Journal 9

Pape, L., Sheehan, T., & Worrell, C. (2012). How to do more with less: Lessons from online learning.Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(6), 18-22. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20120304?pg=20&pm=2&fs=1

In the article “How to Do More With Less” authored by Liz Pape, Tracy Sheehan, and Colleen Worrell provides teachers with helpful tips on how to teach using technology  with a limited budget effectively. Through using the “flipped classroom” or “blended” instruction methods, the incorporation of technology without the use of a computer lab, into a classroom setting, can offer students an alternative means to learning. With the only requirement being that students have access to a computer with internet connections outside of school, some students may at a disadvantage. On the plus side however, these teaching methods provide students with the ability to learn in a different way. Every student is an individual, who learns at his or her own pace and will respond differently to different teaching methods. By incorporating technology as discussed, into a blended classroom, the article suggests that there would be an increase in the number of students who are more engaged in the material.

The article provides a list of online tools that are free and can be incorporated into a classroom setting, teaching digitals skills, inspiring creativity, internet literacy and research skills. Some of the examples provided are social bookmarking tools, such as Diigo, which allows students to engage in an online network while gathering resources for projects and other assignments. Blogs, wikis, and Prezi are provided as other examples, allowing students the opportunity to explore, create and learn both individually and collaboratively.

Q1: What happens in the event that a student does not have access to a computer with internet connection?

I would encourage the student to ask a neighbor, friend, or even classmate for assistance. There are also free and available computers provided at public libraries, the school library, or for a small cost, internet cafes.

Q2: Why should students be required to learn digital skills?

In today’s modern world, the use of technology can be found in even the remotest of locations. It is crucial that students learn at least the basics if they want to succeed in life. Students need to be aware of the enormous amounts of resources that are available to them, and that through these resources, they can learn how to navigate the internet, safely and effectively.

Journal 8: Adaptive Technology

Communication
The definition of Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) defined by asha.org, includes all forms of communication (other than oral speech) that are used to express thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas. We all use AAC when we make facial expressions or gestures, use symbols or pictures, or write. Sign language and technological devices are the most decided upon form of communication.



Low-Technology Communication Tools
A no technology tool means that the tool does not need to be battery or electronically operated. It can be as simple as writing down notes in a notebook or as complicated as knowing American sign language and communicating with gestures, facial expressions and hand signals.

A low technology tool can be battery operated, such as a watch or calculator, but is still comparatively less than that of a laptop or Ipad. A talking watch can be very beneficial for someone who has trouble seeing or who may have other visually impairing disabilities. 

For those who are not visually impaired, having the ability to hear the time and associate it with the position of the hands (if it's not a digital watch) on the watch can also help them learn how to tell time without having to push a button to hear a voice.

High-Technology Communication Tools
An example of a high technology communication tool would be a laptop, Iphone, Ipad, or any other device that requires electricity or battery (Compare a laptop [Hi-tech] to a reading book with braille [low-tech]).

A great example of a High technology communication tool is an ipad. An ipad has the capabilities of being so many different devices in one. Click Here to visit a site that has listed it's top 40 apps on the ipad for learning impaired students. The ipad is a very important tool and can greatly help out a variety of disabled students, which is great because every child is different. Tech&Learning asks the question of how the ipad can help learning disabled students. Focusing in on one particular app, American Wordspeller, it allows students who have trouble with spelling words or who have dyslexia the ability to type in words and get the correct spelling (type in "medl" and receive "metal, medal, meddle" etc.).


Accessibility 
An input device is any technological device that transfers data into a computer or other information appliance. A mouse, keyboard or even headphones/speaker are examples of what an input device can be.


One hardware technology tool that assists the blind and others who are visually impaired is a braille keyboard. Braille technology allows the impaired the freedom to do common tasks such as writing, browsing the internet, or simply engaging in chat through a text based source.

One software technology available on on apple products that assists  in communication is Apple's Icomm app. This app allows children to learn using the categories which have provided content such as letters, colors and shapes. The app even allows you administrative access so that you can create a category of your own, and change it once you're done. It gives YOU the freedom to see what works best for your child or student...all the while allowing them to express their feelings and by giving them a chance to communicate that was not previously there.

