JOURNAL # 6
Social Justice: Choice or Necessity?
By Colleen Swain and David Edyburn
This article was very interesting to me. I never really thought about technology as a form of social justice. I have considered the issue of who has access to technology, but not in the framework of social justice. I believe that sometimes as educators we are bombarded with so many issues that we actually forget that there are solutions.
According to the authors, access to technology is only the first step. Being technologically fluent is a necessity to compete in our “global, technologically, and information-based society.” I find the framework provided by Swain and Edyburn to be very helpful. The article serves as a guide for teachers.
QUESTION # 1
The writers suggest that one way to equitably implement technology is to monitor teacher and student progress over time. Why is it important to monitor teacher progress and technology use over time?
Teachers can’t teach what they don’t know. If a teacher is not technologically fluent, the students are not accessing the skills that are vital to their learning.
QUESTION # 2
Swain and Edyburn also suggest that reflection is a key aspect of adopting a social justice framework. Why is reflection an important component of social justice?
Reflection allows the individual to evaluate and re-evaluate each lesson. Some questions for consideration would include:
What strategies worked well?
What needs improvement?
Who benefited from the lesson?
Did everyone have access?
What recommendations would you make for the future?
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Kim's Journal # 5
JOURNAL # 5
How to Fight the New Bullies
By Rosalind Wiseman
This is one of those articles that leave more questions than answers. I am thankful to Ms. Wiseman for sparking a discussion on this much- needed topic. “Cyberbullies use e-mail, instant messages (IM’s), cell phones, text messages, photos, videos, and social networking sites to humiliate and threaten others. It is horrible when anyone, let alone a child is taunted
Cyberspace is a place where people can hide behind their aliases and web addresses and remain anonymous if they choose. The danger with cyberspace is you don’t know who is doing the taunting, and everyone else knows about it. The potential audience is limitless. Being mysterious leaves no room for accountability, which makes so many people say and do things that they wouldn’t have the guts to do in person.
QUESTION # 1
How do you fight a cyberbully?
I have no idea. I don’t know if it would help to ignore a cyberbully, but I don’t think it would hurt. It takes at least two to have a conversation. There is a small amount of reassurance that legal and educational experts are taking the issue seriously. Accountability and consequences may eliminate much of the problem.
QUESTION # 2
What are some ways technology can be used to encourage others?
The same ways that people use to abuse each other with technology are the same ways people can encourage and support each other. My friends and I use e-mail all the time to lift our spirits. Jokes and funny pictures can work wonders.
How to Fight the New Bullies
By Rosalind Wiseman
This is one of those articles that leave more questions than answers. I am thankful to Ms. Wiseman for sparking a discussion on this much- needed topic. “Cyberbullies use e-mail, instant messages (IM’s), cell phones, text messages, photos, videos, and social networking sites to humiliate and threaten others. It is horrible when anyone, let alone a child is taunted
Cyberspace is a place where people can hide behind their aliases and web addresses and remain anonymous if they choose. The danger with cyberspace is you don’t know who is doing the taunting, and everyone else knows about it. The potential audience is limitless. Being mysterious leaves no room for accountability, which makes so many people say and do things that they wouldn’t have the guts to do in person.
QUESTION # 1
How do you fight a cyberbully?
I have no idea. I don’t know if it would help to ignore a cyberbully, but I don’t think it would hurt. It takes at least two to have a conversation. There is a small amount of reassurance that legal and educational experts are taking the issue seriously. Accountability and consequences may eliminate much of the problem.
QUESTION # 2
What are some ways technology can be used to encourage others?
The same ways that people use to abuse each other with technology are the same ways people can encourage and support each other. My friends and I use e-mail all the time to lift our spirits. Jokes and funny pictures can work wonders.
Kim's Journal # 4
JOURNAL # 4
From Toy to Tool: Audioblogging with Cell Phones
By Liz Kolb
According to Liz Kolb, cell phones do not have to be a classroom hindrance; they can be quite beneficial when used to construct knowledge. Kolb suggests that students can create audioblogs, using their cell phones as well as collect and store data, and develop multimedia projects. New cell phones are equipped with the capability of recording and posting live interviews. This article is full of ideas for audioblogging.
I am very excited to see that the author included some dialogue about the concerns with audioblogging. As I read through the article, I too had concerns. Copyright issues, although important were not my primary concern. My concern is protecting the students’ identity and safety. The author expresses concern over cell phone plans and the cost of internet sites. My concern is for the students gaining access to a cell phone.
QUESTION # 1
What age do you think is appropriate for students to use this technology?
Although I believe students as early as third grade can master the art of audioblogging, I don’t think they are ready for the responsibility of protecting themselves online. Some may disagree, but I would not recommend audioblogging for anyone under the age of 12.
QUESTION # 2
What affect does access to technology have on a parents’ control of their children?
Once a child has access to technology, how they use it is beyond a parents’ control. Sure parents can use filters and talk to their children about dangers of the internet, etc., but it is impossible to monitor a child’s every move. Thanks to “education,” children know how to access more information than they can handle. I hate to be a pessimist, but it’s just a matter of time before they stumble onto something that is inappropriate.
