Charlotte Kaeding
Online vs. Traditional Education
September 4, 2010
Technology is an undeniable part of our everyday society. People can shop, date or even play poker online. With this new wave of online availability the internet seems to provide anything a person could need or want. But does this mean everything a person does on the internet is valuable or effective? It is easy to agree that not everything that happens online is instantly everyone’s best option. It is important to compare the options, and critically evaluate weather the internet can truly provide the best experience. This paper will discuss the pros and cons of the online options for a high school education and whether it is effective for everyone.
When beginning to compare the pros and cons of the online diploma it is first important to understand the online options for high school students. Each situation is different for all students but some of the main reasons students take online courses are; to improve grades in a class they have already taken, to catch up after falling behind their graduating class, to help students graduate early, for the flexibility online courses provide, and to experience a different learning environment for students who struggle in a tradition high school classroom (Cavanagh, 2006). Just like a traditional classroom every student is different as well as the reasons they choose the online option. The reason each student is choosing the online option will be different but has a dramatic effect on weather the program is valube and needed for their situation.
The difference between online courses and traditional classroom environments affect each student differently but it is important to clearly state the differences. First, the location of the class is different for a traditional high school class compared to the online class. In a traditional class students have specific dates and times they must attended class at a specific location. For example, a traditional high school student probably has six to eight classes a day at the high school each of which are about an hour. This means the traditional high school student will be in school five days a week for six to eight hours. The online option does not have specific times and places to meet but should check in daily online. Online students generally follow a course outline and have pre-determined due dates throughout their course when assignments are due. This is the only time sensitive event that students have to meet providing the student with the option when and where the course work will be done. This also means that the student can do their homework and class assignments anywhere the internet is offered.
Some benefits of the location in the online option of the course are students have more options for when the assignments are done as long as they are turned in on time (Stewart, 2010). Students can do their assignments the day before the assignment is due or three days before the assignment is due. It all depends on the students schedule and their work ethic. This is a benefit for students who have jobs or children because it provides the flexibility they need during the day. This however, could also be a con for students who are overwhelmed in their daily life and cannot find the time to complete the assignments or for students who are not self motivated. The online course puts the learning in the hands of the students and their own personal desire to complete the course. Any student who wants to take an online course has to have good time management and be able to balance their life as well as the work load that comes with online courses. Because there is not a teacher right their at all times the students are really responsible for their achievement in the class.
Classroom discussions are also different when comparing regular high school classes to the online classes. In a tradition classroom teachers can provide a topic and have students discuss different aspects of that topic. The students can verbally interact instantly and this can be done in one class period. When it comes to the online courses all discussions are posted on the internet and students must respond in writing to the questions as well as others responses. This would happen over the course of a few days, giving everyone time to post their thoughts as well as responses to other students post on the discussion board.
This can be a huge benefit for a student who lacks the verbal communication skills as well as the confidence to speak in front of their peers. It provides each student ample time to completely think through the question and be able to prepare a response as opposed to responding immediately to questions in a class (“Is Online For,”). Some students however are more effective in live discussions. Students may have better communication skills and might enjoy a true classroom setting discussion. This really depends on the student and which type of discussion they are most comfortable with. It is important to note that new advances in technology can provide online classes with actual discussions via webcams or Skype (Lohr, 2009). This creates the classroom discussion environment however is not used in all classes because of the scheduling conflicts. If online courses make students meet at specific times to chat it may affect the busy lives of many of the online users which is a main reason why people take online course making class web cam discussions less frequent.
Another difference between online classes and tradition classrooms are the lectures and the how the information is presented to the student. In a traditional classroom teachers can present information verbally to the entire class compared to the online class where a lecture could be prerecorded from the instructor and each student can view it in their own time. Lectures can also be student led or guided by in class projects.
This can beneficial to the student who is busy and would rather view the lesson in their own time. Online courses provide each student the opportunity to do each lesson at anytime of the day. It also allows students to start and stop the lecture at a time that is convenient for the student. For example if a student needed to review a concept or pause the video (Stewart, 2010). Having prerecorded information can be a problem however when considering the social aspects of being in a classroom. If a traditional lecture is happening, students can ask questions instantly, getting feedback and provided other learning opportunities for the other students (“Is Online For,”). Online, students would have to send questions to the teacher, then at the teachers convenience they would respond (“The difference between,” 2010). Depending on the teacher this could be instant, take a day or even longer. When lacking the actual social interaction students and teachers also lose the nonverbal connection found in actual classrooms. The teacher would never be able to see if the student showed concern about a topic unless they expressed it through e-mails which again takes time and may delay the student getting the help they need. This loses some of the personal touches classroom interaction can provide and takes the personal connection away from the students and teachers.
