Chapter 6 - Computer and Network Security

The issue of online voting was discussed in Chapter 6. I can see the many pros of using this technology, but I feel that at this point in time, the cons heavily outweigh the pros. After reading "The Blue Nowhere", I feel like nothing online is safe from people who have a strong desire and knowledge to hack into other people's computers and wreak havoc. It would be too easy for educated hackers to unethically affect the outcome of elections. It's obvious that most of these hackers have no ethical and moral standards that drive their decision making.

Chapter 5 - Privacy

There were many interesting issues brought up in this chapter. One that I was already aware of and scares the heck out of me is the Google Phonebook Service. I suppose it isn't all that different from publishing a phone number and address in a phone book, but just the thought that finding directions to your home by anyone out there is that simple is a little frightening.

The idea of using body scanners to help customers find clothes that best fit their body style sounds awesome to me! I loathe trying on jeans and anything to eliminate that fiasco works for me.

Lastly, the issue of implanting chips into animals sounds like a wonderful idea to me. I know that the issue of imlanting chips into children is very controversial issue and I do understand both sides of this issues. As a mother, I would be willing to sacrifice my child's safety over their privacy, especially younger children. I think this is a practice that will become more popular in the next few years.

Novel #3 Reaction

I just finished reading the Blue Nowhere. What a great book. I loved all of the twists and turns. I guess Gillette was not Shawn after all! I think we are going to continue to see more and more people in the real world that replace human beings with machines. I especially loved the happy ending. I am a sucker for romance!

Technology Article #6 (Module 3)

The article "Technology in Schools: Some Say It Doesn't Compute!" focused on research that makes a stong case against the way technology is being used in schools. Some students complained that because the technology available to them was so slow that it was wasting their time to just sit and wait on connections. Another student discussed his concern with his school district making the decision to spend limited funds on computers instead of textbooks that would be used every day by every student. This is a decision that many schools are currently facing. The article also brought to light health concerns that could face students using technology, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, emissions from older machines, and the sedentary lifestyle that comes from sitting behind a machine.

One good point that the article made was that students try to substitute the Internet for a library, when they don't realize or understand that much of the material on the Internet is incorrect or biased.

I am a strong advocate of technology in schools, but I do understand the concerns mentioned in this article. I think the most important key is how the technology is implemented and used by students and teachers. I don't want to see student's get short changed in core areas such as math or reading because teachers are spending instructional time teaching a software program or technology that will be extinct by the time they graduate from high school!

Technology Article #5 (Module 3)

The article "Virtual High Schools: The High Schools of the Future?" discussed the advantages that distance education can bring to students. One key point of distance education is that it gives all students an equal opportunity to content curriculum and to people with many perspectives. Living in a small, rural community, I can see how this could be a major advantage for our students to have this type of learning available to them. I like the fact that students can move at their own pace. If they are understanding the material and want to proceed, they are not held back by other students who don't understand. Also, if they need to repeat a course, they can do so without being embarrassed. The article mentions the possibilities this type of learning has for dropouts and students who have been expelled.

Kids seem to feel very comfortable with this type of learning. It's a way of life for them. Many of them have been on a computer since they were 5 years old or younger. My three year old loves to play matching games and other fun things on my computer. It's hard for me to imagine what type of technology will be available for her when she is in high school!

Technology Article #4 (Module 3)

The article entitled "The School of the Future" was an interesting article. According to this article, due to technology schools as we know them will no longer exist in the next century. Students will learn at times when it is most convenient for them as schools will be open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. A laptop computer will be the student's library, homework, data storage, and connection to the wider world. One key point in this article was that technology with change the emphasis from the "teaching" of kids to the "learning" of kids.

I have focused a lot of my time and attention on at-risk students in my prior master's classes, and these schools of the future seem to be a key to success for these kids. Some students who already have the responsibilities of full-time jobs or children of their own can still get their education via on-line at a time of the day that it is convenient for them. I am excited, but a little anxious to see the changes in store!

Reflection #2 of Novel

I just finished Chapter 18 and this is getting intense! It's hard for me to stop reading once I pick this book up. I did not see it coming when Gillette was actually Shawn. I was also shocked when the principal was the one murdered, not Jamie Turner. Reading this book makes me a little freaked out to even be online! It makes me realize that virtually nothing is private when a hacker is determined to get information they want. I'm learning a few new techno terms to impress my students with this fall!

