Journal #4 Computing In The Clouds NETS-T 3 & 5

Johnson, D. (09, December). Computing In The Clouds. Learning and Leading. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition- december-janruary-2009-2010.aspx

Summary:

Using cloud computing makes it possible to do many things on your computer that would normally cost money. With the budget cuts in public schooling it is important for teachers to be aware of the free help that it out there. Cloud computing offers a way to compose documents, spreadsheets, and create visual presentations without purchasing Microsoft Word or any other processing software. It offers higher accessibility because it allows you to save your work to any network so you can access it off of multiple computers. Downloading software and storing files on your personal computer can be stressful because of the worries about it potentially getting erased or your computer crashing. When you use Cloud computing relies on applications and file storage on the networks you decide to work off of making it easier on your personal computer and makes it available anywhere. Google-docs is a good example of a form of could computing, you do not have to download or upload any software and you can access it from any computer with an internet connection.

Question#1 How could I use cloud computing as a student?

I work full time and am a full time student. I go to work in the morning and go to class at night so I am literally gone from my house for the entire day. Considering this, I have to bring absolutely everything that I will need for the entire day with me in the mornings. If I used the concept of cloud computing I would not have to carry my lap top with me, which would make my bag a lot less heavy. The main reason I bring my lap top with me to work and school is because I am constantly working on assignments in between classes and at work. If I saved my work using Google-docs or something else like it, I would be able to access my assignments from my work computer and at the computers on campus.

Question#2 How could I propose a school use cloud computing?

When I get a job as a teacher, I feel it would be important for me to offer any ideas about ways for the school to save money. If the school starting implementing the use of could computing not only would they school save money on purchasing Word or any other software, they would have money on the computers themselves. Could computing allows schools to buy less powerful computers such as Netbooks because anything that needed to be saved would not need to be saved onto the computer itself.

Journal #3 Bring The World Into Your Classroom NETS-T 1 & 2

Bring The World Into Your Classroom

McDermon, L. (2010, September). Bring The World Into Your Classroom. Learning and Leading. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and- leading/digital-edition-september-october.aspx

Summary:

This article provides a look into video-conferencing in schools. By using video-conferencing classrooms could participate in interactive projects using websites, email and wikis with other classrooms all over the world. Video-conferencing is easy to set up by downloading free software and buying a video camera and a data projector. Teachers could also use a desktop camera connected to a data projector making video-conferencing available for most schools. By collaborating with other classrooms students have opportunity to learn in a different way and can also communicate with anyone around the world.

Question #1 What could video conferencing do for me as a History teacher?

I think that video-conferencing could be helpful to me in the classroom because it could allow my students to conference with real historians. Instead of having it be difficult to get guest speakers to come into a classroom, it could become easy using video-conferencing. We could also participate in duel classroom projects where students could show-case their work with other students in other schools. It could help create a sense of understanding among students who would not have known each other if it weren’t for the video-conferencing.

Question #2 What if I get a job at a school with little funding for things like video cameras and good internet connections?

I always think about different ways I could make up for what the school would lack in when it comes to financial assistance. Luckily if I became a teacher today I would be set because I currently have a lap top with a video connection and if I needed to I could purchase an internet connector that I could just plug in and carry around. One thing I read about in the article that stuck out to me was that once all the classrooms were set up to use the video-conferencing the school had to get a better internet connection. Perhaps the schools could work something out with an internet company that would provide discounts to teachers using the video-conferencing.

Journal #2 “Join the Flock”-Hadely Ferguson & “Enhance Your Twitter Experience” -Shannon McClintock Miller NETS-T 3&5

APA Citation:

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the Flock! Learning and Leading, 37, 8. Retrieved October, 2010

McClintock Miller, S. (2010). Enhance Your Twitter Experience. Learning and Leading, 37, 8.

Summary:

The Join the Flock article was interesting in that it offers teachers a step by step guide on how to effectively sign-up and use your twitter account. The article describes how a teachers twitter can best “follow” somebody's posts on twitter and re-tweet your own personal ideas for other twitter-ers. Tagging your tweets adds it to the streams of other educators who also follow the same things thus starting the twitter cycle again.

The Ehance Your Twitter Experience article was interesting in that it offered actual examples of how Twitter has helped a teacher. She used twitter to teach her Technology and Information Literacy by using Ruggero Domenichini's Web 2.0 tool to her seventh grade class which she would not have been able to do without Twitter. Chances are she would have never even found out about Web 2.0 unless it was for Twitter because Ruggero Domenichini lives in New Zealand. The article continues to offer some tips for those who are not fully engaged in Twitter, for example searching for hashtags that interest you will allow you to connect with peoples twitter accounts that can be helpful to you. By using a Bookmarklet twitter-ers are able to send ideas out to anyone who follows your tweets or hashtags sort of like sending an email and forwarding it except that it does it for you.

Question #1 How can Twitter assist me as an educator?

