Journal 10

Disabled Bodies, Able Minds: Giving Voice, Movement, and Independence to the Physically Challenged.
By Diane Curtis

This article takes a look at the ways that assistive technologies can help students who lack full mobility participate in class and school activities. The author describes several students who have a variety of physical disabilities, including an 11 year old who cannot walk, speak, or use any of his limbs but can communicate through the use of his eyebrows. Specific software and hardware was created for this student which allows him to write about events in his life such as meal preferences and trips with his family through pictures and photographs.

This example is an eye-opening reality of the huge positive impact technology can have on the lives of men and women who are physically disabled. Computers programs such as voice recognition software are being actively developed to provide new opportunities for disabled students. This article highlights these opportunities and is a fabulous example of the positive benefits seen through the development and implementation of assistive technologies.



Question 1:

How do these tools (assistive technologies) help students feel more independent?

These tools provide students with abilities and opportunities that would otherwise not exist for them in their lives. For example, one student with cerebral palsy is able to communicate through the use of voice-recognition software. This gives a person who would otherwise be unable to speak with other people the incredible opportunity to interact with people in direct conversation. This is a huge benefit for the student and is a striking example of how the use of assistive technology can help students with disabilities become more independent.

Question 2:

Should schools limit the amount of funding available for purchasing assistive technologies for disabled students?

I think the obvious answer to this question is No. The value and importance of assistive technologies for disabled students is huge. Although I imagine that the cost for some of these technologies is quite high, the ways in which they positively affect the lives of disabled students and facilitate their educational growth and development are even more important than the financial cost. Schools should never seek to limit the funding available for these technologies, but should actively engage in fund-raising to provide more assistive technology for students with special needs.

Journal 9

Are Schools Inhibiting 21st Century Learning?
By Dave Nagel

This article examines how schools filter internet sites, such as MySpace and YouTube, and states that this can be negatively impacting the student experience by denying students access to these social networks. I was particularly appreciative of the discussion related to gaming and the positive comments students have made relating to their ability to experience other cultures and perspectives through this medium. As a gamer, I found this to be true for me as well. Other relevant points of discussion found within this article included identifying valuable mobile technologies including cell phones, laptops, iPods, and others. According to a survey cited in this article, the “Speak Up Survey”, laptop computers are the best device for enhancing technology and learning.

Question 1:

Should students have certain sites filtered on school campuses?

I have a mixed feeling about this. I truly appreciate the value of MySpace and YouTube content in terms of educational and social benefits. However, there is a vast amount of inappropriate material available on these web pages. This makes it dangerous to allow young students unfiltered access to these websites. The danger of students coming into contact with this inappropriate material makes it critical that some steps are taken to prevent access to these web pages. I think that it is best to maintain a filter for YouTube and MySpace but to provide teachers with some sort of access code to allow them to use content they identify as appropriate and valuable, which will bypass the filters and allow the teacher to access these resources when they desire.

Question 2:

Do I think that schools are enhancing learning or limiting it?

I have to say that I think that school enhance the learning experience with technology even if they deny students access to websites like MySpace and YouTube. Students still have access to google searches, Wikipedia, blogs, and many other online resources which can be extremely valuable in their own right. Therefore I think that schools can continue to enhance the 21st century learning experience without allowing students unfiltered access to the internet. Because of the mature content and dangerous programs inherent in internet use (porn, viruses, flaming, etc), it is important that educators and schools take the necessary precautions to prevent students from being negatively affected by this content.

Journal 8

Spotlight: Free Sciences Resources Online
By Dave Nagel

This is an excellent article that details three creditable sources designed to be helpful for students in Science education. This article details some free online tools, including lesson plans and curriculum to enhance the learning experience for students. The potential value of these resources is vast, both for teachers and for students.

MIT

MIT is a well-known institution which is on the cutting-edge of technology and research. MIT is developing strategies for bringing OpenCourseWare into the educational field. The focus of this technology is for secondary and high school education. OpenCourseWare provides students with access to a vast pool of resources which include video and audio clips from courses offered at MIT, course syllabi, lecture notes, assignments, and other relevant information. The purpose of this information is to give high school students access to the latest science technology available.

NASA

NASA has a variety of excellent online resources designed to keep students (or anyone who cares to use them) informed on current topics in science. Some resources which are provided by NASA include video and animation, grade-level appropriate resources for teachers, as well as games and virtual tours and tutorials about interesting events going on in the NASA program today.

The Smithsonian Institution

The Smithsonian Education site provides a wealth of resources for educators. Some resources include historical material, which are aligned with State and National standards. Some topics include air and space, Earth science, general science, art, literature, and language arts.



Question 1:

How can I use these websites in my classroom?

These websites provide excellent additional resources for science, history, language arts, and many other disciplines. For example, the NASA website provides excellent visuals and information for students who are learning about space and space exploration. The Smithsonian Institution provides teachers with lesson plan suggestions, historical photos, and other wonderful ancillary material which can be used in concurrence with grade-level appropriate instruction.

Question 2:

What site sounds the most interesting to me and why?

