Google Earth - NETS-T III, V

I used Google Earth to create a Geo-Biography tracing the route of the Mexican pastorela play. I traced the sources of the play from Zacatecas and Mexico City up through Mexico and into the Southwestern United States. I used customized photo icons to mark locations in Old Town San Diego that are historic sites of pastorela performances during the Californio period when San Diego was under Mexican rule. I added a broad purple pathway of pastorela performance sites in Old San Diego, and added descriptions with information about each site.

This project demonstrates digital aged learning tools that could be used effectively in history, literature and social science areas of the curriculum at any age level. It also demonstrates professional growth and leadership skills of the teacher, which students can emulate to create their own projects.

CSUSM iMovie - NETS-T II, III, IV

CSUSM iMovie: Step Up to Learning

Using iMovie09 digital media software, I imported video footage to create a one-minute public service announcement promoting CSUSM for future students. I used video effects, transitions and other editing tools to modify video clips, add text, title and film credits. I used advanced editing tools to incorporate a framed Picture-in-Picture effect and to adjust playback speed of the clips. I added background music, voiceovers, and manually adjusted fade in and fade out audio levels to complement the video project.

With iMovie09, I will not only be able to model the creative use of digital media tools, but will also be able to impart these skills to students in my classroom. Following fair use copyright guidelines pertaining to video and audio media as well as the written word will promote the responsible use of 21st-century communication tools and model legal and ethical digital citizenship practices.

Wiki page: ClassTools.net - NETS-T II, IV, V

From a pre-existing wiki page describing Web 2.0 tools for schools, I selected a suite of Creativity tools to explore for a collaborative classroom wiki (using Wetpaint) devoted to current applications of technology in the classroom. I developed content about Rivers of the World from 4th grade Geography curriculum materials to sample some of the tools contained in ClassTools.net.

Using Classtools.net, I created a sample of a virtual book using the Animated Book flash template and an arcade game with multiple game formats using the Arcade Game Generator customizable flash template. I created a weblink to this site and also to the "live" template files I created to sample this creative tool set for teachers and students. Once I published my wiki page on the classroom wiki, I commented on my peers' wiki sites as I reviewed samples they had created on their wiki pages. This classroom wiki will be an excellent resource for student teaching and curriculum content development in the classroom as a professional educator.

In addition to the interactive educational games and activities for learning and reviewing factual material, the site provides templates that promote organizational and analytical skill development for every grade level from K-12 and beyond. A source analyzer to determine reliability of online and printed research source materials and a planning tool that addresses multiple intelligence learning styles are two of the advanced features of note.




These samples from ClassTools.net illustrate just some of the multiple format, multilevel educational games and activities available free of charge to teachers and students:

• Animated Book (Virtual online book)
• Geography Q&A (Arcade Game / Flashcard Generator)

Excel Crossword - NETS-T I, II

Excel Crswrd 11102009

Using Microsoft Excel, I created an original interactive crossword puzzle using scientific terms related to weather patterns appropriate for the 4th-5th grade science curriculum standards. From an Atomic Learning tutorial, I learned the skills needed to format cells, add a border and gridlines, add pop-up comments as clues to the crossword, and add conditional color-coded formatting to the first-letter cells of each word in the puzzle. The finished product is an online interactive crossword puzzle which can alternatively be downloaded and printed to complete on paper. This not only models an innovative use of digital tools to promote student creativity, but also can be adapted to accommodate the learning needs, styles and strategies of diverse students in the classroom setting.

Journal 10 - 5 Great Tools to Perk Up Your Classroom and Engage Your Students - NETS-T V

Yoder, M. (2009). 5 great tools to perk up your classroom and engage your students. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(3). Retrieved October 30, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=November_No_3_5&Template=/MembersOnly.crm&NavMenuID=4436&ContentID=24614&DirectListComboInd=D

Yoder presents her five top picks for some of the cool tech tools available for fun and learning in today's K-12 classrooms. Tools range in price from the free Google applications to the exorbitantly expensive Smart Table priced at $7,999 - how smart is that in today's oppressed economy? Yoder's top five include WeDO, Smart Table, Aver Pen, MUVEs, and Google Apps.

MIT's Lifelong Kindergarten group collaborated with Lego Education to develop WeDO, a moderately priced ($309.85 for all three components) robotic construction set of virtual manipulatives for 7-11 year old children. Students integrate virtual and physical worlds as they create animations to illustrate stories and even share their projects on the worldwide web. The three component parts can be purchased separately, with each successive part upgrading the program's capability. The robotics construction set ($139.95) allows students to use online LEGO bricks, gears, and motion and tilt sensors to construct 12 different models that demonstrate the four basic themes of the program: mechanisms, wild animals, soccer and adventure stories. With the addition of the activity pack ($129.95), students can create and program their own simple machine designs, learn to measure time and distance, and write about their creations. The software ($39.95) has a user-friendly drop-and-drag interface, an interactive building tutorial, and a teacher guide to assist in designing projects across the curriculum that allow students to share their animated adventure stories with other children around the world.

The Smart Table is an interactive multitouch learning center that just does not seem to be worth the $7,999 price tag. After watching the video promotion for this product, I think the multitouch Smart Table is out of touch with reality. It seems to transform 3-dimensional manipulatives into a 2-dimensional format in a virtual reality environment. It does solve the problem of young children picking up blocks and other manipulatives - there simply aren't any to pick up. I don't think this tool would be cool at any price!

