Where to Begin

Blog #8

As a teacher, it would be nice to know where to begin at integrating technology... do you just jump right in or do you slowly integrate it into your classroom, lessons, and learning styles?

First, why? Why should you integrate technology into your classroom?

• Technology is already everywhere in our lives, communities, and homes. It is needed in the classroom as well.
• They provide classrooms with more interesting, diverse, and current learning materials. The Web connects students to experts in the real world and provides numerous opportunities for expressing understanding through images, sound, and text.
• New tech tools offr students ways to experiment, observe, and explore (especially in the sciences).
• Also, with tech tools and a project-learning approach, students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioral problems.
• Technology also changes how teachers teach, allowing them to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through various means while also enhancing the relationship between teacher and student. Through the use of technology, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach.

Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun. (Adapted from Edutopia, 2008)

Now, how? How do you begin integrating technology?

• Find tech tools that you think would go along with a specific lesson or unit, test them (always test the tools first), and then implement them into the lesson.
• Starting slow so as not to overwhelm the students and yourself is a good method. If you add one or two tools a week, eventually you will build your "tool belt" without having to learn 12 new tools in one day for one day of lessons.
• Always have a Plan B. Technology sometimes fails and it is imperative to have a back-up plan in case this happens.
• Let the kids teach each other and teach you. They will know more than you about some technology tools and if you learn from them, not only does it let them take on the role as the "teacher", but it can build self-confidence and allow you to learn something new through different eyes.

A list of Web 2.0 tools a teacher needs to understand and b able to use to actively involve students in the classroom can be found by clicking here.

In conclusion,
Stick with it, Technology is the Future!!
Just some Technology "Food for Thought"
- Lauren


References

Edutopia Staff (2008). Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction

Edutopia Staff (2007). How to Integrate Technology. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-implementation

Mac vs. PC

Blog #7

There have always been two leading competitors in the computer business and the question that always lies is "Which is better for me?". Is it a PC or a Mac. Apple was first in the computer business, developing the first computer with a mouse and graphical user interface (GUI) in January of 1984. Microsoft followed with their version in November of 1985, that is when the battling began.

Where Microsoft got smart and advanced further than Apple was when they made their systems compatible with various hardware. Apple can only use Apple products, but Microsoft has opened up to HP, Sony, IBM, etc. This would explain the graph shown to the left that demonstrates that Microsoft has approximately 92% of the market share, with Apple only having 4%. To see the comparison in it's entirety click here. The link will show various specs and comparisons between Mac and PC and their users.

To find out more for an Apple point of view, click here.

And for the alternating Microsoft view, click here.

An extensive, detailed comparison chart can be found here comparing the functions of the Apple and Microsoft computers.

Personally, I have always been a PC girl, staying loyal to Dell computers. However, there are defintely perks and benefits to Apple computers over Microsoft. While Apple computers are only compatible with Apple hardware/software, many of their software applications are interesting and user-friendly enough to cause some people to "make the switch". Ultimately, a computer is more like your best friend... everyone is different and everyone will enjoy a different preferences. It is up to you to decide if you're a Mac or a PC.

Until next time, Where to Begin...

Lauren

References:

Krimly, Nina. (No Date). Mac vs. PC: Myth-busting Guide for Consumers. Retrieved from http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/mac-vs-pc-myth-busting-consumer-guide/

Fair Use and Its Use

Blog #6

Copyright is defined as "a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of 'original works of authorship', including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works." (No Author, 2008). However, copyright laws do not extend to facts and ideas (Newsome, 2007). Presently, a copyrighted work does not have require, under U.S. law, to show notice of copyright, but it is beneficial. With older works, since the law did require it, works prior to 1989 required notice.

According to the article by Cathy Newsome, copyright law covers seven broad categories:

1. literary works - both fiction and nonfiction, including books, periodicals, manuscripts, computer programs, manuals, phonorecords, film, audiotapes, and computer disks.
2. musical works - and accompanying words - songs, operas, and musical plays
3. dramatic works - including music - plays and dramatic readings
4. pantomimed and choreographed works
5. pictorial, graphics, and sculptural works - final and applied arts, photographs, prints, and art reproductions, maps, globes, charts, technical drawings, diagrams, and models
6. motion picturs and audiovisual works - slide/tape, multimedia presentations, filmstrips, films, and videos
7. sound recordings and records - tapes, cassettes, and computer disks

Fair use is what allows teachers to use copyrighted materials for educational uses such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.

