Journal # 8

This journal is called "Promoting Equity with Digital Video" by Randy Yerrick, Donna Ross, and Philip Molebash.  In this article the three authors discuss the different ways that digital videos can enhance the learning process.  As soon as I saw this article I immediately thought about the video project we did here in our class.  I know for a fact that the video project can enhance learning, because it sure enhanced mine.  I have learned from first-hand experience that this article is true.  Something else the article promotes is the idea that through the digital video, we can reach a more equal classroom.  White, middle-class males are often favored when it comes to communicating in written and oral tests.  Well with this addition of the video project, teachers and other officials are hoping for a more equal chance within the classroom.  With the video project, students don't have to speak in the video.  They can be imaginative and creative.  I know in the video that I made, no one spoke.  All you could hear was the sound of the music I put in the background.  Any student of any ethnicity and race could have put that together.  That is the point of equity the authors are talking about.

Question 1:  How does this promote equity?

The video project is a great way to promote equity in the classroom.  Like I was saying before, a student does not need to talk when filming a project.  It ultimately becomes their choice whether or not to actually talk in the film.  If they want to create an emotional piece they can add a song and appeal to everyone.  The video project allows the student to be creative as well as feel on the same level as the other students in the classroom.  I still think there will come a point when something else becomes unfair and we will have to scratch the video project.

Question 2:  Why is it that a video project makes things equal?

I think that the video project makes things equal mainly because you do not have to read anything or speak in the film.  This puts everyone on an equal basis and will allow each student to feel on the same page.  I don't think any other project would be as effective when it comes to equality in the classroom.  Written projects wouldn't work, and neither would projects based on an oral presentation.  In my opinion the video project is the best effective way to promote equity in the classroom.

Journal # 7

This journal is called "Does This Really Work?" by Sara Sawtelle.  In this article Sawtelle combines technology with science.  When presenting a new form of technology to the class Sawtelle suggests that we must apply the scientific method.  We must first create a hypothesis, and decide just how to get across the new form of technology.  Then, after we create a hypothesis, we move on to the planning stage.  This is one of the most crucial parts because it is the part in which we lay down the foundation of our project.  According to Sawtelle, "They recognize that planning is not as simple as one person sitting at a desk and mapping it all out; it will take a committee of the right people asking the right questions" (13).  After planning comes the preparation stage.  Here we must take what we plan out and get it ready making sure that all of our steps are covered.  Once this stage is complete, we must then test out our hypothesis to make sure it all works according to plan.  If it does not work out then adjustments are to be made.  I think Sawtelle makes a good point and I agree that before we apply a new technology we must test it out to make sure everything works out well.

Question 1:  Is this method too time consuming?

I think Sawtelle has a great point and I like where she is going, but I feel that this will be too time consuming.  I think to go through all those steps would eat up time that could be well spent somewhere else.  Especially when the people are doing this method with all the different types of  programs.

Question 2:  Just another silly idea?

Sawtelle is combining two different areas, technology with science, to form a great idea.  I think in order to work with a new technology, following these steps would be the best way of going about it.  I feel as if that is what we have done in this class.  Before each new technology program, we have sat down and talked about it first.  We have gone through it before actually going on to the program.  This way is more helpful and better when used in a classroom.

Journal # 6

This journal is titled "Mapping Student Minds" by Ariel Owen.   This journal explores the journey into the students' minds.  Owen talks about a field trip that the teachers and students participated in where they collected data on a nearby creek.  While on this field trip the students are to collect data about the surrounding elements.  After they collect all the necessary data, the students are then to create a casual map.  With these maps, the children then get into groups of two and map out the relationship between the elements that they have collected data from.  This map reminds me greatly of the inspiration maps we did earlier in class.  The article goes on to say that these casual maps, and showing the relationships, are difficult for the students to complete. The inspiration maps were hard at first, but as we got to mess around with them, they were a powerful educating tool.  I feel that with the students it will end up being the exact same thing.  The more they use the casual maps as a tool for learning, the better they will become at using the program and the better they will learn the material.

Question 1:  What is the significance of using casual maps?

The significance is a better understanding of the materials.  The more the students get a hands on approach at learning, the better they will acquire the knowledge.  I also think that the maps work well if done in a group.  I think that the students will learn from each other as well as from the actual program.  They will exchange thoughts about how it should be laid out and what information to put into their project.  Not only will they learn how to work with the program, but they will also learn how to work with each other.  I will definitely use this program in my classroom.

Question 2:  Could there be any problems using this program?

I really don't see any problems working with this program.  I think the program is extremely positive and can only offer positive feedback.  The only problem I see is the problem of the kids working together clashing their ideas.  It is hard to find a person easy to work with.  But done in the right environment, it can be a positive way to learn.  Another problem could be the amount of time to complete the assignment.  

Journal # 5

This journal is titled "Can You Hear Me Now?" by Sherry Turkle.  In this article, Turkle shares some thoughts about the technology we use and how it seems to take us further away from reality.  Turkle went on a business trip to Japan where she noticed the people in the meeting constantly messing around with their technology.  From this experience Turkle came up with five trouble that stem from the over use of technology.  The first one is that the online world creates a new meaning of the self.  People are taking new identities and are living in virtual reality instead of actual life.  The second trouble is the idea that we are all losing time to take our time.  Everything with technology is so rushed that people have no time to spare, no time to relax, and no time for anyone else.  The third trouble concerns the children.  Since the kids get cell phones at an early age, they are becoming more technological faster than their parents.  The fourth trouble is the different lives people produce on such sites like Facebook and Myspace.  And finally, the last trouble is the idea of split attention.  With so many people on so many different technology tools, are attention spans are getting smaller and smaller.  These troubles are all troubles that I agree with and see on a daily basis.  These are also troubles that we will see, for sure, in the classroom.

Question 1:  How will these troubles affect the classroom?

I know for a fact that the idea of a shorter attention span will affect the way a classroom works.  With all of the technology that the students will be using, its up to the teacher to be on top of the classroom environment.  We need to make the classroom exciting and at a pace that every kid can stay at.  We as teachers also need to use the technology to our advantage.  Let the kids use the web during class.  We do in college and it helps a lot.  While reading a certain book for instance, a student can read off an interesting fact about the author and what not.  But give them limits, don't erase technology all together.

Question 2:  Where do we notice these troubles in our daily lives?

We can see these effects everywhere.  From board meetings in Japan, to classroom behavior.  Even now as I'm typing, I have my phone near by waiting for a text message.  I believe instead of hating on technology, we must embrace it.  The only thing I think we can change is the way we socialize on sites like Facebook and Myspace.  That stuff needs to go away personally.  I think that stuff can be used for education, but I feel as if it will get in the way more so than help out. 

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.