Blog #8

Throughout all of the research that I have done so far for this class, one thing that I keep seeing over and over again is Professional Development, and how there is not enough of it for our teachers in regards to technology.  Some of the teachers in our schools have been teaching for over 15 or 20 years, way before any of this recent educational technology has come out, and honestly if they have been able to teach just fine without it, why should they feel that they have to change their ways now?  This is where schools need to step in and provide their teachers with the proper professional development so that they feel comfortable using these tools as well as be able to teach their students.  If schools do not properly train the teacher, they are not only doing a disservice to that teacher, but also to those students who are in that classroom.  No matter what great types of technology that we have our classrooms, they are only as good as the training that we provide our teachers with.

According to Technology in Schools, the three key questions for technology professional development are, “how much technology-related training is provided to staff, what that training consists of, including its methods and goals, and lastly, if and how such training is evaluated.”  Even with the training that is provided to staff about technology, is it the right kind of training and is it giving the proper amount of information in the given time? 

Will Richardson had quite a lot to say about this topic and it was very interesting to read about it form his point of view.  He first discusses how schools use workshops to try and cram everything they want their teachers to know in one session.  In his blog, Business as ‘Un’usual, he says, “In the best case, they are a full day of one or two particular tools. In the worst case, they are one or two hours on a lot of tools. Either way, the experience usually serves to overwhelm, and at the end of the day (or hour) the participants head back to the craziness of their teaching lives where I’m guessing much of what they have “learned” fails to take root.”  Many schools feel that if they at least just have a session informing their teachers on the technology, and briefly discussing how it works then their job is done.  They believe that it is then the teachers’ job to really figure out how it works on their own time.  However, like Richardson says, at the end of the day the teachers feel more overwhelmed than actually feeling like what they learned was beneficial.  Like I have mentioned before, my mentor teacher was lucky to have an intern because she had no idea what the PD coaches were talking about.  They just went through a quick run down of the programs, showed an example and then moved on.  If I wasn’t there to teach it to her during our own time after school, I do not think that she would have ever tried using any of the programs.  Right now most of the workshops that our teachers go to are so stressing and overwhelming, it seems that they have to just get everything in one sitting and just hope for the best.  If we expect our teachers to do more with technology in the classrooms, schools need to expect more of themselves to make sure that these teachers get the proper training that they need.  One solution that Richardson has is to provide network learning environments where teachers can learn at their own pace.  I am sure that the school will have to give a few teachers a nudge here and there to make sure that they do it, but it makes it a lot less stressful and also allows them to go back to network learning environment as much as they need until they fully understand the new technology.  He also says that these are, “the same types of learning networks, both physical and virtual, we want our own children to master in their own practice.”  So to make it easier on our teachers, why don’t we just use the same learning tool for professional development with our teachers, that we want them to use with their students?  It just makes sense.

In response to Will Richardson’s blog Tom Hoffman states what we really need is lesson study. According to Wikipedia, lesson study, “is a teaching improvement process that has origins in Japanese elementary education, where it is a widespread professional development practice. Working in a small group, teachers collaborate with one another, meeting to discuss learning goals, to plan an actual classroom lesson (called a “research lesson”), to observe how it works in practice, and then to revise and report on the results so that other teachers can benefit from it.” This seems like the best idea yet.  If teachers are given the time and opportunity to actually make their own lesson with the technology they just were introduced to during the same workshop with other teachers, they are much more likely to actually use this tool in their own classroom.  It would be even better if you could coordinate these groups so that consist of teachers teaching the same grade and subject so it is something that they could even use right when they get back to the classroom.  Who knows, if everything goes well maybe these teachers could stay in contact and help one another create more lesson plans.  It seems that if teachers have a support system while using these new tools in the classroom they are more likely to use the program consistently instead of forgetting about it after the first time. 

Another response was from Carolyn Foote who comments, “At NECC this summer, I mentioned a workshop I was doing–and he asked a question I have carried into every workshop since then, which was something like, What will you do to extend the workshop after it’s over? It was a very thought-provoking question and one I’m still considering.”  Many professional development courses just stop when the day is over and just expect the teachers to keep thinking about it.  However, when you make these teachers answer the questions during the workshop, they are likely to generate more ideas of how they could really use it in their classrooms as well as gain more ideas from their peers’ responses.  I also think that an online-support system would be a great follow up to workshops and professional development.  If teachers know that they have a place they can go with experts in technology as well as other teachers who are using the same programs, they will probably feel much more comfortable using them which benefits them and their students.    

