WebQuest!

Hey everyone for my final I did a WebQuest on the life cycle of a butterfly! This was the first WebQuest I have ever done and it was similar to designing a web page. It was difficult at first until I realized I had to save everything every 2 seconds and the design was really hard to figure out too. I wasn't able to change the background color or my text color although by clicking on my web links they turned hot pink, awesome! But after the first time through I'm sure it would get easier as you go. In reality the hardest part is getting your free 30 day account set up because when I did it, it wasn't working so I emailed them monday and it took them until wednesday to set mine up. I think it costs $30 a year or so for teachers who want to buy a membership. It could be useful as it makes students literally search the internet for the information, it is not just handed or given to them. I think it is pretty cool. I hope you enjoy!

http://questgarden.com/130/66/6/110830190203/index.htm

Class Websites

This is my final project.  I am teaching anatomy and physiology this year.  I found out I was teaching this class two weeks before school starts.  I still don't have enough books for all of my students.  I also have two independent study students this year.  I need to way for the independent study and regular students to have a resource of what we will be going over.  The Google Site page I created will be beneficial for both my students and myself.  The students can go to the site and look at what we will be covering and what assignments they will have for the chapter.  This site will also allow students to be able to put on the site any additonal resource that they find to help in the class.  This allows the independent study students a place to look up what assignments they have for the week and not have to find me and ask me in the middle of my other classes what they are supposed to be doing during the week.  With limited time, I was able to get up to Chapter 5.  When I have all of the teaching resources, I plan on putting all of the lesson powerpoints, images from the book and other resources or assignments as links on the site.  I know this isn't complete but I showed enough progress to see what I can accomplish on this site.

https://sites.google.com/site/mkochlsa/

Calendar Basic Weebly

Please visit my Weebly. This was my first time using a Weebly. Pretty easy but froze a few times here and there. It is very basic but I hope to keep working on it so I can use it for our staff tech day in November. I am better using Word or Pages and especially had trouble with their number lists and the undo/redo feature didn't work for me. You can upgrade to Weebly Pro but there is a fee then.

Tablets: Should High Schools Implement Them Into Their Classrooms?

Tablets: Should High Schools Implement Them Into Their Classrooms?

Brett McKinney

Tablets or PPDs (Post-PC Devices) are relatively recent advancements in computer technology. They are somewhat of a cross between smart-phone and a laptop, offering the format and similar functionality of a smart-phone and some of the capabilities of a laptop, with portability that is somewhere in between. The use of these devices is probably in its infancy, and many of the potential uses for educational purposes probably have yet to be developed. The popularity of these relatively new devices, in education and as a productivity tool in the business world, would indicate that they are likely to become an important part of high school education in the near future. This paper will first discuss the rapid evolution of technology in the past. The potential pitfalls and benefits of choosing to use tablet devices in high school education today will be examined. The following pages will also explore the current uses of these new devices in education today, and the potential for short term educational use advancements. It will also offer a comparison between the use of tablets and computers for educational purposes and discuss the advantages and disadvantages to choosing these devices over computers or additional computers for a high school today.

As recently as the mid 1990’s computer access and use was largely restricted in many high schools. At that time laptop computers were a technological revolution, wireless connectivity was unheard of, and the portable technologies that exist a mere fifteen years later were unimaginable to most of us. “While the origins of e-learning date as far back as the 60's, the nature of technology facilitated learning has experienced exponential rates of change even in the last decade (Murphy, 2011).” A little over a decade ago, in many high schools, student use of computers was limited to typing courses and very basic computer skills courses in a classroom designated as a computer lab. Occasionally, there were a few other computers spread throughout the school such as in the library. Content area classrooms rarely had a computer for teachers let alone for student use. Times have certainly changed. Today it is not uncommon for content area classrooms to have a desktop for each student, or a ratio that approaches one computer for each student. Students today complete a great deal of their core content class work with the use of a computer. The use of laptops in the high school classroom has started, in many cases, to take the place of the desktop. Over the past two years a new technological advancement has come to the forefront in high school education. With Apple, Inc.’s 2010 release of the iPad and similar windows and android based devices, tablet technologies are being looked at as supplements and in some cases replacements for computer technology for the high school classroom.

When Apple first announced the release of the iPad they marketed the device for multimedia and entertainment purposes. Their marketing highlighted the web browsing capabilities, video and music playback features, and the use of the device as a reader of e-books and other electronic media. “I don’t believe Apple anticipated the demand for iPads as educational devices. When they were first released, more than one Apple sales representative suggested that iPads were designed for personal media consumption and laptops would be a more appropriate investment for schools (Gliksman, 2011).” Due to this marketing strategy a great deal of people view these devices in such a manner. Much of the tax paying public will need to be convinced that spending their tax dollars on these devices for educational purposes is worthwhile and justifiable. Currently, it is a tough argument to say that these devices are capable of replacing desktop or laptop computers. Thus the idea of their use in high schools has to be sold as a necessary supplement to what students are learning on those technologies.