Journal 7- My Personal Learning Network

A Personal Learning Network (PLN) is usually an online network, connecting you to a variety of people with whom you exchange information with in order to learn and spread knowledge. Personally, the networks in which I partake in on a regular basis consist of Reddit, Facebook, Letsrun, and dyestatcal. Reddit is a very popular and growing website in which online users can vote up (up-vote) or down vote material and information on different threads/topics. I consider Facebook less of a PLN because while learning can take place, it's more of a personal tool for keeping up with the lives of friends and family members. Both Letsrun and dyestatcal have message boards which I read regularly and participate in discussion and debate about cross country and track and field. Twitter, and Diigo, while I don't use them that often, (diigo is awesome and it's only a matter of time before I fully incorporate it into my everyday internet experience) are excellent examples of PLN's in which hundreds of thousands of people can intermingle and share information. My PLN will help me greatly as an educator. While I'm currently not an educator yet, I know that someday soon I will be in front of a classroom full of kids, and that I'll be responsible for what they learn and what they take away from my class each and every day. My PLN will help me because if I have any problems or any questions, I will be able to easily find solutions and answers from people whom I follow on any one of my networks. Dyestatcal and letsrun are only two websites (there are many more that I know of) that I can turn to in order to get up to date news on whats taking place in the running world, and I know that I can turn to these websites for help when I'm coaching full-time.


I still have yet to really jump into the twitter community. I think the more I'm forced to use it, the better understanding I'll have of it. The people in my network outside of my professor and classmates that I chose to follow are former VP Al Gore, the Library of Congress, Philip Defranco (host of one of the most watched YouTube news channels), some guy named Tarzana Alec who went to UC Berkeley in 1966 and seems like an interesting guy, and a graduate student at Stanford university named Cameron Blevins. So I decided to participate in an educational chat today, Wednesday, March 28th at 2pm EST (11am here), but it seems as if I am the only one involved in the chat at the moment. Following this link: http://www.cybraryman.com/chats.html#WEDNESDAYS, I joined #historychat because I'm interested in seeing what information people have to offer, and after all it is my major. After twenty minutes, I was still the only person involved in the chat. I clicked on the hash-tag #historyteacher, and while it's not a live chat, there were more recent posts of people providing information relevant to history teachers. Overall the experience wasn't a disappointing one, and I learned that some chats aren't as popular as others, but that through searching around a little bit, I could find my way to other similar networks.


 Diigo for those of you that don't know, Diigo is an excellent tool in which you can highlight relevant information you find on the internet, and bookmark and categorize that information to your liking. I personally am using it for my research paper in my Seminar in African history, and it's proving to be a great tool for researching. I'm currently following six people, one being my professor. The other five are frequent users involved in sharing and categorizing information they find interesting and relevant. The people I chose to follow can be viewed by clicking on the Diigo Tag Role located on this blog. I chose to follow these five people because they're involved heavily in this tool and they post relevant information pertaining to educational technology, including topics such as internet safety, Twitter, and YouTube. I've tagged 3 different links with the tag "PLN". I've tagged a website that has an A-Z listing of Educational Twitter Hashtags. This link is both relevant and important to have because it links me to so many different educational twitter feed on almost every topic imaginable. I've also tagged two different blogs whose purposes are to educate viewers on what PLNs are, and how they can be important, all the while providing links and videos discussing relevant material.


I went to The Educator's PLN website and viewed the video embedded below. In this TED video, Kevin Allocca who works for YouTube discusses why and how videos go viral. It is both informative and humorous and shows us just how rapidly changing our world can be. In this day and age, anybody can become a star, you just show something interesting and unique. He poses the question "What does it mean?" Between Taste-makers (such as Daniel Tosh or Jimmy Kimmel)and creative participating communities, this new media is driven by the audience who views it. He makes a bold statement that media is changing, and that these characteristics will define the entertainment of the future.

Journal 6

Vaidyanathan, S. (2012, Mar. - Apr.). Foster in Creativity and Innovation Through Technology. Learning and leading with Technology, 39, 24-27. Retrieved March 26, 2012, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20120304?pg=27#pg26




I found the article both interesting and informative. Comparing it to the article If You Give a Kid a Video Camera, by Laurie Campbell, both Campbell and Vaidyanathan portray a similar message to the reader. Vaidyanathan tells us that through the use of digital technology and using free software, her students were able to foster creativity, and she provided us with examples of how this tool has inspired learning outside of the classroom. Comparing the article again, only this time to Ken Robinson's talk informative talk on TED, both Robinson and Vaidyanathan express the importance of mistakes needing to be portrayed as positive lessons rather than wrong. Vaidyanathan states that she can see the children visibly relax when they find the undo button, and she goes on to state "They (her students) are no longer worried about making mistakes, because they can always correct them or just start over again". I agree fully with Vaidyanathan, and I can remember being the same age as her students and the fear of making a mistake can be terrifying, and as a result I didn't speak up as much as I should have for fear of failing.


Q1: Can I see myself using these tools in the classroom?


I plan on teaching high school history, and while I don't think creating 3D designs can be all that useful to the standard curriculum, I could however find some way to incorporate the creation of a game that revolves around key terms for the week or one that deals with geography. I feel that when you turn learning into a game, it is a lot easier to get involved if you're having fun with it.


Q2: While the article portrays positive feedback from parents and kids, what are some potential hiccups that could be a problem?


Some kids might not have access to a computer at home, however, the library at school and even the local public library have computers with free access to the internet and so if they really wanted to learn beyond the classroom, it needs to be emphasized that these options are open to them.