Assignments can also be different in a traditional classroom compared to the online class. Most assignments for the online class are written assignments compared to the variety of assignments like worksheets, class projects, or speeches. All of these can happen in an online class but are very difficult and usually teachers just go with the written assignments. This can be a negative aspect for online learning. Some students may not learn or be able to effectively communicate through the writing (“The difference between,” 2010). It is not always beneficial for every student to express their understanding of class material through writing. This would however be very effective for a student who enjoys writing and prefer writing papers to other class assignments. Assignments are very important in any class environment whether online or in a classroom because it provides the teacher with a way to asses the student. By only having the written assessment it limits possible ways for a student to demonstrate their knowledge of the subject at hand.
When it comes to assignments group projects are also very different online compared to in a classroom. In a tradition class students know their classmates and can easy be put into groups. The teacher can also use the scheduled class time to provide a working environment for the groups. In an online course, group projects are possible but normally assignments given to the students. Online students normally do not have the personal connection to all of their classmates. Each person usually works independently and may not know anyone in their class. The group for the projects would have to preset by the teacher and students would probably be communicating through emails rather then meeting in person. Working through emails may cause delays because of response time. Group projects online are also more a combination of different assignments to create on final assignment. Group Kaeding, 6
projects in a classroom or more of a collective effort form start to finish and create a community of learners with in the group. This provides a learning environment where students take the initiative to help the peers in the group. These aspects can be lost when doing groups projects online because of the communication barriers. Group projects online are definitely more difficult for the students and may not be the most effective way for students to learn.
Classes that require labs can be very different when taken online compared to the tradition classroom. When doing a lab in class there is the set up, the lab, data collection and so on. When doing a lab online it would probably be more of a simulation or video of someone else doing the lab or performing the tasks rather then the student performing the lab, collecting the results and analyzing the data.
Doing labs online would create situations that limit the risk that can come along with labs. Simulations also allow for students to slow down the assignment so they can better understand each aspect allowing the lab to go at their pace rather then the time sensitive aspects that come with an actual lab which can be benefits to the online labs. Watching a simulation does however take out the hands on aspect that a tradition classroom provides. Students who enjoy using their hands and learn better from actually physically doing the assignment would benefit more from the classroom experience then an online simulation or video. This again is a situation that would be specific to how each student learns best.
Students in an online class compared to an in class experience also are assessed differently. Student in the online class usually have open book test that are timed and can be graded quickly if not instantly by the teacher or the computer program. In a tradition class assessments can be given similar to the online way but can also be verbal or presented to the class. Teachers can also personally interact with students and can asses their learning though the actual events in the everyday class. This provides opportunity for students who struggle with test to show their understanding of concepts and the lessons in other ways. Taking the test in personal also provides a controlled environment for the student to take the test. If the online student has a screaming baby and a television playing it may distract them hindering the actual results of the test. By taking the teat in a classroom the teacher can control the class and provide a quite working environment.
Online classes can also be reading heavy courses. Because of the limited interaction it leaves much of the learning up to the student and their dedication to the reading materials. For students who enjoys reading and can read quickly this makes online courses a great option. However for students who are not great readers it may limit the amount of knowledge they gain throughout the course. It may take more time for the student to learn through reading materials slowing down their progress in the online course. For students in the traditional classroom ready is also very prevalent however, it is important in both areas that students can read and effectively understand the material. Being in the classroom provides other ways for materials and information to be presented. Reading is not the only options for teachers and because they are interacting with the students they may see that reading is not the effective presentation of materials to that specific group. Being able to interact with the students will provide the best way to effectively teacher each student.
High school can also provide the social interaction that many students enjoy and learn from. This can be lost in the online classes because of the lack of interaction between students. Because students online do not normally interact socially with the other students it becomes strictly up to that student to learn the material and may find it difficult to get peer help. They will not easily receive the one on one interaction that normally can be an asset in the traditional classroom. Students who need that interaction and learn from their peers lose this effective method in the online world. The lack of developing friendships and relations in online classes may also hinder the person negatively in the other aspects of their life. Creating relationships in the classroom for many people is an important aspect to life and something a student gains beyond the required material. Students who do not desire the personal relationship aspect they can gain from classrooms may actually see this as a benefit to taking the online class. If they are independent and just want to understand the materiel and complete the course they may not need the interaction a tradition classroom can provide.
All of the pros and cons listed above really depend on the student and what they need form a course. This becomes the reacquiring theme throughout teaching that every student is different and has different needs. But the biggest concern with online classes is weather the student actually understands and benefits from the course. Does the student truly understand the course material and meet the required standards for those areas? This is a hard question to answerer but really depends on the class, the material, and the teacher.
