I chose to investigate Google Earth on the classroom 2.0 site. Google Earth is “Google Earth is a proprietary virtual globe program that was originally called Earth Viewer, and was created by Keyhole, Inc, a company acquired by Google in 2004. It maps the earth by the superimposition of images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe. It is available under three different licenses: Google Earth, a free version with limited functionality; Google Earth Plus ($20 per year), which includes additional features; and Google Earth Pro ($400 per year), which is intended for commercial use.[1]
The product, renamed Google Earth in 2006, is currently available for use on personal computers running Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, or Vista, Mac OS X 10.3.9 and above, Linux (released on June 12, 2006), and FreeBSD. Google Earth is also available as a browser plugin (released on June 02, 2008) for Firefox, IE6, or IE7. In addition to releasing an updated Keyhole based client, Google also added the imagery from the Earth database to their web based mapping software. The release of Google Earth in mid 2006 to the public caused a more than tenfold increase in media coverage on virtual globes between 2006 and 2007,[2] driving public interest in geospatial technologies and applications.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Earth)
I was very excited to see that google earth can be used in some great lessons and can actually be stretched to touch on all of the content areas. Some of these teachers have great, very creative ideas on how to incorporate great technological tools into the classroom. I learned that google earth can be used mainly for science and math lesson because of the content of the site. Using the ruler tool allows students to measure distances. There is an option to view the longitude and latitude of visited areas on the globe. Teachers can even set up a route for their students to follow and add links to each point the student stops on so that students can view movies about a destination or read information about an area, from a completely different site. There are endless tools and options that can easily turn google earth into countless lessons in any classroom. It’s amazing!
Something that was funny to me was that most of the discussion on this tool was given by male teachers. This completely follows with the idea that men prefer to teach science and math and women prefer other subjects. This lets me know that as a female teacher I need to be sure to put equal emphasis on science and math just as the other subjects.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Journal 5
Vantage Upgrades MY Access! School Edition
According to the article MY Access has been updated and now has a special school version which meets state standards for all 50 states. This online writing program seems like it would be a huge help to both teachers and students. The program was designed to help students with their writing skills. It even has tools like MY Tutor and MY Editor to help multilingual/ELL students with their writing skills. MY Access allows students to enter their own work and check to see if their writing is up to par with current standards for their grade. The site can even give a score to a students writing, which helps teachers figure out who needs help with their writing to bring it up to the state standards. Much of what the article portrays of the program seems like it would be a great tool for teachers and students. I chose to visit the site and this is a great tool for teachers who are interested in their students meeting the standards for testing. The program really focus’ on testing material and the markers students need to meet in order to do well on state tests. It is a very test based program which is understandable today because teachers are forced to “prepare” their students to pass the state mandated tests. But I feel that until a teacher has taught multiple lessons on writing and has taken steps to personally connect with their students about writing, this site would be very impersonal and not give students a good feel for writing and all of the creative places writing can take a students mind.
Question 1: Why would a site like this be valuable for a teacher?
A site like this could be very valuable for a teacher to help their students practice their writing skills before testing dates. Using the site properly could also help a teacher better communicate with their ELL students about writing skills.
Question 2: Does a site like this allow teachers to become overly test driven?
Using a site like this could allow a teacher to focus too much on test results and how their students could meet those expectations. However, if a teacher uses this site to aid their lessons and not lead their lessons the site could be a valuable aid.
Source:
Dave Nagel, "Vantage Upgrades MY Access! School Edition," T.H.E. Journal, 7/30/2008, http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23025
According to the article MY Access has been updated and now has a special school version which meets state standards for all 50 states. This online writing program seems like it would be a huge help to both teachers and students. The program was designed to help students with their writing skills. It even has tools like MY Tutor and MY Editor to help multilingual/ELL students with their writing skills. MY Access allows students to enter their own work and check to see if their writing is up to par with current standards for their grade. The site can even give a score to a students writing, which helps teachers figure out who needs help with their writing to bring it up to the state standards. Much of what the article portrays of the program seems like it would be a great tool for teachers and students. I chose to visit the site and this is a great tool for teachers who are interested in their students meeting the standards for testing. The program really focus’ on testing material and the markers students need to meet in order to do well on state tests. It is a very test based program which is understandable today because teachers are forced to “prepare” their students to pass the state mandated tests. But I feel that until a teacher has taught multiple lessons on writing and has taken steps to personally connect with their students about writing, this site would be very impersonal and not give students a good feel for writing and all of the creative places writing can take a students mind.