From Toy to Tool: Audioblogging with Cell Phones
By Liz Kolb
According to Liz Kolb, cell phones do not have to be a classroom hindrance; they can be quite beneficial when used to construct knowledge. Kolb suggests that students can create audioblogs, using their cell phones as well as collect and store data, and develop multimedia projects. New cell phones are equipped with the capability of recording and posting live interviews. This article is full of ideas for audioblogging.
I am very excited to see that the author included some dialogue about the concerns with audioblogging. As I read through the article, I too had concerns. Copyright issues, although important were not my primary concern. My concern is protecting the students’ identity and safety. The author expresses concern over cell phone plans and the cost of internet sites. My concern is for the students gaining access to a cell phone.
QUESTION # 1
What age do you think is appropriate for students to use this technology?
Although I believe students as early as third grade can master the art of audioblogging, I don’t think they are ready for the responsibility of protecting themselves online. Some may disagree, but I would not recommend audioblogging for anyone under the age of 12.
QUESTION # 2
What affect does access to technology have on a parents’ control of their children?
Once a child has access to technology, how they use it is beyond a parents’ control. Sure parents can use filters and talk to their children about dangers of the internet, etc., but it is impossible to monitor a child’s every move. Thanks to “education,” children know how to access more information than they can handle. I hate to be a pessimist, but it’s just a matter of time before they stumble onto something that is inappropriate.
Kim's Journal # 3
JOURNAL # 3
Video in the Age of Participation
By Glen Bull
Digital video is entering un-chartered territory in the world of technology. The internet is full of video clips. Advances in technology have made it possible to engage students in a way that did not seem possible years ago. Sure, teachers showed videos and movies, but they had very little control over the content. Today, it is possible for teachers to view, create, edit, condense, and remix segments of digital videos that are directly related to the content standards.
The use of digital video and web cams allows the capture of life in the world that would otherwise go unseen. Some sites have created content clips for teachers like the Discovery Channel Annenberg Media and PBS. The web is full of video resources, but it is the individual teachers’ responsibility to integrate the appropriate video into the lessons. Video makes student learning more engaging. Video services are appearing that allow video sharing, and video tagging.
QUESTION # 1
What role will access to digital media have on the achievement gap?
The role that access to digital media has on the achievement gap can be positive or negative depending on its use. Digital media can be a powerful tool for low achieving students, English Language-Learners, and struggling readers.
QUESTION # 2
How much is too much video?
Too much video is when it becomes babysitting or entertainment rather than engaging students or meeting a specific goal or objective.
Video in the Age of Participation
By Glen Bull
Digital video is entering un-chartered territory in the world of technology. The internet is full of video clips. Advances in technology have made it possible to engage students in a way that did not seem possible years ago. Sure, teachers showed videos and movies, but they had very little control over the content. Today, it is possible for teachers to view, create, edit, condense, and remix segments of digital videos that are directly related to the content standards.
The use of digital video and web cams allows the capture of life in the world that would otherwise go unseen. Some sites have created content clips for teachers like the Discovery Channel Annenberg Media and PBS. The web is full of video resources, but it is the individual teachers’ responsibility to integrate the appropriate video into the lessons. Video makes student learning more engaging. Video services are appearing that allow video sharing, and video tagging.
QUESTION # 1
What role will access to digital media have on the achievement gap?
The role that access to digital media has on the achievement gap can be positive or negative depending on its use. Digital media can be a powerful tool for low achieving students, English Language-Learners, and struggling readers.
QUESTION # 2
How much is too much video?
Too much video is when it becomes babysitting or entertainment rather than engaging students or meeting a specific goal or objective.
Kim's Journal # 2
JOURNAL # 2
Breathing Fire into Web 2.0
By Justin Hardman and David Carpenter
It is very obvious that the writers of this article are very passionate about their work. It is also very obvious that their focus is not on the average student, but upper middle-class and rich students. There is an assumption that all students have access to technology outside of the classroom, so they want to create a program that would integrate what they do outside of class, with what goes on inside the classroom. Newsflash! Many of America’s children are going home to empty refrigerators and are without electricity. They aren’t all going home to blogs, e-mail, and websites.
I like the idea of myDragonNet, however, I think we, as educators need to be more conscientious about the needs of all of our students, not who we perceive to be the mainstream. The tools that were developed to help teachers with classroom and group management, curriculum development, and electronic portfolios are invaluable. Teachers really need a way to simplify everything.
QUESTION # 1
Who would benefit the most from this technology?
Although I believe that parents, students and educators benefit from this technology, I believe teachers will benefit the most. Teachers are more likely to have access to this tool outside of the classroom. However, when teachers are empowered and equipped, they transfer that knowledge on to students, who at some point teach their parents.
QUESTION # 2
Are schools becoming too dependent on technology?
I think schools have always been dependent on technology. It may not be in the same form as it was years ago, but technology had a presence. The schools are a reflection of our society where we look for the next best thing. I don’t believe schools can become too dependent on technology if teachers and students are taught diverse ways of problem solving.
