Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Attendance and Participation

Overall, throughout the semester, I feel my attendance and participation for this class was pretty good. I attended all classes, except for one, due to a family emergency. As for my participation, I posted on the class blog every week, except for the week I was absent. I really enjoyed this process; It was fun and interesting to read how others answered the questions, and I was able to get to know my fellow classmates better because of this. I did turn in some assignments late, and really regret procrastinating in this class. Reflecting back on all of our assignments, as a future educator, there are many assignments I find useful to implement into my classroom! I began this class not knowing anything about technology, however I feel now I have learned much more, and I've learned that technology can be fun after all!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Social Bookmarking- NETS IV, V

Using Delicious.com, I was able to bookmark and complete eight specific tasks. Each specific task was related to a webpage, and I had to bookmark those pages to My Delicious, and tag them. This is such a great way to bookmark things, because you are able to access it from any computer! Not only that, but you are able to see what everyone else is bookmarking as well!


1) National Archives:
On the National Archives website, I bookmarked “The Portrait of Black Chicago.” “The Portrait of Black Chicago” is an article/portrait, which talks about a famous photographer named John White. John White was a photographer for The Chicago Daily News, and photographed the difficult circumstances many of Chicago’s African Americans had to go through. Presently, White is a staff photographer with the Chicago SunTimes. Due to his passion and talent towards photography, he has won many awards, and his work has been published widely. Primary sources are so important to implement into a classroom, because it is important for students to learn and understand about the past.

2) National Education Association:

• The types of student groups which experience achievement gaps, are: boys/girls, students from low-income families, students with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, such as: Asian American, African Americans, and Latin Americans. Lastly, English language learners are also experiencing achievement gaps, because they have a difficulty understanding what is going on, therefore they miss out academically.

• One area that best fits my teaching style, would be firstly, to ensure that my school has a mission statement which commits to cultural competence as an integral component of all its activities. The cultural competence committee should be involved in developing this statement. As a future educator, this fits me, because I believe that if a school develops a mission statement showing that they are accepting of all cultures, this in return will make students of minority more comfortable and positive in their learning environment.

• Another area which I feel best fits my teaching style is: to network with parent, family, minority community, and faith-based organizations concerned with the needs of diverse students. Solicit their involvement and input in the design and implantation of initiatives for culturally, linguistically, racially, and ethnically diverse groups. As a future educator, I feel this best fits me, because: I feel parents and family contribute so much to their child’s education. Communication from the teacher to the parents is so important, in making a child’s education a successful one. With a supportive family, community, parents, and faith-based organizations, children receive the proper support to push them in being all they can be.

• Lastly, an area which I feel best fits my teaching style is: to gather and organize resource materials related to culturally diverse groups for use by school staff. As a future educator, it is so important to constantly be researching new teaching strategies to apply to all my students. An Inclusive classroom is something I plan to have, and in order to do so, I need to gather and organize new strategies, so all of my students feel included and just as successful as each other!

3) Stop Cyber Bullying:

• The score I received on the Cyber Bullying quiz was a: 3. According to the quiz results, I am a “Cyber Saint”. I was really interested when reading the questions, because I have some friends who have made up fake IM’s, etc, and I would’ve never known that it was considered “Cyber Bullying”. After completing this quiz, I feel my perspective has changed on Cyber Bullying. I use to think that it was just considered threatening someone online; After seeing that things such as creating a fake Instant Message screen name is even considered to be cyber bullying, my perspective has changed. It just goes to show you that sometimes many of us, especially children, do not realize that the simplest things you do can really hurt someone else. As a future educator, I really need to monitor my students, and make sure no one is bullying anyone!

• One area I researched and learned about, were the various types of cyber bullies, and how there is not only one. According to the information presented on the website, there are four types of cyberbullies: the “vengeful angel”, the “power-hungry, and “revenge of the nerds”, “mean girls”, and lastly, “the inadvertent cyberbully”. Each cyber bully is different in the way they bully the victim, and the strategies they come up with to bully differ as well. For example, “mean girls” usually plan ahead what they are going to do to their victim in a group. Whereas, “the inadvertent cyberbully” does not usually plan ahead, but rather bullies someone because they are provoked by something.

4) Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators:

• One area which interested me on this website, located in the “Subject Access” category, was: Health, Physical Education, and Fitness. I chose this area, because I feel Physical Education and Health are such important components to keep a child’s brain “energized”, and ready to learn! One component which interested me were the: Activity Calorie Counter. From my perspective, growing up, my parents had a huge impact on the way I now choose to eat as an adult. In elementary school, I can’t think of one teacher who ever taught us about health, or what to eat, and what not to eat. My parents always influenced fast food, and now years later, I have realized how unhealthy it is for you, especially as a child. Years later, it becomes much more difficult to take out of your lifestyle, because your parents implement it into your life so much. Therefore, I feel as a future educator, it is such a good idea to make my students familiar with what is healthy and what isn’t. We need to teach our students about calories, so they know what they are and how they work with your body. I have actually done this calorie counter recently for a Physical Education class last semester, and it made me realize how many calories I was taking in daily! I think this would be a great tool to apply to my classroom to have my students learn about their health and how important it is, especially at such a young age.

• One area of “Teachers Helpers” which I found really interesting was: Bulletin Board Sites. I explored the different bulletin board links, and as a future educator, found them very resourceful. While doing my observations for my other class, I loved the way the teachers had decorated their classrooms on the bulletin boards. I plan to use this website for future reference as an educator, and apply some of the bulletin board ideas to my classroom.

5) Multiple Intelligences:

My three top intelligences and their scores:

• Musical: 63%

• Interpersonal: 63%

• Intrapersonal: 63%

What I learned from video:

• In the video: “Multiple Intelligences Thrive in Smartville”, I learned about the different intelligences each child possesses. According to Howard Gardner, there are seven different types of intelligences, and each child possesses a different one. One child may be a physical learner, whereas another child may be a visual learner. As a future educator, I need to recognize this, be patient with all of my students, and accommodate them any way I possibly can to fit their “intelligence”. Not every child learns the same way, and not one child is exactly the same, therefore I need to try my hardest as a teacher, to realize this, and create strategic plans so every one of my students is able to use their specific intelligence, and be just as successful as their fellow classmates.

6) Teaching Tolerance:

• Grade: 1st through 2nd grade

• Subject: Arts

• Topic: Identity Posters

The “Identity Posters” Lesson I chose to do my research on is to teach children more about their names and what they mean, and to learn more about their classmates’ names as well. To begin the assignment, the students are given a sheet of a variety of different questions to ask their parents about the meaning of their names, such as: Why they chose that name for them, what the name means, etc. After students complete this task, they bring this sheet to class, and share with their classmates Each child shares with one another, and as a result everyone learns something new about each other. They then bring in photos of themselves, their familes, friends, and also use magazines to cut out things that describe them as an individual. They create their own posters, decorating them with these pictures and information about themselves. The teacher hangs the posters up on the wall, but each week he/she will take down a poster and put it in a prominent area where the students can focus on it.

I feel this lesson plan is a great way for students to get to know not only themselves, but also one another! It is very important as a future educator, to create that friendly atmosphere in your classroom. As a future educator, I plan to apply this into my classroom, in hopes that students will learn not to judge a book by its cover or name, but to get to know their fellow peers as a unique individual.

7) Multicultural Education and Equity Awareness Quiz:

After taking the Online Multicultural Education and Equity Awareness Quiz, the two questions I chose that really interested me were questions one and eight.

