This week we looked at the benefits and risks of social media. Below you will find my responses to the questions that were posted:
1. I joined several groups: build your own curriculum, e-Mentoring for Student Success, Close Math Gaps Now, Visual Thinking Evolution. I chose these groups primarily due to my primary interests in mathematics, curriculum, student achievement, & software. I signed up for diigo about two weeks ago and each morning I receive links related to these interests and it's been very helpful and exciting.
2. Young people are more likely to play games, communicate to their friends, and "bully" other students. Older adults are more likely to use it for keeping in touch with family and friends.
3. Pros - teachers are able to increase students' engagement in their education,
increase technological proficiency, contribute to a greater sense of
collaboration in the classroom, and build better communication skills. Cons - increased cyberbullying, online predators, and less face-to-face with family and peers.
4. Most of the time I am on Facebook because it allows me the chance to stay in touch with my relatives who live out of state. I also monitor some of the things that are posted by students that might impact the school climate and culture.
5. Benefits - increased connection to others, increased self-esteem, promotes participation, meet technology expectations of students, more awareness of social issues, and networking with others and professionals.
Cons - increased depression, especially among teens, potential to trigger eating disorders in adolescent females and causes deterioration and conflict in marriages, and poor vocabulary, spelling, and increase in acronyms
Thus far, this has been a very enlightening and worthwhile experience. The assignment this week as given me a greater understand of the importance of the use of social media in teaching and learning. Finally, I really enjoy being able to share my new knowledge with the teachers in my building.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Gaming
Benefits of gaming, virtual realities, and simulations
The benefits in the classroom are endless. Gaming allow students to enter worlds that would otherwise be impossible to visit. Gaming, simulations, and virtual realities allow students to go back in history, understand the complexities of running a major city or corporation, and so forth. Other benefits I see are increased student engagement, exploration, ongoing and responsive feedback, individualized instruction/learning, and motivation to explore beyond the limits of their abilities. Gaming, VR's, and simulations also stimulate conversation and discussion, allow for the exchange/share ideas and provides supportive and engaging learning environments.
In an article I read by Engelbrecht and Harding (2005), it stated that, educational literature reflects a paradigm shift linked to education and the web due to the, “anytime, anywhere promise.” They site authors who argue that, the paradigm shift should occur in the interaction between pedagogy. Teacher's play a very important role in the implementation of gaming in the classroom. Most importantly in order for gaming/VR's/simulations to be effective in the classroom, the teacher should consider the following:
Three sites I visited
Gamequarium - an interactive site that has activities related to the core subjects. It is my belief that students up to 9th grade would benefit from this site, even though the site is geared towards K-6 grades. The math game I played was interesting; the concept was similar to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" except you didn't get "lifelines" only three chances to get the right answer before the game was over.
Darfus is Dying - a narrative based simulation that from the players perspective must fight or negotiate against the enemy in order to protect the refugee camp. It appears the idea came from the war in Iraq and other foreign wars, like Pakistan and the Sudan. Although I'm no history buff, the simulation appears to be very interesting and helps make a difficult concept simple.
There - a virtual reality site that allows the user to use their imagination to the fullest. Since I'm not very imaginative, this site was a little boring and overwhelming for me. I think the site would be a great vehicle for at-risk students. Oftentimes these students have "wild" imaginations and no one taps into it, which makes it easy for them to join gangs and be a part of the wrong crowd.
This weeks assignment allowed me the opportunity to broaden and deepen my knowledge of gaming, simulations, and virtual realities. It also gave me some ideas for my dissertation and I will be able to share these sites with teachers in my building.
The benefits in the classroom are endless. Gaming allow students to enter worlds that would otherwise be impossible to visit. Gaming, simulations, and virtual realities allow students to go back in history, understand the complexities of running a major city or corporation, and so forth. Other benefits I see are increased student engagement, exploration, ongoing and responsive feedback, individualized instruction/learning, and motivation to explore beyond the limits of their abilities. Gaming, VR's, and simulations also stimulate conversation and discussion, allow for the exchange/share ideas and provides supportive and engaging learning environments.