In Richardson’s blog, Schools Need to Get Up to Speed, he feels that schools have three main responsibilities.  They need to provide effective professional development for teachers, have courses for parents, and also teach every student the acceptable uses of the technology they are using and model their appropriate use.  One quote that I really enjoyed from his blog in regards to an online school paper was, “As students flock to such sites, teachers worry that without the guidance they would get at a traditional school paper, kids will learn all the bad habits of editorializing and sloppy reporting.  What guidance have students every really gotten in this regard unless they took a journalism class or worked on the school paper? How about this: a course in citizen journalism and Web literacy should be MANDATORY for every student (and teacher, and parent and administrator.)”  Teachers are complaining that students need proper guidance, but it should be the schools and administrators responsibility to make sure that they provide the teachers with the proper training to make sure they can give their students the appropriate information that they need.

Issue: Teachers are not being given proper training on the new technology tools that they are expected to use and teach to their students. 

Solution:  Schools need to provide professional development classes where the support goes beyond just an hour or day long session then the rest is just left for the teachers to figure out.  I think that through lesson studies, and online support systems, teachers will feel much more comfortable about using these programs in their own classrooms as well as be able to explain how they work to their students.  Professional development should go beyond just specified workshops, they should be available for teachers 24/7. 

Blog #7

 “The current state of education is preparing our student’s for yesterday’s world—not tomorrow’s.  Schools must do more to keep pace with rapid technology, research, and societal changes.” 

-From the article Social networking in the classroom

I feel that this quote is one of the main issues that we have discussed many times during this class.  When I read this over and over to myself I really started to wonder what types of things can schools and educators do to prepare our students for a future we do not know anything about.  I feel that 1-to-1 learning would be a great program for students to help close the digital divide and at least prepare them for a digital future.

According to the Apple website, “A 1 to 1 learning program is defined as an environment where students and teachers have 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week access to a notebook computer as well as digital content, educational software, and digital authoring tools.”  Apple feels that students learn better when they are engaged, and according to research technology is the number one tool for engaging today’s students.  The top reasons that schools believe in the one-to-one program are for:

o  Improving student academic achievement through the use of technology

o  Assuring equity in access to digital resources

o  Promoting economic development by preparing students for today’s workplace

o  Enhancing teaching to transform the quality of instruction

I feel that the 1 to 1 learning is one of our biggest chances to help close the digital divide between students in the same classroom.  Everyone will be taught how to use the same programs and also will be on the same pace.  Even though we still are unsure of what tomorrow’s workplace, at least 1 to 1 is helping us prepare our students for today’s. 

Unfortunately one of the main problems of getting 1 to 1 programs in schools is the cost of the program.  But there are several different options that schools have, whether they decide to recycle their computers over the years or to just spread the cost of the computers over time.  However, even with the cost factor taken into account 1 to 1 Learning: Building and sustaining a computing program does not happen overnight believes that if students and teachers are each given their own laptop, that we can, “take our classrooms into the future, empower teachers and students with the tools and functions for the challenges ahead, and enable deep, sustained learning.”  With all of these positive things that are connected with 1 to 1 learning, one of the main things to keep in mind is that building and sustaining these programs does not happen over night.  With knowing that it will take some time and effort it is important to look at why some of the schools failed so that schools and teachers can see how they can make their own programs work.  First of all, once schools start a 1 to 1 program, administrators and teachers need to have the mind set that there may be a problem here and there, but should be determined to stick with the program for the long haul, not just give up because of any little setback.  According to 1 to 1 Learning, serious consideration of the goals of the program must have input at the school, district, and state levels so that overarching questions of why this program should be used are answered before they are used and brought into the classroom.  The mission should be a road map of how these computers will be used and how they will enhance our students learning.  Also teachers need to make students aware of policies, procedures, and consequences for inappropriate use of the computers as well as whether or not they can take them with them to use at home.  Another important factor for schools to think about is to have a full time IT person employed at the school so that whenever a problem occurs, there is someone there to fix it immediately.  I also greatly agree with the quote, “Don’t shortchange professional development—invest in it and support it fully.”  Schools need to make sure that teachers are comfortable with using these tools and learn the most they can about them so that in turn they can teach their students how to use them properly and effectively.

