In the article Is Educational Technology Shortening Student Attention Spans? David M. Marcovitz argues that “Life moves fast, and if you don’t multitask, you can’t keep up with it. There’s no time to focus too much attention on one thing”. In schools students are suppose to be able to experiment with new ideas and take the time they need as individuals to grasp new concepts. In today’s world some students can be skipped over by the wave of technology or use it to imitate learning. With the vast amount of information on the internet it is so easy for students to pass off someone else’s work or knowledge as their own.
On the other side of this argument John David Son promotes the use of technology in the classroom. Son states that technology “…allow students to explore rich worlds, growing generations of plants and animals in an instant, watching them die, changing the parameters, and then doing it all over again”. Technology brings a whole new element to learning. It allows students to access information at the touch of a button, but it is what they do with that information that really counts. Are they able to understand it? Are they able to analysis it? These are the important questions and why old school methods are still so important. However to reach our students “we as educators must change the way we teach and how we teach”.
I agree with both sides of this argument. However, technology is a difficult media to integrate into schools. First, many teachers and administrators do not feel comfortable using technology in the classroom. A simple solution to this problem is to send them to technology courses, however these are expensive and time consuming. Another difficult obstacle schools face with technology is providing computer and internet access to all classroom and all students. Until these two issues are solved it is impossible for us as a society to expect technology to be used in all classrooms.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is a growing epidemic in our society. Cyberbullying is bullying using technology, cell phones, computer and the internet. This can be done in numerous ways, text messaging, instant messaging, or through social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook. Cyberbullying was not present when I was going through middle school or high school. Even though I only graduated six years ago not everyone in my high school had cell phones or computers. I group up in a small rural community with only dial up internet so most kids did not spend much time online.
Cyberbullying is something that I have only been aware of for the last three years or so. The first time I was presented with it was when my mother, a teacher, had a student post inappropriate pictures on her MySpace page. This turned into a problem in the classroom because students could not stop talking about it and making fun of her. Before this scenario I did not realize the amount of social networking that was happening with students at home on the internet.
In this situation it became a school problem because there were behavioral issues that were happening in the classroom. So, my mother, the teacher, had to deal with face to face bullying but she had a limited impact on the amount of cyberbullying that occurred through MySpace after that posting. The problem of cyberbullying is an incredibly difficult problem for schools to address. Usually cyberbullying occurs in the home after school an hours, which technically means that it is no longer a problem that the school must address. However, now cyberbullying gets brought into the school to be finished. Verbal and physical fights occur in schools because of something that was said online or texted the night before.
Teachers can address cyberbullying when it is presented to them. Many students will show visible signs of emotion and they will possibly confide in the teacher. Teachers that are aware that cyberbullying is happening must address the problem, by speaking to the administration and parents. I think teachers are limited in what they can prevent in the homes, however if it enters the classroom they have every right to address the issues, even if it is only occurring at home after school hours.
As a future Health teacher I plan on having a cyberbullying unit in my classroom. I would like the opportunity to address this issue in the classroom and hear what students are dealing with. I would present hypothetically situations to the group, however I would address actual situation with the individuals that were involved. I believe that the school should take a stand on all types of bullying. The school should have bullying awareness weeks and set discipline standards for bullying.
Cyberbullying is something that I have only been aware of for the last three years or so. The first time I was presented with it was when my mother, a teacher, had a student post inappropriate pictures on her MySpace page. This turned into a problem in the classroom because students could not stop talking about it and making fun of her. Before this scenario I did not realize the amount of social networking that was happening with students at home on the internet.
In this situation it became a school problem because there were behavioral issues that were happening in the classroom. So, my mother, the teacher, had to deal with face to face bullying but she had a limited impact on the amount of cyberbullying that occurred through MySpace after that posting. The problem of cyberbullying is an incredibly difficult problem for schools to address. Usually cyberbullying occurs in the home after school an hours, which technically means that it is no longer a problem that the school must address. However, now cyberbullying gets brought into the school to be finished. Verbal and physical fights occur in schools because of something that was said online or texted the night before.
Teachers can address cyberbullying when it is presented to them. Many students will show visible signs of emotion and they will possibly confide in the teacher. Teachers that are aware that cyberbullying is happening must address the problem, by speaking to the administration and parents. I think teachers are limited in what they can prevent in the homes, however if it enters the classroom they have every right to address the issues, even if it is only occurring at home after school hours.
As a future Health teacher I plan on having a cyberbullying unit in my classroom. I would like the opportunity to address this issue in the classroom and hear what students are dealing with. I would present hypothetically situations to the group, however I would address actual situation with the individuals that were involved. I believe that the school should take a stand on all types of bullying. The school should have bullying awareness weeks and set discipline standards for bullying.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Copyright Laws
Before today I never considered the difference between plagiarism and copyright laws. Know that I have looked at the differences it is easy for educators to violate copyright laws. Some interesting loopholes that I discovered were that teachers can use materials from deceased authors without worrying about copyright laws. Teacher can also make up to seventy copies of legally obtained material to share with their classrooms.