• Question 1: According to the National Center for Education Statistics, what is the percentage of U.S. schools with no teachers of color on staff? The correct answer was: 40 %.

o The resulting statistic really interested me. 40% percent is a really high statistic, especially when you are comparing all of the United States schools. This is a topic which also came up in my other education class: EDUC 364. I believe this percentage is so high, because many people of color who do attend college, end up dropping out, or even those in high school end up dropping out, because it is proven that a high percentage of people who come from families of color, live in poverty or lower class.
• Question 8: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median and annual income for U.S. white men, 25 years or older, who have earned graduate degrees, is $80,000. What are the median annual incomes for Latina and Native American women, 25 years or older, who have earned graduate degrees? The correct answer was: $50,000 and $40,000, respectively.

o This answer really interested me, especially because I am a woman. I do not understand why women, who receive the same degree, and are the same age, receive lower income compared to men. The results really astonished me.

8) Netiquette Guidelines:

I received a 70% on the Netiquette quiz :-> . As a future educator I should use Netiquette into my classroom, because it is a great source for students to use to become familiar with cyberspace. Social Networks, such as Myspace and Facebook, have become so popular, especially with young children, and it is important for them to know how to approach these sites, what to be cautious about, and how to act on these sites. Hopefully this website will help my students out a lot and teach them how to behave appropriately online. The internet can be a safe and fun place to interact and learn, we just have to have manners when we use it and to “remember the human”.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Classroom Newsletter- NETS I, III

While using Microsoft Word, I created a classroom newsletter for a fictional third grade classroom. The newsletter contains an introduction of me introducing myself, a technology section, devoted on how I plan to incorporate technology into my classroom, and lastly, about the importance and impact a child's nutrition has on their learning ability. This is a great way to keep students and parents informed about what is going on in their child's school and class.

newsletterAB

Spreadsheet- NETS I, II

Using Microsoft Excel, I created a spreadsheet crossword puzzle, containing words I felt that described me and things that have great importance in my life. I learned how to do this crossword puzzle by watching instructional videos on atomic learning. The first sheet contains the actual crossword puzzle, and sheet two contains the clues that go with the words I chose. Overall, this spreadsheet is such a fun way to engage students on academic subjects, and to test them on how well they know their subjects.


Spreadsheet

Thursday, April 29, 2010

PSA Hate Crime iMovie- NETS I, II, & III

I created a Public Service Announcement, while using Quicktime iMovie, to create a short movie about the hate crimes occurring on the CSUSM campus. This iMovie includes some statistics on hate crimes within California. iMovie is such a fun, and great way to get students more involved. You are able to put together your own video with clips, transitions,text, still photos, music, and much more!


Wiki Assignment- NETS I, III, & V

Using Webpaint, and researching all of the Web 2.0 Classroom tools, I was able to make a Wiki. A wiki is a website that allows the easy creation and editing via any web browser. For this particular assignment, I decided to choose a Slideshow tool, known as "Slideshare". I created a Wiki page, answered a couple of questions, such as how I would apply this tool to my classroom as a future educator, and lastly, submitted a PowerPoint presentation I had previously done for this class, through Slideshare. Wiki is a great website to use; It is also a great resource for future teachers to learn about the many different technological tools available to us!


Saturday, April 24, 2010

Journal #6: Google Earth- NETS I, III

To begin this journal, I joined the Web 2.0 community. I then explored the many tools on this website, and chose "Google Earth". I had to follow two discussions or more related to this topic, to better understand it. After, I defined "Google Earth", and how I would use this in my classroom. "Google Earth" is such an amazing and fun program to use! It allows you to explore so much of the beautiful world we live in!



Petra, T. (2007, October 14). Cross-circular Uses of Google Earth. Retrieved 24 April 2010 from: http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/649749: Topic:58381

