It is difficult for me to imagine a child not growing up immersed in exposure to technology because my own experience was one so immersed in it. I had internet at home as early as elementary school and learned to use it along with other electronic devices at a relatively early age. As I begin my career in education I am becoming more and more aware of the extent of the diversity that I’ll be dealing with in student backgrounds. Many will not fit my profile and after reading these articles I’m forced to consider the role I will play in ensuring that all students are afforded the same opportunities to learn to utilize technology as I experienced.
It has been observed that “the uses of instructional technologies in today’s schools influence the opportunities for future educational and work experiences” (2007, Swain & Edyburn, p.18)—a realization that brings an urgency to the need for not only incorporating technology into classrooms, but that teachers not be hindered in their efforts to incorporate technology by a perceived lack of student access to it. As there will be cases where children have no access to technology at home it seems that the responsibility ought to fall on schools to make sure that all students are being equally prepared for the future—a future that will require a relatively high degree of technological fluency. The challenge is for teachers and schools to find ways around these access issues.
It would be silly to refuse to use technology in schools on the grounds that not all children have internet access or other resources at home. As stated by Swain and Edyburn, “students without these [technological] skills are at a decided disadvantage in terms of future educational and employment opportunities in our global, technological, and information-based society” (p.15). Therefore all students, regardless of what is available to them at home, need to be engaged in technology use to be prepared to compete in this increasingly technology-dependent world. It is my responsibility in my own classroom to make sure that these students are aware of what resources are available to them both outside of the classroom itself and the home. Only in this way can I have the same expectations for all students, regardless of what is available in each child’s home. Generally, at least at the high school level, students have access to video cameras and other equipment that they can check out from the school and take home to use. There are also laboratories that are available for student use within the school building. Swain and Edyburn point out that often the local Boys and Girls club or the library are places where students can use technology (p.18). I’ll have to do my own research to find out if there are more places in the community available to students free of charge.
Another role that I can play in helping to make sure students all spend a minimum amount of time learning with technology is by ensuring that I create class assignments that utilize in it, thereby forcing students to develop these critical technological skills. This could involve using cell phones in class, requiring PowerPoint presentations, computer-generated art or writing assignments, the creation of videos outside of class, etc., and also occasionally designating class time for this purpose. By requiring the use of technology in assignments I can ensure that all students are engaged in learning to use it fluently.
References
Swain, C., & Edyburn, D. (2007, March). Social Justice: Choice or Necessity? Learning and Leading with Technology, 14-18.
Greenhow, C. (2008, September/October). Who Are Today’s Learners? Learning and Leading with Technology, 16-17.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
The Pros and Cons of PowerPoint in the Classroom
I love using PowerPoint, as it keeps me on track and keeps students engaged since bright colors and pictures are often more interesting than I am. However, I do have two battles that I find myself constantly fighting when I use it and those are the following: limiting my reliance on a PPT presentation for a particular class period as technology failure is all too common and second, communicating to students the purpose of a PPT. I feel that it’s a very useful tool, particularly in a Spanish classroom where I can use pictures to guide conversation and make students laugh. I also have presentations that I’ve designed as games where groups of students are in competition and those games are zero-prep activities for me! This is, of course, assuming that technology doesn’t fail me on the days I am so relying on it. That has all too frequently been a problem in my experience and on occasion has deterred me from using it at all for certain classes. I’ve had situations were I’ve created a brilliant presentation for class, one that I really need for class to flow smoothly, and I get into the classroom only to find out that the projector won’t work or something is disconnected and I can’t get anybody to fix it. It can be a nightmare. Regarding my second issue, I’ve found that PPT is really the only way to go when you’re lecturing because it helps students to organize the concept being discussed in a visual way and many students need and appreciate that. However, something I’ve found as I use it for lecture is that students seem to have two problems. First, they think they MUST write down every single on my PowerPoint. Then, what’s worse is they think that’s ALL they need to write! Never mind the fact that I’m talking alongside the presentation and that the words coming out of my mouth might be valuable as well… It drives me crazy. That being the case, I need to be better in the future about making my expectations of students clear and making sure that they know that the information on a PowerPoint, rather than being a detailed study guide, is to serve as an outline that without my commentary is meaningless. As long as that expectation is clearly understood by students and the projector seems to be working, I love PowerPoint!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Classrooms?
