Sunday, August 9, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
"Stop playing w/that phone or I will confiscate it!"
“No true best practice has started out with, ‘have students bring their cell phones to class’” (Allen, 2007). This is undeniably true, and makes perfect sense in the realm of phones are distracters, rather than educational. In the last two months of the MAT program, we have been informed of the importance of differentiated learning techniques and strategies. It is totally accurate to say that technology has been a common theme and major component of these discussions. What has been discovered is the idea that cell phones may be a positive piece of technology within the classroom walls. What I think is that for every reason they can be defended as a learning tool, there are probably three reasons to dismiss them as distractions! This is besides the fact that not every student has a phone, or the messaging/internet capabilities to perform the tasks that could possibly be assigned.
It is imperative that students (as well as teachers) are attempting to become fluent in the ever changing ways of technology for the specific purpose of staying ahead of the curve and becoming as marketable as possible to potential future employers. “I cannot think of a job where ‘cell phone operation’ was a skill. Employers are much more concerned about a student’s computing and critical thinking skills than their phone skills” (Allen, 2007). This is such a true statement, and I feel it really sums up this topic. No questions resulted for me after reading both sides to the topic, only an opinion that students are hurt more than they are helped, when using a cell phone in class.
It is imperative that students (as well as teachers) are attempting to become fluent in the ever changing ways of technology for the specific purpose of staying ahead of the curve and becoming as marketable as possible to potential future employers. “I cannot think of a job where ‘cell phone operation’ was a skill. Employers are much more concerned about a student’s computing and critical thinking skills than their phone skills” (Allen, 2007). This is such a true statement, and I feel it really sums up this topic. No questions resulted for me after reading both sides to the topic, only an opinion that students are hurt more than they are helped, when using a cell phone in class.
WTF?!
I believe that Chatspeak is definitely having an impact on our language, not necessarily destroying English, but it is converting students to take shortcuts in expressing their written communication with others. “The shortcuts and acronyms that make instant messaging, text messaging, and online chatting so popular have no place in academic, business, and other formal writing settings where it is essential that all individuals involved are using language that is clear and concise” (Howard, 2007). These academic and business-like settings are exactly the arena’s that are going to be intolerant of “shortcutting.”
I remember back to the history teacher of my first semester of college that actually subtracted points from my roommate’s overall score in the class, because of some chatspeak-like abbreviations he used in an e-mail to her in the first week of class! It turned out that he missed an ‘A’ in the class by just a few points…about the amount he lost from a harmless e-mail the first week!
I believe that teachers will be the ultimate ‘traffic cops’ in trying to keep this type of communication out of classrooms, as this is solely for the welfare of students. “When it comes to students and their use of chatspeak, it will be more difficult for many to switch gears to effective and meaningful writing” (Howard, 2007). The question that I have now, in response to this article, is: how do we internalize this thought process in the younger population who are the ones making this chatspeak widespread?
I remember back to the history teacher of my first semester of college that actually subtracted points from my roommate’s overall score in the class, because of some chatspeak-like abbreviations he used in an e-mail to her in the first week of class! It turned out that he missed an ‘A’ in the class by just a few points…about the amount he lost from a harmless e-mail the first week!
I believe that teachers will be the ultimate ‘traffic cops’ in trying to keep this type of communication out of classrooms, as this is solely for the welfare of students. “When it comes to students and their use of chatspeak, it will be more difficult for many to switch gears to effective and meaningful writing” (Howard, 2007). The question that I have now, in response to this article, is: how do we internalize this thought process in the younger population who are the ones making this chatspeak widespread?
Friday, July 31, 2009
"My attention span is ju.......check out that sweet car!"