The classroom 2.0 tool that I chose to do is: Google Earth. Google Earth can be defined as: an information program that allows you to use a virtual globe, map, and geographic information to let you view Earth by satellite images. Google Earth is a wonderful program, which teachers are also beginning to incorporate it into their classrooms. One teacher named: Thomas Petra, has even incorporated this program into his middle school math classes. According to Petra, the students love this program, and have really gotten engaged by it. His math classes have used it to plot historic typhoons, which have struck the island from where they live. The students use typhoon data for the plotting, and added a path and image, and annotated everything. The students in his class a couple of times had asked, “What does this have to do with math?” The fact that students are having fun, and at the same time learning math, and do not even know it, this is sometimes a great way to get students engaged. Petra has even applied Google Earth to his eighth grade class, as a problem solving activity, in which they played the role of a Coast Guard. Their assignment was to conduct a search and rescue operation. He gave them wind, currents, and other parameters, and they had to devise a search plan and map it out on Google Earth.
In conclusion, Google Earth is an amazing, and fascinating tool that is available to us now, even as an app for those who have iPhones. For those who plan on being educators in the future, Google Earth is a great way to use technology, and teach your students at the same time. Tools such as: Google Earth, make learning fun, enjoyable, and results in more engagement.

Collaborative NETS PowerPoint Rubric- NETS II

Together as a class, we collaborated and created a rubric on Rcampus.com, that we used to grade each other's PowerPoint presentations. As a future educator, this is a great source to use when grading my students.

Journal #9- NETS I, III, & V

Weller, Travis. "Playing With Skype." L & L 37.6 (2010). Retrieved 24 Apr 2010 from: http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25508&DirectListComboInd.

In the article, “Playing With Skype”, written by: Travis J. Weller, Weller discusses the incredible digital experience Skype has to offer. In the article, Weller talks about a community college in Pennsylvania, and how they used Skype to conduct a live concert band for whoever desired to watch it. Weller explains that one of his friends: Joseph M. Pisano, had helped him with this brilliant idea, and making it all come together. The equipment requirements were very minimal, and ended up being a very successful event. According to Weller, “Skype makes it possible for educators to seek out experts in their subject areas and invite them to share in the classroom or the rehearsal hall”.




Question #1: What is a way I could implement Skype into my future classroom?

As a future educator, and from experience, I can definitely say that sometime in the future, school is going to be all based on technology. In one of my internet Spanish classes last semester, my professor was always available to skype, to get extra help or to just ask a simple question. I thought this was such a good idea; I felt as though I was in the classroom, and actually interacting with my professor. I feel that somehow implementing Skype into my classroom is a very good idea. However, it may be a little more difficult with elementary school levels, but at the speed our society is going, nothing is impossible when it comes to technology nowadays.

Question #2: What is a con of having something such as Skype, available to your students?

Having Skype available to students, can result in social interaction, rather than academic interaction during class time. I also feel that sometimes it is better to learn directly, rather than using Skype, with other students and/or the teacher.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Journal #8- NETS I, IV, & V

Lindsay, Julie, and Vicki Davis. "Navigate the Digital Rapids." L & L 37.6 (2010). Retrieved 22 Apr 2010 from: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/Navigate_the_Digital_Rapids.htm.


In the article: “Navigate the Digital Rapids”, written by: Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis, Lindsay and Davis discuss what digital citizenship is. Both define digital citizenship as, “transforming yourself into a professional who can effectively research technology trends, monitor the uses of technology in your school or district, avoid the fear factor that can easily paralyze you, and empower student- centered learning to create vibrant, exciting learning projects”. Lindsay and Davis talk about how throughout the years our society has changed, and all we use now is technology, therefore our teachers need to be taught how to accurately apply these to their classrooms.

Question #1: As a future educator, do you feel digital citizenship should be applied to your classroom?

Yes, as a future educator, I definitely feel it is important to apply digital citizenship to my classroom. From experience, almost all of my assignments in college are given, and must be turned in via the internet. This, in my opinion, is just the beginning. Where we will be in ten years, who knows, but it will definitely be interesting to see. I feel as though all of school where be done using technology, therefore it is definitely important for me to apply this to my classroom.

Question #2: As a future educator, how could you go about slowly adjusting to digital citizenship?

I feel that adjusting to digital citizenship is a gradual and slow process. From experience, while doing my observations, I couldn’t believe how technology knowledge based these children already are, especially at such a young age. As future educators, we need to know what to expect. We should slowly teach ourselves about the different programs our students will be using, maybe even take a class, so we are well prepared when that time comes.

