Reflection #4

Copyright Laws

    Both students and teachers need to be very careful in following copyright laws. There are a lot of things regarding copyright that I was unaware of before reviewing this article about 15 copyright rules that students need to know. For example, it states that everything that has been created, even a digital photograph or blog post, has been copyrighted. I also learned that it is crucial to check guidelines for use. Many content creators have strict guidelines for use that require asking for permission to use their work. Finally, the article emphasizes that not everything online is public domain. Nobody has the right to copy and distribute another’s work unless the author directly states that it is acceptable.
   

Another site, Teaching Copyright, gives a lot of helpful information on copyright laws specifically pertaining to teachers. This site emphasizes that there is a lot of misinformation on copyright laws and teachers need to be especially careful when informing their students on these rules. There is a curriculum provided to help teachers guide their students in how to follow and understand copyright laws. There are five lessons that encourage students to reflect on what they already know about copyright laws, learn the history of it, understand the concepts of copyright laws, and master the principles of fair use. Overall, I think this site would be extremely helpful in the future as a way to help my students understand the importance of following copyright laws.

Favorite Technology Lesson

In Educational Technology 300, we have gone over many helpful and fun technology lessons!

My favorite lesson so far has been the scratch offs. I think that these are an awesome idea for the classroom because students would really enjoy scratching off the cards. The cards were very easy to make in Photoshop and helped give me extra practice in using the program. Once they were printed, I had to cut out contact paper to fit over the words that I wanted covered by the paint mixture. In this case, I would cover the area inside the blue box. Then I just painted on the mixture of 1/2 a teaspoon of dish soap and 1 teaspoon of silver metallic paint. Once this dried the scratch offs were ready to use!

This would be a great way to incorporate positive reinforcement in the classroom. For example, if the student is displaying a desirable behavior, they could receive a scratch off that would have a reward such as being a line leader for the day. I definitely plan on using this strategy in my classroom in the future!

Reflection #3

Google Apps

The site Google Apps Education Training Center provides tips for using apps in the classroom. There are many free resources available for teachers to utilize in order to make their lives easier. Some of the apps available include:

• Gmail: provides students with a secure email account with instant messaging services
• Google Calendar: easy tool for students and teachers to organize and share events and schedules
• Google Docs: makes group work simple! students and teachers can share documents, presentations, and spreadsheets
• Google Video: host and share videos
• Google Sites: great tool for teachers to use to organize information and share with others what is going on in their classroom

Overall, using Google Apps is a great way to stay organized and keep everyone informed. It is also easy for students to use and prepares them in using the newest technology available. To get more information or to start using google apps simply visit the link provided above!

About Me

My name is Katie Bartram and I am currently in my fourth year at North Dakota State University. I just started the collaborative Elementary Education program through Valley City State University and will graduate in the spring of 2013 with an additional degree in Human Development and Family Science. I am also working towards a minor in Special Education. I am involved in the Human Development and Family Science Club, Elementary Education Club, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. I also work at a daycare in Moorhead, MN. Last spring I studied abroad in Australia so I had the opportunity to travel all over that amazing country and New Zealand. Besides traveling, I enjoy spending time with friends and family, being outdoors, and baking.

Word Cloud

The above is a word cloud about myself. Word clouds arrange text in a fun way and certain emphasis can be put on more important words that. In the classroom, word clouds can be a great way to get to know new students. Teachers could also use them as an interesting way to describe certain subjects to their students.

Reflection #2

The  following reflection is based off of information I reviewed from Marc Prensky's website.

    The first article I chose to read by Marc Prensky was “Teaching the Right Stuff-Not Yesterday’s Stuff, or Todays, but Tomorrow’s. In this article, Prensky compares the important things students were learning in the past to what they currently need to learn, and finally what they will need to learn to be productive in the future. In the past the focus was on writing letters, reports, and essays. Students of today are learning about writing emails, making powerpoints, and writing a blog post. Prensky states that in the future, students will need to have the skills of working in a virtual community, making videos, and writing a program.
    I agree with Prensky in the fact that educators need to be teaching students skills that will be needed in the future. However, not many teachers have the knowledge in technology to teach things like writing computer programs or working in virtual communities themselves. There is also a question of funding in a lot of schools. I believe that instructional programs should be made available so that teachers can continue to stay updated on current technology and bring it back to the classroom. Also, even though the skills of today and the future are important for students, it is important that students are also learning the skills of the past like writing essays and reports.
    The second article by Prensky that I chose to read was titled “A Huge Leap for the Classroom-true peer-to-peer learning enhanced by technology.” This article focuses on how important it is for students to have one-on-one instruction to enhance learning. However, this is not an easy task when a teacher has many students. Prensky describes a method introduced by  Professor Eric Mazur from Harvard. Mazur had his students watch a lecture the night before class, and answer questions about it during class using the students’ computers or smartphones. The teacher can see the response immediately and can analyze the student’s overall understanding of a subject. Then, the students find another student that had a different answer than their own and discuss why they put down a certain answer. I think that the peer-to-peer component of this strategy is the most important and can be utilized in any classroom. Although I think this is a very good teaching strategy, it may be hard to put into practice in an elementary classroom, since not every student would have a computer or smartphone. Perhaps there is another, more cost effective way to implement this strategy in an elementary classroom.

Reflection #1

Educational Technology Bill of Rights


   
Brad Flickinger makes many valid suggestions in his blog post “Educational Technology Bill of Rights.” In education, people seem to look at certain technology as a distraction for students. Brad Flickinger, on the other hand, advises that teachers take advantage of certain technologies and give students basic rights when using them. I agree with Flickinger when he states that students are not going to stop using technologies like cell phones, Facebook, and Twitter. I think it is smart to reach students through these means, but other ways should be used as well. It also is important to ensure that students are taught appropriate ways to use these technologies and do not abuse certain privileges.
    I believe that the right to learn 21st century technology. It is important to implement these technologies that are as modern as possible so that students can keep up with the demand in their future careers. I also think it is important for teachers to continue learning and finding new and creative ways to use technology in the classroom. In most cases, it is true that students know more about different programs than teachers do, so teachers should be open to feedback and exploring new options. Other points that I fully agree with are that students have the right to be fully protected from things like cyberbullying, and that teachers should use technology to be efficient in planning and evaluating.
    The individuals that commented on this article also made many valid points. Due to financial constraints, not all schools have the opportunity to use the latest technologies. I do disagree with a lot of the comments that state that students do not have rights. Although teachers should have authority and set guidelines, students should still have choices and be treated with respect. Overall, I think that this article is very helpful in understanding the importance of technology and helped get me thinking about how I should implement the use of technology in my own classroom.

The article can be found at this link: http://www.schooltechnology.org/2011/12/29/educational-technology-bill-of-rights-for-students/