Collaborative Wiki Page, Lexipedia Writing Tool--NET-S (3,5)

Fair Use Harbor Copyright Assignment--NET-S (4)

Copyright Assignment 

 Audio-Visual Lagoon, by Beth Piper 

   An audio-visual, or AV work is a sequence or combination of pictures, 

sounds. It is not to be confused with a multimedia/hypermedia, which 

involves sound, text, graphics and/or video clips in a computerized 

environment. AV works include: VHS and DVD movies, laser discs, 16mm 

movies, 35mm slides, and flimstrips, with or without audio 

accompaniment.  An AV work is protected by copyright, because it is a 

form of expression. When educators present AV works to students, they 

are not violating copyright laws because the 1976 Copyright Act allows 

educators to use copyrighted materials in classrooms for performance 

and display. The Fair Use section of the Copyright Act also allows 

educators to portions of AV works to be used in the classroom. It is 

important to note that, under Fair Use, educators may not copy an entire 

AV work, only what they need to support their instruction, and must be 

lawfully made copies. Under this law, AV works may not be performed as 

a reward for students, or as part of an extracurricular activity. Until 

recently, the Copyright Act specified that educators could only use AV 

works in face-to-face teaching. However, in November 2002, the TEACH 

Act was passed, which allows teachers to digitally transmit AV works, 

under certain conditions.  

Application for Teachers: 

    As a future teacher, I intend to use portions of AV works to support 

lesson plans and encourage classroom discussion about lesson content. 

Although students may look forward to seeing AV works in class, it is 

important to remember that any AV works must specifically support 

instructional objectives, and that entire works may not be performed in 

class. While the copyright laws might seem inconvenient, they help 

ensure that lessons are driven by content and good instruction, rather 

than by AV works.  

 

Dist-Ed Point, by Beth Piper 

    With the recent emergence of online education, the issue of digital 

transmission of copyrighted materials has become increasingly 

important. Before the TEACH Act in November 2002, educators could not 

legally present audio-content digitally, or over the internet. The TEACH 

Act allows educators to display and perform AV works to distance- 

learning students without permission, under certain conditions. Most 

importantly, only non-profit organizations may use and display material, 

and the material may only be displayed to students enrolled in a course. 

The conditions for teachers state that only "brief and reasonable" 

portions of AV material may be used, and the material may only be 

available to students for a short time, when they are engaged in 

instructional activities which involve the material. This means that 

instructors must make AV material available to students for a limited 

amount of time, or session. The educator decides how long the session 

will be, and must take steps to ensure that students cannot access the 

material once the session is over. The TEACH Act requires instructors to 

use digital versions of AV performances, when possible. If digital versions 

do not exist, or are copy-protected, then the instructor may digitize and 

display portions of the material directly related to instructional content, 

but only for a limited amount of time, similar to the amount of time the 

information would be available to students in a face-to-face classroom. If 

the instructor stores the information digitally for future use, they must 

ensure that no one else can access the material, and this must be the 

only copy made. The non-profit online instructional institutions 

employing these instructors also have great responsibility, under the 

TEACH Act. The institution must have defined policies designed to 

manage the use of copyrighted materials, and they must notify students 

that course materials may be subject to copyright protection. Online 

educators and institutions must work together to ensure that they meet 

the requirements of the TEACH Act in the virtual classroom.  

Application for Teachers: 

    As a future teacher, I will become familiar with the copyright policies 

governing my school, and continue to stay updated about federal 

copyright policies concerning both the digital and face-to-face 

classroom. As technology offers teachers new opportunities to access and 

share information, it also brings great responsibilities to teachers and 

schools. By staying abreast of current technological issues and policies, I 

will be able to supplement my curriculum with AV material, without 

violating any copyright laws.      

 

 Background Beach by JC Cooper 

 Contributing Authors: Georgia Harper, Benedict O’Mahoney, Daniel 

Tsyver, Esther Synfosky, Bruce Lehman, Mary Carter, Brad Templeton. 

 

What is copyright and how is it defined? 

Copyright is a way for authors, creators, and publishers to control their 

work in order to protect their livelihoods. By definition “copyright” means: 

The exclusive right of a creator to reproduce, prepare derivative works, 

distribute, perform, display, sell, lend or rent their creations. 

 

Copyright Protects: 

Poetry, Prose, Computer programs, Artwork, Music, Animations, Movies 

and videos, Web pages, Architectural Drawings, and photographs. 

 

Copyright does not protect: 

Ideas, Titles, Names, Short phrases, Works in the public domain, Mere 

facts, Logos and slogans (although protected by trademark),  and URL'S 

(i.e., a link to a web site.). 

 

Copyright does give the author of the work five rights including: 

The right to reproduce the copyrighted work. 

The right to prepare derivative works based upon the original(s). 

The right to distribute copies of the work. 

The right to perform the work publicly. 

The right to display the work publicly. 

 

"Fair Use" is the base belief that copying should be allowed for purposes 

of criticism, news reporting, teaching and scholarly research. Fair use 

gives non-profit educational institutions the ability to use and copy a 

small and sufficient amount of the original work in order to educate.   

 

The four "fair use" criteria from the 1976 Copyright Act are: 

1. The use may be for non-profit educational purposes, but not for a 

commercial nature. 

2. The nature of the copyrighted work. 

3. The amount used in comparison to the original work. 

4. The effect of the use on the market for or value of the copyrighted 

work. 

 

Application for Teachers 

It would be helpful to teach my students about copyright law not only for 

written works, but also for photos, music, and Internet programs as well. 

As an assignment I could split the class into small groups, and each 

group would have to take a different entity of copyrighted works. The 

students would then report on the legal and illegal copying of their 

assigned type of material according to what they have learned.  

 

 Single Copy Inlet by Michael Slemp 

  

    * The Copyright Act of 1976 allows educators to legally make a single 

copy without getting permission or paying a fee to the author. Copies can 

come from sections of a book, periodicals, newspapers, poems, short 

stories, charts, graphs, diagrams to name just a few. 

    * The copyright privilege that educators have under the fair use act is 

rather broad and includes copies for research, scholastic pursuits and to 

place copyright items in reserve rooms at the library for access by the 

students. 