As a teacher in an online class students still need to be engaged in the lessons. This provides a challenge for the teacher. To engage the learner lessons need to vary as well as assignments. It is important in any area of teaching that the student is interesting in the lesson. Online classes should still provide an interesting learning environment even though the student is not in the classroom. If the teacher cannot provide a interesting, engaging learning environment the students may put off the assignments, find ways around doing them completely or do them to just to get them done. As much as it is important the student turns in the assignment it is important they actually understand the material and feel connected to the class. It is also very boring for a student to do the same assignments every week and this could disengage students who are already behind in school. Students in online classes need be stimulated just as much as any other student.
Students in either the classroom or online still need to be challenged and pushed to excel. This can be difficult in an online environment because the teacher does not know the students personally. The online class may have students who excel in school and are trying to get ahead while other students in the online class may be students who already struggle in school (Michelle, 2009). This creates a situation where the teacher may not know and creates assignments that may be too hard or too easy. In the online class it would be more difficult to know students their level of learning and how they learn. Depending on the length of the of the online class teachers may develop the understanding of each student and where they are at but it would take more time without the personal interaction a student can receive in a traditional classroom.
After reading though all the information so far it can really be a toss up weather a student should be aloud to take online classes for their high school diploma or not. After reviewing the pros and cons I think it clearly depends on the student. Some may really excel in the online environment and may prefer it because of the flexibility and methods. I however, do strongly believe that the social interactions of high school are an important aspect for a student to prepare for the world. This does sway my decision in the final direction that online classes can be valuable and may work for some students but should not be the entire method to obtain their diploma. Students should still in some ways attend regular classes with students their own age. It is important for every student to learn how to socially interact with their peers on a daily level both professionally and socially. I also believe that having student’s continue taking regular high school classes it can provide them with resources to assist them with their online classes. If a student is struggling with an online class, they can go to a teacher, peer or a tutor in their high school. It provides them support and another resource to make all aspects of their learning successful. By continuing their tradition high school classes it also provides students access to the school technology and resources. This may help lower income students be able to take online classes because the school will be providing the necessary equipment and programs to participate in the course (Podoll & Randle, 2005).
When evaluating whether online classes are good for high school students it is also important to consider how they will affect them after the student graduates high school. If the students have taking all online classes to gradate high school does that diploma compare to a tradition high school diploma? It is a question that can be quit tricky because each online program is different. I believe this is again
where I would consider what other values a student gains and learns from high school beside just the school work. Being in high school students develop communication skills, social skills, and learns how to work with other people and interact in a community. I think this is the biggest difference between a traditional high school education and taking online courses. I do not think this however should make or break a student getting into college, it is just something consider. College essay questions, grade point averages and other activities the students participate in still are good resources when evaluating a student and their enrollment in college. It is also important to consider that when a student is entering college the college wants a student who is committed, and can meet the requirements of the program. If the online student can achieve this, which they may have shown through their online experience, then they should be considered for college. The completion of the online course should reflect their commitment to their personal development and education.
Overall when looking and all the pros and cons of taking online courses for a high school diploma verse the traditional high school I would strongly say I think taking some online courses would be acceptable, but not for their entire high school diploma. I would agree that students who want to get ahead, or make up a class the online option is a great solution. I do not think however a student’s complete diploma should be online. I think this limits the students and their overall success as a citizen. By allowing a student to take all online classes they are taking about from the social benefits of high school. The interaction between students, teachers and the over all environments are important for a student and help them learn how to socially interact in a community. I understand that high school and the social aspects are not easy for everyone but they are very important none the less. Every student needs social interaction as part of heir learning experience. Even if it is minor, some is better then none. I think this would also make the college search easier because they would not face the concern some colleges may have with a diploma that was obtained through all online classes. If students took some classes or even half online they would still have the quality high school classes and experience on their application. Overall the online courses should still meet the standards for the high school level and that specific content area so they should be considered for high school diploma, I truly just think a completely online degree losses the personal connection students receive in the traditional high school environment and would be the main reason I would encourage students to add online classes to their tradition high school classes.
References
Cavanagh, S. (2006). To Tailor schedules, students log in to online classes. Education Week, 26(9),
Is Online for me?. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://itl.uconn.edu/studentguide/SH_Classroom_vs_online.html
Keller, J., & Parry, M. (2010). U. of california considers online classes, or even degrees. Chronicle of
Higher Education, 56(35),
Lohr, S. (2009, August 19). Study finds that online education beats the classroom. Retrieved from
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/study-finds-that-online-education-beats-the
classroom/
Michelle, D. (2009). Web-based classes booming in schools. Education Week, 28(19),
Online schools: the reports you need. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.onlineschools.org
Pape, L. (2005). High school on the web. American School Board Journal, 12-16.