Another downside to the use of tablets is that they are currently formatted for use primarily as a single user device. Thus the most effective implementation of them into the classroom would require the purchase of one for each student.

Sharing: iPads are intensely personal devices that record your digital footprint - logins, preferences and more. There’s no login process. This makes them difficult to share. A 1:1 iPad implementation requires very different planning than an implementation that shares iPads among students. My hope is that educational app developers will see the obvious need for sharing in schools and add login layers to their apps (Gliksman, 2011).

From a usability standpoint the main negative is the lack of an efficient input device. The touch screen while very user friendly is not nearly as efficient as the traditional keyboard and mouse that are used with desktops. Even the integrated keyboard and mouse of a laptop are far superior to the offerings available for tablets.

While these devices may be a tough sell to parents and other tax payers of a school district, and some other drawbacks exist, they do offer a variety of benefits to a high school student’s education.

While these devices may be a tough sell to parents and other tax payers of a school district, and some other drawbacks exist, they do offer a variety of benefits to a high school student’s education.

Barbara Schroeder identifies 10 ways to use an iPad as an educator: Reading, Listening/Viewing, Conduct On-Demand Research, Organizing, Publication, Communicate/Collaborate, Facilitate Note Taking, Offer Individualized Instruction, Teach Personal Responsibility, and Gaming (Schroeder, 2011). In addition to Schroeder’s ten uses other advantages to the acquisition of tablets for secondary education purposes include: The devices are not terribly expensive, and arguably you get more bang for your buck when compared to other technologies. The touch interface of a tablet is simple to use and easy for novice users to adapt to. Use of iPads and similar devices exposes students to cutting edge technology that is being used by many institutions of higher learning in a variety of ways.

As a reading device tablets are nearly identical to the eReader devices that preceded them. They offer similar screen sizes and clear easy to read displays. Tablets also have the advantage of independent connectivity, allowing the user to download media directly to their device. These devices offer the potential to replace the traditional textbook. As of now the demand for eTextbooks exceeds the supply, but this potential appears as if it will be a reality in the near future. “After trying out the Apple iPad for a short period—about three weeks—three out of four college freshman said they’d be willing to purchase an Apple iPad personally if at least half of the textbooks they used during their college career were available digitally (Schaffhauser, 2011).” The potential for tablet technology is also currently impeded by the cost to do so. Some expect this barrier to be eliminated in the future. Dian Schaffhauser quotes Scott Perkins, coordinator of mobile learning research at Abilene Christian University:

“Until those digital textbooks are equal to or more cost-efficient than the print textbook, there’s not much motivation to spend the money on technology-and I don’t mean just for [our school], but in general, for faculty, for students, for universities. If textbooks are going to be just as expensive, then why would we spend $500 to $700 on a reader platform?” “It should be more cost efficient. You don’t have to cut down trees, print, bind, and store and ship, and so on. But so far we’ve not seen that movement (Schaffhauser, 2011).”

As a listening device tablets have the same capabilities as the iPod and similar devices with slightly less portability. As a viewing device the combination of screen size, accessibility, and portability is unrivaled by any other technology. Computers are as capable and offer larger screen sizes but even laptops cannot compete with the portability of a tablet. Smaller devices such as smart-phones offer similar access to video media and are superior in terms of portability, but the screen size and resolution when compared to a tablet is lacking significantly.

Much like the video viewing capabilities, tablets are unrivaled in their ability to be used as portable research devices. These devices can easily be taken just about anywhere a student would need to go and in most of those places would have access to the web for conducting research for nearly any topic.

Another major benefit for students and teachers is the capability of PPDs to be used as a portable organizer. With calendar and note taking apps these devices provide an organizational tool that an individual can take with them and access quickly if needed.

Another significant ability of tablets for high school education purposes is their ability as communication and collaboration devices. The iPad 2 as well as other devices are Web 2.0 compatible. Students can use these devices to edit Web 2.0 based web pages if their class has such a site. They can also use their tablets to send and receive electronic messages allowing them to communicate with teachers and classmates.

Possibly the most productive use of tablets for students is their capabilities as a note taking device. In his blog, the Apple Blog, Josh Pigford identifies seven note taking applications for the iPad. He opens his blog post on note taking applications by stating: “Whether you’re writing a simple article for a blog, piecing together the next blockbuster hit, or penning a 500 page romance novel, there are quite a few options for helping you get all of that information organized and drafted. There really are enough to choose from with a wide enough range of options that you’re sure to find something to fit your needs (Pigford, 2011).”

