Social Networking Tools

Summary:

Social networking in my opinion is an effective way to help students educate themselves. With nine-17 year olds spending a sufficient amount of their time using social networking tools as they do watching television. 96% pf students with online access report that they have ever used any social networking technologies such as chatting, text messaging, and blogging. Social networking tools allow students to express their learning with words, music, and video. Most students spend a good amount of time posting content on online sources. Incorporating the internet and social networking tools into education, gives students the drive to want to study and participate in their learning. With recent studies, it is found that most students (96%) have homework that involves the use of the internet. It's becoming more and more common for school districts to set up social networking tools that enable students to have enjoyed their learning. A great percentage of students have the 21st century skills needed to engage in social networking. However, there are some disadvantages. School districts around the country have several disadvantages that include: requiring a permission form, rules on chatting and instant messaging, and blocked internet sites. Overall, social networking gives students the chance to incorporate what they already do in their spare time, with education.

Ideas on the topic:

Almost all tweens/teens are using social networks such as blogging sites, text messaging, myspace and facebook now. These kids and students are now spending more time on these sites than watching tv. A lot of these students claim that a large amount of their time online is spent doing work or research for school. Although these sites are banned in most schools; teachers continue to assign more and more assignments that need the internet to be completed. Schools should use these social network tools AS tools for the classroom. Teachers could use these networks for students to post blogs on the lesson, or to find more information on topics they are studying in the classroom. There are so many ways for the internet to be used in educational ways, and if students are using these social network outlets they could be used as a great tool for educational purposes. Maybe if there was a way for schools to block the parts of the site that they do not want the student to use at the school, yet be able to keep the educational usable portion such as the blogging portion, ect. Since students are so familiar with these social networks and can get around them so well, they should be able to use them with ease in their school work, hopefully helping them in their educational experience. Social networking tools are so popular these days, lets use them to furter education, and help our students reach higher in their educaitonal careers.

Social Networking has grown to be very popular among teens. This study reported that 9-17 year olds spend almost 9 hours a week on social networking sites. Compared to 10 hours a week watching television. That is huge. Kids have become computer couch potatoes now. 96% of students with online access report that they used social networking technology such as chatting, text messaging, blogging, visiting MySpace and Facebook. Those figures are astonishing considering it was only a few years ago that these things did not even exist and all kids did was watch television, play video games and play outside. But with all of the advances in technology kids are able to stay connected to eachother in many ways. surprisingly though students reported that the most common topics of conversation on these social networking sites is education, and schoolwork. Even this being so a vast majority of school districts have strict rues about students visiting these sites during the school day. even though parents report few problems with behavior online. I think that there should be less strict rules regarding students visiting these sites during the school day. I do think there should be some limitations because some students will try and abuse being able to go to these sites but not everyone should be punished and those that do use the sites to talk about school and their schoolwork should be aloud to.Social Networking is a great tool that we are fortunate to have in this day and it should not be taken away from students just because they are in school. They should be able to use it in school too.

Opinion:

Social Networking tools have their pros and cons about them. Many people especially parents think that these tools are unsafe for their children to be using. Depending upon age, many children should be supervised when using these tools. Obviously if your child is old enough to make their own decisions then as a parent you might have to just step back and let them do what they want, after all most of these sites are now private where you have to be accepted to view a persons profile. Many students use these social networking tools to communicate back and forth with their friends. These social networks could look into the kind of information they are asking people to put on their sites and determine what sould be allowed and what shouldn't be, such as where they live and work and all of that. That kind of information doesn't necessarilly need to be distributed to anyone who doesn't already know that. When it is all said and done, I think it all depends on the age group when determining if social networking tools is right or not.

