Conditional Acceptance to CSUSM

Today is a great day!  I have been conditionally accepted to CSUSM's single subject teaching credential program and will be starting school August 20th. 2010!

Copyright/Internet Safety: NETS 4 and 5

Using Google Docs, my classmates and I made this collaborative reference for copyright laws and internet saftey.  After numerous revisions from myself and my peers, we completed the final project.  The following topics are included in this document:

Identity Safety
Cyberbullying
Cyber Predators
Piracy and Plaigarism
Inappropriate Content Guidelines
Social Networking

CopyrightInternetSafetyjk

P.S.A. - ANTI-HATE VIDEO, RESPONSE TO CSUSM HATE CRIMES: NETS 2 and 3

I made this public service announcement  in response to the recent hate crimes that were commited on the campus at CSUSM as well as UCSD.  I imported video footage and music from You Tube.  Then I edited the footage by adding voiceovers, special effects, text and slide transitions.

Wiki Assignment - Alienat the Alien from Picktaps.com NETS 3 and 5

I added a page on the class CSUSM technology class collabortive wiki, CSUSM 2.0 Tools.  My class peers and I each created a wiki page which included a description and example of the web tool which we researched.  I choose a drawing tool website called pictaps where you can actually draw a humanoid creature and watch it come to life by dancing.  My creature is named Alienat and you can watch him get down in the above video that I embedded on my blog from Picktaps.com.
   

NETS Collaborative PowerPoint Rubric: NETS 3 and 5

By using iRubric.com, a website designed to help educators create online collaborative rubrics, I was able to design a rubric which I then used to critique my peer's PowerPoint presentations.  As a class, we designed a fun rubric that used vernacular from the classic television show The Simpsons such as DoH!, Oh Man!!!, and Cowabunga Dude!!!  iRubric makes designing rubrics easy and it also enables educators to re-use old rubrics for different assignments by easily making minor adustments and corrections in the text and the number of rows and columns.

Journal #10: Ed Tech Advocacy Issues

Goldmann, H. (2010). Ed tech advocacy issues. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100304#pg12

Ms. Goldmann is the ISTE director of government affairs and in this article she summarized ten issues that local, state, and national policy makers must focus on when discussing the future of education.  She believes that technology in education is the common ground on which all subjects should be based off of.  As a ed tech advocate she argues that technology must be pervasive throughout all grades and subjects of the public educational system to prepare students for a college track.  Another one of her main points was training teachers so that they are technologically competent with new and emerging tools so that they can immediately apply their know how upon their acceptance of jobs.  I found this to be a relevant point as one of the pre-requisites for the CSUSM teaching credential program is ED 422.  One of the best way to improve school improvement is through the use of technology in the classroom.  However, for this new structure to work, classrooms must have computers with high speed broadband internet connections and there must be an I.T. person on campus who can support teachers when they need trouble-shooting help.  Technology is the global equalizer that will break down artificial barriers to effective learning and teaching provided that adequate measues are made to ensure the success of the education technology revolution.

What do you think the biggest imeding issue to technology in the classroom will be?
I believe that money will be the biggest issue as it almost always is.  Currently with budget cuts in California, school districts accross the state are forced to lay off numerous paraprofessionals such as I.T. personal on campuses.  When schools can't even afford basic student transportation services, I don't know where the money for computers and trained personal will come from.  This issue will effect poor urban neghborhoods much more drastically than it will suburban middle class neighborhoods, but with out a doubt no districts are free from the implications of budget cuts.  Sure enough numerous new teachers will reciecve RIFF notices this year and won't find that there is a job for them in the next year.

Is technology in education truely the most important factor for student success?
I believe that the core empasis in schooling should be on core subjects like Science, Math and English.  These subjects can be taught and taught well without the current technological advances in the rest of the world but I do believe that technology competence is also very important.  If America wishes to compete with the rest of the developed world, we must stress the importance of making technology pervasive in every subject grades K-12.  I do believe that this is the direction that the future of education is taking and even with hidrances such as budget cuts, we must try to lobby for curriculum standards for current technological education advances.