While there are many benefits of using PPDs in the classroom for both students and teachers, the greatest reason for implementing these devices into a high school classroom does not really involve how they are used. The best reason that teachers should implement these devices is that it will better prepare students for their future outside of the classroom. That is what education is really all about preparing students for their future, and providing them with skills and knowledge to help them succeed in life. Students today often do not feel technologically prepared when they finish high school. “Although 60 percent of students reported that their teachers used technology to teach, only 26 percent said that they were encouraged to use technology themselves to learn. Forty-three percent were uncertain that they felt prepared to use technology in college and the workforce, and wanted to do more with it in their courses (BizEd, 2011).” In Murphy’s study he cites 36 colleges and universities that are using iPads in some capacity for their students (Murphy, 2011). Tablets are also being used by businesses and their use in the business world is expanding rapidly. Keir Thomas cites the ChangeWave survey:

“It asked 1641 business IT buyers if they were planning to get tablets and, if they already had them, what they used them for. Seven percent of respondents said their company provides employees with tablets. Fourteen percent of respondents said they planned to get tablets in the first quarter of this year—a rapid rate of growth (Thomas, 2011).”

Valentino Luccio observes “A recent study from Robert Half Technology shows that companies nationwide expect to increase tablet usage by 50 percent within the next two years. As mobile technologies develop and more computer tablets hit the market, businesses are seeing the benefits of utilizing the devices (Luccio, 2011).” It is evident that today’s high school students are likely to encounter these devices in their future. Whether a student plans to enter college or find a job after graduation there is a good chance that they will be asked to use a tablet in their future endeavors. To fully prepare a high school student they need to be exposed to the technologies that they are likely to work with outside of school.

There are many benefits to high school student through the implementation of tablet technologies into their classrooms. Unfortunately schools do need to operate under budgetary constraints. When push comes to shove where does the acquisition of tablets stand in comparison to other technology. If a budget decision needs to be made between laptops and tablets what device should be chosen? The following is a comparison of the two technologies:

· Cost: Laptops are generally cheaper than tablets

· Portability: Tablets are far more portable and useable on the go than a laptop

· Potential for Use Outside of High School: While tablets are being used extensively and their use is growing rapidly, they still have a long way to go before they eclipse computers in usage beyond high school.

· Potential to Replace Textbooks: The purchase of PPD could alleviate the need for schools to purchase many textbooks, and in the future could replace the textbook completely. While this is true if textbooks are available electronically for tablets they would be accessible on computer technology as well. PPDs do make better and more convenient readers than a laptop.

· Communication tool: Computers are powerful communication devices with the ability to send and receive, and input information to send and receive very quickly. Tablets are good communication devices as well, and are much more portable. The tablets lack of an efficient input method when compared to a computer, makes the computer the better communication tool for a high school student.

· Educational Gaming: Options exist for both the computer and tablets. It would be hard to argue that one device is better than the other for this purpose.

· Share-ability & Management: A laptop can be set up with multiple log-ins and easily shared among several students. As discussed above tablets, specifically the iPad, are very personal devices and are difficult to share.

· Students Need to be Exposed to Cutting Edge Technology: Tablets have the edge here. There seems to be a growing trend in many industries to put these devices to use in a productive manner. In many instances tablets are serving as a more practical replacement of laptops.

While it is true that tablet use, as a productive tool, is becoming more prevalent computers are still the predominant technology in the business world. Computer use is also extremely important for college students. In order to be prepared for life outside of high school a student must know how to use a computer. Knowing how to use a tablet is useful, knowing how to use a computer is necessary. Tablets may one day be the predominant technology used in the world. Today that title belongs to the computer by a large margin.

If a school has room in the budget to implement tablets into their classrooms their students would be well served by such an acquisition. There are a great many benefits to a high school student using and understanding how to use tablet technology. Tablet use will increase a students productivity and provide them with skills that will probably be valuable outside of the classroom.

References Cited

BizEd Staff. (2011) Preparing Teens for Campus Tech, BizEd March/April 2011, 63-64

Gliksman, Sam. (2011) One Year Later: Assessing the Impact of iPads on Education, http://ipadeducators.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=371wq83chgfc5

Luccio, Valentino. (2011) Laptops Gather Dust as Business Turns to Tablets, http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/Laptops-gather-dust-as-business-turns-to-tablets-1050645.php

Murphy, Glen D. (2011) Post-PC Devices: A Summary of Early iPad Technology Adoption in Tertiary Environments, e-Journal of Business Education &Scholarship of Teaching, v.5 iss. 1, 18-32

Pigford, Josh (2007) Note Taking Application Faceoff, http://gigaom.com/apple/note-taking-application-faceoff/

Schaffhauser, Dian (2011) Is the iPad Ready to Replace the Printed Textbook?, http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2011/06/15/Is-the-iPad-Ready-To-Replace-the-Printed-Textbook.aspx?p=1

Schroder, Barbara (2011) 7 Reasons You Need an iPad in Your Classroom and 10 Ways to Use Them, http://itcboisestate.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/10_ways_ipad/

Thomas, Keir (2011) How Useful are Tablets for Business?, http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/372955/how_useful_tablets_business_/

My final project

Here is my final project that is a Wiki I built around the unit I have been developing over the course of the program on "The Great Gatsby." I know that as a class we have used wikispaces before to contribute to and create wikis but I was excited to try a few different things this time around. For the main page, I created a "glog" on glogster.com and I was able to use that glog as the links to my subpages from the mainpage. I think it turned out well and I am excited to use glogs in the future with my students. I also used the Speaking Image website that Christa blogged about a few weeks ago. I used it to create a map that pinpoints some of the locations in the book and I played around with attaching images and information to the tags. I'm sure there was a lot else that I could have done with Speaking Image but I'm sure it will be something I play around with in later materials creation.
I added some content to each of the chapter pages but I envision this wiki as a way for students to create content and post their responses to each of the chapter questions so that when they are done they have created a resource for themselves based on their responses to the book.

