Journal #10

Kids Galore Helping in Darfur
By Wendy Drexler
Learning and Leading With Technology
November 2007

In the Darfur region of Sudan, Africa, there is a current event issue regarding genocide that is occurring in the region. Third grade students from the U.S. were taught about this problem and they decided to do something about it by starting a website. Members of Congress became aware of the students efforts and it spread to the state legislature, Amnesty International, and the Florida Holocaust Museum.
The students began integrating this project called SaveDarfur.org into their curriculum and added to the site daily. They held podcast interviews and wrote to UNICEF in order to get people to donate money to that organization. They are now receiving global recognition and are making a difference to this cause. The article used them as an example to other educators on how to make a difference in their classrooms.

1.) What have the students efforts done to get the attention of lawmakers and Congress?
Answer: The article said that Congress is aware of their efforts, but it doesn't say what Congress is doing to help. I would love to hear what our country is doing to put a stop to this genocide. We need to give these students a reason to continuing caring about what they are doing. They need to see how their efforts make a difference.

2.) How much money have they raise so far?
Answer: The article doesn't say how much money they've raised so far. I would love to get an update on their progress and know how their efforts are paying off financially.

Journal # 9

Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Classsrooms?
Learning and Leading With Technology December/January 07-08
By Josh Allen and Liz Kolb

From two different viewpoints, two authors ask this question and give their reasons why yes or why no..

Yes (ban them): Reasons given are: They won't be used as an educational tool because they are distracting to kids. Even the Blackberry's which could be used as a technology tool would be inefficient at providing that resource due to the text messaging and web access in class. The money would be ebtter served buying the student a laptop.

No: (don't ban them): Reasons given are: Cell phones are the students "Swiss Army Knife" which means that they have multiple uses and can be utilized in class as a technology. Since many students already have a cell phone, teachers can put them to use as audio recorders, video cameras, still camera's, note taking devices, calculators, faxing, scanning, web access, and special needs students can use them to record lessons which then get sent to them in email form. Since more students have access to cell phones than they do to internet at home, they can do homework from them no matter where they are. They author suggests the teacher collects the phones at the beginning of class, passes them out when they are needed, then collects them again to avoid misuse.

If I had to make a choice, I would still say that cell phones don't belong in classrooms. There wouldn't be a way to monitor what the student is actually doing on it and it can be very distracting. Put the money to better use- buy the student a laptop computer!

Journal #8 Course Management (cms)

The tool I chose to learn more about is Course Management or (cms). First of all, it appears as though there is a program that people use called Moodle to organize the courses that they teach. It is a collaborative open tool that instructors use to organize their grading, topics, lessons, etc... After researching and reading the blogs of users and prospective users this is what I found:

-Schools and-or educators will post the course description and requirements for anyone to view
-They use Moodle Wiki's to share their collaborative material
-Someone teaching overseas can utilize the course management system to communicate with others and gain access to materials when otherwise it would be very difficult
-Instructions for installing the program are at http://docs.moodle.org/en/Installation
-A host is needed for the Moodle and it is at http://npv.com.
-It costs about $500 a year to use
-You can get started at http://www.moodlerooms.com/academic-hosting.html
-Or if you are remote you can start here http://www.remote-learner.net/.

Another classroom management software used is GenevaLogic Visions 6. It was not as preferred as Moodle and some commenter's said it wreaked havoc on their web pages.

It seems as though Moodle works like Blackboard as some commenter's said it was just like that. Students are able to log on and post discussions and assignments right into it.

Journal #7

Leapin' Lizards!: Students as Data Collectors
Edutopia
By Diane Petersen
April 2005

This is an article written by a fourth grade science teacher in Washington State. She was bored with her usual curriculum and decided to integrate "nature mapping"- a hands-on nationwide program where animals are tracked and observed in their own environment. Her students were able to do this with the help of the local farmers in an effort to find and track "horny toads." There were documented reports from the 1930's that these lizards were going extinct, but local sightings among her students said that maybe these findings were inaccurate. By utilizing NatureMapping, every time a horny toad is spotted, it is recorded either on paper or by phone, and then put into a database that will keep track of the information. Over time, the lizards were found to live on private property as well as uninhabited areas and they were even able to discover some other information about how they live in the winter. Overall this experiment involves the local community, gives the students a hands-on real life handle on science, and also accomplishes some very important information gathering. Most of all, the students love it!

1.) Would this be possible in schools where funding is low?
Answer: It does seem to be an expensive program that requires the software and computers forthe class to use. For Mrs. Petersen's class, they received a grant from Bill Gates in order to make this happen. A teacher who wanted to use this would have to find funding from somewhere and probably would have to petition the community.

