Journal #7 My Personal Learning Network

A Personal Learning Network (PLN) is an informal relationship between learners using software tools like Twitter, a social networking and micro blogging application that allows users to send and share text messages, Tweet Deck, a website used to manage and view Twitter content, Diigo, a social bookmarking website that allows users to tag and bookmark desired sites, and Storify, a social networking site that allows users to create stories and timelines using social media websites.  PLNs are useful for educators because it allows educators and learners to meet digitally and exchange information on current trends in education, new knowledge, classroom activities, and other new ideas in the realm of education.

I have used Twitter to participate in to chat discussions on the New Teachers Chat on Wednesday afternoon.  The first chat was about incorporating the celebration of earth day into the classroom, and the second chat was about helping a new teacher grow their PLN.  I have a number of different educators in my network that have informed me that they are more than willing to assist me in any way in growing my PLN or any other issue I might have as a future educator, if that is what I decide to do, even though as of now it is not what I want to do.  My experiences on the New Teacher chat were pleasant and everyone was open and extremely nice and out going.  



Diigo, the social bookmarking website that allows users to tag and bookmark desired sites, is a great tool for developing your PLN.  On Diigo I have a number of sites tagged as containing valuable information.  One of the blogs that I follow on Diigo is "The Fischbowl", a blog ran by a veteran educator in Colorado, which has a lot of valuable information about education and tactics to use as an educator to motivate students and create a positive learning environment. I am also following Mr. Jeffery Hiel on Diigo because he is well connected in the digital educational community and his site has a lot of useful information and links to other educators and their information.  Another member of my PLN on Diigo is the Cool Cat Teacher Blog, which is the blog of Vicki Davis, an educator and a great place to find new ideas and resources to help improve a teachers curriculum. 

I also joined the educators PLN, which is a forum for educators to connect and share ideas, post, blogs, and videos that help enhance a teachers ability.  It is a ning site dedicated to the support of a personal learning network for educators. I looked at a blog post by Shelly Terrell about her experience learning how to use twitter and building her PLN.  Her blog post is very interesting and the story is funny how she started out small and slowly but surly built her PLN by choosing who she though were the best people to follow because of their deep knowledge and zeal to learn and teach.  She talks about how she enjoyed sharing the information she was learning, also the difficulties in winning over people and peer about the idea of using different social media outlets to create a useful PLN.  She ends her post by describing how happy she is with her PLN and how useful it is and how it has brought her in touch with quality educators all over the glob.   

Eduational Chat Storify

Journal #10

Lisa, P. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-leading/digitaledition/digital-edition-march-april-2013

Summary:  In Lisa Perez's article "Re-Imagine your Library with I-Pads"  she talks about how the library's in the Chicago Public School District received a bunch of i-pads as part of a new initiative to improve school libraries.  The librarians in the district all attended classes and workshops to learn how to use and to integrate the technology into the library.  The group also went through a process of evaluating and selecting educational apps to install on the i pads.  The author also described how a program of color coating the i-pads, cleaning the screens, and controlling the inventory.  The improvement that the i pads made in the library is almost tangible.  One common praise that librarians had about the new i-pads is how much faster that the i-pads turned on, booted up, and were ready to use compared to the older laptops and PCs in the libraries.  The article then went on to state how the i-pads have been helping students who are struggling readers improve their skills.  The i-pads were also said to help the less vocal children speak up in class since the activities and projects that are done on the i-pads are inspiring the students to be excited about what they have accomplished on the i-pads.  A principle is quoted as saying that "The i-pads provide the opportunity for students to create projects that allow further dialog, whether it be with students in their classrooms, other schools, or even other countries."  In conclusion, the author sums up the article by saying that "We've found that i-pods have allowed us to put our digital resourses directly in the hands of our students in 1:1 environments to support learning, research, and recreational learning."

Question 1:  The article is very supportive of the idea of i-pads, what could be the drawbacks to i-pads?  