Question 1: Why would a site like this be valuable for a teacher?
A site like this could be very valuable for a teacher to help their students practice their writing skills before testing dates. Using the site properly could also help a teacher better communicate with their ELL students about writing skills.
Question 2: Does a site like this allow teachers to become overly test driven?
Using a site like this could allow a teacher to focus too much on test results and how their students could meet those expectations. However, if a teacher uses this site to aid their lessons and not lead their lessons the site could be a valuable aid.
Source:
Dave Nagel, "Vantage Upgrades MY Access! School Edition," T.H.E. Journal, 7/30/2008, http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23025
Journal 6
Do Students Respect Intellectual Property?
This article discusses how teachers are becoming more and more aware of how in or out of touch they are with copyright laws/guidelines. It also discusses how aware teachers are of their student’s point of view and knowledge of copyright issues. One teacher created a project for her student strictly based on copyright laws/guidelines and found that most students are very naïve on the rules they should be following but when she required the rules to be followed and made it a part of their grade, students do respond positively and remember what they learn when they are required to apply rules. Another teacher realized that she had not even been introduced to the proper copyright guidelines and worried that some of the work she used in her classroom was violating the rules she had learned about. I related to this article because of the copyright assignment I completed in class. The issues were similar and made me realize that if I teach my students and show them how important it is to really follow the guidelines, they will listen and follow the lines set.
Question 1: Why do you think copyright has been a growing issue recently?
These days’ copyright issues have to be followed very carefully because of all the technology being used. People have access to much more information, images and music online today than they did in the past. Because they have access to it people do not think about violating rules or laws, even though they may be. Teachers need to be careful of what they use and know their rights so they can always be sure to use and demonstrate proper copyright usage for their students.
Question 2: Why is it important to teach students about copyright guidelines?
It is important to teach students about these guidelines because they need to know the guidelines and how they should follow them properly. With all of the technology being used in and out of the classroom today students have to be just as careful with following copyright guidelines as teachers do.
Sources:
Tammy Morris is a technology staff development
coordinator with the Ketchikan Gateway Borough
School District in Ketchikan, Alaska.
Jennifer Janesko is a teacher and the IT coordinator
at the Dresden International School in
Dresden, Germany.
Copyright © 2008, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), iste@iste.org, www.iste.org. All rights reserved.
This article discusses how teachers are becoming more and more aware of how in or out of touch they are with copyright laws/guidelines. It also discusses how aware teachers are of their student’s point of view and knowledge of copyright issues. One teacher created a project for her student strictly based on copyright laws/guidelines and found that most students are very naïve on the rules they should be following but when she required the rules to be followed and made it a part of their grade, students do respond positively and remember what they learn when they are required to apply rules. Another teacher realized that she had not even been introduced to the proper copyright guidelines and worried that some of the work she used in her classroom was violating the rules she had learned about. I related to this article because of the copyright assignment I completed in class. The issues were similar and made me realize that if I teach my students and show them how important it is to really follow the guidelines, they will listen and follow the lines set.
Question 1: Why do you think copyright has been a growing issue recently?
These days’ copyright issues have to be followed very carefully because of all the technology being used. People have access to much more information, images and music online today than they did in the past. Because they have access to it people do not think about violating rules or laws, even though they may be. Teachers need to be careful of what they use and know their rights so they can always be sure to use and demonstrate proper copyright usage for their students.
Question 2: Why is it important to teach students about copyright guidelines?
It is important to teach students about these guidelines because they need to know the guidelines and how they should follow them properly. With all of the technology being used in and out of the classroom today students have to be just as careful with following copyright guidelines as teachers do.