As I ask myself the question/title; “Is Educational Technology Shortening Student Attention Spans?”My first reaction is to think YES. But upon actually reading I must say that both sides to this issue make valid points, if not valid facts. It seems as though David M. Marcovitz is annoyed with the influx of technology to the hands of our young people, and assumes that they will be left far behind if they don’t grasp it right away. This is illustrated with “Life moves fast, and if you don’t multitask, you can’t keep up with it” (Marcovitz, 2008). I find this idea somewhat applicable in the realm of technological-based professions, but it just isn’t that absolute in many other aspects of life. In that same breath, I feel he reaches a bit too far in another quote stating “After seeing the flower bloom in a minute, who has the patience to wait for it to bloom in real time?” (Marcovitz, 2008). I want to know who, at all, is watching the flower bloom in real time. I feel that people are thanking technology for showing them “time lapse” photography!!
The statements above are probably reasons enough why I agree with John David Son, who on the other hand, gives us positive feedback about the wave of technological savvy that students are showing in normal daily interactions. This is given to us in the valid opinion that, “Educational technology, if presented to students in a format that gives them freedom to express themselves, will engage our students far beyond a pencil and paper” (Son, 2008). I couldn’t agree more with this statement especially after seeing it work first-hand. I was helping tutor a course a few summers ago, where the quietest student with the worst written journal in the class, showed me his blog and how intellectual and well stated it was. It was amazing! This just goes to prove the fact that not all students learn alike or have the same set of skills as the classmate sitting next to them. In the last seven or eight weeks, we have been guided to internalize the theory of creating differentiated teaching strategies to grab the minds of all learners in all sorts of ways. Son pleads this through the statement: “School leaders, teachers, and other district personnel must believe that educational technology is the vehicle to engage our students and capture their minds while delivering the school’s instructional content.” (Son, 2008) Regrettably, no questions come to mind after reading this.
The statements above are probably reasons enough why I agree with John David Son, who on the other hand, gives us positive feedback about the wave of technological savvy that students are showing in normal daily interactions. This is given to us in the valid opinion that, “Educational technology, if presented to students in a format that gives them freedom to express themselves, will engage our students far beyond a pencil and paper” (Son, 2008). I couldn’t agree more with this statement especially after seeing it work first-hand. I was helping tutor a course a few summers ago, where the quietest student with the worst written journal in the class, showed me his blog and how intellectual and well stated it was. It was amazing! This just goes to prove the fact that not all students learn alike or have the same set of skills as the classmate sitting next to them. In the last seven or eight weeks, we have been guided to internalize the theory of creating differentiated teaching strategies to grab the minds of all learners in all sorts of ways. Son pleads this through the statement: “School leaders, teachers, and other district personnel must believe that educational technology is the vehicle to engage our students and capture their minds while delivering the school’s instructional content.” (Son, 2008) Regrettably, no questions come to mind after reading this.
No offense, but my PowerPoint was better than your's...
GREAT JOB GROUP! Here is my recap of the things I enjoyed. I liked Everett’s opening of explaining the anticipatory set. Anna had a tougher topic to explain, but was efficient in teaching the lesson to the non-musical people. Steph’s side note was classic…What a COWARD she is! Ben had a great intro with cool graphics, also spoke with great confidence and knowledge. Jackie’s PowerPoint had great slide content, much in the way of aesthetics, and evoked great emotion. David had great opening trivia about the spelling of Hawthorne, good knowledge of area (New England). Kate had a great topic that really represents her ideals and the idea of societal simplicity. Bryant topic was very powerful in that the statistics of poverty were astounding, and the revolutionary actions by “Che” were remarkable.
Since all of the presentations were so amazing today, the least engaging thing that I saw was Rhiannon fingers representing the countdown in the back of the room. I feel that there was a lot of rushing through information by everyone, and it was all in response to those five fingers! So next time, we all need to take a deep breath and speak slower, rather than speed talking.
A couple of improvements that I would make to my own PowerPoint would be to go with better background color on some slides, or even use graphics as a background wallpaper. This would be in addition to reciting my presentation a few times to gain better fluidity.