    * In case selected articles are deemed by teacher as important 

supplement to the lesson, teacher can put selected articles into reserve 

rooms in library. Students are allowed to make single copy of these 

articles on copy machines that have notices that cite the protection of the 

authors work via the Copyright Act. If students use information from 

these articles for their own work, they are responsible for proper citation 

of the source.  

    * Educators have begun to use an Electronic Reserve system. This 

system is composed of a webpage with numerous hyperlinks. Only 

students enrolled in specific class can log to this webpage and read 

selected copyright articles. 

    * Coursepacks is another tool that educators use but the policy varies 

with each educational institution. In general creating coursepacks does 

not fall under single copy inlet but under multiple copy policy. However 

under certain circumstances creating coursepacks can be considered as 

“fair use”. It must be done at a non-profit educational setting, limited to 

one term or semester, permission or licensing may be needed, and have 

the college attorney review all coursepacks that are being proposed to 

the students.  To lessen the burden of coursepacks an alternative would 

be to put the information on reserve at the library for student’s access.   

 

 

Gasaway, Laura (2003, January). Fair Use Harbor. Retrieved March 10, 

2009, Web site: http://www.stfrancis.edu/cid/copyrightbay/fairuse.htm 

 

 

Application for teachers 

 

Understanding legal background of accessing and distributing items that 

are copyrighted is important especially for teachers. With infinite 

information available to teachers via books, articles, periodicals, 

professional journals and mainly electronic articles, everybody needs to 

be familiar with proper ways using and citing their sources. As a teacher I 

am able to use single copies for research and preparation for my classes. 

I can also share important articles with students by placing them in 

reserve rooms in school library. When creating a black board for students 

enrolled in my classes I can legally post hyperlinks on my webpage. I will 

also become familiar with the policies of my institution on creating a 

coursepacks to avoid any legal challenges. 

 

 

 

 

Cove of Multiple Copies by Michael Slemp 

 

 The fair use guidelines for multiple copies are a lot more involved and 

detailed than the guidelines for single copy use. Below is a list of some of 

the requirements that teacher should follow in order not to break the 

copyright laws. However, whenever possible the educator should try to 

obtain publisher reprint or permission from the publisher. 

 

Guidelines for multiple copies: 

 

    * Article copy limit is 2,500 words 

    * Longer work of prose copy limit is 1,000 words or 10% off total work 

(whichever is less) 

    * Poem copy limit is 250 words 

    * No more than one chart, diagram, cartoon, or picture from a book, 

periodical, or newspaper. 

    * Copying must be done at the initiative of the teacher at a spear of a 

moment 

    * Limit to one copy per student, students can be charged for only the 

cost of copying 

    * Copying is only done for one course 

    * Same item is not copied without permission from term to term 

    * No more than one work is copied from a single author 

    * No more that 3 authors are coped from a single collective work 

    * No more than 9 instances of multiple copying occur during a single 

term or semester. Exceptions are newspapers and periodicals which can 

be copied as much as you want (no 9 instances limit) as long as you 

follow the rest of the guidelines 

    * Once copied, items cannot be used in collective work. 

    * Consumable work such as workbooks and standardized tests cannot 

be copied under any circumstances 

 

.  

 

Gasaway, Laura (2003, January). Fair Use Harbor. Retrieved March 10, 

2009, Web site: http://www.stfrancis.edu/cid/copyrightbay/fairuse.htm 

Application for teachers 

 

As a teacher I have the choice to decide how to present information to my 

students. When appropriate I am allowed to copy and incorporate 

attained information into my lecture as long as it follows the specific 

guidelines for multiple copies. For example, if I come across an 

interesting article or diagram related to my lecture the evening before my 

class I know that I can be safe to make needed copies and hand them out 

to my students.  

 

 

Multimedia Wharf by JC Cooper 

 

Contributing Authors: 

 

Gasaway, Laura (2003, January). Fair Use Harbor. Retrieved March 10, 

2009, Web site: http://www.stfrancis.edu/cid/copyrightbay/fairuse.htm 

 

 

What is multimedia? 

Also known as "hypermedia," multimedia involves the use of text, 

graphics, audio and/or video into a computer-based environment. 

 

"Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia." (not considered official 

law) 

*  Students may incorporate others' works into their multimedia creations 

and perform and display them for academic assignments. 

 * Faculty may incorporate others' works into their multimedia creations 

to produce curriculum materials. 

  * Faculty may provide for multimedia products using copyrighted works 

to be accessible to students at a distance (distance learning), provided 

that only those students may access the material. 

  * Faculty may demonstrate their multimedia creations at professional 

symposia and retain same in their own portfolios. 

 

Acceptable amounts of Multimedia to be used: 

*  For motion media -(e.g., video clips) up to 10% or 3 minutes, whichever 

is less. 

    * For text- up to 10% or 1000 words, whichever less. 

    * For poems - 

          o up to 250 words. 

          o Three poem limit per poet 

          o Five poem limit by different poets from an anthology. 

    * For music - up to 10% or 30 seconds, whichever is less. 

    * For photos and images 

          o Up to 5 works from one author. 

          o Up to 10% or 15 works, whichever is less, from a collection. 

    * Database information-- up to 10% or 2,500 fields or cell entries, 

whichever is less. 

 

Goal of Fair Use with Educational Multimedia 

As with all practices of fair use it’s important to use the smallest portion 

necessary of an educational work to achieve the instructional objective. 

 

Application for Teachers 

I think it is very important for teachers to be given a short seminar or 

work shop on fair use for educational multimedia. Technology is such a 

large part of today’s curriculum, which makes it important for teachers to 

understand the acceptable amounts of multimedia they may use in order 

to achieve an instructional objective. In addition to the teachers having 

knowledge about fair use it will also allow them to give insight to their 

students during projects and reports using multimedia.  

 

I contributed to this collaborative assignment to better understand 

and model responsible digital citizenship.  

 

 

 

imovie software proficiency--NET-S (3)

I created this video using imovie. 

