Journal 10

Shein, Esther. "Making History." T.H.E. Journal 10 2008 2 Nov 2008 http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23394

This is an article about a teacher in Pennsylvania who had their students make a podcast on actual World War II events. This was a collaborative project where students chose an event from WWII. Each student had a specific role. Whether, it was the desk reporter, witness or field reporter. They had to brainstorm and come up with interviews. Next, they prepared a script and then they recorded them on an MP3. They used Audicity to save their MP3 files that ranged from 6 to 10 minutes. The article started talking about when she had students try to do a project where they tried run their own business. Her students didn't like it and neither did she. This was a good article that talked about using technology and collaboration to learn about history and business.

1. How can I do something like this in my classroom?
I can use it in my classroom the same way these teachers did. I need to give my students the tools and knowledge to be successful in a lesson like this and all lessons while teaching. This is just another tool I can use. I like it because I think students can get a better understanding of what I am teaching.

2. Can I use this in an elementary setting?
I believe I can use this with younger students. It will be different, but not too much different. I will probably have to take more time on showing the students how to use these tools. The lessons would have to be simpler, but I will need to follow the same rules as if I was teaching older students.

Journal 9

Reynard, Ruth. "Avoiding the 5 Most Common Mistakes in Using Blogs with Students." T.H.E. Journal 10 2008 29 Oct 2008 http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23434.

This article talks about the five most common mistakes when it comes to blogs. One common mistake is the use of blogs. Students are not fully benefiting from using blogs when they are asked to write when they are not fully prepared. This can cause students to get frustrated and will negatively effect the learning process. Teachers need to have learning outcomes for the students to get the most out of them. It takes more than just accomplishing learning objectives. Blogs are good because they are for personal reflection. Comments can be left, but they are not seen on the original blog. Grading needs to have clear rubrics, so students won't be confused on how they will be graded. Without clear rubrics students can get confused and may not participate in these blogs. The final mistake is that students do not get enough time to get the assignment completed. Teachers need to plan ahead and well for increased work they will see.

1. How do I make it easy for students to understand how they will be graded?
One thing I can do is give them an example of what I am looking for. I will have to go through this A blog so they will understand what I am looking for. After the students do a few blogs they will know what I am looking for.

2. How do I know how much time I need to give for students?
This is something I will learn more as I go along. At first I can give more time than I think and then adjust from there. Maybe next time give more time or less time.

Journal 8

Curtis , Diane (2002, November 1). A '"Fantastic Super" Use of Technology: Closing the Digital Divide. Edutopia, Retrieved October 11, 2008, from: http://www.edutopia.org/fantastic-super-use-technology



This article talks about students using computers at school and at home. Every students get a user id and password. The school received grant money from BellSouth and now they have computers in every clasroom. A great think about this is the students that don't have the money to get internet access gets "internet access devices" at their house on loan. They are not full computers, but have capabilities of certain programs and websites. Another great thing about this program is that it keeps the parents involved. Each class has a web page that parents can look at. The parents can already know about their child's day before they have picked up their child. Both parents and teachers like the immediate feedback of of using this technology. Parents can play an active role in their students learning. Students here have made improvements since the school was opened in 1999. In 2002 more the 90% of students passed end of grade test with high marks.

1. Why is this not used in more schools?

This program was help funded by BellSouth and not by the government. I think schools like this will lead to all our schools being ran like this. We just need a way to fund these programs. It will take some help from companies to make this happen.

2. Is this fair that only some schools have this technology?

No it's not fair, but it's a new program that is set up. If it is successful then we can find a way to use this strategy in all schools.

Journal 7:Podcasting

I found web 2.0 to be very helpful. It has a lot of different forums going with information. The tools part is very useful also. It has different subjects to choose from. This makes it easier, so I don't have to scan the forums for a specific topic I am looking for. I chose to click on podcasting. I have a heard a little about it, but I have never looked into it. I looked up the definition of podcasting and I found that it is podcasting - A form of audio broadcasting using the Internet. Podcasting, which does not require the use of an Apple iPod, involves making one or more audio files available as “enclosures” in an RSS feed, which can be played back by the RSS subscriber at their convenience on an MP3 device. This was a pretty informative tool. There are some good ideas that other teachers used. Techers were talking about having their students taking test through Audicity. The students could then go at their own pace and have things repeated if they want to. Also, I saw different free sites I can use such as Grand Central and others. They talked about doing podcasts through a phone. A lot of this stuff was talked about was for secondary school and high school. Some maybe used just for the upper levels, but the basic stuff could be used in elementary classrooms. I found these forums to be very helpful. Those who participated helped others with problems they were having. This took care of any problems people were having. I am sure that technology will become more common and our younger students will be able to do more at a younger age. I think podcasting is a good tool because kids like to use their phones and this is something they would enjoy doing. It's also can be a great teaching tool and I look forward to learning more about podcasting.

Journal 6

Inspiration

1. I liked using this program. I am not great at using it, but it wasn't too difficult to use. There were times when I had trouble with it, but I used the help menu and that worked. It could've been a little bit better in this aspect, but it's ok.
2. I could see my students using this for essays and other projects when they would need to organization. I think students would like using this more than they would writing it on paper. I don't really know what other projects I could see them doing. When I get more experience with this program I can come up other things for students to do.
3. I didn't really use Atomic Learning for Inspiration. It seems like it would be a good tool, but in this situation I used it a couple of times with questions I had. It's another option to go to for help and I can never have too many of those.

iMovie

1. This program was pretty fun to use. I have never tried to do anything like this before. It was cool to try and make a clip. I wasn't really familiar with all the tools, but I tried to use different ones, which gave me some more knowledge with the program.
2. I could see using this program with my students in having them do research and using pictures or clips to get a message across. For example, I would have an assignment where I want my students to show what life is like for those in a certain part of world. There are a few different projects I could have them use this program.
3. I didn't use Atomic Learning with this program. Atomic Learning could probably help me with iMovie, but I didn't use it.