Podoll, S., & Randle, D. (2005). Building a virtual high school...click by click. The Journal, 33(2),
Stewart, C. (2010, July 29). Pros and cons of online education. Retrieved from
http://www.courseadvisor.com/blog/2010/07/29/pros-and-cons-of-online-education/
The difference between online and traditional classroom educations. (2010). Retrieved from
http://education-portal.com/articles/The_Difference_between_Online_and_Traditional_Classroom_Educations.html
Top ten online high schools. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.onlineeducationblog.org/k-12/top-ten
online-high-schools
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Meeting the Needs of Students with Learning Disabilities through Assistive Technology
Thanks for a great time, y'all! My paper focuses on determining the technological needs of learning disabled students through assistive technology and how technology can enhance their academic pursuits in a meaningful way no matter what their goals may be.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Copyright
I am glad that I picked this topic. I plan on utilizing at least a wiki in my classes and I feel more secure in teaching my students how to properly use photos. It has also made me more aware of what I need to think about when putting my artwork online. I had been briefly talked to about that my senior year of college, but not as in depth as some of the information I read told me.Enough talking...here it is....
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Integrating Technology Using Bloom's Taxonomy
Here is my final paper. Thank you Professor Cantrell and all students for a great class!
Integrating Technology Using Bloom's Taxonomy
Integrating Technology Using Bloom's Taxonomy
Thursday, August 26, 2010
ISTE
The International Standards for Technology in Education is an association created for educators to help provide assistance to incorporate technology in the classroom. They are committed to providing engaging and effective learning through technology and assistant teachers in technological classroom advances in the PK-12 profession.
This websites provides interesting videos to help teachers include technology and use it effectively in the classroom. I have not watched all the videos but they have multiple videos for different stages of learning and different content areas.
http://nets-implementation.iste.wikispaces.net/Videos+of+NETS•S+in+Action
The Unseen Viewer
The Issue
Do you remember that contest in the mall that you entered your information into? Yeah, that green Ford Mustang that you have always wanted since you were a kid. What about that magazine subscription you fill out online just the other day? Did you know that in placing your information into those little boxes you are putting yourself on the auction block?
Companies buy and sell information for "marketing" reasons. They play by the idea that if you scratch our back by provide information that I can sell and also lower marketing costs then they will in turn scratch yours by lower the cost of the product. Is that worth it to have a duplicate of your self out there in a digital form, i.e. a digital profile? Do we have much of a choice?
Unless you plan on never using the internet, filling out a warrenty card, or any other type of form you should start thinking about how to limit the information going into your profile and being spread through the internet. While the places I mentioned that keep your profile doesn't sound too scary, think about all the people who have figured out how to tap into that digitial profile that are not for mere marketing reasons. They desire to do other things such as acquire your identity.
You can start right now and decide how you would like to limit this digital profile and the information sent out through the internet so no cyber vagabond or predator can acquire the information.
There are a lot of websites out there that will keep you updated on the big pictures of information privacy.
A lot of these issues apply to classrooms because of how connected to the internet/technology the students are connected while in class. I think a downfall of living in a digital age is that we can get desesitized to the dangers on the web because we are surrounded by the internet all the time. It becomes a normal part of what we do. Now we need to make it sure that saftey precautions are a part of the habit as well.
Safeguards
If you are going to use the internet in the classroom then the school should consider setting limitations on what can be accessed through said computer. The teachers should spend a little time, before letting them roam free on the computer, to talk about some saftey precations.
If you feel like your class is in need more education on the matter you can consider acquiring different tools, exercises, and informative video.
Teachers and Administrattors can cut down on the digital profile growth by educating themselves on their computer software and paying attention to 1. their expiration date (virus protections), 2. the necessary updates for browsers and software and 3. privacy settings on websites. All of these things will mean you have the latest protection. There are constantly people out there, our internet vagabonds and predators, that are figuring out how to bypass the safeguards that have been created. If you use the updates then you are receiving the latest protection and ensuring to stay ahead of the hackers and those unwanted invisble viewers to your information. Take advantage of being able to choose your privacy settings in order to add to your filter and means of protection.
Teachers also need to ensure when they use such tools as wikis or blogs that they are not using too much personal information and allow for some anonimity on the web. Let them create their own user name while you maintain a list at home of who is who.
One of the biggest things students need to know about safe guarding their digital selves is to limit what is put in this profile. They shoud learn to filter. They need be aware of where they are putting their personal information such as addresses, full names etc... This might seem weird to them because of all the social networking options available and all the information that could be enetered in there. They need to be reminded to use the privacy settings to ensure that only those people they want to see their information has access to it.
Places for social networking are a whole different monster, but there are two concerns you can present to the students: Personal information theft (to be used for the wrong reasons) and the influence things on the internet have on a future job. There is a permancy to what is added to the internet.
Do you think there should be mandatory classes in school on how to use the internet? Should it just be little tips before projects and use of the computer or full blown lessons? Does your administration address these issues during the pre or post school year planning sessions? Should they?
If you want to keep learning more and some of the most up to date things you can do to protect your privacy then consider visiting the website or participating in the International Data Privacy Day.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Lower Merion Webcam Incident and other tales of technology gone wrong in the classroom
Wasn’t technology supposed to make life easier?