Surprisingly, after being anti-PowerPoint for so long, I have warmed up to the idea of using them to maintain a visual learning experience. This is strictly due to the fact that I have gotten to create/use them and my fear is now non-existent. Some pro’s of using this method is obviously the ability of getting through to the visual learner as well as having a guide or “pace car” to follow, and hopefully keep you on track. Additionally, I think that implementing sound bites and videos add to the entertainment factor, and potentially provide humor, which I feel is very important. Some Con’s could revolve around the typical mistake of reading from the PowerPoint as well as getting face-to-face with it and not speak to the audience. Also, in creating one, somebody who just throws one together is really subjecting the students to a badly designed, dry lecture. A quality product takes time and that isn’t always available.
Since all of the presentations were so amazing today, the least engaging thing that I saw was Rhiannon fingers representing the countdown in the back of the room. I feel that there was a lot of rushing through information by everyone, and it was all in response to those five fingers! So next time, we all need to take a deep breath and speak slower, rather than speed talking.
A couple of improvements that I would make to my own PowerPoint would be to go with better background color on some slides, or even use graphics as a background wallpaper. This would be in addition to reciting my presentation a few times to gain better fluidity.
Surprisingly, after being anti-PowerPoint for so long, I have warmed up to the idea of using them to maintain a visual learning experience. This is strictly due to the fact that I have gotten to create/use them and my fear is now non-existent. Some pro’s of using this method is obviously the ability of getting through to the visual learner as well as having a guide or “pace car” to follow, and hopefully keep you on track. Additionally, I think that implementing sound bites and videos add to the entertainment factor, and potentially provide humor, which I feel is very important. Some Con’s could revolve around the typical mistake of reading from the PowerPoint as well as getting face-to-face with it and not speak to the audience. Also, in creating one, somebody who just throws one together is really subjecting the students to a badly designed, dry lecture. A quality product takes time and that isn’t always available.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Cyberbullying...Don't be a jerk
Cyberbullying is when a minor is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another minor using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones. As prevalent as this negative activity is, I don’t feel that I have ever been involved (either as the recipient or instigator) in this new wave of harassment. This might have to do with the fact that I’m rarely online, and I have never gotten into negative encounters since owning a cell phone over the last eight years.
Problems that schools can face in dealing with cyberbullying can range from inability to name the source of harassment (due to anonymous identities), and if they do in fact locate the instigator, schools try and get involved by disciplining the student for cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school hours. They are often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student's free speech right. They also, often lose.
Within the walls of the school confines, private matters have a way of circulating from loose lips to open ears. This is not only from students to students, but faculty can be recipients also. When something as serious as cyberbullying is going on, students tend to talk to whoever will listen, without being viewed as a “rat” or “snitch.” Other ways you as a teacher may realize students are being subjected to this harassment are rather obvious. Instances where students are declining rapidly from once acceptable levels, are major signs that something is wrong. These can be easily measured like absenteeism, excessive tardiness, or complete shutdown/unwillingness to participate in class. The signs could also be tougher to gage like having a student uncharacteristically gain or lose weight. It is at this point that I feel the schools should at least investigate what the problem is, and possibly attempt to regulate what could be happening off-site.
I believe that the first place to begin an education campaign is with the kids and teens themselves. Addressing ways they can become opponents of cyberbullies, how to be accountable for their technological actions, and not to allow bullying (in any form) to be acceptable. We need to teach them not to ignore the pain (real or perceived) of other peers. This should be done with the class as a whole (as nobody is outside the realm of being a bully/victim), and mainly used for a prevention strategy (trying to nip it before it starts). After implementing this educational tool, it will probably be necessary to evaluate it with anonymous student surveys, and if effective, attempt to make the campaign school-wide.
Problems that schools can face in dealing with cyberbullying can range from inability to name the source of harassment (due to anonymous identities), and if they do in fact locate the instigator, schools try and get involved by disciplining the student for cyberbullying actions that took place off-campus and outside of school hours. They are often sued for exceeding their authority and violating the student's free speech right. They also, often lose.
