iMovie Hate Speech PSA- Nets 2 and 4

Using iMovie, stock footage, digital photographs I took of CSUSM, and information from the CSUSM mission statement, I made a PSA about hate speech on campus. 

Journal 9: “Let the Kids Do the Work” (Nets 5)

Lawlor, J. (2010). Let the kids do the work. Learning and leading with technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/Let_the_Kids_Do_the_Work.htm

Joseph Lawlor details some memorable experiences revolving around integrating a wiki into a language arts classroom. From the first assignment, read a poem, answer a question, respond to someone else’s answer, Lawlor noticed that students were interacting with eachother online much more than he expected. Once class of 25 students generated 472 responses. Other notable moments included the “community of writers” that Lawlor’s wiki empowered helping one student revise her essay three times in one night. The instant feedback and help from peers was much more effective than the delayed grading and comments from the teacher would have been in this case. Students also took the helm, changing the layout and look of the wiki and posting content when Lawlor forgot to.  Students would occasionally teach Lawlor, allowing the power dynamics of the classroom to temporarily shift and engaging the students in controlling their own learning. Furthermore, the wiki surprisingly involved students who did not participate much in the classroom. Perhaps because it is more difficult to be shy online, some students who were quiet in the classroom became prolific commenters on the wiki.

Question 1: Why might wikis be beneficial in an English classroom?

In addition to the peer feedback, community engagement and increased participation documented by Lawlor, wikis also allow teachers to track student work easily and allow parents a chance to peer into the classroom. Furthermore, weekends, evenings and breaks can be bridged by using wikis (or another form of discussion forum). Also, students seem to enjoy writing when it is less formal. Even formal assignments might seem less intimidating online. Every comment a student writes is a chance for them to practice writing skills, whether they reflect on that fact or not!

Question 2: Are there concerns to consider before introducing a wiki?

I think that there are some. To begin with, the students need to be old enough and mature enough to use the wiki. Also, your students need reliable Internet access and if they do not have it at home, assignments must be timed so that they will be able to use the library or computer lab before the due dates. There might be privacy concerns, and these should be addressed with the class before the first wiki assignment. At the same time as the privacy issues are addressed, the students should review issues of digital citizenship and cyber bullying in order to keep the discussions helpful and not hurtful.

Journal 8: "Navigate the Digital Rapids" (Nets 5)

Lindsay, J. & Davis, V. (2010). Navigate the digital rapids. Learning and leading with technology, 37(6), Retrieved April 5, 2010 from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/
LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/Navigate_the_Digital_Rapids.html

Julie Lindsey and Vicky Davis argue that teachers who are effective at “flattening” the classroom walls and connecting their students to other classrooms do so by embracing technology and change, customizing their curriculum and allowing their students to take charge of their use of technology and involvement in global projects. These practices, in turn, lead to students being responsible digital citizens. Though teachers may be afraid that allowing students such leeway or encouraging such independence might be dangerous for their jobs and their students and their test scores, Lindsey and Davis suggest that these practices will actually make for more effective teachers, better educated students and standards that are met “with artistry.” However, there are some guidelines that are important to remember when engaging in global projects. Students and teachers should be mindful to remain professional and adhere to etiquette that is appropriate for an educational setting. It is tempting to treat all online networking as social networking, but global network projects are designed to further educations. As such, participants need to be culturally sensitive and remain professional. Furthermore, it is important to know how teachers will handle situations where students are not professional and post offensive materials. The action plan suggested by Lindsey and Davis includes consistent monitoring by a global network of educators who send evidence (screen shots) of offensive postings to the student’s classroom teacher as well as to the network administrator. The administrator removes the material and the classroom teacher coaches the students on why the act was inappropriate and might suspend or ban the student from the network. When students are properly introduced to the assignments and technology and trusted to adhere to proper etiquette, suspensions and bans are low. The article ends by giving examples or actual global learning networks that are being utilized today, including Eracism, Digiteen and Flatclassroom.

Question 1: The authors suggest monitoring students to make sure they do not “cross the line” in order to remain consistent with the rules regarding what is appropriate online behavior for students. Is this possible?

