Journal # 4

This journal is called "Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Blog," by Paricia Deubel. This article was interesting because it gave you the point of view from another teacher. Since we have learned about the blog and how to use it, I have grown to the point where I really want to try it out in one of my 12th grade classrooms. I think the students would enjoy something new and something that they could connect on. Deubel also writes about how she would structure her blogs. She writes, "I would set up discussion focused on just one or two essential questions at a time, and I would limit the time of each discussion, perhaps to the length of the instructional unit or a week." I think this is very important when dealing with high school students. You wouldn't want to make anything seem so overwhelming, because you want the kids to actually do the assignment. I also think it is a good idea to structure some sort of time length, because it would be important to have the students participate as soon as possible. I agree that it is very important to have posting guidelines and to have the students respond to other students as well. The only thing that concerns me, and is also mentioned in the article, is the safety of the blog. I would hate to get in trouble for something that I am attempting to use as a teaching tool. That is just a risk I would be willing to take.



Question 1: What can a blog be used for in an English class?

I think the most useful class to use a blog in, is an English class. The reason why I thought of this is all thanks to WebCt. I can not tell you how many hours I have spent on WebCt over my years writing and writing. English classes require its students to read, read, read, and write, write, write. I know that a blog for a high school English class would have so many positives. They students would not see typing and sharing ideas online the same as writing and verbally sharing ideas in the classroom. I think to a certain extent this is a good thing. Students will feel more comfortbale to share things they would normally not share face to face. Blogs can be used to teach any book by having the class be lead with discussion questions. I can also have my students create their own personal blogs like we did in this class and through that, submit work via the internet. Flawless.

Question 2: Classroom blogs or classroom wikis?

Classroom blogs are way better than classroom wikis. This is why. Wikis are collaborative. This means that people can sign on, read what you write, and delete it, or change it significantly. This can be detramental to a students development as a writer. Imagine working so hard to come up with some genius ideas, kind of like what i'm doing now, and then re-signing back on to see it all gone. Not a very good idea. But blogs on the other hand, those are editing proof. No one will be able to edit your blog but you. With a blog you still get the online classroom interaction, just not with the possibility of someone being able to mess with your work. What you write stays what you write, and will not get changed. This is why blogs are way better than wikis.

Journal # 3

This week's journal is called "Too Cool for School? No Way!" by Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler. In this article, it disusses how to use technology in the classroom. Something that I found very interesting was a quote towards the end of the article. It read, "Teachers need to develop a willingness to play with technologies and an openness to building new experiences for students so that fun, cool tools can be educational" (p. 18). I believe that this is the way of teaching in the future. As teachers, we will be forced to keep up with new technologies, not by our districts or principals, but by the students themselves. New technologies are arising everyday, and it is our job to turn them into positive teaching tools for the classroom. Something else this article mentions, and that I found interesting, was the fact that these new technologies were not meant for the classroom, and that it is the teachers job to know the technologies so well that they can turn them into teaching tools. The article writes that it is "possible only when the teacher knows the rules of the game and is fluent enough to know which rules to bend, which to break, and which to leave alone" (p. 16). This is so true. A teacher can not use these new technologies as teaching tools when they do not yet know the rules of interaction. Without the proper knowledge of the many different technologies, students can harm themselves, others, and even damage the teacher.

Question 1: Is technology the only way to be effective in the classroom?

Technology is not the only way to be effective in the classroom. Technology is a great tool that can be used to enhance learning and creativity, but it is not the only way to be an effective teacher. What did the teachers do who didn't have access to technology? Were they ineffective teachers? No. This reminds me of a story that I shared once before in class. I had a teacher in middle school who left a lasting impression with his idea of creativity. After lunch we all began to pile in Mr. Thompson's English class. Upon entry, we all noticed the lights were off, a few candles were burinig in the corners, pictures of skulls and other scary stuff lined the walls, and Mr. Thompson began to read to us Edgar Allan Poe's "A Tell Tale Heart." It was the best way of being creative without the use of technology. This is a prime example of how technology is not the only way to be effective in the classroom.

Question 2: How much technology should really be used in a classroom?

This question all depends upon the teacher and the setting of the class. If you are teaching a class on technology, then the use of technology will dominate. But I feel as a regular teacher technology should be somewhat limited. I do not want my students becoming dependent on a computer and relying on a keyboard to write papers and assignments. I feel that if technology is used a great deal in the classroom, then technology will take over and ruin some unique experiences. Computers and all that good stuff are a good thing, don't get me wrong, but I think we need to minimalize it so that our students learn how to do it themselves before they rely on a machine to do it for them.

Journal # 2

The second journal for this week is titled "Social Networking for the K - 12 Set" written by Jim Klein. This article discussed the importance of learning through the different uses of technology. Some examples of technological tools Klein uses are podcasts, wikis, and video examples. All of which are forms of technology that we have been learning about and talking about in class. One section that I thought was very interesting was the part of the Student Community site. Klein explains that there are children as young as the second grade who are working with these new ways of technology. I immediately thought about how these kids will grow up in a world completely different than mine. I still remember pencils and paper and learning how to write in cursive. Now the second graders and reading textbooks online and collaborating with fellow classmates with the stroke of a key. It's ridiculous! I like the idea of the older students using these forms of technology, but I'm not so sure how I feel about the second graders. I guess we'll just have to see what they turn out to be like in ten years. One thing I do like is the fact that these technologies are creating different forms of online communitites. We learn that a major factor in a childs development is whether or not they feel a sense of belonging. I think that with these technologies, all students will equally feel as if they belong to the same community. Finally, Klein ends the article writing about not fearing these Web 2.0 tools. With the proper oversight and management these online communities and learning environments should stay solid.