The Aver Pen, $799 for a starter pack of 1 teacher and 4 student pens, can project an image on any surface in the room. It functions like an interactive whiteboard without the physical whiteboard. Using radio frequency that operates within a 100 foot radius, the teacher pen can interact with up to six student pens at the same time. A built-in keypad acts as a group response system to record results and display them as graphs and tables. This could be extremely useful in science and math classes. Applications useful in other content areas include interactive tools, image capture, and video recording capabilities. This device could cut down considerably on the amount of equipment needed to manage a high-tech classroom.

With some minimal materials costs, Multiuser Virtual Environments (MUVEs) are free to anyone with access to a computer and the Internet. Yoder lists some of the new MUVEs that teachers might want to join or explore to design their own classroom MUVEs. Whyville (www.whyville.net) is designed for younger children in early primary grades. Quest Atlantis (http://atlantis.crit.indiana.edu) combines a gaming environment with learning and motivational strategies for children from 3rd grade up to early high school. EcoMUVE (www.ecomuve.org/index.html) is an ecosystems science curriculum for middle school. Skoolaborate (www.skoolaborate.com) was designed for high school students to integrate the curriculum with digital tech tools in a collaborative environment using blogs, online learning, wikis and virtual worlds. These would be a good starting point for a teacher who would like to incorporate MUVEs in the classroom.

Google Apps links teachers, students and classrooms around the world, offers tutorials on using Google Apps, and maintains a discussion forum for educators to share ideas, lesson plans and advice on using Google Apps for K-12 learning environments in every conceivable course content area. Google Apps has a new site specifically designed for teachers (http://edu.googleapps.com) that could be a lifeline for anyone struggling to use technology in the classroom.

Which tool is the right tool for my classroom?
Unless you have unlimited personal resources to spend on tech tools, an educator must first consider the resources available at the specific school site. Ask other teachers what they are using and find out what works well in the classroom at your school. For primary grades, the Lego WeDO construction set is affordable and fun, with cross-curricular applications for science, math and language arts. This tool engages many different types of learners at all ability levels. For teachers with limited finances, Google Apps is the best place to start. It would also be worthwhile to explore some of the many MUVEs. I would ask for help from the school site tech expert and go from there.

What's the learning curve for these new tech tools?
Yoder selected all these tools for their accessibility and for the support they offer to users. Even so, there is a steep learning curve for any new technology that can be frustrating as well as time-consuming. The best approach for me is to try and keep up with technology advancements by reading ISTE's online L&L journal articles, and then ask other teachers and tech experts for their advice. I would start small to build confidence and to assess student comfort level with different types of technologies, then take it global.

Journal 9 Global Collaborative Learning Connects School to the Real World - NETS-T V

Bickley, M., & Carleton, J. (2009). Global collaborative learning connects school to the real world. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(3). Retrieved October 30, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/NovemberNo3/students_without_borders.htm

Global collaborative projects teach higher-order and critical-thinking skills while promoting global understanding as students form meaningful relationships with their peers across the nation and around the world. This article presents a brief overview of three global collaborative learning projects:

• The Machito project is a K-12 literature-based project that focuses on the affects of war on children.
• With My Hero Project, K-12 students research and write about a hero in their lives and then publish their results online in a classroom webpage.
• The Art Miles project helps K-12 students communicate about some aspect of their own and another's culture, then to share the results of their discussions and collaborative projects using a wiki page.

In creating and collaborating on their projects, students use 21st century technological tools like Web conferencing, virtual classroom meetings, online discussion threads, and collaborative online webpages and wikis to share information and to work together online to create a mutually agreed upon collaborative project.

Organizations such as iEARN (International Education and Resource Network) and TakingITGlobal facilitate student and teacher collaborative projects worldwide using current information and communication technology (ICT). Resources for the three project areas are listed along with the websites for iEARN and TakingITGlobal.

How can I bring global collaborative learning into my classroom?
The three projects described in the article are accessible and exciting. I would first explore the resource information given in this article on the two facilitative organizations and the three projects. I would explore the diverse cultures represented in my classroom, discover who has lived or visited another country, and who has relatives or friends living in another country. Next, I would discuss the possibility of a collaborative project, beginning with an open-ended question, such as "What can we do everyday to make the world a better place?" I would guide student discussion to determine a meaningful issue for students to explore first within their own school or community, and then to develop that idea into a global collaborative project. Classroom discussion would determine specific cities across the country and around the world to contact as collaborative learning partners. At this point, we would choose iEARN or TakingITGlobal to facilitate the project.

Which of the three projects described might I introduce first?
When I read that 2010 is the "end of the UNESCO Decade of Peace," this phrase sounded so ominous that I would encourage students to explore some aspect of peace and friendship. Maybe students can facilitate bringing peace to the world more effectively than government leaders. Certainly building peace and friendship within our communities and communicating with diverse cultures around the world to work collaboratively toward this end can only help and encourage the peace process. I think the Machinto Project would be a great place to start with any age group.

Copyright Issues - NETS-T IV

Copyright

This paper was created collaboratively using Google Docs to discuss the implications of copyright laws regarding fair use of printed and media copyrighted materials by educators. It is based on the website, Fair Use Harbor, which is an interactive tutorial for educators to review copyright laws and guidelines for use of copyrighted materials. This artifact meets the NETS-T standard IV requirements by delineating guidelines that respect copyright laws and privileges and promote practices to document copyrighted sources and materials in an appropriate manner.