     Children are inherently irresponsible, forgetful, and often rough with things that are not their own.  I-pads can easily be lost, damaged, and forgotten, causing stress in parents, educators, and students.  As a student who had a textbooks stolen, but was blamed for losing it, it caused enough distress that I still remember it 20 years later.  Plus, these things are expensive and no one will want to front the bill for a lost or damaged i-pad.  Plus, all electronic devices fail at some point or another, as a parent I know how children can react when an device that provides overloads of stimulation suddenly fails.  Often it results in violent reactions and temper tantrums, just like with a teenager and a crashed x-box. 

Question 2:  What are the other advantages of the i-pads that were not mentioned in the article?

     The i-pads could be a great way for groups of children to work collaboratively on assignments and use software like face time and skype to communicate and share ideas with other schools and classes.  They could also be useful for students who can't afford home computer and it could allow them to learn the technology necessary to stay up to date with educational technology.

Journal #9

"Massive and Open"
Fasimpaur, K. (n.d.). Massive and open. (2013). Learning and Leading with Technology, 40(6), 12-17. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-leading/digitaledition/digital-edition-march-april-2013

Massive Open Online Courses are online classes that are open to anyone and are usually free, but some charge for certain courses, and are online, yet some have face to face components.  Massive Open Online Courses have some variations to how the course is conducted since some Massive Open Online Courses are very in depth and require a great deal of participation, projects, and assessment.  Others focus on mastery and are more disposed for independent study.  Some people claim that this type of learning is very distant with no sense of community.  With some sessions having a massive amount of people on them and the testing being done mechanistically, some say that these atmosphere lack support, encouragement, and collaboration. Some Massive Open Online Courses are specifically geared towards K-12 educators for professional learning and are very useful in teaching things like digital citizenship and professional development.    Massive Open Online Courses often use a participatory peer driven style of learning which is uncomfortable to those who are used to the traditional top down style of learning.  Building community with    Massive Open Online Courses seems to be a challenge and is a major complaint by many critics of this style of learning.  Another criticism of these  Massive Open Online Courses is that there is a high drop out rate for the courses.  In the end, like it or not, these   Massive Open Online Courses are the new wave education and to some are a great relief from the traditional classroom setup and face to face meetings.

Question #1  What are the ways in which  Massive Open Online Courses can be used by traditional educators?
For those kids who fail to make it to school on time consistently, for those who can not manage their time properly, for those who have anxiety disorders and are scared of public places, for those with sleeping issues, for athletes when school becomes a burden to their practicing a sport, and for those in remote locations for who traveling is a nuisance, this could be a great answer.  I know many lazy people who have trouble getting out of bed in the morning and this could be the answer to their sense of entitlement and lethargy.  They could do this type of schoolwork in their underwear and in bed and never need to shower or practice any other type of annoying hygienic practice.  Since it is always impossible to cheat the system, this could be a great way to teach and assess students without having to worry about teaching children all of the other things that are learned in a public setting.  I wish I would have had this type of thing when I was in high school, I wonder if they will soon have online proms, that would have saved me a lot of embarrassment. 

Question #2 What are the benefits of Massive Open Online Courses?
They can be tailored for certain professional training and are generally free to the public.  They are a great way for interested people to learn about certain subjects.  They can be peer driven so that the learning is applicable to the students life and they can choose where the course goes.  They allow for thousands of people to come together and share a learning experience. 

Journal #8

Communication:
"Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) is an umbrella term that encompasses the communication methods used to supplement or replace speech or writing for those with impairments in the production or comprehension of spoken or written language. AAC is used by those with a wide range of speech and language impairments, including congenital impairments such as cerebral palsy, intellectual impairment and autism, and acquired conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. AAC can be a permanent addition to a person's communication or a temporary aid."
Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmentative_and_alternative_communication

Talk Blocks are little palm sized blocks that can record up to 30 seconds of recording and can replay the recording with a simple push on the talk block.  You can insert little pictures into the block to match with the recording.  These blocks are great for conveying activity instructions, assessing, and reinforcing skills.  They are a great augmentative communication tool.


The Go Talk 20+ is a communication tool that is lightweight, durable and easy to use.  It has one inch buttons that can produce 5 messages each and 100 messages in total.  It is a great augmentative communication device that allows assistance and curriculum reinforcement.  It is a great tool for augmentative communication with fifteen minutes of recordable time.




Accessibility: 
An input device is any device that feeds data into a computer.  Keyboards are input devices.