In an article I read by Engelbrecht and Harding (2005), it stated that, educational literature reflects a paradigm shift linked to education and the web due to the, “anytime, anywhere promise.” They site authors who argue that, the paradigm shift should occur in the interaction between pedagogy. Teacher's play a very important role in the implementation of gaming in the classroom. Most importantly in order for gaming/VR's/simulations to be effective in the classroom, the teacher should consider the following:
- Be clear about the learning objectives that learners are intending to achieve over the course of the work.
- Use games appropriately. They do not have to be used in their entirety in order to achieve educational goals and stimulate motivation. Certain game aspects can be extracted or isolated from the game as a whole.
- Allow for sufficient time for both you and your students to become familiar with the game.
Three sites I visited
Gamequarium - an interactive site that has activities related to the core subjects. It is my belief that students up to 9th grade would benefit from this site, even though the site is geared towards K-6 grades. The math game I played was interesting; the concept was similar to "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" except you didn't get "lifelines" only three chances to get the right answer before the game was over.
Darfus is Dying - a narrative based simulation that from the players perspective must fight or negotiate against the enemy in order to protect the refugee camp. It appears the idea came from the war in Iraq and other foreign wars, like Pakistan and the Sudan. Although I'm no history buff, the simulation appears to be very interesting and helps make a difficult concept simple.
There - a virtual reality site that allows the user to use their imagination to the fullest. Since I'm not very imaginative, this site was a little boring and overwhelming for me. I think the site would be a great vehicle for at-risk students. Oftentimes these students have "wild" imaginations and no one taps into it, which makes it easy for them to join gangs and be a part of the wrong crowd.
This weeks assignment allowed me the opportunity to broaden and deepen my knowledge of gaming, simulations, and virtual realities. It also gave me some ideas for my dissertation and I will be able to share these sites with teachers in my building.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Internet, Ethics & Open Content
Copyrights & eBooks
"Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of original works of authorship (US Copyright Office, 2008)." In other words, copyrights are automatically secured once the information has been written or recorded. As a result, anything written in ebook form automatically becomes copyrighted. However, ownership of an ebook does not give the possessor the ebook copyright. For example if you download an ebook, you do not have the ebook copyright. Only the author of that book or someone who has been given rights by the author has that ebook copyright.
Internet & Ethics
Now doesn't this title sound like an oxymoron?
The Internet is not only a text-based medium made up of communities, newsgroups and email lists. It is also a medium of publication, and significantly one where users can take control of the means of production, create their own cultural artifacts and intervene in the production of existing ones. The Internet can thus be perceived as a form of cultural production, in a similar framework to that of the print media, broadcast television and radio. The difference is that the Internet isn't as censored as other media outlets, although sites like YouTube, have content censorship statements that state the content is monitored 24/7, 365.
It is my opinion, that in recent years, people have no shame about the despicable content they post on the Web. Respect and courtesy are quaint, outdated notions to these Internet citizens. The people charged with protecting us from such abhorrent behavior not only fail to prevent it, they tacitly or explicitly encourage these breaches in morality because it means more page views, more customers, and more money.
Open Content & K-12
A growing movement of K-12 educators is latching on to educational resources that are “open,” or free for others to use, change, and republish on Web sites that promote sharing. The open-content movement is fueled partly by digital creation tools that make it easy to create “mash-ups,” or digital medleys of content of various types. From a financial standpoint, it saves schools money by spreading the time and expense of developing curricular resources over many contributors.
It also passes on the value that teachers add, when they adapt works originated by others, so other educators can benefit from it. Many adaptions give schools more ways of differentiating instruction, by adding language translations, shifting grade level, and adjusting for reading ability, a special geographic or cultural focus, and other strategies to promote a standard curriculum. In addition, open educational resources such as, The Math Open Reference, makes interactive math problems available for extra practice which may not be available to the classroom teacher, especially in these economic times.