Journal #7- NETS I, III, & V

Zanetis, Jan. "The Beginner's Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips." L & L 37.6 (2010): Retrieved 22 Apr 2010 from: http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25443&DirectListComboInd=D.

In the article, “The Beginner’s Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips” written by: Jan Zanetis, Zanetis discusses the alternative to actually bringing your classroom to the specific location you plan on attending for field trips. With the increase in technology over the years, field trips have become inaccessible to students, and rather teachers are now using: Asynchronous VFT’s. Asynchronous VFT’s are websites, which include text, audio, or video resources about specific topics. Therefore, instead of going to the desired place, students are taking virtual tours of it online, and being able to interact with other students, and other teachers, by being able to interact with them over the internet. This software has been proven to engage students. According to Zanetis, “VFT’s have many benefits for students of all ages. To be able to view, hear, and interact with people who are far away is powerful”. A woman named Janet Adams, has stated that since schools have begun to use VFT’s, she has seen a lot of changes in teaching and learning; “Virtual field trips have empowered teachers, librarians, administrators, and IT staff to create significant opportunities for their school to focus on a world beyond the chain link fence.” Therefore, Virtual Field Trips have become the new hottest thing for many teachers and students at various schools.




Question #1: What is one pro and one con of using VFT’s in a classroom?

From past experience, field trips were something I looked forward to. It was a day away from the school environment, and a social academic opportunity. As a future educator, I really feel by physically going on a field trip should still be present in classrooms; Children sit at their desks all day. Going on a field trip, allows them to become more engaged, interact with other teachers and students, and could even be considered some type of physical activity. In contrast, a pro of using VFT’s in the classroom, is teaching our children the many uses of technology. Also, students tend to get rowdy on field trips if not disciplined right. Therefore, by not leaving the classroom, students are more likely to be able to focus on the task it is that they are doing.

Question #2: As a future educator, how can I implement VFT’s into my classroom, without fully taking away field trips from my students?

As I stated previously, I feel field trips are very important for students. Therefore, I do not want to take them away from my students completely. I could balance both; For example, one field trip I could make a normal field trip, and then the next we can use VFT’s. It will also benefit my classroom, because by using various tools, I am introducing my students to new things all the time, causing them to become even more engaged.

JCCS Internet Safety- NETS I, IV, & V

Collaboratively, six of my classmates, including myself, explored the JCCS Internet Safety website, and learned more about Identity Safety, Cyberbullying, Cyber Predators, Privacy and Plagiarism, Inappropriate Content, and Social Networks. Each of us chose a topic, and had to choose a student assignment to complete for each topic. We used Google Docs to come up with the final project. This assignment was a great way to learn more about Internet Safety!



Internet Safety

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Journal #5- NETS I, III, & V

Zanetis, Jan. (2010, March/April). The Beginner’s Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips. L&L, 37(5). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm?&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25443DirectListComboInd=D




In the article, “The Beginner’s Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips” written by: Jan Zanetis, Zanetis discusses the alternative to actually bringing your classroom to the specific location you plan on attending for field trips. With the increase in technology over the years, field trips have become inaccessible to students, and rather teachers are now using: Asynchronous VFT’s. Asynchronous VFT’s are websites, which include text, audio, or video resources about specific topics. Therefore, instead of going to the desired place, students are taking virtual tours of it online, and being able to interact with other students, and other teachers, by being able to interact with them over the internet. This software has been proven to engage students. According to Zanetis, “VFT’s have many benefits for students of all ages. To be able to view, hear, and interact with people who are far away is powerful”. A woman named Janet Adams, has stated that since schools have begun to use VFT’s, she has seen a lot of changes in teaching and learning; “Virtual field trips have empowered teachers, librarians, administrators, and IT staff to create significant opportunities for their school to focus on a world beyond the chain link fence.” Therefore, Virtual Field Trips have become the new hottest thing for many teachers and students at various schools.