You can take a look at the wiki here: gradythegreatgatsbyproject.wikispaces.com

Final Project

Here is my final project, I created a website based of off a semester of US History I. I enjoyed setting this assignment up and I apologize in advance for the lack of creativity; one because it is an ability that I lack and two, this was the first time I set up website so I tried to focus more on the content, than the display. My goal was to create a user friendly website that can help students outside of class and hopefully get them interested in our US History. A special thanks needs to be given to the Lincoln Northeast social studies for assisting me with some of the materials for this project. The final two links (Unit 2 and 3) are left blank but if i was to actually complete a website for an entire semester those following units would have the information that is to be covered.

Here is my website.....

https://sites.google.com/site/ushistory1educ56/home

Hi All,

I really enjoyed taking this class along with you!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, discoveries, links, what works for you, etc.

Creating my 1st website was a fun experience! I'd like to be more thorough, but as for now didn't wish to share too much info on the web. Weebly was simple to use, and I like how they include a how-to video. My Sophomore asked if he too could create a free site on Weebly; hmm....I think that could be arranged! =)

Here's my link: http://swordandlightsamplings.weebly.com/index.html

Blessings to each of you during this school year and always,

Jules

Now let's go spend that $50,000 :)

Final Project Due Saturday

Thanks again for all of your hard work with the blog posts and weekly papers. I've been terribly busy with the start of classes so I am still trying to get everyone's grades updated. I should be able to take care of that tomorrow.

I believe everyone should have their final project or paper settled with me through email. Please post it to the course blog by this Saturday at noon. No blog comments are required this week but you are more than welcome to provide feedback to what people post for their final project or paper.

Should you have any questions please let me know!  Thanks for a great class =)

UPDATE: All grades should now be entered on blackboard. If you could please confirm that your grade is accurate I would appreciate it.  Reminder that your final project is due by this Saturday at noon.  Thanks!

Posted by Tanya Winter

eth·ics

1.

( used with a singular or plural verb ) a system of moral principles: the ethics of a culture.

2.

the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc.: medical ethics; Christian ethics.

3.

moral principles, as of an individual: His ethics forbade betrayal of a confidence.

4.

( usually used with a singular verb ) that branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions and to the goodness and badness of the motives and ends of such actions.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ethics

cyber eth·ics

What is cyber ethics? And how do you teach it to your children? Simply put, cyber ethics is a code of behavior for using the Internet. One easy way to think about cyber ethics and to address the subject with children is this: acceptable behavior on the Internet is very much the same as acceptable behavior in everyday life.

http://us.norton.com/library/familyresource/article.jsp?aid=pr_cyberethics

I found the ethical dilemmas of using computers in the classroom a very interesting subject.  Through my readings this week I discovered many ethical areas that were hot topics such as:  Piratism, plagiarism, hacking, cyber-bullying, etcOne idea particular that stuck out as kind of different was:

"Making poor decision making faster" 

Say what??

I know, making poor decision making faster..what are you talking about, Tanya? Well, let me explain.  Basically, we are all using computers in the classroom.  Yes, hopefully everyone is smart enough to use a filter system and yes, hopefully we have rules and regulations in the classroom. HOWEVER, access to the web throughout the day can have negative impacts on the decisions our kids are making while they work because it takes less time to make a mistake. 

First example:

Brady was sick on Monday and is already one day behind on getting a paper started that is due Wednesday.  Tuesday he decided to do a search on shoes because basketball is right around the corner. If he does not find the perfect shoes...well, he just wont be as awesome as everyone thinks he is.  Well, he wasted class period and a study hall and now he is down to the wire.  He decides to cut a few paragraphs here and a few more there…done in less than an hour and now he can go back to looking up shoes for the rest of the night!  BAD DECISION!!  We all know the consequences of plagiarism are pretty serious.  Is it possible that would not have happened if the paper had to be hand-written?  He probably would have come up with a pretty poor paper to hand in, but the chance that his words and thoughts would have actually been used is much higher!

Second example:
Clara had to run back to her locker and asked her best friend Sophie to save her a seat in English class.  She just makes it to the classroom before the bell rings, grabs her Mac and looks for Sophie.  WHAT! Sophie is sitting by Hillary and they are laughing at Clara because she has to sit in the front row by nose-picking Jane!! Sara begins working, but in the heat of the moment opens up to her Face book account and types “Sophie is a b___h on her Wall for everyone to see.  Before she realizes what happens, everyone sees it and things just spiral downward from that bad decision.  Now I know that it is her own fault for acting out in anger, but I am simply suggesting that it is easier to make mistakes when you can type it out in five seconds as opposed to her taking out a piece of paper and trying to write a nasty letter to her friend. Chances are she would have ripped it up before she ever even had a chance to give it to her. She probably would have yelled at Sophie after class and had a one-on-one argument, but at least she would have had all of class period to kind of cool down a little.

