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.