The use of cell phones in the classroom is certainly a new concept for me, and although I find it to be a great idea, it certainly takes a lot of imagination to determine how they might be useful. In the article Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Classrooms? the two sides are argue perspectives that seem to be to be somewhat in agreement with regard to the usefulness cell phone use, but in disagreement over whether or not the idea is realistic. That being said, I agree with points made by both authors.
Although I haven’t explored any uses myself, it appears that there are many ways that teachers could use cell phones in the classroom that would enhance the learning environment. Kolb suggests that they can be used as “audio recorders, digital video camcorders, still cameras, note-taking devices, calculation devices, scheduling and management tools, phone conferencing devices, Internet researching tools” and the list goes on (Allen, 2007/2008, p.9). This list sounds fantastic, but as Allen points out, “any phone that is worthy of being called an educational tool is not on the ‘buy one, get one free’ plan” (2007/2008, p.8). This is where we run into problems. Many students don’t own the types of phones that Kolb describes. For phones to be used in the ways listed above, every student would need to have the same features available to them, which is never a guarantee. Some might suggest that districts purchase cell phones for student use in schools, but this can be very expensive and I would have to agree with Allen’s assessment that “any monies spent on phones and plans would be much better served with any number of other technologies” such as laptops (2007/2008, p.9). However, I certainly agree with Kolb’s enthusiasm for finding ways that cell phones can be used to stimulate student interest. It could be realistic to take advantage of the simple cell phone features that you generally find on even the cheapest phones such as text messaging or audio recording, which all students likely have access to.
It may become more practical in the future to implement cell phone use in classrooms as fancier phones become more and more commonplace, but until then the questions we must ask ourselves when considering this issue are the following: Can the typical “bottom-of-the-line” cell phone really be very useful for learning in the classroom?; If not, how can we expect all students to carry cell phones with the features that would be useful for classroom use?; What if a few students in each classroom don’t even own cell phones at all?; Would it then be worth it to allocate school budget funds toward purchasing these advanced types of cell phones for classroom use or would those funds be better spent on other technological devices such as laptops?; Can we effectively manage the use of personal cell phones in class or is it counterproductive and distracting for students who would be inclined to use them for other non-educational purposes?
References
Allen, J., & Kolb, L. (2007/2008, December/January). Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Classrooms? Learning and Leading with Technology, 8-9.
Although I haven’t explored any uses myself, it appears that there are many ways that teachers could use cell phones in the classroom that would enhance the learning environment. Kolb suggests that they can be used as “audio recorders, digital video camcorders, still cameras, note-taking devices, calculation devices, scheduling and management tools, phone conferencing devices, Internet researching tools” and the list goes on (Allen, 2007/2008, p.9). This list sounds fantastic, but as Allen points out, “any phone that is worthy of being called an educational tool is not on the ‘buy one, get one free’ plan” (2007/2008, p.8). This is where we run into problems. Many students don’t own the types of phones that Kolb describes. For phones to be used in the ways listed above, every student would need to have the same features available to them, which is never a guarantee. Some might suggest that districts purchase cell phones for student use in schools, but this can be very expensive and I would have to agree with Allen’s assessment that “any monies spent on phones and plans would be much better served with any number of other technologies” such as laptops (2007/2008, p.9). However, I certainly agree with Kolb’s enthusiasm for finding ways that cell phones can be used to stimulate student interest. It could be realistic to take advantage of the simple cell phone features that you generally find on even the cheapest phones such as text messaging or audio recording, which all students likely have access to.
It may become more practical in the future to implement cell phone use in classrooms as fancier phones become more and more commonplace, but until then the questions we must ask ourselves when considering this issue are the following: Can the typical “bottom-of-the-line” cell phone really be very useful for learning in the classroom?; If not, how can we expect all students to carry cell phones with the features that would be useful for classroom use?; What if a few students in each classroom don’t even own cell phones at all?; Would it then be worth it to allocate school budget funds toward purchasing these advanced types of cell phones for classroom use or would those funds be better spent on other technological devices such as laptops?; Can we effectively manage the use of personal cell phones in class or is it counterproductive and distracting for students who would be inclined to use them for other non-educational purposes?