I have children and I do understand it is my job (as it is any parents) to teach my kids self-control, restraint, how to overcome peer pressure, and what it means to have consequences to his/her actions.  The question I am proposing here is "...Is it possible to be making it easier for our children to make bad decisions by exposing them to computers and the internet in the classroom?..."

I do look forward to reading your responses on this one!!

IDK WTH ISTE & NETS is, LOL!

We all know there is a huge push to get technology and information about technology into the classrooms. But who is doing this pushing? There is actually an organization dedicated to bringing technology into PK-12 classrooms and it is called the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). They have a very informative and comprehensive website you can view by following this LINK. ISTE “…is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12.” Also, ISTE has an impressive 100,000+ members. ISTE strives to be a community that connects educators in a meaningful and powerful way to share in the transformation of education.

This website also has a LINK to the National Educational Technology Standards or NETS. There are NETS standards for not only teachers but students and administrators as well. Upon reading the standards applicable to teachers I felt that they were very vague. They didn’t say students need to know how to do (blank) on a computer, or know (blank) about the Internet. I feel that ambiguous standards allow teachers to have a lot of flexibility but do not really give teachers a direction. However, strict standards allow teachers to head in a more clear direction but then teachers have less flexibility. I guess the NETS are like many other standards in education. I feel that as a teacher I would like these standards to stay the way they are that way I could feel free to integrate technology into my classroom and instruction they way I saw best. I know other people would disagree.

I found a lot of feedback about ISTE and some was positive and some was negative. I think that it all depends how you view technology in the classroom, it seems there are more people than I would have ever thought that think students are already to technological savvy and rely to heavily on technology. I agree that technology should supplement the class and enhance real experiences with real people instead of replacing them. I found a very interesting video that explains how ISTE connects educators and how this is helping to forge the future for technology in the classroom.

A Major Ethical Dilemma in the Age of Technology

The punishments for it can range from something as simple as failing an assignment to being expelled from school, from a fine of anywhere from $100 to $50,000 to up to ten years in jail. What is it? It is plagiarism and in the age of copying-and-pasting from the internet, it is drastically on the rise. (http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_plagiarism_faq.html ). According to a 2003 survey conducted by Rutgers University, 38% of undergrad students admitted to one or more instances of “cut-and-paste” anything from a sentence to a full paragraph that they found in an online source. (http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/03/nyregion/a-campus-fad-that-s-being-copied-internet-plagiarism-seems-on-the-rise.html).

Simply put, plagiarism is the use of someone else’s thoughts, words or ideas as if they were your own and neglecting to give credit or acknowledgment to the source it came from (http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_plagiarism_faq.html). Plagiarism can be something as simple as forgetting to cite, or improperly citing, a source to bluntly turning in a paper or assignment that you did not write but that you claim to be yours (http://kykernel.com/2010/01/24/reported-plagiarism-on-the-rise/).

But why do people plagiarize things? Sometimes it is accidental, but other times it is intentional. A freshman at Rhode Island College was accused of plagiarizing but he claimed it was not because the website he used did not provide author information (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/education/02cheat.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage). According to a writing tutor at Rhode Island College, students just do not understand that it is a serious offense to use words that you did not write as your own (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/education/02cheat.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage). According to a report by the BBC news, the “decision to plagiarize may be associated with increasing pressure on students arising from….heavier coursework load, or lack of personal organization skills” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4257479.stm). Teresa Fishman from Clemson University says, “Now we have a whole generation of students who’ve grown up with information that just seems to be hanging out there in cyberspace and doesn’t seem to have an author” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/education/02cheat.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=homepage).

Accidental or not, plagiarism is a crime and it is up to teachers and administrators at both the high school and college level to do something about it and to stress to students how important it is to give credit to authors and other sources that are used.

How are students using technology?

