Disabled Bodies, Able Minds: Giving Voice, Movement, and Independence to the Physically Challenged. Diane Curtis.
This article is about the amazing technology available to disabled students today. Technologies to help students, who cannot speak, now be heard. Technologies that can enable a student with limited use of arms and legs, to now be able to play an instrument. Technology today allows students who could not communicate to be able to write stories. Years ago, Braille enabled Helen Keller to learn multiple languages and earn college degrees. Today, technology is enabling students who are paralyzed to communicate.
1. What technology is available to help disabled students? TACLE (Technology and Augmentative Communication for Learning Enhancement) is a computer that can be hooked up to a headband that senses movement on a child’s eyebrows. The computer then says the words the student chooses. There are many types of speech-generation technologies that now enable students to communicate their needs and desires.
2. What else does this technology enable disabled students to do? Most importantly, it enables disabled students to do their own work, take their own test, and do their own research. It allows them to use their own brainpower to accomplish things they never could have done in the past. They can go to college and even have their own careers.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Journal 9
Are Schools Inhibiting 21st Century Learning? Dave Nagel.
This article is based on the fifth-annual Speak Up survey conducted by Project Tomorrow. “Education stakeholders,” such as parents, students, administrators and teachers were polled and asked if their schools were using technology to enhance student learning. Administrators, parents and teachers seem oblivious to the fact that students feel that technology in education is being limited by their schools. Students stated they felt teachers were limiting their use of technology and that Web filtering was preventing them from the full benefits of using technology for learning.
1. What can be done to ensure students are prepared to be on the leading edge of technology? Students are already ahead of their teachers and parents in using emerging technologies. The CEO of Project Tomorrow states that it is in our country’s best interest to support and encourage students in their use of technology to enable them to meet the future better prepared.
2. Are educators up to speed in education technology to help students meet their needs? In this survey, 33% of teachers stated they were experts in using technology, while 56% claimed to be average technology users. Educators are not up to speed in using technology in the classroom to propel students in a technology-filled future.
This article is based on the fifth-annual Speak Up survey conducted by Project Tomorrow. “Education stakeholders,” such as parents, students, administrators and teachers were polled and asked if their schools were using technology to enhance student learning. Administrators, parents and teachers seem oblivious to the fact that students feel that technology in education is being limited by their schools. Students stated they felt teachers were limiting their use of technology and that Web filtering was preventing them from the full benefits of using technology for learning.
1. What can be done to ensure students are prepared to be on the leading edge of technology? Students are already ahead of their teachers and parents in using emerging technologies. The CEO of Project Tomorrow states that it is in our country’s best interest to support and encourage students in their use of technology to enable them to meet the future better prepared.
2. Are educators up to speed in education technology to help students meet their needs? In this survey, 33% of teachers stated they were experts in using technology, while 56% claimed to be average technology users. Educators are not up to speed in using technology in the classroom to propel students in a technology-filled future.
Journal 8
Making Field Trips Podtastic! Aliece M. Weller, John C. Bickar, and Paul McGuinness
This was a very interesting article about using digital cameras and handheld computers to expand the learning experiences of field trips. The authors promote the use of a podcast, which can be specifically designed, and then downloaded onto a handheld computer. The use of podcasts brings an interactive dynamic to a field trip. The author suggests using the podcast to guide the student through exhibits, quizzing the student, allowing the student to take notes, record audio, conduct interviews and access other information from the Web. The student can also take digital pictures and then in a collaboration with other students, or individually, present what they learned to peers, teachers or even family.
1. Is this difficult for teachers to prepare for their students? The authors state that their design of this type of project was in thinking of the technologically average educator. They also state this requires a bigger time commitment from educators initially, but they feel the results are the bigger payoff.
2. Why would the results of a “Podtastic” field trip be such a big payoff? The authors state that an interactive field trip means students have “increased brain on exhibit.” In other words, students spend more time at the exhibits and have a higher engagement on each exhibit due to the quizzes and because they know they are gathering information for a future presentation.
