Chapter 9

*New Schools*

What do you think we should do with these technologies for the future of teaching and learning?

There are so many new tools for teaching and learning being created, that it is hard to keep up.  It is even harder to plan for the future if all these new technologies are created.  Solomon & Schrum stated that Teacher's comfort level with technology is low and they want to be facile before letting students use it.  There is never enough  time and it takes longer to figure out integration strategies than to use tried and true methods. (page 188)This is true because it takes time to become comfortable with new technology.  I believe that technology is crucial to the classroom and learning because our students our students are now in a technologically advanced and growing culture.  We, as educators, need to make sure that what they learn at home and at school compliment in each other so that our students will be sucessfull in the real world.  There were great ideas in this chapter for how to approach using these new tools within the classroom.  I feel like there are so many different options that teachers should focu in on one main tool like blogging or podcasts, or other helpul tools.  I think using too many web tools will take time away from actually learning content.

Chapter 8

*Systemic Issues*

Accessibility for all students is addressed in this chapter.

How does your school or workplace provide access to technology and web tools for all learners?

In this chapter, Solomon & Schrum go into great detail about helping students with disabilities have access to using technology. (p. 159-176) Some of the examples the authors used to help make technology accessible for all students include the following:  blogging, podcasting, portfolios, and videos.  On the issue of English as a second language learners, Solomon & Schrum suggest that "current literature provides many ideas on how teachers can teach learning strategies and how certain strategies, such as activating prior knowledge, making connections, visualizing and asking questions, affect the general education student's reading comprehension." (p. 160) I know that this is important because students may know what each word is in a sentence, but they may not be able to determine the meaning of the sentence.  I know at one of the elementary schools here in Calcasieu parish, and ESL (English as a Second Language students) language lab is offered for these students.  This lab has computers that help these students practice the English language.  

Chapter 7

* Online Safety & Security*

What problems pointed out in this chapter have you observed in your school or workplace?

How do you feel about the way the problems were handled?

This chapter went into great detail about online safety and security.  It gave great examples of how we can keep our children in schools safe from online.  They gave great steps to avoid copyright problems on page 139; Davidson's (2005) Copyright Primer for Administrators states the folowing:

1. Create and implement a technology policy that includes a code of ethic and set procedures.

2. Review the entire policy with your educational community: students, teachers, and parents.

3. Appoint a technology manager to conduct audits and maintain a log of licenses and registration material.

4. Teach ethical and legal behavior for technology use.

5. Thank employees and students for supporting these steps.

Creative Commons is also a very good site to use without having to worry about copyright.

Some of the problems pointed out in this chapter include security, ethics, administrative restrictions, social networking, and image sharing.  Solomon & Schrum give great alternative solutions that will help schools and other workplaces make sure their people stay safe and all their information also stays safe.  (pg. 156)

I believe that administrators have a lot to think about when they look at what tools and web-sites to block and which ones to make available.  This includes commericial sites that are not set up specifically for student use, and this can put our students in danger.     

Chapter 6

*Leadership & New Tools*

As new technologies are introduced the leaders in the school decide if and when these new

technologies will be supported and permitted on the district servers.

From the point of view of a technology leader, what are challenges and the advantages of

implementing these new technologies? Are any of the new technologies supported by your

own school or workplace? Do you agree with the decision to support, or not support, these?

I think that there are both advantages and challenges to implementing new technologies.  The 12 reasons why to blog as an administrator from a book by Debbie Weil on page 121 states great advantages.  They are the following: sharing news and events, progress monitoring, status alerts, marketing, public relations, community building, customer relations, branding, creating "customer evangelists", thought leadership, advocacy, and replacing the school Web-site.  Blogs allow administration and their staff to keep up with numerous things all in one place.  I beleive that getting support may be a struggle at first, because most teachers do not like change unless it is for the  better.  Another issue that may come up is financing new technology.  Solomon & Schrum state that upgrades, maintenance, and support play a large role, so in looking at free, web-based tools, districts have to explore the real costs, thse above and beyond the software itself, and weigh them against alternatives.   

DANCE

DANCE

Please Check out my video!

These dancers are girls I used to teach at Center Stage!

ENJOY :)

Chapter 5

*Professional Development*

How are the web 2.0 tools being used in professional development?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of using these tools to provide professional development?

What are communities of practice and how can they be used to promote professional development?

The web 2.0 tools such as blogs, podcasts, and wikis are being used in professional development so that teachers will be more knowledgeable about the subject.  Solomon & Schrum (pg. 111) state that educators can use web 2.0 tools to have potential for building a "learning community" and be able to connect with their peers.  They will also have access to experts in a variety of content or process areas.  Blogs help with making teachers more comfortable in using these new tools (112).  Podcasting are a convenient way to "attend" a workshop.  They allow teachers to listen to a session on their own time without having to take time off of work (113).  I wish I had more experience with wikis, because they seem to offer a great deal of excitement.  Solomon & Schrum say that allowing members of a community to participate in the creation of goal, plan, or direction is a great opportunity (114).  I think these web 2.0 tools offer many advantages; the most important being communication.  Teachers and educators can share ideas and lesson plans using these tools as the source.  I think the major disadvantage would be that teachers and educators will have to take the time to learn how these tools operate, and that may take time to feel comfortable. 

