"Rethinking Education" Ch. 8 Reflection

Chapter eight of "Rethinking Education" gives readers a better idea of how we are trying to effectively bring together the best of the old and new ways of education. In today's culture students spend upwards of six hours each day watching television, playing video games, using the internet, instant messaging, emailing, and other media. This media dominates the lives of our learners which is why researchers are trying to link the worlds of media and learning so that students are able to learn while interacting with the different types of media used in their daily lives. One new approach of bringing these two worlds together is to establish a set of credentials that students would be able to learn either on the computer or by trained professionals. Students would be able to be certified in specific areas where the content will be narrowly focused. Being certified with a particular credential will show a learner’s expertise in specific skills. Unlike a diploma where students take particular classes based on their grade level, students being certified with credentials will be arranged in classes based on their interests and future goals. Students being certified with credentials will be able to decide when they are comfortable taking an assessment to be certified. This is much different from a standardized school setting where the testing date is arranged by the instructor. Students seeking out a particular career will be expected to be certified with a number of specific credentials related to that job. Another new approach is using video games to educate students. Games such as Civilization, The Sims, and Railroad Tycoon are all games in which students are able to learn. These games educate our students and they are able to interact with specific jobs and real life scenarios. Students are able to learn leadership skills from games such as SWAT 4, Full Spectrum Warrior, and World of Warcraft are all games that can give players the chance to develop tactical skills along with leadership skills. Course management systems such as Desire2Learn and Blackboard are all programs that help students and teaches stay organized and connected. Using these programs students are able to check and post homework assignments, engage in discussions, and connect with other students as well as their teacher. All of these new ideas in education are bringing the old and new world of education together.

This reading has given changed how I feel about standardized education to an extent. I found myself agreeing with a lot of the points about being certified in credentials. This seems to be a good idea because then each career has specific content that needs to be mastered for the job. After mastering all of the different concepts and content of the job one will be an expert when it comes to the career. Students are also able to go at their own pace to make sure they have completely understood the content before moving on rather than being forced to move along before the concept is mastered. This idea of credentials also gives students the ability to focus on specific goals and interests of theirs which will keep the students interested and inspired to learn the content because they will be interested in it. Although this seems like such a great idea, I also have thought about whether students will be able to purposely bypass the material and content they have no interest in learning but could benefit one in one’s future. This also brings up another thought that what if students change their mind about their career. Rather than just being able to make a career change, people will need to go through a list of credentials before being able to have a career in a different field. Before this reading I was also not a huge fan of video games, but after reading this chapter I feel as if it can be beneficial to a students learning if the proper video game is chosen. This reading has also made me think about using programs such as D2L for learning. I had never thought about using it outside of a University setting, but it makes me think about whether it could be beneficial in an elementary classroom. I think that if used correctly it could be used but for more simple tasks than we use here at UWSP. Overall this chapter has made me think about the new ideas of education and how I would be able to implement them into my own future classroom.

"Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts" Ch. 9 Reflection

In today's culture social networking is common among almost everyone. In my own personal experience, I am aware that every one of my friends has Facebook and that almost every student at my University as Facebook or some kind of social networking site. In July of 2009 Facebook was growing by about 700,000 memberships PER DAY, totaling in close to 250 million memberships. Social networking is a way to keep people connected to one another whether it's keeping one connected to their family, classmates from high school, someone they have met once, to even those they have never met. Social networking is also becoming popular among a wide age range. Children as young as elementary school are becoming social networking users all the way up to our grandparents whom are becoming familiar with social networking and becoming users as well. Although a predicted 90 percent of schools block social networking sites such as Facebook, students are able to use social networking as a self-directed, peer-based learning. It is understood that students are able to engage in inappropriate behavior on these types of sites. This reading has given me a better understanding on how to use Facebook in my future classroom. The reading makes it clear that Facebook should be used in the classroom for "interest-based" rather than "friendship-based" purposes. I have learned that it is also important to have valid and appropriate reasons to back up your decision to use a site such as Facebook in your classroom. It is important to get your principal, supervisors, as well as the parents to your students all on board with your decision.

