Technology Integration Blog

When I started the class I thought we were going to learn about various websites that could help us with our lesson plans. Now I know this class was more about learning the technological tools that can help enhance education. My biggest take away was that there are a lot more tools out there to use in education. I've mostly considered using Microsoft Office products to use in the classroom but it was very useful learning about the various Google tools. There are various other tools that I will use in my classroom. Some of the best tools I found out after my classmates presented their assignments. I plan to look into Weebly. I chose to use Google Sites when I created a website but I thought it was difficult to edit. I noticed other people using Weebly and that seemed much easier. I really enjoyed the class and made me think about the many ways I can use technology to enhance students education.

Accessible Instructional Material

I did not know much about AIM for Digital Equity before reading today's assignment. I learned that AIM stands for Accessible Instructional Material. I also learned that education is moving toward a classroom that has more and more digital textbooks. I never really considered that students would be reading their textbooks from a tablet or computer and I consider myself aware of what is happening with technology. I am not really against the idea but I wonder if doing this will have long term effects to students vision and health. As a person that is nearsighted I am very much aware of the difficulties students can have reading material. This is why I think its important that students with print related disabilities have access to digital material. Blind students should have access to material with braille but also digital material that will read the text for them. There are various online programs that will convert text to audio for the blind or for those that have difficulty reading. Online material should also be available so that students can enlarge text when that can be helpful. I will aim for digital equity by using school purchased material, free resources, and sometimes making my own material. I think often the teacher will have to find free resources or create their own digital content. When the reading material is only available in print I will scan it and make it available online for a online program to read it for them. There are many other ways to help students with print related disabilities and these are just some ideas to ensure digital equity in the classroom. 

Social Media in Education

Initially I was completely against the idea of social media in the classroom. After reading the articles for this blog assignment I have changed my mind a bit. There are some times where I am still against social media in the classroom and times I can see its use. First, I think there are some ages where we should not encourage social media. I think in middle school social media use can start to be incorporated into the classroom on a limited basis. In high school I think, social media use will be most appropriate. I also think that not every classroom can use social media effectively. For example, I can't think of many ways social media can help in math classes. However, some subjects like English that can benefit from social media use. I can image an assignment where a teacher posts something on social media and the students have to comment on the writing. Overall, I would rather create a website or blog such as this one where students can posts their assignments and make comments. I would also use a classroom website to remind students of any assignments that are due and keep them informed of any news. 

There are so many social media sites out there and not all will be useful to teachers and students. The most popular sites now are Facebook and Twitter but maybe in the near future another social media site will take over. For the most part, I would not encourage Twitter or Facebook use for students in the classroom. I can imagine how it can be problematic and I would rather not allow something that can potentially cause more harm than good. Here are some of the cons of using Facebook and Twitter in the classroom. 

• students can engage in inappropriate behavior in social media like making rude comments about each others work
• students can bully each other online and engage in fights that can be brought into the classroom
• students can misinterpret things the students and the teacher posts
• the teacher can ultimately be blamed for any inappropriate use of any social media they have allowed 

I do fee very optimistic about social media use for teachers to connect with other teachers. In the article we read by David Wetzel, he points out that one of the main reasons teachers leave the profession is isolation. I do think social media can be a useful tool for teachers to collaborate with other teachers, self reflect, and build professional networks with other teachers. I think that social media can be of great use especially in the first years of teaching to ask other teachers for help and ideas to use in the classroom. I think there are a lot of teachers out there that are willing to help. I really like using twitter chats to engage in conversations. I looked at the #sschat and #edchat and they had very interesting things to contribute. I do see myself engaging with other teachers through social media in the future. 

Flipped Classroom

In a "Flipped Classroom" the students view a video lecture produced by the teacher at home online or on their mobile devices. During class students spend time on exercises, projects, or discussions. The teacher spends their time helping students during class instead of giving instruction. The most important things to know about the Flipped Classroom are the arguments for and against.

Pros:

• The teacher can spend more time one on one. 
• Students learn at own pace.
• Allows students who are absent to still view lessons.
• Parents can know what their students are learning and help their children. 

Cons:

• Students spend even more time looking at a screen.
• Video lessons means more homework and there is no evidence homework helps achievement. 
• Not all students have a computer or internet access.

The idea of a flipped classroom has one major flaw. Its very similar to taking online courses which are not very successful because people wont do them or wont finish them. When students are young the last thing they want to see is more of their teacher at home. They want to do other things that are not school related. 

I could see how incorporating this idea can be beneficial on a limited basis. If the teacher creates a good video lesson that can be reused in other classes or in other school years I can see how this could be a great tool for the teacher. This would have to be on a limited basis. I don't think it would work if students had to view videos of their teacher's lecture on a nightly basis. I could see how a flipped classroom could help for major assignment or assignments during long breaks. Overall, I think the "flipped classroom" could be a good idea as long as the teacher does not abuse its use. 