Inspiration NETS-T Map - NETS-T I, III

I created this graphic organizer using Inspiration to showcase assignments from Technology Tools for Teaching and Learning (EDUC 422) at CSUSM. Each of these technology projects meets multiple requirements of the NETS-T 2008 standards for teachers as defined by ISTE.

The finished product includes graphics for each of the five NETS-T standards for teachers, graphics for two artifacts that illustrate each standard, and descriptors for each artifact that demonstrate how the standard is addressed by the artifact. This Inspiration artifact meets the NETS-T standard II requirements by communicating relevant information into a specific format. It models creative and innovative thinking strategies, addressing standard I.

Intro to NETS-S (grades 3-5) - NETS-T II, III

This PowerPoint was created to demonstrate requisite skills to create a visually pleasing classroom presentation. Skills include use of graphic images, embedded hyperlinks, and animated transitions between slides. I also developed specific content ideas whereby students in grades 3-5 can meet the NETS-S Standards for Students developed by ISTE.

By including project ideas based on ISTE student profiles 1, 2, 6 and 9 for students in grades 3-5, all six of the NETS-S requirements can be met. Diverse content areas can be included and integrated with specific age-appropriate digital technology experiences for students.

This artifact also meets NETS-T standard III requirements for teachers by modeling effective use of current digital tools to locate, analyze and present relevant information to support research and learning.

Intro To Nets For Students (3 5)

View more presentations from Kathleen Sand.

Journal 8 Have You Tweeted Today? - NETS-T V

Fingal, D. (2009). Have you tweeted today? Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(2). Retrieved on October 20, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=September_October_No_2_3&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4381&ContentID=24192&DirectListComboInd=D

Diana Fingal's response to John Ridley's commentary on the "faddishness" and vacuousness of social networking sites like Twitter points out useful applications of the medium for educators and administrators. Students and teachers can follow experts to get nearly instantaneous responses to questions or concerns from research experts they would otherwise have no contact with. Twitter can be used by educators as they are teaching in their classroom to clarify an issue or teaching strategy or to check in with a mentor teacher on how to switch gears as they are actually teaching a class. Constant collaboration is possible with Twitter, along with instantaneous feedback.

Educators attening conferences or workshops have found Twitter to be useful in determining worthwhile sessions to attend, and less interesting sessions to avoid. The advice at the end of the article is to give Twitter more than a weekend tryout before determining its usefulness to you. Use it with a class and as you are teaching a course to find ways that it can enhance communication in your classroom. And, yes, I have tweeted today.

Ridley, J. NPR Morning Edition, "Keep Your Tweets to Yourself": www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104033836

John Ridley boasts of never having used the faddish Twitter social networking site to issue a single tweet, or to waste his time with useless personal information from people he doesn't know or care about. He believes Facebook and Twitter raise serious issues about public disclosure of private and personal information.

I agree with him about the disclosure of too much personal information on Twitter and Facebook, but don't find these sites completely inane or totally useless, as John Ridley characterized them in his commentary. They do offer a quick means of communication between students and teachers, researchers and experts, colleagues in the work place, and even political candidates and their constituencies. While Facebook and Twitter may not be enduring entities that experience long life in the world of technology, they can be useful tools for communicating in today's technological society, and as such should not be so lightly dismissed. Several respondents to the commentary pointed out that these sites do have options for setting up varying levels of privacy and also for restricting public access, so that not "every" entry is broadcast for all to see.

Webblogged, "A Cocktail Party Filled with Educators" by Will Richardson: http://weblogg-ed.com/2009/a-cocktail-party-filled-with-educators

I think Will Richardson's analogy of a cocktail party is a strong one. He uses it to make the point that Twitter is an excellent means of following and learning from educational experts, receiving feedback on and thinking through complex ideas, and engaging in metacognition, thinking reflectively about the process of learning and all that implies. When he states it can also "establish yourself as a person. A real person," he goes one step too far for me to follow.

In speaking of the benefits of using Twitter, all of these educators emphasize the benefit of communicating with experts and people who are "smarter than you". Twitter is also an excellent forum for communicating with beginners who need help, people who are not technologically savvy and are trying simply to stay afloat in today's world of technology. I think this too is a very strong attribute of this social networking tool.

Why is Twitter important to today's educators?
For all the reasons outlined above, Twitter is important. Students are comfortable communicating with Twitter and do so on a regular basis. This important source of learning should not be overlooked in the classroom. For educators to stay abreast of technological advancements and current technology tools can help with lesson planning, maintaining records and open communication with parents, students, colleagues, administrators and community members. Once the learning curve has been established, I'm sure many creative strategies for using this technology will open up.

Where can a beginning techie start?
Start by signing up on a social networking site. Connect first with a family member or friend who already uses Twitter or Facebook. Ask or answer a simple question, and that's all there is to it. That's an easy way to keep in touch with someone and learn a new technology at the same time. One further benefit of Twitter is that the posts are very short. You can follow many different sites quickly and easily all in one place without having to open multiple emails. The first step is always the hardest, but you never know what exciting directions it will take you.

Journal 7 Wikis - NETS-T V

Nearly everyone who has access to a computer has heard of Wikipedia and has probably used it as a resource for a concise and knowledgeable summary of information on just about any topic under the sun. Although I knew Wikipedia was a collaborative site, I was unsure of what wikis are and of how a wiki relates to Wikipedia until I visited the Classroom 2.0 link on the Ed 422 class blog. Selecting the wikis link on the site, I followed the threads of the following links:

1. Wikispaces vs. PBworks (previously PBwiki) by Chris Fritz;
2. Where to direct colleagues who don't know where to start by Adina Sullivan;
3. Web 2.0 Tutorial for educators by Andrew Robitaille.