Intellikeys are an input device designed for special needs students and students with disabilities.  It is a touch sensitive device with changeable overlays for different configurations.  This device can aid students with physical, visual, or cognitive disabilities who has difficulty using a standard keyboard.  The universal design of the overlays provides large, well-spaced keys in high contrast colors to help students locate letters, numbers, words, and directional arrows.



Smart Click is software that is made for special needs users who can operate a pointing device, but cannot click.  The soft ware uses the hover method to select items for the special needs user.  With smart click the user can click, double click, right click, and drag items on the screen.  This type of software is perfect for allowing everyone accessibility to electronic devices.    

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I commented on Raihana and Amanda's blogs about their Journal #8
http://disneywoc03.blogspot.com/......http://rsyonus.blogspot.com/..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Journal #6

Spencer, J. (2011, September 19). Ten Reasons to get rid of homework (and five alternatives). In Education Rethink. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from http://www.educationrethink.com/2011/09/ten-reasons-to-get-rid-of-homework-and.html

Summary/Analysis/Reflection: In John Spencer's article "Ten Reasons to Get Rid of Homework (and Five Alternatives)" looks at homework as not a tool to further student learning, but as a hindrance to knowledge and motivation.  The author states that homework should be abolished because children are busy, and homework interferes with productive nightly activities like play, reflection, and extracurricular activities.  The author also points out that homework can be a hinderance to students who have to go home and babysit, work, or deal with someother unequitable situation.  Homework also interferes with playtime after school.  The author also points out that homework demotivates, it doesn't raise achievement, it teaches bad habits, and for the most part the quality of the homework is poor.  The author suggests that instead of homework, kids should be kids, teachers should give homework workshops with parents, homeworks should be viewed as extracurricular activity, and teachers should encourage students to participate in other learning activities outside of assigned homework.  Personally, I went two years at a highschool that didn't require any homework.  The reasoning is that work does not belong at home, school work was for school, and home was for home.  It was both good and bad.  The school day was more intense and strenuous because all of the work had to be done at school, most of the time I wished I had homework so I could study up more on the subjects that were problematic.  It did work though, and it was a good system because as a high schooler, my nights were busy with extracurricular activities, and it was nice not having to worry about doing busywork before going to sleep.  Instead of assigning homework packets as homework, assign short video's or short assignments that can be completed in less than 15mins.  Assign work and give time to complete the work in class.  Instead of assigning homework, cover the needed material in class.  Make homework voluntary for everyone, and require it for those who are behind because they squander class time.  Have students create there own homework assignments, if a student can't think of one the teacher can assign something.
 

Journal #4 NETS-T #3

Ferguson, H. (2012). Join the flock!. Learning and Leading with technology, Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-leading/issues/june-july-2010/join-the-flock!

McClintock, S. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience.Learning and Leading with technology, 37(8),Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100607?pg=16&search_term=enhance your twitter&doc_id=-1

 Summary: Join the Flock! is and article in Learning and Leading with Technology about how to use Twitter to build your PLN.  It took me a while to figure out what PLN stood for because of Hadley Ferguson's poor writing style and failure to clearly identify the acronym PLN and what it stands for.  PLN stands for Professional Learning Network and is what the author seeks to develop by using Twitter to network with other educators.  Mrs. Ferguson's article gives a step by step account of how to get on to Twitter and begin looking at posts from other educators and build a community of educators who share thoughts and posts about developments in education and technology. In Enhance your Twitter Experience,  the author talks about all of the great experiences and activities that became available to her and her class by joining and developing her Personal Learning Network.  She gives tips and ideas about how to use tools like Tweet deck to manage and filter tweets and to increase functionality.  In her article she also highlights how much twitter has helped her come in contact with other educators who want to share ideas about educating and inspiring learning among youth.

Question 1:  How might I use twitter in the classroom?
    As an educator I could use twitter to find information and links to new and relevant social activities that could be used as a teaching tool for youth.  Twitter could allow me to stay up to date with info and activities that could be transformed into learning activities and information that can help me better reach my students. It could also be a way for students to communicate and bounce ideas related to school topics around.  It could also be used to do activities as a class outside of the classroom that could keep everyone involved.