Reflection #1 of Novel

I am finished with the first ten chapters of the novel. It has been a long time since I have sat down and read a book like this. I am finding myself enjoying it, but struggling to find uninterrupted time to read with little ones around. I am anxious to find out what happens next!

Technology Article #3

The third article I chose to reflect on is titled "21st Century Skills: Will Our Students Be Prepared?" I became a member of an organization called Kal-Tech this year and a lot of the conferences I attended focused on 21st Century Skills. I was interested to see the similarities and differences to what I had previously learned. The six key elements of 21st century learning are core subjects, learning skills, 21st century tools, 21st century context, 21st century content, and new assessments that measure 21st century skills.

I think one thing that is key to our students today is connecting the learning to the world outside of the classroom. If students can see how what they are learning is of use to them and how it is used, that are much more likely to understand and retain the knowledge. Of course, technology is transforming the way our students learn and behave. One interesting comment in the article was that technology is making it necessary to constantly learn and adapt. I think that is so important for people to know and understand. I know there are people out there that are very against change, but one thing I have learned over the course of the past several years is that the only thing that is constant is change.

Another important statement in this article was the fact that we have done tons of research on learning and we know how people learn and don't learn. All human beings learn by doing, analyzing, talking, processing, and problem-solving. Eeva Reeder made the comment that "talking at kids never has been and never will be an effective way to help them learn," yet some teachers are still using this as their only teaching strategy. I think that this has got to change to help kids succeed in the 21st century. Many of our newer teachers have been taught in their teacher preparation courses that it is essential to address the many different learning styles in their classrooms, so hopefully we will continue to see improvements in the future.

Technology Article #2

The second article I chose to read and report on was titled "How Teachers View Technology." CDW-G conducted a survey of 600 K-12 educators representing elementary, middle, and high school teachers. Of the teachers surveyed, a high percentage of teachers feel that computers improve student performance and their attention in class. Teachers also feel that computers help increase communications with parents. I agree with all of the above statements, especially the communication between teachers and parents. Computerized gradebooks often allow parents to check their student's grades as often as they wish. Also being able to check for missing assignments when a student is absent is a major bonus for parents. I communciate with many of my parents via email. For parents that are hard to get a hold of, it is great to be able to send an email and have them reply to you at their convenience.

The article noted that training was the key to increased technology use. I whole-heartedly agree with that statement. You can spend millions of dollars to purchase new technology for schools but unless you teach people how to use it , you are wasting your money.

The biggest obstacle for most teachers was a shortage of classroom computers, which came as no surprise. I think we get a little bit better at this every year, but it would still be wonderful to have more computers for our elementary students to use. I know how my 8-year old son feels about technology and I guarantee that he would jump at the chance to be able to use a computer more often at school.

Technology Article #1

The first article I chose to read and respond to was titled "Laptops Change Curriculum -- and Students." This article was of interest to me because the school that I teach in recently started a laptop initiative, placing laptops in the hands of all of our high school students. It was interesting to note many similar pros and cons that our school is experiencing compared to the Bloomfield, Connecticut school in the article.

One smart thing that the Bloomfield school did was to give teachers laptops six months before students, and then empower the teachers with lots of training and support on implementing the laptops. Teachers in our district were not even given a laptop to use. We still have the old desktop dinosaurs on our teacher's desks which many teachers only use for email and grading purposes.

The sense of excitement that student's felt in the article was also noted at our school. It was like Christmas Day when our students received their laptops. When students had to turn their laptops back in at the end of the school year, it was as if someone had chopped off their right arm.

The article mentioned that even the glitches that people experience when dealing with technology have taught the students persistence and problem-solving skills. This was not something that I had thought of before, but is a nice bonus!

ISTE National Ed Technology Standards

After looking at the NETS for Teachers, I feel like our school district does a fair job implementing technology. This depends so much on the comfort level of technology of the teacher. I am anxious to learn more about laws regarding students and publishing information on the Internet. I sometimes feel confused about what is and what is not acceptable to publish.

My First Blog

I have responded to different blogs before, but never have created my own blog. I am excited about this learning opportunity. I am hoping to be able to incorporate much of what I learn in this class into my curriculum. As far as where I am with using technology with my students, obviously we use it everyday in our computer courses. However, it is easy to get into a rut sometimes and I am always looking for new ideas and curriculum. We are fortunate (I think) at our school for every high school student to have their own laptop to use. This has created a huge opportunity for teachers at our school to use technology in ways they were unable to in the past.