The first two discussion threads contained some useful information about Bloglines and RSS feeds appropriate for 4th-6th graders as well as useful tips for teachers already familiar with wikis. From the discussion threads at these two sites, I deduced that wikis are useful for creating a quick webpage, for ease of maintenance, collaborative projects, and brainstorming ideas around a specific content area, but there was nothing in the discussions that really told me in plain English exactly what a wiki is. I continued to look through several more discussion threads.

When I visited Andrew Robitaille's discussion and wiki page, I found it to be a goldmine of useful information, including hyperlinks and video clips of brief and helpful tutorials on Web 2.0 tools, including wikis. Tutorials on other Web 2.0 tools include RSS feeds, social bookmarking (www.delicious.com), blogs, and other collaborative tools. A Links and Resources hotlink provides further detailed information on Web 2.0 technology tools.

A wiki is a website that can be quickly and collaboratively edited. The content can be changed and updated by any authorized user so that the wiki reflects the combined knowledge and expertise of its many users. All you need to set up a wiki account is a standard web browser, such as Mozilla Firefox, and an email address. To set up a free wiki account, visit one of three host sites: Wikispaces, Wetpaint, or PBworks (formerly PBwiki). Enter a Space or domain Name for your wiki page related to the content area, your user name and password. Wikipedia is one of the earliest wikis that allows readers to create and update reference sites about an unlimited number of topics. Widgets like You Tube videos, a shared calendar, a photo show, or voice chat can be plugged into wikis, but the primary functions are to Edit, Write and Save information.

A wiki page records the history of a document as it is created, edited and revised. Each time the page is edited, the newly revised version becomes the current version and older versions are stored. Older versions can be easily accessed to compare them with the most recent version, and can be "rolled back" to an earlier version if necessary.

Wikis are useful for K-12 educators to organize course content around a specific topic or project, such as a collaborative group report on world hunger. Wikis can also be used to take polls, share research data, or brainstorm ideas. The home page of the wiki should be kept fairly general, serving primarily as a platform for collaborative information gathering and discussion. By incorporating wikis into the classroom, teachers can better prepare students to work collaboratively in innovative and creative ways, employing skills of synthesis, reflective evaluation, and consensus building as they contribute to the wiki page. A discussion forum can be a valuable addition to the page as well.

Journal 6 The Trouble with Rubrics - NETS-T V

Kohn, Alfie. (2006). The trouble with rubrics. English Journal, 95(4). Retrieved on October 10, 2009 from http://www.alfiekohn.org/teaching/rubrics.htm

Alfie Kohn discusses the pro's and con's of rubrics-based assessment and his own mixed feelings about the effectiveness of using rubrics to assess student learning outcomes. Rubrics are the prevailing assessment tool not only to assess student outcomes, but at times to formulate instructional strategies and curriculum. The rationale for using rubrics is that they provide a detailed and "authentic" assessment of student achievement.

Rubrics-based assessment provides the following advantages:

• a "quick and easy" uniform guide to assessment
• authentic and detailed assessment strategies
• uniform standard of assessment
• objectivity on the part of the assessor
• specific guidelines for scoring, especially of organizational strategies
• justification for an assigned grade.

Disadvantages of rubrics-based assessment include:

• built-in self-justification of current teaching practices
• pseudo-sophisticated means of assigning grades to students
• removes the "human" part of evaluating student work
• ineffective with open-ended discovery-based learning strategies
• promotes inequitable standardization in which teachers "discover" rather than "decide" upon student grades
• narrow criteria of rubrics do not promote student-centered learning
• can be misused to drive the curriculum rather than support it by assessing its outcomes.

Rubrics can be helpful in the initial stages of curriculum design to develop appropriate assessment tools and strategies. They should not be used to determine the curriculum. Insofar as rubrics illuminate curriculum standards, they can play a constructive role in curriculum design and implementation. There are only three reasons to assess student work:

1. rank students against each other
2. motivate students to work harder
3. offer meaningful feedback to students to help them make sense of what they learn.

To assess the "rubricized" assessment process, teachers and administrators need to answer the fundamental question: "Why teach?" Rubrics can help provide a structure and a platform for learning, but there is a delicate balance between authentic assessment and vacuous learning outcomes. Teachers and students alike need to take risks in the learning process in order to center education for on the student and secondarily on making sense of learning.

Yes, we've got trouble with Rubrics, "right here in River City."

How will I use rubrics in my classroom?
I would hope to develop rubrics that are as authentic as possible with only as much detail as to be useful. Rubrics can provide a guide for students in their learning activities and can give focus to their research. We need to find an appropriate balance between empowering students and spoon-feeding - or should that be computer-feeding - them in the learning process. Facts and information are similar to tech tools in that they are just the beginning of learning, not an end in themselves.

What are the limitations of rubrics?
Rubrics cannot take the place of the teacher's careful assessment. In my classroom, I hope to be able to preserve and present "human" aspects of student learning and interactions that defy "rubric-ization". When students make sense of what they learn - and not just quantify it - then they have accomplished meaningful goals. We need to bring more thinking and in-depth assessment back into the classroom. We now have the technology tools to facilitate that process, NOT to supplant it.