References
Allen, J., & Kolb, L. (2007/2008, December/January). Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Classrooms? Learning and Leading with Technology, 8-9.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying, as defined by Kelley Taylor, is “the use of Internet technology to inflict emotional harm through repeated and deliberate harassment, threats, and intimidation.” It can include not only the intent to cause emotional harm but might also seek to harm one’s reputation or even one’s computer system (p.60). Over the course of the last two decades as the internet has become a part of our daily lives, and even more so a part of the lives of the current generation of teenagers, harassment has grown into a problem that can threaten students any time, any place—even in the comfort of their own bedrooms, and schools are dealing with the results in the classroom every day.
Unfortunately, just as traditional bullying has always disrupted school life, so cyberbullying has become a problem in schools as well, often affecting student attention, performance and attitude. Victims of cyberbullying might show some of the same signs that would a student suffering from depression: decreased interest in normal activities, frequent absence from class or decreased academic performance. If a teacher suspects that a student might be the victim of cyberbullying she ought to pay particularly close attention to the timing of “episodes” when the student seems most upset. If these moments seem to generally follow cell phone or email use, this is a sign that the problem could be cyberbullying. As this is something students are dealing with more and more often in our schools teachers and parents both need to be aware of it and how it disrupts the learning of those involved.
Precedents set by court cases such as Tinker vs. Des Moines Community School District, Layshock vs. Hermitage School District (2007) and Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier have complicated the efforts of school authorities’ to curb cyberbullying. These cases challenge the rights of school officials to get involved with anything that goes on between students outside of the boundaries of the school yard and protect students’ rights to free speech, no matter how offensive that speech may be (Taylor, 2008, p.61). In other words, school authorities’ hands have been tied when it comes to punishing the majority of cyberbullying, as the bulk of it happens after school hours, away from campus. Taylor (2008) cites that the good news in all of this is that in recent years many states have adopted “legislation [requiring] schools to add cyberbullying to their antiharassment policies” (p.62). With the addition of specific laws that prohibit any sort of speech that disrupts the educational environment and which outline specific disciplinary actions for such cases, punishing offenders could become much easier. I believe that it’s appropriate for schools to act in these cases as it is the school’s duty to create the best possible learning environment for all students, where students aren’t afraid to come to school and face their peers. This may occasionally involve giving attention and disciplining what happens outside the school walls when necessary. Especially with the increased emphasis in education being put on connecting the school with the local community and an effort to increase parent involvement, I don’t believe this is a radical idea.
In my classroom I hope to make prevention a key factor in dealing with cyberbullying. It is very important to me that my classroom be a safe learning environment, so I plan to dedicate a considerable amount of time at the beginning of the school year to creating a feeling of community among the members of each class. My desire is that the respect they learn to show each other will be effective in preventing the majority of cyberbullying problems that might have otherwise arisen. Given that it is so prevalent and harmful among teenagers I would like to go even further and include cyberbullying in the formal class discussion of expectations that I have of my students at the beginning of the year. Students should know that their interactions with each other outside of the classroom affect the atmosphere of the learning environment inside the classroom and that I expect them to make decisions that positively affect that environment. Ideally I will be working in a school that supports the idea of a school-wide effort to eliminate it and in this way all teachers would be preaching the same expectations of students in all classes.
Fortunately I have never personally been the victim of cyberbullying and to my memory I don’t believe that I was ever on the victimizing side either. In fact, I can only recall one situation in which I have been aware of cyberbullying going on and until that time I didn’t even know it was ever a real problem. That being the case, this issue is very new to me and will likely require me to seek out advice from colleagues in the event that I discover a problem with cyberbullying with both the victim and the victimizer in my class. Hopefully I’ll be in a district that has a set, well defined policy for deal with it.
Taylor, K.R. (2008 May). Cyberbullying: Is There Anything Schools Can Do? Principal Leadership, 8(9).