Journal # 9: Playing with Skype

Weller, T.J. (2010). Playing with skype. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100304#pg30

Skype is a online video telephone service that is easy, cheap and requires little computer knowledge to use it.  Traditionally skype has been used by people who wish to talk to each other over long distances without paying long distances fees.  In fact skye is actually better than a telephone because it is used in conjunction with a video camera so the individuals who are conversing can actually pick up on subtle facial expressions that would go unnoticed over the phone.  Mr. Weller came up with the idea of integrating this technology into the classroom so that music conductors could actually bring their live orchestras into the classroom.  This isn't too different from a previous blog post that I wrote about interactive field trips.  However, skype is actually better than the technology that I described in the previous post because it is cheap and doesn't require an person to have access to a scarce and expensive machine.

Why was this idea so successful for integration into Mr. Weller's music room?
The  music conductor was actually able to see and interact with Mr. Weller's class before the performance so that he could explain what his envision of the music is.  Additionally, the low cost, user friendly program was highly accessible for his room as it would be for most classrooms in the states.  With emerging technology such as this, the teacher is no longer the absolute educator in the room.  The possibilities are practically endless as far as what professionals the students can interact with.

What are some possible complications that one might encounter while trying to utilize Skype video conferencing?  Skype does require a broadband internet connection.  As we all know, not all internet connections are equal and it would be unfortunate if in the middle of a classroom skype conversation, the internet connection was suddenly lost for whatever reason.  However, interent connections are much more stable now then they used to be when we all used dial-up connections and I think that this problem would be rare.   

Inspiration, NETS-T standards 1-5: NETS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Inspiration is a great tool that can be used to orgnize your thoughts on paper.  It is basically a programt that can be used to create the classic spider diagram.  I used it to outline my competency with  NETS 1 through 5 by using two examples of work for each NET which demonstrate my competency in the respective NET.  I also linked the large Turkey in the middle to the official National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers webpage.

1.  Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

It is imperative that educators utilize their subject matter expertise, pedagogy and personal experiences to stimulate their students’ innate inquisitive character with real world as well as technological environments. 

By using Microsoft Word, a word processing program, to create a mock newsletter I promoted innovative ideas as I used Word Art, a font distortion application of Microsoft Word, dropcaps, line art, clipart, custom bullets and borders to draw readers' attention to various parts of the newsletter in a visually appealing way.  I modeled creativity by inserting a scanned self-portrait and utilizing the text wrapping feature.  I further promoted innovative thinking and use of technology through posting the newsletter to my blog, an online personal journal that is open to the public.    

By using Google docs, a web-based word processor, to write a collaborative narrative with colleagues, I am able to model collaborative knowledge construction in a virtual environment.  In Google docs, two peers and I worked remotely on a single document.  Each of us was able to contribute thoughts and edit the ideas of the others from various locations at different times as well as invite feedback from others.  Students could use Google docs to create and edit work with peers from across the room or even around the world.  As I am digitally invited to view and edit my peer’s document through the share application in Google docs, I promoted reflection and assessments of my peers' understanding, thinking, planning, and creative processes.  

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

After designing a PowerPoint presentation, a computer presentation program, I was able to incorporate this digital tool to promote student learning by teaching my fellow students about ways to creatively demonstrate classroom lesson ideas.

After constructing an online grading rubric on www.rcampus.com, I was able to provide my fellow students with multiple formative and summative assessments of their PowerPoint presentations that aligned with the NET-T content and technology standards.  The students were then able to use the resulting data from the rubric w to inform themselves on their learning and teaching strengths and weaknesses.

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Through online digital collaboration with fellow students and teachers at www.twitter.com, a real-time information network powered by people all around the world, I was able to communicate with fellow students and my teacher to support student success and innovation.

By creating a Delicious account, a social bookmarking website, I modeled effective use of this new digital tool as I can now locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources that I’ve saved in my Delicious bookmarks on any computer thereby supporting research and learning.
  

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
By utilizing the JCCS Internet Safety Project’s website at www.jccsinternetsafety.wetpaint.com, I was able to advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources by creating a collaborative resource on Google Docs that addressed internet safety, cyberbullying, cyber predators, piracy and plagiarism, inappropriate content and social networks. 

By creating an online web log of my classroom projects at  www.ed422exjkrefft.blogspot.com, I both promoted and modeled digital etiquette and responsible social interactions as I consistently demonstrated a high level of integrity when I would comment on my peer’s blog posts which relate to the use of technology and information.