Further Research:

It seems that after reading these articles on incorporating technology into the school system we have to be taking our cues from somewhere. That somewhere is NASA and other government agencies. The school systems seem to be using techology that is proven to work in other aspects before testing them out in the schools. I think that is very smart and a great way to screen different tools to see if they would translate well to the education environment. According to this article students use their social networking tools in education more than people realize. I'm sure many can say they have used it for rate my professor and such. Social networking tools are present in the students lives and it would be to the schools advantage to educate about the safety and to incorporate them instead of ignoring or banning them. Below is a link to safe education when it comes to social networking tools:
http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/issues/issues423.shtml

Virtual Classrooms

Article
http://www.yaleherald.com/archive/xxxi/2001.02.02/features/exclusive.html

Summary

"Internet's next big conquest may just be the schools. The possibility of getting a digital diploma without ever setting foot in a classroom is not at all remote" Especially since our society has become so reliant on the internet, it is no surprise that students will be able to attend all their classes online. Virtual classrooms will enable students to participate in not only individual learning activities but group ones as well. With virtual classrooms, students will have the opportunity to interact with their teachers and even their parents through the group discussions. I think that this will give parents the opportunity to interact with their student's education and provide accurate feedback. Students can actively participate virtually to complete quizzes, homework activities, online courses, webquests, and forums. Virtual classrooms also give a more organized setting by offering unit overviews (for parents and students), student grade sheets, calendar and timetables, and student homepages. Virtual classrooms let students actively participate in the classroom when school hours are closed. The students curriculum will always be at access to them, and easier to retrieve. Teachers absent on sick leave or attending a professional development activity can leave work for their students in their Virtual Classroom and check progress. Virtual classrooms allow students to participate in learning at any time of the day. It involves more interaction among classmates and even gives parents the opportunity to participate in their student's education. I personally think virtual classrooms offer an easier, more proficient way into education.

By Alyson Sode

Ideas Regarding the Topic

I think that Virtual Classrooms are a great thing! They provide the ability for students to learn even when not in the classroom. They also give the ability to learn to students who can not go to a traditional classroom. I couldn't agree with the article more though. Virtual classrooms already have many technological advances but I think that with movies, sound clips added it would make it that much more effective. While Virtual Classrooms do have their downsides like never being able to one on one help with the teacher they are a great addition to the Education World.

By Katharine Eastham

This article says it all. One day you may not even have to step foot into a classroom to get your diploma. Virtual classrooms may someday take that place. Virtual classrooms have many benefits for students, including taking away that ever present fear of stating your opinions in the classroom. Distance learners then also wouldn't have to make the commute for class. Technology may need to advance a little before someone can take all their classes virtually and graduate, but the possibilities are endless, and it is in sight.

By Laura Kvaley

Opinions on the Topic

Virtual Classrooms have their pros and cons. Many people love the thought of not getting out of bed to go to class at 8:00. With the use of virtual classrooms students can access their classes whenever it is convienent for them, unless of course the professor has an assigned time where the student has to be online to participate in a discussion or something. One of the cons of virtual classrooms is that children will lose the face to face interaction with other students. Some students will live a sheltered life because the only interaction they get with other people is at school. Virtual classrooms still allow you to have interaction, it's just over the internet and not face to face. With class sizes growing the way they are these days, virtual classrooms are becoming more and more popular in the school system. I like having a couple online classes, I don't think I would want them all to be virtual, but I do like the thought of having a few.

By Christina Dunlop

Further Research

Virtual Classrooms appears to be the wave of the future with elite univerisities such as Yale and Princeton joining the program University Alliance for Life-Long Learning. It is all too common for students to be able to earn a degree or certification without ever stepping foot into a classroom on campus. The attached article describes the plan of the University Alliance for Life-Long Learning to better the education for everyone with e-learning. This offers all people a chance to have "ivy-league" education with big name faculty and prime conditions over the internet. However, this type of experiment does not go without doubt, "There is a deep interest in all of this to find out what works and how educators should learn and teach when you don't have the communication richness of the classroom," said Long of Yale. "Online you have to be much clearer with pedagogical goals. You have to anticipate problems."

By Sarah Cappel

Virtual Reality

Article Link: http://www.sunrisevr.com/pdf/SUNRISE_EducationGuide2003.pdf


Summary


This article promotes virtual reality as a teaching tool in all classrooms because it uses some of the more effective learning styles. These three learning styles are visual, experience, and self-directed learning. The virtual reality education is not just learning but experience. It takes the words found in the text books and transforms them into an experience that a student can learn interactively. There are five key reasons why virtual reality is effective in teaching students. The students are highly motivated, independent, learn decision making, learn benefits of subject matter, and it manages time. Virtual reality facilitates active learning verses passive learning which is proven and known as the better learning style. This active learning style allows students to better understand and apply the lessons to life. The use of virtual reality in the classroom feeds into the natural nature of humans to learn visually and hands on. Then it becomes an issue of integrating the virtual reality system into the school. Finding a lab and organizing it to logically allow students to use them for different classes. Then it is necessary to have the teacher support her curriculum with the virtual reality. This learning style promotes attentiveness and creates a good social atmosphere for the students. Virtual reality is a tool to support and reinforce the lesson being taught. It is proven to be highly effective. If a school is willing to undertake the challenge of adopting a new system, this tool could effectively change the way of learning for the better.