The grey area of copyright that I discover involves motion pictures. After group and class discussion I decided is that under “Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following: To distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending”. This statement means that if a teacher obtained the material legally (thought personal purchase or on loan from a public library) that they have the right to show the content of that film in their classroom, as long as it has been approved by the Principal, District and parents.
As a future educator I understand the temptation to use copyrighted materials, however I believe that the creators of that material deserve create for their work. I believe that it is important that teachers understand and value copyright laws and try to abide to them to the best of their ability. If a teacher ever worried about using material in their classroom they should try to consult the publishers of that material.
My understanding of Fair Use laws is that using materials for educational purposes usually falls under Fair Use protection. However, after reading about Fair Use protection it seems that the creators of copyrighted material do not support this protection. As a future teacher I would be wiry of using this as my only protection in the classroom. I would still try to abide by Copyrights Laws to the best of my ability.
Teachers should educate their students about both plagiarism and copyright infringement laws. I have been in school for over sixteen years and the first time the differences were taught to me was in graduate school. Middle school and high school students should be taught about these laws so that they can learn to abide by them.
The grey area of copyright that I discover involves motion pictures. After group and class discussion I decided is that under “Section 106 of the 1976 Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive right to do and to authorize others to do the following: To distribute copies or phonorecords of the work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending”. This statement means that if a teacher obtained the material legally (thought personal purchase or on loan from a public library) that they have the right to show the content of that film in their classroom, as long as it has been approved by the Principal, District and parents.
As a future educator I understand the temptation to use copyrighted materials, however I believe that the creators of that material deserve create for their work. I believe that it is important that teachers understand and value copyright laws and try to abide to them to the best of their ability. If a teacher ever worried about using material in their classroom they should try to consult the publishers of that material.
My understanding of Fair Use laws is that using materials for educational purposes usually falls under Fair Use protection. However, after reading about Fair Use protection it seems that the creators of copyrighted material do not support this protection. As a future teacher I would be wiry of using this as my only protection in the classroom. I would still try to abide by Copyrights Laws to the best of my ability.
Teachers should educate their students about both plagiarism and copyright infringement laws. I have been in school for over sixteen years and the first time the differences were taught to me was in graduate school. Middle school and high school students should be taught about these laws so that they can learn to abide by them.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Wikipedia Ban it - Boost it?
Usually most of my research is done for school purposes. So my primary source of information comes from the EBSCO Host because it is reliable, peer reviewed information. I have never used Wikipedia for reliable information. The only time I use Wikipedia is for a definition or brief overview of a topic. I do this to narrow my search so I can make my research more accurate. Wikipedia is never a site that I reference in my papers because I feel that most people would doubt the content of my paper if Wikipedia was a primary source for my research.
One of the strengths that the article “Wikipedia – Ban it or Boost it” claims is that Wikipedia is a great resource for current or ongoing events. I would have to agree with this statement, because books are easily outdated. However, since Wikipedia can be edited by anyone it is easy to slip in biases that might be difficult for students to see. As a teacher I would allow my students to use Wikipedia as a starting point. It would be a motivational tool to get them started on the research. However, I would not accept it as a final reference in a formal research paper.
As teachers we must teacher our students to do what we want them to do. Research is no different. As a future health and science teacher I will spend time teaching my students how to search the web for reliable facts. Since both health and science can be overwhelming to students, I will provide them with websites that will expand their knowledge. This will also help to prevent plagerism. It is my opinion that students often plageris because they do not understand the content that they are researching and they don’t have the tools to put the information in their own words.
One of the strengths that the article “Wikipedia – Ban it or Boost it” claims is that Wikipedia is a great resource for current or ongoing events. I would have to agree with this statement, because books are easily outdated. However, since Wikipedia can be edited by anyone it is easy to slip in biases that might be difficult for students to see. As a teacher I would allow my students to use Wikipedia as a starting point. It would be a motivational tool to get them started on the research. However, I would not accept it as a final reference in a formal research paper.
As teachers we must teacher our students to do what we want them to do. Research is no different. As a future health and science teacher I will spend time teaching my students how to search the web for reliable facts. Since both health and science can be overwhelming to students, I will provide them with websites that will expand their knowledge. This will also help to prevent plagerism. It is my opinion that students often plageris because they do not understand the content that they are researching and they don’t have the tools to put the information in their own words.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Using Blogs in the Classroom
I think that integrating technology in the classroom is an amazing tool. As Mr. Harbeck’s blog showed, teachers can use blogs for assignments, online tutorials, and calendars of upcoming events. By doing this he has given students almost 24 hour access to his class. He can respond to their questions after hours and give students additional information outside of class. This blog solves many classroom problems such as “I forgot what my assignment in math was” when a student is at home.