5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

After I became a member of Classroom 2.0 at www.classroom20.com, a online social network for those interested in Social Media in Education, I participated in the local and global learning community by commenting on other educator’s blogs.   The wealth of information that I, as a member, have access to on this website allows me to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning.

Through becoming a member of the International Society for Technology in Education at www.iste.com, an organization that advances excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology, I have access to an online journal publication titled Learning and Leading with Technology.  I regularly evaluate and reflect on current research in this publication to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.  After reading recent articles, I summarize them on my blog.

Journal #8: Navigate the Digital Rapids

Lindsay , J, & Davis, V. (2010). Navigate the digital rapids. Learning and Leading With Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/Navigate_the_Digital_Rapids.htm

This article is about digital citizenship. It encourages teachers to not be timid or fearful of technology in the classroom, but rather to utilize it professionally. Teachers should not recycle their strategies and exercises from year to year, but rather they should constantly be improving and innovating new ways to reach their students. Similarly, technology is also dynamic just as a teachers lessons should be from year to year. Teachers should use this constant change to their benefit and act as a guide on the side for their students so that the learning is in the hands of the students. After teaching proper technology use in the classroom, the teacher should empower the students to be respectable digital citizens and only step in when necessary.

How can technology in the classroom lower the classroom walls?
The internet is a gateway to the world outside of the classroom. Rather than acting as a spectator and suring websites, students can communicate with other students and professionals in various fields. When students learn proper web etiquette, the internet is a wonderful tool that should be promoted. By commenting on threads, creating blogs and emailing quetions online, students can become members of a global community.

What are the threats behind empowering students with internet access?
Inevitably, some students will abuse their privilege to internet access. It is up to teachers to train and monitor their use so as to verify that they are appropriately staying on task. This article outlined that of the 3,000 students that were trained on proper internet utilization, less than 10 participated in questionable online activities. Most students are more mature and responsible than the educational system gives them credit for. As long as a teacher acts as a guide on the side while students are navigating the digital world, problems will be few and far between.

Journal # 7: The Beginner's Guide To Interactive Virtual Field Trips

Zanetis, J. (2010). The Beginner's guide to interactive virtual field trips. Learning and Leading With Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4516&ContentID=25443&DirectListComboInd=D

Let me start by just saying "Wow!" Interactive virtual field trips (VFTs) are a fairly new technology that gives teachers access to primary resources which are beyond the school ground boundaries. It is an excellent resource in that it allows teachers to take their students on field trips, which often solidify what is learned in the classroom, without the logistical and financial issues that arise from true physical field trips. There are two types of VFTs. Asynchronous are usually prerecorded podcasts or experiments or narrations of a historical sites. Synchronous are real time interactive field trips in which the students and the instructor on the other side of the video recorder can communicate in real time. The students can actually talk to the instructor. The one catch is that the school district must first have an expensive video conferencing unit which is h.323 compatible and capable of Ip-based connections. I don't know what that means, but I'm sure that technological gurus do.

How could teachers integrate VFTs into their classrooms?
After teaching a particular lesson, the teacher could go on any number of websites in search of a reputable interactive VFT. Just like all lessons, students should have an understanding of what the presenter is going to speak about before the VFT is conducted. After the VFT, their should be a follow up lesson in which the teacher can check the knowledge of the student's to make sure that they all understand what was learned from the VFT. As a prospective Biology teacher, I'm finding myself so excited that I could just pee my pants over the possibilities for integrating this technology into my future classroom.

What reaction to VFTs can be expected from students who have never encountered this technology before?
I believe that students will be hesitant to talk to a screen at first, but after a short while, I imagine that the students will become comfortable with the idea to an extent that they will fully engage the presenter on the other side. Field trips are one of the highlight experiences for all students in schools because it is a chance to see how dry classroom content applies to the real world. This is a connection that is important for students to make if they are to fully engage in the material. Walking through a dinosaur museum or watching a shuttle take off in real time will surely stimulate student interest. The best learning takes place when students are excited about the content.

Journal # 6: Classroom 2.0 / Web 2.0 Exploration, NET 5

I decided to look into online "gaming" as a learning tool in the classroom. Digital game based learning (DGBL) can be described as the utilization of an interactive game for students which promotes learning. To date games in the classroom have been used in the three following ways:

1. Educators have students build games from scratch.
2. Educators and/or developers build educational games from scratch to teach students.
3. Educators integrate commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) games into the classroom.