2.) What if the community wasn't willing to participate?
Answer: I think that if you generate an interest there will always be willing participants. It also depends on the issue. Maybe there is a red-ant problem in the neighborhood behind the school, and if so, some of the residents may be willing to report to the students what types of bugs eat them, etc...If there really is very little interest in what the students are trying to accomplish, than the teacher can re-direct the project into something that the community will embrace.

Journal #6

Fitting the Pieces Together- Successful Integration with Laptops
By Patricia Yost
Learning and Leading with Technology
November 2007

This article discusses the the successful integration of laptop computers among middle school students at a school district in Pennsylvania. This is a pilot program that focused on pedagogy rather than technology so that students could take their learning to a higher level. The resources teachers were able to utilize for this program allowed them to make significant changes in the way they viewed, presented, and taught material. Students not only were able to successfully integrate technology into their lives, but more importantly, they were able to use it to enhance the whole realm of their learning experience. Who would have thought that middle schoolers would be able to create power point presentations, spreadsheets, make videos, plus more? These are all things that I am just beginning to learn as an adult! I wish I would have had these options as a child!
This pilot program started with 8 sixth grade teachers and moved to a whole program that integrated students with laptops. First year teachers would get a personal laptop of their own with a video projector to share with her class and another teacher. A second year teacher would get personal laptop, a ceiling-mounted projector, and a cart of laptops that are shared with another classroom. By year 3, they have all the fore mentioned, plus digital video and cameras.

1.) What are the possible downfalls of this program?
Answer: Well, since the first year the students don't have access to laptops and they only get to see the computer "stuff" from a projection screen, they aren't able to utilize the technology themselves. This doesn't seem that different than what is in place currently in many schools. But by year three, the students are fully utilizing these programs and equipment and they are beginning to see technology as a way of life.

2.) How would I utilize this program as a teacher in middle school?
Answer: This would be so exciting for me. To be able to bring up different math programs online and have the class participate in them would bring a whole new dimension to teaching algebra. A teacher could create online competitions between other classes in other schools, they could get teaching ideas from other areas, and utilize so many resources to assist the material. There seems to be endless possibilities to assist in the learning and development of my students.

Journal #5

T.H.E Journal
Problem Solvers
By Neal Starkman

JEREMIE MEYER is an inspirational teacher that we all could learn a lot from. He came up with an idea that has truly worked and is very practical. This teacher is an instructor in mechanical engineering and manufacturing at a high school in Wisconsin. He came up with the idea to create a hands-on class that teaches real-world mechanics in areas of science and technology. The school board approved his request and now his students are making national news. He assisted his students in engineering a vehicle on their computer based CAD system and then they manufactured it in the adjoining machine shop. The students use this model car they built to encourage corporate sponsors support. Meyer’s idea is catching on around the nation because it satisfy’s the critical areas that the U.S. is lacking in compared to the rest of the world- STEM, aka Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is an organization that is creating programs for schools to improve their real world practicality in the areas of STEM.

1.) How could I convince my school to incorporate some of these ideas at the middle school level?
Answer: I could suggest that we research the PLTW and adopt some of their ideas and actually incorporate their ideas into the curriculum. They have a website, they have published results, and they have programs that are very do-able. I understand the importance of improvement in the areas of math science and technology and I want to do everything in my power to encourage this in my students.

2.) Where does the funding come from for these programs?
Answer: The PLTW helps schools find corporate sponsors for funding and walks them through the set up process. They serve as a supporting intermediary between the school and the school board and the corporate sponsors.

Journal #4

Virtual Schools as Hotbeds of Reform
By Anita McAnear
L & L with Technology
October/November

According to this article, online learning is becoming a model for school reform. It highlights the positive aspects of having online courses be incorporated into the high school level. Those benefits are: highly interactive courses, more self-paced, individulized learning, flexible, student centered, and additional support. The article does not point out the possible downsides of online learning or virtual schools. It does say that regular attended classes could be supplemented with online tutorials and availability of class texts and syllubus. If nothing else, this provides students with an opportunity to utilize technology with their learning.

1.) What are some of the downsides of online courses?
Answer: I think that the lack of personalization can cause some learners to get lost and lack the passion for the material. It may be hard to hear back from a teacher when needed in time and this could cause some students to get lost in the material. I know if I were taking classes online in high school instead of in person, I may not have had the motivation to work hard for that good grade.

2.) The article said that 75% of the teachers who taught online courses said that they changed the way they taught. In what ways specifically?
Answer: Well, it doesn't say but I assume that since they aren't using their voices and talking face-to-face, they have to have really good internet ettiquette. They need to figure out how to communicate effectively through a keyboard and email. The article didn't say whether the changes they mad were good or bad, I guess we have to draw our own conclusions!