Journal 5: Disrupting Class: Student-Centric Education Is the Future

This article started out very well when it talks about how students are learning Mandarin. I thought it was cool how the first student ws learning how to speak Mandarin. It got even better when the other student was learning a different way. This is a great idea. Tailor to the different way students learn best. This will help each student be more successful and give them more confidence in the other things they learn. Another positive thing of this article tells how learning on computers are cheaper than teaching the way we do today. We can use the money on keeping up with the growing technology. This will keep the children learning in the best way possible and maybe even better than with previous program. It's still early on, but it looks good in the future for students.

Question 1

How will teachers be used in this technology classroom?

I could see teachers being used monitor what the students are doing and helping with any questions the student may have. They can push the child in the right direction.

Question 2

When could we see classrooms with each student having their own computer?

I don't think every student will have their own computer anytime soon, but I do see in the future children will bring laptops or a new portable device to school instead of books and notebooks.

Journal 4: Text Unto Others... As You Would Have Them Text Unto You

This article talks about being a good digizen. The rights and wrongs of using technology. Not only in being safe with their personal information, but also the rights and wrongs. One example they gave was downloading of music and videos illegally. It's the same in real life as it is on the internet. It's not right to walk into a store a steal a movie or cd, so why would it be acceptable to go to a website and download a movie or cd. There isn't much difference in the morality of the act. It's easier to do it online because no one will know and it's more acceptable, but it doesn't make it right. The article also talks about using the internet wisely. When kids are on Myspace they need to learn how to keep themselves safe and not put themselves at risk. Don't put pictures of yourself or friends in compromising situations. A good point the article makes is when it says that security is the most overlooked thing when it comes to technology. They talk about using spyware and surge protectors.

Question 1

Will the 9 elements work to keep kids safe?

I think so. It hits a lot of good points. Whether or not the kids use these tools is another story.

Question 2

What will stop children from downloading music illegally?

As time goes on I think it will become tougher to do this, but it will always be around. All we can do is tell them why it's wrong and hope they make the right choice.

Journal 3: Who Are Today's Learners?

This was an interesting article. I didn't think that children from low income areas had much access to computers at home and at school. I was also surpised that the children had knowledge of word, spreadsheets and powerpoint. I was not surprised that the children looked forward to assignments that they had to use the internet. Reading articles like this makes me realize how important this class is. I wouldn't have thought that children would have this much knowledge of using computers at such a young age. This is definetely a tool as a teacher I can use in my classroom and also from my own home. The students can communicate with each other and can do group work online. This is important because children have more trouble meeting up for a group meeting than I would or someone who could drive. The children talked about using portable technology. Depending on the school we could have children scattered around the playground on a nice day as they complete an assignment I gave them. If the assignments are getting completed then I think this is a good idea.

Question 1

How will I know the level of the students when it comes to technology?

I can ask them question like what technology they have and if they know how to do certain things.

Question 2

What do parents think about technology in the classroom?

I don't know what they think. I am sure they don't care as long as it doesn't hurt their child and that it thelps them

Journal 2: Web 2.0

This is an article about using online games as a tool for teachers with new ways for students how to learn. They can use different games to show the children how to work together and show the consequences of their choices. Also, this article talks about using the Internet for discussions and let the students communicate with their teacher and their classmates outside of school . This article has good ideas and ideas that will help to teach children. This article reminds me another one I read about students playing chess to help with their learning. The children benefited from this by having their test scores going up and the children also looked forward to this time of the week when they get to play chess. Ideas from this article will be something new for students and will get them excited to learn. It is also another tool for teachers to use in educating their students. The only problem I see is in lower income areas where the children won't have this technology at home and it may be limited in the school area.



Question 1

What do I do if children don't have this technology at home, when other students do?

I wouldn't use a class page or anything. I would use the technology at the school.

Question 2

What do I do if the students have more knowledge than me with this technology?

Let one or a few students set it up and learn what they learn.

Introducing Josh

I am Josh Liston and I grew up in Santee. I went to Carlton Hills Christian School from kindergarten through 2nd. Then, I went to a school I don't remember the name for 3rd grade and Chet Harritt since 4th grade. I went to Prospect for junior high before going to West Hills high school. I then went into the Marine Corps for 4 years and from there I went to Grossmont College. I am now here for my 1st semester at CSUSM.

I am a PC person. I have used a Mac for long enough to get confused. I depend on technology a lot. I use the internet everyday. I use it for school, managing my fantasy sports teams and for many other time wasting activities. I have the newest version of word, but I haven't used it frequently enough to retain anything I have learned. 

I think the mission statement has a lot of good words in it. It uses the word diversity a couple of times, so I think this is one the important things it's trying to say. Also, taking the class EDUC 364 shows me that the COE is serious of about what it  saying and not just saying it because it sounds good. The mission statement didn't play a role in me selecting this University. I didn't read it until after I applied. I wanted to go to a school in the San Diego area and I didn't want to come away with a degree and loans to pay back. It was either here or SDSU and the more I came here the more I liked the school, so it was an easy choice for me. That's a little bit about me and good luck to everyone in the class.