SMART Chapter 5 - Social Networks

My Experience:

My first experience with social networking came on Myspace about my junior year of high school. At first, I thought that website, which was pretty much the only one I knew at the time, was pretty girly. I was hesitate to use technology altogether, and I really didn't believe social networking was all that great. I did eventually join the crowd, however, with Myspace. I especially liked how I could read what people are doing and who is talking to you without them actually knowing. It was like I was a fly on the wall without becoming a disgusting fly. I also enjoyed the music aspect to Myspace. Listening to other people's music, and even customizing my profile with a song I enjoyed really helped me like social networking.

 

When I came to Johnson, my freshman year, I deleted my Myspace account and joined Facebook because the perception was the Facebook was for college and Myspace was for high school. I didn't want to be viewed like a high schooler, so I joined Facebook. Plus, everyone in college had a Facebook, so I wanted to join the crowd, yet again. Facebook has made the experience at Johnson rather entertaining. If we had a bad chapel speaker, then everyone would post something about it as their status. Another aspect to Facebook is that if you saw someone on campus, knew their name but never talked with them before (like in person), all you had to do was Facebook "stalk" them and become friends. I have so many friendships on Facebook where I have never really talked with them in real life. It's kinda weird, but Facebook has changed the college experience.

 

Finally, I joined Twitter about a year ago. I don't Tweet that often, except maybe to Retweet something I really enjoyed reading and wanted to share with my followers. I do, however, follow authors, theologians, and other celebrity type people because I enjoy what they post. It's interesting to read what somebody put on Twitter and then see news station quote from the same Tweet you already read. Twitter definitely changes society because people can easily get their feelings or opinions out with having to be interviewed.

 

The Vision:

I envision social networking sites having some backlash because people might just get tired of everyone knowing their business. Until then, however, Twitter could be used in the classroom to follow important people, like President Obama. Students can follow their President, Congressman, and Supreme Court officials as they Tweet about current issues and other ideas. This is a great way because Twitter limits the Tweet to about 140 characters, so students from almost any reading level can grasp the thought behind the Tweet. I can see Twitter, more so than Facebook or Myspace, playing an important role in education in the 21st century.

 

Facebok might play a little role, however, most school systems are blocking that site. Plus, with the increase in adds and applications, Facebook is slowing down in popularity. I probably won't become friends with any of my students on Facebook because that could be a little inappropriate. Twitter, however, is much easier to use in schools because it is much simplier than Facebook. Facebook is becoming increasingly more complex, which won't fare well in education in my opinion. But, I know Dr. Patten has said that getting students to make a Facebook page about an historical figure would be a good way to incorporate social networking into education. I'm still unsure about the whole process of Facebook in education.

 

Social networks will play a role to some degree beyond what I mentioned about Twitter. Perhaps, another social networking site will emerge, specifically designed for education. One that will actually become popular.

 

 

SMART Chapter 4 - Netbooks (and iPads)

My opinion:

I like the idea that every student gets their own personal computer for educational purposes. The advantages to this far exceed the negatives. Students can surf the web, or at least use its resources, to further their education in ways a traditional textbook could never accomplish. Plus, with every student having their own computers, eBooks can be used instead of paper copy textbooks. This would automatically cut costs drastically. Plus, with all the free resources online, it would be foolish to not use the many different features available. I would have my students blogging about pictures and articles about Hitler instead of just reading on paper about him. Netbooks for every student would make handing in papers easier, by not even having to click a button on Google Docs. Also, netbooks would cut the amount of clutter on a deak. Netbooks would allow students to tour the world using Google Earth without ever leaving their seat, which I have no doubt would improve geography skills. It is such a good idea, if a school system has the money upfront to pay for each netbook, to use the online resources available to maximize the learning experience for each child.

 

Pros:

In my opinion, netbooks have a much better typing option than iPads because I cannot handle typing long paragraphs or even papers on an iPad. The keyboard just does not work well for me. Netbooks would work much better for students because it gives them an easier option to type, especially on places like Google Docs. Another benefit for netbooks over iPads is the battery life. I know the iPad 2 can virtually last all day, perhaps a battery life of 8-9 hours; but, some netbooks can run off of solar energy, which means they will never need recharged or plugged in an outlet. Also, they don't have a glare like the iPad does. I know Kindle's and other tablets do not have that glare, but I know the iPad does, a really bad one too. These are just a few of the positives for netbooks in the classroom setting.

