Journal #4: Finding Students Who Learn With Media- NETS 1, 2 & 5

Bull, Alexander, and Ferster (2010). Finding students who learn with media. Learning & Leading in Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201002#pg1

In the article “Finding Students Who Learn with Media”, the authors described their efforts in developing and using Web-based authoring tools to help engage students in learning. The free web based tool they created is called PrimaryAccess MovieMaker and can be found at www.primaryaccess.org. This program enables students to create historical documentaries by inserting their own text and narration into a movie. This helps the students to understand and retain historical facts.

One idea behind PrimaryAccess was that it would eliminate the cost of using digital equipment to create movies--the program is free online. The program also eliminates the time spent learning how to use the digital equipment, which means more time focused on learning specific objectives such as history. The developers also created an extension to the program, called PrimaryAccess Storyboard www.promaryaccess.org/story), which only requires one class period to create a movie.

A number of studies were completed on how students learned from PrimaryAccess, and ultimately the developers determined that student engagement can be increased by using student-authored media in a classroom setting. However, this was only for a subset of students who enjoyed the subject they were learning and were interested in using PrimaryAccess. This led to a conclusion that student-authored media is one tool that can be used for differentiation in the classroom.

Is Primary Access easy to access and use online?

I was very excited to try the Primary Access website, so I could show it to my son’s fifth grade teacher. I decided to go into Primary Access and attempt to make a short movie. I was able to do so, but the movie was very short and I could only use information already available on the website. There were no buttons to navigate onto the web to download my own information and I did not see a way to save my movie. So with 20 minutes into the project, I would say logging in and trying to make a movie is not very simple. I’m hoping that when a teacher logs into primary access, they have more tools than I was given, and that perhaps I’m not seeing the whole picture (no pun intended).

Does the use of programs such as PrimaryAccess Storyboard help with differentiation in the classroom?

I would say Primary Access absolutely adds the element of differentiating. If this is a program I could access and use easily, it would be a really creative and fun classroom activity. Students who enjoy multi-media activities could use this movie-making program for a report about some aspect of history, while other students may choose an art-based project for the same report.

Classroom Newsletter: NETS 1, 2 & 3

This is a newsletter I created in Microsoft Word. The newsletter is a sample of a communication I would send to parents for an elementary classroom. Although I have used Microsoft Word for many years, I learned to use some new functions as a result of creating my newsletter. I learned to incorporate a masthead (see Mrs. G's Bee, below), line art, custom bullet points, drop caps and columns while formatting the newsletter. I had no idea that Microsoft Word had these capabilities, which go far beyond word processing! I embeded my newsletter into this blog using the online program Scribd. A link to Scribd can be found in my "Links to the Outer World" section to the left of this post.
newslettermg

Social Bookmarking (Delicious.com): NETS 1, 2, 3 & 5

This assignment required that I research several topics using the website Delicious.com. I was able to locate many websites covering a variety of subjects using Delicious.  A few of the topics I researched include: Cyberbullying, National Archives (resources for historical events) and Multicultural awareness.  See below for further information.

During this assignment I learned to set up a Delicious account and organize websites I want to save into categories called "tags". The information saved on my Delicious account is available to other Delicious users for their own research, so this website promotes collaboration with others.  To see examples of the websites I saved on Delicious, click one of the words in the "word block" on my blog to the left of this entry.

1. National Archives: The National Archives Eyewitness website contains a collection of eyewitness accounts of major historical events and the lives of important figures in history. The collection includes letters, pictures and even broadcasts from fifty years ago to hundreds of years ago. I scanned the table of contents, which include events such as: "Bloody Sunday", Susan B. Anthony at the Polls and the Hindenburg disaster. I also looked in depth at a section focused on Thomas Jefferson, which included drawings, paintings and letters written by Jefferson. In the classroom, this collection would bring history to life for elementary students. For example, they would be able to read a first-hand account of the beginning of the French Revolution as written by Thomas Jefferson. I found the website fascinating, and plan to use it in the classroom.

2. National Education Association: For this part of the assignment, I first determined that the following student groups experience achievement gaps: racial and ethnic minorities, English language learners, students with disabilities and students from low-income families.