The process of content creation and sharing is also a way to build professional relationships between teachers. Consequently, the more that teachers get their hands into content creation, the better they can teach that material. Textbooks, however, remain a constant in nearly all schools, and publishers of traditional textbooks do not appear too worried about the open-content movement. However, the 2011 Horizon Report suggests that publishers have at last begun to uncouple print and electronic sales of textbooks, making it easier to choose one or the other as desired.
In conclusion, the availability of open content materials is growing which means educators will need to set aside time to research these sites, if they are going to make them available to their students. I think the concept of open content is great and it is important, in my opinion, that school district leaders should take an extensive look in making these sites available which would drastically reduce the amount spent on textbooks and wasteful supplemental materials. As an administrator, I see firsthand the wasteful spending that happens because textbook publishers entice textbook committees and curriculum directors to purchase "extra" educational stuff, that could be found on open content sites for free. Furthermore, I believe citizens would be more willing to fund schools and pass levies, as long as districts are able to show taxpayers that they have "tightened" their spending and are utilizing their dollars for things that directly impact instruction and student achievement. Heck, who knows the salaries of teachers may increase. Lol
"Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States to the authors of original works of authorship (US Copyright Office, 2008)." In other words, copyrights are automatically secured once the information has been written or recorded. As a result, anything written in ebook form automatically becomes copyrighted. However, ownership of an ebook does not give the possessor the ebook copyright. For example if you download an ebook, you do not have the ebook copyright. Only the author of that book or someone who has been given rights by the author has that ebook copyright.
Internet & Ethics
Now doesn't this title sound like an oxymoron?
The Internet is not only a text-based medium made up of communities, newsgroups and email lists. It is also a medium of publication, and significantly one where users can take control of the means of production, create their own cultural artifacts and intervene in the production of existing ones. The Internet can thus be perceived as a form of cultural production, in a similar framework to that of the print media, broadcast television and radio. The difference is that the Internet isn't as censored as other media outlets, although sites like YouTube, have content censorship statements that state the content is monitored 24/7, 365.
It is my opinion, that in recent years, people have no shame about the despicable content they post on the Web. Respect and courtesy are quaint, outdated notions to these Internet citizens. The people charged with protecting us from such abhorrent behavior not only fail to prevent it, they tacitly or explicitly encourage these breaches in morality because it means more page views, more customers, and more money.
Open Content & K-12
A growing movement of K-12 educators is latching on to educational resources that are “open,” or free for others to use, change, and republish on Web sites that promote sharing. The open-content movement is fueled partly by digital creation tools that make it easy to create “mash-ups,” or digital medleys of content of various types. From a financial standpoint, it saves schools money by spreading the time and expense of developing curricular resources over many contributors.
It also passes on the value that teachers add, when they adapt works originated by others, so other educators can benefit from it. Many adaptions give schools more ways of differentiating instruction, by adding language translations, shifting grade level, and adjusting for reading ability, a special geographic or cultural focus, and other strategies to promote a standard curriculum. In addition, open educational resources such as, The Math Open Reference, makes interactive math problems available for extra practice which may not be available to the classroom teacher, especially in these economic times.
The process of content creation and sharing is also a way to build professional relationships between teachers. Consequently, the more that teachers get their hands into content creation, the better they can teach that material. Textbooks, however, remain a constant in nearly all schools, and publishers of traditional textbooks do not appear too worried about the open-content movement. However, the 2011 Horizon Report suggests that publishers have at last begun to uncouple print and electronic sales of textbooks, making it easier to choose one or the other as desired.
In conclusion, the availability of open content materials is growing which means educators will need to set aside time to research these sites, if they are going to make them available to their students. I think the concept of open content is great and it is important, in my opinion, that school district leaders should take an extensive look in making these sites available which would drastically reduce the amount spent on textbooks and wasteful supplemental materials. As an administrator, I see firsthand the wasteful spending that happens because textbook publishers entice textbook committees and curriculum directors to purchase "extra" educational stuff, that could be found on open content sites for free. Furthermore, I believe citizens would be more willing to fund schools and pass levies, as long as districts are able to show taxpayers that they have "tightened" their spending and are utilizing their dollars for things that directly impact instruction and student achievement. Heck, who knows the salaries of teachers may increase. Lol
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