Blogfolio

1. Intro Video- Learning how to create a video of myself with my phone and uploading it to my blog online, lead me to the idea that I could create videos of myself discussing what the week of school is going to be like, updates, and special events coming up so that parents can view it themselves. I could even use this as a way to walk through experiments with my students, allowing them to stop the video whenever needed. This video can be uploaded to the classroom blog or website. I can definitely see myself using this type of video format at the beginning of the semester as well. The NETS-T standard  that applied to this assignment was standard number 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning by having me model and  facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.  The video “blog” is a type of tool that is an effective use of current and emerging digital technology that I can use to discuss topics to support student learning.

2. Concept Map-This assignment will be great to use in the classroom as a tool to study or to create with students while learning about different content or concepts. I used the Body Systems to create my concept map in class and it seemed like it would be a great study tool. With this new way of concept mapping videos, images, and notes can be attached to any bubble. I loved this tool. The NETS-T standard(s) that can be applied to this assignment are Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments through designing or adapting relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity and Standard 3 by communicating relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. These standards applies to this assignment because it ties in technology and learning, and it is also a tool to communicate information and bring together ideas.

3. Web Site- This assignment was my favorite because I never thought I would learn how to create a website….and I did.  It was not hard at all, Google Sites is user friendly, and I can really use this as a teacher to communicate to my parents and students. The website can be used to describe upcoming events, provide a calendar, information about the class and myself, and to provide resources for students and parents to use to support learning of the content. The NETS-T standard that applies to this assignment are Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity through modeling of collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.

4. Voki- Voki is an educational tool that can be used for creativity. In the classroom I can customize Voki characters to look like historical figures, cartoons, animals, and even myself.  I think that it can put a new twist to education and give the students a little something different than the typical lecture and slideshow.  I liked this assignment because it was something different that I had not seen before and if used right, could really add something special to the classroom. I could create some creature that liked to “drop in” every now and then to share a cool story or a bit of wisdom to the students. The standards that apply to this assignment is Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments because this tool calls you to design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

5. Xtranormal is a site that allows you to create two avatars that share a conversation in order to express a thought or idea. When I created my Xtranormal skit, two dogs discussed littering in the park and why not to do it. I did not like this tool, it was not fun for me and it was time consuming. I probably won’t use this in my classroom but if I did use it, I would have students pair up and create skits together. They would have to use this type of digital technology to teach their classmates something about a certain unit we were discussing at that time. Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning applies to this assignment in that is calls you to communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students using a variety of digital-age media and formats.

6. Turnitin- Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. I do like this website and will use it once in my classroom at the beginning of the year to show my students what plagiarism is and how not to do it. It will be more of a group activity, students will work together to summarize. I will teach students how to summarize first. That is a difficult thing to learn. I did not do very well with this assignment because I do not summarize research well. I think it’s all important and I don’t know how to condense. This has always been difficult for me. The NETS-T standard that applies to this assignment is standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility by advocating, modeling, and teaching safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.

7.TED videos- John Hunter’s video discussing his world peace game created for his students was very inspiring. It gave me a different way to look at education and how to approach certain topics or issues. I like his project goes further than classroom lectures and is interactive, involving students in deep thinking and cooperative learning.  I hope to create something like this for my students to guide them into thinking critically and creatively. Ali Carr-Chellman “gaming to reengage boys in learning was also enlightening. She thinks that in order to pull boys back into education we need to cater to the way boys are “in a sense”.  We can’t keep a tight leash on them. I agree. Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity. I think schools are coming away from that and are now trying to integrate the all seven intelligences into the curriculum. I agree that students need to be able to express themselves and have the opportunity to learn in the best way that suites them. There is not just one way to learn and to express meaning. I believe Ken is trying to emphasize the importance of these intelligences so that students have the opportunity to succeed. I think these videos were great to introduce new concepts. We as teachers need to learn from others to keep up with new ways of teaching. TED videos are a great source. The NETS-T standard that applies to this assignment is standard 5: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership by causing me evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning. 