I read the article "Becoming a Culturally Competent Educator" and felt that the suggestions on "Places to Start" related more to school administrators than to teachers. I found a connection with my teaching style in the "Diversity Toolkit" under the "Related Content" section at the bottom of the article. Here are the areas that fit with my teaching style:

a. Seizing opportunities to learn about people of different backgrounds. This strongly fits with my teaching style as I am fascinated with the plight of others and how they live. I have read many books about other cultures, such as Infidel, by Ayaan Hirsi Ali and A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah. Over the course of my life, I have always been able to fit in with different groups of people. I think this will be beneficial in helping students feel at ease and be able to learn in an accepting environment.
b. Examining my attitudes about diversity. I believe that I am a person who attempts to self-reflect on a regular basis and this is definitely an area I need to reflect upon. I currently live in North County San Diego, in a homogeneous population. I think in order to teach in a school district different from my own, I will need to examine my attitudes about the students I'm teaching and work on strategies to be sensitive to their needs.
c. Foster discussion among my peers regarding diversity. This fits with my teaching style because I believe there is always so much to learn from others' point of view. I have learned this most recently through discussions with students at CSUSM that are much younger than myself. Hearing other teachers' points of view about how they handle different cultures in their classrooms will help me with issues in my own.

3. Stop Cyber Bullying: I took the cyberbully test and I'm happy to report that my score was a "0" and I am not a "Cyberbully". I follow the same rules online as I would anywhere else.  To take the cyberbully test go to this link for the Stop Cyber Bullying website: http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/lawenforcement/index.html
In addition to reading the main sections of this website, I read a section for 7-11 year olds ("Youth Empowered Solutions") and learned about how to help children deal with cyberbullying. The article explained that in most situations, having a child ignore the cyberbullying will help to make it stop. If the person doing the bullying does not get a reaction, it is not fun anymore. I also learned that children need to be taught when to ignore online bullying, when to tell a parent and when to possibly get the authorities involved. This will be helpful in the classroom in situations where a student may come to me and complain about being bullied by others online. I do feel that I would need more in-depth training before I could assist a student with this type of situation.

4. Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators:

I went into this website and found a Diversity Calendar under the "Holidays" section. This section provides a monthly calendar of holidays around the world as well as U.S. holidays. I thought this tied in well with the National Education Association paragraph about diversity in #2 above. This calendar would make it easy to plan celebrations or mentions of special holidays that relate to all students in the class. It might even be fun to post a colorful version of the calendar each month and see if the students can identify holidays that apply to their culture (for the younger students).

In the Teacher Helpers area, I found "Podcasting in the Classroom" an interesting topic. Within this section, I focused on "Ipod Touch: Touching Students' Lives in the Classroom". Using iPhoto in the iTunes library, students can use their creativity to make personalized flashcards for virtually any subject. This would be very easy to bring into the classroom, as I could bring my own IPod Touch for the students to use (it could even be a privilege they earn based on good classroom behavior).

5. Multiple Intelligences: My top three intelligences were Interpersonal-81%, Verbal/Linguistic-67% and Intrapersonal-63%.

I watched the video about "Smartville" and learned that using Multiple Intelligences in teaching can help differentiate instruction for all types of learners. The school gives opportunities to learn in different ways, such as using dominoes for math facts and playing physical games. This in turn gives students a chance to discover where they shine.

6. Teaching Tolerance: This language arts lesson is geared for grades 1-2 and focuses on individuality and being comfortable with who you are. In the lesson, two stories called Fish is Fish, by Leo Lionni and Chameleon's Colors, by Chisato Tashiro are told. The first story is about two friends-a minnow and a tadpole. The friends think they are the same until they grow up and one becomes a frog and one becomes a fish. The second story is about how all the other animals think they want to be like the Chameleon, until they realize the special problems he has. The lessons are about being happy with your self the way you are and how each person is special. I would use these stories in class with a question and answer session afterwards to help the children understand the concepts.

7. Multicultural Education and Equity Awareness Quiz: I took this quiz and was surprised with the correct answers on the following questions (paraphrased).
a. How likely are immigrant men ages 18-39 to be in jail or prison compared with U.S. Born counterparts? I was surprised after seeing the answer to this, which was "5 times less likely". I just made an assumption off the top of my head that immigrants would be more likely to commit crimes, which was not the case. That shows me that maybe I have preconceived ideas that I'm not aware of.
b. In a 2007 Unicef study of children's well-being in the world’s wealthiest countries, which two countries were rated the lowest? I answered two middle-eastern countries and was wrong! I was VERY surprised to learn that the U.S. and Great Britain were rated the lowest. I'm interested in studying further about where the breakdowns in our country occur, but my first guesses would be the high rate of single parent families, the high crime rate and of course, drug use.