In the 1950’s post-WWII boom of industry and technology, the future looked bright. We were promised that in 50 years we’d all be living in a world of flying cars, bullet trains, and enough hi-tech gadgets that the corny sci-fi fantasies of movies and television were to become a reality. It was a realistic vision to a certain extent, and while we don’t as of yet have flying cars, technological advances have become so ubiquitous and commonplace, it’s become highly integrated into the way we communicate with others and go about our daily business. All too often, we take it for granted.
Problems inevitably arise when technology makes life too easy, particularly for the classroom. New features on handheld devices or websites can quickly exploit the vulnerable and witless alike. Across the nation, the camera-enabled cell phones have led to rampant incidents of “sexting” between students, causing legal bouts between school officials and prosecutors over the extent of the law and school authority. Social networking websites such as Facebook and Myspace, not to mention cell phones and like devices, have enhanced the efforts of bullys to target their victims, commonly referred to as “cyberbullying”.
As is often the case when technology is either intentionally or intentionally misused, even the best of intentions can quickly become legal and ethical whirlpools of confusion and chaos. Case in point: the Lower Merion school district of Philadelphia. When the school decided to give each of its 2,300 students their own laptops (provided the students paid a small insurance fee against damage, a monitoring and tracking programming came pre-loaded on each of the students’ laptops. Seems harmless enough, right? And what a fine gesture by the school administration – each student has their own laptop now to better enhance their studies!
However, trouble began when the tracking software was activated which provided the school’s servers with the pinpointed locations of potentially missing laptops. The software kicked into gear and using the laptop’s built-in webcam began taking pictures of the students using the laptops, including screenshots of any programs that were running and what the students were doing – whether they were actually Lower Merion students or not!
After the pictures surfaced, allegations of student and teacher misconduct began to fly. By November 2008, one particular student “claimed that an assistant principal confronted him with a Web cam photo of him in his bedroom. The photo shows him with a handful of Mike & Ike candies, but that the assistant principal thought they were drugs.” Soon, the district attorney was on the case, with allegations that the school district had violated the students’ right to privacy, while the school district contends it was only intending to monitor for laptops that had been potentially stolen.
Sweet dreams: Homework always goes down better in between naps, right? ... One of the alleged webcam photos taken by the monitoring software.
Since the case broke, the monitoring of the laptops by the school district has been disabled. As legal woes continued over the summer, the district’s legal fees topped $1 million dollars. Finally, this last week, prosecutors announced no criminal charges would be filed in the case, although lawsuits from two students who were first tracked and monitored are still pending. Meanwhile, as they should have done in the first place, the school district has “adopted new policies governing how, when, and for what reasons staff will track the take-home laptops Lower Merion issues to each of its nearly 2,300 high school students.”
The Lower Merion Webcam Incident raises a few important ethical questions about the use of technology in schools, how it should be used and where it ought to be used. Obviously, the school district valued the students’ accessibility to technology that would help them in their studies. Why would they have purchased the laptops for the students in the first place? But perhaps they didn’t think this through. What prevents the students from allowing friends or unauthorized users to use the laptops? What if they’re stolen or sold? What will students be doing with the laptops?
Tracking and monitoring software would solve those issues, but then what of students’ rights? Shouldn’t students be afforded privacy when at home or away from school, away from laptops that allow school officials to “snoop” at what activities the students are engaging in at home?
I think there is a very good case here on either side of the issue, but ultimately, I think the fault rests with the school district for their shortsightedness. Everyone wants students to have access to technology that will make their lives easier (particularly low-income or at-risk students who wouldn’t have access to laptops). We value the enhancements that computer programs such as word processors and e-mail will bring to students’ learning. Perhaps the school district should have only allowed the students to “check out” the laptops with a sort of library/honor system rather than simply giving the students their own laptops.
Technology has enabled students to express their learning in many new and unique ways that were not otherwise possible. Advancements in speed and software applications have also made learning fun, accessible, and functional for students of all abilities and needs. Technology was supposed to make life easier, but for school administrators, teachers, and students, at what cost?
With great power comes with great responsibility…
Right? What do you think?