The downfall of requiring online work as “Don’t feed the Trolls” discusses is that teachers must teach our students how to be responsible and respectful even on a cyber worksite. Teacher must make sure that students are staying on task and not using the internet inappropriately. The teacher must also make sure that their blog is a safe place for students to visit. Children need not to discuss other students or teachers on this blog.
As a future teacher I see the pros and cons of having a blog for my classroom. Some of the pros include; shy students being more active in an online setting, and students that need a quite place to do their homework would do well with a blog. However, teachers can’t assume that all students have internet access at home and if they don’t, how will a teacher provide the same resources to these students? Overall, I do feel that having an internet based site where students can communicate after hours about class out ways the possible negative implications that a blog could have on a classroom.
The downfall of requiring online work as “Don’t feed the Trolls” discusses is that teachers must teach our students how to be responsible and respectful even on a cyber worksite. Teacher must make sure that students are staying on task and not using the internet inappropriately. The teacher must also make sure that their blog is a safe place for students to visit. Children need not to discuss other students or teachers on this blog.
As a future teacher I see the pros and cons of having a blog for my classroom. Some of the pros include; shy students being more active in an online setting, and students that need a quite place to do their homework would do well with a blog. However, teachers can’t assume that all students have internet access at home and if they don’t, how will a teacher provide the same resources to these students? Overall, I do feel that having an internet based site where students can communicate after hours about class out ways the possible negative implications that a blog could have on a classroom.
"Have you googled your teacher lately?"
“Have you googled yourself lately?” I did and I did not find myself online. This was not surprising to me because I do not have a myspace or facebook account. I have always thought of my future teaching career and made sure that nothing inappropriate has been posted.
“While judgments about whether or not personal information should be publicly displayed cannot be based on personal feelings or underlying moral or religious beliefs,' predictable legal interpretations have not, yet been firmly established. Moreover, the choices teachers make about what to post must be influenced by the context of the, diverse communities in which they work”.(Carter, Foulger, Ewbank, 2008)
Teachers should be advocates of free speech however teachers should realize that they are role models for their community. Teachers have the right to a personal life but, once they have posted blogs or social networking pages they have placed their personal information in a public space. Many teachers many disagree that they should be able to post anything to the web, but they must realize that their actions implicate all teachers. When teachers are using social networking sites they have the options to set those sites to private, which still allows them the ability to communicate with their family and friends. As for blogging, teachers my find this an excellent outlet to raise community awareness or advocate for education. However, they should keep in mind that their students or their parents might stumble across their pages. If teachers consciencely keep in mind who might see their posting, they might be more apt to post community acceptable items.
“No matter how significant the outcome, these cases create lasting opinions about individuals and affect the entire profession.” (Carter, Foulger, Ewbank, 2008)
Teachers are a community. One teacher’s action has an effect on a communities respect for other teachers. Being a teacher is a powerful position that impacts children’s lives. As teachers we should value this opportunity. An unspoken assumption is that all teachers should hold a certain level of moral standards and never fall prey to inappropriate behavior. This is an unrealistic expectation, but teachers should strive to be positive influences in their community. The importance of education should be valued by a community and teachers must realize that their inappropriate actions might degrade a whole community’s respect for all teachers and education.
As a teacher I am going to be aware that I am under the public’s microscope. I have already chosen not to use social networking sites and I have asked friends and family to be cautious when posting a picture of myself on their pages. When I am at school I plan to only use school computers and school email for work purposes. As a future health teacher I also plan on doing all my research from my home computer, because when you are searching health related material it is easy to end up on an inappropriate websites. By using these precautions I hope that I am able to keep myself out of trouble.
“While judgments about whether or not personal information should be publicly displayed cannot be based on personal feelings or underlying moral or religious beliefs,' predictable legal interpretations have not, yet been firmly established. Moreover, the choices teachers make about what to post must be influenced by the context of the, diverse communities in which they work”.(Carter, Foulger, Ewbank, 2008)
Teachers should be advocates of free speech however teachers should realize that they are role models for their community. Teachers have the right to a personal life but, once they have posted blogs or social networking pages they have placed their personal information in a public space. Many teachers many disagree that they should be able to post anything to the web, but they must realize that their actions implicate all teachers. When teachers are using social networking sites they have the options to set those sites to private, which still allows them the ability to communicate with their family and friends. As for blogging, teachers my find this an excellent outlet to raise community awareness or advocate for education. However, they should keep in mind that their students or their parents might stumble across their pages. If teachers consciencely keep in mind who might see their posting, they might be more apt to post community acceptable items.