By: Sarah Cappel


This article is presented by a company that produces virtual reality software for uses in education. Though it might seem biased, this article presents significant examples of how VR can be very useful in today's classrooms. One of the key arguments of the article is that students learn best by experiencing something first hand. It presents the analogy that when teaching a student about the rainforest a child will best learn about the forest not from reading about it or listening to someone talk about it, but by walking into it- becoming a part of it. Understanding what virtual reality-based learning means, is to understanding the shift from text-based education to multi-sensory, experiential learning. By immersing the students into a world were their experiences go beyond what they can get in the traditional classroom they are provided the best learning possible. The article then presents some good points on why and how virtual reality can be useful in the classroom. Students start with high level of motivation to learn. The distraction factor is minimal, and once the session has begun, come on, what student wouldn't want to put on a VR helmet and take a first hand look into the Amazon. In the conclusion VR is said to have met the standards of what the article claims is were optimal learning takes place: 1) The student works at her own pace 2) Is actively involved in performing specific learning tasks 3) Experiences success in learning. According to that, I guess you can't go wrong with Virtual Reality


By: Mark Stuckey


Thoughts and Reflections


After reading this article I think that Virtual Reality is a great tool for the classroom. This is true because it offers a great way to add innovation to the classroom that really helps engage students. It expands the learning environment and at the same time conveys large amounts of information. I think that it would be very useful especially to visual learners. It goes beyond text book learning and goes into multi-sensory and experimental learning. It can be used in all areas of study and is a great tool for students and teachers!


By: Katherine Eastham


Ideas Regarding the Topic


Virtual reality offers students a more independent approach on learning. By adding virtual reality to classrooms, students start with a high level of motivation to learn. Students today are more self-directed and independent, virtual reality allows them to make most of the decisions concerning the resolution of the problem. Virtual reality puts students inside of their subject, which gives them their own personal experience with their studies. Virtual reality is also beneficial especially when it pertains to time. Many students show lack of interest in a subject after several minutes, I feel that Virtual Reality will help students gain the will to want to engage in learning again. One point that the article made that I found appropriate, was again the fact that "it allows students to adapt learning and discovery into their individual personalities, styles, and resources" Virtual reality also benefits for the teachers as well. Teachers are given the opportunity to guide students through their own creative mind, instead of just supplying answers. I think virtual reality is a necessary tool that should be used in Schools to benefit both teachers and students.


By: Alyson Sode


Opinions on the Topic


In my opinion virtual reality is a great tool for the classroom. Virtual reality can take students to times and places they have never been. The students are able to experience things they may never get the chance to. Students are able to be interactive in those experiences also. Students are able to learn while experiencing these other worlds. They can also create their own virtual reality world and learn even more in the process. Virtual reality can give teachers the tool to give their students the learning experiences they may never get to have.


By: Laura Kvaley


Expansion of Further Information and Further Research


By reading into our article Sunrise Virtual Reality, I have come to realize that virtual reality would actually be a great device that teachers could use in their classrooms to teach students about different things that they do not know of. In the article it gives an example of children not knowing anything about the forest. All they have to do is put on the special headset and use the special glove and they are instantly in the forest. It also says that they can learn about anything they want to learn about while they have the headset and glove on. Virtual Reality is a creative teaching tool that teachers everywhere should start using to help their teaching techniques. Instead of the everyday "Let's read in our textbooks" deal, teachers would have the opportunity to finally say let's take a trip and learn about things that are in the forest. So as we can see Virtual Reality would be a creative device that schools everywhere should start using to enhance the students' want and ability to learn.