Much research has been conducted on the topic of DGBL and the most important aspect on utilizing DGBL in the classroom is deciding whether or not the game in question is a suitable game aligned with the relative subject content and curriculum.

One teacher designed a successful math game called MathLand in which every student had a character that would move up in levels from D to C to B to A and then to A+. This seemed to be a motivational approach for the kids as they all wanted to reach the final level of the game. The students' characters in the game would also gain accessories as they became more developed. Plain characters looked like storm troopers, snowmen and TV's by the time that they reached the A+ level. Since students are competing against the levels in the game and not each other it makes them competitive against their prior scores and not each other. Many teachers seem to find this game effective. One teacher even commented that her emotionally impaired students learn more with MathLand then they would from a more traditional classroom approach as the game stimulates their interests in an otherwise dry subject area.

PowerPoint - Intro to NETS for Students Grade K-2: NETS 1, 2 and 3

I used the National Educational Technology Standards for Students to design lesson plans that could be used in a kindergarten classroom.  Some of the PowerPoint features that I incorporated into my presenation include but aren't limited to word art, custom animation on text and pictures, slide transitions and hyperlinks where appropriate.  I also important a bunch of fun images off of the internet.  PowerPoint is a great presentation tool that can make event the most boring project fun!

Journal #5 Do students need to memorize facts in the digital age?

Mahoney, R, & Knowles, C. (2010). Do students need to memorize facts in the digital age?. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201002#pg8

This article featured to teachers with opposing answers as to whether or not students need to memorize facts in the digital age. Mr. Mahoney argues that yes it is important to understand facts as preliminary knowledge for conceptual interpretation. He believes that facts are vital for students to learn as they provide students with the required concrete detail that critical and higher level thinking builds upon. Comparatively, Ms. Knowles argues no that memorization isn’t important. Analyzing information is truly what matters. She believes that learning in the digital age is about finding the information, organizing it and then most importantly analyzing it. She bases much of her opinions on research of human neuron pathways that are reinforced when students critically think about the information they gather, rather than just storing data.

Do you believe that students need to memorize facts in the digital age? I definitely do. However, I can see both sides of the issue and I believe that both Mr. Mahoney as well as Ms. Knowles contrasting viewpoints are correct. It is important to memorize facts. For instance, without the knowledge of basic algebra, a student will have a difficult time analyzing a well worded algebraic situational word problem. It is also true that unfortunately a large amount of education is spent cramming a vast amount of information into the short term memory, regurgitating it all over the test, and forgetting it. Digital resources make it possible to dedicate more time to thinking critically about issues rather than just storing useless unrelated facts. However, that is not to say that all facts are useless.

Is it important to memorize facts, interpret, and analyze them in all school classrooms? No. I would argue that most math classes, with the exception of logic, favor the memorization of concrete facts while courses such as psychology, science and history are much more based on analyzing. However, if one doesn’t have a fact base from their math class on reading graphs, then it will be difficult to interpret and analyze them in a science course. Therefore, the mastery of factual memorization and conceptual analysis is imperative to intellectual thought processes.

Journal #4 Finding Students Who Learn With Media

Bull, G, Alexander, C, & Fester, B. (2010). Finding students who learn with media.    Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from    http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201002#pg38

In this article the authors promote the use of online web based tools such as Primary Access Movie Maker in the classroom.  Primary Access is a free website that has a movie making application which enables the user to construct their own documentary short films.  It is a great resource that allows children who learn well with technological tools in the classroom to interactively engage in subject content.  The creators of Movie Maker also created Storyboard which is basically the same as Movie Maker except its less complicated, allowing educators to incorporate the movie making lesson into one class period instead of three.  I find this to be an important aspect of the programming on Primary Access as teachers can decide what program their students will learn depending on the teacher’s allocated time for the lesson.

Describe one lesson that you, as an educator, could utilize in the classroom involving either Movie Maker or Storyboard.  I could see myself doing a Biology lesson on the Periodic Table in which each of the students in my class would be assigned to present a short movie on whatever element they were assigned to research.  Each student’s movie would have short films and graphics of individual elements.  By making this assignment electronic, the students would be able to visually see the differences in size and quality of one atom of each element. 

