Journal #4 "It's in the Bag"

Basham, J. D., Perry, E., & Meyer, H. (2011). It's in the bag. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(2), 24-27. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-september-october-2011.aspx


Summary:

This article introduces digital backpacks, and its potential usefulness for the teaching and learning experience for the digital age students. This backpack literally is a knapsack containing digital gadgets, such as a laptop, to research information, gather data, and create media. It also may include digital camcorders, iPod touches, and more, which may include already set applications to help the learner. This digital backpack allows the learner to understand, express their understanding, and promotes the interest of the learner. This article talks about testing the results of using digital backpacks that are available for multiple age groups, and found that the digital backpacks are helpful because it supports multiple means of representing instructional material. The authors conclude the article with instructions on how to build your own digital backpack.

Question 1: Would you implement a digital backpack in your 3^rd grade class?

I would try to use this as much as possible because these students are very tech savvy, and allowing them to use the various forms of digital media to learn can be very hands-on, visually stimulating, and they also get to work as groups to figure out how to gather their information using which method, and they would be able to present their findings to their classmates. Like the research of digital backpacks used at the zoo field trip, it could be great for a number of different lessons as well.

Question 2: What could be some challenges of implementing the digital backpack in your 3^rd grade class?

Not all students have access to a lot of technological devices. Their technological levels vary depending on multiple factors, and trying to teach some kids how to use a device while the other kids are anxious because they are growing impatient and bored of the instructions on how to use something they already know how to use. However, this could also be a good thing, because the students who do know how to use it, can learn to teach their classmates that don’t know how to use it, and that can be an interactive thing as well – learning to present their knowledge in a clear manner. 

Journal #3 Students Dig Up Dirt to Learn About Internet Safety

Morehouse, J. (2011). Students dig up dirt to learn about internet safety. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(2), 34-35. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20110910?pg=36

Summary:

This article addresses the issue of online security. The teacher conducts an Internet activity in which the students research the Internet to collect information about their teacher. The students are then asked to draw conclusions based off of the collected information. Some were true; some were false. The teacher, then, had students browse through the Internet for information on a complete stranger, given a number of basic background bio of the stranger. The students then put together a presentation on their stranger, and came up with conclusions about the person they were researching on. This successfully made students truly concerned about their privacy and security on the Internet. The students were given the opportunity to change their Facebook privacy settings, as to limit the amount of information they give out. All of the students make changes.

This is a great way to personalize the importance of not feeling invincible just because you are sitting behind a computer screen. The things you post on your social networking sites can and most likely will turn up again in the future, and you would not want to post anything you will end up regretting in the future.

Question 1: Would you implement this activity in your classroom?

I would definitely implement this in my classroom. One of the best ways to learn is to actually go through it in real life. If my students are able to personally see that it is very easy to obtain and misinterpret information on a person, even negatively, they will probably be concerned about their online reputation and security, and will be more likely to take the content of theirpostings on social networking sites, more seriously.

Question 2: What consequences could occur from this activity?

Some students may use these researching tools to try to gain as much access possible on a person of interest. This would be a violation on the other person's privacy, and would be the complete opposite of what the purpose of the lesson is striving to achieve.

Journal #2 All About Twitter

JOIN THE FLOCK

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), 12-15. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100607?pg=14&pm=2&fs=1#pg14

Summary: 

Twitter can be a tool to learn from other people, what you would like to know! This can require some work, however. You would need to develop a professional learning network (PLN), so that you can gain access to greater information. Developing a PLN on Twitter is a commitment, and this commitment is carried out in the following steps:

1.   Set up your account: Add a photo (real or Avatar). Add a bio!

2. Learn to follow: Following someone makes them feel good, so they will be more likely to check out your page to see if they would like to follow you as well.
3. Tap into great lists: Follow people who know great people, and follow those people!
4. Watch and listen: Feel free to sit back and learn from other peoples’ tweets! You don’t have to always be tweeting.
5. Give generously: The more you contribute, the more likely people will be to share their time and knowledge for you.
6. Expose yourself: If you come across good educational/helpful resources and tools, tweet them.
7. Tag your tweet: Use a hashtag (#) to gear it towards a specific stream of educators.

Using Twitter to develop my PLN seems like a great idea to obtain fast, current information on the things I'm looking for as an educator!

Question: What kind of commitment can you make as a Tweeter, in order to build your PLN?

Each tweet can contain a maximum of 140 characters; that means that it is not going to take much time to share a resource, and it does not require much detail, thus does not require much time at all. Committing to Twitter at least once a day, even if it is for a short while, should not be too great of an obligation, because I am personally on the computer almost everyday anyway.

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ENHANCE YOUR TWITTER EXPERIENCE

McClintock, S. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), 14-17. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100607?pg=16&pm=2&fs=1#pg16

Summary:

This article provides very useful tools for the beginning Tweeter, including the Twitter Organizer. The Twitter Organizer organizes various Twitter streams into columns (Friends, Direct Mentions, etc.). There is also a big list of "twitter twerminology", which define often-used Twitter jargon. For instance, "twaffic" means "traffic on twitter". The author also mentions a resource called Hootlet, which easily allows the Tweeter to tweet to any account linked to the Hootlet account (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). I think that the most interesting thing about this article, is that it provides strategies for tweeting. Indeed, Twitter is a social networking site, and the things you see and experience are heavily dependent on who you know. Thus, following the strategy may be useful in connecting better with those you would like to be associated with!

Question: How could you use Twitter in my 3rd grade classroom?

I can use Twitter to send my students educational games and online activities, to remind them of homework, to make immediate big announcements, and other classroom related news. I can also teach the students Social Networking Ettiquette, using Twitter as a networking source. Not only will my students be able to learn more about the subject matters; but they will also be able to learn to be civil over the internet.