Week 12, exit slip. What I learned in class today...

Today's group discussed chapter 18 which outlined ways in which the learning should change in order to facilitate technology into the current educational system. In groups we talked about topics from the chapter such as accreditation, epistemic frames, topics that teachers usually have trouble teaching, commercial video games, course management systems, and technology as an equalizer.

Accreditation has a lot of pros such as individualized learning but a draw back may be that students could lack motivation to choose what career and learning paths they want to take. Epistemic frames are beneficial because they are game-based and focus on particular learning interests, but may not encompass all fields of interest. Commercial video games could be effective since they are fun and interactive, but they could be too time consuming and controversial in terms of content for the classroom. Course management systems, such as E-Learning, are helpful organizational tools for teachers and students (and even parents). It is a time-saving and convenient methods, but it is possible for teachers to overly depend on this system instead of personal interactions. Using technology as an equalizer in the classroom can bridge the gap between low SES students and more advantaged students. It is important that all students are provided with equal access to all technologies for this to be beneficial.

We discussed other ways for technology to be integrated into the classroom such as various modes of media (videos, internet access, word processors, video games, blogging, etc). These are simple ways that teachers can incorporate technology while maintaining a balanced classroom. These technologies can be used to meet the curriculum needs and standards in a meaningful and functional way. The concepts and strategies that were discussed in the chapter are more clear to me now that they have been presented in an organized manner.

We talked about more contemporary issues in technology. Lorin presented the issue of using calculators and how that effects student learning. This is controversial because some believe that the concepts should be learned first, then calculators should be used as a tool to supplement and reinforce. I think these are good tools to use for reinforcement and motivation. Young kids would be excited to use these tools, but as kids get older they may abuse these tools (especially more high-tech calculators). Like in most situations, there should be a balance between using this tool and using your brain! Caley talked about the ipad which is a new computer tool being released April 3rd. It seems like a bigger version of Apple's iphone and is a touch screen computer with internet access. I really like this computer and am interested in buying one. I think this could be really useful for early childhood students, especially those with special needs and sensory issues. Liz brought up the issues of social networking and how this can effect a professional's career. This is an interesting topic since facebook is popular among many professional individuals and can be used as a personal and a professional networking tool. I disagree with states forbidding teachers from using social networking tools, but I do think that professionals must be aware that their actions WILL be judged on these sites by parents and other professionals. Finally, Whitney talked about using technology to enhance literacy instruction. This involves using multimedia to create and publish. I like this tool because it allows students to compose and publish their works even if they struggle with writing.

More cool technology tools were presented to the class. Angela showed us poll everywhere which was new to me. Its a polling website where you can create a poll to ask a question for any type of project or activity. This can be used as a way for students to respond to a question during a presentation or to provide input on a topic. I like how the audience can respond to polls via text message or online. Kim presented kadoo.com which is a file sharing website (photos, videos, documents, etc.) and its usually used for uploading photos for friends/family to see. It seems useful but reminds me of other tools like this like flickr, shutterfly, photobucket, etc. Courtney's cool tool was woome.com which she informed us is actually a dating site...not quite relevant to this course. Hopefully Courtney will have some luck on this site ;) Finally, Emilie showed us ooVoo.com which is a communication tool. You can write messages, watch live and recorded videos, etc. I like this site because it reminds me of skype, aim chat, and other communication tools that I already use. It allows you to have more than one person on a video chat (unlike skype) which could be helpful for conferences or group chats.

Reflections on chapter 8: How Schools Can Cope with the New Technologies

This chapter focuses primarily on bringing together old and sew education system components in order to design a better education system in the technological era. The authors suggest three areas that might be reshaped and brought together to make the transition more smooth. These are: performance-based assessment, new curriculum designs, and new approaches to equity in a digital world.

I agree that there needs to be new and improved procedures to measure learning. Standardized assessments are not individualized, are not based on student-choice, and often cause minority and low socio-economic groups to be left behind. The national certification method and skill based assessment systems allow students to focus their studies more narrowly and receive credentials in areas that will help them in their future endeavors. Students can chose to take certification tests when they feel ready. I think this is very important because in the current system teachers and policy makers decide when students should be assessed, but who really knows when assessment is appropriate? The students! The only thing that bothers me about this method is that it requires highly motivated students who can make decisions about which academic paths to take. This can possibly be addressed in Early Childhood classes where teachers can emphasize life-long learning and making choices about educational interests.