Sources:
Tammy Morris is a technology staff development
coordinator with the Ketchikan Gateway Borough
School District in Ketchikan, Alaska.
Jennifer Janesko is a teacher and the IT coordinator
at the Dresden International School in
Dresden, Germany.
Copyright © 2008, ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education), 1.800.336.5191 (U.S. & Canada) or 1.541.302.3777 (Int’l), iste@iste.org, www.iste.org. All rights reserved.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Journal 3
Seminar: “Restructuring for Caring and Effective Education: The Public Futures of Education”
Sitting in on the seminar on special education was awesome! I stayed for the first half which I hear was the better of the two anyway. I took so much away from this man’s lecture! My favorite things he said were:
*It is our job as educators to “create courageous children and youth”.
*the goal of educating is the same for all children and all types of learners.
*inclusive settings allow students with disabilities to thrive
*Equalence!!! Everyone plays and wins.
The most valuable thing I tool away from this seminar that I plan on taking into my classroom was the “Circle of Courage”. Dr. Villa told us that the circle is used by the Lakota Indians and stands for belonging, generosity, mastery and independence. All four of these things are a vital part of creating courageous learners. Once a student has a sense of belonging they are comfortable in the classroom and there for more likely to learn. When a child learns generosity they help others which in turns help them learn. If a person obtains mastery of something they are much more confidant and likely to be independent which is the last piece of the circle. Once a person has a sense of belong, generosity and mastery they can then be independent. This circle should be a part of a child’s learning throughout their years of school. Every teacher should be preparing children for their life of being an independent adult, in order to do so they should follow the circle model.
Question 1: What is the most important thing you took away from the seminar?
The most important thing I took away from the seminar was the circle of courage and the incorporation of “equalence” into my classroom. I love that made-up word!
Question 2: What did you think about the equity vs. excellence discussion?
I loved this portion of the seminar because it further proved the point I make on a regular basis about teachers who are losing focus of the real importance of teaching. Students should always be the main focus. Of course we have responsibilities to meet standards but too many teachers focus only on their standards and not on their students.
Sources:
6:15 – 7:30 "Restructuring for caring and effective education: The possible futures of education" Richard A. Villa (President, Bayridge Consortium Inc., San Diego).
Sitting in on the seminar on special education was awesome! I stayed for the first half which I hear was the better of the two anyway. I took so much away from this man’s lecture! My favorite things he said were:
*It is our job as educators to “create courageous children and youth”.
*the goal of educating is the same for all children and all types of learners.
*inclusive settings allow students with disabilities to thrive
*Equalence!!! Everyone plays and wins.
The most valuable thing I tool away from this seminar that I plan on taking into my classroom was the “Circle of Courage”. Dr. Villa told us that the circle is used by the Lakota Indians and stands for belonging, generosity, mastery and independence. All four of these things are a vital part of creating courageous learners. Once a student has a sense of belonging they are comfortable in the classroom and there for more likely to learn. When a child learns generosity they help others which in turns help them learn. If a person obtains mastery of something they are much more confidant and likely to be independent which is the last piece of the circle. Once a person has a sense of belong, generosity and mastery they can then be independent. This circle should be a part of a child’s learning throughout their years of school. Every teacher should be preparing children for their life of being an independent adult, in order to do so they should follow the circle model.
Question 1: What is the most important thing you took away from the seminar?
The most important thing I took away from the seminar was the circle of courage and the incorporation of “equalence” into my classroom. I love that made-up word!
Question 2: What did you think about the equity vs. excellence discussion?
I loved this portion of the seminar because it further proved the point I make on a regular basis about teachers who are losing focus of the real importance of teaching. Students should always be the main focus. Of course we have responsibilities to meet standards but too many teachers focus only on their standards and not on their students.
Sources:
6:15 – 7:30 "Restructuring for caring and effective education: The possible futures of education" Richard A. Villa (President, Bayridge Consortium Inc., San Diego).
