Cell Phones in the Classroom

Integrating cell phones into the classroom definitely has pros and cons. I’m not sure I agree totally with either side. On one hand I do believe that they can be distracting and some kids may not have them, but I do think that we shouldn’t fight technology and there could be some ways to incorporate cell phones in our lessons.

 

Cell phones are the way of the future and instead of trying to force them out of the way kids learn, it might be smart to utilize them and help kids enhance their knowledge with the tools they have on hand. I do think there needs to be supervision as they are using there cell phones texting or games may prove to be tempting distractions. One solution Lisa Kolb gives us is “set up a social contract with students defining the structure and rules around cell phone use in the classroom.”

 

Josh Allen tells us “the goal of an educational setting should be to give students the proper tools to succeed once they step into society.” I think this right here goes against his argument for not having phones in the classroom. The cell phone is a huge part of society today and if we don’t allow students to learn to use them aren’t we preparing them to be unsuccessful in society?

Chatspeak

Is chatspeak destroying the English language? I’m not sure I fully agree with either side of this argument. I agree with Linda Howard that “when students are thoroughly immersed in the culture of instant messaging, meaningful written expression may be hindered because their mindset is that of the shared culture of other students.” But I do think that if a teacher educates them of the proper English language and provides exact rules for what they expect then the students will know how they should perform. I think that students should be aware that there are times to use chatspeak and there are times to not use it. I think it’s up to the teacher to clearly define these times.

 

I think that chatspeak can be a way for students to express themselves and they have fun with it. I do think some questions come up regarding when in the classroom it is and isn’t ok to use chatspeak. And if it is a way to engage students maybe it can be incorporated into a lesson. As teachers we need to quit fighting the interests of students and work with them to help kids learn.

Powerpoint Presentations

PowerPoint Presentations are a great way to get your students’ attention. I think it can be a fun interactive way to present material. In our class presentations one thing I enjoyed was being engaged in the material. I thought practicing Spanish was a neat idea. I wouldn’t have thought powerpoints could be useful in language classes and now I can see how they are helpful. They can provide great visuals for any work. I liked how powerpoint can be used to present artwork to students on a big scale. Powerpoints are definitely an easy way to improve a lesson presentation.

 

One way that powerpoint can work against a lesson is if it becomes too wordy. There was one presentation that I thought became a bit too much about reading off of the slides. If you use a lot of text out of the book, it seems to be more sensible to just let the student read the book. A great way to catch the attention of a student is by pictures and relevant graphs. I just think that as a student I would become bored reading slide after slide so teachers need to be aware of what they need to do in order to catch the attention of their kids.

 

One way I thought my powerpoint could be improved is to add an audio interview of M.C. Escher. I thought my presentation was a good opening to what I was trying to teach. I thought it did an excellent job at capturing the attention of my peers. I just think that by specifically adding the interview to my presentation it would deepen it and would help students find a way to relate to it.

 

I definitely like using powerpoint as a lesson presenter. I think it has the potential to bring a lot to a lesson. Unfortunately as with all technology it can have complications so if a teacher plans on using it they should definitely come prepared with back up.

 

Attention Span

I agree with David M. Marcovitz’s idea that we are and “instant gratification culture.” Students these days have grown up with full access to high speed internet. Information is only seconds away via laptops or cell phones. With all of this technology students don’t have the patience, they used to. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. They are eager to learn things and aren’t interested in wasting time. With the advances in technology students haven’t had to learn the same way their parents did, they have new faster ways of processing information. I think Marcovitz’s has got it exactly right when he says “we have been trained by our technology.”

 

I think we as teachers need to stop opposing technology. We shouldn’t be scared of new ways to approach teaching. It’s an exciting time to be a teacher. There are so many new ways to get the lesson across and to engage students. We need to ask ourselves how we can incorporate technology into what we’re teaching. Educators need to quit fighting the notion to do things the old way, or the way it’s always been done. It’s time to change the way we teach. As Jon Davidson says “we must adapt our teaching styles and methods to the way our students learn.”

Wikipedia Credibility

I understand that Wikipedia is not a credible source, anyone and everyone can input their ideas into any subject. I do think it’s a good place to start research. Wikipedia can help inspire ideas and from Wikipedia, research can be done to discover the credibility of an idea or subject.

 

As a teacher I would allow students to use Wikipedia. I think that it can help give students an idea of where to start. Often times just starting a project or research can be an overwhelming task. I would however make sure that students are required to use more than one source. I would also go over the reason why Wikipedia can’t always be trusted and help the students see why it shouldn’t be used as a primary source.

 

I like the idea of having kids use the internet for research. It can really help to broaden their horizons. I do believe that students need guidance and teachers need to make sure kids are staying on track. I think using portaportal and webquests can help give students the freedom to research what they want while giving them the guidance they need as well as protecting yourself as the teacher.