Why teach?
In her book of that title, Sonja Nieto presents responses to that question from multiple new and veteran teachers. Most respondents are genuinely concerned with helping students make sense of their learning in order to help them make sense of the world. None of these essays make any mention whatsoever of the importance of rubrics in that process.

Journal 5 What is your favorite Ed Tech Tool? - NETS-T V

Wurster, Paul. (2009). What is your favorite Ed Tech Tool? Learning and Leading with Technology, 36(8). Retrieved on October 5, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=June_July_No_8_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4333&ContentID=23579&DirectListComboInd=D

ISTE conducted a poll to find out which educational technology tools teachers prefer. Since teachers use so many tech tools in combination, many responded that it was difficult to single out only one tool as their favorite. When the poll was revised to include teacher comments and to include more than one favorite tool, results were more forthcoming.

Internet Tools/Resources emerged as the all-time favorite as the most basic and necessary technological tool with the open access to the Internet touted as a basic necessity for survival in contemporary society. More than one-third of poll respondents favored the Internet.

General Productivity Tools came in second with more than 20% of the 899 total votes. Tools such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Publisher, coupled with email, have enabled teachers to more effectively collaborate in creating and sharing instructional materials. Lesson plans can be saved and edited, revising and improving them from year to year.

Interactive Whiteboards/Projectors have revolutionized teaching strategies, engaging students in an interactive learning environment. The interactive and visual components of these tools are especially helpful to English language learners. These tools give teachers and students a break from the old lecture format of classroom instruction.

Web 2.0 Tools encourage collaboration and engagement among students, teachers, and course content experts in the field. Students just plain like using them. Google Docs and Moodle facilitate collaborative work and study for students, teachers and administrators both inside and outside the classroom.

Portable Digital Devices are the gadgets most people won't leave home without. The portability and increasingly diminutive size of technology tools have made technology more convenient than ever.

One thing certain about technology is that as it continues to move forward, it will change at a rapid-fire pace, and teachers will have to remain flexible enough to adapt to technological advances. For better or worse, technology is here to stay, in our lives, in our work, in our classrooms.

How will technology affect my teaching and classroom environment?
Technology tools are now basic to lesson planning, preparation of instructional materials and content, as well as to the delivery of both traditional and interactive instruction. The technologically illiterate teacher will have difficulty finding a place in today's classroom. As I substitute teach, I see many classrooms that are heavily equipped with technology tools that many teachers are uncomfortable using. I hope to gain enough comfort and facility with technology to ensure that I will be able to use technology tools with confidence in the classroom.

What's my favorite tech tool?
At this point, my favorite tool is my computer. It's where I do most of my planning and information-gathering for substitute teaching and for my own coursework. I like using the doc cam rather than overhead transparencies, and would like to learn more about interactive whiteboards. I don't believe it's necessary to be "connected" 24 hours a day, but I do believe tech tools are amazing! The list of tools in this article are a good place to start to become technologically literate.

Collaborative PowerPoint Rubric - NETS II, III

In a collaborative group of four people, we created a rubric to evaluate PowerPoint presentations of NETS-S for the technology in education class. This artifact meets the NETS-T standard II requirement for providing a summative assessment aligned with content and technology standards to inform learning and teaching.

Social Bookmarking - NETS-T III, IV

1. National Archives

The LBJ Library and Museum site is awe-inspiring. Primary sources include photo documentaries, oral histories, and both audio and video clips. Information is organized thematically and further categorized to appeal to different age groups and research purposes, from young school children to doctoral candidates in history and political science. Eyewitness Accounts is another exciting site. There is a moving and poetic account of the immediate aftermath of JFK's assassination by Lady Bird Johnson. Using primary source material gives students firsthand accounts of events from many different perspectives, allowing them to see both positive and negative effects of events and actions. History comes alive when you see how real events effect real people, creating a deeper understanding of events or actions and a more informed opinion.

2. NEA - Achievement Gap

Students at risk for experiencing achievement gaps include racial and ethnic minorities, English language learners, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families. Issues of gender and sexual orientation may also contribute to achievement gaps. Three areas of becoming a culturally competent educator that fit my teaching style are (1) determining diverse groups and their needs; (2) gathering and organizing resource materials related to culturally diverse groups; and (3) building a network of "natural helpers" and "experts" who have firsthand knowledge of the diverse groups served by the school.

I've always been intrigued by the richness of culture and customs I've encountered in the classrooms and communities in which I have lived. When we share our culture, our cuisine and our customs with people who appear to be different from ourselves, we find many common threads woven into the fabric of our lives and, in the process, build a sense of mutual respect and understanding. One of the best ways of sharing cultural information is through folk music traditions. It's very rewarding to have children share songs and customs from their native culture. Some simple songs have been translated into many languages, reminding us all that we can become one in our diversity. Engaging family and community members to share experiences and expertise in the classroom is another means of building community and creating a support system for the benefit of all students.

3. Stop Cyber Bullying

I'm a Cyber Saint - and not just because of lack of cyber experience! Put-downs and cynicism have become a mainstay of contemporary social interaction, but they have never been my style. Parry Aftab's guide for schools on cyberbullying is very informative. It's important for schools to have an attorney draft an acceptable use policy statement that will hold up as a legal document should that become necessary.

It's good to know that schools do have some recourse for off-premise cyberbullying when it effects the safety of a victimized child at school. Children need to be aware that speaking with strangers in cyberspace can be every bit as dangerous as speaking with a stranger face-to-face. This website will be a good tool for any cyber problems that arise in the classroom. There are resources for parents, students and teachers to resolve disputes and to create fair use guidelines. Legal pages will soon be available at WiredSafety.org as well.

4. Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

The History & Social Sciences and the Mathematics sites of the "Subject Access" area look very useful both for lesson planning options, and for information resources to use with an 8th grade student I am currently tutoring. The student I work with "hates" Social Sciences and struggles with Math in school. I found "This Day in History" video clips to be very enjoyable - they'd be great to show at the beginning of class. Some of these interesting sites may just change the student's mind about these subject areas. I looked at Kathy Schrock's presentation on Visual & Video Literacy under the "Teacher Helpers" area, and found some excellent tips on using multimedia for engaging PowerPoint presentations. This will make a great resource for designing multimedia lessons for the classroom. There are also links for additional teacher help and online training opportunities. What a gold mine Kathy Schrock has created for educators and students!

5. Multiple Intelligences

My top three intelligences are musical (75%), naturalistic (58%) and intrapersonal (50%). I viewed "Big Thinkers: Howard Gardner on Multiple Intelligences." There are many resources available to design teaching and learning activities based on the theory of multiple intelligences, but until the assessment process is changed from the short-answer, multiple choice design that dominates testing at all levels of education, our educational system will continue to fall short of meeting student needs. If we really believe that people have different strengths and intelligences, then we need to allow each child's educational experience to move beyond the linguistic and logical paradigm. There are too many subjects, too many standards covering too many mindless details, and too much testing for any depth of learning and understanding to take place. A multiple intelligences approach to education gives equal opportunities for every child to learn according to his own strengths.

6. Teaching Tolerance Lesson Idea

"Setting the Stage for Controversial Topics" asks the question: "What does ice cream have to do with controversy?" Students are asked to move to an open area about 40 feet long, divided into ten sections clearly marked from 1 to 10. Asked to keep their eyes open but not to talk, students are directed to move to a number area that expresses how much they like ("10") or dislike ("1") an item the teacher reads. Items include ice cream, boiled okra, professional athletes, opera, rap or hip hop ... a total of 8-10 items. Results are recorded and used as the basis for a discussion about difference and diversity. What begins as a weird exercise can become a thoughtful discussion on a serious topic. Later in the year, as controversial topics arise, the teacher may comment: "That's not surprising. Remember, we couldn't even agree on ice cream in this class." This seems more like a Social Studies exercise to me, although this site offers several exercises for Math to teach social justice issues.

7. EdChange Multicultural Awareness Quiz

Question 4. In a 2007 study, UNICEF rated the treatment of children in the 23 wealthiest countries in the world based on 40 indicators of child well-being. Which two countries received the lowest ratings?

That the U.S. and U.K. are the lowest rated countries in providing health care and support services for children is an atrocity. Our children are our future and our greatest natural resource. We simply must do better.

Question 12. What percentage of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender high school students report that their teachers “never” or “rarely” respond to homophobic remarks made by other students, according to a national study by GLSEN?

To disapprove of someone's lifestyle or sexual orientation is each individual's right. To in any way publicly express that disapproval or condone homophobic remarks made by students is unconscionable. Mutual respect and tolerance should be actively promoted by teachers in every educational environment.

8. Netiquette Guidelines

Thank you for taking the Netiquette Quiz.

You correctly answered 10 questions.
Overall Score: 100%. :>

"Netiquette" is the etiquette of online communication. It refers to common courtesy online practices and to an informal set of rules and procedures to follow in online communication. It's important to teach students about Netiquette to maintain respectful and safe online communication practices. Written communications online should be as respectful as face-to-face communications in the classroom. Students also need to take care to keep their personal information (name, address, phone number) hidden online. If an online contact suggests a face-to-face meeting, students need to inform their teacher immediately. :)

Journal 4 Web 2.0: Today's Technologies, Tomorrow's Learning - NETS-T V

Groff, J. & Haas, J. (2008). Web 2.0: Today's Technologies, Tomorrow's Learning. Learning and Leading with Technology, 36(2). Retrieved on October 5, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=September_October_No_2_1&Template=MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4107&ContentID=2195&DirectListCombInd=D

Social networking, simulations, and digital gaming are not only fun and engaging for students, they can improve learning both in and out of the classroom. In the past, these technologies have been a big part of students' lives outside of the classroom, but have not been welcome in the classroom learning environment. Educators are now trying to bridge the gap between traditional classroom instructional materials and today's technology tools.

Social networking tools like Ning can be used to manage student accounts and records, and also to provide a forum for classroom discussion. A further benefit is the instantaneous sharing of ideas and learning between students and teachers, researchers and experts in the field. The community of learners can be as large or as small as a teacher wants to make it. Global issues can be discussed and explored through epals connections.

Simulations like Starlogo TNG, Second Life and other MUVEs, allow students to experience ideas, concepts and events, such as the principles of evolution, the effects of a natural disaster, or the function of the human circulatory system, in an interactive and engaging way. These can be explored from multiple perspectives.

Digital games like World of Warcraft (WoW), Ayiti, Diplomacy, or Muzzy Lane's Making History, provide virtual environments in which students can practice and develop collaborative, analytical and decision-making skills. Students experience the concepts and consequences of their decisions with immediate feedback instead of just watching a video documentary.

Disadvantages of using these technologies include their expense, access and availability to students. There is also a steep learning curve which may discourage many teachers from using them in the classroom. Because classrooms using these open-ended technologies are student-centered, it's more difficult to control their use and to accurately assess the outcomes of these discovery-based learning tools.

