Blogfolio

The first assignment in this course was to complete an introduction video and upload it to our blog.  The video was supposed to tell a little about myself and my hobbies. This assignment falls under NETS*T standard 2.a. to design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.  I could definitely use this in my future classrooms. I would use this on the first day of school as an icebreaker.  By allowing students the opportunity to video each other, they are allowed express themselves creatively.  I liked this assignment. It allowed me the opportunity to get to know a few of my fellow classmates with a creative use of technology.

Creating a concept map was the second assignment.  I created a concept map on Animal’s using Inspiration Software. Creating a concept map falls under NETS*T standard 1.a. to promote, support, and model creative innovative thinking and inventiveness.  I could use this in my future classrooms in many ways. I could use it a review tool, o ruse it as a thinking tool to engage students into class lessons. I could also give students a topic to research and allow them to create a concept map. I liked this assignment. I was able to display the five categories of animals in a fun creative way.  I like that I was able to add picture of the different animals and hyperlink websites with great information on animals.

The next assignment was to create a movie. I created a movie that told a little about my husband and me. The movie assignment falls under NETS*T standard 2.b. to develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.  I could use this in my future classrooms by allowing students to pick a topic and create a movie. This would allow the students to use technology while being creative. I really enjoyed making the movie. I was able to select my own pictures and create a movie to my liking. I also liked that we were able to put a song with the movie that related to the story that was being told with the pictures.

The fourth assignment was to create a speaking avatar using Voki.  This assignment falls under NETS*T standard 3.c. to communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. Voki would be a great tool to use, because it is a great way to communicate to engage not only students but parents as well. I could use this on the first day of school to give a very short introduction of myself. It would have to be a short introduction, because Voki does have a limit on how much the avatar can talk. The limit on the amount the avatar can speak will definitely contribute to how much it is used in my future.  It was time consuming creating the avatar, and I cannot deliver hardly any information.  Therefore, I may not use it very often in my future classrooms. However, it was fun creating the avatar.

The fifth and final assignment was to create a teacher webpage.  The teacher webpage falls under NETS*T standard 4.b. to address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies and providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources. I will use this assignment more in my future than the others. It was so easy to create and is easily assessable to parents and guardians.  It can be used for parents to see all course information, course materials, course rules, and frequent updates. I liked that we were able to create a resource page. Resources allow students to easily navigate to sites that can help them with the course lessons. I am glad we were required to create a teacher webpage. It is something I want to have for my future classes, and now I am fully capable of creating one. 

Prior to beginning this course, I was very unsure of what I was going to learn.  However, I have learned a great deal of useful knowledge. I plan to use this gained knowledge in my future classrooms and throughout my teaching career.  The assignments throughout this course have enlightened me to all of the technology resources that are available for education.  I believe that I have learned so much about technology. Everything I have learned has better prepared me for teaching technology in my future classrooms. 

Website

https://sites.google.com/site/mrselises1stgradeclass/home

Web 2.0 Tools

PhotoPeach is one of the 50 Web 2.0 sites that can be used for education. It was very user friendly and easy to operate. All that can be created is movie slide shows. However, these slide shows can have quiz questions or subtitles added to them. I think this would be a great web tool to use for reviewing materials. The slide shows can be created for any age group. I do think this would be a useful tool if used correctly. When I explored videos that were already created, they were not all educational videos. There were many photographers who had created slide shows for their proof galleries. However, I did notice that you can pay a monthly fee and have a PhotoPeach Class Premium account. This account allows a teacher to create multiple student accounts. Students can access all videos created by the teacher; however, the students can not alter or delete the account.

PikiFriends is another one of the 50 Web 2.0 sites used by schools. This website is strictly for junior high and high school students age 12-17. In my opinion, it was more like a social network site. However, it is monitored very closely. PikiFriends can be used to create blogs, upload photos, and carry on conversations. On this site a school can have one account. On that account, you can add multiple grades and teachers.  Each teacher can add his or her students an account. The teacher controls the students usernames and passwords. None of the information can be changed by the student. In my opinion, this could be a great tool to use. It can help students communicate with one another as well as with the teacher. The site is basically a online penpal tool.