Teachers and Social Networking

I have actually googled myself before to see what I could find. I’m not really surprised by what I found. Most of the matches with my name are from college water polo articles or from volunteering at the children’s hospital. As google runs out of matches for my first name it matches my last name to my cousin’s last name and sports articles about them.
As I went through the google search I double checked the settings on my facebook and made sure everything was set to private. I understand that it’s important how I present myself to my students. I have already been exposed to this as a coach. I don’t allow my athletes to be ‘friends’ with me on facebook. While some of my friends might be joking with posts or pictures I’m aware that it isn’t always appropriate for my kids.

I think that teachers should be held to higher standards. They are supposed to be setting an example for their students. I’m not saying it’s fair, I just think that if expect kids make good choices then so should we. However, I think that there should be some sort of privacy. Teachers do deserve some space and people must remember that teachers are human and everyone makes mistakes.

In order to protect myself and my job I’m going to remember teachers live under a magnifying glass and I will try to make wise choices.

Stop Cyberbullying

I thought this was a good resourse for cyberbullying.

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is when someone tries to intimidate, harass, or torment another person via the internet, text messages, social network sites, or some sort of media.

I personally have never been a part of cyberbullying but I recognize the negative effects and will do everything I can as a teacher to rid my classroom of it.

         Cyberbullying is an issue hard for schools to deal with, it can happen off of school grounds and it’s hard to see. I feel that if my students are being hurt it is my duty regardless of location to help them. I think that the effects of cyberbullying are similar to that of regular bullying. Students may become withdrawn or appear to be sad or depressed, I feel that it is important as a teacher to step in and help out. If a student is being noticeably hurt by cyberbullying then by law the school must help out. Parental abuse doesn’t generally happen on school grounds but teachers are required to say something, I think it should be the same anytime a student is seriously in trouble.

         At the beginning of the year as a teacher I would go over my no tolerance of cyberbullying policy. I would lay out the consequences of their actions should a student choose to cyberbully. I would also make a class discussion of it, so students can understand how hurtful it can feel and what a toll it takes on their peers’ lives. Like any other issue in the classroom I would deal with it on an individual or group basis depending on the situation. I would hope that after we discuss the implications of cyberbullying in class I wouldn’t have to deal with it.

Copyright Reflection

After looking at different copyright laws, I am now aware that they are much more complicated than I previously thought. I didn’t know that if I bought or rented a movie I couldn’t show it in the classroom even if I wasn’t charging students to see it. I also didn’t know that you had to get permission to use certain written works. I did learn that Disney has very strict use laws and that surprised me, it seems like they just want money for everything when they try to portray themselves as a very kid friendly company.

         I think that copyright laws originally had very good intentions of protecting creators. It seems as if they now go a bit overboard. I understand that people want to get paid for their work, but when does it all become too much? It seems that they have a specific rule for all occasions. Schools aren’t looking to make money off of the materials they use, teachers are just trying to help students learn. As copyright laws become more and more rigid, creative teaching becomes increasingly limited.

         It’s hard to stay up on fair use and copyright laws, as teachers we must work hard to ensure we are following the laws and our schools are protected. We can do this by reading the rules and staying up to date on them. Teachers can also speak with their peers to ensure they are current with fair use and copyright. I think it’s important that the districts do their part in making sure teachers have the right permission and schools fees are paid. Copyright and fair use laws can be confusing, but if everyone works together to stay on the same page then teachers, classrooms, and school districts should be protected.

         I will ensure copyright is followed in my classroom by making the kids aware of the laws. We’ll go over what is permissible and what cannot be used. These copyright laws don’t just apply to the classroom and our students need to be prepared for the future.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!! My name is Kacie and I am currently enrolled in the MAT program at Concordia University in Portland. I look forward to becoming a middle school math and science teacher. One of my favorite animals is the manatee.

Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants

There is a great difference between digital natives and digital immigrants, but I don’t feel like everyone has to fit in one category or the other. Digital natives are those who have spent their lives surrounded by increasingly sophisticated technology and are completely affluent in the digital world. “They have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, digital music players, video cams, cell phones, and all the other toys and tools of the digital age” (Prensky, 2001). Digital immigrants are those who were not born into the digital universe but have adapted to new technology. “Those of us who were not born into the digital world but have, at some later point in our lives, become fascinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology” (Prensky, 2001). I fit somewhere towards digital native I’m completely comfortable with technology but I have not lived my entire life in the digital world. I notice characteristics of both digital immigrants and digital natives that I can relate to.

There is a major difference between technology I used in high school and the technology I employed in college. Technology advanced greatly between the time I was a freshman in high school and the moment I graduated from college. The computer course I took when I was in ninth grade was a simple typing course probably not challenging enough for a second grader now. In college level computer courses I learned how to program my own webpages, internet navigation, and some graphic design. There is a stark difference in the speed and complexity of the computers available at relative times. I got my first computer when I was in high school and dial up internet was used, in college they had high speed and were just putting in wireless internet servers. I think with advancing technologies lessons can become more interesting. There are so many new and innovative ways to present information. As instructors we must be aware of the impact technology can have on a classroom, “the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language” (Prensky, 2001).

These articles haven’t really changed my mind about using technology. I feel like if anything it has strengthened my belief that we as teachers should incorporate it into their classrooms as much as possible. We are living in an increasingly digital world and to not prepare our students for that reality is providing them a great disservice.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9 (5).