Student Safety on the Internet

The Internet is a wonderful resource for free information from government, local, international and educational sites. Additionally the Internet provides current students with low-cost access to information that you and I could never have imagined growing up. But, like most things in life, the Internet does come with some ugly strings attached. There are Internet predators and sites with inappropriate content for our children. The Internet is limitless in the influences that it makes possible for our children and not all of those influences are uplifting.
It can be difficult to make sure that children are protected from the dangers of the Internet while they are at school. Teachers must take an active role in providing the safest environment possible for the students, and children need to know the difference between what is and what is not acceptable Internet use.
Children need structured education about how to safely use the Internet. Teachers should play an active role in helping children make wise decisions both in and out of school. Internet safety deserves a place in the regular yearly curriculum our teachers have. There are resources for teachers to learn more about the Internet themselves. After all, these dangers did not exist 15 years ago. Teachers should also be given the opportunity to be taught about Internet safety. School boards and districts would benefit from incorporating or instigating Internet safety programs that both teachers and students can benefit from.

Do Computers Help Students Learn???

I'm asking for your help to look at an issue that there still seems to be some controversy over. Are computers in school good for kids, or do they draw them away from more meaningful educational activities? My immediate response: it all depends on how you're using them. Simply having computers, or teaching kids how to use common applications like PowerPoint and MS Word, will not translate into greater student success. Students need consistent access to high-quality educational activities, and computers can provide those kinds of activities, and can even tailor them to individual needs. As with many controversial topics, though, research seems to go both ways on this. On one hand, some researchers point to the responses of teachers, students, and parents who are pleased with increased access to technology and point to positive changes in education because of it. On the other hand, other researchers see little or nothing gained and sometimes even detrimental effects on test scores because of increased technology use. This debate isn't just academic: schools are trying to decide whether to embrace or dump one-to-one programs that give each student a laptop of their own. So when you look at the relevant research, what do you conclude? Do computers in schools help students learn? Do we need to use them more or less frequently?

Administrators and Technological Support

I strongly beleive that it is imperative that administrators provide technological support in two areas: technical and curricular. Many times the responsibility of the maintenance and purchasing of hardware and software for computers fall on the shoulders of a teacher in the school. This can become a difficult situation if the teacher is not provided with adequate release time to perform these duties plus it sends a negative message to other teachers. A knowledgeable technician that is trained to repair computers and deal with networking issues best provides technical support. A skilled teacher can also provide technical support but appropriate release time to deal with this added responsibility is a must. Classroom teachers should be educated on basic troubleshooting measures but should also understand that they are not expected to be technicians. Administrators must also seek ways to provide curricular support to teachers. Teachers need professional development on integrating technology plus a knowledgeable teacher to work in the classroom with them as they work to find ways to integrate technology. A technology coordinator hired by the school division is often an ideal person for providing curriculum support in the area of technology. The technology coordinator can provide professional development plus mentor teachers in their classrooms. Administrators should also ensure that a professional development fund is in place to encourage teachers to take advantage of conferences and workshops that focus on integrating technology into the curriculum.

Integrating Technology and The Teacher's Role

It is obvious that if we expect teachers to integrate technology into the curriculum there needs to be a degree of familiarity with the computer. The question is how familiar? How much does a teacher need to know about computers to effectively integrate them into the curriculum? Teachers don't need to know how a computer works but rather how to use and apply a computer in the classroom. A simple analogy can be used when comparing a computer user to a person that operates a vehicle.In order to operate a vehicle a driver does not need to understand how the engine of the vehicle works, how to repair the vehicle, or even know how to buy a vehicle.It is expected that the driver will know how to operate the vehicle on the road understanding road signs and expectations of drivers on the road.As the driver gains more experience driving, their confidence level increases as well as their skill on the road.When operating a computer a basic level of knowledge is necessary in order to be successful.The user does not need to know how the computer works, how to repair the computer, or even know how to buy a computer.Over time the user will become more experienced and confident with using a computer. Teachers should strive for two goals when integrating technology.The first goal is to become a computer-using teacher. It may be the producing materials to use in the classroom such as handouts, banners or newsletters. It may be using the computer to manage your students' marks or using a software program to strengthen a particular skill. The second goal is to make the computer a teaching partner rather than an object of study. The instructional goals of computer-using teachers are in science, math, language arts, social studies, and other disciplines, not in computers.