The four standards for determination of the fair use exemption are:

1. Purpose of Use: Copying and using selected parts of copyrighted works for specific educational purposes qualifies as fair use, especially if the copies are made spontaneously, are used temporarily, and are not part of an anthology.
2. Nature of the Work: For copying paragraphs from a copyrighted source, fair use easily applies. For copying a chapter, fair use may be questionable.
3. Proportion/Extent of the Material Used: Duplicating excerpts that are short in relation to the entire copyrighted work or segments that do not reflect the 'essence' of the work is usually considered fair use.
4. The Effect on Marketability: If there will be no reduction in sales because of copying or distribution, the fair use exemption is likely to apply. This is the most important of the four tests for fair use. (Newsome, 2008).  

It is important for teachers to teach students about copyright and fair use. The only thing I was taught prior to college was not to copy an entire paper. I was not aware that music and videos were also copyrighted.

For example, the Disney company is one such example. After watching many a Disney movies during my schooling, I was shocked to find out that teachers were committing a crime against Copyright and Fair Use Law by showing us these movies. For an interactive activity for students to learn about copyright and fair use, Click here. The activity is done in question/answer format, videos, timelines, etc. in terms that even younger students can understand and is a great starting step for teaching students.

Charts are very helpful to identify what is copyrighted and what is fair use in the classroom. Below are two charts that will prove to be very helpful to teachers and as handouts for students.

A very useful chart for identifying copyright and fair use can be found by clicking here.

Another copyright and fair use chart can be found here.

Until next time, Mac vs. PC
- Lauren

References:

Newsome, Cathy. (2007). A Teacher's Guide to Fair Use and Copyright. Retrieved from http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm#Introduction

No Author. (2008). Copyright Basics. United States Copyright Office. Retrieved from http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ1.pdf

Images found through Google Image Search.

Online Gaming

Blog #5

Online gaming is an epidemic that has taken over the youth of the world. With games like World of Warcraft, Diable, Starcraft, and other games created through Blizzard, children are spending more of their out of school time playing these games now than ever. According to an article on http://www.cracked.com/, the rate of growth of MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) is doubling every two years and there are currently around 10 million worldwide playing.



Since students are gaining passion about gaming and are only able to play when at home, why not move these gaming ideals of students into the classroom and help students to become passionate about learning at school through gaming. One such game, Evoke, was used by nearly 20,000 players in its 10-week run. The game was developed by Jane McGonigal and was a "crash course in changing the world". The game was introduced to high schoolers as an "alternate reality game that challenges players to solve big global challenges." (Boss, 2010). The link to the article can be found under references. To learn more about Evoke, click here.

Games can also be introduced to students in order to help with homework and to keep up with their studies over the summer months of no school. Below is a short list of useful games for students:

• http://www.knowledgeadventure.com/
• http://www.starfall.com/
• http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/
• http://www.playkidsgames.com/
• http://www.4kids.org/games
• http://www.mathplayground.com/

It is imperative for us as teachers to use things that interest the students in order to teach them. Further research on using online gaming and simulations would be a great place to start in reaching our students.

Until next time, Fair Use and Its Use
- Lauren



References

Boss, Suzie (2010). Teaching Tools: Using Online Simulations and Games. Edutopia. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/online-games-simulations-teaching-tools

Wong, David (2007). A World of Warcraft World: 10 Ways Online Gaming Will Change the Future. Retrieved from http://www.cracked.com/article_15657_a-world-warcraft-world-10-ways-online-gaming-will-change-future.html

To Charter or Not to Charter

Blog #4

According to the NEA (National Education Agency), charter schools are defined as "publicly funded elementary or secondary schools that have been freed from some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools, in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each charter school's charter. "

Charter schools began in 1991 with two schools in Minnesota and have since grown exponentially. There are now 390 charter schools in Texas alone, serving over 100,000 students, via Texas Charter Schools' website.

These schools have higher graduation rates, higher test scores, and are able to focus more on the students and on their performance. Charter schools also have the ability to remove students that are disruptive or that are not willing to learn, providing them with the "better" students and helping out their test scores and their accountability rating. The following video shows the benefits of charter schools, using Chicago as their basis.

The next video displays Kansas' charter schools and how their scores are not better than the public schools in the same area, the scores are actually not meeting state standards.

Since charter schools are the newest rage, it is up to you to make your decision on which you think is better, whether it's for your career or your child's education.

Until next time, Online Games
- Lauren


References:

Charter Schools. National Education Agency. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/charter

Texas Charter Schools Association. Retrieved from http://www.txcharterschools.org/

You Tube (2008). Pros & Cons of Charter Schools. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w1b-8FV2qI

You Tube (2011). Charter schools vs. public-which is better? Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOZNCZguGvQ&feature=related

Keys to Motivation

Blog #3

Motivating students is a key component of classroom management that must be administered early on in the schoolyear. "Discipline and motivation are two sides of the same sword. A motivated student is not a discipline problem, and discipline problems are caused by a lack of motivation. The problem for teachers is finding enough time, energy and ideas." (Haskitz). It is important to remember that all children are different and just as they require different learning styles, may require different motivation styles.