Journal Response #10

Bonne & McKercher, Judy & Patrick (2004, March). Intercultural Education and Virtual Reality. New Horizons For Learning Online Journal, 10, Retrieved 04/08/2009, from http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/technology/bonne.htm

The article I read for Journal #10 discussed the Knowledge Web, or K-Web, which is an interactive tools that educators and students may use to explore subjects, and apply their knowledge in a contextual way to other subjects, and to the world in general. The K-Web is easily accessible, and provides opportunities for student collaboration. At the time of this article's publication, it had been tested by some educators in Vancouver and San Jose. The K-Web was also featured in 2003 at the Intercultural Educational Alliance's online summit. At this summit, James Burke was one of the key speakers, as he explained his involvement with the K-Web, and some of the broader cultural implications of the increasing accessibility of technology on a global scale. A portion of James Burke's speech was featured in the article.
Burke's speech emphasizes his belief that technology shapes society, and that technology can and does inspire students in a dramatic way. He mentions the fear that some people (educators and those who are not teaching professionals) have that technology brings about a way of thinking that is completely technology oriented, and this causes people to lose their connection with individual cultures. He says that, to the contrary, technology is a great unifier, and that his K-Web tool helps connect and unify students.
The speech expresses Burke's hope that, as technology becomes more accessible, it will offer cultures alternate means to express themselves and preserve their unique cultural beliefs. He also believes that technology will expose people to many different cultures, and that this exposure can and will cause people to become more accepting of diversity.
Burke's vision is that of a world where people can travel seamlessly from their own local culture to a new culture, gaining a sense of the new culture's traditions, where the culture might be headed, and what the culture means on a global scale. He hopes that technology can help people understand and appreciate one another's cultures.

Questions:

How might I use tools from ED 422 to encourage students to develop increased awareness of their own cultures?

By using tools such as social bookmarking and Inspiration, students could research their family history and present it as a cultural web. This web could incorporate a student's immediate family, or several generations. 

How might I use tools from ED 422 to encourage students to develop increased awareness of other cultures?

As a teacher, I could create a classroom wiki (similar to the one Jeff created for our web 2.0 assignment), and allow students to choose from a list of various cultures, picking one to research, then posting their findings on the wiki. I could check the thoroughness and validity of their research by using social bookmarking on delicious, to follow students' research and check their sources. Student would post their findings, then comment on other classmates findings, within the wiki.

Journal Response #9

Waters, John K. (2009, March 1). The kids are all right. T.H.E. Journal, Retrieved 4/1/09, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/24104_1

In his article "The Kids Are All Right," John Waters investigates the impact that digital technologies may have on student's learning, focusing on a particular study of the John D. and Katherine T. MacAurthur Foundation. The study supports the idea that digital technology enhances learning. He explores ways that teachers use their student's familiarity and knowledge of digital technologies to further a student's education.
Waters mentions that many teachers are familiar with little or none of the current technology their students are using outside of the classroom. The author explains that, since students view the technology as an integral part of their everyday lives, when teachers refuse to see value in it, the students perceive teachers and their curriculum as irrelevant. The article calls on teachers to find creative ways to reach out to their students, using the technology that their students use to communicate with each other.
The author then takes a closer look at the study, introducing the term "media ecologies," which are defined as "collections of interconnected technologies and activities involving new media." The study used three "genres of participation," to explain students' various levels of participation in new media activities. These levels are:
Hanging Out--This level is often friendship-driven, according to researchers, who say that kids today are using online social networks the same way that their parent's generation hung out at the mall. In this level of contact, kids "move seamlessly between online and offline worlds, compensating in some ways for their increasingly restricted lives." Kids involved on this level use digital technology to learn social skills that were once learned face-to-face.
Messing Around-- The study describes this as a "hybrid level," which combines elements of Hanging Out and Geeking Out. In this level, kids are developing interests, and searching for information about them in a self-directed way. Waters describes this as "a level of playing around that leads to interest-driven activities."
Geeking Out-- This is described as "a level of intense interest, even a high level of commitment, with media or technology." At this level, the research is about a subject of interest, rather than the focus being on the technology. According to Waters, this is the level of engagement that teachers really want to see, and he encourages teachers to search for ways to use technology to peak their students interest.
Waters concludes by re-stating that educators need to see the value in the time kids spend online, whatever their level of involvement is. The article stresses that teachers need to be open and receptive to technologies their students are using, and how they are using them. As educators, it is important to find ways to use technology as a tool to communicate with students, rather than seeing it as a barrier between teachers and students.

Questions:

1. What level of participation will most of my future students likely be at?

In my opinion, most students are at the "hanging out" level. As teacher, I hope to move students up to at least the "messing around" level, so that they can start developing various areas of interest, while also developing technology skills.

2. What are some ways that I can show my students that I appreciate and understand the role that technology plays in their lives?

Integrating technology in my classroom will show students that I am "down" with technology. By becoming familiar with the technology available in my classroom, and practicing operating the equipment, I will model technological proficiency for my students and earn their respect with this knowledge. By using tools such as social bookmarking, a class blog, and email, I will be able to communicate with students and parents efficiently, offering them opportunities to connect with me as a teacher, as well as with other students in the learning community. 

Lexipedia: A Cool Web 2.0 Tool--NET-S (5)

 This is an example of a word search, using lexipedia. You can see that the word web is displaying synonyms, antonyms, and various parts of speech for the word "green". This is simply a scree shot, so it is not possible to limit or expand this particular search, nor is it possible to access the "say it" feature, as it is on the actual site. However if you're interested in investigating this cool tool, you can visit lexipedia.com through the link on this blog!

Journal #8--Course Management Systems--NET-S (1,3,4)

Course Management:

  I decided to focus on Course Management Systems (CMS) for the Web 2.0 assignment.

  A CMS is basically software that allows an educator to create a web-based virtual classroom. I also found that a CMS is sometimes referred to as a Virtual Learning Environment, or VLE or a Learning Management System (LMS).  CMS's provide students and teachers with tools for both teacher and peer assessment, collaborative learning, collecting, organizing and grading of student's work, communication, content uploading, and tracking tools. New features in some of these VLE's are: blogs, wikis, RSS and 3D virtual learning spaces. 