17 What Technology means to me.

Technology is awesome! It makes everything, well mostly every easier. It's air conditioning, it's cooking appliances, it's a blow dryer, television. Without technology, school would be more time consuming and less visual, creative, and fun. Without technology we would be riding horses still. Yet, the obesity population would be lower if we didn't have technology, and maybe fewer health problems would exists. But without technology, more people would die of terrible diseases and illnesses that are cured thanks to technologies. It's got it's ups and its downs!

16- Younger Americans' Library Habits and Expectations

The article, “Younger Americans’ Library Habits and Expectations,” explains that though Americans under the age of 30 (younger Americans) are just as likely as Americans over the age of 30 (older Americans) to have visited the library, more younger Americans use some type of technology such as computers and the library internet, visit the library website, and use a mobile device to visit a public library’s website or access library resources than older Americans. The percent of younger to older Americans ranges drastically with these findings. Researchers believe the higher rates of technology use at the library is more significant in the younger population due to the use of technology in other areas of life for this population. Though younger Americans are significantly more likely to have read an e-book than older Americans with an increase of use from yours 2011 to 2012, the reading of books in print has remained steady with in this age group. Young Americans find it “very important” (population percent 70 or higher) for libraries to have librarians for assistance, to offer research resources such as free databases to have free access to computers and internet, to offer books for people to borrow, to have quiet study spaces, to have program classes for children and teenagers, and to offer job or career services. Younger Americans also think that libraries should coordinate more with local schools (87%), Should provide free literacy programs (87%), have more lounging spaces (64%), separate spaces for different services (57%), offer a larger variety of e-books (54%), offer more interactive learning experiences (53%), move most library resources online (44%), and make most services automated (41%). 

My opinion of this article is that I don't find any of this information surprising. We younger Americans tend to be more tech savvy than the rest of the population. The generation that is elementary schools now are really going to be the tech wizards. I know ten-year-olds that can work a smart phone better than I can. So when it comes to going to the library to do some research or study, it is more convenient to be able to look up your information on a computer in a research database. It is very helpful to have a librarian assist you when looking for actual text and to point you in the right direction. A librarians assistance would even be helpful when using the library's website. Sometimes help to navigate the site is useful and saves time. As our world becomes more technologically dependent, so will all public places, including the library.  

15-How we sabotage our own privacy for deals and ego

The article, “How we sabotage our own privacy for deals and ego,” describes the fact at no matter how drastic the measures you take to keep yourself off the grid, there is not possible way your information is complete private or secret. If you use a credit card, use online banking, order anything online, you are losing the privacy battle. A business consulting firm conducted a survey of 5000 digitally knowable consumers to establish their criteria for sharing their personal information and how that information might be used. Those that were survey came from the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France and Australia. the surveyed showed that when making a purchase, Americans are more likely to share data (88%), 83 % of Americans are willing to share private information with their banks. So in a nutshell, if you use a credit card, or if you make an online purchase, if you use Amazon, Ebay, or any social media site your privacy is out the window. Banks look at your purchases in order to keep you safe from credit card theft. They look at your pattern of spending money in order to detect something that is out of the ordinary. Companies do this as well to provide advertising that would spark the consumer’s interest, to draw us in to make purchases. Then they get us with the deals and sales, we share our information, make a purchase, and BAMB! our secured privacy is gone.

I am not surprised by any of the information in this article. It is no mystery that what you share online is not completely private. I for one am not to keen on sharing my information online to pay a bill or apply for any financial assistance online (scholarships, MTAG, FASFA) because you have to share so much of yourself. If someone really wanted that information they could crack the code and grab it. It’s no wonder that Identify theft is such a problem these days. When online shopping, we click and maneuver through the web to things that we want, we give our email addresses out like candy to any advertising that we want to see more about. We have Facebook, twitter, snap chat, and insta-gram so that everyone in the world can see where we are, what we are thinking, and what we are doing. The reality of it all is that we want to be in the public eye, we want people to have this information at this disposal, and we don’t want out lives to be private. Why would our bank accounts and credit card information be any different. It’s the scary truth.

