GPS and Learning
by Charles Sinicki
http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=196513425
I chose this article because my daughter's class recently did Geocaching and she was very excited about it. I had no idea what it was. This article helped to explain what Geocaching is and how it is a useful tool for students to practice math, reading, writing, and technology skills.
Geocaching is basically a high tech treasure hunt. Caches are hidden by people all over the world and then they place GPS coordinates on a website. Students can use these coordinates to find the cache. Most caches contain a log where students can sign their names and leave an entry. Many caches also have the policy of "take some stuff, leave some stuff." There are also "Cache In, Trash Out" caches that have garbage bags and encourage finders to clean up the area.
There are currently caches in 222 countries and that number is growing. The Geocaching website has an extensive database of caches to find, but you can also plant your own for students to find.
GPS devices can cost as little as $85 and the Geocaching website offers free subscriptions as well as premium memberships for $30 a year.
This article was a great overview of how mobile technology can be used with students. Today's students are very tech savvy, but many become socially isolated or physically inactive. Geocaching is a fun, exciting way to get students up and moving as they work together to explore the world outside using the technology they love.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
My Continuing View on Technology
Well, I'm still here and I haven't blown up a computer (yet). I have decided that while technology is great, in some aspects, I still find it very frustrating. Trying to download Pinnacle and struggling with Dreamweaver have only added to my frustration. Is the final product of my labor worth the frustration? I would have to answer yes.
While at times I have wanted to blow up my computer, or at least throw it out the window, when I saw my finished I-Movie I was greatly pleased. It was even more satisfied when I realized I did it myself! I think this experience will be good for me as I work with children who are just learning how to move a mouse or work a software program. I will be able to feel their frustration and assure them that I made it through and so will they!
The articles I have been reading are so eye opening as well. They have made me aware of uses for technology that I would have never thought of. Therefore, my conclusion to technology is that it is a necessary evil. So in the spirit of "you have to take the good with the bad" and "hard work pays off in the end," I will embrace the uses of technology for myself and my students.
While at times I have wanted to blow up my computer, or at least throw it out the window, when I saw my finished I-Movie I was greatly pleased. It was even more satisfied when I realized I did it myself! I think this experience will be good for me as I work with children who are just learning how to move a mouse or work a software program. I will be able to feel their frustration and assure them that I made it through and so will they!
The articles I have been reading are so eye opening as well. They have made me aware of uses for technology that I would have never thought of. Therefore, my conclusion to technology is that it is a necessary evil. So in the spirit of "you have to take the good with the bad" and "hard work pays off in the end," I will embrace the uses of technology for myself and my students.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Five Steps to Combat Bullying
The second article I chose to review is on using technology to combat bullying. The title of the article is Five Steps to Combat Bullying and is written by Jenna Andrews. She used a program for MAC called Comic Life to introduce her students to strategies for dealing with bullying. You can access the article through
http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=196604789
Bullying is a problem at every level of education. This article addressed how one teacher used a software program called Comic Life to help students connect to real life issues, such as bullying.
Students began by exploring the program by using it to create simple comic strips. The program has ready made templates, word bubbles, and pictures and is user friendly. After they familiarized themselves with the program, the students were paired off to brainstorm ideas about bullying they had been the victim or witness of. They created a storyboard for a rough draft exploring ways to diffuse the situations. They were responsible for creating a story and a plot for their comic strip. The story had to suggest a solution that could be used by a real student in a similar situation.
They used the Comic Life program to bring their comic strip to life. Then they shared their comic strips with each other. It was a great example of students using technology to address real world issues while being creative. Their work was even used to help teach others about bullying and solutions for bullying.
The Comic Life program could be used for many other purposes. It seems like a great tool to use in many different subjects for students to create meaningful and imaginative projects. This article opened my eyes to the many different uses for technology and specific software programs. These are very beneficial tools for educators to use to help children think out of the box. It sure beats the traditional lecture and presentation formats used by most teachers.
http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=196604789
Bullying is a problem at every level of education. This article addressed how one teacher used a software program called Comic Life to help students connect to real life issues, such as bullying.
Students began by exploring the program by using it to create simple comic strips. The program has ready made templates, word bubbles, and pictures and is user friendly. After they familiarized themselves with the program, the students were paired off to brainstorm ideas about bullying they had been the victim or witness of. They created a storyboard for a rough draft exploring ways to diffuse the situations. They were responsible for creating a story and a plot for their comic strip. The story had to suggest a solution that could be used by a real student in a similar situation.
They used the Comic Life program to bring their comic strip to life. Then they shared their comic strips with each other. It was a great example of students using technology to address real world issues while being creative. Their work was even used to help teach others about bullying and solutions for bullying.