How could you verify that all of the students in the class were in fact on task and not just playing around with the moving making program?  If I were to assign an assignment which allowed student access to computers, I would constantly be walking around the room to answer questions and make sure that everyone was on task.  I would also have the students present their short films to the whole class.  The student’s will most likely want to stay on task so that they have a fantastic film to present to their peers as no one will want to receive a bad evaluation from the peer review. 

Crossword On Waves: NETS 1 and 2

I created this crossword using Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet program. Through the slightly cumbersome process of creating this crossword on waves, I developed a familiarity with applications in excel such as filling in rows and columns with text or the orange/black pattern that I used. I also added a code to my crossword puzzle that can only really be viewed in Excel that changes the first letter to red if it is incorrect or blue if it is correct. As a teacher, I will be able to incorporate science crosswords as a fun assignment for students who complete their work early.

Newsletter: NETS 1,2 and 3

newsletterjk

In this assignment I created an introductionary newsletter about my fictional Biology classroom that is designed to inform parents or caretakers about me, my course and the high expectations that I have for my students.  The newsletter was created in Microsoft Word and in the process of designing it, I learned about different formatting tools such as creating an invisible table that I used at the top of the newsletter and invisible columns that I used in the body of the newsletter.  I also used drop caps, custom bullet points, line art and imported clip art from the internet.  Upon completion of the newsletter I used Scribed, an online embedding to tool to embed it into my my blog.  Enjoy! 

Vincent Van Gough's Crows Over Cornfields

Social Bookmarking: NETS 1,2,3 and 5

After opening up a Delicious account at Deliciouis.com, we were asked to research several websites and "tag" them with keywords on our page.  A tag is a bookmark that anyone can use from any computer.  Delicous is a social bookmarking website that promotes collaboration as other people who have the same interests as me can see what sites I find to be important or resourcefull.  I will use this website in the future when I'm conducting research as it makes surfing the internet easier since other people have most likely already searched out and tagged whatever it is that I'm looking for.  My tag roll is embeded in the column of this webpage.  Everyword in my tag roll is bookmarked and the larger words are the words that I tagged more frequently. 

1.  On the American National Archives website I found a very interesting exhibit that showcased World War II Propaganda posters. Classic posters such as the one featuring Uncle Sam that states, "I Want You" were a not so subtle way of winning the hearts and minds of the civilians who weren't necessarily on the front line of the war but they were effective.

Using primary sources like this one in the classroom provide students with real world historical artifacts. By using posters, students that prefer to look at pictures rather than read out of a book can relate to the historical significance of WWII propaganda. As effective teachers, it is imperative that we continuously question the curriculum that that we are required to teach. Primary sources are a great way to integrate information into the classroom that is important for students to learn but may not be featured in the textbooks.

2.  There are many groups that are over represented by the California public educational system achievement gap.  They include but aren't limited to students of the working poor, Latinos, African-Americans, English second language learners, gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans gender groups.

To help myself in becoming a more culturally competent individual, I would start by conducting a self-assessment of my own pedagogy.  As an effective teacher, I will always be reflecting on what techniques work and which ones don't and consequently making adjustments to my teaching style so that my classroom will encourage the participation of all students in an inclusive manner.  In order to teach effectively one must also have a knowledge base about the local community so that the teacher can teach key points and concepts to the students that the students are able to relate to in their daily lives.  Without a substantial knowledge of the community, a teacher’s ability to make connections between the course content and the students is limited.  Students will automatically pick up on how involved their teachers are in their community and will reward their teacher with respect and attention during class.  The third strategy that I will use to reach all of the students in my class will be the use of a culturally relevant curriculum and a delivery of this curriculum.  It is important to integrate resources by a wide plethora of individuals from all walks of life.  It is also appropriate to discuss multiple perspectives on issues of controversy or historical events.  Hopefully by varying my pedagogy and utilizing culturally relevant resources, all of my students will develop an affinity for education.