I'm not sure about an ethical dilemma with technology but this was a struggle I had last year teaching science.
Last year, I taught Biology and Physical Science classes that were required to complete a high school science fair project.  When I found out about that, to be honest, I was a bit scared of it.  The schools I went to never participated in science fair so this would be my first journey into the world of science fair.  At a previous school, I had many parents doing projects for their child.  So I was very careful about what I was getting into. 
When it came to for students to get their topic, I thought it would be good to give the students some time in the computer lab allowing them to use the internet to find some topics.  It started good and the students found some topics but there is a problem with that.  The topics the students found were word for word from the internet sites.  I later found that some of the students used the information from these sites as their own work for their project.  I know using the internet can be very helpful for the students but I learned I have to be very careful in what the students are turning in. 
Later, I found myself giving time to students to type up their literature review and discussion in the computer lab.  Again to my dismiss, I found students cut and pasting internet sites onto their document and saying it was their own work.  I learned that you can't give your students an inch with an assignment like this.  Maybe one of the worst parts was working with the students on their reference pages.  They were allowed two internet sites and had to have 8 primary resources.  They had written research papers in 7th and 8th so I thought they would know the difference but I was wrong again.  Primary resources to my students meant internet articles.  I knew they were struggling so I found some online peer reviewed article from some professional journals that I know.  I showed them what a primary resource looks like and what to look for.  I was very troubled to see that about 80% of my students still included at least 6-8 internet resources in their reference section of their paper.  It was again astonishing when they tried to convince me that they were primary resources.  I learned a valuable lesson that I can't assume anything with my students, especially with technology.   If I give my students an inch with technology, they will take a mile.  I was learning just as much if not more than some of my students with this science fair project last year. 
This is the age of technology and teachers are doing everything they can do to introduce more and more technology in their classes including myself.  We want to give the students more and more time in the computer lab and online activities.  Expose them to more and more technology and they will be ready to succeed after high school.  Our students are smarter than we give them credit for.  Most already know more about technology than we as teachers know.  Students know at times how to get around different assignments so they can do as little work as possible.  While trying to incorporate as much technology is good for the student and teacher, teachers have to be very careful about how the students are using technology and what they are turning in for their assignments.

The Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

Ten Commandments of Computer Ethics

1. Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
2. Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
3. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's files.
4. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
5. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
6. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid.
7. Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation.
8. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
9. Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write or the system you design.
10. Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration of and respect for your fellow humans.

Copyright: Computer Ethics Institute Author: Dr. Ramon C. Barquin

Understanding appropriate behavior with technology is as important as understanding how to use the technology. As teachers we must be as involved with our students as we would with our own children. Technology creates anxiety in many people, especially the threats of danger that come with using the internet. As a parent I focus a lot on the websites that my children are using. But as they continue to use the internet in school and at home, I need to help teach them the importance of how they share and use information.

The "Commandments" are great guidelines to use in the classroom. I believe they provide the boundaries for acceptable behavior and help students understand how to ethically use technology. The temptation of technology, mainly the internet, is the isolation of the user. Students may feel alone as they use technology, but that perception isn't always true. Below is a great strategy on incorporating technology in the classrom from Education World.

•Draw parallels between the real world and the electronic world. Make direct comparisons between what students do on the Internet and how they behave in their daily lives.
•Involve students in constructive activities. Ask them to develop ten rules for a classroom acceptable use policy, for example.
•Post a written acceptable use policy in your classroom, and include the consequences for violating it.
•Reinforce proper behavior. Treat offenses as mistakes rather than "crimes," especially in the beginning.
•Assign students to work with technology buddies, other students who have already worked with technology and will set a good example. Peers can help sell a point that students might not accept from adults. In addition, kids who are working together are less likely to get off task.
•Take advantage of every teachable moment. You can't overstate the issue.
•Don't model inappropriate behavior.
•Instill a sense of responsibility, point out the real costs of misusing technology, and express a belief in students' ability to handle technology properly. Students will live up to or down to your expectations.

As teachers, we can't assume that students are being taught or know how to use technology properly. It is important that we get involved and provide clear expectations from the beginning. Incorporating technology into our classrooms is critical to providing the opportunities for students, and teaching them ethics along the way is part of that process.

A Collective Work?

A collective work, I like that definition for this type of "standard". I spent quite a bit of time on the ISTE website and at first it seemed loaded with information and links. But when I was trying to see what the actual standards it seemed the site was really geared toward selling me something. Thanks to a wiki I found while searching it gave me a direct link to the pdf for students standards. I would have seen it if I would have scrolled down the page a little farther but I kept following a link in the article, oh well.

I did look at the board members but I don't have any idea who any of them are so I read the mission statement, bylaws etc. Well it gets too wordy for me so I guess I will go with their results and say that while the standards seem broad compare to other subject areas I think it has to be that way for this field of study.

Just going to let you wonder about the picture! What does it have to do with standards? Can you figure it out?

Good utube by CEO of ISTE gives a short overview of ISTE and what it is about. International Society for Technology in Education. Educators in this field owe it to students to keep on top things. The standards for teachers are a good guide for us. My favorite is "Model Digital-Age Work and Learning", just an excuse to keep taking classes and trying out new things.

HONESTY

 error in syntax
haiku dot c line two
too few syllables
--Daniel from Gig Harbor, Washington

Just for fun you can enter your own techie haiku and have a chance to win some money.

I am an honest person so I do not want to copy something that I have no right to. I like the definition of plagiarism described as trying to pass something off as your own when it isn't. So if I make sure and let you know that I did not write that haiku up above by telling you who did write it then I have done my job, right?

I do not want to spend hours trying to document everything just the right way so if I make sure you know where you can find it and who it belongs to do I really need to do it just the way MLA or APL say?

One more thing!