  I learned that there are many Management Systems available, at varying prices, and with varying teacher reviews. Blackboard and Moodle were the two that came up the most in the Web 2.0 discussions I followed. One of the discussions I followed concerned teachers whose districts were switching from Moodle to Blackboard.  The feedback the teacher got from her peers seemed to indicate that, while Moodle and Blackboard are different programs, they are both effective and fairly easy for students and teachers to learn. In all the discussions I followed, teachers seemed to be either "Blackboard types" or "Moodle types," so I suppose it would be in my best interest, as a future teacher, to become generally familiar with various CMS's, from both the perspectives of teacher and student. 

I gathered this information using a website specifically designed to further educators' professional development.

Inspiration-NET-S (1,2,3 )

I created this web using Inspiration in order to organize information in  a clear and visually interesting way.

Journal Response #7

Bigenho, Chris (2009/March, April). Mining for gold. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36, Retrieved 3/18/2009, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200904/?pg=20&pm=2&u1=friend

In this week's journal article, Chris Bigenho explores RSS technology, and its many uses in education. Bigenho suggests several uses for RSS technology including bookmarking articles for students, and gathering current information for teaching purposes.  The author defines RSS, explaining explaining the concept of RSS, and then the two types of aggregators: internet hosted and client side.  Internet hosted aggregators allow a user to access their information from any computer, while client side aggregators are integrated into operating systems, and limit a user to their personal computer, when accessing their RSS information. 

  Bigenho then suggests ways that teachers can incorporate RSS into their classrooms, such as subscribing to blogs, subscribing to social bookmarks, and feeding content to html pages. Using RSS to monitor student's blogs enables teachers to easily stay up-to-date on student posts, without having to check individual student blogs each day. Social bookmarking is a great way for teachers and students to organize and share information, and is an makes resources easily available to students. Feeding content to html pages enables teachers to make a variety of media resources available to students by allowing the teacher to build in a feed to a web page or site without worrying about html code--the feed takes care of that for the teacher. Again, this makes information more easily accessible to students, because a teacher can post it all on one site, and not spend much time updating it. The author even gives instructions in his article for "Creating a Custom Feed," walking the user through the process, step-by-step. 

  RSS ensures that all new information will be displayed on the site, and updated as it changes, so time is not wasted looking for updated information--the new information comes to the user. This means that teachers can incorporate dynamic content in their lesson plans, without a great amount of extra time and energy spent looking for information and media. Students benefit from RSS because it makes information easier for them to access, and enriches their classroom experience by giving them a greater pool of information to draw from, and ensuring that this information is current and relevant to students. 

Questions:

1. How might I use RSS as a K through 5 teacher?

   As an elementary school teacher, I would be able to use RSS to subscribe to blogs and sites that are relevant to information my class would cover over the course of a year, and also to keep up-to date on professional online sites and journals, such as itse and classroom 2.0.

2. How might I use RSS as a 6 through 12th grade teacher?

  As a middle or high school teacher, I could use RSS to in conjunction with social bookmarking, so that my students could have current articles throughout the year, and from year to year. I could use RSS to keep the curriculum "fresh," following sites and/or blogs that relate to classroom topics. By createing y own classroom blog that utilizes RSS, I could keep students, parents and the community informed about classroom events.  

  

422 power point for grades 3-5--NET-S (1,3)

Check out this presentation on the NETS performance indicators for grades 3-5:

422 power point

View more presentations from piper010.

I created this presentation using powerpoint, and uploaded it using slideshare.

Journal Response #6

Warlick, D. (March/April 2009). Grow Your Personal Learning Network. Learning & Leading, 36, Retrieved March 7, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/Current_Issue/L_L_March_April.htm

In this week's journal article, David Warlick discusses PLN's, or personal learning networks. He points out that, as technology changes, people have more choices about how to connect with one another, and easier ways to access information. Warlick list the three typse of PLN's. First, he discusses personally maintained synchronous connections, which include more traditional methods of communication, such as Skype and Ichat, where the user is basically focused on one way of communicating and/or asking questions. Collaboration happens in real time. Next, he brings up personally and socially maintained semisynchronous connections, which is sort of multi-tasking communication; Warlick uses the example in his article of a kid doing homework while having multiple chat windows open. This means that the user has multiple sources who may answer questions, or communicate with them, but the communication doesn't necessarily happen in real time. Finally, there are dynamically maintained asynchronous connections, such as RSS. With the other two types of PLN, the user has to seek out information, but with RSS, information comes directly to the user.
Warlick follows this summary with a diagram of the ways that multiple PLN paths can affect a learner. He mentions that, as the learner gathers and analyzes information, they add to this information, which is then picked up and added to by still other PLN networks. He mentions that this great connectivity also adds to a person's responsibility, because we are all part of someone else's network. He states that an essential part of education in this era involves teaching students to be self-directed. PLN's help do this, because of the wealth of information they offer, and because they make information quick and easy to access.

Question #1
How can I use PLN's in my future classroom?
Social bookmarking tools and other RSS feeds will greatly enrich my future classroom. Most of my students will have grown up having great familiarity with this type of technology, and so will feel comfortable using it in the classroom. Tools like a social bookmarking and a class blog can help students stay connected to the classroom community while accessing new information to add to the learning community.

Question #2
How can I make better use of my own personal learning networks, as I journey towards becoming a teacher?
I am already comfortable with some networking tools, like ichat and blogger, and of course, I text and email. But I could do so much more. While I was introduced to social bookmarking in class, I feel that I need to continue to practice using it, and get comfortable navigating Delicious. Sometimes, the information-gathering technology we learn about in class is so simple it's hard for me to grasp it. This is the way I felt with Googledocs, but with practice, I realized that technology doesn't have to be scary, and sometimes it really is as easy as it looks. ED 422 is encouraging me to be brave, and experiment on my own with tech tools and resources.

Journal Response #5

Bull, Glen (2006) Collaboration in a web 2.0 environment.Learning and Leading With Technology. 7, 23-24.

In this week's journal article, "Collaboration in a Web 2.0 Enviornment," author Glen Bull discusses various ways that the internet is changing, and what how these changes are impacting teachers and students.

He begins by explainng that, in a Web 1.0 enviornement a user must seek out information on the internet, whereas a Web 2.0 enviorment is designed so that information comes directly to the user. Bull also points out that the web-based programs of a 2.0 enviornment means that it is easy for studnets to work collaboratively, and for teachers to accurately guage student participation online.

