Mid Term Review

Time for the Mid Term Review of what we’ve learned so far:

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning:

Throughout the term so far the class has seen how technology can positively affect student learning.  We understand that students learn differently these days, and that technology in today’s classroom has impacted the way teachers teach and the way students learn.  In an instant students can be transported anywhere in the world or discover any piece of information with in-class internet access.  Students are able to use technology to create videos, podcasts, digital stories or a variety of other applications to enhance their learning.    Students are motivated by technology in the classroom through the use of multimedia that captures their interest and creates valuable learning experiences.  Teachers are able to create class web sites or wikis to allow the classroom to be experienced at home where students can access class content and do homework through those sites.  Blogs are a great way for students to express themselves and share what they have learned with other students.  Email allows students to connect with teachers during non school hours.  Technology allows teachers to increase responsiveness to different learning styles, especially with special education students.  Assistive communication devices allow students with speech impairments the ability to communicate effectively.  Computers make life easier for teachers by allowing them to keep better and more accurate records.  Ultimately technology is a tool that promotes effective learning, and I believe it should definitely be integrated into all classrooms in America.  Teachers still need to be able to engage students and deliver the content in a meaningful and relative manner.  

2. Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to advance student’s technological literacy:

When I have my own classroom I will most definitely utilize the technological tools we have learned about throughout the course.  First and foremost the ability for my students to find their way across the internet is paramount.  I believe this is the doorway to technological literacy.  Through the internet, students have access to a seemingly infinite amount of websites, videos, podcasts, articles, blogs, and other information to enhance their learning.  The use of blogs can greatly enhance student literacy by allowing for expression, reflection and documentation of research.  I would want my students to be able to know how to navigate through a class wiki which would allow them access to the classroom material outside the school building.  I would encourage my students to use Diigo, which would enable them to keep track of important websites they find and allow them to keep notes and highlights on those websites.  I would employ Scratch as a tool for creative activities like storytelling or PSA’s.  It is an effective way for students to understand how to write computer code in a user friendly way that employs math and literacy skills.  I would encourage my students who are averse to typing to use podcasts to record their work and turn it for homework assignments or projects.  I would also have my students use Animoto as a tool for digital storytelling.  Animoto allows students to create their own visual story using pictures and text.  Today’s students love technology and can find it as a useful tool to boost their learning and technological skills. 

3. Design meaningful and authentic digitally based learning experiences with multiple and varied assessments:

I am on the verge of creating my 1^st lesson that incorporates technology through learning.  I will be able to understand and be able to implement a lesson plan using a Webquest.  A webquest is a student driven assignment that allows students to use the internet for most of the information needed to answer the questions the teacher asks.  I will also develop a separate lesson plan that incorporates technology.  I plan on creating a project based on social studies curriculum for special needs students. 

4. Reflect upon and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources:

I admit that I got scared when it came to using technology, but after 7 short weeks I feel very comfortable using the many technological applications the class has experienced.  This blog was my first opportunity to engage in the modern world of Web 2.0.  Creating the blog was much easier than I thought, and I have been able to demonstrate how to share links, videos, pictures and articles through my blog posts.  I have learned a great deal about Google docs and how it is an incredible tool that allows students to share and collaborate information on projects or a homework assignment.  I have learned how to conduct surveys or tests using the ‘forms’ document.  The class had a chance to create our own Scratch PSA regarding digital citizenship.  I have discovered Diigo which is a site that allows me to keep a virtual library of websites and articles that I have discovered on the internet.  I have also learned how to use Animoto to create digital stories, as well as Audioboo which aides in the creation of podcasts. 

I created a nifty digital story using Animoto that highlights my family’s vacation to California last year.  I have not used the podcast tool yet, but I plan to in the future. 

5. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices related to digital information and technology:

I have thoroughly researched and discovered how to become a good digital citizen in this complex digital world.  I have looked at and compared 2 documentaries on how kids grow up in the digital world.  Today’s students are digital natives, meaning they have been born and raised in the digital world.  I am a digital immigrant who has seen the development of technology through the years but did not grow up using it.  It is important for today’s teachers to be able to relate to digital natives by providing the proper understanding of safe, ethical and legal moral practices related to how they conduct themselves in the digital world.  I have learned about overuse of technology, cyberbullying, digital footprints, and netiquette. 

I have created a Scratch story which is a PSA about digital citizenship.  Check it out:


http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/rbergskaug/2357169

6. Illustrate through application how state and national standards are implemented within the curriculum (e.g., NH Curriculum Frameworks, ISTE (NETS-Teacher/NETS-Student) and NH-ICT Literacy Standards for K-12 Students (306.42)):

The state standards create a framework for what knowledge the students should be able to demonstrate upon completion of a given grade or course.  I have learned about the teacher and student standards in regard to technology.  I have learned that technology can enhance the accessibility of the required standards to a greater number of learners.  I am currently in the process of applying those standards to my webquest project and my lesson plan.  I will demonstrate how students can complete a self directed assignment incorporating technology founded in the state mandated curriculum. 

7. Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other digital resources to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student:

I was able to utilize the Scratch Program which enables students to create their own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share their creations.  Students learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively.  Scratch is a very user friendly application, and anyone can use Scratch. It is a great adaptive technology that allows students who learn through creating an opportunity to show off their skills.