Special Needs and Technology

In this new revolution, digital age technologies are transforming all of our lives by providing revolutionary ways to learn, communicate and work. But for individuals with special needs, the digital age can provide something even more valuable...freedom.

The Internet is an empowering tool for students with disabilities. The Internet gives them immediate access to information that historically has been unavailable to them. Online education is a major boon for students with disabilities, especially for students who have a difficult time traveling. As the Internet becomes more and more accessible to all people, I believe you will see more students with disabilities take advantage of this educational tool.

When you’re on the Internet, in a chat room or taking an online class, your disability is invisible and irrelevant. You’re on equal footing. Telecommuting, which is becoming more and more popular, is also a great benefit to people with disabilities because there are no transportation issues or architectural access limitations.

Speech recognition software is another tool that has tremendous potential for special needs students. Several software companies are already using this technology in their reading and foreign language programs. Speech recognition technology is helpful to students who are vision-impaired or paralyzed because they can talk to the computer and it will type what they say. Deaf students also benefit from this technology because they can type what they want to say into their portable computer and the computer speaks for them. Technology can be a great equalizer in the traditional classroom. Low vision students can carry a laptop computer with them to class to enlarge their work. Deaf students can use speech recognition technology to talk to their friends.

Technological advances in wheelchairs are also allowing individuals with paralysis or muscular disorders to live meaningful, purposeful lives. There are wheelchairs that are controlled by head movement,and coming soon there will even be wheelchairs that can climb stairs. Special cars allow an individual to drive by using hand levers, instead of gas and brake pedals. You can also drive a car using a joystick.

And as the 21st century moves on, technology will continue at an accelerated speed to improve the quality of life for individuals with special needs.

The biggest benefit will be the merging of technologies in the telecommunications area. We will see more smart houses being built where many things are done automatically, via computers. We are seeing improvements in voice recognition programs and in telecommunication shopping. We will see first-time movies run on our computers on the same day they reach the big screen. We will see audio descriptive services for blind and visually impaired persons used more on television and in the movies. We will also see bio medical procedures that will eradicate spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy diseases, and other neuromuscular diseases. We will see blindness eradicated and low vision or poor vision will become obsolete. The same situation will occur with hearing loss and deafness. I see a time when the biggest barrier challenging disabled people will be attitudinal barriers,and hopefully those too will soon disappear.

Video Games and Education

Games and gaming consoles still suffer an image problem, although attitudes are changing. However, even in the face of growing anecdotal, empirical and pedagogic evidence of the benefits of gaming when correctly incorporated into a learning environment, some will still cry foul because games are…well, games.

For education, what is needed is more high-quality user-relevant software, combining the best game techniques (contributed by games designers) and proven learning techniques (contributed by teachers), implemented on consoles with which learners are familiar, rigorously tested, independently evaluated, and widely publicized. The opportunities provided by ubiquitous gaming consoles, such as stability, ease of use and broadband access, should be exploited. Some organizations and projects, such as the Games-to-teach project, are making progress in researching and developing such software; many others are showing interest.

Future trends in video gaming are notoriously hard to predict. Even established industry experts fail to agree on particular gaming trends in anything more than the immediate future. The one certainty is that video games and gaming consoles are here; the key console manufacturers exhibit relative fiscal health; games are diverse, complex, engaging and attractive; and they are being played in rapidly increasing numbers. That particular revolution is complete: game over. The challenge now is that of combining the best and relevant aspects of games, game consoles, and learning, to create engaging and beneficial digital learning and research technologies: game on.

Web-based Educational Resources?????

Representatives from industry, academia and nonprofit organizations released new applications and programs at the National Educational Computing Conference this week, jockeying for the attention of the 15,000 educators in attendance. Here's a sampling of the latest tools from those developing technology for education:

PowerSchool powers up! Apple's PowerSchool announced partnerships with three new school districts including the Chicago Public Schools, the third largest district in the country. The Web-based student information system tool allows teachers to take attendance, record assignments and post grades in a central location. School administrators and parents can access the information on the Web. About 3,000 schools use the system.

