Technology Course Assessment

           In this course Technology in Education, I learned about Jing, Scrapblog, Google Docs, wordle, polleverywhere.com, and webquest. I also learned how powerful of a medium the internet could be in affecting social change through Michael Steinman’s efforts with his own students. I will take away something from all of these technologies, but the technology I have most benefited from is Google Docs. I am not a tech savvy person, so I had no idea of the benefits Google had to offer. Learning how to create my own sites, professional and webquest is eye-opening for me. I will definitely utilize the webquest idea with my own students. I believe it is a great way to build upon their digital native foundation. I categorically love the forms we were taught to make in Google. They took all of the hard work out of it, and it is a tool I will absolutely use for my students, as well as the parents of my students. It provides a way for me to reach the parents and for them to response anonymously, or discreetly to where their children won’t have to carry around the papers and lose them or never turn them in if they don’t like what it says. This could apply to the first form I created using this technology, which is really for the parent’s eyes only.

            Before this course, I really underestimated the role of technology in education. I did know that students were what I now know to be called “digital natives”, but I had not really made the connection of the importance of reaching them in a language they were most comfortable with, technology. I want to reach my students where they are, and prepare them for the future, and I now believe that technology is a critical part of the equation.

Three Lessons From Michael Steinman

           The first topic Mr. Steinman brought from his students that resonated with me is, recognize that, “some students work at different paces”. Even within a honors class, students will process the information differently. But there are only so many honors classes, and the intake curve will be much greater in most classrooms. Nevertheless, I feel it is imperative to consider this when I am teaching my class. I want all of my students to succeed, so going too fast for most but appeasing the upper minority will not cut it. I plan on slowing things down to an average pace, giving the accelerated students something extra to do until we move on, and giving the more challenged students extra time during lunch to go over any materials.

            Next, Mr. Steinman’s students said, “Teachers must be passionate!” I 100% agree with this because most students have not learned what it is to be passionate about life in general, let alone about education. I remember being that age; you think time is on your side, that you’re invincible, and that you’ll eventually find what it is you want to do with your life. But most teens do not realize that this time of their life is not the time to be idle, but the time to explore and actively seek out their life’s passion. A teacher should always demonstrate this passion, because passion is contagious. The passion that I show my students for what I do, can cause them to wonder about what in their life they could be passionate about.

            Finally, his students said, “don’t set low expectations”. I personally agree that students will rise or fall to whatever level you expect them to achieve. I know that many minority students are not expected to do well, either because of their race or their social environment. I feel like this is such an injustice to the student. Society already places low expectations on certain members of society, but then to go to the place that is supposed to prepare you for life and they mimic what greater society tells you. It is the ultimate travesty. A person’s race or economic make up is not a handicap; it can be a source of power and inspiration.   

Online Collaboration

This past week’s synchronous online class was the first I had ever experienced, and I really enjoyed it. Although, I did realize that after about one hour of being on it, I was ready to be done with it. It could just be my tolerance level for technology. I can’t sit in front of a computer for hours on end without getting antsy. I liked being able to collaborate on a single document while communicating with each other and being comfortable in my own space at the same time. The challenging part was that I did not know what to expect while we were meeting. I suspect though, that if I were to use this technology for a particular project, I would know why I was meeting with the group and what was expected out of me.

I can see this type of technology being used to supplement face to face teaching in the distant future. The cost of educating a child in the classroom is astronomical. The money that could be saved using this type of platform could be well worth it. Although I don’t think this could completely replace the physical environment of an actual classroom, it can absolutely be a tool that could benefit the entire education system. I think students that do not usually participate in the classroom would feel much more comfortable contributing information. Without the eyes of everyone watching, a student could feel free to ask questions and/or express themselves. I think that the school districts should consider having an online collaboration day every week. But, there are many obstacles to consider with this. Does the savings generated from not having the students in class offset the costs of the technology needed to have these online collaboration days? Can the tangled web of the public education system handle any new program, or will it break from the added pressure? 

Digital Native or Digital Immigrant

In researching the topic, Am I a digital native or digital immigrant? I came across an article written in 2001by Marc Prensky titled, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. In this article he talks about how those of us who navigate the digital world with traditional tendencies, like “calling someone to see if they received our email,” or “calling someone into another room to view something on the internet instead of sending them the URL,” would be considered a digital immigrant. Prensky considers someone who lives, breathes and eats the digital world since infancy a digital native.

            I would have to say that I am a digital immigrant for sure. I realize that I am behind the curve in most technologies, and I have a lot to learn technology wise if I am going to meet my future students at least in the middle. Prensky goes on to say in his article, which was written over 10 years ago, that professors are creating interactive games to teach various subjects like the Spanish Inquisition. Prensky suggests that the brains of the digital natives may be wired differently. I think we do our students a disservice if we force them to fall back to our old traditions. Should they know how to spell, or look up a word in a handheld dictionary? Absolutely, why can’t we teach them the fundamentals, but also foster what they already know to help them grow academically and technologically. One of my main reasons for becoming a teacher is to reach those students who feel like they don’t have a place in this world. I believe technology could be that olive branch to get them to open up and see themselves in a world in which they could explore.

Visualization in Technology

What is technology without visuals? It is the first thing that draws us into any type of technology, because we like the way it looks. The bold words that peek your interest or the face that draw you in; sound enhances it, but the visuals catch our attention. I don’t think Michael Steinman’s class would have been able to be as effective as they were with their message if they did not have the internet as a medium to get their message out there. Vice versa, if their message wasn’t powerful, I don’t think no one would have cared, because we all know there is a lot of junk on the internet that we bypass every day.