Question 2:  What are the benefits of developing a Personal Learning Network?
    A Personal Learning Network can help educators build personalized communities where other educators can share thought and ideas about the latest advancement in technology and education and how to transform those things into a positive learning experience.  PLN's are a way to allow people who are interested in the same topics to share info and improve education as a whole.    

Journal #3 NETS-T 4

Swan, G., &  Park, M. (2012-2013). Students need a digital driver's license before they start their engines. In Gary Swan (Ed.), Learning and Leading with Technology (pp. 26-28). Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201212?pg=5

Summary:  In Gary Swan's and Marty Park's article,  Students Need a Digital Driver's License Before They Start Their Engines, the authors talk about the importance of requiring students to acquire licenses in order to use electronic devices, either personal ones or ones loaned out by the school, so as to ensure responsible use and internet safety.  The idea of schools giving out licenses to students fall into the NETS-T standard for promoting and modeling digital citizenship and responsibility.  The Digital Driver's Licensee project requires students to learn digital etiquette and security, digital access health and wellness, digital commerce, digital laws, rights, and responsibilities, and digital media fluency.  Students are encouraged to study the material and in order to obtain their license they must pass a series of assessments.  When the student is able to pass the exam and receive their Digital Driver's License, the school will know that the respective student knows how to participate in a digital universe civilly and responsibly. I personally think that this is a good idea and it should be implemented in more schools to ensure safe and responsible digital use.  A Digital Drivers License ensures that the student can safely and responsibly use digital devices as well as provide a productive digital atmosphere to promote student learning. 

Question 1:  Could the Digital Drivers License be used as a tool for discipline reward?
        I think so, just like driver's licenses are revoked for bad driving and other forms of misconduct, a Digital Drivers Licensee could be revoked for abuse of school policy or any other violation of school rules. The Digital Driver's License is a good tool to produce good behavior both digitally and in the classroom.

Question 2:  What things could the Digital Driver's License help to avoid in school settings?
        The Digital Driver's License could be effective in preventing cyber bulling between classmates, as well as copyright infringement.  Cyber bullying has become a problem and any effort to stop bullying could positively affect a child's life in the future.  It is also helpful in preventing copyright infringement as well as cheating and plagiarism. 

Journal #2 Learning without Borders NETS 2

Anderson, S. (2012). Feature: Learning without borders. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-leading/l-l-december-january-2012-13/feature-learning-without-borders

Summary:  Sue Anderson's article is about the experience of developing a virtual international classroom exchange with a group of students from China.  The process of setting up the program and communicating with Chinese students created many obstacles that forced the students to learn how to effectively communicate with someone from another country.  Students had to learn to write and communicate without using slang, idiomatic expressions, and abbreviated language.  This type of learning is meant to prepare students to participate in the global community.  American students learned about the way of life of Chinese students of the same age, but more importantly they learned about the similarities between themselves.  Then the students participated in an activity that had them create a video that highlighted the similarities and differences between the two cultures.  The project was an overall success but had it's share of bums in the road that needed to be worked out along the way.

Question 1.  What, if any, problems could be faced in the future in relation to Internet censorship in China?
         
If there is a sensitive topic that the Chinese government wants to keep hidden from it's people a dialog between American Students, who have freedom of speech, and Chinese students who don't,  communication between the bodies of student could be lost or interrupted for a long period of time, or the dialog could become hostile if misinformation surrounds said event.  

Question 2.  What issues could arise with the use of incompatible or stolen technologies.

Like the issues already faced by the classroom in relation to incompatible technologies most of the problems could be worked out, even in the case of google being banned by the Chinese government.  Other compatibility issues could be found in the use of stolen or faulty knock offs of software.  In the article, Ms. Anderson pointed out that the Chinese students had older models of computers, but they were able to function for the exercise. 