After this reading I have gained a better understanding of how to appropriately use a social networking site such as Facebook in the classroom. First and foremost it is important to make it an understanding to your students that this is only being used for educational purposes rather than friendship-based purposes. It is important to get everyone on board with your decision to use this site and have a clear argument on why you are using it. When using Facebook in your classroom it is important to make a group and have a private setting on that group so only those in the class are able to join and contribute. In most cases using an online interactive class discussion can help all students, even the shy and quit students, feel comfortable in participating in class discussion without feeling embarrassed. In my own opinion this is a great way of including all students into class participation but I think that it can also be hurtful in your class for two main reasons. One concern is that students might depend and rely on only answering online and never step up in class to answer or talk. Students will rely on answering in ways they feel most comfortable and never step out of their box and become comfortable discussing in person. Another reason that using social networking in the classroom is bullying. Over the past few years this has become a serious problem among young students. Students are able to feel bold and say things to students online that they would never say face to face. Overall this reading has given me a better idea of how to use social networking in the classroom and how to make sure it is appropriate.

Exit Slip #8

In today's class we started off by talking about our delicious accounts. Dr. Boyer gave us an idea of where we should be at with our account. He then pulled up an example of a student's account as a demonstration of what ours should ultimately look like. We then moved on to the presentation. My group presented chapter 7 of our text "Rethinking Education". Miriah, Jessica, and I guided a discussion with the class on the gains and losses of technology in the classroom. Overall, I felt pretty good about our presentation although I would have changed a few things. After we were done presenting Dr. Boyer gave us feedback on how we did. He, as well as I noticed myself saying  a few "uhms" we also noticed that the set up of the room made it difficult for us to move around and see what the groups were talking about. One last thing I would do differently is making sure we had a clear ending to our presentation which is another thing Dr. Boyer commented on.

Next, we went to Ellumination which was an interesting website that I ended up adding to my delicious account. We then talked about our podcasts and Dr. Boyer gave us a better idea of what is expected. We went over a few technical tools with our podcasts and had a few questions answered. Finally, at the end of class Dr. Boyer wrapped up by showing us our homework expectations of the week in detail.

"Rethinking Education" Ch. 7 Reflection

Chapter seven of our text talks about what could be lost due to technology and what could be gained due to technology. There are many different opinions when it comes to the growth of technology in today’s culture. Some argue that we depend on technology too much, and others say we don't use it enough. Neither answer is correct, but the debate over technology is heated, especially when it comes to our children's education. In our reading the text portrays both sides of the argument: the skeptic’s side and the advocate’s side. The skeptic’s side argues that we will lose our sense of community and social skills due to technology. Studies show that home computer users result in loneliness and depression. The study also shows that communication between family members decreases along with your role in society. These home computer users lose their social skills and rely on the internet for communication. The skeptics also argue that because of technology the gap between the rich and the poor is expanding. Wealthy families are able and willing to spend money in order for their child to be a step ahead of the less fortunate students. These families are willing to buy tutors, laptops, software, private schooling, prep courses for the SAT or ACT, or even building or buying a house in a particular school district with elite schools. On the other side of the argument is the advocate side. These advocates see technology as a way of making education more engaging and interesting. Because of technology a learner is able to "customize" their learning experience by directing it what they want to learn. The student is able to pursue topics they are interested in and focus on them more than other topics they aren't interested in.  Another thing we can gain from using technology for learning is that we are able to access that information anytime and anywhere. The eight hour school day is not the time limit that limits us to our education, with technology we are able to learn anywhere at anytime. Students are also in charge of their own learning which makes the student responsible for their own education. The advocates also state that by using technology for learning, it will diminish the competitive nature of a typical classroom setting. Students will not feel pressured by the success of their classmates nor feel inferior to them due to grades or capabilities.

After reading this text I have come away with a new perspective on both sides of the debate. I feel as if I stand in the middle of this one. Both sides of the debate have valid points as well as a few "out there" points such as when the critics state that home computer users develop depression and when the advocates state that a competitive educational environment can result in students using drugs. Overall, I feel that it important as an educator to stress the fact that each student should do what’s best for them. Everyone learns different and sometimes home schooling is better than a traditional schooling, and for some students it’s the other way around. Educators should let their students be individuals and do what works best for them.

"Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts" Ch. 8 Reflection

In chapter 8 of our text talks about three technologies on the rise: podcasts, video and screening, and live streaming. Each of these technologies have been becoming more and more popular everyday. Podcasts is one of the most well known new technologies. Podcasts give everyday people the opportunity to talk about topics they are interested about and gives millions of others the chance to listen. With the use of an MP3 player people are able to listen to recordings, radio shows, TV shows, and a wide variety of other sources. Podcasts are rapidly moving into educational settings. This is not hard to believe because there are a number of benefits that come along with podcasting. One benefit is that educators are able to record their lecture and post them for their student’s access. This way, if students are absent from school they can easily catch up on the material they missed, or even if a student simply spaces out in class they are able to look back on their lecture to hear certain bits and pieces they may have missed. Another benefit to podcasting is that students are able to subscribe to different educational videos. With both of these podcasting options, one is able to listen at their own convenience, whether they are working out, or doing chores around the house. The next step up from podcasts is video publishing and screen casting. Both video and screencasting give the user the ability to put audio and video together. Finally, the most unexplored multimedia publisher is live streaming. This gives teachers and students the ability to basically make their own television show online for others to watch. All of these technologies are on the rise and are becoming more and more popular in the classroom environment.

As a result of this reading I have learning a lot of new information about these technologies. Being a new learner to all of these technologies I have been given a better understanding of how to use them and how to implement them into my classroom. I have now thought about podcasting and how it could benefit my students to be able to go back into my lecture and be able to re-listen to it, possibly picking up on things they missed the first time around. Video and screencasting would be useful to post for both my students and their parents, so they are able to see different activities going on in class. I felt like live streaming was a bit confusing and is a very new concept but could also be useful to parents to see what is going on in the classroom. All of these technologies are very similar but each has their own individual qualities. Using these technologies in the classroom would be beneficial not only to the students but would also be beneficial to their parents as well.

"Rethinking Education" Ch. 6 Reflection

Chapter 6 of "Rethinking Education" talks about the different eras of education and the changes that have come along with the shift in how we are being educated. In the early era of education it was the duty of the parents to educate their children and prepare them for their future career. When the responsibility switched from the parents to the state, the state was now in charge of educating the students and determining which content should be taught. We are now trying to switch the responsibility of the state back to the parents. With advanced software, technology is now able to teach the students and parents are now able to decide which software to purchase for their child's academic needs. In the early era adult learners were taught at home from apprenticeship where the student observes a family member at their job. In the second era young students learned by didacticism at school and now in the third era mixed-aged students are able to learn anywhere by using interactive technology.

As a future teacher I will take in consideration the SCANS report of 1991 which states that students must know five core competencies to be prepared for work in the 21st century which include identifying and organizing resources, interpersonal abilities (working with others), acquiring and using information, understanding complex interrelationships (systems), and working with a variety of technologies. In my teaching I will stress all of these competencies as well as a number of others. I will also encourage my students to use a non-traditional way of education that works for them such as buying different software or videos for learning. I will also stress the fact that if they are interested in something there are a number of different ways to learn the content by using technology or different resources- learning never ends, we are always learning. Education is always changing and is always being improved by technology and as a future teacher I will need to be able to adapt to the changing world of technology and education.

Exit Slip #6

In today's class a group presented on chapter five which was about alternative learning environments and options. We were split up into groups depending on a color square you were given which was an interesting and different way from what we are usually grouped. Each small group was given an alternative way of learning and we discussed pros and cons and then shared them in the big group. I felt as if this group had prepared their lesson very well. After the lesson Dr. Boyer had us reflect on the groups presentation and we came up with pros and cons on the SMARTboard. Unlike the previous groups that have presented, this group had a large number of pros and only had a few cons.

Dr. Boyer then switched the class discussion to talking about our iRLO. Dr. Boyer first had us download Scratch to our computers. This was helpful for me because I know now how to do it on my computer at home. He then walked us through how to start building your characters and the items in your Scratch which are called "sprites". Dr. Boyer also brought up a good point about our Scratch being developmentally appropriate; I had thought about the content being developmentally appropriate but had not thought about other skills young children need for this program such as their fine motor skills. After getting an idea of how to use this program I feel more comfortable about this project. I am actually excited to create this Scratch because this is something that I will use in my future teaching!

"Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts" Ch. 7 Reflection

Chapter 7 of our text describes a number of different ways to use Flickr in the classroom. Prior to this reading I had not thought about using a photo posting site for anything other than personal use. This reading has made me think about other interesting and fun ways to use this technology in the classroom such as using it to document everyday activities, special school events, field trips, or even student's work for all to see. Another interesting idea I got after reading this was posting different pictures to see and have the students blog about different feelings or ideas they have about the pictures. I think it is neat that there is a tool to add comments to the pictures. When using Flickr there are different security measures you can set in place for privacy of your classroom. This is something very important to consider when setting up an account on Flickr. As a teacher you need to take in consideration the privacy of your students. I think it would be important to send a permission slip at the beginning of the year asking parents for permission to post pictures of their children on the Flickr account if their child is a minor.