Tools like blogs and discussion boards make it easy for studnets to contribute to class discussions and projects, while web-based word processing offers students an easy way to work together to create and edit documents and presentaions. Using RSS, a teacher can know as soon as a student or a group makes a post or change to their project, without having to search for updated information. Similarly, students who use RSS can access new information quickly and easily. RSS also allows teachers and students to have the most current information available when following topics of interest, such as news stories, by sending new information to subscribers immediately.

Question #1:

How can a Web 2.0 classroom environment help students who do not have access to a home computer?

Web-based technology opens up new doors for students, because they can access and work on projects continuously, from any computer. A student who has no computer at home will be able to create and save documents, discussion board postings, and other information on a school computer, and access it from a computer at a friend's house, or the public library, or anywhere else. Web-based technology eliminates data storage devices, and gives students easy access to their personal projects and information, no matter what computer they are using.

Question #2:

How can a Web 2.0 classroom environment help get students involved and interested in learning?

Today's students are used to constant stimuli: they are using their ipods while texting, while changing their facebook status, while watching TV... School must seem slow, by comparison! Modern students are multi-taskers, who will be more apt to search for and use information if they can search for it online. RSS and social bookmarking offer students constantly updated information, which can be easily accessed through a classroom blog or wiki. A teacher whose classroom is technology-friendly is speaking the language of the modern day American student, and will be more likely to connect with students in a relevant way. 

Classroom Newsletter - NETS (3)

422newsletterbp

   Publish at Scribd or explore others:        

I created this newsletter using microsoft word, incorporating pictures from the internet, as well as a scanned self-portrait. 

Journal Response #4

Reidel, Chris (2009). THEJournal. Retrieved February 18, 2009, from www.thejournal.com Web site: http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23872_1

 

            In his article “Create, Collaborate, Communicate: Empowering Students With 21^st Century Skills, Chris Reidel relates some of the insight he gained, at a recent conference where he heard Howie DiBlasi speak about technology and Education in America. DiBlasi says that American educators must begin to incorporate technology into their classrooms in order to give students the analytical and problem solving skills they will require to be successful in the changing American workplace. He says that teachers must begin to create student-centered classrooms, looking to the future needs of students to determine what technologies and tools to use in the classroom.

DiBlasi refers to a recent survey, and says that the top three things employers are looking for in new employees are creative problem solving, critical and analytical thinking skills and evaluation and gathering of information. DiBlasi has created a list of the top-16 things educators can do help students prepare for life and employment in modern-day society.  The list includes promoting computer literacy among staff, improving collaborative and critical thinking and problem solving skills, promoting project-based learning and 1:1 computing in schools.

 

Question #1:

    One of the major questions this article raised for me is: what is RSS, and can I use it in my future classroom? While this may sound silly, I know that if I’m a 27-year-old student wondering what RSS is, then there are probably many other people wondering, too.

    Turns out, I was right: I found lots of information online, explaining RSS. I found a great video on youtube, called “RSS in plain English,” by Common Craft. It was great! It explained RSS in a way that was not intimidating. Also, I learned that I already use RSS through my Google account and blogs. From what I understand, RSS is a live feed that updates a “reader” page, so that you don’t have to go out looking for new information—it comes to you. RSS could be useful in my future classroom because it will save me time, and make it easy for me to access information. I can subscribe to multiple sites/blogs, and have the reader update me when something new comes in. This way, I can incorporate current ideas into my lesson plans, and keep my teaching interesting and up-to-date.

 

Question #2:

    How can I use technology in my classroom to improve critical and analytical thinking, and sharpen student’s problem solving skills?

     I believe that today’s students are expecting teachers to use technology in the classroom, and educators must strive to incorporate technology in every day teaching, if they want to get students’ attention, and get them interested in learning.

     I can use web-based resources to make almost any project collaborative. With collaborative projects, students can create projects not only for their teachers to review, but for their peers to look over as well. By giving students the opportunity to review each other’s work, teachers give students a sense of importance in the classroom community, and get students thinking about the classroom as a group of students working together, rather than thinking individualistically.

      I can use social bookmarking to give students an easy way to access and share information.

            I can create a class blog to help students and parents keep up with what is happening in class. This will also give everyone a place to leave messages, and/or ask questions.

                 I can use these technological tools, and others to encourage students to become more self-directed. I can use technology to get students to accept responsibility for and get excited about the “finished product” of a project, and to create more of a “team” mentality among students in my classroom. I’m sure by the end of 422, I’ll have even more ideas about how to effectively use technology in my future classroom!

 

Journal Response #3

Cole, Jeanie (2009).Keep Them Chatting. Learning & Leading. 36, 32-33.

In the latest assigned journal article Jeanie Cole deals with the issue of online student collaboration and discussion. Online resources like chat rooms, discussion boards and wikis are great tools available to teachers, but challenge lies in the fact that students often lose interest in these online discussions. Cole offers specific ideas and types of questions that teachers can use to build maintain student interest in online collaboration.
Cole suggest that, when creating questions, teachers plan clear objectives for the outcome of the discussion, and that teachers post questions that require students to interact and research course content. Cole gives four examples of questions that accomplish this.
First are high-level, open-ended questions. This is a method that I have notice is widely used in college courses. The students are given a question, a rubric, and each member of the group must post a certain number of entries to the online collaboration. In addition, each group member must comment on a certain number of other student’s posts.
The inquiry method gives a question that requires students to do research and use problem-solving skills. Students must brainstorm and come up with a hypothesis online, and decide on how to research their topic in the discussion board. Specific requirements are given, so that students know where and how to report their research, and they are also required to view and comment on their classmate’s research and hypotheses.
When using the discrepant event inquiry method, the first step is for students to view a video, photo, or other unexplained demonstration. They must then answer a question related to what they have just seen. In order to answer this question, students must collaborate and do independent research. The teacher will give necessary information and guidelines to help the students wit their research. Again, in this method, peer feedback is key. Upon completion of their own projects, students evaluate and comment on other group’s work.
When using the personal examples approach, a teacher will give students a question that incorporates aspects of the students’ personalities, then give s an assignment that applies these traits to a research project or discussion topic. In her article, Cole gives the example of asking the students to design their ideal roller coaster. The teacher would give a list of roller coaster characteristics and elements that the students would pick from, based on their own roller coaster preferences. Students would then calculate certain mathematical features of their roller coaster. Based on what elements the students chose, they would then research online and to fine the roller coaster that is closest to their ideal. Finally, group s would evaluate each other’s coasters and research
Illogical comparisons are a method that seeks to compare and contrast two elements that are seemingly very different. Cole uses the example of English students comparing and contrasting Miss Piggy and Guinevere. After comparing and contrasting the two characters, students are to write an Arthurian legend for Miss Piggy, set in modern times. While students may and will use text and online resources to create their legend, they must know the content of their material, research independently, and get creative to complete this assignment.