Ali Carr-Chellman: Gaming to re-engage boys in learning

Ali Carr-Chellman discussed many reasons as to why boys are lacking in education. She also exposed many needs of boys in the classroom. She discussed the 100 Girls Project in the video. The project exposed that there are more boys than girls suspended from school, expelled from school, in special education classes, considered to have learning disabilities, and considered to have emotional disturbances. Boys are also four times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.  She gave her reasoning as to why there is such a dramatic range between boys and girls. She suggested that zero tolerance, fewer male teachers, and kindergarten is the new second grade( high and unrealistic expectations) are to blame for this range between boys and girls.  She suggested that boys are expected to sit in class quietly. However, boys have an aggressive nature, and they are not being allowed to show this aggressive nature.

Ali Carr-Chellman suggested a way to help with this problem. Since educators are partly to blame for this problem, educators can help fix it. She suggest changing the mindset of boys. This can be done by changing classroom games to something that would interest boys. Also, Educators should look at their attitudes so that they are more open to boy culture. This in turn could change the boys mind set that the school is a place for females and that they to belong.

At a University Archive, Yesterday's Cutting-Edge Video Games Play On

At Universities, people are beginning to realize the importance of preserving the video game industry. The video game industry is only thirty years old; however, video games have tremendously transformed in those thirty years. The University of Texas at Austin has a video game archive that they have put into place. They are collecting game consoles and sketches of developing games. They hope to make people aware of the gaming history.  In my opinion, this is a great idea. We need to archive the different games before they are lost for good.  Furthermore, I believe that understanding the history of video games will create a deeper respect of gaming for younger generations.  I hope to teach video gaming history to my future students.  Video games are great tools to use in modern classrooms. I think that giving students an understanding of video gaming history will allow them to appreciate the games we have today.  

Why Flipped Classrooms Are Here to Stay

Flipped classrooms take traditional classrooms and transform/ flip them into something new. The teacher in the article gave students a copy of lectures, every other night. The lectures where online, on a flash drive, or on a DVD. The students where responsible for preparing for the next class. This approach allowed them to watch videos and take notes. They could even pause or rewind if needed which allowed them to grasp a better understanding of the lecture. During class, time was spent doing hands- on experiments, instead of rushing through a lecture.
In my opinion, this method would be great for high school students. The flipped classroom makes students responsible and can help prepare students for college. I also believe that the flipped classroom approach can keep students more involved in class time. I do not think this is a method I can use in my future classroom. I plan to teach lower elementary. I do not believe students at that young of a age would be mature enough for this type of classroom method. If I ever teach upper elementary school, I would consider this method. However, I would have to confirm that the class was mature enough first.

Educator's Guide to Cyberbulling and Cyberthreats

Cyberbullying and cyberthreats have increased in recent years. This is due to new technology, and the easier access of technology. Teenagers and adolescents are all aware of how to use technology, because it is so common in today's society. Although teenagers know how to use technology, it is not used for useful purposes. The educator's guide gives several examples of cyberbullying and cyberthreats. It also suggest reasons as to why students use the internet as an easy source to bully other people. The main reason is that a bully never has to be face- to- face with a victim. In my opinion, every educator needs to be aware of this guide. It should be reviewed and kept for future situations that might arise. I hope to use this guide to teach myself and my future students how to properly use the Internet. I also hope to bring awareness to my future students of the things that can occur when using the Internet and how to report online threats.

My Movie

John Hunter's World Peace Game

John Hunter created the World Peace game for his fourth grade students to solve problems of the world. I think that this would be a great game to allow students to play in classrooms. The world peace game allows students to interact while using critical thinking skills. Students are using problem solving while thinking about the consequences of their actions in the game. Many times students are taught the tools for facing problems. However, they are not taught how to use them. I think the world peace game would be a great way to teach students how to apply the tools they are being taught in class.

