Journal #3

"Five Don'ts of Classroom Blogging" by Julie Sturgeon

This article discussed the perspectives of several professors on how blogging aids education and ways to integrate it into part of their curriculum properly. For example, it was found by one engineering teacher that his students really excelled when their peers reviewed their work rather than if he was the only one reading the material. Students are thriving on the capabilities of blogging because it engages them with pictures, video and music. Teachers are finding that their students are enjoying the opportunity to create their own blogs and at the same time they are learning how to write better. One of the main recommendations that the teachers suggested was to set guidelines ahead of time. By doing this it ensures that the student are clear about "code of conduct", consequences, and how they should be using their blogs and commenting on others. Teaching them how to blog was another point of importance since many students are not natural at the technology of blogging. Also, one teacher said that somehow there needs to be monitoring of the blogs and comments that are being posted. He stated that he didn't like many of the free blog sites since they didn't offer control and proposed the use of software but said it not quite as user friendly. He recommends researching educational blogs and asking the creators for start up advise.

I have to say that I really have enjoyed the creation of my blog through this class. Like a lot of other students my age, I didn't grow up with technology the way that students do today. I had always heard of blogs, wanted to create one, but never knew how to do it. In terms of usage, I never thought of using a blog in an educational setting before taking this class but when I read about article on blogging like this one I am really motivated to find out more ways that I can do this. The recommendations in the article are very interesting and it is helpful to have this information before I plan to develop a class blog of my own.

QUESTIONS:
1. How can a teacher filter a post/comment before it is published on a blog? I didn't care for the idea to use a software to filter the blog posts but perhaps a better idea would be to have my students email me their comments/posts and I could read them and approve them to post.

2. How would I be able engage my students of science on a class blog? I think I like the idea of using a blog to keep up on current events in the field of science. This way, the students are not only learning about science but they are learning about how science is impacting their lives today through the news etc. I believe that it would very educational if I could post articles on my class blog and have my students read and comment on the article.

Journal #2

"Speaking Math" by Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson

This article discusses the use of technology within the subject of math. The case study was based at Osbourn High School in Washington DC. The method used was a class discussion board that was drawn from the popularity chat rooms. Prompts were posted on the discussion board and credit was given for responses from the students. In this type of setting, the learning turned out to be more like fun for the students in contrast to work. The discussion boards also benefited non-native speakers to learn from their peers about the subject because the students share and teach each other in their own language.

I really felt that the use of discussion forums are more effective compared to chat rooms because students have the flexibility to answer each others questions at different times. This seems easier than chat rooms because all of the students do not need to be online at the same time to discuss the prompts and the use of a computer lab time wouldn't be needed. Before reading this article, I wouldn't have thought about the positive benefits peer discussions would have on non-native speakers but I'm definitely seeing that this is a great tool for me as a teacher later on to get the students communicating with each other.

QUESTIONS:
1. How would a teacher using this type of technology tool ensure that the discussions on the forum are teaching each other how to do the math correctly? This question was something that popped into my mind as I read this article because I do think that the peer discussions are beneficial but also worried if the students were teaching each other accurate information. Although the discussion boards or forums are mainly student driven, I think that the teacher needs to be involved to moderate and correct anything that might be inaccurate. As the article said, the teacher may print out the discussion questions and use them in class.

2. How does the use of classroom discussion boards and forums benefical to the teachers? When students participate in the discussion board questions, they are literally teaching each other and also reinforcing the concepts that they learned. Also, it is also helpful when non-native speakers are able to coverse in their own language regarding the subject material so the information being learned is more understandable. A teacher who is not fluent in the non-native speakers language wouldn't be able to do this as effective as their who do. Finally, I think that the use of technology in this way gives the teacher a good idea about what types of things their students are struggling with and may require additional time to teach.

Journal #1

"Social Networking for the K-12 Set" by Jim Klein

The focus of this article is on social networking and how the use of technology can improve so many aspects of education for K-12 teachers, students and parents. It discusses several examples how educators can implement technology into their classrooms that improve "communication and collaboration". Some of the ways in which technology can improve education are Web-based document sharing, blogging, RRS, and podcasting to name a handful. There were many positive benefits to the use of technology in the classroom such as eliminating barriers between students, teachers, and parents. For example, the use of a classroom blog helped to keep not only the students informed on what is going on in class but their parents as well. Through this classroom blog, classes are able to share their thoughts and knowledge about specific prompts. Tools like this such as blogging or web-based programs allow students to interact with peers in their class or students in the same district in a "safe controlled environment". Usage of technology actually instills a sense of community in the students and allows them to explore other aspects of the subject than just the textbook and classroom lessons.

Reading this article made me reflect about all of the ways in which I could possible use these methods in my own classroom later on. Being a student at CSUSM and already using WebCT for all classes I'm now understanding how these programs are making teaching more effective. I an odd way, many people might think that technology makes things more impersonal resulting in less interaction with peers. I'm finding the opposite to be true about the use of technology because it allows students like myself to review peer work, ask questions, and converse in ways faster than I can ever remember being possible as a former K-12 public school student.


QUESTIONS:
1. How can technology tools like the ones discussed in this article help me as an educator? I already know by taking my Education 422 class and reading this article that technology will be a large part of my classroom when I begin to teach. I'm already planning that I can begin my own classroom blog for each class that I teach to keep my students and parents informed. Also, the problem of parents depending on their children to be honest with them about assignments they need to work on is a thing of the past. Now, parents of my students will simply need to check my class blog and see what assignments their children need to complete. I truely believe that schools should be implementing web-based programs like WebCT to help organize student and teachers. As a future educator, I would think that having assignments submitted electronically be easier than simply handling loose papers all of the time with the risk of them getting lost. Podcasting is something I know nothing of but if it helps me become a more effective educator, I will be willing to try it.

2. List one way that technology allow for a more equal education for students from all socio-economic backgrounds? First, if a student has access to the web there is a wealth of resources for him/her for researching subjects of all kinds. I'm also learning that programs that we use to have to pay for are now readily available to use for free. For example, my neice and nephew come from a family with very limited income. They have always struggled with the fact that they didn't have the money to purchase Microsoft Word. Now, with programs such as Google Docs, they are able to work equally along side of their peers without feeling like they don't have the same resources to do their assignments.