Journal #3

The New Gold Rush
Establishing Effective Online Learning Policies
by Ferdi Serim

This article discusses the good and bad features of the fastest growing form of technology- online learning. Some of the good things about online learning are that it is student-centered, available 24-7, and available at any pace. A bad feature of online learning is that it can replace highly qualified and skilled people to teach the material. A society that thrives on cost savings and consumerism wants to move to this more automated form of learning. The article suggests that the best form of teaching technology with an online system would be to offer an integrated face-to-face program with online tutorials and enhancement. The article uses Taos, New Mexico as an example of how incorporating technology with learning can be an exhaustive yet very beneficial tool. A school district there needed a building to house their computer lab but didn't have the funds to do it. The students and parents came together and hand constructed bricks to build the building with. It was a very collaborative effort that payed off for the whole community.

1.) What could I do to incorporate online learning into my lesson plan?
Answer: I could set up a class blog with a link to an online tutorial called ALEK, which the students could get extra credit for participating in.

2.) What could I do if I worked for a school that needed to house a computer lab but didn't have a building for it?
Answer: As in New Mexico, I could set up various fund raising efforts, but most importantly I could take ideas from my students. When you empower students to take this issue into their hands, they feel mature, responsible, and effective. It could be a great way to teach community service, volunteerism and collaborative learning.

Journal 2

Building Technology Facilitators and Leaders
A Standards-based Approach
By Jo WIlliamson and Traci Redish
Learning and Leading With Technology
August 2007

This article is about the installation of technology standards for technology facilitators and instructors. The article points out that there is a familiarity of NETS for students, teachers, and administrators, but it suggests that there is a need for standards for instructors of technology because they are in charge of relaying all relevant information to the schools and districts. According to the article, "Facilitators are expected to have in-depth knowledge, while leaders are expected to have advanced knowledge." This suggets that there is more responsibility on the facilitators in regards to technology knowledge and advancement witin the learning environment. All together the TF/TL Standards (technology facilitation and technology leadership) are divided between nine categories all addressing areas of operations, concepts, teaching, learning and assessments.

1.) What are some of the benefits of the standards?
Answer: They were intended to influence and university prep programs as well as inservice professionals. Without them schools and school districts might miss some important modern technologies for learning.

2.) What are some ways to enact the standards?
Answer: Study the Rubrics, Provide standards to colleagues and stakeholders, ensure the local university is aware, reflect on your own current levels, reflect on current practices, and review job descriptions.

Journal 1

Technology Incentives
Motivating Teachers to Attend Professional Development Training by Virginia Richard
September/October 2007

This article is about finding ways to motivate teachers to become more technologically inclined. Its also about how to motivate the teachers to take the newly aquired knowledge to their classrooms. The article features a school district in Florida that rewards its teachers for taking advantage of seminars and classes that focus on technology. The article also gives recommendations for school districts, administrators and the like, to motivate its teachers to do this all over the country.
The article suggests that school districts put in place tech support teams to assist teachers in their technology endeavors. These "coaches" would help ensure that the knowledge they receive is utilized and put to work. It also suggests ways at finding funding, such as grants, to help this happen all over the country.

1.) Do the schools in my area offer this type of training for their teachers?
answer: Most school districts in my area offer their teachers opportunities to take technology classes and either get reimbursed, or offer them directly through the district itself.

2.)Would I take advantage of this training if it were offered to me?
answer: I would take advantage of this training if it would benefit myself or my students directly. I tend to shy away from technology because it is an area that intimidates me, but I also know that my students deserve the best, most up to date instruction. I know I would be extra motivated if there were some type of incentive, such as a bonus, or computer technology for my classroom, or something like that. I am able to realize the importance of computer, software, media and print technology so the logical answer is to say , of course, yes I would take advantage of the training.

Julie's Intro Letter for class 422

My name is Julie Hinkel and I am from Oceanside, Ca where I was born and raised. I am a married mother of two, they are 6 and 5, and am loving every minute of it! I am the oldest of four kids and the only girl- my childhood was fun! We attended Vista schools even though we lived in Oceanside, namely Alamosa Elementary and Roosevelt Middle School. I then graduated from Vista High in 1996 where I was a cheerleader, ASB Secretary, writer for the school newspaper and a volunteer with the school site counsel. Man I must have been annoying!

I am a PC person but my extent of pc knowledge is limited to internet surfing and basic microsoft applications. My college experience has required me to learn powerpoint and word and limited usage of excel. Beyond that this is all foreign to me!

The CSUSM/COE mission statement hasn't had a huge impact on me because it is what I expected. CSUSM has a great reputation for its education program and that is why I decided to continue my education here. The mission statement says it all. I am very much looking forward to being an educator and making a difference in the lives of children.