Voki

Animals- Concept map

Animals

I. Mammals

There are over 4000 species of mammals. All mammals are vertebrates. They are also warm blooded. Mammals have hair on their body, and they give live birth. They also produce milk to feed their young.

A. Horses

B. Dogs

1. Labrador

2. Poodle

II.  Reptiles

Reptiles are covered in scales or scutes. There are four types of reptiles: turtles and tortoises, snakes and lizards, alligators and crocodiles, and the tuatara. Reptiles are found in most environments excluding icy regions and tundra. Many reptiles spend a great deal of time on land, while others spend time in water..

A. Snakes

B.  Crocodiles

III. Birds

Birds are feathered animals. They have wings. Birds lay eggs. Their eggs have a hard,waterproof shell.

A. Hummingbird

B. Penguin

IV. Amphibians

There are three different types of Amphibians. The three groups include Frogs, Salamanders, and Caecilians. Amphibians like to live in wet climates.

A. Salamander

B. Frog

V. Insects

Insects are broken into two groups, insects with wings and insects without wings. All insects are invertebrates. They have three body regions the head, thorax, and abdomen. All insects have six legs.

A. Lady Bug

B. Grasshopper

Digital Citizenship- Using Technology Appropriately

After reading the article, I realize people need to be familiar with the nine themes of digital citizenship. Digital citizenship is defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use according to the article. Theme one deals with digital access. It basically means that in order to become productive citizens, we need to be committed to equal digital access. Theme two is digital commerce. Digital commerce deals with the electronic buying and selling of goods and products. Theme three is about digital communication, which is the electronic exchange of information. It also tells about the expanding communication options. Digital literacy is discussed in theme four. It deals with the teaching and learning about technology, as well as the use of technology. Digital etiquette is theme five which discusses the electronic standards of what is appropriate in the digital world. The sixth theme is digital law which deal with the fact that people are responsible for their actions and what they say digitally. Digital Rights and Responsibilities is the seventh theme. It deals with the freedoms that are extended to everyone in the digital world.  There is a basic set of rights to everyone in the digital world. Theme eight is digital health and wellness. It deals with educating and training people on how to protect themselves from the physical and psychological dangers that can come from technology. The last theme, theme nine, is digital security. It deals with the electronic precautions to guarantee safety in the digital world.

Furthermore, I think is is extremely important that educators become familiar with these nine themes of digital citizenship. It is also important to educate students on these themes to ensure digital safety. A good way of teaching the themes of digital citizenship is REPs, it stands for Respect, Educate, and Protect. REP one is respect yourself and others. This is where digital etiquette, access, and law would be taught. REP two is educate yourself and connect with others. This is where communication, literacy, and commerce would be discussed. REP three is protect yourself and others. This is where rights and responsibly, safety, and health and welfare would be discussed. I think REPs is a great concept for teaching digital citizenship to ensure digital safety and appropriate technology use. 

'Safe' Social Networking Tailored for K-12 Schools

After reading this article, I believe that educational social media sites like Edmodo, ePals, and eChalk can be highly beneficial to student learning.These sites have been designed in a way that the teacher leads discussion. Teachers can also monitor the discussions and control who students talk to. These sites provide great security,which makes many teachers more comfortable using them. We live in a society where social networking is very common, so why not allow students access to use these sites to expand education. The use of these types of educational social media sites allows students to connect and communicate with classmates on assignments. In my opinion, the use of these sites allow students to think and organize their thoughts before having to share them with other peers. I also think that these sites make students put more effort into work, because it will be read by other peers. If monitored by the teacher correctly, these sites can beneficial for classroom use and students.

CIPA

The Children's Internet Protection Act is a federal law that is enacted by Congress. The CIPA addresses concerns about offensive content that can be viewed over the Internet using school and library computers. CIPA imposes many requirements for schools and libraries that receive funding through the E-rate program. The deadline to meet the CIPA's  new requirements is July 1. There will be new regulations that schools must adhere to, or they could risk losing discounts and funds. The new addition is that all students' K-12 be educated on cyberbullying and online behavior and safety.  Schools and districts must have a plan written up by the deadline that includes instruction on Internet safety and cyberbullying in the curriculum. However, the CIPA does not include requirements on how the materials should be included in the curriculum., which I think will cause the most problems with school districts. Furthermore, I do think that educating students on Internet safety and cyberbullying can be beneficial, once it is decided on how to implement it into the curriculum.