8. Netiquette Guidelines: My score on the Netiquette quiz was 100%.

I think teaching students about Netiquette guidelines is extremely important, because they will be spending hours on the Internet communicating with other human beings. Netiquette somewhat replaces etiquette in a lot of situations. Where a person in the past may have left a "calling card" or made a phone call to contact someone, now they would email them. If the students don't know the rules about online behavior, they may offend others by saying the wrong thing and broadcasting it to a large group. They need to realize that what they say or do can have serious implications such as loss of friends, loss of respect, or even legal issues. I always reread all my emails before I send them-if I am worked up about an issue, I wait until I've calmed down and then reread the email before sending.:-)

Journal #2 - Extreme Makeover: School Edition - NETS 2, 3 & 5

(Please note that this is a replacement article, as I chose not to use the one assigned.)

Camhi, S.L. (2010). Extreme makeover: school edition. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201002#pg14

"How the 2009 Sylvia Charp Award Winner used Technology to Transform a once Struggling School District"

In 2005, Glen Cove School District was struggling, had low test scores, and had been put on a watch list for the state of New York. Additionally, they were restricted from buying new equipment and their infrastructure fell apart.

The new superintendent was responsible for researching the components of technology for the district, including technical, administrative and instructional aspects. She decided the first place to start was determining the district's instructional philosophy.

The superintendent determined that the district's goals were to help students develop deep understanding and foster natural curiosity. The district decided that to meet these goals they needed to differentiate instruction based on interest and ability. They further decided to use technology to spur kids' creativity and innovation.

In order to build the new infrastructure for the district, the following steps were taken:

• Distributed technology based on curriculum and students' interests (10 science classrooms may have 10 different types of technology).
• Provided school libraries with housing area for technology that can be checked out.Started with a new computer in each classroom and brought every teacher into 21st century (restored administrative functionality).
• Trained new teachers on a three year program; they learned about multiple forms of technology.
• Required teachers to identify technology’s use and integrate it into their lesson plans.
• Provided ability for students to have a TV studio, interactive whiteboards/projectors, digital document cameras, computer stations on wheels, music synthesizers and much more. 

Ultimately the plan worked. Student test scores, attendance, passing rates, graduation rates and college acceptances are up. Additionally, teacher morale is up and students are more excited about learning in a technology based environment.

How does technology aid in engaging students and providing differentiated instruction?

After reading this article, I believe that the use of technology is essential in helping excite students about schoolwork and aiding in differentiation. The school placed a variety of technology such as whiteboards, computer response pads and digital video into classrooms rather than a homogeneous set of computers in each classroom. This allowed students with different learning styles to engage in activities based on their strengths and interests. In turn, their excitement about what they were doing as well as their retention increased dramatically. As the mother of three boys, I understand that every child has a different learning style. One of my children may find interest in a web-cam assignment because he is allowed to use "cool" equipment and walk around. Another of my sons would enjoy completing a puzzle on the computer. The bottom line is that children love technology and it is more fun than a pencil, paper and worksheets!

What is the key to success in embracing technology as an everyday part of school curriculum?

Teacher training is the key to success with a program like the one described in the article. If teachers know how to use the technology in the classroom, obviously they will use it more often. The teachers in Glen Cove School District were not only trained with the technology, but were required to integrate it into their lesson plans. Putting theory into practice proved successful for this school district.

Journal #3 Keeping the Peace: NETS 2, 3 & 5

Levinson, M. (2010, February). Keeping the Peace. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5),
Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/FebruaryNo5/L_L_February_2010.htm

This article described a one-to-one laptop computer program launched at a middle school and the problems that subsequently arose.  The main problem that parents and teachers encountered was that they felt the students were using instant messaging (IM) excessively and inappropriately.  Peers were sending instant messages during class and unable to focus on what was being taught.  Additionally, iChat was being utilized extensively after school and parents were uncomfortable with the new freedom that was handed to the students.  Some parents felt this discomfort because they had not had a chance to establish any rules up front.

Ultimately, the situation exploded and there were two points of view among the parents and teachers.  One group felt the students needed unlimited freedom to explore.  Another parent group felt that students needed more rules, as they had not been consulted before their children received this new freedom.  In some cases, parents had previously established rules that were being overridden by the school's new laptop program.