This was a very interesting article about using digital cameras and handheld computers to expand the learning experiences of field trips. The authors promote the use of a podcast, which can be specifically designed, and then downloaded onto a handheld computer. The use of podcasts brings an interactive dynamic to a field trip. The author suggests using the podcast to guide the student through exhibits, quizzing the student, allowing the student to take notes, record audio, conduct interviews and access other information from the Web. The student can also take digital pictures and then in a collaboration with other students, or individually, present what they learned to peers, teachers or even family.
1. Is this difficult for teachers to prepare for their students? The authors state that their design of this type of project was in thinking of the technologically average educator. They also state this requires a bigger time commitment from educators initially, but they feel the results are the bigger payoff.
2. Why would the results of a “Podtastic” field trip be such a big payoff? The authors state that an interactive field trip means students have “increased brain on exhibit.” In other words, students spend more time at the exhibits and have a higher engagement on each exhibit due to the quizzes and because they know they are gathering information for a future presentation.
Journal 7
Envisioning the Future of Education, Learning While Mobile. Mark Van ‘T Hooft
This article discusses the uses of mobile learning devices in future education. Mobile learning devices are cell phones, media players and wireless computers. The author examines that learning in the future will be personal, learner-centered, shared, everywhere and on-going. He states the learning is not focused on the learner or the technology, but on the interaction between the two. Mobile learning is social and informal. He states mobile learning focuses on conversation and context. Conversation is the aspect that mobile learning engages students learning in a social environment. While mobile learning in contexts applies to learning in various places, such as fixed and moving from one location to another. The author provides examples of mobile learning activities and discusses the challenges. He recommends schools focus on new skills such as creative thinking, problem solving and working with technologies that expand the student’s thinking ability.
1. Is this type of learning really available to all students? In the author’s list of challenges to mobile learning, the “participation gap” is number one. He acknowledges there is an unequal access not to technology, but to opportunities and experiences for preparation in the tomorrow’s world. He also says students will have ethics challenges and the challenge to be aware of and examine how the media tries to shape their perceptions.
2. How could an educator use mobile learning in the classroom? On of the author’s examples is MyArtSpace, which is a service for children to use mobile phones and personal Web space to provide the links in preparing and learning during and after a field trip.
This article discusses the uses of mobile learning devices in future education. Mobile learning devices are cell phones, media players and wireless computers. The author examines that learning in the future will be personal, learner-centered, shared, everywhere and on-going. He states the learning is not focused on the learner or the technology, but on the interaction between the two. Mobile learning is social and informal. He states mobile learning focuses on conversation and context. Conversation is the aspect that mobile learning engages students learning in a social environment. While mobile learning in contexts applies to learning in various places, such as fixed and moving from one location to another. The author provides examples of mobile learning activities and discusses the challenges. He recommends schools focus on new skills such as creative thinking, problem solving and working with technologies that expand the student’s thinking ability.
1. Is this type of learning really available to all students? In the author’s list of challenges to mobile learning, the “participation gap” is number one. He acknowledges there is an unequal access not to technology, but to opportunities and experiences for preparation in the tomorrow’s world. He also says students will have ethics challenges and the challenge to be aware of and examine how the media tries to shape their perceptions.
2. How could an educator use mobile learning in the classroom? On of the author’s examples is MyArtSpace, which is a service for children to use mobile phones and personal Web space to provide the links in preparing and learning during and after a field trip.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Journal 6: Mapping
When I went to the Mapping tool on Classroom 2.0, there was only one thread asking a question. I was very disappointed at first, but clicking on that one thread led to a whole series of threads recommending various sites for mapping. Web mapping, as defined by Wikipedia, is dealing with technological issues. Web cartography deals with the designing and generating of maps and their theoretical aspects. Web GIS has a similar emphasis on the exploring aspects of geodata. Wikipedia states that there is a blurry line between Web GIS and what we commonly think of as web mapping.