The cool, not dirty, dozen? With more Palms in the classroom these days, teachers need quality applications to use with their students. The Center for Highly Interactive Computing at the University of Michigan announced its Cool Dozen educational applications for the Palm, available for free on the Internet. The tools include PiCoMap, a concept mapping tool; Cooties, a virus-transfer simulation program, and Sketchy, a drawing and animation program.

Need help with research and evaluation? The International Society for Technology in Education and Educational Support Systems unveiled a new Web-based project to help schools access research and evaluation when planning for technology in schools. Educators will be able to access studies, translated into user-friendly language, that will be useful in making technology planning decisions.

A cheaper computing option? Larry Ellison's new internet computer company is teaming up with Sun Microsystems to provide an affordable option for schools to get on the Internet. The server appliance provides basic network-based services such as e-mail, file storage space, firewalls and filtering.

How are handhelds helping? Palm is awarding $2 million in handhelds to K-12 schools and universities as part of its research on how the computers enhance teaching and learning. The Center for Technology and Learning will study the effectiveness of Palms in the classroom.

No more auto-reply? In an effort to make finding the perfect grant even easier, Netday announced a Research Desk to NetDayCompass.org, which provides resources for teachers looking to implement technology in the classroom. The Research Desk will be staffed by real live human beings who will answer specific questions and guide teachers to the proper resources. If necessary, a researcher will perform the search for the seeker.

Educational Software

Although computers and educational software have rapidly become a part of the schooling experience and the home environment, what can educational software really provide and where can it be of real help to my child?
Let's start with what typically goes on in the daily school experience. Most teachers, such as myself, are facing class sizes of 25 to 30 students. With the increasing emphasis on teaching content to students, I only have time to teach a concept once, before I need to go on to the next concept. The amount of time and individual attention I can give is limited and I constantly face the challenge that the students who are fast learners are being held back and the ones who are having difficulty are not going to get the attention they need. In addition, all students need practice to fully learn a skill and be comfortable with it. Can good educational software help a teacher overcome these challenges and make an impact on a child's learning? I believe it can.
Good educational software reinforces and expands what students are learning in school. For students that are having some difficulty, it's important to recognize that educational software and the computer never get tired or frustrated by students who take the time to repeatedly go over concepts and lessons. For those students who grasp concepts quickly, educational software gives them the opportunity to advance at their own pace and really master the concept. They are able to take the educational software and computer and fly at their own pace without anyone telling them to slow down. A great quality of good educational software for all students is that it is interactive. It is very engaging for many users and provides immediate feedback on how they are doing .
Can the computer and educational software help every student become an "A" student? No. Students who have poor work habits are not going to magically transform overnight into conscientious students by sitting in front of a computer and doing a software program. The human interaction, both from the teacher and the parent, are crucial to guidance, building self confidence, and building the desire to learn. So when your children take you by the hand and ask you to come and see what they're doing with a software program, sit down and listen to them. Ask them to show you how the software works. You can learn a lot from how your children approach a software program by quietly observing them. And that's what good parenting and good learning is all about. Being there for your children as they discover the world around them.

Kidspiration!!!

As a parent most of the troubling experiences are connected to your child's education. What school he should attend, a private one or a public one, and then what courses and so on. What I mean is that everybody has to learn to read and to write but is math more important than music? Should you try educating your offspring by means of games or are the traditional methods still a better choice? Primary education has, of course, a great importance, being the milestone of your kid's proper upbringing but how can you be sure that he has every opportunity to develop appropriately? The best you can do is to make sure that he is prepared for anything that may come. That is why a program created especially to develop kids' numeracy, literacy and thinking skills using visual learning might be everything you've been searching for. Kidspiration is one of the most interesting educational software applications I've seen designed for this age. The audio explanations are very helpful, making it suitable even for kids who don't necessarily know how to read. The program definitely stimulates the child in every aspect, making him solve problems, develop projects and link concepts, bumping into things that he might not use every day. The fact of the matter is that this application isn't necessarily useful only for kids, but it can also be used for organizing events, web pages, projects, brainstorming, almost every activity that may be better if you visualize it first. Although at a first glance you think this program is very simple and easy to use, it takes a little time to explore and get used to all its features and patterns. Kidspiration is not going to transform your child into a rocket scientist but it will help him better organize himself and his projects, while the attractive interface will actually keep him in front of the computer doing something fun and educational.

My Access!!!!!!!