The Comic Life program could be used for many other purposes. It seems like a great tool to use in many different subjects for students to create meaningful and imaginative projects. This article opened my eyes to the many different uses for technology and specific software programs. These are very beneficial tools for educators to use to help children think out of the box. It sure beats the traditional lecture and presentation formats used by most teachers.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Keeping Students Safe Online
http://newbay.ebookhost.net/tl/8e6/1/
The Problem with MySpace
by The Forsite Group
The article I chose to review for this entry comes from an e-book from Tech Learning. The e-book is entitled "Keeping Students Safe Online." This issue was of special interest to me because my teen aged daughter and her friends frequent MySpace as a form of communication between them.
This article began by addressing the recent issue of sexual predators using MySpace.com as a trolling grounds for under aged victims. My husband and I frequently watch the Dateline show, "To Catch a Predator." We were very aware of the situation of MySpace being a target for sexual predators as a way of enticing teenagers. This article addressed this problem and ways that parents and schools were dealing with it.
MySpace.com is a "social networking" site. It is a place for people to communicate. It allows users to access blogs, instant messengers, and email all in one place. There are currently over 70 million users worldwide. MySpace is not the only social networking site on the Internet, there are many. These sites do not introduce new technologies or services, they simply make using existing ones more convenient.
Adults and teenagers utilize the Internet in very different ways. For adults, the Internet is a tool. They use it to check email, get information, and shop. Teenagers view the Internet as a place to hang out with their friends, especially for real-time communication. As many teenagers have grown up with the Internet, it is assumed that they know the dangers of it. Research shows that this may not be the case. In their online profiles, 70% have provided their first name, 67% have supplied their age, 61% have included contact information, and 59% have posted their location. These are some pretty alarming statistics. My husband, who is in the Criminal Justice program, recently went to a seminar on Internet predators. The speaker showed that just by searching for a zip code you can pinpoint find many unsuspecting teenagers. This is because that even if they put in fake information, the majority of teenagers include their correct zip code.
With the information that MySpace was being used by sexual predators, parents and school officials became alarmed. School districts faced many questions when deciding how to deal with this situation. The two main questions were, "Was MySpace the only threat?" and "Did they have cause to block it?" This last question was the most challenging. It was compared to banning books in school libraries. Every school district or library the receives federal funds must comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). This act states that images that are harmful to minors (children 17 and under) must be blocked. Because many MySpace customers post partially nude or nude photographs, many school districts decided to block the site. Some users got around this block by creating fake URLs.
MySpace faced new challenges when this problem arose as well. They did set an age restriction and you must be 14 or older to create an account; however, this does not stop a teenager from pretending to be older or a predator from pretending to be younger. They hired an industry to oversee safety, education, privacy programs, and law enforcement issues. They have also created protection programs to prevent strangers from contacting members under 16 and provided parents with links to free filtering software that monitors and limits Internet activities and access.
This article was a reinforcement for me of the dangers that do lurk on the Internet. The Internet was designed as a tool and has evolved to something much more. It has become a gathering place and a communication network. The solution to me is education. We need to educate our children about the dangers of the Internet, as well as the benefits of it.
The Problem with MySpace
by The Forsite Group
The article I chose to review for this entry comes from an e-book from Tech Learning. The e-book is entitled "Keeping Students Safe Online." This issue was of special interest to me because my teen aged daughter and her friends frequent MySpace as a form of communication between them.
This article began by addressing the recent issue of sexual predators using MySpace.com as a trolling grounds for under aged victims. My husband and I frequently watch the Dateline show, "To Catch a Predator." We were very aware of the situation of MySpace being a target for sexual predators as a way of enticing teenagers. This article addressed this problem and ways that parents and schools were dealing with it.
MySpace.com is a "social networking" site. It is a place for people to communicate. It allows users to access blogs, instant messengers, and email all in one place. There are currently over 70 million users worldwide. MySpace is not the only social networking site on the Internet, there are many. These sites do not introduce new technologies or services, they simply make using existing ones more convenient.
Adults and teenagers utilize the Internet in very different ways. For adults, the Internet is a tool. They use it to check email, get information, and shop. Teenagers view the Internet as a place to hang out with their friends, especially for real-time communication. As many teenagers have grown up with the Internet, it is assumed that they know the dangers of it. Research shows that this may not be the case. In their online profiles, 70% have provided their first name, 67% have supplied their age, 61% have included contact information, and 59% have posted their location. These are some pretty alarming statistics. My husband, who is in the Criminal Justice program, recently went to a seminar on Internet predators. The speaker showed that just by searching for a zip code you can pinpoint find many unsuspecting teenagers. This is because that even if they put in fake information, the majority of teenagers include their correct zip code.