Question #1: What is one pro and one con of using VFT’s in a classroom?

From past experience, field trips were something I looked forward to. It was a day away from the school environment, and a social academic opportunity. As a future educator, I really feel by physically going on a field trip should still be present in classrooms; Children sit at their desks all day. Going on a field trip, allows them to become more engaged, interact with other teachers and students, and could even be considered some type of physical activity. In contrast, a pro of using VFT’s in the classroom, is teaching our children the many uses of technology. Also, students tend to get rowdy on field trips if not disciplined right. Therefore, by not leaving the classroom, students are more likely to be able to focus on the task it is that they are doing.

Question #2: As a future educator, how can I implement VFT’s into my classroom, without fully taking away field trips from my students?

As I stated previously, I feel field trips are very important for students. Therefore, I do not want to take them away from my students completely. I could balance both; For example, one field trip I could make a normal field trip, and then the next we can use VFT’s. It will also benefit my classroom, because by using various tools, I am introducing my students to new things all the time, causing them to become even more engaged.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Journal #4- NETS I, IV, & V

Bull, Glen. (2010, February). Finding Students Who Learn With Media. L&L, 37(5). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25255&DirectListComboInd=D




In the article “Finding Students Who Learn with Media”, written by Glen Bull, Bull discusses PrimaryAccess MovieMaker. According to him, “student-created media offer significant opportunities for engagement and learning”. PrimaryAccess MovieMaker is a web-based authoring tool, which allows students to use their own creativity and imagination to the fullest. It is a fun way to learn, in which it lets students create their own “text, primary source images, and audio narration”. Therefore, the children interact with one another, to come up with various short online documentary films on their own. Not only does this get students engaged, but it motivates them to want to learn; At the same time they are learning more about what they can do with technology, they are also learning about Social Studies. Another tool Bull discusses in his article is: PrimaryAccess Storyboard. This allows students to create a visual historical narrative in a single class period. Again, at the same time the children are learning more on how to work technology, they are also bettering their English and Writing skills as well. In reference to Bull, “student disengagement is an immediate and persistent issue for many students and teachers. With careful planning, it is possible to increase student engagement by incorporating student- authored media into a formal classroom setting without increasing the amount of class time required to complete the projects. Students who were engaged by both content and media demonstrated greater higher-order thinking and creativity in their work.”



Question #1: As a future educator, do you feel this would be a good way to help engage students in your classroom?

Yes, as a future educator, I feel that this would definitely help students become engaged in a classroom. I, myself, was once a student myself, and know that using computers, and working with fellow classmates, would keep me more engaged and encouraged to want to learn more. I feel this is a brilliant opportunity to expand a child’s mind; Like I stated in the summary, the children are learning two things at the same time, rather than just one.

Question #2: What would be one con of having this available to students?

One con I feel would be keeping the students at work. From experience, especially while doing my observations, with younger grades, when children are put into groups, some children always end up doing more than others. Therefore, as a future teacher, I need to take charge of my classroom, and make sure everyone is participating and on task.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Journal #3- NETS I, IV, & V

Levinson, Matt. (2010, February). Keeping the Peace. L&L, 37 (5). Retrieved from: http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25237&DirectListComboInd=D




In the article, “Keeping the Peace”, written by Matt Levinson, Levinson discusses a controversial issue, between the parents and teachers versus the students, at Nueva Middle School, when the school allowed instant messaging to be available to their students during and after school. The rampage it caused, made the district decide to look at the pros and cons of iChat, and in result, banned it. Students were sending instant messages to their classmates during class. Although, many teachers were not for it, the decision of the parents, was 50/50; Some felt it was a good source of social interaction, others felt it was a horrible idea, and thought it was inappropriate that a school would allow this. Although, this particular laptop program did not work out for the school, they considered it a “learning experience”. As a result, they came up with various ways to positively introduce and prepare everyone for the introduction of new technologies, such as: holding a boot camp for their 6th graders, to introduce them to the use of laptops, training sessions on how to conduct effective, and efficient online research, just to name a few.