By far the best thing about Twitter is that it is free and online. When something is free and online it opens its doors to everyone and anyone with an internet connection. I can use twitter to find information regarding anything in education, from ideas in lesson plans to what's going on in the news about education. Personally I am someone who gets frustrated when searching for anything on the internet and I feel like I am so statter brained because of how busy I am that I don't take the time to develop new ideas. I feel like by being active in twitter it will help me see the ideas of other educators who are probably going through the same things I am and it will encourage me to add to the world twitter by posting and hash tagging my ideas and findings.

Question #2 Can I use Twitter as a means of communication between me and my students parents?

One thing that I stress about with teaching is parent involvement. In a perfect teaching world every teacher would have the assistance of each students parents or gaurdians but realistaclly that is not the case. If parents were able to follow my tags on twitter it could help them understand the types of things we are covering in class. I plan to use twitter to connect with other educators so why not use it to connect with parents.

Journal #1 Taking Laptops Schoolwide NETS-5

Taking Laptops Schoolwide: A Professional Learning Community Approach

                  By: Tim Green, Loretta Donovan, and Kim Bass

APA Citation: Green, Tim, Donovan, Loretta, & Bass, Kim. (2010). Taking laptops schoolwide: a professional learning community approach. International Society for Technology in Education, Retrieved from https://acrobat.com/#d=7rIs4heRCXPhOZp7l-otEg

Summary:

         School districts are implementing the use of Richard DuFour's Professional Learning Community (PLC) which is stated to be "a focus on learning rather than teaching, working collaboratively and holding ones self accountable for results." The PLC is using laptops as a means of incorporating education and technology in the classroom and at home. Students are able to use word processing programs at young ages which can be hugely beneficial for their future in school. Teachers are working collaboratively with one another and the community to come up with new and improved ways to utilize laptops in schooling. Many parents are in favor of this because it helps keep a student focused on homework and school related activities because they have access to a laptop. The article continued to explain that a schools climate, communication, collaboration and progression of use are things that are important in assessing before starting to take laptops school wide.

Question #1 How could I use this if I am going to teach History at the middle school level?

         I do not know what the average age is for children to become acquainted with the use of computer software but I have to assume it is rather young considering the technology that is available to almost everyone. Even if a child does not have a computer or Internet access at home by the time they reach middle school I'm sure that the vast majority if not all students have used a computer at a friends house, library or school. I think that it would be totally feasible to put together assignments that require a students to use a word processor and an Internet search site to find information about historical events. It is something that could be really beneficial for students to be familiar with researching before they enter high school and college where they will be held accountable for their own research and information.

Question #2 Where do these schools get the money for laptops?

       Perhaps the budget will put aside money for technology advances in schools but I do not think that is realistic. Teachers are working collaboratively following the PLC and maybe by all working together a teacher would be able to get a number of laptops that each classroom could check out and rent for a period of time. By alternating the use of the laptops it can also help with getting out any little glitches in the idea and can also provide a way for teachers to help one another with ideas for assignments and how to utilize the laptops to their fullest extent.

Kaytlin's Introduction!!!

            Hello! My name is Kaytlin Renee Swartz. I was born in Los Angeles, CA and moved to Murrieta, CA when I was in second grade. I attended Murrieta Elementary from second grade until fifth grade then went to Thompson Middle School for sixth, seventh and eighth grade. After middle school I advanced to high school! I went to Murrieta Valley High School for my freshman year, and then transferred to Vista Murrieta High School (across town) for the remainder of my high school career. I moved to San Marcos when I was seventeen and got an apartment with four other girls I graduated high school with. I began attending CSUSM in 2006 and have been on the path towards graduation since. This is my last semester then I will be entering the Credential program where I will be working toward becoming a middle school history teacher.
       My experiences with technology are slightly pathetic. I didn’t get my first cell phone until I graduated high school (thanks mom and dad ) To top it off it was a pay-as-you-go Virgin mobile flip phone. Sweet!! I bought my first iPod when I was 18 and have had it ever since, it’s a measly 2gig but hey it works! I used an assortment of PCs, Toshiba, Dell, etc… then I had a life altering experience and purchased a Macbook! It is by far my most priced technological possession and I will vow to never use a PC again. I live with my boyfriend therefore I automatically own a PS3 and a Wii so in the world of gaming I am not completely in the dark!
       To be honest I have had many classes in which the CSUSM/COE Mission Statement is located on the front page of the syllabus. For some strange reason I continue to simply “skip over” reading the statement because I am in such a hurry to figure out what I’m going to need to do for the course. However, because this assignment asks that I take a look-see at it, I did! Foremost the phrase “social justice” stood out to me, perhaps because I am a fan of Roosevelt (history…remember?) who wanted to improve and provide a sort of livelihood for the people of the US. I feel like social justice is something that everyone has to be striving for in order to achieve it universally and teachers can be a great form of example! Learning to respect everyone in a diverse classroom is a definite step toward creating a more just world.