Born Digital

Born Digital by John Palfrey is about my generation who was born in age of all different kinds of technologies at my fingertips. Technology develops at such a rapid pace, and if you weren’t born digital (or for those like me even if you were) it can be hard to keep up if you get behind. This book raises awareness to the fact that it is important to teach the newest generation important issues as privacy and Internet safety and how they affect young people.

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1. What is one point from the work that you would like to remember?

The chapter that stuck out most for me was over Privacy and Safety. Until recently, I admit I wasn’t even super cautious when using the internet. My face book profile was public so anyone could access my information or look at my pictures. It wasn’t until my mom and her friends got on face book that I thought, not all of pictures need to be show to the world. Privacy and Safety is a huge issue with kids today, most 12 year olds don’t know how to discern what is appropriate and not apocopate to put on the internet,. They also think they are invincible from all of the weirdoes out there…well they are not and as educators we need to inform them on privacy and safety issues.

2. What are the educational implications of the work?

Even though I was born in the digital age I feel like I am lagging behind. It is hard to keep up when a new device or gadget comes out every couple of months. As an educator this is important because technologies in the classroom are constantly upgrading as well. For example: In my new 8th grade US History classroom I have a smart board. Until recently I hadn’t heard of a smart board and I was in high school just four years ago! Luckily I’m getting proper training and I’m going to try and be on top of my educational technology game.

Also, today where information is accessible at our fingertips students need to sort and determine whether this information is useful or not. (p. 164) Those born in the digital age have grown up to create and contribute in our Web 2.0 age, but at the same time though students may be expressing themselves, students need to be taught internet etiquette and privacy and safety issues.

3. What are the personal implications of the work?

For me personally I am going to have to stay up to date with technologies for my classroom. It is important to keep up with technology so that way as a teacher I can integrate it in my classroom. Students born digital are much more dependent and engaged with technologies that ever before. I can’t be having my students know more about technologies than me!

Also, it is important to stress privacy and safety issues to not only my students, but myself as well. Whatever I put on my Facebook or on Twitter anyone of my students or student’s parents can see. I need to be smart as an educator and have a clean profile on the internet.

4. What questions does this work raise for you in your present situation?

How can I stay on top of the latest technologies? I find myself lagging at times and I would like to stay up to date if I can! Is it appropriate to be friends with students on Facebook or Twitter? I need to really think about this before the school year begins. How do I further protect my students on the internet?

5. If the author were available for dialogue what question would you ask?

What prompted Palfrey to be so interested into technology?
How can I balance my technological life with being a teacher?

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Palfrey, John G., and Urs Gasser. Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives. New York: Basic, 2008. Print.

Technopoly

Neil Postman, a humanist associated with New York University, believed that technology could never replace humans. This is evidently seen in his book Technolopy that we read for class.

1. What is the one major point from this work that you would like to remember?

The major point I would take away from Technopoly is when using technology we need to always be weary of what we surround ourselves with. Postman is not the biggest fan of technology and I am sure today he would be utterly shocked to see what we surround and submerge ourselves in. This quote stuck out to me the most:

“Information has become a form of garbage, not only incapable of answering the most fundamental human questions but barely useful in providing coherent direction to the solution of even mundane problems.” (Postman, 1992. p. 69)

What I took away from Postman, that we must be cautious of technologies and realize that technologies are not a replacement of humans.

2. What are the educational implications of the work?

Personally, I don’t think Postman would like the amount of technology we are using in classrooms today. I think that he would have been a huge advocate for traditional education. As he states in his book, computers are faceless boxes without souls that we work with. Traditional education is much more that a teacher lecturing, a huge component is the social aspects students face. I think that students learn such important social skills in school that they cannot learn from a lifeless computer. As teachers we must not solely rely and overwhelm out students with technology.

3. What are the personal implications of the work?

Technolpoly made me look around at all of the technologies I rely on daily and don’t think twice about. I am very dependent on my computer, the internet, my email. I feel naked if my cell phone isn’t on me. This morning I woke up with my ipod home, brushed my teeth with my electric toothbrush as I watched TV, and replied to face book messages on my cell phone. All of these technologies are huge parts of my life and I could not imagine operating without them.

4. What questions does this work raise for you in your present situation?

My main question is how will I apply the material from this book in my classroom? Yes, it is important to use technology, but as I teacher I need to have backup plans, heave forbid my technology fails. My next question is how do I help those who are technologically behind? What if one of my students doesn’t have the access to my personal website that my school likes for all of the teachers to do? I need to think of alternative methods to reach my students.