The Chronicle- A Future Full of Badges

Universities are looking at a technological badge system that changes the way higher learning is validated. The badge system was created my Mozilla , the non-profit organization that created Firefox. The badge system can change the way that academic standing is displayed. The badges are a validated indicator of accomplishment, skill, quality, and interest. In a way, the badges are like Girl Scout badges.  They are indicators of the accomplishments that can be seen. The badge system would display students accomplishments in other ways besides a letter grade on a transcript. The badges would show achievement of  tasks that were accomplished and learned. In my opinion, the badge system could be a beneficial system to use in education. I think that it could impact a students learning. The badge system would allow students to be responsible for their learning. There are definitely concerns with the badge system. However, I think if used correctly the badge system can be beneficial to education.

Gamification

I found many interesting facts about gamification after reading this article. The information I obtained from the article can be beneficial for me in my future as an elementary education teacher. Gamification can be used in the classroom to engage students’ interest.  It can also be used to create a more effective and enjoyable learning experience.  I hope to use this method for subjects or topics that students have trouble understanding. I also hope to use it as a way of grasping new materials or reviewing previously learned materials. The article suggested that gamification can present coursework more as a challenge than a chore, and I completely agree.  Therefore, I will definitely try to incorporate this into my future classrooms. 

The Virtues of Blogging as Scholarly Activity

After reading the article, I completely agree that existing and new technology has the potential to change academic practice. Technology has changed the way materials are brought about in the classrooms. Teachers are now granted access to free and abundant resources. In the past, resources were extremely expensive.  The article was also about whether or not these new types of activities for research were scholarly. In my opinion, the topic for research should help decide whether are not the certain activity is scholarly. However, it also discussed if the activities were scholarly how to locate and recognize them.  The author of the article preferred blogging and had good reasoning for her preference.  She suggests that blogging keeps research topics from being limited to a paper, journal article, or even a book. Blogging allows for one to reference many ideas in one place. Blogging also gets immediate response from individuals and then can be used for creating presentations, etc.  I agree that blogging can be a great choice if used in the correct manner. I had never blogged until this class, and I can already see that blogging can be a great way to express feelings or findings and connect with others.  

Vision of a K-12 Student

Technology jobs are increasing.Students in many countries are becoming more efficient in technology based occupations. Young students enjoy the use of technology. China is a larger location speaking English than India. We were beat in literacy by 11 countries.  Sixteen countries beat the U.S. in Science literacy. From 2006-2016 technology based jobs will increase 44%. 75 % of students graduate in the U.S.

eSchool News Article Views

Before reading the articles in the handout, I thought I was web literate.  However, I realize now how little I actually know and understand about the web. I had no idea that the "~" meant that a webpage was a personal site.  I would have assumed that the site was a part of the northwestern.edu site had the article not indicated otherwise.  I find that the information in the articles will be useful. I agree that it is important to teach students how to research effectively. I believe students need to understand and interpret the things they read on the web and determine if the information is from a credible source.  These articles affect me as a future elementary educator because technology and the web  play an important role in day to day life.  I need to be able teach my students how to be web literate. However, I will have to become more web literate myself.  I also will need to show examples to my future students of how reliable sites may not be the most reliable and credible sources of information, for example, the ear mouse.  I was shocked by all of the information in these articles and surprised at how I am completely web illiterate. I feel that after reading these articles, I still have a great bit of information I need to learn about the web, before I can adequately teach my future students how to become web literate. 

Introduction

My name is Elise Stewart. I have been married to my husband, Ryan, for two years. I am a elementary education major at the University of Southern Mississippi. I love children, and I hope to teach at Columbia Academy, after graduation. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I also enjoy shopping, baking, and running.