Question #1:
Peer evaluation seems to be a common theme in Cole’s examples. How might peer evaluation enhance students’ online learning and keep them engaged?
The element of peer evaluation encourages students to expand their knowledge of subject matter, offering them alternative approaches to and viewpoints of assigned questions and projects. Simultaneously, it gives students a sense of ownership of and responsibility for their idea. They might take an assignment more seriously if they know that the entire class will be evaluating it, rather than only the teacher. Especially in middle and high school, the opinions of classmates might carry more weight for a student than a teacher’s opinion, and this might inspire the student to work harder to gain the approval of their peers. In addition, performing peer evaluations gives a student a sense of empowerment. Their words matter in an online collaboration, and their opinion counts. Again, since the entire class can usually view comments/evaluations, students who are performing peer evaluations will be encouraged to leave thoughtful comments that reflect positively on themselves.

Question #2:
How might online peer evaluation enhance the teacher’s evaluation and understanding of students’ work?
Online peer evaluation offers students the chance to evaluate their peer’s work honestly and openly. Students can take their time when looking at another group’s research, and complete evaluations without being rushed. This might be especially helpful to students who are struggling with reading and/or comprehension. They can take their time looking over a group’s research, and form their own opinion of it. This same student might feel rushed if he or she has to fill out a peer evaluation while watching a group presentation, and rush to complete the evaluation by the end of the class period/presentation. This might make the difference between a thoughtful peer review and one with little meaning, and will give the teacher a truer understanding of a student’s grasp of the material. Online evaluation also offers an opportunity for the shy students to express themselves openly. A student who may dislike public speaking may be open to sharing their ideas online, giving the teacher an opportunity to understand that student’s ideas which they might not have, otherwise.

Journal Response #2

Reissman, Rose (2009).Museums in the Classroom. Learning & Leading. 36, 36-37.

The latest assigned L&L article, “Museums in the Classroom,” emphasizes the importance of supplementing curriculum with museums, and offers online resources for teachers to better incorporate museums into their lesson plans. Author Rose Reissman lists specific sites for teachers and students to explore, which offer free online access to various artifacts and exhibits. Resourcehelp.com/qsermuseum.htm is a museum directory, where one can search for museums by location, content, and exhibit content. This site is easy to navigate and gives great results. It is possible to search broad categories, such as “science museums,” or search for specific museums by name.
For teachers who may not have much experience integrating museums into their lessons, Reissman recommends the Going to a Museum? Resources for Educators. This resource, found at curryedschool.virginia.edu/it/projects/Museums offers guidelines and tools to help teachers use museums as an effective learning tool in their classrooms. This site is full of great ideas to help students get all they can out of museum exhibits.
Reissman also lists sites that may help teachers and students broaden their understanding of museums. The site albanyinstitute.org/Education/Discovering is a glossary of museum terms, and greatmuseums.org/virtualmuseums.html is a site offering ideas for classroom exhibits, as well as help for student docents interested in designing their own cyber museum tours.

Question #1:
How might I use the resources listed in this article to enhance my future classroom?
The web resources introduced in Reissman’s article will offer me ideas and guidelines for incorporating museums and museum exhibits into my classroom, no matter what subject I am teaching. The Resourcehelp site is easy to navigate, and offers an incredibly extensive list of museums. Using this site, I feel I would be able to find a museum that would enhance almost any lesson, and/or subject. Reissman also lists sites that offer ideas and inspiration for teachers and students, and using these, I will be able to explore new ways to incorporate museums into my classroom.

Question #2:
How might this technology benefit students in my future classroom?
This technology enables students to access information and exhibits for free. This means that, if I want to supplement a lesson with a museum exhibit, I will not be limited by school funding. There will be no field trip expense, no permission slips for students to have signed, and students will have access to exhibits around the world! Cyber museums will enrich student’s lives, and offer all students the chance to become familiar with museums, even if they are from a culture or socioeconomic background that doesn’t promote frequent museum visitation. This technology means that ALL students have access to museums.

Social Bookmarking Assignment--NET-S (1,3,4)

#1: I bookmarked "The Way We Worked." This is a photo exhibit documenting the changes that the American workforce has undergone from the mid-19th century through the late 20th century. The images document conflicts in the workplace (such as strikes), conditions in the workplace (such as a coal mine), locale, and clothing.
These photos brought the experience of the working American to life for me, and emphasized the importance of primary resources in the classroom. If a student were researching this subject for a paper, the images would give them a deeper, more personal understanding of the experience of the American laborer. In addition, information obtained from primary sources is generally less distilled than information from secondary sources.

#2: Three areas of "Becoming a Culturally Competent Educator" that I feel would work well with my teaching style are listed below:
---Determine which diverse groups are involved at school, and learn to what extent these students and their families are able to access school services. When I begin teaching, this initial assessment of student population will influence many aspects of my teaching. By being aware of who I am teaching, and what their cultural, linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds are, I will be better able to meet the needs of students and parents.
---Assess school staff's perception of their development needs, relating to providing services for diverse cultural groups. It is important to understand the perspectives of school staff, as well as students, to get a clear picture of what is needed to ensure that all students have access to a fair and equal education.
---Create a "competency task force." I like this idea, because the focus is on getting students, parents, teachers and community representatives involved in becoming aware of their school's culture. This group will plan and implement activities to promote cultural competence. The key aspect of this area that speaks to me is that it seeks input from people involved in various levels of the school and community, and uses this input to make the entire school more culturally competent.

#3: Yeti Adventure, Reading Levels 3-6.