By: Courtney Thomas


Virtual Reality allows students to become active in the learning envirnoment. Virtual Reality is a technology form some teachers use in their classrooms. Virtual Reality is used to enhance educational learning in a fun and educational way. Many teachers look for ways to have student participation in their classrooms, and this would be a good one. With the use of virtual reality in the classroom you will find that students are wanting to participate and they will be excited to learn. Some teachers feel that they can use the same teaching methods they used twenty years ago, but that is why they lose the attention of their students. Teachers should be willing to try new things and incorporate new forms of technology usage in their classrooms where students can relate in this time period. The following link is a web page that provides some further information on virtual reality.
http://www.hitl.washington.edu/projects/learning_center/pf/whyvr.htm


By: Christina Dunlop

Streaming Video

Article

http://www.ripbs.org/Education/video_streaming.html

Summary

Streaming video is a database that accesses clips of information that is cirriculum based. It is easy to use by typing in a keyword and finding a grade/subject related clip and then playing it right from the internet. The clips are even indexed so the teacher can use his or her own discression regarding the length of the clip. The video is not harmful to the computer because it leaves no physical evidence of having been there. Its simply transmitted and received by the real-time software. The clip will begin as soon as enough information has been detected because video and audio are transmitted at the same time. This tool is useful because it gives teachers another awesome resource for planning a cirriculum by giving examples, activity ideas, and home planning options. It allows students to access it anytime for out of classroom activites, and is a great way of keeping the students attention while teaching even the simple process of how to prepare for a lab. It keeps lessons current and up to date with its information and resources.
By Sarah Cappel
This informative article discusses the structure and benefits of streaming video in the state of Rhode Island. It gives a basic definition of Streaming media technology - video streaming - enables the real time, or on-demand distribution of audio, video and multimedia on the internet. Following that, are the benefits and advantages of streaming video such as: access to more than 4,000 length and 44,000 clips of indexed main core-curriculum location of specific content by grade and subject in curriculum . Video Streaming is available to any** school in the state -- helping all Rhode Island students cross the digital divide. The dynamic content of Video Streaming catches students' attention, helping to keep them focused on the lesson at hand. With Video Streaming, videos are always available from any internet-enabled computer. Video Streaming content is always current and up-to-date. With content accessible from anywhere, lessons are simple to plan from home. This simple article provides just enough information to make a valid argument to the usefulness of streaming video in the classroom.
By Mark Stuckey
Like the article stated video streaming enables the real time, or on-demand distribution of audio, video and multimedia on the internet.Streaming videos are received through streamed data is transmitted by a server application and received and displayed in real-time by client applications. The benefits to streaming videos include access to more than 4,000 length and 44,000 clips of indexed main core-curriculum, standard-based video programs over the Internet. the location of specific content by grade and subject in curriculum areas such as Life Science Biology, Early Childhood, Social Studies, and Health and prevention. It also helps with samples of lesson plans, home access for lesson plans, and acces to the image library. Video streaming is useful because the data is always current and up to date. I think video streaming will benefit for teachers in classrooms everywhere.
By Alyson Sode
Opinions, Ideas, and Relflections

I feel that streaming video is a good technological tool for the classroom use. It allows teachers to have access to lesson planning while they are at home. This is great for teachers that way they can make changes and adjust their lesson if sudden changes occur. Using this form of technology, the teacher always has videos available. This also allows content to always be available to the teacher which can help out a teacher a lot. Teachers don't always have a lot of extra time in the classroom to sit and prepare things, so we Streaming video they are able to do this at home. Streaming video sounds like it!
By Christina Dunlop
Streaming video seems like an awesome way to incorporate simple technology into the classroom. Teachers are always wanting to share video's with a class and have the hassel of dealing with media such as tapes and dvds. This can also be accessed any time or place allowing the teacher to give assignments for homework. Projects can be completed with this database making it possible for students without transportation to research the online library. It also is an up to date way of educating students on cirriculum they cannot go outside the classroom to see. I really think that out of all the technological tools we have learned about, this is one that can be used by all without difficulty and still highly effective.
By Sarah Cappel
My opinion of the article, that was chosen among us all, is that I like the idea of classrooms having the Streaming Video. It would allow those classrooms and also teachers to give the students easy access to educational videos that have to do with whatever they are learning about at the time. It allows them to get clips of anything that has to do with the any subject as well. Streaming video also allows students to get the chance to use these clips at home for their homework and learn at home too. Also, teachers have access to study guides and lesson plans while using Streaming Video. Teachers also get ahold of activities to do with the students with whatever curriculum they are doing at the time. Another good reason for Streaming Video is that it can be used any time on any computer that has internet capabilities. All in all I think that streaming video would be a good technological activity that students and teachers can use in and out of the classroom.
By Courtney Thomas
Streaming video can help out education greatly. It could be used it so many ways. Teachers could get ideas on lessons from other teachers all over the world. The information can be up to date and real time. Students could used streaming video from home, if they are out sick or on vacation. You could used the streaming video to show your classes what other classes are learning also at the same time maybe in a different country. Streaming video is informative and a great tool for the classroom.
By Laura Kvaley
Further Research