14 Secrets of Top Students

The article “Secrets of Top Students” is really a small glimpse of the book Secrets of Top Students: Tips, Tools and Techniques for Acing High School and College. Both were written by Stephanie Weisman who surveyed 45 other outstanding students (all at the collegiate level or higher) on their habits and practices to become a successful student. She found that success for most students came from self determination and hard work, pressure on self to do well, and a desire to learn. To gain success these students studied 20 or more hours a week, sacrificed hanging out with their friends to get that extra school work in, and had support from their families to do well without feeling pressured. A study strategy that was found to be most important to this group of students was to start early and space the work out. The purpose of this article was to describe that being smart and a good student isn't a natural born ability; it’s something that is acquired through hard work, dedication, determination and the drive to do well.

This article really hits home for me because I am one of those students who has to work hard for my grades. I have to actually read the book and take notes, then rewrite my notes in my own words to fully grasp the information. In fact, that is the only way I made it through Anatomy and Physiology and through the nutrition program with As and Bs. I believe that the desire does have to be there to be a good student because you are the only person who can hold yourself accountable when it comes to making the grades. In college, there is no one to hold your hand, make you study, or do your homework. You have to make sacrifices and have drive and determination to be a successful student. Though I do agree, some students do have a natural knack at being a top notch student, but they also seem to be determined students. 

Virginia's Teacher Website

https://sites.google.com/site/msvirginias5thgradeclassroom/

13- LEAD

The article, "LEAD issues 5 digital learning recommendations," expresses the need for digital learning to be a national priority for every child to have access to the same high quality digital tools no matter what their zip code or social economic status. This is necessary to ensure that teachers and students of the U.S. remain globally competitive in order to not fall behind in education performance. The LEAD Commission's 5 point blue print calls on the federal, state, local, private, and charitable sections to act on those 5 recommendations for digital learning and education technology; to solve the infrastructure challenge  by updating the wiring of schools, build a national effort to deploy devices, accelerate the adoption of a digital curriculum, embrace and encourage model schools, and to invest in human capital.

I feel that these are recommendations that need to be taken into action. All students need to have the same opportunity to access digital technology with implementation of use within the classroom. But the problem is, how does our nation afford these types of technologies in each and every school. Is it even possible. I feel that it's not. Just like not all families can afford a television or a vehicle, how can each and every school district afford that technologies that are being demanded of today's youth.

12- Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity.

In Ken Robinson's video he states that "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." Why kill students creativity by steering them away from the arts, drama, music, or dance. Ken Robinson believes that we have to rethink the fundamental principles on which we are educating our children. He feels as though creativity is of the same importance as literacy and we should treat it as much. At the bottom of education is the arts in all countries education systems. He expresses that we can't afford to not stigmatize or devalue the brilliancy of the creativity in students.

With education today, we are definitely moving toward the idea that all eight intelligences need to be reached out to in the classroom. Students need to be able to express themselves and have the opportunity to learn in the best way that suites them. There is not just one way to learn and to express meaning. I believe Ken is trying to emphasize the importance of these intelligences so that students have the opportunity to succeed.

11- Ali Carr-Chellman- Gaming to reengage boys in learning.

Ali Carr-Chellman passionately discusses that typical boys' culture is not working well in schools. She describes three reasons why she believes boys are out of sync with the culture of schools today. One is due to the Zero Tolerance Policy. Under this policy students are not able to rough house, or play with plastic weapons, water guns. Secondly boys are not able to express themselves as boys through writing. They pretty much have to write exactly what the teacher tells them too. Last, there are beginning to be fewer and fewer male teachers. For boys to succeed in school, Ali feels that we need to put ourselves into the boy culture, change the mind set of acceptance, design better educational games for boys, decompress the school curriculum, and look at teachers attitudes about gaming.


I agree with Ms. Ali Carr-Chellman in that schools of today do hinder boys from being boys. From the statistics she described at the beginning of her video, the evidence is clear that something has to be done to change the pace of males who are expelled from school, who are diagnosed with ADHD, and who are referred to special education. We cannot expect boys to act like girls, or listen like girls. If gaming in schools will enhance the success of males in education,  then we need to just go with it.

