Technology Self-Assessment: School 2.0

Standard: NETS-T Module: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
1. I enable students to use technology to demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes.

I picked this video to watch because I liked the title of "Schools kill school creativity." I cannot expect students to be excited to learn material and lifelong skills when schools are expecting them to answer a certain way, bubble a correct answer. The video emphasizes writing, mentioning that that, "just like Picasso, we are all born artists." Students need to resist what schools are asking of them- to buy into the school bureaucracy. They need to approach writing in the manner that their life is a story, and each day is a different page of that story. Students need to be proud of who they are and what they contribute.

The video also talked about the notion that all subjects we teach in schools are taught world-wide. When students feel as if they are struggling or making a "mistake," likely the mistake or choice has already been made by someone else. It is important to allow students to recongnize their choices they have in the classroom, and seek out creative solutions to improve for the next time.

In relation to technology, I need to be aware that all students are different. Sometimes students will like to express themselves in different manners. Some students will not like working with technology, and others will. I need to find out why students are reluctant to using techonology, and show them the freedom that comes with being creative and using a technological medium to express themselves. This is one way students can resist the school politics and share with the world who they are as unique individuals.

Journal 4

Campbell, L. (2012). If you give a kid a video camera. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(5),  30-33. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx.

This article discusses the ways in which technology, in this case a videocamera, can aid and enhance student learning in the classroom in the areas of science, math, history, and language arts. Campbell offers ideas for how to effectively use a camera in each of the subjects, with ideas of lessons to pair the assignment with. In science class, Campbell offers the idea of documenting each individual step in the experiment or tracking observations that otherwise would take a lot of time to watch. In language arts, Campbell suggests vocabulary videos to help students see the actual vocabulary word but also to associate it with various pictures; for example, if the word is "green" for an elementary school student, the teacher could show different spots in the city or school that are green. For history, Campbell proposes documenting real-life events and their aftermath, with interviews of those involved. She also says that interviews of grandparents and others who have served in wars could start a video library of primary sources for students to use for later projects.

Questions 1,2: How can teachers work to incorporate camera usage in the classroom given that educational time in some states and districts has been reduced because of budget? How can teachers find time in the schedule to teach students the importance of using technology in the classroom? How can teachers provide cameras for students in a time where there is limited funds, and technology is one of the first areas funding gets pulled?

Teachers can model to their students multiple uses of technology in the classroom. For example, instead of always showing powerpoints that contain only information or pictures, they can use infographics- as discussed in journal entry number 3, videos or collages, both of which are more visually stimulating and helpful overall for students to learn than a simple lecture. Teachers could also inspire students or encourage them to give in reports that are not handwritten but instead in a digital form. Although budget constraints are always an issue, the teacher could inquire about inter-district borrowing of sources from the sister elementary, middle, and high schools. Some teachers and schools might want to inquire at local universities to see if there are students needing to complete volunteer hours for a technology class who would be willing to donate time in a K-12 classroom. Teachers can encourage students in the area of this by allowing as much access within the school day for students to use technological equipment, so that students who do not have access at home can still have the same opportunity to submit digitalized projects in leiu of a more formal, written assignment.

Journal 3

Krauss, J. (2012). More than words can say: Infographics. Learning and leading with technology, 39(5),  10-14. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx.

This article discusses the fact that students both learn and retain information best when they are given a visual representation of what they are learning. An Infographic is just that, a visual representation of information. The brain processes information based on fact- what we read- and visual stimulation- what we visually see when we look at a chart. Krauss argues that the best way to use this in the classroom is in math and science and other situations where data is collected and needs to be organized. In helping students organize their data, Krauss says that it is the teacher's duty to make sure the information needed is relevant to the times; students should not be collecting data by reading books or searching for numbers of, say, lives lost in past world wars, but instead can use it to show Recyclemania totals or projections or how many new members come to facebook each day.

Question 1: How can I apply this idea of an Infographic to my desire to teach high school level history?
In my experience with tutoring students in the local school district, one thing I realize they struggle with is putting historical events into context. When one event is happening in the Americas, they are unaware what, if anything, is going on in Europe. Creating a visual display of key time periods- say the middle 1800s, or the world war eras, this could help students understand not only what is going on at various parts of the world but also understand how one event could have an effect on another event. This could lead to greater understanding on the student's part of the material, as well as help them develop greater critical thinking and analysis.

Question 2: How are Infographics both a positive and negative addition to the classroom for all levels?
Infographics are good tools for students who have a visual learning type. Students are quickly able to see how information relates to multiple variables. They are visually stimulating as well, and while the idea that students zone out when they are not feeling entertained is a separate issue, infographics have the potential to engage students more so than reading the information in a book or hearing it dictated to them by the instructor. For those who enjoy being creative, this is a great tool to allow students to give reports and use their creativity at the same time.