Within the mapping thread on Classroom 2.0, several mapping sites were recommended by educators for projects with students. The most common, Google Earth, seems the most advanced. There is also Wikimapia.com and Communitywalk.com. I played around with all three of them and really had some fun. It sounds like Google Earth has the most to offer at this time in creating maps, 3D capability, adding text, pictures and even videos to your maps. A couple of the educators wrote they used Google Earth for projects that included tracking typhoons, population predictions, contagious disease outbreaks and pinpointing longitude and latitude coordinates. Wikimapia and Community Walk both have the ability to create maps and explore new places, too. Wikimapia also has the ability to add text and upload pictures and videos. It would be easy to plan a series of fun and interesting projects to use mapping in a social studies classroom.
Within the mapping thread on Classroom 2.0, several mapping sites were recommended by educators for projects with students. The most common, Google Earth, seems the most advanced. There is also Wikimapia.com and Communitywalk.com. I played around with all three of them and really had some fun. It sounds like Google Earth has the most to offer at this time in creating maps, 3D capability, adding text, pictures and even videos to your maps. A couple of the educators wrote they used Google Earth for projects that included tracking typhoons, population predictions, contagious disease outbreaks and pinpointing longitude and latitude coordinates. Wikimapia and Community Walk both have the ability to create maps and explore new places, too. Wikimapia also has the ability to add text and upload pictures and videos. It would be easy to plan a series of fun and interesting projects to use mapping in a social studies classroom.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Journal 5
Measuring Digital Images in Math and Science Classrooms. Learning & Leading, Vol. 35
Mike Charles.
This article is about the use of ImageJ, a website used by scientists and educators to analyze digital images. The prospects for use in science and math classrooms are amazing. Because digital images are made up of pixels, image-processing tools, like ImageJ, allow a user to set a scale and then measure the pixels in the image. The article examines how a teacher could use ImageJ to measure how long lightening strikes, which NBA player dunks a basketball the fastest and what percentage of a fall leaf stops producing food for a tree. The article walks you through the whole process of using ImageJ to do these activities.
1. How can an educator access ImageJ and how much does it cost?
ImageJ was created by the National Institutes of Health and is public domain. ImageJ has a documentation portal and you can download the software free.
2. What other ways could this site is used in a classroom?
The author states that using digital cameras in the classroom is a good place to start getting students used to digital images. Discussing how digital images are made up of pixels and teaching some of the basics of digital imagery would be a good way to introduce this concept to elementary students.
Mike Charles.
This article is about the use of ImageJ, a website used by scientists and educators to analyze digital images. The prospects for use in science and math classrooms are amazing. Because digital images are made up of pixels, image-processing tools, like ImageJ, allow a user to set a scale and then measure the pixels in the image. The article examines how a teacher could use ImageJ to measure how long lightening strikes, which NBA player dunks a basketball the fastest and what percentage of a fall leaf stops producing food for a tree. The article walks you through the whole process of using ImageJ to do these activities.
1. How can an educator access ImageJ and how much does it cost?
ImageJ was created by the National Institutes of Health and is public domain. ImageJ has a documentation portal and you can download the software free.
2. What other ways could this site is used in a classroom?
The author states that using digital cameras in the classroom is a good place to start getting students used to digital images. Discussing how digital images are made up of pixels and teaching some of the basics of digital imagery would be a good way to introduce this concept to elementary students.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Journal 4
Storytelling in the Web 2.0 Era.
Glen Bull.
This is an article discussing many new exciting and free Web tools available for educators’ use in the classroom. The author focuses on storytelling tools. Students can use a huge variety of Web tools to create, illustrate, and put sound, video and animation to their stories. Using Xtimeline in a social studies class can help students make timelines and learn how to place a story in chronological order. The author refers to the facts that most school budgets have limited dollars to spend on software. In this Web 2.0 era, schools can access an amazing amount of software at no cost.