10 John Hunter-Teaching the World Peace Game

John Hunter is a 4th Grade teacher that has given his students the best opportunity in the world. He has cleared a space for his students so they can make meaning from their own understanding. I watched the video clip of John Hunter explaining this project that he created for his students in the 1970s. It began as a 4X5 plywood board, and has now turned into a 4X4X4 Plexiglas structure. It contains for levels at which his students must solve worldly issues. There is a space layer, an air and space level, a ground and sea level, and an under sea level.  There are 4 countries that the children create, with one prime minister and a cabinet. The students at this point are in control and Mr. Hunter is just the facilitator. The students are given a problem out of the 13 pg. crisis document and they are to solve it together. The students also read Sanzu's: The Art of War, from which the students learn to think in a long term more consequential manner. They learn from this book how not to follow the path of war. This project hands control over to the students and makes them think on a deeper level. This also allows creativity and ingenuity to come alive and provides a risk taking environment in the classroom.

I loved this video. It was inspiring to me to see fourth graders take on such a big challenge and really get into it. The students who spoke were enthusiastic about the project and really seemed to have a deep understanding of the situations they were given. Not only are students learning on their own, they are learning from each other while participating in this project. I like how this project goes further than classroom lectures and is interactive, involving students in deep thinking and cooperative learning. 

Xtranormal-Don't be a litter bug!

9-“How teachers are using technology at home and in their classrooms”

The article “How teachers are using technology at home and in their classrooms” highlights the differences among wealthier and poorer school districts and younger and older generation teachers. Generally, teachers 35 and younger are more confident in their technology skills and their ability to use technology in their classroom in opposition to teachers 55 and older. Younger teachers are more often to draw on colleagues for ideas of how to use different technologies in opposition to older teachers 35 and older. Teachers who work in wealthier school districts says their school does a good job providing them with the technologies and support  they need to incorporate digital tools in the classroom, most received formal training for this, and over half say they (or their students) use tablets in the learning process. Over half the percent of teachers in higher income school districts say they or their students use e-readers and use their cell phone to look up information in class. Out of the teachers who teach in low income school districts, just less than 40 percent say their school is behind the curve when it comes to using digital tools in the learning process, over half the percent of teachers say that a lack of resources among students to access digital technologies is a “major challenge” to incorporating more digital tools into their teaching, and half the percent of teachers say their school’s use of internet filters has a major impact on their teaching.

All this information gathered from the survey supports why there needs to be seminars for all teachers to learn about the latest technology, how to use it and incorporate it into their classroom. Teachers need to see that it can be very easy to learn once they are to work with the digital tool hands on. Schools within lower income school districts can not be deprived of these technologies. Students of lower SES need to have the same opportunities as the students in the higher SES school districts. 

8-15 Strategies to stop Cyber Bullying

The article, “15 strategies educators can use to stop cyber bullying” explains that cyber bullying is different than in-person bullying in that is usually anonymous, hundreds of people can see it, it’s usually a repeated episode and the victim feels they cannot escape, and more females are victims.  With two-thirds of school violence beginning on social media sites, it is apparent that teachers need to acknowledge and be aware of cyber bullying. It can lead to can lead to school failure, psychological implications, depression, violence and illegal activity. To help prevent cyber bullying, teachers need to educate their students on how to be a digital citizen, and how to be cyber safe, that the same rules to safety and discipline apply in and out of the digital world. Teachers should raise awareness of cyber bullying to their students by talking about cyber bullying. Students need to be assured that it is ok to report cases of cyber bullying or abuse. Establishing firm policies so that students are aware of rules before a problem occurs help to clear up any confusion or guessing that the students may have about a cyber bulling situation. Teachers need to empathize with students and not minimize the student’s situation when it comes to cyber bullying. Students take cyber persona very seriously. To encourage camaraderie among peers, teachers can encourage team building through exercises and activities that call on students to work together as a team. Teachers need to stay up to date with technologies. As technologies change so do ways of cyber bullying. Getting parents involved and having an open line of communication with students can help to decrease cyber bullying. The more people students have to confide in, the safer they will feel. Allowing the use of technology and internet in classroom can help to decrease the problem of cyber bullying.

                In a nutshell teachers need to have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to cyber bullying and create a safe environment for their students.

Yes, cyber bullying is a problem; it needs to be addressed. Social media site use at school should be prohibited, but with the use of cell phones, iPads, and all the other technologies out there, it is impossible to completely put an end to the use of these types of cites at school. The best thing a teacher can do is just talk about cyber bullying, create a loving community within his/her classroom, get parents involved, and allow open communication between teacher and student. These are things teachers should be doing anyway.