Unfortunately, just as traditional bullying has always disrupted school life, so cyberbullying has become a problem in schools as well, often affecting student attention, performance and attitude. Victims of cyberbullying might show some of the same signs that would a student suffering from depression: decreased interest in normal activities, frequent absence from class or decreased academic performance. If a teacher suspects that a student might be the victim of cyberbullying she ought to pay particularly close attention to the timing of “episodes” when the student seems most upset. If these moments seem to generally follow cell phone or email use, this is a sign that the problem could be cyberbullying. As this is something students are dealing with more and more often in our schools teachers and parents both need to be aware of it and how it disrupts the learning of those involved.
Precedents set by court cases such as Tinker vs. Des Moines Community School District, Layshock vs. Hermitage School District (2007) and Hazelwood School District vs. Kuhlmeier have complicated the efforts of school authorities’ to curb cyberbullying. These cases challenge the rights of school officials to get involved with anything that goes on between students outside of the boundaries of the school yard and protect students’ rights to free speech, no matter how offensive that speech may be (Taylor, 2008, p.61). In other words, school authorities’ hands have been tied when it comes to punishing the majority of cyberbullying, as the bulk of it happens after school hours, away from campus. Taylor (2008) cites that the good news in all of this is that in recent years many states have adopted “legislation [requiring] schools to add cyberbullying to their antiharassment policies” (p.62). With the addition of specific laws that prohibit any sort of speech that disrupts the educational environment and which outline specific disciplinary actions for such cases, punishing offenders could become much easier. I believe that it’s appropriate for schools to act in these cases as it is the school’s duty to create the best possible learning environment for all students, where students aren’t afraid to come to school and face their peers. This may occasionally involve giving attention and disciplining what happens outside the school walls when necessary. Especially with the increased emphasis in education being put on connecting the school with the local community and an effort to increase parent involvement, I don’t believe this is a radical idea.
In my classroom I hope to make prevention a key factor in dealing with cyberbullying. It is very important to me that my classroom be a safe learning environment, so I plan to dedicate a considerable amount of time at the beginning of the school year to creating a feeling of community among the members of each class. My desire is that the respect they learn to show each other will be effective in preventing the majority of cyberbullying problems that might have otherwise arisen. Given that it is so prevalent and harmful among teenagers I would like to go even further and include cyberbullying in the formal class discussion of expectations that I have of my students at the beginning of the year. Students should know that their interactions with each other outside of the classroom affect the atmosphere of the learning environment inside the classroom and that I expect them to make decisions that positively affect that environment. Ideally I will be working in a school that supports the idea of a school-wide effort to eliminate it and in this way all teachers would be preaching the same expectations of students in all classes.
Fortunately I have never personally been the victim of cyberbullying and to my memory I don’t believe that I was ever on the victimizing side either. In fact, I can only recall one situation in which I have been aware of cyberbullying going on and until that time I didn’t even know it was ever a real problem. That being the case, this issue is very new to me and will likely require me to seek out advice from colleagues in the event that I discover a problem with cyberbullying with both the victim and the victimizer in my class. Hopefully I’ll be in a district that has a set, well defined policy for deal with it.
Taylor, K.R. (2008 May). Cyberbullying: Is There Anything Schools Can Do? Principal Leadership, 8(9).
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Have You Googled Your Teacher Lately?
I guess the secret’s out… That’s right. I was a porn star in my wilder days! Ok, not really… But if a student, parent or potential employer tried to google me, this is one of the unfortunate histories tied to my name. At http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiffany_Clark you can read all about her colorful repertoire of experience. My name must really have the potential for fame as it’s also claimed by a rising singer who even appeared in some movies (of a less questionable nature...). She even has her own website―www.tiffanyclark.com. Obviously with such a common name it’s possible to find any number of crazy stories, but I was interested to see that I was actually able to find myself on Pipl.com. It was a little disconcerting to see that my personal information is for sale on this site, in case my name and age as well as that of all my immediate family members isn't enough for you!
Even if the real me were to show up in a google search, I’m pretty unconcerned about what might be found. To my knowledge there is no incriminating information posted about me or photos that might be deemed inappropriate, nor have I exercised my right to free speech in any way that might upset someone. I keep my security settings very high on any social networking sites that I use, but even the information that is posted within the security of those sites is rather limited. You could say that I’m a pretty uninteresting person in that regard. At worst there may be some unflattering photos of me that I haven't untagged (keeps you humble), but other than providing short-term ammunition for my students, I think that is pretty survivable.