After my background research of what 1 to 1 learning really consisted of, including both the pros and cons, I wanted to see what some of the professionals in the field of education, such as Will Richardson, had to say about it.  In One Laptop Per Child Begins…$14 Billion on Easter he says that 1 to 1 learning is, “Very cool to see, and it starts my brain to racing with the possibilities. Let’s hope the pedagogies that these kids are taught help them take full advantage of the awesome connection that they now have.”  Once the students are given these computers it is up to the teacher’s pedagogies to give the students the best educational experience that they can.  He talks about a school that he went to for a workshop where more than half of the students in the district live on welfare or some sort of assistance, so therefore have hardly any contact with computers outside of school.  Unfortunately these students are falling further and further behind.  It is amazing to see these students each working on their own computers, however Richardson brings up a very interesting point of view in regards to the funding of these programs.  He says, “In a society that is more concerned with the father of Anna Nicole’s baby, one that spent almost $14 billion on Easter stuff, (the equivalent of 140 million laptops, btw) what’s it going to take before we understand what No Child Left Behind really means?”  Our society’s top priority is definitely not education.  What can we do to make everyone realize that just by re-prioritizing how we spend our money that it would actually be easier than once thought to provide students with their own computers?  I think that if everyone just took a step back and see what they are spending their money on and why, that everyone might see what they could personally do to really make sure that, “no child is left behind.” 

One of the most inspiring comments on his blog that I found was by Carolyn Foote.  She says, “Will they be sufficient for these children their entire academic career? Maybe not, but will they learn to create content, tell their stories, and share with the world? Yes, they will. Will that translate into other tools? I believe it will. Will there be mistakes or choices made along the way-probably.  But someone took a vision, ran with it, asked the web community for help and now it is a reality. That is more than has ever been done before.”  This is the type of positive attitude that we need more in our school systems today.  This program can do wonders for our students, they can share their stories and even learn to make their own content.  So what if there are a few mistakes made along the way, whenever a new teaching style is tried there is always the chance of something not working out according to plan.  We need teachers who are not afraid of a challenge and to really use this program to its fullest advantage to give our students a unique, engaging educational experience.  Another comment that I really agreed with was from Chris Flynn who had an idea about the financial issue of the 1 to 1 program.  He says that, “we could cut into a textbook budget for a year, learn to use free internet sources that are certainly more up-to-date than the textbooks we cut out for a year, and spend that money on 21st century tools.”  With all of the technology that is being created, there is less attention being paid to textbooks, heck, many teachers do not even use the textbooks that they are given now.  Information in textbooks are only good for a couple years now, if that, the information found on the internet is constantly being changed and updated.  The choice seems to be pretty clear for educators.

In the article, Maybe My Class Is Doing The $100 Laptop Pilot For The US, there is a teacher who is doing is own 1 to 1 pilot program in his classroom with iBook computers that are seven years old.  He says that they are not the fastest, the screens are kind of small, and at times the CD player covers may fall off, but the students are still using wikis, Skype, Flickr, blogs and many more internet and computer tools.  He explains, “90% of my students receive free and reduced price lunch, few have access to technology at home, and the laptops we are using probably aren’t worth much more than $100.”  If it can be made this easy and students are gaining great learning experiences, why aren’t more schools taking advantage of this?  So what if the computers are not brand new, if the technology works and is beneficial to the students, then I say go for it.  Just think of the things that you would be able to do with your students if every single one had access to their own laptop 24/7.  The possibilities are exciting and endless.  Hopefully in the years to come, we will be able to see an increase of 1 to 1 learning programs in schools and even more success stories that go along with them. 

Issue: How do we prepare our students for “tomorrow’s” world, not “yesterday’s”?  How can we provide more schools with 1 to 1 learning programs that will help close the digital divide between students and schools as well as provide them with rich technology learning experiences?

Solution: Through 1 to 1 learning, schools will be helping prepare all students for the technology rich world that they are growing up in.  Schools have been ignoring the digital divide for too long and have gotten too used to not changing their teaching techniques.  Schools can either use old computers that still work and do their job, or try and raise money to ensure that every student can have their own laptop.  They also need to make sure that they provide their teachers with professional development classes on these programs so that they can provide their students with the best learning experiences possible.  I also think that our society should try to find a way to make our citizens re-think how we spend our money and figure out what our real priorities our when it comes to our children and education.        