One problem I have with the idea of a “line” students should not cross is that some of what is appropriate needs to be considered contextually. The situation or assignment might determine what is appropriate at some times. There are, however, some things that are never appropriate. One example would be cyber bullying or using hate speech in online interactions. Students should be instructed as to what the hard and fast “don’t cross this line” rules are, and the classroom should have working rules that help to address what might be situationally or contextually appropriate.

Question 2: How do you feel about the possibility of E-Portfolios being used for college admissions?

I actually think that this is a great idea. One essay that is read over by your senior English Teacher half a dozen times (if you are lucky and your school pushes college) does not give admissions boards a comprehensive idea of who a student is and what kind of work they are capable of. E-Portfolios are not only more comprehensive, but they can also show growth over a period of years or months.

Atomic Learning Crossword Assignment Nets 1 and 2

Using Microsoft Excel, I created an interactive crossword puzzle themed around grammar terms.

Grammar Crossword

Prezi Wiki Page-Nets 2 and 3

This is a wiki page I made about Prezi.com. The wiki page is part of the Classroom 2.0 wiki project.

Internet Safety Collaborative Documen-Nets 3 and 4

This document was created collaboratively using google documents. In a group of six, we each used a section of the JCSS Internet Safety Site to create a document detailing how students can be safe and responsible online.

Journal 7: The Beginner's Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips (Nets 5)

Zanetis, J. (2010). The beginner's guide to interactive virtual field trips. Learning and leading with technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25443&DirectListComboInd=D

            Jan Zanetis’ article discusses what virtual field trips are, how they can be used in the classroom and why they can be important resources for students and teachers. Virtual Fieldtrips (VFTs) have two forms,  asynchronous VFTS and interactive VFTs. Asynchronous VFT’s are static sites that can be visited at any time and the content is not delivered to students in real-time. An example of an asynchronous VFT is the Smithsonian website’s virtual tours of exhibits. Interactive VFT’s occur as the students are watching, and interacting, in the VFT and are generally lead by a field matter expert at the site that the VFT is broadcasting from. Interactive VFT’s might include lectures or tours, and an example is a program by the National Baseball Hall of Fame that uses baseball statistics to convey math concepts to students. Special technology is required for Interactive VFTs, but many schools already have the technology and others may be eligible for grants to cover the costs of purchasing the technology. There might also be a fee for the VFT, but compared to the cost of an actual field trip, VFT costs are low.

            VFT’s can engage students in ways that regular lectures and curriculum might not. They give real world relevance to the topics being covered in the classroom and often give students a broader perspective, one that transcends the borders of the school. VFTs also make interactive and real world applications of knowledge accessible to much larger groups than real fieldtrips. Resources and money limit the fieldtrips that students can engage in, and many fieldtrips are completely impossible for most schools. However, VFT’s provide access to places most schools might only dream about.

Question 1: How could you incorporate a VFT into a High School English Class?

I think that it would be great to be able to integrate video, pictures and experts about the authors students are studying. One example would be to replace the normal diagrams of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater with an online tour of the theater lead by someone who is an expert on Shakespeare.

Question 2: If students are still in their seats, in their classroom, will VFT’s actually be an exciting and engaging alternative to normal classroom activities?

To begin with, I think that asynchronous VFT’s can actually become a part of normal classroom activities, as opposed to an alternative. That said, I think students relish the opportunity to do anything not lead by the same teacher they see 5 days a week. Movies always felt like a break to me, even if they bored me. I imagine that interactive VFT’s would be more engaging than movies, and therefore students would feel as if something different, and perhaps even exciting, was happening when they participated in an interactive VFT.

Inspiration-Nets 3

This is a visual mind-map made with Inspiration to show connections between assignments for EDUC 422 and Nets-T. The mind-map helped me to brainstorm and plan before writing my Nets Narratives for Taskstream.

School Comparisons Prezi for EDUC 364 Collaborative Project-Nets 2 and 3

This is a Prezi Presentation for my EDUC 364 class comparing and contrasting three schools in the Escondido Union School District.