3.  I scored an eight on the cyber bully test.  I'm a bit cyber risky according to the grading key but everyone makes a few mistakes. Right?  My two worst cyber crimes that I have committed numerous times were teasing someone over Instant Messenger and insulting someone in an interactive game room.  I have a few friends that I like to kid around with over instant messenger.  It goes both ways and is totally benign.  The interactive game room insulting however is different.  I loathe World of Warcraft players that are so wrapped up in their virtual world that they forget about enjoying life outside of their computer room.  I have insulted them and I will not apologize.  Really people, get a life and some real friends because your guild of dwarves and elves doesn't count.

One interesting article that I read on the educator link was about Teenangels.  Never heard of them?  I hadn't either.  They are basically a group of adolescent students between the ages of 13 and 18 that design and present offline presentations on all aspects safe internet surfing.  They offer presentations to parents, teachers, children and even other teens.  The FBI and FTC are just a few of the governmental agencies that participate in their training.  As computer savvy teens they are up to date on what cyber crimes their peers are committing online and they report their findings to governmental regulatory organizations so that these agencies may better protect citizens from cyber crimes.  The program is great in that it empowers youth to teach other youth about safe internet surfing.  They have even been used to expose and detain sexual predators.
4.  Under Subject Access I looked into Earth Science for an interesting link and I found a fabulous resource for the classroom.  I clicked on Volcanoes of the World and the link took me to a wonderful volcano website that had a map of every volcano in the world.  Then when you clicked on the map image it would zoom in to the region of interest and allow you select individual volcanoes. This site had a picture for every volcano in the world!  It even comes with an "Ask Jeeves" type of link called "Ask a Volcanist" where a real volcanist will respond to your questions.  If I ever get the opportunity to teach an earth science course I would have the students do group presentations on a volcano of their choice.  They would use this website as a resource to describe their volcano to the class.  The picture that I included is a picture that was taken this week of a recently active volcano in Indonesia!

Under the Teacher's Helper section I clicked on bulletin boards as I'm not the most creative person and I want my classroom environment to be fun and stimulate the student's inquisitive nature.  I clicked on "A galaxy of Stars" and was shown a great idea for putting my students’ names on the wall in the room.  The stars are designed to be stars in the galaxy and every star has a students name on it.  Get it. Stars...  :)  It is a way to provide the students with ownership for their classroom as well as a segway into studying astronomy.


5.  I watched the video that was titled, "Multiple Intelligences Thrive in Smartville".  It was about an elementary school in the Midwest that bases their entire curriculum and pedagogy around eight intelligences.  It is believed that everyone has an innate ability for success in certain fields and that we all have different areas of strengths.  The eight areas that were described in the article and video are: musical, verbal, physical, interpersonal, visual, logical, intrapersonal and naturalistic.  My top three intelligences are as follows:  naturalistic 100%, interpersonal 81%, verbal linguistic 67%.  I completely agree with the results of the test.  Wow!  That’s impressive.

6.  Air Quality: An Indicator of a Families Income?

Students are not often interested in math and graphing as it doesn't relate to any sort of real world scenario that might stimulate their curiosity.  However, in this math lesson for seventh or eighth graders, students will learn about air quality and how it varies depending on where you live just as income level also dictates where you live.  Therefore income level, racial segregation of intercity areas and air quality can all be related to one another.  Research on the temperature and air quality of various cities in both rural and urban areas will be collected prior to the lesson and then analyzed by the students in class.  In this lesson they will learn the mean, median and mode as well as bar graphs, stem and leaf plots and variable data relationships i.e. air quality and average family incomes.  By working in pairs, all of the students will be included in the project and students will also get to develop their interpersonal skills.  At the end of this six period lesson, students will present their findings to the class and reflect on any inequalities that they have discovered.

7.  I was completely appalled by the inequities in our society after taking this quiz.  The statistics about the unequal distribution of wealth in this country and the world in general stood out to me.  The three richest people in the world have as much money as the 48 poorest countries in the world.  An average CEO makes as much as I make in a year in one day.  What?!!!  Yet I work my fingers to the bone and live hand to mouth while rich CEO's are probably hardly working at all.  In the bigger picture, whole countries are struggling to find one meal in a day while crime rates and disease which are both directly related to poverty are only growing exponentially.  The ambiguous solution to these complicated problems lies in education and if the rich elite weren't so greedy, they could help one of the poorest 48 countries.  Haiti isn't the only country that is in a state of constant disaster.