5. If the author were available for dialogue what questions would you ask?

I would ask Postman: What do you think of the Web 2.0 era? Are you surprised by the increase of technology in peoples lives? What technologies would you depend on and what would you steer clear of?

Postman, Neil. Technopoly: the Surrender of Culture to Technology. New York: Knopf, 1992. Print.

Video Conferences

Today we all video-conferenced in to class—it was awesome! We first met at DimDim which is a meeting website that allows participants to view pictures, slideshows, and different websites all at the same time. Everyone participating can see the presenter, who also gets to chose those they want to give speaking privileges too. DimDim would work great with communicating several people all at once from different locations around the world. How cool would it be to use DimDim for conferences!

Next we moved to Tokbox which allows all of its participants to see everybody. This site really requires headphones to get a full effect. I liked being able to see everyone participating in the meeting, better than just seeing the speaker. I see the advantages if there were tons of people of using DimDim to get agenda across.

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While we video conferenced we discussed Web 2.0 chapter 7 regarding online safety and security. The main point of the chapter was how to prevent our students from falling into online traps. Students need to be taught proper internet etiquette.

Also, students must learn copyright laws (which are very serious) and not think that copying and pasting information they find on the internet is acceptable. This is why programs such as Creative Commons (which deals with copyrights laws for creators) and Turnitin.com exist (students submit their papers to be checked for plagiarism). Plagiarism is a serious offense and students need to be taught academic integrity.

Referring to the Technology Cognate with today’s lesson, the emphasis is on video technology; the quote below captures the importance of videos:

“A video ―presence‖ extends into the classrooms, homes, and daily routines of students and teachers. Video technologies enable time-shifting (recording in the present for later use) and enable multi-level and curricular-sensitive instruction from a single teacher (or other appropriate source).”

And it also refers to ethics:

“Ethics provide the boundaries for technology. While technology provides choices, the human operator is accountable for responsible use.”

Technology Cognate Framework
“Technology Through a Prism, Teacher Education and Practice,” 11:Fall/Winter 1995, p 7 and 9.
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For my lesson plan today I would use DimDim to video conference with other US History Classes across the nation with an expert speaker on the importance of copyright laws on the internet. This would combine using video technology and teach many students all at once the importance of copyright laws from an esteemed expert.

Lesson Plan Below
Lesson Plan Using DimDim

Communicating like The Jetsons

Today in class we discussed Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich. In chapter 7 Illich states that a good educational system should have three main purposes to provide sources for those who want to learn, to empower those who want to contribute to learners, and to be presented the opportunity to make their challenge known to the public.

Illich thinks that Web 2.0 is going to be great concept to place traditional education. Lately, traditional education has failed to comply to students needs.

In the YouTube video with Illich, he states that the hidden agenda of the bureaucrats are ingrained in schools to create robots out of kids. I think this idea is a bit much. Though I believe we do need to find and use new methods to teach and engage our students, not all traditional education is bad. There is a reason some things have been done for years and years.
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Today we talked about different ways to hold a meeting using technology. We talked about Skype, DimDim, and TokBox which are ways to video chat and share documents with several people at once.

Another source we talked about was Second Life. Second life is like a combination of the Sims and World of Warcraft. This program, as pointed out by fellow classmates, would be good to use in the classroom to help students who have severe social disorders. Second Life is defiantly not traditional! I’m not sure if I would use it in my classroom it is a bit out there for me personally, but it was great to learn about a different source that could appease others!

Referring to the Technology Cognate with the material we covered today would fall under Video and Communication Technology.

“This connectivity, provided by any of four current electronic ―paths (telephone, cable, satellite, and terrestrial broadcast), demonstrates that ―the true value of a network is less about information and more about community.”

It is cool to connect with people and to be able to see them face to face and not be in the same place. Whoever thought the 1960s television show The Jetsons TV phones would be a reality!

Technology Cognate Framework
“Technology Through a Prism, Teacher Education and Practice,” 11:Fall/Winter 1995, p 6.
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For my lesson plan today I will use Skype to communicate with the United States Embassy in Florence, Italy for my 8th grade students to see how the American government works across seas with other cultures.

Lesson Plan Below
Lesson Plan Using Skype

Photos!

Today in class we discussed chapter 6 of Web 2.0 about being an administrator in the digital age. While advances in technology are making some aspects of life easier, the digital age also brings about a host of complexities. All of the new technologies available for schools are wonderful, but after the grants are written to obtain these new tools who pays for the upkeep?

Administrators are plagued with the decision whether to spend money to update their schools technologies, but in a world where technology is constantly updating and you don’t want to fall behind the curve, do you spend all of your money on constantly updating technology in your school?