7 Educational Technology Speaker Series

The article “College hosts educational technology speaker series” describes the T21 Speaker Series held at Illinois State University for the students, staff,  faculty, and alumni of the College of Education.  The purpose of this series was to give these professionals the opportunity to be exposed to and practice using the technology skills that are necessary to teach the students of today’s technology rich society. Topics covered in this series were special education students, digital resume-building, and incorporating iPads into the curriculum. The series took place in and Exploratorium that was equipped with  three different types of interactive whiteboards, a 3-D printer, iMacs, iPads, Chromebooks, advanced recording devices, interactive dry-erase surfaces, and stations for collaboration.  The audience was able to observe how to use the technologies and work with the technologies hands on. The best way to learn a skill is to practice it. One of the presenters, Cassandra Mattoon, took the audience through the process of how she determined how to use iPads in her curriculum. She showed them how to be selective and to not force applications into a lesson if it truly does not fit. Then, she brought her own preschoolers into the series and paired each student up with a member from the audience. They were to work with the preschooler to play and learn on the iPad. 

The idea behind this series is great. I think that all educators, students learning to be educators,  and even parents should have the opportunity to be a part of a series like this. I am certainly not very knowledgeable about technology and neither were my parents. The course I am currently taking, IT 365, is definitely introducing many new technologies to me but I know I have a lot of work ahead of me. I think it is important that educators are abreast  and knowledgeable of the technologies that are current because they can be used in the classroom to enhance teaching, participation, and learning of students. 

Body Systems Concept Map

BODY SYSTEMS

I.       Respiratory

Oxygen enters the respiratory system through the mouth and nose. The oxygen passes through the larynx down the trachea that enters the chest cavity. The trachea filters the air that we breathe. The trachea splits into two smaller tubes called bronchi, which then divide again into bronchial tubes. These tubes carry air directly into the lungs.

A.    Diaphragm

B.    Lungs

1.    Puts oxygen in blood

2.    Takes carbon dioxide out of blood

C.    Trachea

1.    Filters air

D.    mouth

E.    Nose

II.     Digestive

Organs that make up the digestive system are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and liver. Digestion is the process by which food and drink are broken down into their smallest parts so the body can use them to build and nourish cells and provide energy.

A.    Mouth

1.    Where digestion first begins

2.    Food is chewed and mixed with saliva

B.    Esophagus

C.    Liver

D.    Large and Small Intestine

E.    Stomach

1.  Hydrochloric Acid mixes with the chewed food

III.    Muscular

The muscular system can be broken down into three different types of muscle: skeletal, smooth, and cardiac. The skeletal muscles are the only muscle tissue in the human body and control every action that a person consciously performs. Smooth muscle is found inside of organs such as the stomach, intestines, and blood vessels. It is the weakest of the three muscle types and sends signals to contract to move substances through the organ. Cardiac muscle is found only in the heart and is responsible for pumping blood through the body.

A.    Skeletal muscle

1.    Helps strengthen body and connects to bones

B.    Cardiac muscle

1.    Found in the heart

C.    Smooth muscle

1.    Found in walls of internal organs

IV.    Nervous

The nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and retina. The peripheral nervous system consists of sensory neurons, ganglia, which are clusters of neurons, and nerves that connect to one another and to the central nervous system. Neurons send signals to other cells through thin fibers called axons. These then cause neurotransmitters to be released at synapses. A synapse gives commands to cells.

A.    Peripheral

1.    Nerves

2.    Ganglia

3.    Sensory Neurons

a.    React to light, sound, and touch

B.    Central

1.    Brain

a.    Where the nerves begin

2.    Spinal Cord

3.    Retina

V.     Circulatory

The major parts of the circulatory system are the heart, arteries, and veins. The hearts pumps blood to the arteries. The arteries take oxygenated blood to muscles. the veins take blood back to the heart, which then releases carbon dioxide in the lungs.

