~Journal 4 (NETS-T IV,V) Teachers with the Internet~

LastSchaffhauser, D. (2010, December 01). It's time to trust teachers with the internet: a conversation with Meg Ormiston. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2010/12/01/its-time-to-trust-teachers-with-the-internet-a-conversation-with-meg-ormiston.aspx?sc_lang=en

It’s not just the teachers afraid of using technology but the entire school uncertain about giving teachers the power to use technology. More and more teachers are becoming limited with their use of technology. It seems there is some kind of fear that the administration can’t trust what might happen if teachers were given the opportunity to use technology effectively, within a classroom. Teachers need the access of the internet to pull together resources needed for the classroom to run smoothly with all the information right there to access.  There’s also a limited amount of space on computers so that the information will be limited most of the time. One thing that is always a fear for all parents, administrators and other teachers alike is the use of blocking. Is everything going to be appropriately blocked or will there be accidents that prove to be inappropriate use of the internet. There are so many fears that we as a faculty need to get passed or else we set up for failure of progression with technology.

Q1: What is a challenge most teacher’s face when limiting access in technology?

A1: Teacher’s will become frustrated with all the restrictions upon their information because with too many restrictions there won’t be a way to access the proper direction to grab information.

Q2: Why is it important to speak with the administrators about internet access and what is available to access?

A2: Administrators control a lot of the make-up of the classrooms and how they will run. It helps to explain the benefits of having available access to the internet because we as teachers should be responsible and trusted within our classroom or else we shouldn’t even teach in the first place. It is up to us to convince administrators the power of technology and its resources.

~Journal 3 (NETS-T II,IV) 100 Things That Make Me Happy~

1. My family

2. Love

3. Books

4. Romance

5. Friends

6. Dancing

7. Ballet

8. Moulin Rouge

9. Techno

10. Trance

11. Deadmau5

12. Muse

13. Singing

14. Music

15. Computers

16. Video Games

17. Left 4 Dead

18. Zombieland

19. Blue

20. Facebook

21. Azure

22. Mom

23. Dad

24. Boys

25. Sports

26. Doughnuts

27. French Fries

28. Coco

29. My House

30. School

31. College

32. Art

33. Drawing

34. Anime

35. French

36. Japanese

37. History

38. Renaissance

39. Malts

40. Teachers

41. Babies

42. Dante's Inferno

43. Philosophy

44. Spirits

45. A's

46. Roleplaying

47. Horses

48. Dogs

49. Cats

50. Tigers

51. Wolves

52. Fantasy

53. Cascada

54. Benny Benassi

55. Madonna

56. Science

57. Peace

58. Silence

59. Tattoos

60. Sentras

61. Sun

62. Moon

63. Chicken

64. Poetry

65. Rings

66. Sapphire

67. Topaz

68. Red Riding Hood

69. Big Bad Wolf

70. Clouds

71. Rainbows

72. Cousins

73. Jazz

74. Hip Hop

75. Rock

76. Customization

77. Dragons

78. Enya

79. Within Temptation

80. Evanescence

81. Halo

82. Rockband

83. Loyalty

84. Trust

85. Organization

86. Cleanliness

87. Iron Chef

88. Judge Pierro

89. Justice

90. Hello Kitty

91. Gerard Butler

92. Jennifer Aniston

93. Fridays

94. Internet

95. Jackets

96. Birthdays

97. Amusement Parks

98. Dinosaurs

99. Museums

100. Heros

~ Journal 2 (NETS-T III,IV,V): Twitter~

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock!. Learning and Leading, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-february-march-2011.aspx

McClintock Miller, S. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and Leading, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-february-march-2011.aspx

 

Twitter is a tool used by the worldwide community to get brief information out and collecting information from other sources through a social network. It’s a process of following other people with the same interests and knowledge that helps a person expand their mental database. When accessing Twitter, you’re accessing a community willing to learn and share information to help one another out effectively. Hadley Ferguson introduces to the community how to set up Twitter and surf through it with ease. This is helpful to educators to learn a method; which helps to access Twitter in a manner that relates to education. A lot of it can be filtered out to make it a place of creative access to knowledge that is constantly updated and shared with your peers. Getting outside resources from all over the globe from interactive real people helps to gather a type of information that can only be shared amongst educators one on one. This will help people to understand and ask questions as if taking a live online class.

Q1: What does PLN stand for?

A1: PLN stands for Professional Learning Network. This name is connected to Twitter to identify it as a tool of helpful use.

Q2: How is Twitter a source to generously give to the worldwide community?