I bookmarked a site called "Encyclopedia Mythica," which discussed the Yeti in detail, including the cultural origins of the legend, some possible physical characteristics the Yeti might possess, and some history and details about expeditions that have sought to find the monster. Kids Click listed this article's reading level as 3-6, and this made it a good candidate for this assignment. If I were teaching a unit on monsters and folklore, this site would be ideal. From the Yeti article page, I was able to search quickly and easily for other articles at about monsters and myths at a similar reading level.

#4:Kathy Shrock

I found the Teacher Helper area of this website very inspiring. It offers teachers help in so many areas, from ideas about bulletin board content and layouts to organizing presentations, to creating assessment rubrics. I believe that this site will be helpful to me in my future classroom because it offers such a variety of ideas and resources, and there are step-by-step instructions and ideas for teachers to incorporate elements into their own classroom. The fact that the site offers suggestions on how teachers might use the information makes it incredibly useful! For instance, I'm not necessarily a visually creative person, but Teacher Helper offers bulletin board layouts, for us artistically challenged folks. It also shows sample rubrics and other assessment tools, in case I need ideas or inspiration when creating my own.

#5: Multiple Intelligences

This is my favorite site on the scavenger hunt so far! I am fascinated by and excited about the theory of multiple intelligences. I think that this information is SO important, because it applies not only to education, but to the way all humans relate to each other and to the world around them. If individual's can develop an understanding of and appreciation for the various forms of intelligence, and learn to recognize this intelligence in others, the individual will develop tolerance and self-understanding. I also think that I have been applying this theory to horses and riders for years. Horses have distinct and various personalities, just as the people who ride them do. By identifying the strengths each horse possesses and the challenges it faces, it is possible to match that horse up with a rider whose strengths help the horse to overcome his challenges. It is exciting to see what a horse and rider can accomplish together, when their unique strengths and personalities combine to make both achieve more than they could alone.

#6: The Immigrant Experience
I selected a lesson idea called "The Immigrant Experience." This lesson focuses on one of Barack Obama's speeches. When the lesson is introduced, students analyze Obama's speech. Students then move on to analyze their textbooks to get a feel for how the story told in the textbook relates the immigrant experience. Students will examine the different ways in which various text books shape the narrative of the American immigrant, and also look at how the shaping of the narrative influences people's past and current perception of certain cultural and social groups. This lesson is exciting because it gives students an opportunity to question their textbooks, and possibly their own preconceived notions about the American immigrant experience.

#7: Social Inequity
Wow! This quiz really got me thinking...Two of the questions I found most thought-provoking were number 2 and number 10. Question number two reveals that, when compared to their white counterparts, African American women in the US are four times as likely to die in childbirth due to a lack of access to prenatal care. I found it astonishing that this figure was reported IN THE UNITED STATES! I imagine that this statistic is largely related to the fact that the numbers of uninsured and unemployed are larger among blacks than whites, but this certainly does not justify the death of mothers and/or children.
The answer to question number 10 states that a person must be convicted of possessing 500 grams of powder cocaine or 5 grams of crack cocaine to be sentenced to a mandatory 5 year sentence. The quiz makes clear that wealthy people usually do cocaine, while poor people usually do crack, though both drugs affect the body similarly. In my personal experience, people I've known who have been convicted of possession of cocaine have faced little punishment, and I had no idea that the definition of "possession" of crack was so drastically different than that of "possession" of powder. This is socioeconomic and racial discrimination, without a doubt!

#8: Netiquette %(|:-)

I scored an 80% on the netiquette quiz. It is important for teachers and students to practice good netiquette, because people interact more than ever online, in today's world. Just as students are expected to learn acceptable social behavior, good manners, and effective public speaking techniques, students are also expected to act socially responsible online.

For this assignment, I used delicious.com to become familar with social bookmarking, and collaboratively research real-world issues with classmates and peers. 

Journal #1

Beth Piper
ED 422
Spring 09
Journal Response #1
Ribble, Mike (2008-09, Dec/Jan). Passport to digital citizenship. Learning & Leading with Technology, December/January 2008-09, 14--17.

In his article “Passport to Digital Citizenship”, Mike Ribble addresses the great responsibility that teachers and parents have to teach students to become responsible digital citizens.
Ribble presents the “Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship,” which assess a student’s competency buying and selling online, necessary precautions for students to protect themselves and others, while guaranteeing network security, as well as legal restrictions and rights governing the use of digital technology. The Nine Elements also cover an individual’s digital rights and responsibilities, standards of conduct, knowledge and awareness of digital technology, and a student’s capacity to share their knowledge and awareness with others.
The article then offers an overview of the author’s four stage cycle of technology integration, which is designed to help students incorporate technology into their daily lives, and to give students an approach for understanding and applying new technology and information that they will surely encounter in our ever-changing society. Ribble concludes the article by stressing the importance of responsible digital citizenship to students, teachers and parents, and the necessity of “providing a common understanding among all groups,” so that we, as educators, can begin to define and shape our student’s relationships with technology.



Question #1:
How can the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship and the four stage cycle of technology integration make technology relevant in the lives of students who don’t have access to computers available at home?
The Nine Elements and cycle of technology can benefit students who don’t have home access to a computer because it can help them use their time on school machines responsibly and effectively, and give them an introduction to digital responsibility which they can utilize when they encounter computers in their daily lives, as they surely will, in our digital society. As teachers, when we help a student build a foundation as a responsible digital citizen, the student will carry this knowledge with them into their daily lives. Even if they are not digital citizens at home, students will be digital citizens as they continue through school, as they enter the workplace, and as computers gradually play an increasing role in our society. It is important that kids understand the importance of technology in society, and that even if it is not an immediate part of their everyday lives, it will be as they grow older.

Question #2:
How can teachers use the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship and four stage cycle of technology integration to get parents interested in becoming responsible digital citizens, and encouraging their children to do the same?
Schools and teachers can and should create opportunities for parents to utilize and become educated about the same technology their students have access to. Some schools host “parent computer nights,” offering free classes and computer access to parents, so that parents can better understand what their students are working on, and have opportunities to learn how to monitor their child’s use of technology. Educating parents on becoming responsible digital citizens is important because it will encourage responsible digital citizenship at home as well as school. Parents need to understand how important it is for their to be able to understand and participate in a digital society, and how a thorough understanding of technology will benefit their child. By creating opportunities for parents to learn about the work their children are doing in the classroom, they will be better to support their children in becoming responsible digital citizens.