A.    Heart

1.    Pumps blood to arteries

B.    Arteries

1.    Take oxygenated blood to muscles

C.    Veins

1.    Take blood back to heart to release carbon dioxide

Voki

6-Google Tools

“Ten Creative Ways to Use Google Tools to Maximize Learning” is an article that describes 10 features that Google offers that can be helpful to the classroom teacher and students. Google Docs can help support organization, the writing process, and note taking and sharing with in the classroom.  It also allows collaboration between the teacher and student when working in shared docs. Google Forms provides formative assessment data, giving the teacher the ability to evaluate the level of comprehension of each student before they walk into the classroom or after a concept is taught. This is done through surveys created on Google Forms. Google Voice allows teachers and/or students leave voice messages on a Google Doc instead of annotations. This allows students to hear comments about their writing instead of reading notes written on their paper. Research Tools allows students to search within their project or open document to find information without having to work between multiple browser tabs or windows. It makes using the web easier to use while researching. Write Space is a customizable text editor that allows students to write with no distraction causing items on the screen. There are no formatting ribbons or chat boxes that could possibly cause students to lose focus. Google Dictionary and Image Dictionary is a handy tool that one can access by right clicking his or her mouse. Instead of just being given synonyms, Google Dictionary can give an image and definition on the same screen. This aides in the increase of comprehension and saves much time. VideoNot.es allows students to take notes and automatically saves those notes as they are watching a video. The video and text box for notes is displayed simultaneously. Google Moderator gives students a voice and the opportunity to rise as leaders. They are able to ask questions, submit topics or ideas for discussions, and have conversations. Google Drive Template Gallery allows teachers and students to view templates or creative forms of another.  

I was not aware of all the tools and resources that Google has to offer. This article was very beneficial to me as a future teacher. I am really excited to use the Google Voice. I think allowing students to hear comments about their writing instead of seeing red marks all over their paper will boost their confidence a little bit more. Many of these tools will help students with their note taking and studying, which is definitely a major part of education. Good studying skills are a necessity to success in school. 

5-Virtual Fieldtrip

Global Trek is a virtual field trip site that allows students to go anywhere in the world and learn about the country, its culture and heritage, the people, and the history of that country. When you first enter the site, you choose your country and book your flight. Then, you are asked to start a journal that explains what you see and learn on the field trip. The journal writing is prompted by questions that the site asks you to respond to in the journal.

Though this site has a good concept, it could have been more exciting. There were no games or simulations, no trivia or interesting images. I do not think that students would be captivated by this site enough to use it. The journal writing was a good idea though. When students take any form of trip, I believe that they need to write about the experience. 

The Hershey’s Factory virtual field trip site takes students on an informational video guide of how Hershey’s chocolate is made. Basically, there are several video-clips to show the harvesting of the cocoa bean, how and where it is brought to the United States and the processes the beans go through to become chocolate. 

Again, this site was boring. Where are all the bells and whistles? Where are the simulations or updated video clips. The music in the background was dull as well. Chocolate is fun! Hershey’s chocolate factory is a well-known and wealthy establishment. The virtual field trip portrays that the process of making chocolate is dull and outdated. The site does give a lot of information, but it is not engaging enough. 

4- Kindergartners and iPads?

“Giving iPads to Kindergartners” is an informational article discussing the advantages of kindergartners and even toddlers using technologies such as computers, smartboards and iPads. Reports from schools using these technologies say that iPads make learning fun and more engaging, and they also stimulate kindergartners’ mental growth. Most of these apps created for children of this age are created for parents and teachers to monitor student progress and see growth. The article also points out that not all apps and games are beneficial; parents must carefully evaluate apps and games to be chosen, and monitor and control their child’s usage. It is advised that pre-k and kindergarten children use technology with an adult or older sibling so that monitoring of the child’s learning and mood occurs. What would be the purpose of a fun educational game if there is no learning or comprehension taking place? The iPad is meant to be a productive use of technology when being used by kindergartners. Cyber bullying is a concern that needs to be acknowledged by parents who allow their child to use these types of technology. Parents and teachers need to discuss what cyber bullying is with the children, explain why it’s wrong, how to avoid it, and explain what a child should do if cyber bullied.

This article was really interesting to me because I did not realize the benefits of these technologies. I do not use much technology other than my cell phone and computer for school work, so it amazes me when I read that a kindergartner can learn and mentally grow through the use of educational apps and games on the iPad. When I become a parent, I am going to do whatever I can to give my child the richest education possible. Technology is a huge part of a rich education and technology can only improve. I think this is a good article to read for parents and teachers who need a little inspiration for their youngsters. There are three apps that were discussed in the article that would be a good start for the use of the iPad in the classroom and as a home trial. 