I was also surprised that the penalties are drastically more severe for possession of crack cocaine than they are for powdered cocaine.  These are essentially the same drug except one is a known as a poor black mans drug while the other is most likely in the pocket of the above mentioned CEO.  Knowledge of a flawed system brings on feelings of outrage.  With knowledge of these inequities in our world, it is our responsibility to fight for change and implement action.  While there is no clear road to reforming society, just passively looking onward certainly won't help change our flawed institutions. As educators, we can help by voicing our opinions to see that something is done to improve injustices where we find them.  

8. I scored a nine on the quiz. d:-D I believe that it is quite important that we teach our students about netiquette because if we don't then they will become as oblivious to the proper way to behave online as they probabally already are to cell phone ettiqute, table manners and chivalry.:-r There seems to be a direct correlation between traditional corporal punishment parenting techniques loosing popularity and children never learning proper etiquette, whether it be online or at the table. As the etiquette among today's youth is becoming ever more obscure it is important that as educators we teach manners where we can, even if it is just in an online world. +:-)

Journal #3 Keeping the Peace

Levinson, M. (2010). Keeping the peace. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25237&DirectListComboInd=D

Abstract: Nueva school district in Hillsborough CA introduced students at a middle school to a personal laptop program. All of the students were allocated their own personal laptops that they were to use for specific assignments. The students were allowed to take the laptops home and use them there as well. As middle school students love to gossip and talk with their friends and these computers all came with the instant messenger program iChat, students quickly abused their privilege by constantly chatting with each other both at school and home. This disrupted school lessons and enabled the students to indulge in a technology at home that some parents were opposed to. Parents didn’t hesitate to tell the schools exactly how they felt. While some parents were outraged and strictly forbid their children from using iChat at home, others advocated for this new technology as it was a way to abolish student “cliques” and promote freedom of speech. The middle school was overwhelmed with parent complaints as well as praises and was forced to remove iChat from the computers. The students still use the computers, but now before the incoming sixth graders receive their now laptops, parents and students alike receive training by Common Sense Media on how to properly use these instruments of education in a constructive manner.

Questions:
1. How could students owning personal laptops advance education?
By providing full computer access to all of the children in the school at any time, the students are bound to become extremely computer savvy. All students of this middle school are most likely competent in programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Power point and possibly even programming. This exposure to computers at such a young age will most likely encourage students to pursue a computer based career as many of them will develop a passion for electronics early on. Whether or not this is the career choice that they decide is right for them, computer literacy is necessary for almost every job in today’s society.

2. What are your personal thoughts/reflections on the students having access to
instant messenger programs such as iChat?
I don’t believe that students should have access to iChat. It is unnecessary for students to be able to communicate with each other during class. Instead they should be focused on the lesson that the facilitator is teaching. It would be difficult to determine which students were typing notes and which were chatting with their friends during a lecture. Therefore I believe that this distraction would lessen the quality of education that the students receive. I do believe that computer literacy as well as ethical computer usage training at a young age is important. However, I think that irrelevant school programs such as iChat or iTunes should be denied to students on school computers. If the student’s parents decide to let their children use these programs on their personal home computers, then that is their own prerogative.

Journal #2: Using Podcasts to Develop a Global Perspective

Maguth, B. M., & Elliot, J. (2010). Using Podcasts to develop a global perspective. Learning and Leading    with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201002#pg1

Abstract:  Teachers at a science, technology, enginerring and math high school have integrated pod-casting into their curriculum.  From what I gathered from the article, creating a pod-cast involves uploading personal files onto the internet.  These files can then be downloaded onto a PC or a mobile device by anyone who knows the url where the files are being stored. Introducing students to pod-casting not only makes the students more computer savvy as they are becoming competent with a new computer technology, but it also enables students to reach a larger audience than just the classroom as they are able to project their work over the internet.  One potential benefit that may come from pod-casting in the classroom is that students will most likely want submit their best work as parents, teachers and their peers will have access to the work that they post online.

How can this technology promote multicultural education in the classroom?
Pod-casting is a wonderful way to promote multicultural education in the classroom.  The students in the above mentioned article were assigned a project in which they were all required to research different people's views on the topic of global warming.  The teacher assigned the students to research different individuals that have vastly contrasting environmental agendas.  By role playing a debate from the perspectives of affluent individuals in the world, the students gained a well rounded perspective of the many issues surrounding global warming.  Students then submitted their work online via pod-casting.  This same education lesson could be used with almost any subject matter such as the history of the caste system and classism.