Question #1: What is a better way this school could of approached this situation, and why?

A better way Nueva Middle School could’ve approached this situation, was like they had come up with after all this took place: creating a boot camp, not only for students but also parents. It is evident that children are beginning to use technology at such a young age, therefore, we have to look at the realism of this issue. Yes, instant messaging, myspacing, and facebooking can be dangerous. However, if parents are aware of their child’s use of these networking and social interaction sites, it is less dangerous. As future educators, we need to inform our students about sexual predators on these websites, and when it is appropriate to use sites, or IM. By doing so, it will create a safer technological environment for children, and less stress and concern for parents.



Question #2: What is a con of allowing students to IM, facebook, or myspace even after school?

This question stemmed due to my own experiences. Although I do not IM or myspace anymore, I definitely facebook, and can say this has kept me from doing school assignments/homework, and procrastinating. This is a major con, because after school, is usually the time children decide to do homework, because many children have bed times, so they try to get their homework done right when they get home. Also, another con is: cyber bullying. This has become a worldwide issue, due to internet use. We, as future educators, any supervisors, and parents need to be well aware of this, and make sure our children are using the internet for good purposes only.

Journal #2- NETS I, III, & V

Elliott, J. and Maguth, B. (2010). Using Podcasts to Develop a Global Perspective”. L&L, 37(5). Retrieved April 9, 2010 from: http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=Membersonly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25244&DirectListComboInd=D




In the article “Using Podcasts to Develop Global Perspective”, written by both: Brad Maguth and Jeff Elliott, Maguth and Elliot define and describe what podcasting is, and how it can be implemented into classrooms, for an educational purpose as well. In this article, students were given an assignment while using Podcasting. They were put into groups, and had to research a global issue. After researching the global issue, they were to put together a script and small video, displaying to their audience the effects this global issue is causing, and the different perspectives of it all around the world. The Podcasting software, according to Maguth and Elliott, “involves a lot of planning, researching, writing, and editing even before students use the podcasting software, so the use of these digital technologies proved to be challenging and meaningful for them”. As a result, this allowed the students to interact with one another, and educate themselves by using technology.



Question #1: How was podcasting made beneficial for students, while doing this particular assignment?

While doing this particular assignment, the students became more engaged. When learning is made fun, it is proven, that students become more interested and motivated into what it is that they are doing. This particular assignment allowed the students to interact with one another. This is very beneficial, because many times student’s assignments are suppose to be done only by themselves. Also, because of the advancement with technology, it is known that are future classrooms will be focusing on doing most of their assignments and learning on computers. Lastly, it gave the students a chance to not only learn about the global issues, and different perspectives around the world, but also how to use a new technology software that they were unaware about before: Podcasting.



Question #2: As future educators, how could this be beneficial for us as well?

As future educators, it is our responsibility to get our students to be engaged and enthusiastic about learning. This is, at least, one of my main goals, that I plan to implement into my classroom. By having our students do an assignment such as this one, we will have better positive outcomes from our students.

Journal #1- NETS I, III, & V

Johnson, Doug. (2009, December). Computing in the Clouds. L & L, 37(4),


Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volu me3720092010/DecemberJanuaryNo4/Computing_in_the_Clouds.htm



In the article “Computing in the Clouds”, written by Doug Johnson, Johnson discusses the positive outcome he has received from purchasing a net book. “A net book weighs about two to four pounds, contains a seven to ten inch screen, has wireless internet connectivity, has USB and memory card slots, and costs less than four hundred dollars. “ Although the net book is extremely small, Johnson explains that it can do as much as a regular computer can. According to Johnson, every school should require students to purchase one; In return, it would dramatically help schools out financially, especially due to our recent and ongoing budget cuts. “This offers several real advantages. Because of the files and the programs are all stored elsewhere, your local computer doesn’t have to hold much on its hard drive, so it can run faster or be smaller”. This line really caught my attention; I have had my laptop for quite awhile now, and due to all the files and programs I have had to download for school, my computer has begun to run extremely slow. By storing our files and programs elsewhere, would result in a great outcome: It would be great for my computer, and would cause me less frustration. Overall, as a future educator, I feel this would be a great option.