Since classtime is so valuable it is important to utilize tools such as streaming videos. This benefits both students and teachers. For teachers it can be homework to prepare yourself for the day's lesson of discussion, or allow students who miss class to easily make it up. Students are able to go at their own pace while accessing videos or articles. This also avoids downloads from the web which come with many difficulties. Here are some examples of how to successfully use streaming video:

* filmed performances or documentaries
* asking student to analyze a situation or diagnose a condition
* human interactions, where voice and body language important
* processes over time
* demonstrations -- such as equipment use, details of procedures
* panel discussions, guest lectures
* laboratory experiments
* share field trips
* modeling behavior
* videoconferencing

When using streaming video some tips on keeping it interesting would be to keep the clips short, use animations to explain processes, and avoid "talking head" or lecture style videos. If you are able to follow some of these examples and tips then using streaming video in the classroom should be easy and effective!
By Sarah Cappel

Here is a great website that has a how to create a streaming video! http://www.mediacollege.com/video/streaming/overview.html Here is a link to a page that has more indepth detail as to what a streaming video is: http://searchvoip.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid66_gci213055,00.html
By Katherine Eastham

Podcasts in the Classroom

(Below, is an intro to our article, the full website is below)
As with most of these other technologies, it's not hard to see how podcasts might make inroads in schools. One way to get into the flow of education related podcasting is to visit the Education Podcast Network (http://epnweb.org/) which was started in May of 2005. Not only is there a growing directory of educators who are doing personal podcasts, there are links to uses in the classroom broken down both by grade level and subject.
And remember that the underlying technology here is digital recording and the idea that it is now very easy to create and publish these recordings. You and your students may not have iPods or MP3 players, and the good news is you don’t need them to start using audio in this way. As long as you have a way to make the recording, and as long as your students have access to the Internet, you can make this work. More about that in a minute.

http://www.techsmith.com/community/articles/schoolpodcasts.asp?DCMP=NLC-edunews30&ATT=podcast



Summary


Richardson's, "How to Use Podcasts at Your School," is very effective in presenting information pertinent to using podcasts in education. Richardson touches on http://epnweb.org/ which is a website providing information regarding the usage of podcasts in the classroom and links to specific examples. The article also touches on the positives of integrating podcasts and radios in the classroom. An important noted positive is that it is fairly simple to create and publish digital recordings. Also, one does not require all of the modern technology, like MP3s and ipods, to create a Podcast. In addition to noting positives of podcasting, Richardson gives great examples of how different teachers use radio technology, internet, computer software and podcasts in their classroom and in education. Podcasting can also be effective in education without focusing solely on radio. Using radio technology for world language, communication translation, interviews, and narration purposes is also another positive utilization. The most effective statement regarding the usage of podcasts and radio technology is which Richardson states, "the possibilities are only limited by your imagination." Radio technology and podcasts offer endless possibilities in creative learning, thinking, and creating.

Great for further research! Check it out... http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0561.pdf

Examples: http://www.podcastforteachers.org/Who

By: Amy Lovett

Thoughts & Reflections



I believe that podcasts could help out the classroom greatly. They might one day even become the classroom. These days technology is taking over our lives. People are getting more and more comfortable with technology and the things they can do with it.Although the social aspect of schools are great, podcasts could save money for the government and school districts. They engage students without actually having to be in the classroom. Podcasts are also benifical if students could download their podcast on to an MP3. The students could then listen to it, when homework time comes around, or while studing for a test. Podcasts are a great tool for teachers and educators and are very beneficial for students.