An article on

Bringing

Computational

Thinking to K-12:

What is Involved

and What is the Role

of the Computer

Science Education

Community?

By Valerie Barr and Chris Stephenson

This is a terrific article! I have tried to explain to my mom what excel would have meant to her when she was working. She kept the books for my dad's doctor's office for 25 years and lived on 3-4 hours of sleep a night for years because they felt they needed to handle some of the tasks personally. Record keeping, wow have computers changed our lives. If you have the right formlas you don't have to add something over and over, you know it is right.

On page 52 there is a table to help you see how computational thinking can be accomplished for different concepts and in different subject areas.

Enjoy!



Teachers Need To Learn Too:

To be an effective educator of technology a teacher needs to continue to learn about new technologies throughout their career. Standards A and B of Section V. (Productivity and Professional Practice), of the National Educational Technology Standards both relay the importance of teachers who are implementing technology staying abreast of technological improvements and advancements. Standard A states: Use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and life-long learning. Standard B states: Continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of student learning. In order for technology education to be useful to students the technology needs to be current and the teacher needs to have a solid understanding of relevant technologies. If one were to teach students on computers from the early nineties, with 5 ¼” floppy disk drives little of what they were taught would be of any use to them in the real world. So if you are a teacher who has been teaching and implementing technology for only twenty years, and you had not educated yourself and updated your classroom technologies, much of what you would be teaching would be a waste of you and your students’ time.

The need for teachers to keep up to date with improvement and advancements in technology is fairly obvious. The question is: How? After searching the web, reading several sources, and thinking about this question myself I have come up with a few resources to aid teachers in this quest.

1. Teacher Workshops

2. Educational Courses

3. http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ent/home/index.cfm

Educational courses from a variety of sources are fairly easy to find. There are a variety of on-line courses available. Additionally, local community colleges offer courses that are often reasonably priced. The Harvard website is a valuable resource for teachers looking to stay abreast of changes in the world of technology as well.

Hacking, Cracking, and other Viruses

What comes to mind when you hear the word, "virus"?

"STAY AWAY!" "Yuck! I don't want it!"

The word doesn't normally bring about positive connotations. And neither does the reaction to a computer virus. Don't you get frustrated when someone so smart and with extra time on their hands, uses it in this way? What can we do?

Let's start with the present, in educating those around us. Let's face it; technology is exploding and we all want to be a part of it.While continual technical developments don't normally in and of themselves raise moral or ethical issues, the way they are used, can.
Is there a lack of concern over those partaking in these unethical actions? Are we turning a blind eye, or dismissing the situation thinking the individual is just uneducated in their action?

Our Text's scenario, pg. 507 #3, comes to mind. What would you do in this situation? Is this fellow teacher innocent? I think she is. How, then, do we prevent future cases, and again, when do we begin?

Today is the day to make our young people aware of unethical technical use. They can learn to use their computer savviness smartly, and in ways that will benefit others and possibly their future careers. Being aware of unethical behavior as a student can prevent uncomfortable and criminal situations in their future.

Jerry Crystal, technology coordinator at a Bloomfield, Connecticut middle school, suggests, "middle school is the ideal place to focus on cyber ethics...because that is where kids begin to develop their awareness of ethical behavior. If we provide positive images and effectively communicate ethical values in all areas of their lives, those values will be reflected in the technological environment as well. How we teach kids to view themselves and their use of technology at this level is what they will carry with them into adulthood."

What about letting natural consequences be their teacher? As cautioned on pg. 473 of our text,

"Do not use pirated, illegal copies of copyrighted software. Not only is using them illegal, but they are a favorite source of viruses." No, let's do them a favor, and educate them now. Then, in our future, there should be fewer 'hackers', 'crackers', and other 'viruses'.

The following are sites I found helpful in educating about cyber crime:
This one includes different cyber-scenarios for students, followed by multiple choices for how they should react in the situation, and results for each choice! A site I plan on using in my classroom, for sure!
http://cybercitizenship.org/4kids/4kids.html (copyright for photo above)
http://www.cybercitizenship.org/
http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech055.shtml

Communication = Social Networking

Many of us are familiar with Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace. Now Google + has added to the mix. I, like many others, joined Google + and took the tour so we could really get to see what all the hype was about. I have to say that I actually liked it a lot better.
Social networking has gotten a lot of attention lately due to its role in the school systems both from students and staff. I know in Omaha Public Schools, there have been a few staff members that have been reprimanded due to the content they had posted on Facebook. As a result of this, many districts have had to place guidelines within contracts or staff handbooks stating what is appropriate when dealing with social networking. I know that in some districts such as Creighton Prep, you are not even allowed to have a Facebook page if you are an employee. Is that fair? I don't know. What I have found is that many staff and students have gone beyond the boundaries of what is ethical when it comes to social networks. Google + could be placed within the same bucket as the rest. I will say the one aspect of Google + that I found to be a positive was that you could place your friends into "circles". These circles allowed you to interact with people in different ways. For example: you could have a circle that only had your students in it. This circle then would only be allowed to see what you wanted them to see according to what was posted to that circle. Another circle could be friends where you could place people that you had more of a personal relationship with. I believe this feature would allow people the "personal space"' that many people believe they should be entitled to. I agree that teachers should be allowed to have a personal life and be able to post pictures and comments relevant to what they do outside of the school day; however, it is also a fact of our job that we are held to a higher standard than others. Is that fair? Probably not, but it is something that we all knew when we decided to become teachers.
Another aspect of Google+ that I liked was the chat rooms. Instead of being able to enter a chat room and just type, it was a lot like Skyping. It was a great way to be able to chat with your friends but also have a face to face conversation.
Finally, I liked the option for Smartphones. If a group of your friends were trying to figure out where to go to the movies and you were sending texts to different people, you could download Google+ to your phone and actually have a conversation with all of them without having to send 5 different texts. I thought that was a cool application.