1. What would be the benefits of using free Web tools for storytelling?
The benefits of using Web tools for storytelling would primarily be student interest. Students enjoy “playing” on the computer and creating. Creating a story and putting sound and animation to the story they have created would challenge their minds and they would have a great time doing it. The author of this article refers to The National Reading Panel, which states they see a possibility of enhanced comprehension as a result of using these storytelling techniques.
2. What should educators beware of when using these Web tools?Educators should always have objectives and guidelines ready to explain to students before using any Web-based tool. The use of objectionable language and inappropriate creations should be dealt with up-front and the consequences be made clear to students. Educators should also monitor the students’ work.
Glen Bull.
This is an article discussing many new exciting and free Web tools available for educators’ use in the classroom. The author focuses on storytelling tools. Students can use a huge variety of Web tools to create, illustrate, and put sound, video and animation to their stories. Using Xtimeline in a social studies class can help students make timelines and learn how to place a story in chronological order. The author refers to the facts that most school budgets have limited dollars to spend on software. In this Web 2.0 era, schools can access an amazing amount of software at no cost.
1. What would be the benefits of using free Web tools for storytelling?
The benefits of using Web tools for storytelling would primarily be student interest. Students enjoy “playing” on the computer and creating. Creating a story and putting sound and animation to the story they have created would challenge their minds and they would have a great time doing it. The author of this article refers to The National Reading Panel, which states they see a possibility of enhanced comprehension as a result of using these storytelling techniques.
2. What should educators beware of when using these Web tools?Educators should always have objectives and guidelines ready to explain to students before using any Web-based tool. The use of objectionable language and inappropriate creations should be dealt with up-front and the consequences be made clear to students. Educators should also monitor the students’ work.
Journal 3
Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging.
Julie Sturgeon.
This article has great advice from learning experiences of teachers already using blogs in the classroom. The author discusses the first “Don’t” as “just don’t dive right in.” She states a teacher must have objectives and guidelines written about the blog for the students. Having the students sign an agreement about the do’s and don’ts for the blog and the consequences when the students breach that agreement is important. She also recommends the parents sign an acknowledgement of the blog and that their children will be using one is a good idea, too. It is also recommended to not use free blogging sites because they do not have the ability to manage the site that a teacher should have. She also recommends to not confuse blogging with social networking sites like My Space, etc. and to not force a sequential style that will limit the students’ ability to keep important information at the forefront of the blog. The author discusses helping the students understand what makes a good blog. The benefits of blogging in the classroom have been help in writing from short paragraphs to essays; helping each other with course work; and the advantage a blog gives to a typically quiet child in the classroom.
1. Why does the author state that using a free blog is a “don’t?”
The author quotes from an authority on classroom blogging who states that teachers do not have the controls needed to monitor sites like blogger.com. He recommends “Class Blogmeister” which has the management a teacher needs. He also complains about the advertisements on blogger.com and other free sites. I have not seen anything offensive on blogger.com and I do not understand why a teacher would not be capable of monitoring students’ blogs on these free sites. I would reconsider that advice.
2. What other warnings should students be given about blogging?
Warning students about copyright usage on the Web. Advising students about uploading pictures, songs and anything that is copyrighted should be discussed and included in the agreement students should sign before participating on a blog.
Julie Sturgeon.
This article has great advice from learning experiences of teachers already using blogs in the classroom. The author discusses the first “Don’t” as “just don’t dive right in.” She states a teacher must have objectives and guidelines written about the blog for the students. Having the students sign an agreement about the do’s and don’ts for the blog and the consequences when the students breach that agreement is important. She also recommends the parents sign an acknowledgement of the blog and that their children will be using one is a good idea, too. It is also recommended to not use free blogging sites because they do not have the ability to manage the site that a teacher should have. She also recommends to not confuse blogging with social networking sites like My Space, etc. and to not force a sequential style that will limit the students’ ability to keep important information at the forefront of the blog. The author discusses helping the students understand what makes a good blog. The benefits of blogging in the classroom have been help in writing from short paragraphs to essays; helping each other with course work; and the advantage a blog gives to a typically quiet child in the classroom.
