Journal #5 “Five on Five: A Dialogue on Profession Development” by Matt Villano

This article discussed the technology in today’s classrooms and the support that schools are providing the teachers. The technology is so advanced now that teachers need more support and the schools are recognizing that they need to provide the support to teachers. Some school districts are already providing this support and providing instructions and training for the advanced technology applications to enhance technology in the classroom. One of the contributors of the article stated that, “Ongoing professional development doesn't mean we just teach more of the same or we do the same workshop over and over again. It's about listening to teachers as they work out the issues with technology. It's time spent giving feedback, collaborating, and building new skills on a solid foundation of what works.” This is critical because the use of technology takes practice and working out issues until the teachers are comfortable using the technology and using it as a tool when teaching. If they are not comfortable using the technology they won’t use it in the classroom. I think it is great that school districts are recognizing how important technology is and providing the support for teachers to utilize it.

Question #1 - Do you think continuing education and technology support is important as a future educator?

I believe that continuing education and technology support is critical. The continual networking, collaboration and support is especially important when using applications and tools on the computer that I am not extremely comfortable using. I think it is important to think about our students when thinking about this topic because they are the ones that will benefit from teachers being continually educated and supported.

Question #2 - What support would you like to have when you are teaching?

It would be great to have a technology help line or a support person who can be accessible when you have a problem or a question when using technology in the classroom. This would be beneficial so that you don’t get frustrated. Frustration will cause teachers to avoid using the technology.

Journal #4 “Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging by Julie Sturgeon

I love that Brock Dubbels believes because he has seen firsthand that his students do better when they know their peers will be reviewing their work rather than just the teacher. That is funny because I think that I do better on assignment when that is the case as well, I just never thought of it that way. It is like our personal blogs for this class. I love to see my classmates’ blogs and see what they saw and how creative everyone is, and I worked hard on mine for the same reason. I agree with the author that classroom blogging can be touchy and keep teachers on the defensive because students, especially teenagers will definitely push the line on what they say and some of their comments may be inappropriate. The number one don’t that was stressed is to set up guidelines and rules for the students to follow when using the blogs. I think it is a great idea for students to sign off on a code of conduct for blogging that sets the ground rules. If students know that these types of behaviors will not fly and they will not be allowed to use this great resources if they misbehave will make students think twice before behaving inappropriately. Another suggestion that the author makes that I agree with is to be sure to keep the blogs educational and focused on coursework rather than allowing students to socialize. That is not the purpose of this resource in the classroom setting.

Question #1 - What benefits does blogging provide students?

The traditional ways of teaching do not always provide successful results in classrooms today. Students lose interest and sometimes these ways of teaching do not relate to the real world. Utilizing technology such as blogging in the classroom will be more beneficial for kids in today’s society. They will use the type of skills in future jobs and to communicate to other people in society. One of the skills that students use when blogging are their writing skills. It is great to have them write no matter what way they are doing it. Writing on their blog is a great way to improve students writing skills and have them enjoy writing.

Question #2 - How would I manage the blogs to be sure students are utilizing this tool correctly?

I would continuously monitor my students’ blogs to be sure that they are using it in the correct context and on task. I would set up scheduled times that they could use the computers in a lab or in the classroom and continuously monitor as they are working. By setting up rules and having them sign a code of conduct students will understand the severity of breaking the rules.

Journal #3 “Speaking Math Using Chat in the Multicultural Classroom” By Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson

This article was about the discussion of exploring the use of electronic discussion tools in geometry and algebra classes with students of many cultures. This is a research project that was done in Osbourn High School in the Washington DC area and is a multi-ethnic school. As a result of this electronic discussion tool being implemented the development of mathematical understanding for these students has increased for multicultural students. This is a tool that allows students to learn based on their prior knowledge and incorporate what they already know into a subject area that is extremely difficult for many students. So many people today, no matter what their cultural background is or where they are from are familiar with texting or chatting on line. It is a way of life for many people, especially teenagers. By incorporating this aspect of their prior knowledge into math and allow them to communicate in a way that they are comfortable it will allow them to become more comfortable with math and create a low stress environment.

Question #1 – How can I utilize a discussion or chatroom online in my future math class?

I really like assigning students to post a response to a question and explain why they answered it a certain way. This allows me to analyze the students thinking and is an additional way to assess the students understanding to guide what I should teach next. I can always tweak my lesson plans if I think they understand or do something different when teaching a particular lesson because their posts suggest that they did not understand it.

Question #2 - How does this form of communication benefit English Language Learners?

This form of communication is great for students who are English Language Learners. This allows these students to have extra time to post their answers and think about what they want to say before they communicate it. It is also great because they have the opportunity to view the other students responses and discussion to develop a better understand of what is being asked or discussed. This kind of communication requires the students to use a computer which is a skill that is necessary in today’s world even if they do not have one at home. By utilizing the computer lab at school or in a library they are enhancing their technology skills as well.

Journal #2 "Social Networking for the K-12 Set" by Jim Klein

In the article “Social Networking for the K-12 Set” by Jim Klein the author states that the leaders in technology in education are always trying to find new ways to incorporate technology in the classroom and eliminate the typical boundaries of classroom. The author believes that the traditional geographical and social boundaries prevent communication and do not promote collaboration among both educators and their students. Some of the issues with incorporating technology into the classroom are security, complexity and cost.  

The creation of the SUSD Teacher and Student Community sites or as the author called them, “learning landscapes” the resources and tools that students and educators would need would be available to them and the communication between the education community would improve and technology would bring value to the students, teachers ultimately increase collaboration. Some of the benefits of these sites are to provide the opportunities to discuss social, ethical and legal issues, create effective learning environments, provide approachable and easy to use environments where students and teachers can use technology to create and share ideas and information, and finally establish workgroups that would be driven based upon efficient communication.

Question #1 – How would I encourage my students to use this site to enhance their education?

I would utilize this site in my lesson plans by having the students create blogs where they can have an online journal and communicate with myself and their peers. This allows communication outside of the classroom. I would also have a class website where students can post their work. I think that when students have the opportunity to utilize technology and are given directions and instructions so they are comfortable using it and don’t get frustrated that it can be a great tool and benefit them later in life when they are in the work force or in a real world situation where technology is used often.

Question #2 – How would I use this site as a future educator?

I would use this site to communicate with both students and parents. Technology is a great way to communicate outside of the classroom. I can keep students informed and parents as well on the status of their work, what is happening in the classroom and what we are learning about weekly or monthly so that parents can support me by continuing to help students with their work at home. I would also utilize technology to collaborate with my peers. It would be great to share ideas and lesson plans with other teachers.