Along with assessment methods, curriculum must also be further developed to fit our changing society. New forms of teaching and learning and new ways of organizing how students and teachers interact are suggested. In this approach students would be placed in classes based on their goals and interests instead of their age. I like the way the authors suggest that traditional academic skills such as reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, and geography would be woven and integrated into each individual's curriculum. This reflects an "inquiry approach" that we have talked about in a few other classes. I also like the way students would be able to learn important content and skills while carrying out complete, relevant, and functional tasks that are meaningful to them. The chapter gave some examples (such as LeTUS) that involve researchers and schools coming together to integrate technologies into everyday school learning. I look forward to the group's presentation on this chapter so that this concept is more clear to me.

Finally, the chapter addressed the question: "How can learning technologies be used to address the systemic inequities of public schools?" since current standardized curricula "drive affluent families from public schools, and high dropout rates push poor families to press for alternatives to public schools". Learning technologies can offering new experiences to poor schools and develop technology-based systems for tracking learning. It is true that technologies could help to provide high-quality academic experiences to impoverished schools, but how do we provide such technologies when materials are still very expensive? Also, AP classes and virtual tutoring are examples of how technology can add to a school's academic resources. In my experience, these systems were already implemented in schools but were not necessarily available or aimed towards all students. Also, I did not see much technology being used in meaningful ways.

week 11, exit slip. What I learned in class today...

Today my group presented to the class our topic of Chapter 7: What may be lost and what may be gained? I thought that the presentation went really well. We used appropriate wait time, facilitated some great discussion, and documented discussions using the interactive white board. I really enjoyed this topic because its important for teachers to know the gains and losses that will come as a result of technology. Though the presentation went a little bit longer than Jeff instructed, I think the discussion that was a result was important for the class to engage in.

Beth talked about her contemporary issue which was "sexting" in schools. Obviously she is against it, and so am I. Its an example of how technology is used the wrong way and how teachers and parents are responsibly to teach kids how to use technology appropriately. I don't know how this issue can be monitored, so the only solution I can think of is for teachers and parents to involve themselves in talking about the issue with kids. Kellie presented another interesting and sad issue which is cyberbullying. This is obviously an important issue since students are engaging in this act and it has resulted in the death of students. Teachers and parents should take this issue seriously, since its hard to say who the responsibility lies in. Since this usually occurs at home, parents need to be especially vigilant. Destiny's topic was similar to Beth's and focused on the sex offender legislation for teen texting. Teens can actually be registers as sex offenders for sending inappropriate texts and pictures. I think this is an appropriate consequence but depends on the situation (e.g. If someone sends images of themselves willfully then I think there should be a lesser consequence since the individual might not be aware of the implications of their actions). Krista took the conversation in a different direction with her discussion about music education and music technology. I find this issue really interesting since I was previously a music major here at UF, and I chose this issue for my technology inquiry question. I think if technology is to be integrated into schools then it should be found in all areas of the curriculum, including music.

We also had cool tools presentations, Bree-Anna showed us Jogtheweb.com which is a resource for searching and researching topics of interest. I liked how she related this site to how it could be used for young kids and finding credible resources. Anna showed us wordle.net which seems like a fun site and would be an interesting way of integrating technology into classrooms. She mentioned saving your wordle as a document after you make a word cloud because they can't be saved on the site! Also, the gallery section can be inappropriate so teachers and parents should be aware of that. Amanda presented her cool tool which was livemocha.com. This site is a way to learn a foreign language, similar to Rosetta Stone, and I am glad she shared it. After my trip last summer studying in The Netherlands for two months, I have been wanting to improve my Dutch for when I eventually go back. I can defiantly use this site for my own personal use, and I can see how this can be integrated into the classroom for English Language Learners. Finally, Whitney presented wiziq.com, which is a site that allows students and teachers to collaborate for online learning experiences. Teachers and students can search for topics they want to teach or learn.

My reflections on Chapter 7: What May be Lost and What May be Gained

This chapter focuses on discussing the general losses and gains that may proceed with the coming technological revolution. I found this topic very interesting and I am glad that I will get the opportunity to facilitate a discussion of these important issues during my group's presentation next week!

What I found most interesting is that there seems to be a greater amount of possible losses than potential gains as a result of the knowledge revolution. These losses also seem more specific and tangible issues, where as the gains are broad and are dependent on many unpredictable factors. For example, individuals can only take responsibility for their own education if technological recourses become more accessible to all, including low income, families and schools.

I found the losses that were mentioned to be quite serious and I believe that they should not be taken lightly. Social cohesion, multiculturalism, the role of the public school, the digital divide, liberal arts, and social interaction will all be compromised when learning occurs online and education becomes more individualized and focused on specific interests.