Overall, I really thought that Google+ was trying to develop a social networking site that was more ethical than the ones that we currently have. It seemed to me that the site was really trying to take into account the privacy issues that are currently at the forefront and work through them. I would recommend at least touring Google+ and seeing what you think.

NETST & ISTE

"ISTE’s advocacy efforts extend beyond putting technology in the classroom. We strive to ensure that technology improves learning and teaching to help more students achieve their full potential."

International Society for Technology in Education

National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers

They are a set of standards created by the International Society for Technology in Education for the goal of using technology in elementary, middle and high school grads with the intention of students learning and being productive in a “digital society.” The standards were first released in 2000 and according to the website, defined the fundamental concepts, knowledge, skills, and attitudes for applying technology in educational settings.

Who is ISTE and why should we listen to them?

This organization according to their website is a nonprofit professional organization with a worldwide membership of leaders and potential leaders in educational technology. The goal is to provide leadership and service with the hopes of improving teaching and learning through technology in schools. They are dedicated to giving the voice of teachers to policy makers regarding educational technology in this digital age of learning.

Are there other resources on the ISTE website that can be useful?

This website has something for any level in the educational field. From students to teachers to administrators there is something for everybody. It shows the National Educational Technology Standards for all education levels. In the connect section of the website it a section called communities that has links to twitter, wiki and face book accounts as well as a section for special interest groups.

Click on link to listen to a message from the 2011 ISTE President

ISTE PRESIDENT

Ethical (and Legal) Social Networking

Social Networking has been a problematic issue for education. Ethical issues involving friendships between students and teachers has been the subject of many technology policies and, most recently, a law in Missouri.

Facebook has become a ubiquitous part of most middle and high school student's lives. A gray area comes into play for educators in being friends with their current or former students on Facebook. Many schools have technology policies that spell out what kind of online contact students and teachers are permitted to have. Missouri has taken this one step further recently by making it illegal for teachers and students to have any contact on any site that allows for private communication - not just Facebook. This bill was created in order to protect students from inappropriate contact between teachers and students.

The law prohibits teachers and students from being friends on Facebook but still allows teachers to create a Facebook page that would allow students to become fans of them. So, in essence, Facebook contact is not entirely prohibited but contact that would allow private messages to take place is not permitted.




Recently this law has been challenged because it also prevents teachers who are parents from being friends with their own child if they happen to meet the definition of a student in the state of Missouri. A Missouri teacher has filed a lawsuit that claims that this law violates her 1st and 14th amendment rights. There is legal precedent to back up this teacher and it will be interesting to see how the courts respond to this lawsuit.

Facebook has also published a .pdf called Facebook for Educators which was created with the help of professional educators as a guide for teachers regarding Facebook and education. This guide recommends that educators can use Facebook to:

1. Help develop and follow your school’s policy about Facebook.

2. Encourage students to follow Facebook’s guidelines.

3. Stay up to date about safety and privacy settings on Facebook.

4. Promote good citizenship in the digital world.

5. Use Facebook’s pages and groups features to communicate with students and parents.

6. Embrace the digital, social, mobile, and “always-on” learning styles of 21st Century students.

7. Use Facebook as a professional development resource.


These guidelines and the recommendations accompanying them are important for educators to familiarize themselves with so that they can be informed and able to speak intelligently about social networking and the inherent problems therein.

Google+ has emerged as another social networking site and the way that it is set up may mitigate some of the problems that are associated with educators and Facebook. Google+ does have a chat feature like Facebook does, however, because it allows users to place contacts into circles it allows for a mechanism to ensure appropriate contact. Students could be placed into a certain circle so that only certain information is shared with them. This feature does not entirely eliminate the possibility of inappropriate contact because it would depend largely on the teacher to use the site appropriately but it is a device that could create limited information and sharing with students.

Ultimately teachers must use social networking sites carefully to protect their students and themselves from compromising situations. Most teachers do not desire to have inappropriate contact with their students but it is important to be careful that being friends with a student or former student does not create overfamiliarity and denigrates professional distance. Teachers should be concerned with their students and available for them, but that does not necessarily need to extend to social networking sites.