Technology Self-Assessment School 2.0

NETS 1; Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. I watched a TED video: http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Ken Robinson in the 20minute video talks about how school is killing creativity, and that we're being robbed of creativity because we're afraid to fail. Society and education in general have put math and languages among the top valued subjects that everyone should learn. Robinson addresses the fact that all societies have put creativity and arts at the bottom of what is valued. I found it very interesting and I agree with what he had to say. It reminds me of something I learned a few years ago. America since the 1960s, educationally speaking, has moved away from the liberal arts and focused more on math/science. Latin was among the typical subjects focused on in school, but due to the arms race and the race to the moon, those in charge have decided that math and science are the ideal subjects.

Here's the problem: Not everyone is wired to be math or science dominant. I agree with Robinson in the fact that I too believe we are robbing the youth of their creativity and gearing them towards the "normal" education.

Journal 4

Campbell, L. (2012). If you give a kid a video camera. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(5),  30-33. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx.

 I found the article very informative. While I was trying to locate the article on the ISTE website I thought to myself what it could be about. As it was loading I thought back to the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and the title of the article made sense to me then. Sure enough I smiled as the introduction addressed the book. It makes sense if you think about it. I thought that some of the ideas for assignments and activities were excellent. I think that by the time I'm up in front of a classroom the kids I will be teaching will have such a strong understanding of technology that assigning them 1-minute video presentations could bring the subject matter to life for them. It's something different and it will engage other students who are more visual learners. I think filming or documenting the growth of a plant or some grass over time is another excellent lesson and shows how easy it could be to incorporate the use of technology in lessons. With the technology that is available, especially what comes on mac computers nowadays, kids are capable of creating amazing things and sharing that knowledge with their peers.

 Q1: How would I use this idea in the classroom?

As an assignment I would have the kids walk around interviewing people asking a question. Have one of the kids edit the video down to a few minutes so it's just the footage that is relevant. I'd then ask the class to look at the bigger picture. Everyone is an individual with their own opinions. Opinions can be money driven (Rush Limbaugh apologizing for his comments recently due to the fact that he is losing sponsors) or belief driven. The main thing I want kids to walk away from the exercise with is that they should question everything. Why are things the way they are? Making them think for themselves is the greatest lesson of all.

 Q2: Will I use this in the classroom?

Definitely. Technology has the capabilities to reach students that learn differently. I'm not an expert, but I don't think it would be difficult for me to create a blog (I've already done that) or a youtube page and the kids that I'll be teaching, some of them surely are going to be more technologically knowledgeable than I could ever be. I'm sure they'd help me set it up.

Journal 3

Krauss, J. (2012). More than words can say: Infographics. Learning and leading with technology, 39(5),  10-14. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx. 


In the article Infographics More than Words Can Say, written by Jane Krauss, Krauss draws attention to the notion that there is more than one way to learn, and in order to better understand something, people need to think outside the box sometimes. I think it is a general understanding that everybody is different. In today's world, the idea of "normalcy" can be seen throughout every crevice of society. The thing I think people don't realize though, is that there is no such thing as normal. Nobody is perfect. Everybody has their strengths and their weaknesses. Everyone is fighting their own battle. As soon as we realize this and accept it, so many of our problems will take care of themselves.


With that being said, every student is different. Some students can gather and retain information from lectures or the books and be fine when it comes to spewing out the information on the test or quiz. But with the idea that everybody is different, while some can learn this way, a lot of people have trouble. Infographics is a blend between the old and new, and studies are showing that teachers who use this simple tool, are witnessing better results from their students.


Q1: How can this tool be used effectively in the classroom?
A1: Take the subject of History for a moment. The majority of students I feel, think history is boring. I know this because I am a student, and at times, History is a very boring subject. I didn't enjoy history when I was younger, and the common argument people will make is that there are too many dates and events to remember. I think Infographics has a place in the classroom, and I feel that when it comes time for me to teach a class about, say, American History, I will be able to teach the subject more effectively using this tool, as it can easily simplify  a complex idea or event while at the same time showing what helped cause this event to take place along with what resulted from the event.


Q2: Will I use this tool when I am a teacher?
A2: I'd like to think I will. I feel that learning has come easy for me for the most part. I've had great teachers and a great support system back home that have given me the tools to learn and succeed. I've seen friends struggle in school, although they are fantastic human beings and are way better at certain things than I am, the educational system that we have in place today is catered primarily I feel (I could be wrong, I don't have a lot of experience and my opinion is simply opinion based) to a "normal" education. I think the sooner we understand that everybody is different and some people have problems learning and retaining the subject material, the better off we will be in finding solutions that are geared for helping other individuals learn what basic knowledge "the man" feels we should know. Yes, I will definitely try to incorporate this tool in my teaching.