So to me what this all means is, if you have a powerful message and you want people to listen to it, get to the point like the Death by PowerPoint video suggests, have something meaningful to say, and make it visually catchy. The picture of the student’s house that was foreclosed on enhanced her point; likewise, the video shots of the buildings that were deserted as a result of this economy allowed the viewer to see that it was not just the student’s that were affected by the economy, the damage has decimated their community also. In most communities around our country you could see building boarded up, especially here in Victorville. I believe their message was powerful because although their message was personal, they were able to show and voice what many people around our country are going through.

Technology Blog Review

After first browsing David Warlick’s site http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/, I clearly realized he is an experienced educator who has great insight. The topics he chooses to discuss are thought provoking. I came across his blog from December 5, 2011 titled, “What if curriculum was an adventure?” This initially caught my eye because with having three boys, they love anything that has to do with adventure, and I have always wondered how I could get them to love learning as much as they their video games. In this blog, Warlick discusses among other things, “can a learning game be made fun like regular games?” If Warlick could facilitate this technology, I would love to shake his hand. The closest I have come to using my sons video games to educate them is through metaphor. His collaboration with others, his experience, wealth of ideas, and insight are a great resource for a student like me.

            On Vicky Davis’ blog http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/, she reviews technology, gives insight into how technology is being used, and how that affects the student and teacher. She is also a coauthor of Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time. This topic links back to some of the websites we looked up for the group project like, Global SchoolNet. I once heard someone say that, “it is a lot harder to hate someone up close”; this is what I feel this worldwide education collaboration could accomplish. It is truly a larger-than-life venture, and I have been asleep to the whole thing until now, but no more.

In Jeff Utecht’s The Thinking Stick http://www.thethinkingstick.com/, I especially found his post on the “5 Gmail Tips for Teachers” useful http://www.thethinkingstick.com/5-gmail-tips-for-teachers/. I particularly liked the feedback other educators were giving him. Carey Pohanka wrote about sending incoming emails straight to a label and bypassing the inbox. I can see that being very useful to our professor. There were so many other great tips educators gave that I will utilize as we navigate the world of Google in this course, and I am sure I will use this site in the future to better give my students a technological edge in their education.  

Shift Happens and Jing

            In Shift Happens, they talk about the increasing gap between the population of the U.S., India and China. How 351 babies will be born in India during that presentation compared to 60 in the U.S. and 244 in China. I immediately thought about the 20/20 episode I saw on December 9^th in 2011. In this episode titled Disappearing Daughters, it is explained how female genocide is being tolerated by many in that country, to the tune of tens of millions being killed or aborted simply because they are female. I realize that there are many stories like this around the world, but I had no idea. I have inserted the link so you may watch this devastating, but eye opening news story. The video is approximately 40 minutes long, but this story does not begin until about 14 minutes into it.

http://abc.go.com/watch/2020/SH559026/VD55157391/2020-1209-disappearing-daughters        

With India being reported to take over China in 2030 as the leader of the greatest population on earth, I wonder how many females will be allowed to live to see that future. I realize that knowing this information is one thing, and doing something is another, and many times we feel helpless to do anything about it. I felt that way after watching Disappearing Daughters, but I have found a website dedicated to fighting this cause. Although I have no personal connection to India besides my name sake (my aunt’s childhood best friend from India named Chanda), I feel that not only being a fellow human being, but also being born a female, I have an obligation to do what I can. I realize that times are hard for many people right now, but that does not stop us from caring, and though some may not be able to give money for this cause we do have our voices. The following link is an article that further illuminates this cause. At the bottom of that page you can sign a petition that will be sent to the world organizations listed on the page. Take a look and lend your voice to a worthy cause.

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-female-genocide-in-india.html

                Jing could be used in the classroom by giving students a project to research a worthy cause and creating a page using photos, video or other media highlighting their chosen topic, which will then be posted onto the class web page. Students will be able to show their families their work and learn how to recognize that they do not live in a bubble, but are a part of a much larger world community. This is the presentation I created using Jing to take the screenshots. 

Poll Everywhere and Google Docs

            The benefits of online collaboration using Google Presentations could be really beneficial to students and teachers in the classroom. By embedding Google Presentations onto Google Blogger I could teach a group lesson on science and assign a project to each group giving a specific part to every student. They could individually upload their findings to their particular project on the blog. There would obviously need to be blogging parameters, only allowing information that has to do with the project onto the blog. The blog could be pulled up in class and I could question them on their latest findings. Students will feel more involved because they are actively participating.

            This is all theoretical since I have not ever done this in particular. After reading about this topic in our text, it seems doable. Sometimes new technology seems a bit daunting at first, but with a lot of practice, I believe that this is something I could utilize in the classroom. I believe students will appreciate the 21^st century twist, and I would benefit in knowing that my students are learning something while enjoying it at the same time. For example, when we added our polls from www.polleverywhere.com to Google Presentations, it was educational and entertaining. I think students of all ages would love to create their own poll for their classmates to answer. Students could create group polls with educational content collaborating on the questions presented. This is the multiple choice poll I created in class; I see that I have two votes so far. Try my other poll and pay homage to your favorite teacher.

What a week!!!

I am now happy!