Blog #5

Before I started researching the topic of internet security, I first had to define what internet security was.  Wikipedia’s definition was, “Internet security is the prevention of unauthorized access and/or damage to computer systems via internet access.”  Since the internet now plays such a large role in education, it is extremely important to inform and teach not only our students, but the teachers, staff, and parents on the ins and outs of this topic.  I feel that the video on Teacher Tube, Be CyberSmart!, serves as a great introduction for teachers and students to help them understand what they need to do in order to be safe and secure on the internet.  A couple of these tips seem like they wouldn’t have to be said, like, “use hard to guess passwords,” but if you do not teach how important every tip is, you are allowing your students to run the risk of not being secure on the internet.  It would also be great for teachers to tell their students to use these same principles with their computers at home as well as possibly make part of their assignment to go home and teach their parents about internet security (if they have access to a home computer, if not, they can still explain what they have learned).

Throughout all of the articles that I read, I kept seeing the same thing over and over about physical and cyber security.  According to Security: Schools Frustrated by Budget, Staff Constraints, the physical security in schools has increased 39%, whereas the cyber security has decreased 25%.  I agree with what Karen says about how you would naturally think that in today’s digital age that schools would be putting more time, money, and effort into cyber than physical safety.  Nagel also shows what the top barriers were for both physical and data security according to the 2007 CDW-G.   It was amazing to see that in both cases the top barrier was budget, the second was staffing, and the last was related to tools or hardware/software.  I loved how at the end up his article he brings up the fact that if anything is going to change; everyone is going to have to work together.  He states, “Given the pace of technology change and limited budgets, K-12 school districts need to take advantage of convergence to improve IT and physical security simultaneously by adopting tools like IP cameras, network access control and mass notification systems.”  This would be the most convenient and smartest route to go, especially when everyone’s main concern is the budget.  If everyone supports one another, then they are more likely to get what they need.  Fortunately, it seems that this convergence is already starting to take place through the use of the mass-notification system, which schools are using to send out emergency notices through e-mails, phone messages, and text messages.  This is a great start, but hopefully in the future even more can be done.

After reading about how the cyber security has declined in the past year, it is not that surprising to find that internet breaches have risen 8% from just last year.  Hopefully this will be a wake-up call for schools to realize how important internet security is.  More and more students are learning how to bypass restricted programs on school computers, and teachers and staff need to realize what exactly the consequences are when students do this.  Many teachers are not fully aware of how digitally savvy students are these days and how much they really know about the internet and computer programs.  In the article, School Web Filter Tackles Anonymizers, discusses a Web Filter that has just been released called School Guardian that incorporated support for blocking secure proxies.  One secure proxy that they mention was UltraSurf which is what students download on the internet to visit blocked sites.  The nice part about this program is that teachers choose to allow some of the sites to work if they wish on their own computer, for example if they wanted to share a YouTube vide with their class.  If schools are more up to date on the new software that is being made available, they can then make their own school a safer place on the internet.   

Unfortunately since I have not yet started teaching, I was unable to take the Self Assesssment, but I still looked through the questionnaire and thought that it did an excellent job assessing a school’s security.  I really enjoyed reading the blogs of who has taken the assessment of their own school.  I also found it interesting how a few were not quite able to complete the full survey, or were unsure how to answer a couple of the questions.  I wonder if those questions were for teachers to answer or just administrators or an IT person.

I really enjoyed the Security K-12 podcast, and I find it great to end this blog, even though it does serve as a great introduction.  It gives great tips for what schools should be doing in regards to internet security.  One of the most important things that administrators should be aware of is who is on their school’s network, and who is allowed to do what (administrators, teachers, students).  You also have to make sure that all passwords are personalized and that no one shares the same password.  I really found it eye-opening to hear them say, “The largest vulnerability when it comes to internet security is human.”  If we can properly teach students and teachers how to properly and safely use the internet, then our internet security should improve drastically.  The podcast also mentions that it is beneficial to have speakers come to the schools to talk about cyberbullying, internet predators, and communicating with others over the internet.  The more informed everyone is the safer we all can be on the internet. 

Issue:  Students and teachers are unaware of the threats that come with using the internet, and not enough is being done to protect them. 

Solution:  Teach students, teachers, and parents how to use the internet properly and safely through having experts come in and speak to them.  Physical and cyber security should also be combined so that schools can have the strongest security possible.    

Blog #4

Thanks to the internet, information has been more easily accessible than ever.  Just with one Google search, you can find hundreds, sometimes thousands of web pages about any subject you could imagine.  Teachers and students are using the information and images that they find in lessons, class presentations, or even projects.  However, since these items are so easy to get, many teachers and students do not stop and think of what the copyright and fair use laws are on these items. 