In my classroom I would definitely use a site such as Flickr to post pictures of different activities for the parents, students, and community to see. It is important for parents to see what their child is doing during the school day and this is an easy way to show what is being accomplished. I also think it is neat that you can use google maps combined with Flickr and see all of the different photos that were taken in that particular place by using "Tags". This would be fun to use when talking about a specific place in the world during a lesson to see actual pictures of people in that location. I would also consider posting the work of my students and having other classmates blog about their work. To keep everything appropriate I would closely monitor the account and make sure that everything posted and commented on is staying appropriate.

"Rethinking Education" Ch. 5 Reflection

Chapter 5 of “Rethinking Education” stresses that fact that we are no longer only being education from K-12, but rather being educated throughout our lifetime. The text gives us a different idea of learning as well as alternative ways of being educated rather than going to a traditional school setting. In today’s age home schooling is on the rise and more and more students are leaning towards this system of education. In fact, students who are being home schooled do better on standard assessments than students going to school in a traditional school setting. The text explains that the test results have nothing to do with gender, subject, nor their parent’s level of education. The idea of distance learning was also talked about. I think this is a very interesting new way of education. By using distance learning students with common interests are able to talk about subjects with one another from all around the country, sometimes even world. By doing this students are able to get a number of different perspectives from those of a different culture. The text also talks about “Workplace learning” where businesses are using technology for both training programs and to keep their employees up to par with their skills working with customers. An example of one of these technologies consists of virtual games where customers come in and make requests or ask questions. I think this is a very beneficial way to keep the minds of your employees refreshed on their skills. I think that this new idea of lifelong learning is beneficial to all of society because we don’t stop learning after we graduate, we are able to learn new concepts everyday and since technology is constantly being upgraded, our knowledge has to be updated as well.

As a result of this reading I will demonstrate to my students that they will never stop being educated, even after they graduate. Students need to be open to learning throughout their entire life and in learning in nontraditional ways. I will inform my students about different ways of learning as well. After this reading I think that students should be informed of distance learning. This idea was so interesting to me and students can get so many different perspectives from people from all different backgrounds and ways of life. I will also give my students ideas on how to make their video game playing an educational experience and offer games that might benefit them rather than corrupting their minds. I believe the most important idea I plan on getting across to my students is that they have options- if traditional schooling isn’t working out for them, they can look to an alternative. I also will stress to my students that everyday is a school day and be prepared to learn something new.

"Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts" Ch. 6 Reflection

"Learning is a continuous conversation among many participants" as stated on page 86 of our reading. I felt as if this sentence was the most important of the reading. The entire chapter could be wrapped up into this one sentence. Chapter six of our reading focused on the social web where web users are able to reconnect with old friends, keep in touch with family, or create new connections with new people with common interests.

The text beings by talking about Twitter which is a “miroblogging” tool that is on the rise among web users. Using twitter can help people stay connected by "following" each other. A Twitter user posts short blog-like posts that can either simply update others on their where abouts to asking a complex question where others are able to give their input. I have also heard of Twitter being used by professors or teachers in their classroom for posting assignments and questions. One could also post their ideas about the assignments where other classmates could give the answer. I also think it would be very interesting for teachers to set up Twitter in their classrooms and be able to "follow" classrooms all around the world and see what others are doing. Twitter could also be used for teachers to stay connected and share their ideas with one another. In this reading social bookmarking was also brought up, such as what we use in Education 331: Delicious. The text explains how social bookmarking can be used and what it is good for. When finding a useful website one can add it to their Delicious account and use "tags" to keep their sites organized. A useful tool with having a Delicious account is that others are able to look through each others accounts to find websites that might also be useful themselves. Both Twitter and social bookmarking are useful for teachers as well as students to keep connected to one another.