Question #1: By making it mandatory for all students to purchase a net book for school, as a future educator, how would this benefit us as teachers?

By making it mandatory for all students to purchase a net book, this will cause less financial issues for the school. As future teachers, this could be a very positive outcome. Recently, due to the California budget cuts, many teachers have gotten pink slips. By requiring students to purchase a net book, the school will not have to purchase computers, and rather, just require students to bring their net books to classes. This, in return, would result in extra money, and less pink slips could possibly be handed out, because it would cause less of a burden financially on a school.



Question #2: Realistically, why could this idea not work out as planned?

Realistically, this idea could not work out as planned, because depending on where you attend school, the socioeconomic status varies. Not all families, especially those who have one child, could afford to buy their children net books for school.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Inspiration- NETS I, II

Using Inspiration Software, I was able to creatively construct a graphical organizer, which contains artifacts I have done throughout the semester for this class, that can be incorporated into NETS-T. Each NETS-T contains two artifacts. Using Inspiration is a great way to allow your students to show their creativity.


Thursday, March 18, 2010

PowerPoint- NETS I, II, III, & V

Using Microsoft PowerPoint, I created a PowerPoint presentation choosing the grades PK- 2nd grade. I incorporated different ways I could approach NETS-T into my classroom, and came up with one lesson plan per NETS. PowerPoint can be used for various things and subjects; You are able to upload pictures, clipart, and decorate each slide any way you'd like to, so it is visually pleasing to your audience.


EDUC422PowerPoint

Monday, January 25, 2010

Introduction

Hello! My name is Alexandra Bianco, but you can call me Alex; I have gone by it my whole life = ). I am twenty- one years old, and a desert native; born and raised in Palm Springs, California. The winters there are perfect, however the summers are unbearable. I received most of my education in Palm Springs. I started my kindergarten education at Cahuilla Elementary School. After kindergarten, my parents decided to send me to St. Theresa School, a private Catholic school, also located in Palm Springs. I attended St. Theresa from first through eighth grade. After graduating, I then started my high school education at Palm Springs High School. I attended all four years, and graduated in 2006. The fall after I decided to attend College of the Desert, a community college located in Palm Desert, Ca, which is about thirty minutes from Palm Springs. I really did not know what I wanted to do after high school, so I figured going to a community college would help me decide. I attended College of the Desert for three years, and during those three years, I realized I had a passion in working with children. This is when I decided teaching would not only allow me to work with children, but also to mold them into all they can be. I recently moved to San Diego this past summer, to attend Cal State San Marcos. I am in the ICP program, and plan to get my teaching credential in Fall 2012.

I would say I am definitely a technology person! Who isn't nowadays? I use technology every day! However, Computers are probably my least specialty. I know how to do the easy things, such as: making a document, sending and receiving email, doing a powerpoint presentation, and checking my facebook. Other than that, I don't know any of the high tech things! I am very excited to take this class, in hoping that it will better my computer skills! I am a PC user, although I wish I had a Macbook! As of right now I do not have Microsoft Office on my computer, but instead have Microsoft Works. Besides my laptop, I recently got an Iphone, and it is my baby = ); I am on it all the time! I watch T.V. when I have time outside of school, and I love to listen to music, so I definitely would say I am a technology person = ).

Although when applying to Cal State San Marcos' COE, the mission statement was not a factor, the second and third sentence of CSUSM's College of Education mission statement has a profound impact on the ideal teacher I wish to become. I believe social justice, equality, and diversity are such important factors in creating a positive classroom environment. With these factors, young children learn to respect others and to treat fellow peers/classmates all the same.