3 Bitcoin

The article, “Will Bitcoin change how kids learn to count?” by Nicole Smith, introduces the concerns about the future of digital money, Bitcoin, and its effects on teaching kids how to count and learn math. My understanding of this article is that there are concerns about educating future students on how to count or do math if there is no coin currency. If Bitcoin is the money of the future, then there needs to be an introduction of both coin currency to teach the history of the money, the concept of money, and how to count money, and then also the experimentation with technologies like littleBit, Sifteo cubes, and digital tools. Experimentation with these technologies can lead to preparation for the future Bitcoin.

Call me old fashion, but I happen to like the dollar bill. I like collecting coins in a jar to save up for gifts and maybe a little extra spending money when you really need it. Why is everything being moved to digital these days? Technology is not always reliable. I agree with the concerns of this article. Counting coins and understanding the value of each coin is hugely apart of math concepts and skills in the primary levels of school.  It’s a concrete object that children can manipulate that has meaning and value. Why substitute this resource with a Bitcoin? 

2 Social Media

The article “Teens, Social Media, and Privacy”, shares information from a survey given to 802 teens that honed in on how teenagers are using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to share information about themselves and how they regulate their own privacy. The percentage of teens sharing personal information has increased drastically in five different types of personal information since 2006. Through these media sites, teenagers have the ability to post their location and share videos of themselves on Facebook and Twitter. The article states that most teens keep their Facebook profile private (>60%) and more than 50 percent of teens express a high level of confidence in managing their Facebook privacy settings. The survey also concluded that teen social media users do not express a high level of concern about third party access to their profiles or advertisers seeing their information. Yet, parents were more concerned about their children’s protection against advertisers. The articles highlight many key findings on teens and their experience using social media and how they regulate their confidentiality.

In my opinion, the survey and article did not cover the information and details that convey the real scoop on teens and their use of social media sites. These sites rule over most teens lives to where actual conversation is passé.  Whatever happened to meaningful phone calls and letter writing. Everything is so convenient as to picking up the phone and sending a message through Facebook.  Kids post everything these days; even down to what they are eating and drinking. What happened to mystery? This article did not convey the real issue with social media sites. Sure they are being used much more these days; that’s a given.    

1 Pinterest

"The Teachers Guide To Pinterest"- Are you in with Pin? Pinterest has become one of the best ways for teachers to share resources and information for the classroom. Teachers are using Pinterest to share quotes and inspiration, display art, photography and design, suggest reading materials, encourage student participation, show student work, and even share lesson plans. Colleges even use Pinterest to keep students, alumni, and potential new students updated on the latest news. The benefits of using Pinterest is that it is free, students and educators can participate by commenting, repining, and liking, and you can make specific searches. Not only is Pinterest beneficial for educators to use, it is parent and student friendly as well. Students can use Pinterest to find images for class presentations and to get ideas for crafts and school projects. Parents can use Pinterest to get lunch ides for kids and find new books to read or recommend for their kids.

Reading this article only confirmed why I love Pinterest so much. I have used Pinterest for several presentations, lesson plans, and even gift ideas. It’s a place where ideas, crafts, and information are displayed easily so that you can find resources to enhance lessons, classroom appearance, and a fun experience in the classroom. This was a great article to read if you have never used Pinterest and are an aspiring teacher. Teachers need all the resources possible at their finger tips, and Pinterest is a great one. 

Introduction

Hello! My name is Virginia Blanchet. I am 24 years old and a Senior at USM. I was raised in Picayune, MS. I will graduate in December of this year. Yay! IT 365 is the only class I am taking this summer, and then I will student teach in the fall. I am looking forward to student teaching and getting to know more about myself as an educator. I have many hobbies. I enjoy working out, biking, running, cooking, eating, and being outside. I love the water, the beach, and vacationing in Florida. I am currently working as a cocktail waitress at Chesterfield's, a family restaurant/bar. I am so looking forward to ending that chapter of my life and starting a new chapter with a teaching job. This is just a little information about me. I hope you enjoyed it. Bye!