Open Source software is a great tool for teachers and administrators because it is free to use, download, and update. The problem created with open source technology is that it is off brand and many students won’t know how to use it.

There are ways to use technology but be thrifty! Teachers and Administrators can set up a blog for parents to access as a school newsletter. Parents can get updates, teachers can upload homework, lesson plans, events, etc. Parents can ask questions or make comments in the suggestions box.

At China Spring, each teacher at the middle school is required to set up a website using Google Websites (which is free) for students and parents to access. On our websites we have lesson plans uploaded, worksheets, and homework assignments. I haven’t set mine up yet (planning to do it during inservice) but here is an example of one from my school!
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In class we worked with Photoshop today. This program is a very useful tools for teachers to know how to use because when we put pictures up of our students on the internet we must learn how to edit out our student’s faces for privacy protection.

Adobe Photoshop can be expensive but Google’s Picasa is a free source to download, and though not nearly as complex or good as Photoshop can be great for basic photo touches. Below are some the photos I edited using Picasa.

Before: Me in Cinque Terra, Italy

After I messed around with features using Picasa:

This relates to the Data Technology section in the Technology Cognate; editing and creating images.

“Data (Computer) Technology provides interactivity and control. Data technology provides interactive (input/output) functionality to previously linear and/or passive processes. Interactivity dramatically alters knowledge construction and acquisition.”

Technology Cognate Framework
“Technology Through a Prism, Teacher Education and Practice,” 11:Fall/Winter 1995, p 4.

I would use Adobe Photoshop for students to edit and restore copies of old photographs for my 10th grade World History Class. I feel as though the students will get really into this and enjoy editing the images.

Lesson Plan Below.
Lesson Plan Using Photoshop

Final Project

When we were assigned our project, we had to decide what do have as our topic. Looking at the areas where history and physics intersect, we decided to make a timeline on Dipity to show Galileo’s life and to highlight his conflict with the church.

As we started to work on our project, we realized that we would often be working together, but in separate locations. Thus we needed to create a way where we could both communicate our ideas. After looking at different collaborative software we settled on making a Google Document because it is a easy program that easily fits our needs. Here are snippets from that Google Document:

“LIBBY: Here’s a few things that Galileo researched that was the most controversial->
He found that masses of different masses fall at the same rate (gravity)
He laid the framework for relativity
He defended heliocentrism
He created telescopes (very profitable)
He found three of Jupiter’s moons. – Ties back to heliocentrism
I think the most controversy come with his astronomy findings and his gung-ho ness for heliocentric

KATIE: Libs–what form of tech do we want to use? These ideas sound great!

LIBBY: I really want to include not only the facts, but why people are so adamant about why this was controversial.—KATIE: yes yes of course!

LIBBY: So we like the idea of a timeline, lets look up timelines. Dipity is a great timeline maker
KATIE: I really like Dipity from first glance, let’s check it out in more detail together!
LIBBY: I added his birthdate and found a pretty comprehensive timeline that we can use to get ideas on what to look up.”

It was great because not only could we easily collaborate on our project, but Addy could monitor our progress and answer questions as we went along.

We created our timeline using Dipity. Dipity is a free timeline maker that formats all of our information into a use able timeline or flipbook. There was little to no learning curve.

To create our website we downloaded a free template from Adobe DreamWeaver. Adobe was kind enough to add the Photoshop documents necessary to make the website our own. Once we changed out the text in the website and embedded our video and timeline, we uploaded our site onto BearWeb. The whole process was quite painless.

Luckily there are a lot of sources over this topic so it was not hard to research. We found a more detailed timeline that we used as our guide. We also used other sites to help find more specific dates.

The inspiration for this topic sprung from finding an interesting intersection of history and physics. Libby’s eleventh graders will study Galileo’s contributions to science and Katie, who is teaching tenth grade world history, will surely cover the Inquisition.

We covered three areas of the Technology Cognate with this project. We used data technology when we created the timeline using Dipity and filled out the web page using DreamWeaver.

“Data (Computer) Technology provides interactivity and control. Data technology provides interactive (input/output) functionality to previously linear and/or passive processes. Interactivity dramatically alters knowledge construction and acquisition.”

We made an introduction video to our web page using iMovie and that directly correlates to the video technology area of the framework.

“Video technology provides ‘presence’ and ‘affect.’ The ability to simultaneously capture, modify, store, and transmit visual images is video technology’s potent contribution to the technology spectrum.”

