Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Slidecast
The benifits from using this technology is an amazing resource for students. If students are allowed to retrieve lectures and slides online, they can always return to the parts they do not understand. Students involved in discussions always present new ideas for their peers, so having class discussions available to listen to again will give other students an opportunity to absorb those discussions better rather than trying to scribble notes down during it.
I also think this presents the students with a great chance to act as a teacher. They can make their own slide casts for homework instead of just outlining a reading on paper.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Technology Standards 8.1
D. Digital Citizenship
Grade 12
Content Statement: Technological advancements create societal concerns regarding the practice of safe, legal, and ethical behaviors.
CPI: 8.1.12.D.1
Evaluate policies on unauthorized electronic access (e.g., hacking) and disclosure and on dissemination of personal information.
For this CPI students are expected to understand the laws concerning unauthorized electronic access and how personal information can viewed by the public if you are not careful about your online privacy.
As a future History teacher, it is my responsibility to have the students be civic minded and to understand the laws surrounding unauthorized electronic access. Another goal is to make smart and active citizens. A smart citizen would be aware of the information about them that could be accessed on the internet.
An activity that I thought of to meet this requirement would involve students doing a simple internet search for their name or of friends and family. This activity would be used as an eye opener to the students who do not understand the implications of having personal information, like your address, being posted online. A continuation of this activity would have students research the best ways to keep your information private on various social networking outlets.
Grade 12
Content Statement: Technological advancements create societal concerns regarding the practice of safe, legal, and ethical behaviors.
CPI: 8.1.12.D.1
Evaluate policies on unauthorized electronic access (e.g., hacking) and disclosure and on dissemination of personal information.
For this CPI students are expected to understand the laws concerning unauthorized electronic access and how personal information can viewed by the public if you are not careful about your online privacy.
As a future History teacher, it is my responsibility to have the students be civic minded and to understand the laws surrounding unauthorized electronic access. Another goal is to make smart and active citizens. A smart citizen would be aware of the information about them that could be accessed on the internet.
An activity that I thought of to meet this requirement would involve students doing a simple internet search for their name or of friends and family. This activity would be used as an eye opener to the students who do not understand the implications of having personal information, like your address, being posted online. A continuation of this activity would have students research the best ways to keep your information private on various social networking outlets.
Technology
The standards put forth is a great step towards modern technological immersion into the classrooms. While it is great for educators and students to utilize the technology, I feel for some schools and districts, acquiring the technology in the first place can be a difficult task especially with budget constraints. As a future educator, I cannot successfully pass along the standards to the students unless I first full understand them myself. This technology is to help the teacher, not take the burden of teaching away from them.
When it comes to going beyond the information presented in this course, I believe that the students themselves will play an important role in guiding teachers towards new technology or new applications.
When I'm job hunting, it will be more appealing to work in a school/district that makes the most out of the technology. In the first video about Chatham High School, the history teacher is teaching in a computer lab. Every student has a computer and the room is equipped with a smart board. A majority of classrooms at MSU still don't have digital projectors in every room. I would much rather work in a school like Chatham High School since they willingly promote technology and have a staff that is willing to help other teachers. If the classroom had the correct equipment, the students would be able to work with students from around the world, which in my opinion is important for Americas youth to be exposed to the world in this increasingly globalized society.
When it comes to going beyond the information presented in this course, I believe that the students themselves will play an important role in guiding teachers towards new technology or new applications.
When I'm job hunting, it will be more appealing to work in a school/district that makes the most out of the technology. In the first video about Chatham High School, the history teacher is teaching in a computer lab. Every student has a computer and the room is equipped with a smart board. A majority of classrooms at MSU still don't have digital projectors in every room. I would much rather work in a school like Chatham High School since they willingly promote technology and have a staff that is willing to help other teachers. If the classroom had the correct equipment, the students would be able to work with students from around the world, which in my opinion is important for Americas youth to be exposed to the world in this increasingly globalized society.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Website
For this blog post I chose to examine the district in which I have had the most contact with, that being the Clifton Public Schools. As a former student of Clifton High School I can honestly say I only ever used the website to check for school closings, and now they seem to have a news feed right on the main page, colored bright yellow, for everyone to see.
At first glance, the webpage seems simplistic but the more complicated the page is, the more likely it is to drive away students and parents because of cumbersome navigation. Under the district subsection, I can find information about the administration and who they are, information about adult evening classes, Board of Education, employment opportunities, an events calendar, and even individual "report cards" for each of the publics schools. The next subsection breaks apart the different schools into: high school, middle schools, and elementary schools with links to each individual school. The high school's web page also links to an online database services that students can use (EBSCO for example), online databases are important for students who are preparing for college.
For parents this seems like a great way to find out information about the individual schools are there resources. There is also a link to a technology page that gives information about the Clifton District Technology Plan. There is also a convenient "contact" link that allows parents to email there questions to the district. The district is looking to answer questions rather than hide from them.
Overall the Clifton Public Schools website gets the job done. While it may not be as lively as MSU's welcome page, it still conveys that the district cares about what is going on in the schools and that they have a duty to present it publicly as well as online.
At first glance, the webpage seems simplistic but the more complicated the page is, the more likely it is to drive away students and parents because of cumbersome navigation. Under the district subsection, I can find information about the administration and who they are, information about adult evening classes, Board of Education, employment opportunities, an events calendar, and even individual "report cards" for each of the publics schools. The next subsection breaks apart the different schools into: high school, middle schools, and elementary schools with links to each individual school. The high school's web page also links to an online database services that students can use (EBSCO for example), online databases are important for students who are preparing for college.
For parents this seems like a great way to find out information about the individual schools are there resources. There is also a link to a technology page that gives information about the Clifton District Technology Plan. There is also a convenient "contact" link that allows parents to email there questions to the district. The district is looking to answer questions rather than hide from them.
Overall the Clifton Public Schools website gets the job done. While it may not be as lively as MSU's welcome page, it still conveys that the district cares about what is going on in the schools and that they have a duty to present it publicly as well as online.
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