Internet Use During Tests

Should students be able to use the internet during tests? This is one of those questions where there is no right or wrong answer. The answer mostly depends on the subject that is being taught. The article we read shows both sides of the debate and both are correct in my opinion. I don't see how using the internet can help during any math test. Only a calculator can help students during a math tests and we already allow them to do that. There is no reason a student should have to access the internet to find out what 2+2 is or how to solve an algebraic equation. I think to a lesser degree, this will apply to science education. Most science tests emphasize memorization and allowing students to access the internet will only provide them the answers. The teacher will be doing a disservice to the student by providing easy access to the answers. There are some subjects however where allowing students to use the internet during tests can be acceptable. Like the article points out, the internet can be helpful when you are requesting that the student analyze ideas, think critically, or explain a topic. If a test question asks a student to analyze the historical effect effects of slavery they wont be able to find an answer from the internet. They can however find a lot of information about slavery, segregation, and then they can connect those topics to contemporary issues. The internet can also be used effectively for tests in English classes. The teacher may ask the students to analyze the effects of a great book on society. The student may be able to find information on the internet but they have to also analyze the societal implications on their own. Internet use can be allowed if the test is specifically trying to assess their computer skills or their ability to use the internet for educational purposes. Another important consideration we should discuss is the grade level of the student. When students are too young they are not capable of using a computer for research purposes. We cannot ask a kindergartner to effectively do a search on the internet. At certain ages they also spend too much time typing and cant effectively researching topics online. I think we can start considering internet use during tests in middle school and high school. At this point most students know how to type, how to operate a computer, and how to search on the internet. Sometimes we can allow internet use during tests but I think most times we shouldn't. To me the determining factors will be the subject matter and the grade level of the student.

Your Life on Cyberspace

I started thinking about who I am online. When I first created an online profile I used a pseudonym. I've never taken my online interactions seriously and never felt I needed to identify myself with my real name. Who I am in my personal life, my public life, my professional life, and my life online are very different. I consider all of my spaces very private and I only share my life with people I trust whether its in real life or online. I think subconsciously I never used my real name on social media because I did not want to a professional organization to view what I consider very private information. I consider any professional entity searching for me online a big invasion of my privacy. My Myspace has been deleted for many years. My Facebook page is reserved for a small group of friends and relatives that I trust sharing information with. I only use twitter to follow various personalities on the internet. This is the only social media I use where I am more public. Strangers can follow me and I follow strangers back. Sometimes I've made online friends with people that I share similar interests. The only social media site where I publicly identify myself is LinkedIn. I can be found there and I only use it to network with other professionals and as an online resume. In the articles we read I noticed the common theme was about how your online persona can impact whether you get a job. In the education field, teacher have to be even more careful about their digital tattoo. I know that when we apply for jobs some employers may search for you online but I think this is wrong. To me going through your Facebook page and looking at your pictures is the same breaking into your house and going through your photo albums. Its not right and I hope I encounter employers that have the moral code to not invade my privacy. Running a criminal background check is fair game because employers have to make sure they are not hiring criminals but searching your social media sites is just plain wrong. Personally, I don't use social media often nor do I have any accounts under my name so I don't really have to do much to "clean up" my life on cyberspace. All my social media accounts are private. I do understand that its important to keep a clean image online and this is something I will emphasize in my class. Sometimes we think people should just know to behave well online and keep a clean image but often they need to be reminded. This assignment was a good reminder for us future teachers to clean up our life on cyberspace.

Edutopia

This article begins with an interesting question about whether technology is even necessary in education. I don't think technology is useful for every grade level or every subject but I do think there is some use for technology in almost every classroom.  I observed a variety of different classroom over the  past month and noticed that almost every one used some kind of technology. This is such a broad subject thought that we would need to address the issue in parts.

The most common use of technology I observed in the classroom was the use of a projector. I think there is a use for a projector in every classroom and this will probably be the norm in the future if it isn't already. The positives of using a projector are that teachers can show their lesson plans, access the internet, and show video clips when necessary. The disadvantages of using a projector are that they are sometimes difficult to see. In one classroom I observed the teachers was showing a document that was very hard to see on the screen. The biggest disadvantage of using this type of technology for instruction is that it has a short life and often malfunctions. I know because I used them for many years. When they malfunction your lesson for the day may be ruined.

The use of computers was the second most common use of technology I observed in the classroom. The computer can be the most useful tool for students in the classroom. It allows student to write papers and do research on the internet. To me its more valuable to teach a student how to use a computer than merely allowing students to use them. Students need to learn how to use a computer outside of work and often in the workplace so learning how to maximize the use of the computer is to me most important.

When we talk specifically about internet use for students, I think teachers should set strict limits. Most of what's on the internet is not useful in any way to students. The article talks about social media and I really find no use for social media in the classroom. I think it can be a big distraction and do more harm than good. I don't think many students are mature enough to appropriately use social media in the classroom. Many adults still aren't.