With the information that MySpace was being used by sexual predators, parents and school officials became alarmed. School districts faced many questions when deciding how to deal with this situation. The two main questions were, "Was MySpace the only threat?" and "Did they have cause to block it?" This last question was the most challenging. It was compared to banning books in school libraries. Every school district or library the receives federal funds must comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). This act states that images that are harmful to minors (children 17 and under) must be blocked. Because many MySpace customers post partially nude or nude photographs, many school districts decided to block the site. Some users got around this block by creating fake URLs.
MySpace faced new challenges when this problem arose as well. They did set an age restriction and you must be 14 or older to create an account; however, this does not stop a teenager from pretending to be older or a predator from pretending to be younger. They hired an industry to oversee safety, education, privacy programs, and law enforcement issues. They have also created protection programs to prevent strangers from contacting members under 16 and provided parents with links to free filtering software that monitors and limits Internet activities and access.
This article was a reinforcement for me of the dangers that do lurk on the Internet. The Internet was designed as a tool and has evolved to something much more. It has become a gathering place and a communication network. The solution to me is education. We need to educate our children about the dangers of the Internet, as well as the benefits of it.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Technology and Me
Okay, this semester is passing me by! I am beginning to feel very overwhelmed by the amount of work that we are having to do. I knew I was forgetting something, and it happened to be my Blog. I have now added my picture, which wasn't as a difficult a task as I thought it would be. So, I thought while I was here I would leave a comment about my growing knowledge of technology. Well, here goes!
I am beginning to understand a bit more about what technology can do for me. We visited Second Life, which I thought was amazing. I am not sure that this is a technology I would introduce to my students though. I watch To Catch a Predator on television quite frequently. I am always surprised at the number and types of men that prey on children by way of the Internet. This makes me very wary of introducing my students to Second Life. It seems to me that it could be just another way for predators to find children.
Now that I have voiced my opinion on the dangers of technology, I would like to point out that I am learning some great educational uses for computers. I really like the interactive PowerPoint. I think that they would be a great way for students to independently review material. It would be great to have them set up on a school website so that children can access them at home. I have also found myself using Excel quite a bit, especially for Biology. I have become very frustrated at times when my graphs don't come out right. This is a good reason to introduce children to this technology early. The more experience they have using these programs, the more successful they will be.
Now that I have babbled on for awhile, I think is time for me to go. I have more technology to conquer. Ta-Ta for Now!!!!!!
I am beginning to understand a bit more about what technology can do for me. We visited Second Life, which I thought was amazing. I am not sure that this is a technology I would introduce to my students though. I watch To Catch a Predator on television quite frequently. I am always surprised at the number and types of men that prey on children by way of the Internet. This makes me very wary of introducing my students to Second Life. It seems to me that it could be just another way for predators to find children.
Now that I have voiced my opinion on the dangers of technology, I would like to point out that I am learning some great educational uses for computers. I really like the interactive PowerPoint. I think that they would be a great way for students to independently review material. It would be great to have them set up on a school website so that children can access them at home. I have also found myself using Excel quite a bit, especially for Biology. I have become very frustrated at times when my graphs don't come out right. This is a good reason to introduce children to this technology early. The more experience they have using these programs, the more successful they will be.
Now that I have babbled on for awhile, I think is time for me to go. I have more technology to conquer. Ta-Ta for Now!!!!!!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Introduction
My name is Stacey Falk. I am a classroom manager at New London Head Start, where I have been employed for seven years. In addition to working full time there, I am a wife, the mother of five girls (ages 17 to 6), and a full time student at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. I certainly have a lot on my plate!
Technology is definitely an embedded part of our everyday lives. I, personally, use my computer every day. I use it for work, school, and leisure. In order to prepare students for our "high tech" world, it is essential to provide them with hands on opportunities to explore technology.
There are many practical ways to use technology with students. The Internet is a great source for research, but it is important to instruct students on finding reputable sources and critically reviewing the information they find on the Internet. Computers can also be used to have students create charts, graphs, and other elements of presentation. There is some great educational software available for students use as well.
My knowledge of technology, currently, is limited. I am self taught and I continue to learn on an as needed basis. I do believe that technology has many uses in education and I am excited to explore some of these uses.
Technology is definitely an embedded part of our everyday lives. I, personally, use my computer every day. I use it for work, school, and leisure. In order to prepare students for our "high tech" world, it is essential to provide them with hands on opportunities to explore technology.
There are many practical ways to use technology with students. The Internet is a great source for research, but it is important to instruct students on finding reputable sources and critically reviewing the information they find on the Internet. Computers can also be used to have students create charts, graphs, and other elements of presentation. There is some great educational software available for students use as well.
My knowledge of technology, currently, is limited. I am self taught and I continue to learn on an as needed basis. I do believe that technology has many uses in education and I am excited to explore some of these uses.
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