When we uploaded our website onto the Internet, we essentially started a conversation between us and the world. We shared our new knowledge for other people to learn from and in turn we inserted a Google Survey so that the viewer can communicate to us how to make our website or assets in the website better. This follows the spirit of Web 2.0 because we are adding to the cloud of information, repackaging it for further consumption.

“Communication Technology provides connectivity and shared meaning…in an attempt to make information available to anyone without the usual constraints of time, distance, or location.”

Technology Cognate Framework
“Technology Through a Prism, Teacher Education and Practice,” 11:Fall/Winter 1995.

Here is a link to our project. Enjoy!

WikiWorld

Today in class we talked about Web 2.0 chapter 8. This chapter mainly focused on different students with different needs, and the GREAT way out reach out and help these students can be through multimedia. For example, foreign language kids can benefit from web chat and video conferencing other classes across the ocean. Students can benefit from reading other students posts and thoughts from across the globe, this giving exposure to new ideas and cultures.

These ideas fit into the Technology Cognate with Communication Technology which talks about connecting with others, interacting, and learning about new cultures. The cognate goes on to say:

“In the telecosm, the ―portable, personal telecomputer will combine and succeed the palmtop computer and the cellular telephone, in an attempt to make information available to anyone without the usual constraints of time, distance, or location.”
Technology Cognate Framework

How cool is it that boundaries no longer separate us from instantly communicating with others. Programs like skype absolutely amaze me.

This past year I was in an African Studies class and on World Aid’s Day we video conference with an Aids agency in South Africa and it as an AWESOME experience to get to connect and talk with people experiencing the Aids epidemic first hand.

Regarding students with different learning disabilities, they can use software that I tailored to help them learn on their own computer. My classmate Elyse made this comment that this is what happens in her Content Reading class.

Though in EDC5370 we are exposed to a host of new technological ideas, we still have to keep in mind the digital divide. Those who are exposed to technology vs. those who are not exposed. Technology is advancing at a rapid pace and it is all anyone can do just to keep up. For example if you have just a regular flip phone that just has calling and texting features you are way behind the curve. Today you must have a phone not only with the internet, but with mobcasts as well that has applications, can locate maps, and connect you with all of your friends.

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As teachers we need to find ways to incorporate technology assessment projects in our classroom to keep our students engaged. This can be a host of projects we have talked about, portfolios, etc. The students should be able to pick their tech method based on their interests.

For example. Today in class we learned how to video edit using iMovie. This was awesome to be able to take video footage and learned how to put sound, transitions, etc. with it. Video editing could be a great project for a student who is interested in movies as a project in my class.

Another example of a project for a student would be creating a comic strip like McCoud’s Time Frames. This comic strip talks about the effect of comics and how they can be used as a tool of learning. Comics are very intriguing to a lot of students so if they were able to create a comic strip for their Assessment Project that would be awesome.

Time Frames Comic Strip. Check it out.
timeframes

“Technology Through a Prism, Teacher Education and Practice,” 11:Fall/Winter 1995, p 5
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This week we have been discussing Englebargt and English’s “A Research Center for Augmenting Human Intellect” using a wikispace. A wikispace is a way to discuss information and edit collaboratively without being in the same location. Wikispaces allow students to learn through community building activities in an online environment that encourages the free exchange of ideas and emphasizes high level, clear communication and critical thinking.

Here is what I added to the Wiki regarding my thoughts on “A Research Center for Augmenting Human Intellect”…..

“I thought this whole article about Engelbart is really cool broken down into video segments! It is a nice change from reading words to getting to see history with our eyes!

I thought clip 3 was cool about the copying and pasting of words. It blows my mind to think how simple this task is for us today was revolutionary for 1968!

Clip 12 is fun to watch too, with the introduction of the mouse. Again for us, such a basic function of a computer, but at the time it was brand new. I wonder what the other computer programmers in the audience thought about the mouse?

“Collabrative Mode” in clip 25 was interesting to see since that is such a huge aspect of technology today. I wonder what Engelbart would think of all the programs that we have for sharing ideas and video technology today (podcasts, ichat, skype, google docs, etc) it would probably blow his mind!

I also like hearing the audiences responds for example with laughter. It makes you feel as though you are the in 1968.”

I would recommend for a wikispace that there be a base level of knowledge for students to begn with like how our class did by discussing an article. Then the students can add, edit, and submit their thoughts.

For my lesson plan today I would like to create a wikispace for my 8th grade US History classroom discussing the Declaration of Independence. Students won’t actually edit the Deceleration of Independence itself, but they will create discussions, editing, and sharing, building off one another’s ideas of hwy the Deceleration was written and their thoughts about it.

Lesson Plan Below.
Lesson Plan Using Wikispace for the Declaration of Independence