I’m passionate about teaching my students the importance of writing, even though it is by far the most frustrating thing I do. I have good days and bad days. One period will become a thriving writing environment while another limps along and students look like they would rather sit in the dentist’s chair than spend another second with me. I don’t expect all my students to love writing, but I do know that they all need to become proficient writers. And sadly, for a variety of reasons, many of our students are not. I certainly don’t have all the answers for why this is, but I do know that it’s not enough to just teach students a set of skills. Rather, they need to understand how writing works-why we write in the first place. They need to have a reason for writing so that they have an incentive to revise. The power of MY Access and why we are fortunate to use it, is that it can become a visual symbol that will help students internalize writing process. It’s a powerful ally, and personally I need all the help I can get.

The NJCCCS

When I visited the NJCCCS website, I found it very easy to identify all of the cumulative progress indicators associated with my curriculum. Being a middle school special education teacher, I was able to identify every skill my students are supposed to possess by the end of eighth grade. While this information is useful, I had one major question that the website never answered. How do we teach all of these skills? Nowhere on the NJ website could I find suggestions on how to implement this state's curriculum. As a teacher, I would find it helpful to have access to resources that will aid in providing the students with a fluid, coherent curriculum that covers all of the topics listed in the NJCCCS. I think it might be helpful to provide some links that can help teachers with the implementation of lessons that are aligned with the NJCCCS. What do you think?

Digital Learning Video

Great video! I was really struck by how deeply integrated our children are with technology. For kids who grew up watching movies and playing games on the computer, it is definitely understandable that they would have trouble listening to a teacher talk.
I think it is fantastic that giving technology to our students gives them more control over their learning. Children should be expected to take responsibility for their education and their goals. The industrial era is over and we do not need students who learn a procedure from a superior, then repeat it. We need students who are self motivated and capable of finding the information they need to solve the problem they are interested in.
We are giving more control to students but we also need to make sure that students use their time productively. Children have difficulty with self control so we should attempt to remove distractions during class time. Educators should collaborate with computer and cell phone manufacturers to create software that gives teachers the ability to enable/disable features or content.
Designing lessons using technology can be more time consuming but if we create a system to share our lessons and are able to use other's lessons, we will reduce the amount of time we have to spend planning. We won't need to gather resources to make photocopies of because the resources will all be online and accessible.
Avoiding technology integration is a disservice to our children. In a few years most children will have iPhone-type phones that students and teachers will be able to deliver content to. We need to rethink our no cell phones or iPods policies and incorporate students technology. By utilizing the technology students bring to school, we can decrease the amount of additional funding schools spend on technology.

Internet Safety Assignment

Although many parents and children are now aware of online predators, it is important for parents to remain vigilant and aware as to the many potential risks and dangers our children may face online.
The biggest threat facing children and teenagers on the internet today is not cyber predators but rather irresponsible parents. Children are accessing porn sites, chatting with strangers, and posting inappropriate content on the web because parents are not doing their jobs. The solution to solving the problem of minors on the internet does not involve more intense policing rather it involves holding parents criminally responsible when a child accesses porn, posts inappropriate material, or meets a predator offline.
If my child burns himself on the kitchen stove and I have to take him to the hospital, then the first thing that is going to be asked is: where were the parents when this happened? If the hospital staff doesn't feel the correct answer is given, then the matter is referred to a child welfare agency. When a child meets a predator from online in the real world and gets molested, then the parents are called a VICTIM along with the child. This is utterly insane. The parents of these kids should be arrested and charged with a criminal offense for not properly supervising the child's online behavior as well as keeping tabs of the child outside the home.
Until police begin to file criminal charges against the parents of children victimized online, then there will not be solution to this problem. Instead, responsible adults who use the Internet will be punished in the name of saving the children. I really wish that society would start holding parents accountable for poor parenting and not blaming the big corporations for parental malfeasance.

Our First Assignment

Wow! Before this assignment I had no idea how to use or set up a blog. It was easy until I got to the user name and title name. I didn't think coming up with a name would be so difficult. I'm still not familiar with many of the options, but as the semester goes on I'm sure I'll get better at blogging. I'm looking forward to learning more about blogging and it usefulness in the classroom. Happy blogging everyone!!! Hope to hear from you soon.

testing

testing 1, 2!!!!!!!!!! testing 1, 2!!!!!!! over!!!!!!!!