After turmoil during parent coffees and outbursts after the school put a ban on IM, the school came up with a plan to address the situation.  This plan included the following elements:

• A boot camp to orient new students on the laptops
• A partnership with an organization to help students/families make informed choices
• Training sessions for online research
• Parent education workshops
• A signed usage agreement with students (prior to issuance of laptop)
• An IM program for use at school

Finally, the administration at the school felt that moving to this new laptop program would open students' online world and handle the social situations that come up in the process.  It appears that they were successful.

Is "Boot-up Camp" a good idea to implement in all our schools for Internet usage in general?

Definitely yes!  For example, our local elementary school recently had an FBI Special Investigator hold a seminar regarding "Internet Safety".  The seminar focused on sites such as Facebook, where children can create profiles and communicate with strangers.  Additionally, the seminar discussed how student-to-student communications bring bullying to a new level.  This parent education, like Boot-up camp, brought peace of mind to the parents and helped them open lines of communication with their children regarding Internet usage. I was impressed with the Boot-up camp program, and think some form of  it would be helpful in many school situations, especially when students are first learning to use computers.

Is it better to have strict rules for teens regarding computer usage, or let them have "free reign"?

Since I am the parent of a 13-year-old, this question is quite thought-provoking.  In our home, the children are allowed to use one "kids' computer", located out in the open in the family room.  We definitely fall into the "strict" category as far as what is allowed on the computer.  We monitor usage in terms of time and content, and generally are in the room when the computer is on.  I realize at some point in the next few years, my oldest son may need his own laptop for schoolwork.  When he gets to that point, I will no longer have complete control over how much he surfs the Internet, what he is reading or seeing, or who he is communicating with (or how often).   After reading the article and understanding how the Nueva school administrators set up an education program for their students, I feel that a balance between the rules and "free reign" is most appropriate.  The key is educating teens and parents and striking an agreement between them on appropriate rules.  This way, the student feels empowered and the parents feel more at ease and can help their child make good choices.

Journal #1 Computing in the Clouds: NETS 5

Johns, D. (2009/2010, January/February). “Computing in the Clouds”. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(4), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/DecemberJanuaryNo4/Computing_in_the_Clouds.htm

“Computing in the Clouds” is an article which suggests that teachers and administrators could save time and money using online data storage and applications. The author wrote the article using free online word-processing and was able to access his article using several computers. This meant it was not necessary to have a flash drive or hard-drive.

He supported his theory of cost savings in education by explaining that smaller and less expensive computers can be used if files and programs are not stored on them. One example of this type of computer is the “Netbook”. A netbook is lightweight computer and most of them have the following features:

• A 7-10 inch screen
• A small keyboard
• Wireless Internet
• A webcam
• A memory-card slot

There are many forms of no-cost computer software available online to use with the netbook, including: Web-based email, online photo-editing and Google-docs (online word-processing). Therefore, schools would not need to purchase computer software or maintain networks if netbooks were used.

 As far as time-savings is concerned, it seems that the main efficiency with “cloud computing” is that a person can utilize programs for word-processing, spreadsheets, and mail, anytime and anywhere there is Internet connectivity. Additionally, one would not have to worry about transporting files or what version of a document he or she is updating. Everything would be right there where it was saved it online.

  

How is “cloud computing” used in a typical elementary school classroom?

I went to my local elementary school and polled a few of the teachers, students and administrators to ask about “cloud computing”. In most of the classrooms at our local school, El Camino Creek, the students are allowed to access free online games such as Fun Brain or Starfall, use Google.docs, and a variety of math games.

  

It appears that the school uses a mixture of free and subscription-type programs. For example, the school pays for an online subscription to a new math program, enVision.

Will schools move toward the exclusive use of “cloud computing”?

  

In the future, I don’t think that schools will be able to exclusively use “cloud computing” for these reasons:

• The cost of providing every student with a computer: Even if a school had funds to provide a netbook to every student, it would still be costly to maintain them and purchase new ones when the time comes. Additionally, there is not one school in this county that can expect every student to purchase a netbook. There are always a few families that just can’t afford to purchase a computer, much less multiple computers for multiple children. 
• The need for more in-depth progams: As mentioned above, our local elementary school recently purchased an online math program. The detailed elements of this program are most-likely not available in a free online program.
• Information security: Student records and personal information of many families are stored at each school. Storing these records “in the clouds”, where they could be compromised seems like a large security threat.