The article, Copyright 101, does a wonderful job defining that copyright and intellectual property laws are based on the beliefs that:

  1. Anyone who creates an original, tangible work deserves to be compensated                    for that work.

          2. That person should be able to control how that work is used.

Copyright laws protect original works such as artistic, musical, dramatic, and motion picture works, etc.  Along with copyright laws also come fair use laws.  According to Copyright Law and Technology, to qualify for fair use, four factors must be weighed:

1. Purpose of use

2. Nature of the work

3. Amount used

4. Effect on the market

Last but not least, Creative Commons help you to publish your work online while letting people know what they are and aren’t allowed to do with your work.  There are even Creative Commons licenses that have been created to help narrow down what you want others to be able to do with your work.  These six licenses are:

1.      Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd)

1. Attribution Non-commercial Share Alike (by-nc-sa)
2. Attribution Non-commercial (by-nc)
3. Attribution No Derivatives (by-nd)
4. Attribution Share Alike (by-sa)
5. Attribution (by)

The descriptions of these licenses are further described in the article Commons Licenses.  Creative Commons has really been a great tool for teachers to decide how they want their information used and shared.  A great website that I found that went more in-depth on this topic was Creative Commons. 

Even though we know there are rules for copyright, fair use, and creative commons, does not mean that they are followed 100% of the time like they should.  It is so easy to just copy and paste an image into a powerpoint and not even think twice about where it came from or what types of copyright laws are attached to it.  I really liked how Roger put it in his own blog, “After working on this blog, I have come to think that the phrase “gray area” was coined with copyright and fair use in mind.”  Many teachers are unsure of what they are and aren’t allowed to use on the internet, and what they have to do to ensure they are using it properly. 

The article, Copyright Cop, does an excellent job explaining just why copyright abuse happens.  A few of the most common reasons abuse happens is because of ignorance and misperceptions, ease and convenience of copying, and intangibility of intellectual property.  Many teachers do not really know how strict copyright laws nor try and find out more about them, so they are passing their own ignorance onto their students.  Also, because it has become so easy to get information and copy things from the internet, many people don’t even think twice about what they are doing.  One of the most interesting ones to me was the third one I mentioned.  One quote from Copyright Cop really caught my attention, “Were I to walk into a Wal-Mart store and tuck a camera under my coat and walk out, it is obvious that I have deprived Wal-Mart of its property and of the revenue they could earn by selling it. I have the camera; Wal-Mart does not. However, were I to borrow a friend’s installed copy of Photoshop, install another copy of it on my computer, and then return the physical program to my friend, the deprivation of property becomes an abstract concept instead of a physical reality. The friend has his program back, so nothing is really missing, is it?”  Too many people are starting to see copyright infringement as “victimless crimes” and unfortunately do not see anything wrong with what they are doing.  I believe that if schools were to train all of their staff on the rules of copyright, fair use, and creative commons; and in turn have them teach their students about it, many of these misconceptions and problems would be taken care of.  If students are taught the proper way to use other people’s material, they will be much more prepared for using it in the real world.

Issue:  Not all of our teachers and students know or properly follow the rules of copyright, fair use, and creative commons.

Solution:  Schools should have a professional development day or some sort of training to inform teachers about these rules.  I also think that colleges could create a class on this issue for up and coming teachers.  Teachers then need to model for their students as well as teach them how to follow these rules correctly. 

Blog #3

Over the past few years in education, technology has introduced a whole new way of teaching.  I have heard of great success stories as well as experienced some myself of how technology has increased motivation in students, and has helped them succeed.  Even though technology has done great things for education, it is not always easily available.  I really like how Sara put it, “In order for anyone to reap the benefits of this great technology however, they need to have access to it!”  This statement is one of the reasons we have a digital divide in education. 

The article Socioeconomic Barriers describes some of the problems related to the socio-economic divide as, “A lack of general acknowledgment of technology’s growing importance, a lack of acceptance of technology, and a lack of resources- maintenance, use, and effectiveness-for poorer schools and families.”  For example, there are schools in the same county that do not even have the same access to technology.  Some schools have interactive white boards, turning point, e-beam, etc., while other schools have never even seen any of these programs.  Another common problem linked to the digital divide can occur even within one school.  Like The Digital Divide Within states, “Two similar students in the same school could progress through several grade levels together, yet each could receive drastically different exposure to technology use during their school careers — in some cases, just by random teacher placement: One student happens to get teachers who aren’t big technology users several years in a row, while others get someone who integrates it seamlessly.”  I have definitly seen this just in my two internship placements at the same school.  Both teachers were provided with classrooms that were rich with technology plus a laptop cart was available to them with enough computers for every student in the class when needed.  With my first teacher, she rarely used any technology in her classroom besides powerpoint, and was still a little hesitant when I started using it.  Just like Socioeconomic Barriers said, I feel that she lacked the acceptance of technology and the benefits that came with it.  However, my other mentor teacher was all for using technology as much as possible.  She wasn’t 100% sure how to use all of it but was very willing and eager to learn.  Almost all of the lessons I created used technology whether it was the students working on the laptops, using Turning Point, or using the interactive whiteboard.  The students were always engaged and excited about what they were going to be working on next. 