Within the walls of the school confines, private matters have a way of circulating from loose lips to open ears. This is not only from students to students, but faculty can be recipients also. When something as serious as cyberbullying is going on, students tend to talk to whoever will listen, without being viewed as a “rat” or “snitch.” Other ways you as a teacher may realize students are being subjected to this harassment are rather obvious. Instances where students are declining rapidly from once acceptable levels, are major signs that something is wrong. These can be easily measured like absenteeism, excessive tardiness, or complete shutdown/unwillingness to participate in class. The signs could also be tougher to gage like having a student uncharacteristically gain or lose weight. It is at this point that I feel the schools should at least investigate what the problem is, and possibly attempt to regulate what could be happening off-site.
I believe that the first place to begin an education campaign is with the kids and teens themselves. Addressing ways they can become opponents of cyberbullies, how to be accountable for their technological actions, and not to allow bullying (in any form) to be acceptable. We need to teach them not to ignore the pain (real or perceived) of other peers. This should be done with the class as a whole (as nobody is outside the realm of being a bully/victim), and mainly used for a prevention strategy (trying to nip it before it starts). After implementing this educational tool, it will probably be necessary to evaluate it with anonymous student surveys, and if effective, attempt to make the campaign school-wide.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Don't copy this...or else
Some new things that I learned about copyright was the different scenarios in which copyright can be avoided through 'loopholes' such as the amount of years from the death of the copyright owner, the manner in which you produce or present the information, and best of all, whether or not you are a good person! I really had no idea about any aspects of copyrighting, so this was a very valuable lesson to me.
I believe that the laws are pretty well written in keeping fairness for all the parties involved. For example: Faculty may only make single copies for scholarly research or for use in teaching or class preparation. They are restricted to one chapter of a book; not the entire work. This is for the obvious reasons that the book should be purchased, and not 'stolen' multiple times by a copy machine.
To make sure whatever we are using in our classroom will fall under fair use protection, we must "… look to the nature and objects of the selections made, the quantity and value of the materials used, and the degree in which the use may prejudice the sale, or diminish the profits, or supersede the objects, of the original work." as sited from Wikipedia. In my own words though, we need to make sure its used for non-profit and educational benefits only, should be relatively factual/historical in data as opposed to creative pieces that may require permission, less substantial in amount (as the more we use the tougher fair use applies.)
I will enforce copyright within my own classroom with my students by possibly giving them the same (or similar, in case Rhiannon has it copyrighted-haha) lesson and tools that we experienced in class today. I'm not sure what stance I would take in the event of copyright infringement, but I'm sure that it would be far less than an occurrence of plagiarism which, for me personally, is a bigger problem that students are engaging in. I feel we need to at least create awareness of the topic and put the idea into the back of their brains for future reference. I feel that I gained a better sense of the world of copyright within today's course and they will need to also.
I believe that the laws are pretty well written in keeping fairness for all the parties involved. For example: Faculty may only make single copies for scholarly research or for use in teaching or class preparation. They are restricted to one chapter of a book; not the entire work. This is for the obvious reasons that the book should be purchased, and not 'stolen' multiple times by a copy machine.
To make sure whatever we are using in our classroom will fall under fair use protection, we must "… look to the nature and objects of the selections made, the quantity and value of the materials used, and the degree in which the use may prejudice the sale, or diminish the profits, or supersede the objects, of the original work." as sited from Wikipedia. In my own words though, we need to make sure its used for non-profit and educational benefits only, should be relatively factual/historical in data as opposed to creative pieces that may require permission, less substantial in amount (as the more we use the tougher fair use applies.)
I will enforce copyright within my own classroom with my students by possibly giving them the same (or similar, in case Rhiannon has it copyrighted-haha) lesson and tools that we experienced in class today. I'm not sure what stance I would take in the event of copyright infringement, but I'm sure that it would be far less than an occurrence of plagiarism which, for me personally, is a bigger problem that students are engaging in. I feel we need to at least create awareness of the topic and put the idea into the back of their brains for future reference. I feel that I gained a better sense of the world of copyright within today's course and they will need to also.
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