 

Cons:

Network security becomes a huge problem with many netbooks because these machines do not have the memory for any added on security features. Netbooks are much more vulnerable to viruses and malware. This could become a major problem, especially if a student can loses personal information. Also, the cheap price on these machines would be virtually wiped away if a viruse destroys it, thus causing parents to purchase a second one for their child. Another disadvantage to netbooks are their size. Adults with their big fingers and bad eyes cannot adjust properly to the small features of a netbook. Smaller children, however, do not have a problem with the smallness of this machine. At least with the iPad, one can adjust the font or zoom rather easily for the older people in the world. A final drawback to netbooks are system capabilities for these machines. Students love adding applications to any machine, but netbooks cannot really handle many apps due to its small memory. Also, many systems, according to the textbook, seem to have problems running on these machines. There are many drawbacks to using a netbook, like all machines of course. iPads thrives with many applications and memory does not seem to be an issue, so in these instances, the iPads win.

 

SMART - Chapter 3 (MP3 Players)

Pros:

MP3 players have so much potential for reinforcing classroom material. In my future classroom, I could have students listen to historical speeches with their own ears and not simply just read about it in a textbook. A great speech for them to hear would be Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech. Another advantage is for them to listen to audio books; giving them a feel for the structure of print and helping themselves read. While on field trips, students could record their thoughts about a particular object or subject. This gives them the opportunity to listen to it again and thus reinforce the material. So many possibilities exist for MP3 use in the classroom.

 

Cons:

Just like with cell phone usage, MP3 players could lead to cheating. Students can easily record lectures, notes, and other cheat sheet type materials to use during examinations. I remember one of my middle school teachers telling the class a story while she was in college about a gentlemen, who had long hair, could cover up a ear piece. He thus had the ability to listen to it without notice. Her college class had to memorize a series of Shakespeare sonnets, which he only had to record on his tape recorder. This is  a perfect example of cheating, and MP3 players could easily lead to that type of atmosphere. Other cons include isolating oneself from their classmates, and the device just simply becoming a distraction.

 

Useful Podcasts (links):

The site I really liked the most was, surprisely Wikimedia. Though I must say students should not browse through that site because some inappropriate content exists, rather out in the open if I say so myself. Despite the wide range of appropriateness, some really great videos exist in their archives. I found several viewable videos from history (which excites me considering I look to teach history). Also, many videos exist on that site which detail geographical locations across the United States, as well as the world. This site I would deem most helpful only because it has so many videos. I was rather overwhelmed at first glance. Any teacher would have enough material for a whole year's worth of planning.

 

Making Podcasts:

It is very simple: have internet and a media player program. I really enjoy how the author states the simplicity of making a podcast for students. The advice she gives, however, I felt was a little brief. It would have been better to go a little more detailed in making a podcast and sharing it. When thinking about making a podcast, I can't help but think about how useful it could be to students. I could put directions for a particular assignment on a podcast for students in case they missed a step. I could record a class session, share it via podcast so parents could feel very much apart of their child's education. I could put a lecture or two as a podcast for students to review for an examination. The possibilities are endless, and making a podcast is actually really simple if one already has iTunes installed.

 

I'm getting more excited about using technology in the classroom, but I don't want to always rely on it for my well-being. There are positivies and negatives to using it, especially podcasts, in the classroom. The idea about parents listening to a class session is great, but still remains very un-practical. I will continue to ponder this the rest of the night.

 

SMART - Chapter 2 (Cell Phones)

Statistics:

Just 23% of students surveyed for Speak Up 2007 believe that their schools are doing a good job preparing them for today's workplace. This is truly a sad statistic, considering that the students spend over ten years of their life preparing for the workplace, and they feel schools have failed them. I know graduating from Powell High School, I quickly realized how un-prepared I was for college. Having Dr. Rodriguez my first semester certainly helped, but I had no idea how to write a quality paper or have any effective study habits. This statistic spoke to me because I know how these students feel.

 

The other statistics which mentioned the rapid climb of cell phone usage and popularity; I was already pretty familair with their impact throughout the United States so I can't say any few feelings emerged from the first part of the chapter.