Successful implementation of these technological tools creates an open-ended, student-centered learning environment, setting the stage for experiential learning in which students engage in the learning process in meaningful ways. These technologies provide virtual "field trip" opportunities and are limited only by the imagination of teacher and student. The spark of interest in learning inherent in these technologies is well worth the effort and worth the risk. Everyone, student and teacher alike, will be left behind without acquisition of the technological skills and access to communication these technologies offer. We're not in Kansas any more.

How can I use Social Networking in my classroom?
Set up a private social network with access restricted to students in your classroom to communicate assignments and maintain student progress and records. This is a quick and easy way to communicate with students and parents, as well as a means for continuing discussion of hot topics outside the classroom.

How can these technologies enhance global learning opportunities for my students?
Explore the Ayiti: Cost of Life site and try it out with a friend or colleague. Use issues raised about poverty as a springboard for a meaningful discussion (both face-to-face in the classroom and online) on the effects of poverty and the economy on education around the world.

Where do I start?
Start by surfing Ning, Facebook, Club Penguin and other sites listed in the Resources section of this article. Find out how other schools in your area are using these tools. Find someone in your community or online to discuss your technological journey with. Attend a tech conference. Find another teacher or school to collaborate with. Take a chance and just do it.

Journal 3 Walk, Fly, or Teleport to Learning - NETS V

Yoder, M.B. (2009). Walk, Fly, or Teleport to Learning: Virtual Worlds in the Classroom. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(2). Retrieved on September 23, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=September_October_No_2_3&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4381&ContentID=24200&DirectListComboInd=D

Multiuser virtual environments (MUVEs) provide virtual learning experiences for students and teachers in today's technology-based classrooms. Some benefits of using MUVEs in the classroom are:

• they provide a game-like atmosphere that keeps students actively engaged in the learning process;
• they provide a forum for discussion of global issues and build sensitivity, understanding, and tolerance for different perspectives;
• they build decision-making skills through virtual practice, offering immediate virtual feedback on consequences of chosen actions.

Students can construct virtual cities and communities to explore issues like health care, family structure, community organization, and effects of the economy on daily living. There are many safe and effective sites for students, such as Second Life Teen Grid and Global Kids, that give students the opportunity to explore global issues and to develop skills they need to become agents of positive social change. Students can become involved not only in their schools and surrounding communities, but through the Internet, they can make positive contributions to the solution of problems around the world.

RezEd, the Hub for Learning and Virtual Worlds, supports teachers at all levels of technological expertise, those just learning about MUVEs, those ready to explore effective means of using MUVEs in their classrooms, and those who are ready and willing to share their MUVEs in cooperative learning situations with others on a global scale. Consulting and professional development opportunities are available to teachers interested in developing online games to promote global awareness, active citizenship, and 21st-century skill development. Through interacting and learning with their students using MUVEs, teachers can provide students with skills that will carry them into the future, and not be left too far behind in the process.

How can students benefit from using MUVEs in the classroom?
Virtual environments provide opportunities for experiential learning that students might otherwise not have access to outside the classroom. MUVEs also provide the opportunity for students to stay connected and keep up with classroom instruction when they are physically unable to attend class, due to illness, suspension or for whatever reason. Sites for students can be either public or private, open only to a particular class population.

How can I start using MUVEs? Is there a virtual place to start? Will it hurt?
Yoder refers teachers to Second Life resources for educators and to the "educationally oriented islands" on the Second Life Teen Grid for students, as well as the RezEd site for teachers, which seems to offer unlimited support and assistance. Some sites are free, others are not. The author mentions a steep learning curve in getting MUVEs up and running, but promises the effort and "techo pain" will be worth it in the end.

Classroom Newsletter - NETS I, III

I created this newsletter using Microsoft Word, integrating clipart and multiple graphics tools, including a scanned image of a drawing, text wrapping, borders, formatting adjustments to the contrast and brightness of images, and placing images behind text. Scribd was used to embed the newsletter onto my blog. This artifact models creative thinking and innovative use of technology tools. Students can use this as a reference for their own learning to create a newsletter of their own.

NewsletterKMS_bdr_3

Journal 2 Grounded Tech Integration - NETS-T V

Harris, J., & Hofer, M. (2009). Grounded Tech Integration. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(2). Retrieved on September 21, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=September_October_No_2_3&Template=MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4381&ContentID-24179&DirectListComboInd=D

This article is the first of a seven-part series of articles that redefines the components of successful technology integration into the K-12 classroom experience. Each content-specific article will discuss types of learning associated with each major standards-based content area of the K-12 curriculum and will illustrate each concept with classroom-tested examples.

In the "grounded" approach to technology integration, goals based on content standards are the primary focus for teacher planning of desirable student outcomes. The teacher first selects learning and assessment activities to achieve appropriate student outcomes. Only then is technology given serious consideration as one of many tools and resources to articulate the teaching and learning plan.

Harris and Hofer suggest a five-step process that is basic to many different instructional planning models. The five steps are:
1) set goals based on curriculum content standards
2) make teaching decisions based upon continua of eight experiential learning parameters
3) determine learning activity types to combine
4) choose both formative and summative assessments of learning
5) lastly, select appropriate technology tools to enhance and facilitate the teaching plan.

The six succeeding articles in the series will describe six different teacher's approaches to planning and integrating technology, each in a different course content area.