“No matter how significant the outcome, these cases create lasting opinions about individuals and affect the entire profession.” (Carter, Foulger, Ewbank, 2008)
Teachers are a community. One teacher’s action has an effect on a communities respect for other teachers. Being a teacher is a powerful position that impacts children’s lives. As teachers we should value this opportunity. An unspoken assumption is that all teachers should hold a certain level of moral standards and never fall prey to inappropriate behavior. This is an unrealistic expectation, but teachers should strive to be positive influences in their community. The importance of education should be valued by a community and teachers must realize that their inappropriate actions might degrade a whole community’s respect for all teachers and education.
As a teacher I am going to be aware that I am under the public’s microscope. I have already chosen not to use social networking sites and I have asked friends and family to be cautious when posting a picture of myself on their pages. When I am at school I plan to only use school computers and school email for work purposes. As a future health teacher I also plan on doing all my research from my home computer, because when you are searching health related material it is easy to end up on an inappropriate websites. By using these precautions I hope that I am able to keep myself out of trouble.
Introduction
My name is Morgan MacGregor. My endorsement areas are Health and Integrated Science. My favorite animals are horses.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Digital Native or Immigrant?
I consider myself in the first wave of digital natives. The reason I say this is because computers, video games, cell phones, CDs and then mp3s and ipods were all made available to the public throughout my life. My generation easily grasped these new technologies versus older generations that had to learn about each of these items. However, I believe the true digital natives are the children of today. They will have never lived without a computer. They will all have cell phone before they leave elementary school, which are more powerful then many computers. They will be able to text faster than they can talk, while downloading music and studying for a history quiz all while watching TV.
Computers were introduced in my elementary school and that is when my family bought our first home computer. Every year in school we took computer classes, all of our papers had to be typed and research was to be done through the internet. The reason that I say that I was in the first wave of digital natives is because teachers were not using technology in the classroom until I entered college. College was the first time teachers used power point presentation and had all classrooms equipped with technology podiums. In college teachers had websites, they podcasted of lectures and classes we offered entirely online. This improved my leaning tremendously. We were able to contact teachers quickly. Exchange papers online and create group projects without ever meeting outside of class.
“…no matter how much the Immigrants may wish it, it is highly unlikely the Digital Natives will go backwards.” (Marc Prensky, 2001)“As educators, we need to be thinking about how to teach both Legacy and Future content in the language of the Digital Natives.” (Marc Prensky, 2001)
As a teacher I will use PowerPoint presentations to clearly state the important facts that I will be covering in class.Having a PowerPoint will keep my on track and also give me the option of integrating quick movies, diagrams or models. PowerPoint’s are easy to read and can be given to students that need assistance with note taking. I will also have a website for parents and students to visit. It will have all assignments with descriptions and due dates. It will create an easily accessible tool for parent to use to check in with their students’ progress. Students and parents will also be able to email me with any questions that I will check after hours to make sure no student is struggling with homework. Adding these elements to the classroom will help stimulate the high speed brains of today's digital native children.
“They have been adjusting or programming their brains to the speed, interactivity, and other factors in the games, much as boomers’ brains were programmed to accommodate television, and literate man’s brains were reprogrammed to deal with the invention of written language and reading (where the brain had to be retrained to deal with things in a highly linear way.)” (Marc Prensky, 2001)
Computers were introduced in my elementary school and that is when my family bought our first home computer. Every year in school we took computer classes, all of our papers had to be typed and research was to be done through the internet. The reason that I say that I was in the first wave of digital natives is because teachers were not using technology in the classroom until I entered college. College was the first time teachers used power point presentation and had all classrooms equipped with technology podiums. In college teachers had websites, they podcasted of lectures and classes we offered entirely online. This improved my leaning tremendously. We were able to contact teachers quickly. Exchange papers online and create group projects without ever meeting outside of class.
“…no matter how much the Immigrants may wish it, it is highly unlikely the Digital Natives will go backwards.” (Marc Prensky, 2001)“As educators, we need to be thinking about how to teach both Legacy and Future content in the language of the Digital Natives.” (Marc Prensky, 2001)
As a teacher I will use PowerPoint presentations to clearly state the important facts that I will be covering in class.Having a PowerPoint will keep my on track and also give me the option of integrating quick movies, diagrams or models. PowerPoint’s are easy to read and can be given to students that need assistance with note taking. I will also have a website for parents and students to visit. It will have all assignments with descriptions and due dates. It will create an easily accessible tool for parent to use to check in with their students’ progress. Students and parents will also be able to email me with any questions that I will check after hours to make sure no student is struggling with homework. Adding these elements to the classroom will help stimulate the high speed brains of today's digital native children.
“They have been adjusting or programming their brains to the speed, interactivity, and other factors in the games, much as boomers’ brains were programmed to accommodate television, and literate man’s brains were reprogrammed to deal with the invention of written language and reading (where the brain had to be retrained to deal with things in a highly linear way.)” (Marc Prensky, 2001)
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