A2: Twitter is a way for you as the user to give feedback and information to the community that is seeking help. It’s not just a place to grab information from out of the sky. It’s also a way to donate your information; which may enlighten others that seek help. If everyone is taking and no one is giving; then there will be no information to receive. We all need feedback and resources from others to receive valuable knowledge on hand.

~Journal 1 (NETS-T I, II, III) : Do Web 2.0 ~

Light, Daniel. (2011). Do web 2.0 right. Learning and Leading with Technology, 38(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Feature_Article_Do_Web_2_0_Right.aspx

 

 Web 2.0 is a great learning feature that features ideas of bringing a system of blogs to the classroom environment. These blogs give access to students, teachers and parents to what is being learned, information shared and any emergency contacts necessary with just the click of the mouse. Blogs are an outlet that are protected and saved for just the classroom setting; while also, giving access to students a new innovative tool of the technological age. It’s a great way to get feedback from the class and improve knowledge and writing for those who use blogs. Blogs also help start conversations of various topics. More then one topic can be running to keep students interactive and working diligently.  Blogs work at all various grade levels. Education is expanding and needs the resources that technology has to offer. All teachers should at least have some access to a blog so that parents and students feel a sense of safety and can reach their teachers in an effective and timely manner.

Q1: What is the main concern for parents and teachers with the blogging community?

A1: Most parents and teacher’s are afraid of outside sources getting access to personal information surrounding a teacher’s lesson plan and various information and comments formed by the students. There is also the fear of commenting of outsiders that may be inappropriate to the blog. A lot of parents and teachers need to put aside these worries because there are ways to make blogs accessible to the classroom only. The protection will maintain a level of professionalism and security.

Q2: How effective can blogging be for students and how does it help them?

A2: Students learn to behave in a collaborative and respectable manner when connecting their blog life to the classroom. They learn to become technologically savvy and receive feedback from their peers.

Technology Self-Assessment: School 2.0

Nets-T Standard: # 3 Model Digital Age Work and Learning

Using the resource, “5 Steps to Using a Teacher’s Blog,” I have learned that technology is a tool we, as teachers, can use in the work field collaboratively to form differing ideas and curriculums for our students. It’s important that we share information and come together as a district because technology can be useful but if we don’t all use it in the same way; we each will learn at a different level and pace.

Teachers fear using technology because in this day and age; students and children were born in the era where they must learn quickly and at a younger age then most of the present teachers. As time goes on, it will be integrated for all teachers to effectively use but for those out there who are unsure of how to use it; blogging helps bring the community of teachers together to interact while also using technology effectively.  We need to come together as a whole and understand the various techniques and learning styles that computers as well as all other forms of technology offers us.

The more we are able to share information; the less afraid we become. This will help teachers smoothly transition into the technologic era and be able to properly educate students of what is necessary in their lives.

Week 1 Introduction Letter

Well, "to start the ball rolling," as they say; my name's Ashley Dillard. I just recently turned 22 on our first day of class, Jan. 27th. I am a Liberal Studies major with a history depth of study and a French minor. I seek to teach elementary to middle school students because they are an effective group of students to train, mold and to build into respectable and knowledgeable adults. I have been here in Cal State San Marcos since the moment I left high school in 07'. I started off my school year at Conway Elementary in Escondido, California. I started off as a cougar; that was our mascot. Next, I went to Rincon Middle School which was the bulldog. From there, I went to Escondido High School which was once again the cougar. Finally, I end up here in CSUSM as a cougar once again. Big surprise, right? Haha.
Technology, hmmm. Well, I love technology. I use it on a daily basis; yet, for some reason I am really bad at understanding the terms and workings of a computer. I can get by without really understanding. I just do it. I think technology is necessary and helpful in our world for us to evolve as a society. It helps us to understand the world around us as well as better our lives which begin to become extremely more difficult. My experiences have revolved around computers since I was 14. It really shapes our world and how we function; especially in education. Technology is something refreshingly new and it's really funny how the generation before me; my parents, really do not understand the need for such technology.
The College of Education Mission Statement seems effective and creative in its creation. I really appreciate the statement inferring to 'educational equity'. Everyone should have the equal opportunity at receiving knowledge on technology and using it within the classroom environment. It is necessary to have thoughtful educators seeking to further our knowledge as students in a world that's ever evolving.  Though some of the words seem a bit outdated in use (haha); I still think it fits the description of what a mission's statement should be built upon. I really didn't put thought into thinking that the Mission Statement was my purpose for choosing this class. Overall, technology is necessary in our daily lives and we as educators-to-be need to learn how to use it instead of being afraid of it.