 

8. Evaluate, adapt and reflect on emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature:

I completed a webinar review during the 4^th week of class.  The webinar discussed how iPads can be an asset in the elementary level classroom.   Two teachers in Michigan were chosen to run a pilot program in which they gave all of their student’s iPads for the entire school year, and all of the lessons and work produced was created with the iPad.  I will also complete another literature review in the coming weeks, hopefully about how special education is positively affected by technology.  In the documentary review I also looked at 2 recent documentaries that dealt with students growing up in the digital world and the state of digital citizenship.  They are entitled Growing up Online and Digital Nation. 

Overall the class is going great.  As a digital immigrant I was hesitant about delving into the world of technology.  It goes to show that exposure and practice can lead to greater understanding of a subject matter.  I have realized things about the brave new world of technology that I had never considered.  I will hopefully transform myself into a lifelong technological learner that will boldly go where no teacher has gone before!!

Week 5: Digital Citizenship in the 21st Century

We’re all in this Together!!

In the fast paced world of the 21^st century, technology has given us the opportunity to be not only consumers of information, but creators of information.  When we delve into the vast digital ocean, it is important to remember that what we create should be done in a respectful and responsible manner.  Our creations can impact others either positively or negatively.  We are all citizens in a global world who buy into the social frameworks and norms that govern society.  We must mirror those intentions in the digital world we participate in as well. 

How do we practice good digital citizenship?   I believe the answer lies in respect, education and protection.  This model is highlighted on the digital citizenship web site produced by Mike Ribble.  There are various ways in which we all, young and old, come in contact with technology in our daily lives.  Whether it is a simple text, an email or a facebook comment, we need to practice proper netiquette.  We need to educate the digital immigrants as well as the digital natives about proper digital citizenship.  We also need to recognize the permanence of our actions in the digital world and protect our identity as well as protect others from the dangers of cyber bullying. 

As a future teacher I need to advocate, model and teach safe and ethical use of technology inside and outside the classroom.  Technology is playing an increasing role in how we teach our students.  As they come in contact with the digital world, it is necessary for them to understand what it means to be honest and respectful.  The responsibility for teaching them appropriate netiquette starts with parents and transfers to the teacher.  Parents need to be aware of what their children are doing online.  Keeping the lines of communication open between parent and child is paramount to becoming a safe and successful digital citizen.  Concerned parents have created a website called Common Sense Media that recognizes the need for digital literacy and citizenship in the 21^st century.  This is one of many tools parents can turn to in order to help them understand the digital world.  Teachers can rely on the standards that have been set in place by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).  These standards help us define what teachers need to do to promote appropriate technology use among students.  Teachers who are digital immigrants need to become trained in all aspects of digital citizenship in order to bridge the gap between them and the digital natives they teach.  Once teachers are educated in digital citizenship, they need to implement strategies that promote effective and ethical use of technology.  Teachers need to give students the opportunities to practice good digital citizenship through the use of projects that engage students with learning through technology.  Teachers can do this by connecting their students to the world through the use of online research and discovery.  Teachers also need to understand that their students will be using these tools in the future, and that the promotion of good digital citizenship will help them in their careers and in life. 

Students experience digital content on a daily basis.  They are becoming rich content developers through social networking sites and other Web 2.0 tools. They are interacting in a new and exciting environment inside and outside of the classroom that is teaching them about relationships, the online community, and what it takes to be good digital citizens.  Today’s learners will be doing work that will rely on their creative abilities, their skills to analyze information, and their ability to collaborate with each other.  The way students behave in the online world and how they find the information they need, must be modeled appropriately by parents and teachers so that today’s learners develop into proper 21^st century digital citizens.  The ISTE also has a set of standards that students can look into as a guide for proper digital behavior.

 

We hopefully will never see another teen suicide related to cyber-bullying again.   The protection of our students in the digital world is perhaps most important.  For all of the positive aspects that technology, especially the Internet, has granted us, there is a dark side that lurks behind closed doors.  Bullying has risen to a new frontier.  It is one thing to be bullied face to face, but the internet provides a means to bully others with a veil of secrecy.  No longer does the bullying stop once the student comes home from school.  Today it is often the case where bullying continues through texting and social media.  A child sometimes cannot hide from those modes of communication.  Children need to be educated on how to spot online bullying and be confident in the fact that they can report it to the proper authority.  Students need to understand that there is a zero tolerance policy when it comes to bullying. 

Our digital footprint, the path of data we leave behind us in the digital world, should be recognized and protected as well.  It is amazing to think about just how much information there is about all of us in the online world and how quickly it is compiled.  Our identity not only exists in the real world, it exists in the digital world as well.  That identity is also difficult to erase once it is captured digitally.  What we do and say online has a sense of permanence. We must be responsible and respectful of the content we create online. 

Today’s digital world has offered us a new kind of reality that gives people new ways of communicating with each other.  The way we operate in this digital world should reflect the way we want to be treated in the ‘real world’.  The responsibility falls on all of us to help one another achieve that same level of respect and consideration.  Education is key to helping newcomers and old timers become good digital citizens who share in the values that we adhere to in everyday life.  Let us all help each other to experience a digital world that is safe, effective and one that fosters positive impacts on all who come in contact with it.