Journal 2

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock. Learning and leading with technology, 37(8), 12-15. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx.

Miller, S. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and leading with technology, 37(8), 15-17. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/February-2012.aspx.

This article discusses Twitter and the ways it can help a professional, if used correctly. Ferguson argues that creating a Twitter account and being active and participatory on the site regularly can connect educators together across the globe. She argues this to be effective because posts, called "tweets," are limited to 160 characters. Tweets get the information across in a clear and concise manner. Information Ferguson asserts it is important to build up this professional learning network so that teachers and educators could build a community online, sharing relevant information with one another. Ferguson stresses the importance of being active on twitter- even if it begins as once a week. Time on twitter can be spent reading articles, posting tweets and links, or searching for people to follow.

Question 1: Is it possible to use Twitter in the classroom for the student's benefit?
Many local schools I work at use the site Moodle to upload important class information on the internet, as to allow parents to access important documents and information at any time during the day. In a few cases, I have known teachers to post homework assignments on Moodle too. I am curious, and will have to see once I enter into the classroom, if perhaps "tweeting" the homework to students in class would be an effective way to let them know what is due. I know there are strict policie with teacher and student interactions online, and perhaps this idea is not realistic, but seeing that educators could be connected across the globe, this might be a springboard for some educators to see what other teachers are teaching and requiring of their students, and give them ideas in the classroom as well.

Question 2: Why is it important to know the twitter jargon, including hashtaging, listing, lurking?
Students do not learn best in an environment where they do not feel the teacher understands them or where they feel the teacher cannot and does not relate to them. Knowing how to use twitter, and what these terms mean, allow me to be educated not only in technological terms but also in relating to my students. Being able to tweet a post, and using a particular hashtag helps me to model for my students organize tweets and to tweet meaningful tweets. In terms of professionally, it is important to be literate with multiple engines, including facebook, blogspot, and twitter, just to name a few.

Journal 1: 100 Things

100 Things/People/Places/Activities That Make Me Happy...............in no particular order:


People:

1. God
2. Mamma Mary and the other saints
3. My mom
4. My dad
5. My little sister Megan
6. My "little" brother Justin
7. My church community
8. Youth Group: Ania, Angie, Michelle, Casey, Fawaz, Ehab, Nicole, Erica, Emily, Jamie, Grace, Matthew, the Wagners, anyone else in J10
9. The Martinez Family
10. Elizabeth
11. Amy
12. My friends

Places:

13. Lake Tahoe
14. Vienna, Austria
15. Florence, Italy
16. Naples, Florida
17. London, England

Activities:
18. Volunteering my time somewhere
19.Helping kids at school
20. Thinking about my future family
21. Praying
22. Surprising someone
23. Doing puzzles with my mom
24. Going outside after it rains
25. Going for a run
26. Watching kids I've known for a while grow up
27. Baking
28. Cooking
29. Kickboxing
30. Playing Soccer
31. Going to the beach
32. Watching sunsets
33. Spending time with my grandparents
34. Spending time with my aunts/uncles/cousins
35. Taking a stroll at night
36. Reading a good book
37. Babysitting
38. Spending time with youth
39. Taking a trainride up the CA Coast
40. Helping others with their problems
41. Massages
42. Taking pictures
43. Decorating a room
44. Being silly
45. Going on a bike ride
46. Being somewhere quiet
47. Driving to AZ and looking at the landscape on the way
48. Going to an Anaheim Angels game when they win
49. Watching my brother play baseball
50. Playing the flute
51. Visiting friends in faraway places
52. Doing Insanity!
53. Writing a letter
54. Getting a letter in the mail
55. Traveling
56. Getting dressed up
57. Listening to music
58. Giving gifts to others
59. Talking to friends
60. Going Christmas shopping
61. Decorating for Christmas
62. Having friends over
63. Holding newborn babies
64. Watching "How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days"
65. Meeting New People
66. Swimming
67. Watching "Say Yes to the Dress"
68. Watching "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
69. Playing games
70. Having family game nights
71. Eating a homecooked meal
72. Collecting seashells on the beach
73. Getting a manicure
74. Getting a pedicure
75. Walking on the beach
76. Eating a freshly baked Peterson's Donut late at night
77. Journaling
78. Making someone's day

Misc:
79. My faith
80. Making someone smile
81. A glass of good Chianti wine paired with an aged cheese
82. Knowing I am making a difference for someone
83. Eggplant parmesean
84. The smell of fresh laundry  
85. My picture collage hanging in my room
86. Jokes
87. Mexican food
88. Sushi!
89. My neighborhood
90. The people I work with
91. Anything "Office" related
92. Turtles
93. The color cerulean. It's a particular shade of blue.
94. Anything having to deal with water: bottled water, a stream, a river, a creek, the ocean
95. Hippos
96. Sleeping in
97. Skype
98. The Internet
99. Sunny Days
100. My I-Touch