NETS and ISTE
The amount of technology that is available to our teachers and students can be overwhelming at times. Just finding a place to start, or a resource to help you begin can be very difficult. Mary Beth Hertz in her blog post entitled, “Getting Started with Technology Integration in Your Classroom” says the National Educational Technology Standards are “a great framework for planning lessons and projects that combine technology literacy with academic standards and critical thinking skills.” The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) were created by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and can be found on the ISTE website. ISTE has created a set of standards for students (2007), teachers (2008), and administrators (2009). The ISTE website indicates that the standards “have served as a roadmap since 1998 for improved learning and teaching.” The standards are just one way that ISTE has been helping teachers implement technology into the classroom in order to enhance student learning. They are a very organized and detailed set of standards to assist educators in the classroom.
bm.iphone, “iPad accessory” April 10, 2010 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
ISTE is a legitimate professional growth opportunity. ISTE offers a variety of resources to assist the educator including an online magazine, webinars, newsletters, and a very large annual conference and exposition. I know of many educators who attended this year’s annual conference in Denver and were quite impressed with the amount of connecting, sharing, collaborating, and learning that took place during the conference. It appears to me that the annual ISTE conference is one of the premier technology conferences available to educators. Joining ISTE is as simple as going online, submitting a membership application, or calling on the phone. In another blog post entitled "Is ISTE Still Relevant for Young Educators?", Mary Beth Hertz talks about some of the value of being a member of ISTE, whether you are a young educator or a "proven veteran." The benefits from ISTE can be seen by all teachers.
bm.iphone, “iPad accessory” April 10, 2010 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
ISTE is a legitimate professional growth opportunity. ISTE offers a variety of resources to assist the educator including an online magazine, webinars, newsletters, and a very large annual conference and exposition. I know of many educators who attended this year’s annual conference in Denver and were quite impressed with the amount of connecting, sharing, collaborating, and learning that took place during the conference. It appears to me that the annual ISTE conference is one of the premier technology conferences available to educators. Joining ISTE is as simple as going online, submitting a membership application, or calling on the phone. In another blog post entitled "Is ISTE Still Relevant for Young Educators?", Mary Beth Hertz talks about some of the value of being a member of ISTE, whether you are a young educator or a "proven veteran." The benefits from ISTE can be seen by all teachers.
Where is our line in the sand?
To use Facebook in the classroom or not use facebook in the classroom, that is the question. In our weekly announcements at Andersen Middle School we were informed that our school now has a Facebook page. I was really excited! BUT then I began asking myself many questions about where our district stands on using facebook in the classroom, and outside of the classroom. Facebook is blocked for both students and staff during the school day. So I suppose they allowed the district to set one up more so for general school information and communication purposes.
In a search for answers I sent an email to the Director of Human Resources asking if our district has any written policies about interacting with students on Facebook. In his response he stated that we don’t have a “policy regarding the specific use of Facebook or other medium.” He did however attach the link to our code of Ethics. Needless to say I didn’t find any real answers in this document. It served as more of a general reminder as to what good ethics are as an educator. He also copied in his response to the Executive Director of Technology and asked for her feedback.
This is certainly a hot-topic in our district because the Executive Director of Technology thanked me for posing the question and explained that in new-staff orientation they shared “pitfalls of using social media in the classroom and what may get you in trouble.” Her recommendation was in regards to using your personal Facebook account to interact with students. She tells all teachers not to friend any students enrolled in our district until after they graduate. I did think this was an important message to send however I was still left wondering how the district feels about teachers using Facebook as a classroom tool. So I replied with a request for more information. I will keep you posted via comments as soon as I hear a reply :)
The reason I want to keep digging on this is that Facebook is potentially a powerful classroom tool! We know that “kids do have access to these technologies outside of school. They are powerful tools, and kids need to be taught now to use them wisely. They need to develop critical skills to select information and to make decisions about information. They also need to be critical about who they meet on the internet and what they tell them, [and] what they post.” 
Monday, August 23, 2010
ISTE & Ethical Dilemmas
According to there own website the ISTE is "engaged in improving learning and teaching through the effective use of technology". After looking over their website two things become quite apparent; 1. They are making every effort to help with an issue there is very important in education today; the ue of technology. 2. They seem to be experts on the subject. All the research and data I could find concerning this organization showed me that they are clearly the authroity in this area of education. In fact no other organization really seems to compare in knowledge and professional presentation. The website for the ISTE include many very useful links including the background and development of the program as well as links for professional development and other helpful publications regarding the topic of techology in education.
A simple yet major ethical dilemma facing educators today is the sharing of software. In most cases the sharing of software programs that have been purchased from a retailor is illegal and often enough such sharing is blocked through product identification. However there are man cases in whcih sharing is possible. The question then becomes is this stealing? No teacher would want to be knowingly committing a crime to better their classroom would they? The answer may seem obvious to most, of course not. Teahcers and schools should be examples of ethical uprightness to parents and kids alike. However I ask the question, what is a teacher to do if the school simply can't afford another copy of the software? Are they to decrease the oppurtunities for students using technology? Again the ethical answer maybe obvious but I would venture to say that temptation is always there, when copies of programs are avaliable. To me there is no easy answer, a teacher always wants the best for students, but at what cost?