Is pod-casting a feasible educational method at all public high schools?
In the beginning of the article the author mentioned that the students were attending a science, technology, engineering and math high school.  Only technologically inclined students would attend such a school and this makes me wonder how well pod-casting would fare in a regular public high school.  Basic computer web browsing skills and access to to computers would be a necessary skill base for the students to have in order for this lesson to work.  In the near future, as more emphasis in computer education is integrated into primary schooling, all students that have attended a California public school from K-8 will most likely have the skills to carry out such an assignment.  However, I don't think that all high school students in our current educational system have the skills and resources to pod-cast.

Journal #1 Computing In The Clouds

Johnson, Doug. (2009). Computing in the clouds. Learning and Leading With Technology, 37(4), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/DecemberJanuaryNo4/Computing_in_the_Clouds.htm

Abstract:
The author of this article seems to be passionate about a new way of using computers that he has dubbed the analogy, "computing in the clouds". The general idea is that schools can now complete and save almost all of their work related projects online at various websites such as Google Docs. Johnson goes on to state that schools could save a significant amount of money by investing in computers with less storage space and programs. He believes that simple "net-book" type computers which have small screens, keyboards and storage space can complete almost just as many tasks as a larger more expensive computer provided that the small computer has internet access.

Questions:
Is it feasible for all California students enrolled in public schools to compute in the clouds?
Families in California are feeling the rolling effects of the recession just as much as our public school districts. While some parents may be able to afford net-book type computers for their children, I believe that these devices will be unaffordable for a vast amount of students in California. Technology that requires an initial investment to be successful will most likely further the educational gap in California as rich families will provide their students with computers and underprivileged families will just have to make due with the resources that they have access to.

How could computing in the clouds actually rewind the technological revolution in schools?
If schools recognize that they can save money by computing online and down grading to computers with less programs, it is highly plausible that students may graduate from High School with a high percentage of computer illiteracy. While it is beneficial to know how to use online resources, it is every student’s right to have access to the best and most recent computer software available.

Jeremy Krefft, a well traveled, easy going guy with a laundry list of life goals

My name is Jeremy Krefft and I consider my hometown to be Temecula CA as that is where I was fortunate enough to establish some roots and attend school from grades four through to the completion of high school. However, my father was in the Navy and his career dictated where I went to school for preschool through third grade. I was born in Long Beach but shortly thereafter relocated to Virginia and then to the suburbs of Chicago Illinois where I attended preschool, kindergarten, first and second grades at Oakdale Elementary School. My first taste of education was sweet and I have enjoyed education ever since. I went to a school on Camp Pendleton Military base in California for third grade and hated it. I never made friends and was relieved when I moved to the quaint Valley of Temecula which was actually quite small at the time with only one stop light. After high school I uplifted my roots and moved to Arcata CA to attend college at the famed granola school, Humboldt State University of which I have nothing but good things to say.

I was relatively computer illiterate until I took a mandatory typing class during my freshman year of high school. That single class has been one of the most relevant and helpful courses in my whole academic career. Since that time I have became fairly competent in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint as well as web browsing. With the exception of iTunes and my iPod I avoid Macs whenever possible and am hoping that ED 422EX will help me overcome my dreaded fear of the white alien computers. I wouldn’t consider myself computer savvy. As I am now using one of the computers at CSUSM, I don’t even know what version of Microsoft Office I have on my home PC. Furthermore, I avoided the cell phone revolution as long as possible. I never had a pager when it was cool and until I moved to Africa where the possession of a cell phone was vital to my communication with family and friends I never owned one of those either.

The mission statement of CSUSM/COE is well written and I am proud to be part of a system that holds such important values. As prospective educators, it is vital that we stay up to date with new teaching techniques and methodology. By promoting, “life-long learning, innovative research and ongoing service” we are securing not just our own future as up to date effective compassionate teachers but also the future of the students whom we will diligently help to succeed in the modern world. Education doesn’t stop after you leave an institution which formally presents it to you. It is a mechanism by which we increase our understanding of the world around us and can easily tap into everyday by simply making observations or reading the newspaper.