Some ways to motivate students are (Wagaman, 2008):

• Remain Positive
• Yelling and threatening are not positive. Focus on the positivesand achievements of each students by doing things like a "student of the week" bulletin board.
• Provide Opportunities for Success
• Struggling students need opportunities to succeed. Don't lower expectations, but provide ways that these students can succeed and feel motivated to participate further.
• Be excited
• If you're bored, they will be bored. Provide fun, interesting ways to teach students like a Jeopardy game to review for a quiz or test.
• Allow students to Earn Rewards
• Either by individual or whole class rewards, be sure the rewards are attainable. Individual behavior plans for individual students and a handful of marbles to fill a jar for whole class are two examples of rewards.
• Teach Teamwork
• Grouping students is very important, but be sure to group them accordingly for motivation and not so that one student does all the work while the other sits back and watches.
• Public Praise
• Do this often! You can print certificates, have them stand to be recognized, have "Morning Announcements" in your class of a "Sunshine Report" and can even send home their recognition so as to tell their parents of their accomplishments.
• Appropriate Praise
• Remember praise is for motivation, don't praise students for a non-achievement just to provide them praise.
• Teach Problem Solving Skills
• Allowing students the opportunity to make mistakes and correct them will make school and the topics more interesting, thus motivating them to learn.
• Provide Opportunities for Varied Experiences
• Study up on Gardner's Multiple Intelligences and try and incorporate different ones in your lessons so to catch all the different ways students learn.

School programs such as Achievement First concentrate on motivating students in order to get achievement results. The school focuses on the low-income schools and students that require extra motivation in order to learn. Their website (http://www.achievementfirst.org/) provides hundreds of classroom and professional development resources found in their charter schools.

In an article on http://www.reacheverychild.com/, Alan Haskitz gives an example of failed motivation. You can read the story by clicking the link below, found under references. One of the keys to motivation is making sure the students are interested in the motivation. His motivation for a struggling inner-city student avoiding the influence of gangs did not work because the student saw the motivation as a punishment. Haskitz goes on to say that it is important to make sure that there are shared values and parental support. There are many helpful links in his article on how to motivate parents, teachers, students, and others involved.

Motivation is key and it begins early. Start at the beginning, find what works, mix it up a bit, and stick with it. Don't be discouraged if you don't "hit the nail on the head" right at first. Try, try again!

Until next time, To Charter or Not to Charter
- Lauren


References

Haskitz, Alan. Motivating Students. Reach Every Child. Retrieved from http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/motivate.htm

Wagaman, Jennifer (2008). How to Motivate Your Students: Nine Motivating Ideas for Teachers. Retrieved from http://jenniferwagaman.suite101.com/how-to-motivate-your-students-a77615

Socializing Can Be Fun

Blog #2

Facebook 101 or The Basics of Myspace.

Should courses such as these be put into the classroom?

There are both postive and negative possibilities in having things like this in the curriculum of schools. There are ways it could be incorporated into computer courses and not affect the core curriculum which seems to be the main concern of this adventure. Since most students, 73% of online teens are already using social networking sites, according to a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, it might be a good idea to teach students the basics, including what to do and what not to do.



The traditional Facebook and Myspace don't even have to be the social networks of choice in schools; there are alternative options. "The Flat Classroom Project is one example where educators have built social-networking sites (mostly using Ning) specifically for use in class and home assignments. Not only does this allow for educationally relevant communication for students in the classroom, but for them to interact with students in far away classrooms both in the U.S. and abroad so students around the world can reach and learn from each other." (Magid, 2010). A wiki website (allowing for people to update information) shows a list of social networks that are used for educational purposes. Please click the link to access the list.

Social Networking in Education List, also...
100 Ways to Use Facebook

Instead of merely blocking all social networking sites from the school's computers, we should try and find ways to solve the main issues with social networking and the safety. If keying in on the interests of students is the key to keep their attention and to help them retain information, why not use social networking as a way to do this? I am not recommending that you add students to your personal facebook page, that is unprofessional and grounds for termination, but using a group page to share assignments, homework, etc. or teaching students of the privacy features and what information should be shared over facebook may not be an all bad concept.

Do you or have you thought of using social networking in your classroom? How do you think we can obtain online safety by using social networking in education? "The NSBA [National School Board Association] also found that schools and especially parents have strong expectations about the positive roles that social networking could play in students' lives, and both are interested in social networking as a tool." (Deubel, 2009). Do you feel the same?

Until next time, Keys to Motivation
- Lauren

References:

Deubel, Patricia (2009). Social Networking in Schools: Incentives for Participation. The Journal. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2009/09/16/social-networking-in-schools-incentives-for-participation.aspx

Magid, Larry (2010). Social networking belongs in schools. CNET News. Retrieved from http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-10459983-238.html.