Finally I would like to address some of the "Educator Resources" that ISTE provides. First of 
coures is a great variety of books and electronic resources that help teachers integrate technology. Along with these are numerous peridoicals that schools and eductors can subsribe to. Another usefule product that the ISTE can provide is what they call an "Advocacy Tool Kit". This kit provides educators with a step by step process of how to bring technology into schools are extremely lacking. Along with their many print resoures ISTE provides pod casts, article archives, and many more online tools for research and development. Finally ISTE include a calendar of technology events, to encourage teachers to continue their learning in person at various sites around the country.
coures is a great variety of books and electronic resources that help teachers integrate technology. Along with these are numerous peridoicals that schools and eductors can subsribe to. Another usefule product that the ISTE can provide is what they call an "Advocacy Tool Kit". This kit provides educators with a step by step process of how to bring technology into schools are extremely lacking. Along with their many print resoures ISTE provides pod casts, article archives, and many more online tools for research and development. Finally ISTE include a calendar of technology events, to encourage teachers to continue their learning in person at various sites around the country.Week 4
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Hello all!
First, let me say that the technology tutorials were all done very well! It was interesting to see the variety of formats used from wikis to youtube videos to powerpoint to a PDF uploaded to Scribd! Part of my goal on the assignment was to demonstrate the various technologies we can use to teach technology. Well done!
Second, I just wanted to remind everyone that this week we'll be going back to the blog post format from weeks 1 & 2. You should be able to find the topics on blackboard. Please post your topic ahead of time on Blackboard so we can avoid duplication.
Third, I wanted to remind you that your grades are posted on the blackboard gradebook. Please let me know if you have any questions or if I made a mistake in recording your grade.
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| Flickr - Terry Hart, Creative Commons License |
Finally, on Sunday, your final paper topic prompt will be available on Blackboard. Here is the information about the paper from the syllabus:
Final Paper: Your final paper for this class will be a minimum 10 page research paper answering either one of the suggested prompts or writing your own prompt. If you decide to write your own prompt it needs to be approved by your instructor by Aug 28. Your paper should have a minimum of 10 sources of which 5 should be online resources (such as blogs, web resources, etc) and 5 should be offline resources (such as newspapers, magazines, books). Please see the rubric on the assignment for grading criteria and more details on the assignment.So if you have an idea for what you'd like to write your research paper on please let me know through blackboard. Otherwise pick from one of the topics posted online. Also, please note that this is not like the weekly papers you have been turning in. This is a research paper which should be a capstone on the class drawing from what we've covered this month. The final paper will need to be turned in through Blackboard by Saturday, September 4th by noon. Note that the final paper, at 100 points, is worth roughly 25% of your grade in the class.
Please let me know if you have any questions - I've enjoyed working with all of you this month!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Facebook for Teachers and Students
This tutorial for Teachers is a 10 step guide to setting up a Facebook account. You would be suprised how many teachers don't know how to use Facebook...! The Student version is more of a CAUTION to students on what not to do on Facebook, although it is set up in simple steps like the teacher guide... My tutorials were created in power point so I have sent them to you via e-mail. Please comment on the blog if you desire...
Online literature circles
One of my goals in my reading class this year is to implement an online discussion forum for literature. For my tutorial I chose to focus on using online literature circle discussions! This gave me an opportunity to coach myself on how I need to go about establishing the forum in my classroom. Perhaps it may encourage you to do the same!
Lit circle tutorial
View more presentations from Claudia Wickham.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Notebook Software
popofatticus, “smartboard” September 18, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
The SMART Notebook software is a very effective software for creating lessons for the SMART Board. I wrote about the benefits of a SMART Board or an interactive whiteboard (IWB) on my blog this spring:
Within a classroom a variety of learners sit in their desks. The class is split between visual, auditory, and tactile learners. In addition to the different learning styles, the students have different abilities. And finally, the students have different interests. With all of these students, one teacher must mesh all of the diversity together into one effective learning environment. A SMART Board is a tool that can help a teacher to do this successfully.
Over the past two years, Zion Lutheran School has been blessed by being able to purchase 11 SMART Boards for our classrooms. A SMART Board is an interactive whiteboard that allows users to touch, write on, and view images that are being projected from a computer. This tool that can provide a teacher with many options for instruction and give great variety to lessons. Some of the benefits of SMART Boards in the classroom include:
Lessons can be created to easily include videos, music, graphics, games, and interactive activities.
Teachers can model a variety of effective note taking methods.
Teachers AND students can use technology to collaborate with others in the classroom or all over the world. The SMART Board can assist with many types of collaboration.
Teachers can print or email a lesson to a student who is absent and missed class.
Lessons can be created to provide an effective flow and sequence with prepared leading and discussion questions.
Many different graphic organizers (tables, charts, and Venn diagrams) can be used to categorize ideas, concepts, and data.
Technology integrated into instruction can take a classroom, bounded by four walls, and open it up to the world. SMART Boards are one example of how we can integrate technology into education and are one step toward technology having a positive impact in the classrooms of Zion Lutheran School.