Journal #1

1. The position of your head when you bite into a taco
2. Finding money unexpectedly in your pocket when you put on a pair of pants
3. When my son farts he says "toot toot beep beep"
4. Going to Sockers games with my wife and son
5. Going to Sea World with my family
6. Going to Safari Park with my family
7. Going to SD Zoo with my family
8. Raising hell with my brother in law in Costa Rica
9. Going to Harrah's on the Rez
10. Buffets
11. Crab legs, Lobster, and drawn butter
12. Disc Golf
13. Making a hole in one or a sweet putt while playing disc golf
14. Monster Trucks
15. My 1972 Ford F-250 Camper Special Ranger XLT
16. My dog
17. Going camping with my son
18. Bowling
19. Ping Pong
20. The fact that my favorite sports are bowling, disc golf, and ping pong.
21. The fact that I own my own bowling ball, shoes, and bag.
22. The fact that I own my own special ping pong paddle with special case.
23. Most Extreme Elimination Challenge
24. Going to Chuck E. Cheese with my son
25. Riding the Sprinter
26. The San Diego Sockers
27. Riding my Bicycle
28. When you say "cat" around my dog she freaks out
29. Grilling on my BBQ
30. Iced Tea
31. Cold Milk
32. Playing disc golf at night
33. Walking with my son to the liquor store for ice cream bars
34. Going in the hot tub when it rains.
35. The Big Lebowski
36. The Chinese buffet by my house
37. The way my dog snuggles
38. Playing Craps
39. Beer by the pitcher
40. Remote control cars, trucks, planes, helicopters, and boats
41. Conspiracy Theories
42. Funyuns and Dr. Pepper
43. Nacho Cheese
44. My old Jeep
45. Playing with my son
46. Christian Brothers Brandy
47. San Diego
48. My Garage
49. Falling asleep on the couch
50. The Venture Bros.
51. Inside Jokes
52. Ice water with a lot of ice.
53. Tekken Tag
54. Cleaning my house
55. Runza
56. Root Beer
57. Fish Tanks
58. Bean bags
59. Campfires
60. Professional Wrestling
61. Family Feud
62. Sneezing
63. Finishing a book
64. Rainy Nights
65. 1980's San Diego Sockers
66. Pho Saigon house special with extra meatballs
67. My old neighbors
68. Walking around the block with my wife and son
69. The Sancho from Diego's Place
70. Comfortable Clothes
71. Music
72. Liquid Fabric Softener
73. My 64 oz. AMPM cup that they don't even make anymore
74. Eating at Costco
75. Indoor Soccer
76. Phil's BBQ
77. Brushless motors with Lipo batteries
78. SBD
79. Riding the bus
80. Pardon the Interruption
81. Sleeping
82. Watching people do stupid stunts and getting hurt
83. Super Mario Bros.
84. Building forts
85. Gardens
86. Going to the Beach
87. Snoring so loud I wake myself up
88. Socks  that don't match
89. Cruising Grand
90. Classic Cars
91. Puppies
92. Playing soccer with my son
93. How terrible my Spanish is, but that I can still speak it
94. Hot Sauce
95. NFL RedZone
96. Open toed sandals
97. Nachos
98. Green Terrors
99. Pullover hooded sweatshirts
100.  Snooze buttons

School 2.0-NETS Awareness

I watched the video entitled "Why You Need TO Fail" by Derrick Severs.  That video I believe has a lot to do with the NETS-T's #1 Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity because the whole idea behind what Mr. Severs is saying is that failure leads to learning.  If failure leads to learning, then for a student to truly learn they must first fail in what they are doing.  In order to facilitate and inspire student learning, first a teacher must erase the fear of failing from the students mind and encourage failure as a result of trying.  Students should not be afraid of learning or trying to create because there is the possibility of failure, rather true creativity should be the result of uninhibited trial and error.  In Mr. Severs video is a bit showing a Picasso painting in progress.  The video highlights all of the errors, changes, and adjustments that go into a work by Picasso.  The Picasso video shows that a masterpiece doesn't just happen, it doesn't just manifest itself on canvas, rather a master piece is the result of trial and error.  There is also the example that Mr. Severs gives about the song that he wrote, and how his instructor in a round about way showed him that what he had done wasn't really a final product, but just one try out many towards a final product.  Failing leads to learning from your mistakes.  Failing also leads to the growth mindset, which allows for true learning and creativity.  Failing also allows for experimentation and growth of an idea or a concept.  In order to facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity a student should not be afraid to fail becasue failing lead to learning, a growth mindset, and experimentation.