Communities of practice are viewed in a couple of ways.  Solomon & Schrum look at Wenger and Bielaczyc & Collins views.  Wenger (1998) suggests that a community of practice defines itself along three essential dimensions--joint enterprise, mutual engagement, and shared repertoire.  Bielaczyc & Collins (1999) suggest that the defining quality of learning community is that there is a culture of learning in which everyone is involved in a collective effort of understanding.  Solomon & Schrum give a statement that I feel best explains how communities of practice can promote professional development; "If a learning community is presented with a problem, then the learning community can bring its collective knowledge to bear on the problem." (104)

Chapter 4

*New Tools in Schools*

How might you apply one or more of these tools to your own classroom curriculum?

This chapter offered so great insight on how to integrate technology into the classroom to help students be more prepared for the real world.  I love the examples this chapter gave about the cool schools.  Schools such as New Tech High and Lemon Grove School District are making technology the main technique to learning new skills.  These students participate in projects and use the web to access all things school related. (Solomon & Schrum, pgs. 78-80)
Even though I do not teach everyday in a school, I can definitely see how these new tools can be used to help students learn and be more engaged.  I teach a catechism class once a week at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic School.  The classroom I teach in has a Promethean board, and I wish I had permission to use it.  I could keep the students focus a little bit better if I could just show a PowerPoint presentation.  Since this class is only once a week, it would be difficult to incorporate blogs, wikis, or podcasting, because we do not have the resources.  I would love to be able to use digital storytelling with them using Flickr, because most of the content they learn as 6th grades deals with the history in the stories of the Bible.  We started basically at page one, and it would be more engaging if they got to find or take pictures and put them in order of a story and add dialogue and music to it.  Maybe one day this could happen!!
Solomon & Schrum give an example, my favorite, of one science teacher who got his classes involved in a project called Sribes.  Students kept a class blog, and each day a different student is given the responsibility of updating the blog.  They post class notes, pictures, upcoming events, and useful links.  (pg. 96)

Chapter 3

*NEW TOOLS*

Where there any terms you haven't encountered before? What were they? Have you tried any of the tools described in the chapter?  Which tools?  Are there tools you want to try?  Which tools?

This chapter offers a lot of insight on who can use web 2.0 tools, how they can use them, and what the different tools are.  Solomon & Schrum state that administrators, teachers, students, and parents can benefit from using tools online to do the following: save money by not having to buy new software, set high standards and require high-quality work to focus on excellence rather than completion, collaborate on weekends and evenings no matter the location, and access students work to see how well they are performing. (pgs. 49-50)

Open source is a new term to me, but I now know that it basically means that the source code for programs should be available for anyone else to study, use, enhance, and distribute. (Solomon & Schrum, pg. 50)  

Tools which I have tried...BLOGS, obviously.  Blogging is fun, but it takes time to create and post exactly what you want.  I have subscribed and listened to PODCASTS before, and I have also tried to play around with making one, but that is more difficult.  I do not have much experience with WIKIS, but I have read wikipedia.  The first time I used social bookmarking was this semester when we created our DELICIOUS accounts in class.  I do not do much PHOTO sharing and editing, but I enjoy it when I have time!  I have never used any desktop tools online or used many of the management tools before.  I would like to learn how to use Google Docs, and create presentations online.  I have used SEARCH ENGINES, and social networking such as FACEBOOK and TWITTER.  I do not have much experience with using video, but I would love to learn.  I would also like to learn how to use Skype! :)

Chapter 2

How can you design your curriculum and professional development in the workplace so it supports these new learners?

     Students in school today are wired differently than those in the past because of technology usage.  Students play video games, use text messaging, chat online, search the web for just about anything, get music, share videos, and much more.   This means that they think, work, and play differently from previous generations. (Solomon & Schrum, pg. 27)  Students want to use technology as a main source of learning, but it seems that some teachers are not up to par to teach that way.  

     Utecht (2006) says to allow students to choose their method of presentation, find their own information, and learn in a way that meets their needs.  I believe that this allows students to learn and create on their own, like in a real job.  I agree with Solomon & Schrum's following statement regarding teaching methods for these new learners: 

"To help students acquire these skills and become synthesizers means not just providing access to technological tools but also employing the pedagogical tools that are more powerful when combined with technology."  "Technology makes it possible to target the right approaches for each student in order to provide individualized and differentiated instruction."  

This being said, constructivism, project-based learning, and connectivism are all teaching approaches that allow the teacher to present content in a non-traditional way.  Thus, the students will work and learn by building upon what they already know, engage with issues and questions that are rich, real, and relevant to their lives, and include technology as a key factor of learning. (Solomon & Schrum, pgs. 38-41)

Chapter 1

Is your school or workplace preparing students and workers for the 21st century? 

Why do you think that?