One of the leading causes to having a digital divide in our society is because of the socio-economic status of the students in our classrooms.  Just within the same classrooms you have students coming from all different types of backgrounds.  Some students come from wealthy homes who may even have their own personal computer in their room, while the person sitting next to them may only have access to a computer when they are at school.  According to Digital Divide Affects School Success, “Access to a home computer increases the likelihood that children will graduate from high school.”  Students who have computer access at home are able to do more research on their own time, in addition to becoming more familiar with the programs that they are using in school.  Also, the students who are familiar with using the technology are much more confident in working with the programs during class time and volunteering more than the students who are unsure of it.  In this same article, I found it interesting that for all students to have the same chance in school, or like it is put in The World is Flat, be on a “level playing field,” that schools are going to have to find a way to provide computer take home programs such as the one-to-one where each student is given their own personal computer.  This is one of the only ways that students who do not have home access to computers will not be left behind the rest.  I like how Roger states, “One of the effects of not using the internet to promote your business, or to learn more about a subject, would be to keep you from succeeding in your chosen profession or business.”  This closely relates to the article that I chose for my first blog that was about how almost every profession today consists of some sort of technology experience.  Since technology is growing at such a fast pace, it is our duty as teachers to make sure that we have our students as prepared as possible so that they will be able to succeed in whatever profession they choose.       

Issue: There is a socio-economic digital divide between schools of the same county and classrooms in the same school.

Solution:  Help make counties and teachers aware of technology’s growing importance, and how necessary it is to prepare our students for their future career whatever it may be.  Have fundraisers to raise money to provide home computers for students who cannot afford one, and/or funding for programs such as the one-to-one.  Schools may also provide after-school programs for students to come and use computers for their school work.

Blog #2

Since the use of technology in classrooms has increased dramatically, it is only natural to worry about how students are using it.  Of course it would be great to think that you could just give students an assignment, all the materials and directions, and just let them go on their own.  Unfortunately, students like to test the boundaries and try to use some of these programs for uses other than strictly educational.  However, the creation of an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) has helped dramatically.  AUP’s were created to outline acceptable uses, rules of online behavior, and access privileges.  The article, How to Develop an AUP, states that the key components of an AUP are as follows:

• Purpose of Use
• Privilege Versus Right of Use
• Definition of Acceptable Use
• Right to Monitor
• Penalties for Improper Use
• Disclaimer of District Responsibility
• Signatures

I think that the BCPS follows these guidelines and has a great AUP.  I think that it is just as important to have the parent sign and be aware of how the technology is being used in the classroom, as it is for the student.  I also found it interesting how in the “How to Develop and AUP” article, they discuss how the use of technology is a privilege and not a right.  Students need to understand that they are being given a great learning opportunity through the use of educational technology, and if they abuse it, it will be taken away from them just as quickly as it was given to them. 

Along with AUP’s, internet filter’s have also helped schools decide where students can and cannot go on the internet.  However, like Karen experienced in her classroom, students are figuring out ways of getting around the filters.  It almost sets up a challenge for some students to see if they are technologically advanced enough to “beat the system.”  The bigger problem now according to Losinski is, “That students are interested in less obviously dangerous internet applications such as peer-to-peer programs and sites like MySpace and YouTube.”  These programs have great social networking applications where students can post and share ideas with their friends, as well as find helpful information for school.  Unfortunately, like I said earlier, there will always be students who will try and abuse the system for inappropriate material.  Teachers also have to be cautious of possible sexual predators who may try to contact students through these applications.  One way that you could still use the peer-to-peer feature but in a safer way would be through Edublogs, where you as the teacher could regularly monitor what is being posted.  You could also use Teacher Tube instead of You Tube, to ensure that students are only watching approved videos and nothing inappropriate. 