By: Laura Kvaley



Ideas Regarding the Topic



Some ideas for podcasts in the classrooms are that it allows students the ability to be a part of the class if they are absent for some reason. Podcasts also allow teachers to be able to teach lessons where they can be viewable at all times to a student in case they have a question or don't understand something. Podcasts seem to be a great tool where teachers and students can some what always be linked. Many other ideas are out there with podcasts such as an open house where families that can no attend open house can go online and see everything there is to see. Podcasts are a great form of technology and can be used in many ways throughout school systems.

By: Christina Dunlop

There are many ideas that can go along with podcasting. As Christina said, and I believe she is correct is that when parents have missed something that was in the classroom the podcast could be used for the parents to go online and see what they missed. Personally I think it is a great way for students and also parents to stay in tune with what is going on. I think that having podcasts in the classroom for students to use would be a great idea for schools everywhere to start using. It would be a good way for students to learn how to use them and teach other people how to use them as well. Although, I don't think that podcasts should be used to take over classrooms. I think they should be a tool that should be used for whenever students are in need and they could use that, but to take over the classroom, no. We wouldn't have teachers then and isn't that what most of us are studying to be??

By: Courtney Thomas



Opinions on the Topic



This article does an amazing job of descriping how podcasting can be used to promote interest in learning and how to use it not only as a news type show but as an actual learning tool for lessons. It talks about different schools that use podcasting within their curriculum and I love the Willowdale Elementary School example. They break it up into segments that are entertaining for the children but can be used to teach things such as history and doing a role play. In general it appears that this is mostly an inexpensive way of incorporating technology into the schools. One of the more realistic ways I think of using technology on a national base in the public school systems.

By: Sarah Cappel


I think that Podcasts are a great tool to use in the classroom. They are easy to create and publish. Plus, you don't even need an Ipod or MP3 player to use them. Which makes it an affordable tool. All you need is access to the internet. Podcasts are great because you are no limited to just your school and community as an audience. Podcasts are able to be heard by anyone anywhere. They also can have contributing ideas and a large conversion from many people. You can do archives which allows for future audience use. Podcasts have many uses in many subjects like, Science, Social Studies and Music and many more. They are a very useful tool in the classroom.

By: Katherine Eastham



Expansion of Information & Further Research



Looking into some of the pod casts talked about in this week's article, I was able to discover some important aspects of what makes a great podcast. An example is a podcast created by Kyle Butler called Brain Food. http://brainfoodpodcast.libsyn.com// From a teacher's perspective, the Brain Food Podcast is useful in many ways.

•Easy and enjoyable way to brush up on subject matter content

•An example of how to explain complex ideas in a simple, easy-to-understand manner

•Excellent ideas for topics

From a student's perspective the Brain Food Podcasts are a casual, non-intimidating way to learn about science. It is always important as a teacher to continually find ways to get the students excited about learning. New technologies like podcasts fall into that category and can be really useful if you use them correctly.


By: Mark Stuckey

Multimedia Applications for the Classroom

Article:

(Below is the intro of our article followed by the link to the full web page, Enjoy!)

There is a clear disconnect between the media students are accustomed to using outside the classroom and the media they predominantly use within the classroom. Students spend copious amounts of their free time socializing, shopping, and even studying on the Internet, where they are flooded with text, images, video, animation, and sound in what is a complex multimedia environment. The younger generation is intimately familiar with multimedia, accustomed to receiving and sharing information in a range of formats. In contrast, students spend most of environment within school. Printed text is one-size-fits-all, but students' learning strengths, needs, and interests are all over the map. Thus, the traditional print-driven curriculum raises a number of barriers to access and learning.
Integration of multimedia into instruction can help to reduce curriculum barriers and improve learning for all students. This article provides a basic introduction to multimedia and describes how it can be used to support student learning.

http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=106

Summary:

This article does a great job of explaining the different types of multimedia that can be used in the classroom. It mentions wonderful ways of using tools such as animation, CD-ROM storybooks, and even specialized texting which can help students with disabilities. The ways it can improve teaching and learning are by making the subject areas more compelling and offering a new perspective for the students to view the given subject. As the intro says, there is too much disconnect between the huge use of technology outside the classroom and the lack of use of it inside the classroom given the technical nature of the future generations. After reading the article and the descriptions of how the different types of multimedia are used, sparks many ideas of how to incorporate one of the tools into a lesson plan. The article talks of how every student is different in the learning style but that there is most likely a multimedia facet that would suit their needs. While reading the article it is plain to see that it is productive and beneficial for both the teacher and the student to use multimedia applications in the classroom.