 

Pros:

Ability to find information quicklyUsing the camera on the cell phone can provide meaningful learning experiences, especially for the visual learner. Students can record or listen to podcasts and other audio material on their cell phones, which provides a quick and easy learning experience on the go. Teachers can also conduct quick and easy surveys (with the help of various websites) by having students text in an answer. This is a great way to get everyone involved, and the students who are shy will appreciate you having their opinion with the ease of not having to raise their hand in class.

Research and study aides is another way students can use cell phones in class. On the iPhone, students can quickly go through a deck of flash cards right before an exam as a quick review. The possibilities are almost endless with the positive use of cell phones in class.

 

Cons:

Cell phone usage can sometimes promote cheating. When a student takes an exam in 1st period, he could easily text a person or record the answers in his phone for a person in 2nd period to use. Cell phones work better than just telling someone what to expect because students often forget several parts of an exam after taking it; thus, cell phones recording the answers is a sure way to promote cheating. Also, cyber-bullying can occur at school using cell phones. This is something which I have no prior experience with because cyber bullying really didn't occur by the time I graduated high school in 2007. Students texting mean comments, or often times racial or sexual comments, is very inappropriate. Cell phones would breed that type of behavior, whereas, not having cell phones would quickly solve that problem. At least, during the school day. Cell phones also just cause distractions. Adults clearly don't understand when to use cell phones and when to not use them, so students will not use them correctly. I can't stand when I see someone texting in the movie theater; it makes me want to punch that person in the face. Cell phones would cause a distraction because students would be on Facebook or Twitter while a teacher is assigning directions or modeling a skill. So many things could go wrong by using a cell phone in school.

 

Best Idea:

The best idea in my opinion was the survey. It is so easy for teachers to pull up a website and having students each respond to a question. This is a great way to have authentic formative assessment; making sure each student understands the material before moving forward. Also, students don't have to be afraid that someone would judge them for their answer. This is a method I will definitely use in my classroom.

 

The chapter certainly had a few interesting and creative ways for cell phones; I enjoyed reading them!

 

 

SMART - Chapter 1

21st Century Skills focus around preparing students for a global market and providing them technological skills to compete in a world-wide job market. I agree with what the author of this textbook is saying in Chapter 1; students need to be globally educated because the world is shrinking with the increase in popularity of technological social devices. Students cannot be ignorant of people from different countries because they are virtually competing for the same jobs.

The main question I gleaned from this chapter becomes how to find an appropriate balance between teaching core knowledge (math, science, reading, history, etc.) and technology skills. My opinion is that both are essential for any student, but the difficult part is to find a healthy balance. From my opinion and background, I'm not sure the school day is the best place to teach students technology skills because more than likely, they have already received that training from home, church, or other social events. School should focus on teaching the core subjects, with of course integrating and using technology to teach thosee subjects. As far as technology skills go, I believe students already receive that before they enter the school building. Granted, some Title 1 students might not have that opporunity, but the vast majority do. Most of the time, the students know more about technology than the teacher, so why would teachers want to "waste" their time teaching material to digital natives that they already know.

If schools will continue to progress toward teaching technology skills, I think the best way to find a healthy balance is simply integrate the material. Have the students do math drills using a computer program. I wouldn't have learned how to type if it wasn't for a computer program in high school that built its premise around shooting basketball into a hoop for every word typed correctly in a specific amount of time. Computers can be used to enhance repetition, and they can search for information very quickly. Both of these are just a few of the many examples for computers to engage students with the core curriculum.

My Thoughts About Blog Creation

Setting up a blog for this class was actually pretty simple. It took me less than five minutes to set up my account, choose a template, and begin recording my thoughts. This gives me a gateway into a whole world yet undiscovered to my eyes. Once the blog was established, however, the process became a little more difficult.

I did not know which WEAVE to post this blog to, and this first day of class has felt a little rushed. The blogging feel, on the other hand, presents a great way for students to organize their thoughts and learning experiences in a way which will not clutter their desk with papers.

I'm excited to begin blogging much more throughout this class, and I will continue to blog after this summer session. This will be such a great learning experience, and I cannot wait to find new ways to reach students with knowledge!

Computers galore!

We are so often dependent upon computers that we will be one day not know how to live without them.