Even though filters help prevent students from accessing unapproved websites, the article, “Don’t Filter Out Responsibility,” has an even better strategy.  Students should be taught responsible internet use, instead of teachers just enforcing it.  One of my favorite quotes that I found by Weinstock was, “Would that not be the truer expression of the cornerstone of 21st-century education: student-directed experiences?”  In all of my education classes, my teachers could not stress more of how important it is to use student-centered learning instead of teacher-centered.  If we are not teaching our students how to use the technology properly, are we essentially going back to making the learning teacher-centered?  We are just telling them where then can and cannot go to get their information, and not letting the student explore and learn in the way that is most beneficial to the individual learner?  Even though this sounds great on paper, I am sure it would have to take a lot of time and effort both on the teacher’s and students’ part.  Just like Weinstock says, “It shouldn’t be too hard to get students to submit to internet safety. It’s merely an extension of the same lesson they already have committed to memory: Don’t talk to strangers.”  Students do have the ability to learn what is right and wrong, appropriate and inappropriate; they encounter strangers everyday, but know how they should react around them.  It is now our job to teach our students how to use the internet properly and to use themselves as their own internet filter.  

Educational technology is a great tool for teaching and is definitely not going anywhere anytime soon.  Through internet filters and AUP’s schools have been able to monitor students’ activity on the internet, explain what the proper uses are for the internet as well as what the consequences are if used improperly.  In the article, “When ‘Acceptable’ Becomes Unnacceptable,” Ferdig brings up the problem of how quickly the technology is advancing.  He states, “The growth of online learning has required districts to constantly reevaluate their acceptable use policies, as forward- thinking educators are putting new technologies to the service of innovative teaching and learning.”  Just a few years ago wikis and blogs were not even heard of, now they are being used everyday in classrooms.  So unfortunately as AUP’s go, they may become outdated quickly as new technology emerges, so school districts definitely have to make sure to stay on top of it all.  However, all of the benefits of educational technology definitely outweigh the consequences, so hopefully through the use of filters, AUP’s and student self-monitoring, students will be provided with a truly enriching educational experience.

Issue: What are the requirements of a well designed AUP and how should teachers and schools address the use of Web 2.0 tools by students?

Solution: AUP’s should be closely monitored and always stay current with the ever-changing technology that emerges everyday.  They should also be personalized for each county in what programs they use and how they use each one.  I also believe that if teachers teach students responsible internet use, our use of internet filters will not be as great. 

Blog #1

I really found it very interesting how closely this topic goes along with the one I chose for my practice blog.  It discusses why some teachers are apprensive to using technology in their classroom and as well as their belief that it is being over-used in today’s society.  However, I feel the main reason is that they just do not know how to use it and are unwilling to change their ways.  Like Prensky mentions, digital immigrant teachers just decide to teach how they were taght, “Slowly, step-by-step, one thing at a time, individually, and above all, seriously.”  The technology world is anything but these things and teachers are scared to use it and therefore refuse not to.  Unfortunately this is just making the digital divide between the natives and immigrants even larger.  I saw this first hand with my mentor teacher.  As I mentioned before she was given a technology rich classroom with students who are already used to using cell phones, computers, etc.  Since she was so comfortable in the way that she has been teaching for thirty-some years, there was no way that she was going to change her ways now. 

However, soon I feel that teachers aren’t going to be given the choice of whether or not to teach with technology.  Just as the video, “A VIsion of Students Today” mentions, students are reading more facebook profiles and web pages than books, and writing more e-mails and Instant Messages than papers.  The key factor now is to get the digital immigrant teacher more aware that they can use these tools to their advantage.  If we now know what students are interested in and what keeps their attention, why are we not incorporating them into their education?  One interesting quote that I found in Prensky’s article was from a high-school student.  He says, “Every time I go to school I have to power down.”  This brings up another very good point about students’ attention.  Is it that students cannot pay attention in class, or is it that they are choosing not to because they are going from such a fast paced technology world out of school and then having to shut everything off to sit in a classroom for six or seven hours a day?  This idea may even affect the number of children who are over-diagnosed with ADD or ADHD each year.  Can these children really not focus in school, or are they just bored and not being challenged enough digitally? 