1. Why does the author state that using a free blog is a “don’t?”
The author quotes from an authority on classroom blogging who states that teachers do not have the controls needed to monitor sites like blogger.com. He recommends “Class Blogmeister” which has the management a teacher needs. He also complains about the advertisements on blogger.com and other free sites. I have not seen anything offensive on blogger.com and I do not understand why a teacher would not be capable of monitoring students’ blogs on these free sites. I would reconsider that advice.
2. What other warnings should students be given about blogging?
Warning students about copyright usage on the Web. Advising students about uploading pictures, songs and anything that is copyrighted should be discussed and included in the agreement students should sign before participating on a blog.
Journal 2
Speaking Math: Using Chat in the Multicultural Math Classroom.
Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson.
This article is about the use of using online discussions to promote encouragement in math among a multi-cultural student population in a suburb of Washington, D.C. As a means to not only supplement the learning going on in the classroom, the teachers have been able to determine extra needs in classroom discussion. Because the online discussions focus on math vocabulary, students help each other to develop a better understanding of math concepts. Students are able to identify with each other’s ethnicity and find ways to understand and communicate about math that makes sense to them. What the teachers have found is that students using electronic discussion are showing significant improvements in their understanding of math concepts as compared to students in a traditional classroom setting.
1. How could chat be used in other classroom settings?
Chat could be used in every classroom setting. If math concepts can be discussed, then anything is possible from literature, history to even grammar. Giving a student a prompt and then allowing a discussion is a wonderful way for students to learn from each other.
2. What are the downfalls or difficulties of using chat?
One difficulty is getting access to computers for those students who do not have access to a home computer. Allowing time in a computer lab, library or time in classroom if computers are available would have to be arranged. In addition, the chat would be monitored, not just for content, but to make sure the chat is not being abused.
Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson.
This article is about the use of using online discussions to promote encouragement in math among a multi-cultural student population in a suburb of Washington, D.C. As a means to not only supplement the learning going on in the classroom, the teachers have been able to determine extra needs in classroom discussion. Because the online discussions focus on math vocabulary, students help each other to develop a better understanding of math concepts. Students are able to identify with each other’s ethnicity and find ways to understand and communicate about math that makes sense to them. What the teachers have found is that students using electronic discussion are showing significant improvements in their understanding of math concepts as compared to students in a traditional classroom setting.
1. How could chat be used in other classroom settings?
Chat could be used in every classroom setting. If math concepts can be discussed, then anything is possible from literature, history to even grammar. Giving a student a prompt and then allowing a discussion is a wonderful way for students to learn from each other.
2. What are the downfalls or difficulties of using chat?
One difficulty is getting access to computers for those students who do not have access to a home computer. Allowing time in a computer lab, library or time in classroom if computers are available would have to be arranged. In addition, the chat would be monitored, not just for content, but to make sure the chat is not being abused.
Journal 1
Social Networking for the K-12 Set. Jim Klein
Klein discusses how educators are continually trying to eliminate social and geographic boundaries, which prevent communication and collaboration. He would like to use technology to meet these ever-challenging goals. He says that by the time educators come up with new ideas about how to use technology and disseminate those, most of the ideas are outdated and irrelevant. He discusses how community sites or as he calls them, “learning landscapes” are emerging as an optimal vehicle to bridge the social and geographic boundaries. He suggests creating a site, which can be accessed only by the school district employees and students. There would be access controls on this site, which would require student posts and comments to be first reviewed by a teacher. The site would contain user profiles with basic information about employees and students; blogging tools; secure file storage and sharing; and RSS and podcasting. He has successfully designed a site, which now engages 350 teachers and 450 students online. They are seeing a nine-point gain in test scores and higher student achievement in writing and language fluency.
1. What basic information about employees and students would be available on a site?
Students and staff could share information about like interests, new ideas, questions about lessons and student projects. All student information would have to be approved before it could be posted on a site. Only the individual staff member would be allowed to share any info about them. Privacy protection is important.