By Sarah Cappel

This article is a great tool for understanding what multimedia is and how it can be used in the classroom, providing a basic introduction to multimedia it then describes how it can be used to support student learning. Right of the bat you are given a great definition "Multimedia is in essence a presentation of information that incorporates multiple media such as text, audio, graphics, and animation" Following is a presentation of the types of multimedia and their classroom applications. Talking books and speech synthesis is the first sort of media that is discussed. Read-aloud is an intrinsic feature of so-called talking books, but with text-to-speech software, virtually any digital content-including web-based texts-can be read aloud. One of the key benefits of Read-aloud is that it supports the development of key literacy skills such as fluency and reading comprehension. Next is CD-ROM storybooks. These offer the story text together with animations, vocabulary definitions, and sound effects. The article warns that because of the animations and sounds this could be distracting to students and the teacher should be wise in deciding when to use this type of multimedia. The next example of multimedia in the article is Video/videodiscs. Video can be used to anchor mathematics instruction to an authentic context. That is, video can be used to present to students a real-world context within which mathematical problem-solving can then be situated. Hypermedia and Computer simulations are the final two types of multimedia that are reviewed. Hypermedia refers to hyperlinked multimedia-the linkage of text, audio, graphics, animation, and/or video through hyperlinks. For example, a hypermedia study guide might offer illustrated textbook content hyperlinked to web-based video and other content, glossary entries, and comprehension questions. Using hypermedia design software, students can construct multimedia compositions that afford them a much greater range of possibilities than text. Computer simulations are computer-generated versions of real-world objects (for example, a brain) or processes (for example, an election). They may be fully automated or interactive, eliciting user input. Computer simulations can be used to increase content knowledge. For example, a simulated marine ecosystem can be used to teach ecology concepts. So as you can see this is a great article for learning about different types of multimedia and how they can be useful in the classroom

By Mark Stuckey

Thoughts and Reflections:

This article made a great point that multimedia in the classroom can "help reduce curriculum barriers and improve learning for all students". It also talked about how students are used to receiving and sharing information in all types of ways. But, in the classroom they are limited to viewing printed text and listening to the teacher. Print-text is as the article calls it a "one-size-fits-all" way of learning.When the reality is that students strengths and needs are met in a variety of ways, not just by reading and listening. I think that by integrating multimedia in the classroom it enables all students to get what they need from a lesson. It enables the teacher to present the course information in a visual way with pictures and graphics and animation for the visual learners. It also allows for different types of audio devices for the auditory learner. It doesn't have to be computerized, but computers provide endless possibilities for teachers.There are many tools in multimedia, such as, CD-ROM storybooks, video/video tapes, talking books, and computer simulation just to name a few. All of these are great tools for teachers to use in their classrooms so every students needs are met and as a bonus it makes learning fun for the students!!

By Katherine Eastham

Ideas regarding the topic:

Computer simulations, hypermedia, video, CD-ROM, talking books and speech synthesis are great examples of multimedia available to us in the twenty-first century. There are multiple reasons that multimedia is beneficial in education. The first reason multimedia is beneficial is it can "help to reduce curriculum barriers and improve learning for all students" (cited.org). So exactly how does multimedia reduce curriculum barriers and improve learning for ALL students? Well, it may not improve learning for all students but multimedia does accommodate many different learning styles. Some students may prefer the traditional style of learning, meaning text and lecture, where others may be auditory, interactive or visual learners and might benefit from the use of multimedia. In addition to aiding different learning styles, multimedia also offers fast access to massive amounts of information that would normally be hard to access in the traditional setting. Hence, multimedia is just another bonus technological creation that may someday be surpassed by a greater (if possible) creation that will benefit even more people and thus more facets of education.