In Will Richardon’s blog, “Swimming in It,” he discusses how students are literally swimming in the technology that is available to them.  They are on computers all of the time, in the classroom, at home, at a friends house, and even at the library.  He also understands that it is hard for digital immigrant teachers to just dive right into the digital world and really take it all on.  Between keeping their full time class going, learning new programs, and figruring how to use new technology and use it in the lessons, it may be very overwhelming and easier to just ignore it and keep teaching how they have been for years.  However, he brings up a great point about teachers using technology in the classroom.  He says, “ being able but not willing is absolute foolishness because, at the end of the day, if you’re not swimming in it, you’ll be drowning in it.”  Eventually these teachers are going to have to learn how to use the technology that is being provided for them, so it would make sense to start learning a little bit at a time instead of waiting till it is too late. 

After reading these two articles and watching the video that was given to us, I then searched online for more information and actually found one by Tom McHale titled, “Portrait of a Digital Native,” who mentions both Prensky and Richardson in his article.  He talks about how the digital native has grown so accustomed to multi-tasking; for example, doing homework while watching t.v., Instant Messaging on the computer, etc., that it is harder for them to just sit in class when information is being given to them one piece at a time.  He, “sees schools lagging behind, still tied to an antiquated system that rewards staying on task and on pace with others above more individualized education plans.”  Why can’t schools being using Instant Messaging as a social networking tool for students to help one another instead of something that is banned?  He also brings up another great point that even though when technology is being used in the classroom, teachers need to learn how to use it in an exciting, engaging way.  Just because you are using the internet in your classroom, doesn’t always mean that they students are getting all that they can from it.  I just think that with time and practice, hopefully teachers will be able to find the happy medium where they can reach their students with technology as well as provide them with a rich learning experience. 

Issue: How to close the digital divide between the digital native student and the digital immigrant teacher.  

Solution: Teachers should use the technology that students are using everyday to their advantage.  Create lesson plans around the use of instant messaging, computers, and internet gaming.  Once you have the students engaged in learning, the teaching will become easier and much more enjoyable.  I just think that teachers need to realize that they are not being asked to throw away their teaching ideals altogether, just incorporating technology along with it.

Since I am a recent graduate and am now working on my masters, my only time in the classroom has been my observations, internship, and substitute teaching over the past semester.  Through these experiences, I noticed that a lot of teachers were very resistant to using technology, especially my one mentor teacher.  She worked in a technology rich classroom, but hardly used any technology in her lessons beyond powerpoint.  When I came into her classroom she was so excited for me to learn how to use the technology and then for me to create lessons using them, but really was not interested in learning it herself.  This brought up a question for me; why are some teachers so against changing their teaching techniques and trying new ways of teaching through using technology?  I guess as a new, up and coming teacher, it is just very hard for me to understand why you would not want to use all of these great tools in your classroom as much as you can.  A very interesting question brought up in  Resistance to Change and Teachers is, “Can anyone else think of an employment sector other than K-12 and postsecondary education where employees have the right to refuse to use technology?”  Almost every other job in today’s society is forced to use computers or other forms of technology to do their job.  Why is it that with all of this great educational technology that is being created to help reach diverse learners, teachers are choosing to not use it?  I don’t think that my mentor teacher would have ever used any of the technology in her classroom if I wasn’t there to help her along every step of the way. 

However, after reading, Who You Gonna Call, some of my questions were answered as to why teachers are apprehensive about using technology in the classroom.  One problem is that schools are adopting so many different educational technology programs and devices that some teachers may feel overwhelmed and feel that they have to use all of them at once.  Another problem is that teachers think that there is no help for them if they do not understand the program.  A solution to this is for teachers to just focus on one type of program at a time and also teach them how to use social networking with teachers who are proficient in using these tools as well as those who have had great success using them in the classroom.  There is nothing worse than feeling completely lost and on your own when learning something new, especially when you have been used to doing something a certain way for a very long period of time.  I just hope that those teachers who are resistant to using technology will start using technology gradually and hopefully see the difference that it can make in their students’ performance and learning.  These teachers also need to realize that they are not alone out there.  Even the experts in technology were once first-time users and ran into problems of their own.   

Issue:  Why are so many teachers resistant to using technology, and how do we get these teachers to begin using and adopting the technonlogy into their own classrooms.

Solution:  Introduce one program/device at a time, do not try to overwhelm teachers with a lot of technology in the beginning.  Teach them how to use social networking with other teachers, so that if they run into a problem they have someone they can contact who can help them with their frustrations.

My name is Kari and I graduated from Salisbury University in December 2007 with a degree in Elementary Education.  During my internship in a technology rich school, I decided to get my masters in Teaching and Learning with Technology.  I started on my masters this past spring and am continuing it full time planning on graduating with my degree in May 2009.  After graduating, I am planning on teaching at the elementary level using all of the technology information that I have learned.