Breathing Fire into Web 2.0
By Justin Hardman and David Carpenter
It is very obvious that the writers of this article are very passionate about their work. It is also very obvious that their focus is not on the average student, but upper middle-class and rich students. There is an assumption that all students have access to technology outside of the classroom, so they want to create a program that would integrate what they do outside of class, with what goes on inside the classroom. Newsflash! Many of America’s children are going home to empty refrigerators and are without electricity. They aren’t all going home to blogs, e-mail, and websites.
I like the idea of myDragonNet, however, I think we, as educators need to be more conscientious about the needs of all of our students, not who we perceive to be the mainstream. The tools that were developed to help teachers with classroom and group management, curriculum development, and electronic portfolios are invaluable. Teachers really need a way to simplify everything.
QUESTION # 1
Who would benefit the most from this technology?
Although I believe that parents, students and educators benefit from this technology, I believe teachers will benefit the most. Teachers are more likely to have access to this tool outside of the classroom. However, when teachers are empowered and equipped, they transfer that knowledge on to students, who at some point teach their parents.
QUESTION # 2
Are schools becoming too dependent on technology?
I think schools have always been dependent on technology. It may not be in the same form as it was years ago, but technology had a presence. The schools are a reflection of our society where we look for the next best thing. I don’t believe schools can become too dependent on technology if teachers and students are taught diverse ways of problem solving.
Kim's Journal # 1
JOURNAL # 1
Professors adjust their methods to reach technology-savvy generation
By Eleanor Yang Su
Today’s Millennial Generation of college students known as “Generation X” and “Echo Boomers” are multitasking all the time, which has the potential to create distractions in the classroom. Professors site such examples as students sending text messages, checking e-mail, and playing video games during the course of a lecture. Some professors struggle to keep up the students’ need to do many things at once. They are forced to change their strategies to meet the needs of the techno-savvy students.
Although, there are some professors who embrace the change, there are also those who resist. Some fear that technology is being used to entertain students which can “dumb-down a course.” Other professors feel that technology should be used to engage students. Universities agree and have met the challenge with such tools as online management systems and that allow students to view grades, take quizzes, and participate in discussion boards. Within the classroom, the clicker has become a popular tool for both students and professors.
Question # 1
What is a clicker?
A clicker is a remote answering device similar to a television remote control that allows teachers to pose questions and get immediate feedback from the entire class anonymously. Student responses are sent by infrared signals to a computer system that displays the results in a graph instantly.
Question # 2
With an increase in the demand for the use of technology, what happens to the student who has been absent from the classroom for several years?
It is my fear that students who have been absent from the classroom for an extended period of time and have not kept up with the trends in technology, will get left behind. Some colleges and universities require that students take a technology course as a prerequisite, which would educate the students about the uses of technology.
Professors adjust their methods to reach technology-savvy generation
By Eleanor Yang Su
Today’s Millennial Generation of college students known as “Generation X” and “Echo Boomers” are multitasking all the time, which has the potential to create distractions in the classroom. Professors site such examples as students sending text messages, checking e-mail, and playing video games during the course of a lecture. Some professors struggle to keep up the students’ need to do many things at once. They are forced to change their strategies to meet the needs of the techno-savvy students.
Although, there are some professors who embrace the change, there are also those who resist. Some fear that technology is being used to entertain students which can “dumb-down a course.” Other professors feel that technology should be used to engage students. Universities agree and have met the challenge with such tools as online management systems and that allow students to view grades, take quizzes, and participate in discussion boards. Within the classroom, the clicker has become a popular tool for both students and professors.
Question # 1
What is a clicker?
A clicker is a remote answering device similar to a television remote control that allows teachers to pose questions and get immediate feedback from the entire class anonymously. Student responses are sent by infrared signals to a computer system that displays the results in a graph instantly.
Question # 2
With an increase in the demand for the use of technology, what happens to the student who has been absent from the classroom for several years?
It is my fear that students who have been absent from the classroom for an extended period of time and have not kept up with the trends in technology, will get left behind. Some colleges and universities require that students take a technology course as a prerequisite, which would educate the students about the uses of technology.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Kim's Intro Letter
MEET KIMBERLEY H. STIEMKE
Hello Everyone. I am Kimberley Stiemke, a very proud New England native. I was fortunate to attend Hartford Public Schools where I am a graduate of Thomas Snell Weaver High. After graduation, I did what most students do. I left home and never returned. My travels took me to the prestigious Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. The trail of opportunity has taken my family and I to various parts on the country and led us to San Diego about four years ago.
I have not kept up with technology. I cannot remember the last time I used a MAC and I use my PC to do the bare minimum. I am interested in learning more about the computer; however, I am very apprehensive about posting things on the Internet. I have never visited an Internet chat room and have no willingness to participate in classroom discussion boards.
I am not attending Cal State out of desire, but out of necessity. However, the university is growing on me. The mission statement tells me that the university and I are on one accord. The usage of such words as “community,” “collaboratively,” and “diversity” speaks of inclusion. The best part is, they are not just words on a piece of paper.
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