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Journal 2
This article brought up so many interesting thoughts for me. The author displays both sides of the opinions educators may have about the use of technology in their classroom. She is, at first, thrilled with the idea of teaching her students through/with the aid of technology, but quickly realizes that there is more work in store for her than she had imagined. Sarah Heller McFarlane also learns how different her job as a teacher is when her job includes such heavy use of technology. Her role as a teacher seemed to change from educator to monitor in a matter of lessons. What seemed to be a blessing to a district quickly changed to a loss of communication and more frustrated students and teachers.
I think I would share Sarah’s frustrations. Feeling like you lose time and personal connection with your students is something every teacher dreads. As a future educator I value every moment I spend with my students and I definitely never want to miss out on communication with my students. Communication is the best tool to have in the classroom. Although technology is a huge part of how we live today; and how our world is ran, communication still comes first. Without good communication skills technology skills are less valid and much less valuable to me.
Question 1: Is communication by word of mouth the same as communication through a technology based source?
I do not think so. While a similar message can be displayed, personal face to face communication is much more powerful, even in today’s technology savvy world. Face to face communication can be interpreted with more feeling than technology can display.
Question 2: Should technology be incorporated in the classroom? And at what grade should this start?
I think technology should be incorporated into lessons starting in Kindergarten. Although I think face to face lessons are more powerful, I am still fully aware of the value and relevance of technology in today’s world. As an educator, my job is to help educate children who will one day be successful adults. And I know that in order to be a successful adult in today’s society you must have technology skills. So I fully plan on incorporating technology into my lessons on a regular basis in order to familiarize students with the use of technology, without letting technology take over my classroom.
Sources:
Heller McFarlane, Sarah (summer, 2008). The Laptops Are Coming! The Laptops Are Coming!. Rethinking Schools, 22, Retrieved July 21, 2008, From http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/22_04/lapt224.shtml
I think I would share Sarah’s frustrations. Feeling like you lose time and personal connection with your students is something every teacher dreads. As a future educator I value every moment I spend with my students and I definitely never want to miss out on communication with my students. Communication is the best tool to have in the classroom. Although technology is a huge part of how we live today; and how our world is ran, communication still comes first. Without good communication skills technology skills are less valid and much less valuable to me.
Question 1: Is communication by word of mouth the same as communication through a technology based source?
I do not think so. While a similar message can be displayed, personal face to face communication is much more powerful, even in today’s technology savvy world. Face to face communication can be interpreted with more feeling than technology can display.
Question 2: Should technology be incorporated in the classroom? And at what grade should this start?
I think technology should be incorporated into lessons starting in Kindergarten. Although I think face to face lessons are more powerful, I am still fully aware of the value and relevance of technology in today’s world. As an educator, my job is to help educate children who will one day be successful adults. And I know that in order to be a successful adult in today’s society you must have technology skills. So I fully plan on incorporating technology into my lessons on a regular basis in order to familiarize students with the use of technology, without letting technology take over my classroom.
Sources:
Heller McFarlane, Sarah (summer, 2008). The Laptops Are Coming! The Laptops Are Coming!. Rethinking Schools, 22, Retrieved July 21, 2008, From http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/22_04/lapt224.shtml
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Journal 1
Journal 1
In the first article “Extreme Makeover…” I learned just how naive I am to the amount of technological resources there are available to teachers. There are a great number of tools such as collaborative web sites that can be used with in a classroom to help students learn and communicate with one another through the use of technology. These resources make it easy for teachers to allow their student to complete group work in a way that is valuable to each students learning style. There are a great number of technological resources available which allow teachers to use technology to meet many different types of learning needs of their students as well as meet different learning standards needing to be accomplished within the class room.
Question: Of the tools mentioned, in the article, what tools have you used and what seem most valuable?
I have used a classroom newsletter, a little bookmaking and I just started my own blog. I think that the blog would be a great tool for a class! This is a tool that the students, parents and teacher can use. Communication could stay constant between the parents and teachers, which is great since many parents work and aren’t able to come visit the classroom very often.
The second article talks about how valuable blogs can be in the classroom. It’s a great tool for different types of learners and an awesome way for a classroom to stay in constant communication. The blog is helpful for all people involved in the class: parents, students and teachers. It is really helpful for students who may be a little forgetful or who have missed and assignment. The blog, if used properly and updated regularly, helps students keep up with everything going on in their classroom.