I had never really thought about being a Twitter user before reading this chapter because I always thought it was somewhat of a creepy site where anyone can "follow" you and know your daily schedule. After reading this chapter I was surprised at how many different ways a teacher is able to use it in their classroom. In my classroom I will actually consider creating a Twitter account where I am able to post assignments for my students to see. I would also suggest to my students that they also create an account because they are able to see assignments as well as ask questions for either me to answer or in which their classmates can answer as well. I will defiantly set up my own Delicious account and encourage my students to do so as well. This way as a teacher I can get ideas of useful websites from other teachers, and my students are also able to get useful websites from one another and myself. Sharing ideas in learning and teaching is important, it helps us all stay connected to one another and by using Twitter and social bookmarking we are able to do so.

Exit Slip #5

Today we started off class by talking about our IWB lesson. A few misunderstandings about the assignment was made clear by Dr. Boyer which helped me a ton because prior to this I was a bit confused about what the expectations were for this assignment.

This week’s group presented chapter 4 from our text on the 4 main developments of American schooling: the Printing Press, The Reformation, the American Revolution, and the Industrial Revolution. We then did an activity where we split into groups and talked about the positives and negatives of compulsory attendance, graded schools, tests, textbooks, Carnegie units, and comprehensive high schools. I thought the discussion guides did a great job creating discussion throughout the classroom and involved the SMART board during their lesson, having each group come up and write their answer down. I thought the group did a great job with their lesson although I noticed that Trefor was doing most of the talking while the other girls had very little involvement in the presentation. Trefor did a great job encouraging deeper thinking from those answering the questions; he also did a great job restating comments. One more word of advice I would give to this group was to talk louder, throughout the lesson it was very hard to hear what was being said. Following the lesson presented by the group, like always, as a class we talked about what the group did well and what they could work on.

Lastly, we talked about designing our iRLO (interactive reusable learning object) which focuses on user control and gives feedback on the user’s progress. The program we will be using is called scratch. We were shown two different examples of former students who had created an iRLO- the donkey, and the fish. This program will be a fun way for students to practice their facts and skills.

IWB Lesson Reflection

For this lesson I exerted a lot of effort trying to find just the right lesson to plan. Once I decided on a lesson I checked on the SMART Exchange website and found a lesson that I thought suited my lesson perfectly. Although I found this website I thought it was difficult to make the lesson my own work because I found that my ideas of what I wanted in my lesson were very similar to the one I found. Being a first time user of the SMART board software, a large part of creating this lesson was the time it took to figure out all of the tools that the SMART board had to offer. There are so many tools to choose from but it takes a long time to explore these options. I also thought that the requirements for this lesson were not explained well which resulted in a lot of guessing on what was expected for this project.

As a result of this IWB lesson I have realized that creating these lessons are time consuming and take a lot of thought and preparation. Although creating a SMART board lesson may be time consuming the tools that are available are endless and can both make the lesson more interesting and interactive. I have also realized that by going on the website SMART Exchange you can find a number of different lessons that you can base your lesson around and get ideas from. There are also a number of options to use because all students learn differently. Because most students learn better by having a hands on activity this program is a huge asset in the learning process. In my future teaching I will defiantly use this program because I think it is a great interactive way to teach students, and it can also be fun for the students as well.

"Rethinking Education" Ch. 4 Reflection

Chapter four in Rethinking Education has given us a better idea of how teaching and learning has evolved in America. This chapter also gives us a better account of how the different Revolutions have a major affect on how we are educating our students. The systems have been interchanged throughout the last few centuries of education. The initial system of education is called the apprenticeship system where the children are taught everything they know by those closest to them, such as their family or family friends. The children were taught by observation, guided practice, and trial and error. After using the apprenticeship system for a while, the responsibility of teaching was shifted from the family to the state when education was now under the universal schooling movement. During this movement students were taught content such as reading and writing by an instructor. This is different from the apprenticeship system because the children were now being taught other subject areas than just what they need to know for their future career. In day's generation I believe we are stuck in the universal education system but in need for change. Now that technology is widely available, it should slowly evolve us into more of an apprenticeship system because technology gives us the tools to customize our education to suit our individual futures.

As a result of this new thinking I will understand that since life is always changing and technology is always improving that the way we will educate our student will be changing as well. As a teacher I will need to adapt to the current system of educating our students and be open to educate my students in more way than one. After reading this chapter I have realized that there is a cycle of revolution in our education system and now that technology is evolving as well we have become more and more out of sync with what our students need to succeed both in and out of the classroom, but more importantly, for their futures. This means that we, as educators, need to help America get out of the universal schooling slump we have been in for the past decade and educate our students by using more of a apprenticeship style of educating.