I found the use of words like "redux" and "taxonomy" to be a bit pretentious, but like the idea of putting technology last in the order of teacher planning. The authors imply that as teachers and students become more proficient with technology, the more influence technology will have on the planning process and the more effectively technology can be integrated into the curriculum.

Who has time for this sort of comprehensive planning?
There seem to be so many constrictions on lesson planning that the content area is nearly lost in the process. In many schools where I have observed, substituted, or taught, teachers meet in grade-level groups for long-range instructional planning. In this collaborative approach to planning, everyone benefits from everyone else's expertise. Most schools have a technology expert on staff who can advise teachers on specific technology tools available to them, and how best to use the tools in their classrooms.

How do students benefit from the use of technology in the classroom?
Using technology in the classroom helps students meet the NETS standards. It also provides an engaging and innovative look at a subject content area from many different perspectives.

Journal 1 e-Learning programs come in all shapes and sizes - NETS-T V

Coyle, S., Jones, T., & Pickle, S.K. (2009). e-Learning programs come in all shapes and sizes. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(2). Retrieved on September 15, 2009 from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/SeptemberOctoberNo2/e_Learning_Programs_Come_in_All_Shapes_a.htm

The e-Learning programs article describes the motivation for developing three innovative online learning programs in three very different settings. All three programs were developed in response to specific student learning needs.

Alaska's Yukon-Koyukuk School District (YKSD) developed a program in response to a need for "highly qualified" teachers under the No Child Left Behind Act. Because students in remote interior regions of YKSD were technologically proficient, direct virtual instruction, including videoconferencing, became the learning delivery system of choice. A one-to-one laptop program also provided online learning to independent learners. The YKSD currently delivers a continuous standards-based curriculum to all students, including online learning of the ancient native culture of the region.

In the sprawling urban school district of Baltimore, Maryland, the Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) developed an online learning program to expand course offerings and provide more equitable learning opportunities to inner city students. Advanced placement and high level math and science courses were offered to students who might otherwise not have had access to these courses. As part of the online learning experience, students become conversant with 21st-century technologies, and they become proficient with online communications, such as email, discussion forums, Internet research, and virtual classrooms. Face-to-face support is provided by an onsite mentor teacher assigned to each student. One goal of online learning is to encourage students to become lifelong learners. To sample the user-friendly system that BCPS developed, visit their website at www.bcps.org/students/online_learning.

The Arkansas State Department of Education developed a Distance Learning Center to assist schools statewide in providing more flexible scheduling for students with teachers who meet the "highly qualified" requirements set by NCLB. All state-required units, with the exception of music and PE, are offered in an online learning format. In support of the virtual online classroom instruction, learning modules were created to further assist those students who needed extra support in a particular course content area. Teachers travel to meet face-to-face with students at venues that provide "real life experiences" in the course content area. With a 95% pass rate, the program has successfully helped more students graduate, taking advanced and specialized courses, and has helped provide students with the technological acumen they require to compete in the 21st century.

What type of student benefits from online learning?
Students targeted for online learning in both the Alaskan and Maryland schools were all highly motivated, independent learners who would otherwise not have had access to advanced placement and specialized course instruction. While the Arkansas DOE seemed to target a broader profile of student, when Pickle outlined the successes of the program, including a 95% pass rate, she also referred to more equitable opportunities for students to complete their graduation requirements and to take advanced and specialized coursework. In all three of these programs, then, students were highly motivated, independent learners.

What long-term effects will online learning have on the teaching profession?
In all three instances of e-Learning, fewer teachers were required to provide access to online coursework for more students. Ostensibly, it would seem that this would result in downsizing teaching positions and opportunities, and I'm sure it has this outcome to some extent. However, onsite mentor teachers are needed to facilitate the online instruction programs, and to continue teaching those students for whom the online method of instruction may not be effective. In the end, technology is a tool for people to use. It's not going to disappear anytime soon, and as painful as it may be for some of us to manage, it is definitely a major part of our lives, our society and our teaching environment.

kms
9/15/2009

Introductory Letter to Kathleen Sand (EDUC 422-05)

My name is Kathleen Sand and I live in Poway with my husband, daughter who attends UCSD, and our two cats. I was born in Dubuque, Iowa, and attended K-8 elementary and high school there. I've attended colleges and universities in Iowa, Minnesota, California and Wisconsin. I received a BA in Music from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and recently received an MM in Music from Silver Lake College in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. I have also taken certification courses in both Orff and Kodaly methodologies as well as in children's choral music.

My experience with technology is limited to email, searching the Internet with Mozilla Firefox, using word processing applications [Microsoft Office 2003 on a Dell laptop PC], and working with Finale 2008 for music software applications. In the music teaching positions I've held, I was lucky to have access to an overhead transparency projector and a xerox copy machine. In recent substitute teaching, I've used a Mac on a very limited basis, following specific instructions for a specific use. I love how the doc cams, computers, DVD's and CD's, and computer blackboard applications can all be integrated in the classroom, but don't have a clue as to how to accomplish that. I hope to become a bit more conversant and facile with at least some of these applications this semester. I am a PC person by access and experience, and would describe myself as technologically challenged (perhaps in some part due to the fact that I am a PC person and not a MAC person).

I believe that educational equity and collaborative learning can transform public education and our social systems to become havens of social justice for all. This sentiment in the CSUSM mission statement attracted me to this teaching credential program. As for life-long learning, we all need to KEEP ON GOING!