Question 2: What do you think a class blog would help you as a teacher?
I think a class blog would help me stay in communication with my students as well as their guardians. I also think the blog would be a form of validation for me if I were to be questioned by a student or their guardians about anything that has happened or is going to happen in my classroom.
Sources:
Mader and Smith, Jared and Ben (2008,July). Blogging Right Along. Learning and Leading with Technology , Retrieved July 14, 2008, from
http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj
Shifflet and Toledo, Rena and Cheri (2008, July). Extreme Makeover: Updating Class. Learning Connections, Retrieved July 14, 2008, from http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjheil65.googlepages.com%2FJournal1.pdf&images=yes
In the first article “Extreme Makeover…” I learned just how naive I am to the amount of technological resources there are available to teachers. There are a great number of tools such as collaborative web sites that can be used with in a classroom to help students learn and communicate with one another through the use of technology. These resources make it easy for teachers to allow their student to complete group work in a way that is valuable to each students learning style. There are a great number of technological resources available which allow teachers to use technology to meet many different types of learning needs of their students as well as meet different learning standards needing to be accomplished within the class room.
Question: Of the tools mentioned, in the article, what tools have you used and what seem most valuable?
I have used a classroom newsletter, a little bookmaking and I just started my own blog. I think that the blog would be a great tool for a class! This is a tool that the students, parents and teacher can use. Communication could stay constant between the parents and teachers, which is great since many parents work and aren’t able to come visit the classroom very often.
The second article talks about how valuable blogs can be in the classroom. It’s a great tool for different types of learners and an awesome way for a classroom to stay in constant communication. The blog is helpful for all people involved in the class: parents, students and teachers. It is really helpful for students who may be a little forgetful or who have missed and assignment. The blog, if used properly and updated regularly, helps students keep up with everything going on in their classroom.
Question 2: What do you think a class blog would help you as a teacher?
I think a class blog would help me stay in communication with my students as well as their guardians. I also think the blog would be a form of validation for me if I were to be questioned by a student or their guardians about anything that has happened or is going to happen in my classroom.
Sources:
Mader and Smith, Jared and Ben (2008,July). Blogging Right Along. Learning and Leading with Technology , Retrieved July 14, 2008, from
http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fj
Shifflet and Toledo, Rena and Cheri (2008, July). Extreme Makeover: Updating Class. Learning Connections, Retrieved July 14, 2008, from http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjheil65.googlepages.com%2FJournal1.pdf&images=yes
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Hello all! My name is Heather Martin. I grew up in Rancho Cucamonga, California where I attended Los Amigos elementary school until 5th grade. I then went to Etiwanda Intermediate School for 6-8th grade before moving to the very small town of Yucaipa where I attended and graduated from Yucaipa High School. From there I went to Crafton hills college, a small Jr. College in the hills of Yucaipa. Then I found myself here at Cal State San Marcos. I lived here for a while but now I have the lovely pleasure of driving to school from Rancho Cucamonga, where I have recently moved. But I graduate in august, yeah! And I should have my credential by December; then it's off to face the real world for me.
As far as technology goes, I’m not the savviest person. But I have taken this course before so I am familiar with most of the assignments we'll be facing in this course. I’m crossing my fingers that my skills have improved as much as I think they have, so I can pass this course and graduate! I don’t use technology too much unfortunately. I check my school e-mail and have the guilty pleasure of checking my space account on a regular basis. Other than that I steer away from technology because it scares me. I usually have someone help me with anything involving technology. I use a pc at home but have some experience on a Mac from courses here at school. And as far as windows goes, I hate the new version! It’s confusing and frustrating especially since I have the old version at home.
The part of the mission statement that speaks to me is the part about collaboratively transforming public education. I feel that our public education system is definitely not up to par in many areas and is definitely in need of some positive transformation. Although the mission statement is a great one, I did not read it before I applied. I chose to attend cal state because of its outstanding reputation of educating future educators.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)