However, if I did engage in behavior "unbecoming of an education professional", it would be high time for me to mend my ways. It is no more wrong for a teacher to make a mistake that it is for the average Joe. However, for someone in the public spotlight to make a mistake the effect it has on others is more widespread and damaging than are the actions of our average Joe. Teachers are role models for many kids just as famous people are. The public gets upset when people like Miley Cyrus and Lindsay Lohan screw up not because they don’t have tje right to make mistakes, but rather because their children admire these individuals and sometimes even try to be imitate them. I think teachers should remember that they are being watched by many young and impressionable minds and ought to rise to the occasion and be worthy of admiration. This goes for behavior as well as speech. Although, revoking or suspending a teacher’s license for an isolated event that only a few parents complain about is an additional measure that I don’t necessarily agree with. As Carter (2008) sites from the Tiniker vs. Des Moines case, “Teachers do not ‘shed their constitutional rights…at the schoolhouse gate'” (p.684). I found this to be a strong point and I was shocked by the extreme disciplinary actions taken in some cases. However, I feel that the Pickering/Connick balance mentioned by Carter (2008) is a good guideline for determining the limits on teachers’ rights.
I’m thankful that we’re being educated so well as to the ways to best protect ourselves and our jobs. I know that I need to be very conscious of the kind of information I make public and I plan to take the advice given by several professors that we do not accept students as friends on social networking sites. Beyond that, even knowing that I will likely use these sites to network with my colleagues, I plan to be very careful to monitor both the information I post as well as the information made others post on my pages. I have had colleagues in the past who have made negative comments about work their “Facebook status” and that never seem appropriate to me. It doesn’t demonstrate the attitude we want people to perceive in us. Even now as a part of this graduate program I’ve felt the need to monitor the comments I make, especially about this program.
References
Carter, H. L., Foulger T. S., & Ewbank, A.D. (2008 May) Have You Googled Your Teacher Lately? Teachers’ Use of Social Networking Sites. Phi Delta Kappan, 89(9).
Even if the real me were to show up in a google search, I’m pretty unconcerned about what might be found. To my knowledge there is no incriminating information posted about me or photos that might be deemed inappropriate, nor have I exercised my right to free speech in any way that might upset someone. I keep my security settings very high on any social networking sites that I use, but even the information that is posted within the security of those sites is rather limited. You could say that I’m a pretty uninteresting person in that regard. At worst there may be some unflattering photos of me that I haven't untagged (keeps you humble), but other than providing short-term ammunition for my students, I think that is pretty survivable.
However, if I did engage in behavior "unbecoming of an education professional", it would be high time for me to mend my ways. It is no more wrong for a teacher to make a mistake that it is for the average Joe. However, for someone in the public spotlight to make a mistake the effect it has on others is more widespread and damaging than are the actions of our average Joe. Teachers are role models for many kids just as famous people are. The public gets upset when people like Miley Cyrus and Lindsay Lohan screw up not because they don’t have tje right to make mistakes, but rather because their children admire these individuals and sometimes even try to be imitate them. I think teachers should remember that they are being watched by many young and impressionable minds and ought to rise to the occasion and be worthy of admiration. This goes for behavior as well as speech. Although, revoking or suspending a teacher’s license for an isolated event that only a few parents complain about is an additional measure that I don’t necessarily agree with. As Carter (2008) sites from the Tiniker vs. Des Moines case, “Teachers do not ‘shed their constitutional rights…at the schoolhouse gate'” (p.684). I found this to be a strong point and I was shocked by the extreme disciplinary actions taken in some cases. However, I feel that the Pickering/Connick balance mentioned by Carter (2008) is a good guideline for determining the limits on teachers’ rights.