Hip Old Lady

  Today, a 19 year old boy made my day, but not the way that you're imagining. 

  There's nothing like going back to college to make you feel old and out of touch. I find this to be especially true in my gen-ed classes at Palomar, where I feel I am surrounded by unlined faces of kids just out of high school. They are usually trying to look bored and cool, with haircuts and clothes I don't understand: their hair is so giant it seems to be leaping off their head, while their clothes cling to their bodies.

  I'm in a speech class with a boyfriend/girlfriend pair of these hipster kids, and even though I've got to be almost a decade older than they are, I'm always sort of hoping that I'm cool enough that they won't notice how old I am. Today, I walked into the classroom, with my giant backpack advertising my nerdiness, and the hipster boy asked me where I got my jeans.  I hesitated for a moment, thinking it might be a trap...was I wearing bell bottoms, or jeans so high-waisted they gave me a "mom butt"? 

  "At the Levi's store in downtown San Diego," I replied suspiciously.

  "I've been looking everywhere for those skinny Levi's," he told me, smiling. "I see the straight-legged ones everywhere, but it's hard to find the skinny ones."

  "Yeah," I answered lamely. "The Levi's store is pretty awesome."

  So, I spent the rest of the day, strutting around in my skinny jeans, feeling young and stylish. Now I'm considering a pointy haircut and some dark eye makeup. But my boyfriend just scoffed, "since when do hipsters have pointy haircuts?" He says I'm describing goths! I guess I'll just stick to the subculture I know: Nerd.

How I Accidentally Signed Up for Acting Class

  Recently, I met with an advisor who noticed that I had a lot of English credits, even though I'm not an English major. This is convenient, since I would like to teach English/Language Arts. However, NCLB says I need a few more credits than I've already earned, plus a drama and speech class...sigh...

  So, I set out to meet the requirements and signed up for some extra classes this semester, including speech, and a class that was listed as "Theatre and Social Justice."  From the description in Palomar's catalog, I gathered that this particular theatre class would be a lecture class, and I wouldn't have to attempt to act, as I have NO experience in the theatre.  Unfortunately, I was mistaken: "Theatre and Social Justice" is also cross-listed as "Intensive Actor Training." You heard right: INTENSE training! I learned this when I arrived in class today.  As I looked around the room at the drama nerds, I wondered whether I was up to the intensity of this challenge? And would anyone in this class care that I had no acting experience? The instructor said he didn't, and that was good enough for me, though he might live to regret his decision to let me in the class.

  Our first acting exercise today was to create a montage in a small group. The montage was to consist of five mini-scenes (I'm sure the theatre people call them something fancier), each which would convey the feeling of personal loss to the audience. The only actors were the other two in our small group, and the only props available were what we had in the room.

  Everyone else seemed to get right to work, drawing storyboards and telling their fellow theatre-dork classmates where to stand and what to do. I watched them boss each other around while I struggled with the idea of conveying a meaningful, personal emotion with little or no dialogue and two flamboyant "actors". Finally, I decided to tell the story of Fluffy.

  Fluffy was a blue parakeet with black "trim" who lived at my grandma's house.  I was about six years old, and decided I that Fluffy needed a bath.  So, I set up a bird bath in the back yard, and brought Fluffy out. It was summertime, and I assumed that Fluffy would be grateful and delighted to splash in the cool birdbath.  However, as we walked outside, and I tried to put Fluffy in her bath, she made a run for it!!! She flew up and over the trees, and I never saw her again, though my grandma assured me that Fluffy was living happily in the wild.

  I had one actor portray Fluffy, and one portray my young, innocent self. The guy playing fluffy was at least 6 feet tall, and the guy playing me was bald and had a goatee.  Still, they did a wonderful job, and it was fun to watch the tall guy pretending to be a bird and peck bird seed out of the bald guy's palm.  

   I was a little concerned, however, that the audience sat quietly for most of the montages, but actually laughed at mine.  Perhaps I should have cast the shorter, bald guy as Fluffy, though I thought he played a wonderful six-year-old-Beth. Perhaps I should have followed other's examples, and created a montage about the death of a loved one, or a failed relationship.

  Then, as I was leaving class, one of my fellow "Intense Actors" approached me, and said, "Your story about the bird just broke my heart." I chose to take this as a compliment, but was it really?.  

Into Letter--Do We Post This Here?

   After reading some other blogs created by people in our class, I decided that maybe I was supposed to post my intro letter here, instead of just submitting it on Web CT.  Way to follow instructions, eh?

    I was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I attended Highland High School, which is the same school that Beavis and Butthead attended (seriously, Mike Judge is also from Albuquerque). After making a half-assed effort at completing my gen-eds at the University of New Mexico, I moved to Columbia, Missouri.  In Columbia, I attended Stephens College and majored in Equestrian Business Management.  This eventually led me to California, where I currently work training horses and teaching people to ride them in Valley Center. 

    My experience with technology has been minimal.  It mostly goes like this: I try to tell the computer to do something, the computer gets confused, and I get Yosemite-Sam-style-angry.  I've spent more time avoiding technology than I have trying to cooperate with it, until I met the Mac, which is slowly changing my negative opinion of computers.  According to my computer, I use Microsoft Office 2004--is this vintage?

    The missions statement at CSUSM did not directly influence my decision to attend CSUSM.  However, the more time I spend at school, the more I find that the instructors really model the idea that "thoughtful educators" can "collaboratively reform public education."  I truly believe that individual teachers can have a far-reaching impact in their student's lives, their schools and the entire educational system when they share a passion for education.

My Almost-Makeover

I have a friend who is a hairdresser.  She's pretty awesome, but definitely has a more edgy style than I do.  Today, we planned to color my hair, and things got a little out of control, in my opinion.  However, my friend and my 22 year-old sister both share the perspective that my hair is "really hip."  Still, I'm not sure that I can keep up with my own hair, now that it is so cool.  It's like I went on "What Not to Wear," but Stacey, Clinton and Carmindy were out sick, so only my hair got a makeover.