Question 1: Are Wikis an effective way to aquire knowledge?

Yes, wikis are a very effective way of aquiring knowledge. With wikis, students can participate with the same discussion at the same time. I believe this can only work properly with the right kind of online management. Done correctly, wikis can be a powerful tool when it comes to learning online. I wish we used this method more when I was in high school. I can't wait to get in the classroom and begin to implement the use of the wiki. I have a feeling the students will respond in a positive manner. Wikis make the class feel as if they belong to a community based with their school. The imagination is endless when you think of the possibility a wiki can have on knowledge in the classroom.

Question 2: Are there any drawbacks to online learning tools?

I believe so. One major concern is the authenticity of the work done. Like I said before, wikis are a great tool for learning, but who is to say that the student is the one really doing the work. Having work being done online at home is more risky than watching the student doing the same work in the classroom. Who is to say that the student isn't having his/her parent doing the online assignment for them while they are outside causing trouble. And who is to say that this is really Jacob English doing his assignment. Maybe I am his mother who is working hard to ensure my son receives an A. You will never know because this is all done online. This is the drawback I see with technological tools in the classroom.

Journal # 1

The first journal for this week was titled "Your Google Guide," by Doug Johnson. In this article, Johnson writes about the search engine Google and claims that people know little about the way it works. He wants everyone to admit that they use it, and as well, admit that they don't use it as it should be used. Johnson explains the basic use of Google listing different tasks reguarding its abilities. He first states that to correctly use Google, the user must first be able to identify what it is he/she is going to be searching. Once that is established, Johnson gives us a helpful tip my stating that a search will be more effective if it is stated in the form of a question. This is something that was helpful to me because I had no idea a question was better than a few key words. A major idea Johnson brought up was the fact that he believed that all schools should be automatically set to "advanced search" when logging on to Google's home page. Johnson believes the advanced search tool is better than the regular search tool because it helps to narrow down the topic being searched for. Johnson ends his article telling the readers to sign up for the Google Librarian Central Newslater. I had no idea something like this even existed. I thought this was a great idea. Something else I liked about the article was the different statistics located in the big orange box. For example, it was interesting to see that 80% of the Google users don't even venture past the first page. I knew this had to be true because I am guilty of being one of those people. If it's not on the first page, I don't even bother, and I guess 80% of the people don't even bother as well!


Question 1: What does the word "Google" even mean?

The word "Google" is a play on a word meaning a certain number. It is a play on the number googol which is a 1 followed by 100 zeros. It looks something like this: 10,000,000,000,000,
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. That's a lot of zeros! Count them, I dare you! The founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin wanted something to represent the endless amount of growing information that can now be found on the search engine.

Question 2: What is the easiest way to find something on Yahoo!?

The answer to this is easy! Google it instead. Google has continuoulsy beat out Yahoo to remain the best search engine on the web. Does Yahoo have a Yahoo Earth? Nope. But Google does. You can search just about anything on Google, even Google itself. Yahoo is too much of a copycat finding any way to possibly use the two "00's" to appear just as sophisticated as Google. Google even goes as far as changing the way "Google" appears on the home page from time to time. During Christmas the word Google was spelled out with Christmas lights. Did Yahoo do that? Nope. That's why Google is the best. Period.

The Journey Begins...

So my blogging journey begins here in University Hall 271. I am sitting at a table using the very first Mac ever issued for this classroom. That was a lie. This Mac was the 2,341st. The class is based around the idea of teaching prospective teachers how to use 'technology in the classroom.' Technology Smeshology!

My first assignment is to write about my experiences in technology. Well, I passed the CCR test my junior year at CSUSM. That test was intimidating, but I had a special tutor who got me inside access and I passed that baby first time! Other than that my technology awareness is pretty minimal. I am a fellow Myspacer. Forget Facebook, the way I see it... Myspace is classy, Facebook is trashy. For every technological problem I have I run to the person who knows the technology world better than I, my 17 year old sister who's life is lived inside cyberspace.


My educational experience is a lot different than my experience with technology. I just graduated with a bachelor's degree in Literature and Writing from CSUSM and was just accepted into the single-subject credential program where I will become a high school English teacher/ Varsity soccer coach within the next year. I have observed at all levels of schooling with some schools in particular being better than others. My first time observing I ended up breaking up a fight. It was at a local high school and two seniors decided to get down during lunch. But yours truly was there and broke 'em up. I was a hero with the administration for that day. I also have had the pleasure of coaching kids at the high school and middle school level. I coach soccer and through that, fell in love with the idea of teaching in a classroom. Its going to be bomb!


This class better be worth it! ... so far so good. I hope to learn how to make my own website. I think having a website, and easy access for students on the web, is an important tool for teaching. I also hope to gain more knowledge about this darn Mac. This is the first time I've worked with a Mac, and I love it! I think it's only because I like their commercials with that guy from Accepted... familiar with that movie? If not you should check it out... hil-arious!


Oh well, this seems pretty good for now. But I am a creative writer and I could write for days and days so this could get a little out of control. But it's fun, just like this...