2. How would a site like this benefit students in any classroom?Students could work on team projects from science to literature. They could use the Internet to research a subject and then use a web-based word processing program to jointly write a paper. The whole project could the
Klein discusses how educators are continually trying to eliminate social and geographic boundaries, which prevent communication and collaboration. He would like to use technology to meet these ever-challenging goals. He says that by the time educators come up with new ideas about how to use technology and disseminate those, most of the ideas are outdated and irrelevant. He discusses how community sites or as he calls them, “learning landscapes” are emerging as an optimal vehicle to bridge the social and geographic boundaries. He suggests creating a site, which can be accessed only by the school district employees and students. There would be access controls on this site, which would require student posts and comments to be first reviewed by a teacher. The site would contain user profiles with basic information about employees and students; blogging tools; secure file storage and sharing; and RSS and podcasting. He has successfully designed a site, which now engages 350 teachers and 450 students online. They are seeing a nine-point gain in test scores and higher student achievement in writing and language fluency.
1. What basic information about employees and students would be available on a site?
Students and staff could share information about like interests, new ideas, questions about lessons and student projects. All student information would have to be approved before it could be posted on a site. Only the individual staff member would be allowed to share any info about them. Privacy protection is important.
2. How would a site like this benefit students in any classroom?Students could work on team projects from science to literature. They could use the Internet to research a subject and then use a web-based word processing program to jointly write a paper. The whole project could the
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Intro Letter of Helene Penny-McKean
My name is Helene and I was born in Washington, D.C. I grew up in Arlington and then Springfield, Virginia. I went to Hunt Valley Elementary, Washington Irving Junior High School and graduated from West Springfield High School. I spent one year at the University of Miami, Florida. South Florida was very different from the conservative area where I grew up. After my freshman year, I dropped out of college and went back to Virginia where I began working as a Clerk/Typist for the Navy Department. Knowing only that I wanted to travel, I eventually transferred over to the State Department. I joined the U.S. Foreign Service and served for two years at our embassy in Belgrade, Yugoslavia working as a secretary in the political section. I married a U.S. Marine who had been stationed at the embassy in Belgrade and left the Foreign Service after my tour in Belgrade was over. I joined him in 29 Palms, California. We were fortunate to be able to stay in California throughout the rest of my husband's career with the USMC. After attending numerous colleges and universities, I brought it all together and graduated from San Diego State with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. This 422 class is the last I need to take to apply to the teaching credential program at CSUSM. I have one son who is 7 years old and we did have our two English Bulldogs, who unfortunately died just 10 days apart last month. I miss them so much.
I believe I have a fair amount of technology experience. I used to spend 8 hours a day in front of a PC when I worked for Jack in the Box headquarters in Kearny Mesa. I e-mailed, used the Internet, WordPerfect, Microsoft Word and Excel, Powerpoint and other programs related to my job. Since leaving that job 6 years ago, my time in front of our home PC is limited to a few times a week. Our Microsoft Windows and Office programs are 2003. I do all travel arrangements and quite a bit of shopping and research on the Internet. However, I still prefer speaking to someone on the phone rather than e-mailing them. Unfortunately, I have had numerous experiences with misunderstandings between people and how e-mails are interpreted. In my current job at Ocean Shores High School, I am a tutor for a pilot reading program, so I do not use their computers at all. Although, I did notice they use MACs. I am surprisingly fascinated by the MACs in our class and am looking forward to learning more.
The mission statement of CSUSM had no impact on my choosing CSUSM. This school has a great reputation for the teaching credential program and I know a number of people who have left California with that credential and have had no problems getting teaching jobs all over the country. A school committed to diversity and educational equity is expected in my view. I love the idea of reflective teaching, life-long learning and ongoing service. I did not finally receive my bachelor's until I was 32 and here I am again back at school for another career change. Learning should be ongoing for life as well as service to our community. I am already learning in this class and I believe I will enjoy it.
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