Though the gains that come along with the educational approach depicted in this book (learning outside of the public school) are positive, I think that they can still be achieved with out such a drastic change in the current system of education. For example, we have been learning throughout our time spent in the U.F. pro-teach program about how to make education individualized and tailored to specific interest while maintaining access to social and tactile experiences. I think that with some fundamental changes in the way teachers interact with their students, education can become more engaging, equal for all students, customized, accessible, tailored to individual interests, and allow for parental responsibility with the use of technology in the classroom.

This chapter made the successes and consequences of a technological revolution very real to me. As an educator, I will have to compete with technology. I must be sure that I am able to provide children with the experiences and interactions that technology cannot give to students. Social interaction, a classroom community of learners, and a safe and nurturing learning environment are all vital components to student success. Therefore, I believe that such a dramatic change in school systems should be avoided, and teachers should step up their game and become familiar with technology in order to reach every child!

Week 10, exit slip. What I learned in class today...

Today we discussed the three eras of education that we read about in this week's chapter. The presenters showed us a great video depicting pictures that show what apprenticeships, universal schooling, and lifelong learning models might look like. We discussed the characteristics of each of these three eras of education. For example, in apprenticeships the adults are responsible for education, learning occurs in the home, and there is a one-on-one ratio of student to teacher. In universal schooling the responsibility of learning is shifted to the government, there is a standardized curriculum, and it is a more didactic approach to teaching. Finally, in a lifelong learning model the responsibility of teacher lies upon the parent and the individual, the emphasis is upon learning to learn, and technology plays a major role.

We discussed how teenagers and young adults are becoming more responsible for their learning and are choosing what they want to learn. This relates to customization. Some students reject what is presented in schools and may pursue their own routes to learning. This requires a lot of maturity in my opinion and students should still receive a level of guidance when learning.

We also talked about the content that is addressed in a lifelong learning model. I have seen the mentioned "core competencies" slowly increasing in implementation in classrooms. Caley mentioned how many childhood curricula are including direct instruction and practice of interpersonal skills and interactions with others.

In all of the aspects of change among the eras (e.g. assessment, content, relationships, location, culture, etc) I see a necessary shift from the universal schooling model to the lifelong learning model. I think that this era that we are moving towards combines the positive practices from the apprenticeship and universal schooling models. For example, Kim pointed out that lifelong learning combines the one-on-one individualized focus of the apprenticeship era and the ability to reach a mass amount of students similar to that of universal schooling.

A potential problem that I see with lifelong learning is in terms of relationships. I find it problematic that students might not be able to form a substantial, warm, and trusting relationship with a teacher. In apprenticeships students were very close with their teachers (because they were often parents or family members). Also, in universal schooling students have the opportunity to form some level of a relationship with their teachers. I think students should still be given the opportunity to form meaningful relationships to their teachers and peers.

I learned about a few cool tools in class today. Lorin shared flautR.com which is a place to upload and format/edit pictures for free. Next, Beth presented dweeber.com which is a study site for students. I thought this was a really cool and interactive site that would get kids interested in learning and sharing their learning with their friends and peers. Latarra showed us sliderocket.com which is a place to create presentations and slides (similar to powerpoint but it is more interactive since it is on the internet). I liked this tool and may consider using it to facilitate my group's chapter presentation next week. Finally, I shared parentella.com with the class which is a resource that parents and teachers can use to bridge the home-school gap by communicating online.

Contemporary issues that we discussed this week were very interesting. Emilie presented the issue of using technology as a tool for tutoring students. Katie talked about children living in poverty and how this effects education. She also talked about how technology can help these children to succeed in schools. Finally, Courtney brought up the issue of using computer games as an educational tool. This topic is especially interesting and relevant considering the popularity of video games in today's youth. I was very interested in the quest to learn approach (q2l.com) and I would like to see the impact these schools have on learners in the future.

Reflections on chapter 6: The Three Eras of Education

The way this chapter described the three eras of education (the apprenticeship, universal schooling, and lifelong learning era) helped make the development of our educational systems and the reasons for that change much more clear to me. I liked the way the authors split up the content into sections describing how the responsibility, expectations, content, pedagogy, assessment, location, culture, and relationships in education has changed and how it continues to change within these eras. I find it very interesting that the lifelong learning era in which we are moving into reflects a lot of the practices and values that were seen in the apprenticeship system. Especially in respect to who is responsible for the education of children and young adults. In the apprenticeship era adults were largely responsible for what, how, when, and where students learned. In the Universal schooling era this responsibility was given to the state government and standards based learning and assessments that we see today were made prominent. I see now how, with the onset of the lifelong learning era, responsibility for education is moving back into the ownership of the parents and the individual. Distance education, homeschooling, and other similar practices are facilitating this shift.