I think that McNeese is preparing students and teachers for the 21st century.  The Office of Public Information and Communications is in charge of making sure students are aware of all that is going on around campus.  The director sends out messages and keeps students informed by using the web.  Things such as FirstCall, Facebook, and the ListServe are ways the University is using things categorized as Web 2.0.  All of these applications allow students to have access to every bit of information provided by the university.  

I know that other parts of the university are preparing students for all this new technology, because I am learning it as a graduate student.  As an undergrad, many course I took were not formatted in a way to prepare me for the 21st century, but I definitely believe that the Education Department on campus is currently providing both students and teacher with all the necessary means to prepare and learn more on Web 2.0. Shifting to Web 2.0 tools in schools will help promote creativity, collaboration, and communication, and they dovetail with learning methods in which these skills play a part. (Solomon & Schrum, pg. 21)

January 27 Class Activities

What We Did!
-brief summary of what we did


The NETS Standard Met!
-what standard I am meeting


The Way I Can Use This Information!
-reflect about all this information

January 27 Reading

20 Things I Learned About the Web!
1.   It is different for different people, but the history tells us a little more.  It all started by ECP/IP when it created a set of rules that allowed computers to talk to each other.  The creators then found if information were sent in packets or chunks, it would be received easier.  Bandwidth refers to the speed of the Internet, and this can be close to the speed of light.  The Internet is the “backbone” that allows us to view and do everything within the World Wide Web. 2. Cloud computing is this phenomenon that is almost like having a massive supercomputer at your beck and call, thanks to the Internet.  This allows people to pay bills online, make reservations, and other daily tasks.  I wouldn’t want an 18-wheeler to run over my laptop, but I would be able to save all documents, files, and photos on the Web, and I would be able to access them all!
3. App I shorthand for application, and can be called programs or software.  Google Maps is an example of a web app that allows users to use this app from the Internet. The 4 virtues of Appiness include—1.I can access my data from anywhere. 2. I’ll always get the latest version of any app. 3. It works on every device with a web browser. 4. It’s safer!
4. HTML is the web programming language used to tell web browsers how to structure and present content on a webpage.  The scripting language is known as JavaScript, and it basically allows for faster operating because it uses real time.  CSS, which is Cascading Style Sheets, gives programmers an easy way to define a web page’s layout and beautify the page with design elements like colors, rounded corners, gradients, and animation.  All of these inventions have made the web an open and friendly construction platform for web developers.
5. This is the latest version of HTML, and it is a set of capabilities that gives web designers and developers the ability to create the next generation of great online applications.  As an open standard, HTML5 embodies some of the best aspects of the web it works everywhere, and on any device with a modern browser.
6. 3D browser us a big deal because it now joins with HTML5, JavaScript, and other nifty new technologies in the toolkit that web developers cab us to create a powerful new generation of web applications.  This means great new ways to visualize the information use find useful, and more fun online with engaging 3D environments and games.
7. Upgrading to a modern browser is important for 3 reasons—1. Old browsers are vulnerable to attacks. 2. The web evolves quickly. 3. Old browsers slow down innovation on the web.
8.  Plug-ins was created to deliver more interactive content.  It is defined as an additional piece of software that specializes in processing particular types of content.  An example is Adobe Flash Player.
9. These let you add new features to your browser—literally extending your browser.  Browser Extensions can also act on their own, outside of web pages.  An email notifier extension can live on your browser toolbar, quietly check for new messages in your email account and let you know when one arrives. 
10. Many of today’s browsers have begun building a feature known as synchronization (sync for short).  Sync lets you save your browser settings online, in the cloud, so they aren’t lost even if your computer melts down.  This function also makes it easier to access information if you have multiple computers.
11. A cookie is a small piece of text sent to your browser by a website you visit.  It contains information about your visit that you may want the site to remember later.
12. Browser security helps protect you from malware, phishing, and other online attacks, while privacy features help keep your browsing private on your computer.
13. Phishing takes place when someone masquerades as someone else, often with a fake website, to trick you into sharing personal information.  Malware is malicious software installed on your machine, usually without your knowledge.  An up-to-date, modern web browser is the first line of defense against phishing and malware attacks. 
14. This does so by limiting three types of security risks when you’re online—1. How often you come into contact with an attacker. 2. How vulnerable your browser is if it’s attacked. 3. How much damage is done if an attacker finds vulnerabilities in your browser.
15. There are 3 parts to a web URL—The scheme is the first part of the URL.  The host is the next part, and it is where the website resides.  A URL may have an additional path often the hostname, which sends you a specific page on that most—like jumping right to a chapter or page in a book.
16. An IP address is a series of numbers that tells us where a particular device is on the Internet network, be it the google.com server on your computer.
17. There are tools to help you determine if a website is genuine or not.  Some websites have an extended validation certificate that allows you to determine the name of the organization that runs the website.
18. The web today is an amazing visual and interactive stew, streaming with images, photos, videos, and whizzy web apps.  Some of the web’s most vivid experiences come from images and videos, from shared photo albums of family vacations to online video coverage from journalists in war zones.
19. Open source means that the inner workings (or source code) of software are made available to al, and the software is written in an open, collaborative way.
20. The final takeaways—use a modern browser, the web will keep evolving, and lastly, try new things!!