Picciotto, Henri. (2010, March 27). Interactive white boards. Retrieved from http://blog.mathedpage.org/2010/03/interactive-white-boards.html
Using Technology with classroom instruction that works. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dd78ng6q_73fcr94wgt
Below is a tutorial for students or teachers using Notebook software.
TUTORIAL PART 1
TUTORIAL PART 2
TUTORIAL PART 3
Interactive Whiteboard/SMART Notebook Resources
SMART Board Revolution Ning
SMART Exchange - Find Lesson Plans for Your SMART Board and Connect with Teachers
Interactive Whiteboard Insights [Blog] - Put more interactivity in your interactive whiteboard!
Diigo page of SMART Board Resouces
SMART Board Resources
Benefits of a SMART Board
Photoshop, blogging, and me
Oh the things I am learning!
To create my photoshop tutorial I made a PDF that you could click through to get to the different parts of the lesson. Sadly, I am finding that you can not post a PDF into the blog. SO... I have uploaded it to a different area of the web and you can find it at the following web site. From there you can either view it or you can download it and actually interact with the PDF.
Blog+Art =Conversations
I made the tutorial using wikispaces. I tried to use powerpoint, but I'm a little rusty and got frustrated. I also really enjoy the wikis. They are easy to use and I think they are designed more for the digital students then a powerpoint is anyway. Oh right, I'm talking about blogs not wikis :-p
Hi-Ho Wiki!
There is a link in there for my example blog, but I'm going to add it here also for easier access
Miss. K's art class
FYI- I realize I never told everyone who this crazy person is with the title Bellybuttonlint. If you haven't guess through process of elimination, this is Rebekah K. I know my user name is funny, but I made is up as a silly late night thing and have not change it yet.
FYI- I realize I never told everyone who this crazy person is with the title Bellybuttonlint. If you haven't guess through process of elimination, this is Rebekah K. I know my user name is funny, but I made is up as a silly late night thing and have not change it yet.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
IMovie
This week, I decided to tackle IMovie '09, which I spoke of briefly in last week's post. I'm fairly familiar with it, and unlike alot of other software applications that maybe only do one thing or another, IMovie is open-ended and versatile enough that it's well-suited for any user (teacher or student) to do just about anything they might conceive of in the classroom. As you'll see in my tutorials, I tried to go into a bit more detail for the teacher tutorial and be as brief and succinct as possible for the student tutorial. This way I figured the teacher could have more of a background and be able to point out the features of IMovie to the students, while the students can have more of a free-range experience, experiment, and try out some of the plethora of tools and effects.
I wanted to mention that I used a neat little Mac application called Screenium to create a video of my actual laptop screen so you could see not just me but me actually demonstrating IMovie '09.
Teacher Tutorial Part 1
Teacher Tutorial Part 2
(Forgive the weird formatting on this one - I'm half cut off after I edited in IMovie, imagine that!)
Student Tutorial
References
Using IMovie to Enhance Learning
A media specialist at Kate Sullivan Elementary School in Tallahassee, FL presents an practical guide to using IMovie in the classroom, although her focus is more on elementary school students and the projects their teachers have designed for them with IMovie specifically in mind. Some excellent projects and suggestions!
Powerpoint Presentation on IMovie in the classroom
This instructor brings up a very good point about compatibility and conversion. Some students may not have Mac's, and in this case it might cause a compatibility issue for the student to continue working on their project at home. Also, third-party video converters such as VisualHub are not always readily available to students, and are sometimes difficult to access on the internet. The Apple website offers several video converters that can assist converting between video formats.
An example of a lesson plan using IMovie and Comic Life, which is a photo template creator in which you can add splashy comic book effects as the title suggests. I like how this lesson plan integrates a field trip with IMovie, where students can document everything they see and hear at the museum and reframes their learning in a way that's interesting and fun - long after they've left the museum. A great listing of resources and a keen consideration of all the tools students will need to create the finished project.
Like I mentioned in the teacher's tutorial, IMovie is what you make it, so you might as well make the most of it! Techradar.com offers 10 IMovie tips - some I was aware, others I was not. But as I've found in working with IMovie, if there's a certain effect you want to achieve it's best to simple Google it, and most times you'll find your answer. I like how this website suggests space saving tips for your hard drive, as IMovie is a bit notorious for gobbling disk space. IMovie '09 has made many things much easier, but if you really want to fine tune the effects and appearance of the video, trust the experts.
The Apple website best sums up IMovie and it's many user-friendly uses and features. They've really tailored it nicely to show all the things you can do with IMovie, but I think the most important thing about IMovie, particularly for teachers is that it can be cut to fit any lesson plan, class project (individual or in groups), and give students a sharp tech-tool to use to better enhance and express their learning in a way that's collaborative, creative, versatile, fun to use, and professional-looking.
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