Universal schooling was put into practice in order to form a sense of social cohesion. This was needed at the time with the vast immigration of people from all over the world into America. Today this method is not appropriate since the culture, values, and needs of learners have greatly changed. Today, in order to be a successful citizen, one should obtain competencies in identifying, organizing, planning, and allocating resources, interpersonal skills, acquiring and using information, understanding complex systems, and working with a variety of technologies. In order to receive education in these "core competencies" a new system of education is required. Students are now becoming able to make choices based upon their interests and educational needs to gain these competencies.

I agree that educational systems will begin to look very different in the near future with the onset of this lifelong learning era. Though, I wonder what this will look like for early childhood settings. The authors admit that social interaction and peer culture may be compromised with the shift towards a mixed aged culture. As a future early childhood education, I recognize the importance of social interaction and competence for the development of young children. In order to become successful individuals students must form caring and trusting relationships with both adults and peers.

week 8, exit slip: what I learned today...

Today's class focused on some of the "seeds" to new growths in education systems. This was an opportunity to extend my understanding of the different systems such as adult education, workplace education, learning centers, etc. We discussed internet cafes and whether or not this tool is relevant to education. Some argue that people use these locations to educate themselves, I do see it more as a social networking tool. But, internationally these cafes are very useful for areas that don't get as much internet access. I participated in a debate arguing the cons of education television and video. At first I didn't regard this as a negative practice, and I still think it can be a useful tool in certain situations. It is important to remember that this is an example of learning from technology, and not with technology. Its important for young students that would be watching these videos to get hands-on individualized interactions.

Another discussion that we had on the issue of home schooling solidified my belief that it depends on the student and the learning environment. Appropriate home schooling involves dedicated parents who have the time and skills needed to provide the best learning opportunities for students who do better in a one-on-one environment.

Thanks to the presentation group members this week and in the previous weeks it was pointed out that we need to learn to close our presentations. I am adding this sort of as a mental note to do this in my presentation. Step 1. Tell us what you're going to tell us, 2. Tell us, 3. Tell us what you told us.

We explored the k-12 website which really let us get a look at what online virtual education really looks like for young k-2 kids. I looked at an interactive history lesson that was really fun and educational. I can see how this activity can be used in a group with other activities to facilitate learning and motivate kids. I see this as a useful tool if there is an adult present to support the learning and technical abilities of the child. I can also see this as a supplemental activity, meaning parents shouldn't just rely on these games and simulations.

I learned about a lot of contemporary issues involving technology and education and gave my presentation on HP touch screen computers and students with autism. The presentation that stuck out the most to me was Latarra's topic of a replacement for FCAT. I have always had strong feelings about this test resulting from the research along with personal experiences with the test. It was interesting to find more states are considering the option of changing they're system of assessment and accountability.

I heard some presentations on several "cool tools" and technologies such as Twiddla, Symbaloo, Go!Animate, TimeRime, and Pageflakes. I really enjoyed all of these tools and could see most of them begin implemented into even early childhood classes. I especially liked the Symbaloo and Pageflakes programs and might customize these pages for myself :)

My reflections on the seeds of a new system of education

It was very enlightening reading about all of the "seeds" of a new education system that are currently gaining more and more attention in today's society. I have previously heard of concepts such as home schooling, workplac learning, distance education, adult education, learning centers, educational television and videos, computer based learning software, technical certfications, and internet cafes but I am now realizing the impact they can have on how we educate life long learners.

I was interested while reading about home schooling and how it is more adaptive to technological advances. Since learning occurs in the home, and technology is integrated more easily into the home, students have more experience with using computers when learning. It was also made clear to me that home school students are as high or higher achieving than students on standardized tests, and do not experience the background issues typically found in public schools. I have always been concerned with the level of social interaction that occurs among home schooled students, but with increasing access to internet, groups of home schooled students can collaborate and engage socially.

Another concept that interested me was computer-based learning software. I have always noticed how young children become very excited and motivated when given the opportunity to work with games and simulation. When children are already motivated to engage in an activity, it is the teacher's job to embedd instruction and to find away to allow learning to occur. Games promote learning by doing, and even social interaction when games are teamed with the internet. As a future teacher I will recognize how games and simulations can be used in a positive way to promote learning.

I was confused at the end of the chapter when the authors say that it is likely that elementary and early childhood facilities and practices are likely to stay the same despite these seeds of change. I argue that changes will be seen. Technology can be used to facilitate the development of young children if used appropriately. I can see games, simulations, and videos being used in this arena.