I’m thankful that we’re being educated so well as to the ways to best protect ourselves and our jobs. I know that I need to be very conscious of the kind of information I make public and I plan to take the advice given by several professors that we do not accept students as friends on social networking sites. Beyond that, even knowing that I will likely use these sites to network with my colleagues, I plan to be very careful to monitor both the information I post as well as the information made others post on my pages. I have had colleagues in the past who have made negative comments about work their “Facebook status” and that never seem appropriate to me. It doesn’t demonstrate the attitude we want people to perceive in us. Even now as a part of this graduate program I’ve felt the need to monitor the comments I make, especially about this program.
References
Carter, H. L., Foulger T. S., & Ewbank, A.D. (2008 May) Have You Googled Your Teacher Lately? Teachers’ Use of Social Networking Sites. Phi Delta Kappan, 89(9).
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Article Reflection (Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants by Marc Prensky)
I would definitely consider myself to be a digital native. In fact, those of us born in the first half of the 1980s could arguably be considered the first generation of digital natives, going through elementary school just as the internet began finding its way into most every American home and hitting middle and high school just as cell phones and laptops exploded onto the scene. I imagine that we were among the last to take class trips to the library to do research out of the schools’ sets of encyclopedias, and the last to work on computer monitors that displayed data in only two colors. I can still recall with sentimentality the silly games like number-crunchers we played on those old computers in elementary school, just as well as I remember being taught to use an internet search engine for the first time. By late high school most everyone had cell phones, but having a ring tone that sounded as though it were a real song was still a new novelty. Because I’m just old enough to still recall the days when we all survived without iPhones or any call phone at all I do believe that I maintain a very slight “accent” for the old ways, but one that like all slight accents is only detectable after a long conversation.
It seems as though teachers have indeed understood students’ need to engage them at their interest level for some time now as I recall spending time in my elementary school computer lab in the mid-90s playing games like Incredible Machines, Oregon Trail, and even a special computer game to teach typing skills. However, within the classroom, I don’t remember much beyond overhead projectors and chalkboards. Moving into middle and high school the games and overheads mostly disappeared, to be replaced with PowerPoint presentations in class and even a required Technology course, spanning the entire freshman year, teaching typing and the use of the Microsoft Office applications. Actually in undergrad there was often a regression back to the old ways (probably due to a combination of the preferences of my older professors and the lack of funding by the school for technological updates) and it wasn’t until now in graduate school that I experienced presentation one step further and have smart boards and ELMOs in the classroom. I have a very poor memory for my educational experience, so it’s hard to say how I was affected by these changes, but interestingly what I remember most are those experiences in elementary school playing those fun games, and I’m sure I was learning then. I say that because it has been my constant struggle to retain the information that I’ve “learned” over the course of my education, instead of just memorizing and regurgitating it for an exam. All the while I enjoyed “learning” and for the most part I don’t believe that I really needed flashing lights or games to stay engaged. However, thinking back, it may have been what I needed to really learn.
However, if the argument is that using technology is the only way to make students learn, I think we are over generalizing. I can’t help but wonder if we think we must have technology in classrooms because these digital natives really need it or if we need technology to make up for a lack of dynamic and engaging teachers. I don’t deny that the integration of games, podcasts, video, and any other computer-generated activity is very beneficial and can be more interesting to students than the traditional task or assignment. I also know that it can turn an already dynamic and engaging teacher into an even more amazing teacher. However, I know personally some well-trained, experienced teachers who keep students consistently engaged without resorting to those bells and whistles, and I don’t know that they’d say they have a harder time engaging students with their methods today versus 20 years ago.
I feel like the key here is less the necessity of using technology in the classroom (although I like to and think it can be beneficial), and more what sort of learning devices and resources we provide students outside the classroom for homework or research when there is no teacher around to engage them. I have used PowerPoint, songs, videos, etc. in my classes in the past and I plan to continue to do so. However, after reading this article I do feel the need to provide more resources for students out of the classroom that will motivate them to study Spanish on their own. For example, Berlitz has a program that turns learning vocabulary into a game and if there were more games like this available in stores or online I think students would be more motivated to study. Foreign languages are very hard and can leave students feeling discouraged rather quickly, so I need to provide extra resources such as podcasts or videos for students to use out of class. I wish I knew how to design software and I’d make my own games!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Introduction
Tiffany Clark
Endorsement Area: Spanish
My favorite animal is a giraffe. I like them because they're beautiful and graceful, but funny looking too!
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