Journal 4 (NETS-T I - V)

Ormiston, M. (2010, December 01). It's time to trust teachers with the internet: a conversation with meg ormiston. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2010/12/01/Its-Time-To-Trust-Teachers-with-the-Internet-A-Conversation-with-Meg-Ormiston.aspx?sc_lang=en&Page=3

Summary: The idea behind blocking sites from teachers is essentially to protect children but it is being portrayed as a trust issue with the teachers. This is frightening because when teachers want to involve technology in their class, it is to benefit the children not to harm them. At home and on the student’s smart phones, there are no blocks at all and they can freely view anything they’d like. The idea that teachers can’t be trusted with presenting appropriate material through technology is frustrating to many and degrading as well.

Question 1: What would you do to help with this situation?

A1: I believe technology is a necessity in all classrooms. The classrooms prepare students for the real world and the real world involves a plethora of technological advances and qualifications. It seems like simply discussing this with administrators is not making any progress so possible petitions, and legislator action may be the next step.

Question 2: Should teachers be trusted with free range on the internet in their classrooms?

A1: The answer in my opinion is yes. However, I do believe that teachers need to be trained and experience different presentations on how to use the internet effectively and appropriately within their classrooms. Some teachers may already know how and what to use to benefit the students but setting expectation and guidelines is always important.   

Journal 2 (NETS-T III & 5)

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Join_the_Flock.aspx


Summary: The simple word of Twitter and the acronym PLN can be anything but simple to some. This article indulges into the word of building a professional learning network through the use of Twitter. This tool can actually help to build a community based on communication and collaboration to share ideas and insight to better our schools and educators. The first step is to set up a free account then learn how to follow and develop a list of people to watch and listen. Giving into the conversations and contributing may take time but enhances the experience once the user is ready and comfortable. There are many different resources and information materials available on how to make the most out of tweeting. Through proper use and developed customs, a professional learning network can be established through the convenience of your very own personal computer. Links, tools, and important information can be distributed to all who are interested in hope that educators have a way to work through their previous frustrations of thinking, “I wish more teachers knew about this…”


Question 1: How can a math teacher use Twitter to enhance his or her classroom?
A1: Despite the subject, all classrooms could have twitter as a part of the daily homework assignment. For example, all students could be required to have a Twitter account in which they are to Tweet about the week’s lessons as a whole, or the lessons daily. This can help the students to express what they liked and what they are struggling with.

Question 2 :Should all teachers be able to Tweet freely?
A2: There has actually been teachers in the news lately who have found themselves in trouble after tweeting whatever comes to mind. As in any situation, even though we are given the freedom of speech, we all are representing the educational sector therefore we need to be cautious of what is being said to the public.     

Journal 1 (NETS-T I & IV)

Light, Daniel. (2011). Do web 2.0 right. Learning and Leading, 38(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Feature_Article_Do_Web_2_0_Right.aspx


Summary: In this article, Daniel Light and a colleague of his (Deborah Polin), traveled around the U.S. to interview educators across the country about how they used Web 2.0 activities within their classrooms. The teachers gave innovative examples of how they got their students involved with tools to enhance their learning. Light and Polin discovered that the most successful teachers were using on-line learning communities constantly through their classrooms through conversations that were always developing.


Overall, three elements were discovered to be critical in using Web 2.0 tools in a substantial way. The first one was daily practice which involves using the on-line activities more than just the occasional special project. The most common form of this was observed as classroom blogs. A second critical element found was that audience matters. Students are concerned with what they feel is okay to reveal to their intended audience. Although one may think a student would reveal more to their friends and peers on a site such as MySpace rather than an online blog, for pre-teen and teenagers, the opposite is actually true. Students can feel more comfortable talking about important issues like what they want to be when they get older on a classroom blog where that type of conversation is facilitated. The third element is appropriate behavior which implies that although classroom blogs may resemble social-networking, it is in fact an educational learning environment and should be treated as such.

Question 1: How could I use Web 2.0 tools in a math class?

A1: I hope to teach middle school math which involves 6^th to 8^th grade. In 6^th grade, the students deal with topics such as percents, decimals, and interest. Some of the real life applications to these topics involve car or house loans and the interest accrued and also how to figure out what percent of the bill would be an appropriate tip when dinning out. Topics such as, “what you know about this issue?” could be a subject students could post their comments about on an classroom blog.

Question 2: How can students access technology if they do not have the access at home?

A1: As a future educator, it is imperative to realize that not all students have the same privileges as others. If I am assigning tasks that involve access to a computer, I must find alternatives other than the home for the students to use. Fortunately, some classrooms (even math classes) are equipped with laptops or computers but if my classroom did not have this privilege, I am almost positive the school would have a computer lab that the students could visit after school if needed in order to complete the assignments.