the administration on board till you get what you need to provide the best learning environment for each student.

How do you make sure you stay current on all technology uses? Always make sure you are on top in the technology world. Go to workshops, use any social networking cites and ask questions.


Journal #3

 Morehouse, J. M. (2011). Students dig up dirt to learn about internet safety. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/september-2011-learning-connections.sflb.ashx


In the article “Students Dig up Dirt to Learn About Internet Safety” by Jesse Morehouse I found it very interesting. I was shocked to find out that 87% of Americans can be positively identified from their ZIP codes, dates of birth and genders. I think it’s great that this teacher is making her students aware of what is out the there in the cyber world and anything they post or share is for the universe to see. Many teenagers think they are invincible so they cannot truly comprehend the impact of an inappropriate entry on a personal blog, social network, or Twitter account. The teacher does a great job of having her students do the project of researching people, and finding out how much information is out there on someone. If someone posts something inappropriate online it way affect them later on in life for example trying to get a job. People may judge if they see something inappropriate on ones blog page or twitter page. I know being in the teaching program this situation has been brought up in the fact of making sure we have appropriate pictures on our facebook page because we are hold to a standard. Everyone needs to be aware that your online “image” will reflect positively on you. Always remember that nothing is private and be aware that whatever you share make sure you don’t mind everyone else seeing it.

What are some ways you can protect yourself from having your information out there? You can make sure you have all of your social media accounts set to private. Make sure you are aware of what information you are putting on you facebook cite, blog page, or Twitter account.

How do you make sure your students are being safe in the Media world? As a future teacher I think it is important to make sure that all of the students are aware of how to protect themselves and make them aware of what to do and what not to do.


Journal #2

 Ferguson, H. F., & Miller, S. M. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx



While reading “Join the Flock” by Hadley Ferguson and “Enhance you Twitter Experience” by Shannon McClintock, I learned a ton about the Twitter world. They introduce a PLN which is a professional learning network. They tell you how to get started and to set up an account. They encourage everyone to follow other people. By following other people you are able to learn ideas and get great advice back. The wonderful thing about Twitter is that you can simply follow people and not say a word. Just read the tweets, click on links to blogs, and learn. Using Twitter should be an exciting thing and a place where you can share your news or ideas. There is never any reason to feel embarrassed when tweeting everyone respects each other and never makes one another feel stupid. The article was very informative and really gave good insight into the Twitter world. Since setting up a Twitter account for my edu 422 class I see how much information and ideas are out there in the cyber world. It is a great thing and I look forward to see what else is out there.

What is one advantage of using Twitter? One advantage with using Twitter would have to be following people and getting ideas and sharing great information with people. Why limit yourself to just people at work or school, broaden your contacts.

How can I bring Twitter into my classroom? I hope to bring Twitter into my classroom by having a segment on it maybe each morning in class to see what is new out there each day.


Monday, October 3, 2011

Technology Self-Assessment: Schhol 2.0

For my NETS-T module I chose #2: Reflection results for NETS-T Module: Design and Develop Digital Age learning Experiences and Assessments.  I read the first article; Too Cool for School? No way! Using the TPACK Framework: You Can Have Your Hot Tools and Teach with Them Too.  When we look at new technology toys most people look at them as cool new toys, but as educators we wonder how these cool toys can be used for teaching.  Technology to most people is products that have appeared after we were born.  As I was reading they made it a point to say that everything is technology.  Everything is some how linked to technology.  In the article it gives three examples of technology that can be repurposed for educational ends are microblogging, visual search engines, and music DJ software.  These three things were developed by a team of Punya Mishra's graduate students.  Microblogging for example as twitter is used to complement face to face discussion in a classroom.  Specialized search engines are particularly visual search engines, such as Vewzi, Cuil, and Clusty to help students understand intertextuality.  DJ software can be used o teach mathematical concepts such as ratios, fractions, and percentages.  I found this article very interesting and was interesting in the three ways they had it all planned out.  I chose this article because with technology you can always use it in your classroom and I believe it is very important to stay updated on all the latest trends.  Technology is advancing daily and as teachers we need to make sure to offer our students the best information we can give.