I really love the NASA website. It has a variety of games and tools which help to make its subject matter more appealing to students. Additionally, the information about current NASA projects such as the Mars Rovers, is truly fascinating and has real-world application that is especially appealing. I think that the Solar System Simulator and facts about the latest space missions is simply amazing and I am excited to find opportunities to use this website in my classroom.

Journal 7, Classroom 2.0, Virtual Worlds

Classroom 2.0 Report

Virtual Worlds

I examined a thread on Virtual Worlds in the classroom. I chose this tool for two reasons. Firstly, I chose to examine the value of a Virtual World experience for classroom use because online virtual experiences are an increasingly commonplace activity for internet users of all ages. Also, I have experienced “Virtual Worlds” in a variety of formats as a computer game player (Everquest, World of Warcraft, and recently, Lord of the Rings Online, to name a few) and have always felt that the opportunity to connect with other people with shared interests is a huge appeal of Virtual Worlds.

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of a “Virtual World”, here is the concept in brief. Through the wonders of 3D graphic simulation, computer users are able to connect via the internet to digitally created “worlds” through the use of an Avatar, which is basically an entirely 3D cartoon which users can customize based on their own personal preference. This Avatar can wander through an entirely fictional landscape, which is rendered in three dimensions and in real time, complete with trees, rivers, buildings, and other real life features. Users can meet and interact with other people who are actively logged in to these Virtual Worlds.

I found several discussion threads within the Tools section at www.classroom20.com. The primary subject of discussion involved Second Life and ways to utilize this powerful online experience within the classroom. The potential ramifications this can have for classrooms can be quite diverse. Firstly, because Second Life provides users with the ability to “build” their own environments, the potential for educational simulations built BY students is incredible. For example, students could build an online reproduction of their school, or classroom, or simulate a museum or ecosystem. Then there is the potential for classrooms that are separated geographically to meet and interact within a virtual community. Online discussions can be held, there is potential application for geography and social studies, and a multitude of other potential uses.

As it turns out, there are many educators who see the potential uses for Virtual World technology in the classroom. There are also a variety of concerns that must be addressed when using this type of technology, including but not limited to online internet conduct, the technical know-how to properly use this type of program, and the time required to implement and utilize a Virtual World in the classroom. However, there is great potential in this technology for educators. I will be interested in looking into this topic further and finding ways to utilize and apply this idea within my own classroom.

Journal Entry #6

Journal 6: Kidspiration

I really enjoyed using Kidspiration. I think it’s a very simple yet very diverse tool for allowing students to create their own graphic organizers for various subjects, including math, science, language arts, and history. It is colorful, with easily identified options and is very easy to start using. Additionally, it’s designed in a fashion that makes it accessible for younger students (k-3^rd graders) as well as for older users.

The Kidspiration software is a valuable addition to any classroom. It provides students with an accessible way to create high quality graphic organizers. Students have the opportunity when using this program to demonstrate their knowledge of a subject in addition to building technology skills. This program can be used to create compare/contrast graphs, venn diagrams, thought maps, and other useful graphic organizers for use within the classroom. Additionally, this program is useful for educators who want to design original, student-friendly graphic organizers within a variety of disciplines (math, science, etc).

I did not use the Atomic Learning video tutorials. I prefer a more hands on approach (I downloaded the program and just started clicking on the various options and exploring the different types of graphic organizers available using this software). However, I did glance quickly at the tutorials, which are a useful resource if I find myself unable to do what I want to do with this software.

iMOVIE Software Review

I think that the iMovie software is an extremely valuable tool for educators and anyone who is interested in using video media. The potential use for this program in the classroom is nearly endless. In addition to the technological skills which students will develop when using this program, the ability to create projects, instructional videos, classroom movies, reports, and even plays, personal movies, or narratives is simply amazing. Also, this program is awesome for engaging students. I know that many students will be excited to create their own videos and might not even realize they are developing valuable intellectual and academic skills in the process.

Another great part of the iMovie software is the way it requires a variety of interdisciplinary skills to be developed and utilized by the students. Planning and management skills for developing a proper sequence of video clips, language skills for research and narratives, technological skills to use the software, and collaborative skills when working within groups will all be routinely reinforced through the incorporation of this software in the classroom.

This was also an excellent experience for myself to learn another type of video editing software. I prefer the use of PC’s to Macs in general, but the ease of use that iMovie offers helped me to realize the potential value of Mac based software. The ability to simply drag clips from the desktop or photo's section is an example of an ease of use feature that many PC based editing programs lack.

Journal 1

This is me, looking happy as a clam here in the 422B class. Thanks for looking

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my blog. Please enjoy your time here.

A little about myself:

I'm 28 years old at the time of this writing.

I have a 2 year old daughter who turns 3 on April Fools Day. She is the joy of my life.

I am student teaching at Vista Academy of Visual and Performing Arts in a 2nd grade class.

I graduated from Humboldt State University with a BA in Liberal Studies and Elementary
Education

I love heavy metal. The heavier the better.

I love literature and science.

Technology is my friend.