Additional Assignments Week 1

In addition, discuss how this exercise can/will possibly assist you in identifying future technology projects for this class and in other areas. In other words, how is having your philosophy down in writing helpful to you?

I think that writing your beliefs down in the beginning of a journey helps keep you focused and true to your beliefs.  I think that writing down a reflection at the end of the journey also enables you to compare the beginning and end, enabling you to see your growth during that time frame.  I do this each year when school starts and ends, not only for me but for my students as well.  They cannot believe all the stuff we have already learned and we still have a “whole nother” semester.

At this point, what potential uses do you see for blogging?  Stephen Downes' article on Educational Blogging was written in 2004. Have we met this potential? What's preventing us from doing so?

I am using a Blog with my students as a class project. Our blog is turning out to be a school newsletter and students are compiling information about what’s going on at school in all classes, athletics, band, etc and blogging about it weekly.  I have set it up as a private blog with security permissions to satisfy our district policies.  I know I am breaking ground here and raising eyebrows but I am monitoring and teaching both the good and the bad of online uses so maybe we can continue to move forward in this area, at our school.  Fingers crossed.

November's article, Creating a Culture for Teaching and Learning outlines six areas to think about and changes on the horizen with technology and education. Which one stood out to you the most and why?

First off, I went Alan November’s BLC10 conference this past summer and met and talked with Mr. November.  If you get the chance to go to it, in Boston this summer, you will be amazed at what opportunities teachers in America let pass by them everyday.  I met a 12 year old teacher, Adora Svitak, and went to her workshop on writing and publishing on the internet.  I bought her book Flying Fingers.  She is amazing; she made me want to be an English or writing teacher just so I could come back to the classroom and do all the stuff with the students that she talked about (I did some of it anyway).

The main theme of the conference didn’t seem to be technology, even though every new gadget and concept was presented.  The theme of the conference seemed to me to be…Opening up the channels of communication: America’s public schools are so tightly closed (blocked) to protect the children.  Is keeping thier eyes closed really protecting them?

I agree with everything in Mr. November’s paper.  Nothing stood out as being more important than the others…so if I may, I will touch on how I feel about each.

1. If it’s on the Internet, is it true?

What stood out to me:

Arthur Butz: The question is: who is this guy and what Web site is he on? Well, it turns out he’s a tenured engi­neering professor, and the Web site is Northwestern University.  This really stood out in my mind…How scary that he’s a professor from a University site.  I would have taught my students that in all probability that would be an authentic site with accurate information. Thank you Mr. November for providing the little known command that you can use on Alta Vista, the search engine, called “link.” What link does is to tell you what other sites on the Internet are hot-linked to the site you’re looking at. It gives you a backward map. If the student had run the link on the URL, he would have found that the Maryland State Police Association has something called “The Hate Directory,” and this site is listed on The Hate Directory. That might have rung a bell for this student.

My Solution: I will include a lesson plan this year to teach students to use this link command.

2.  Coming attraction: live video cameras in every classroom

  

I believe this is already here.  I know I have a video camera in my room that can be viewed from the Principals office at any and all times.  I think it is just a matter of time that parents will want to be able to link to it too.  I am personally for this action because I want the parents to know what their child is learning.  I am so proud of my students accomplishments and I want to be able to share that pride with the parents. 

Am I crazy??

3. We need to tell our stories!

  

I agree with this but I also find that most other teachers don’t want an openness.  It’s like what they are doing is so secret only they have the key to open it.  Even the students do not dare question the validity of it...and then here I come...encouraging them to reflect on the validity of everything they see and hear.  I tell my stories to anyone who will listen.  I post it on my blog, create samples of what we do in class on my website, send letters home to parents with updates on their child’s progress.  I want to share my knowledge and I want my students to share their knowledge in everything they do.

My Solution:  Keep telling my stories and keep an open door to other teachers who want to learn how to use the technology resources available in my lab.  I have some who already visit and use audacity for song mixes to create event videos.  Yeah!

4. Don’t do technology plans!

Our school does have a technology plan.  We mainly keep the community abreast of the increased amount of technology offered students every year.  As for the teachers, each teacher is encouraged to use technology in the classroom.  If they need a new tool or software, the district is real good about supplying it.

5. Automating vs. informating

I agree with informating and bringing education and communication into the communities and homes.  I think that the educational system is capable of doing that but I am not sure that communities are designed to handle it…yet.  My reasoning behind this is that this year we implemented a flex schedule and students were home an extra week at Christmas.  Well, this was hard for parents with jobs.  Finding daycare for all the children in a small community was difficult.  

With homeschooling, Daycare will not be the only problem.  Education for adults will also be a problem as many are not computer literate and reject technology.  To force this on the families could increase their stress levels and cause resentment between the home and the school. Everybody should learn but not everybody enjoys learning.

Personally, I look forward to having high school students in online classes.  I plan to continue my education so I can be in the forefront when these changes come into effect.

And finally, what are some of your expectations for this class?

·         I expect to learn about something new.

·         I expect to learn what new thing that old thing can do.

·         I expect to research something I haven’t heard about before.

·         I expect to open my eyes to a new concept.

·         I expect to make at least one new friend.