By Amy Lovett

Opinions:

Media integration into the classroom is almost a must nowadays. I believe it helps the student and the teacher. The students can learn much better with the media involved, especially now with how the younger generation is so intimate with the computer and technology media. They are able to see in a picture visually what they are learning, or they are even able to see an animation of the topic to better their understanding. Teachers are able to convey their points much easier, they can use simulations, videos, storybooks, ect. The teachers have an aide in multimedia and should use it to their advantage.

By Laura Kvaley

Further Research:

Multimedia and Animation can be used alot through out the classroom. Most teachers find multimedia as a great source of technolgy to teach a lesson to a class. As you research more and more you find out new and exciting things to do with animation that will bring excitement to your classroom. The article touches on the affects of bringing a little fun into the classroom while the children are learning which I think is a great way to keep the childrens attention. This article that I linked at the bottom provides a little history about animation and multimedia. The article not only gives a little background information but it also gives some examples of how you can incorporate this use of technology in to your classroom. Overall I think this is a good article to help answer in remaining questions that may be lingering.
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Educational_Technology_Innovation_and_Impact/Multimedia_Courseware/Animation

By Christina Dunlop

All You Need To Know About Wikis!

Wiki is a unique system that provides multiple resources for web based discussions and forums. It offers a multitude of assets for a person to draw information from. The difference between the wikis system and the conventional web pages is that the information is a community processes that is always evolving to make the information as accurate as possible while the latter is very limited. The most current concern regarding wikis is the security but for uses in corporate and education settings there is typically a registration process to complete and pass. After understanding what a wiki is and how it operates we need to know how it is beneficial in the education system. Wikis has become a tool for teachers because it offers a way to create group discussions on a common interest and it also offers discussions that can be solved in multiple ways which is a huge plus in group think. Wiki is a great way to allow students to offer individual input which makes up a great group project. This is a revolutionary tool for technology in education and the positives of this program exceed any doubts.

In my opinion of wikis being used in education is very collaborative. The whole point of wikis being used is to get students to take part in what is going on and add their own opinion and add more thought to what the topic is being discussed. I think it is a great way for students to open up and to give an input on what the topic is. " Rather than virtually jumping into an ongoing online collaboration, even to offer positive comments, it may ultimately be more productive to allow students to challenge and correct each other -- the teacher only posting comments, questions or suggestions when absolutely neccessary. As a constructivist learning activity, wikis allow students to "own" their learning experience in an online collaborative environment." I think that this quote explains it all when involving students and wikis in the classroom.

Wikis are a unique tool to be used in education. It is unique for the fact that it has many authors and contributors instead of only one like most web pages. This could be beneficial in the classroom if you decided to create a website for your class with activities and lessons. Wikis makes it possible for other teachers to be able to add content to your page that you could you use in your class. Wikis unlike regular websites has open editing so you can at any time go back and change and update your page. Where with regular pages there is limited editing you can do. Another plus is that they are relatively easy to create. Making them user friendly for those who are not too computer savy. Where normal webpages are harder to create and require more computer knowledge. Teachers have also found it helpful to construct wiki problems and allow students to collaborate with each other to solve them. So overall I think that Wikis are a useful tool to be used in the classroom.

"The characteristic that has most strikingly set wikis apart from other web based forums and discussions is that of multiple contributors" Wikis are not just a regular web based forum. With the ability to have numerous editors and authors as opposed to blogs, who has one main author, I think wikis are a more productive web forum. The idea that a group of contributors can edit each page, and add their own personal interests is very useful. Everybody can work together to make sure the content is accurate. I think it's important for students to have the opportunity to challenge each other in the classroom, it gives students motive to work harder in their education. Overall, I like the idea that students can add their own contributions to wikis while working together.

"As a constructivist learning activity, wikis allow students to "own" their learning experience in an online collaborative environment" (sdsu.edu). The two most important words in this statement are "own" and "collaborative." Wikis allow students to "own" their work because they are direct participants of the creation and constant development of the wikis. Not only are they authors, they are editors as well. By being authors and creators of their articles, a sense of creativity and purpose are instilled in the student. By editing their own work, as well as others, they enhance their language, grammar and research skills. In addition to "owning" their wiki, students also experience a collaborative learning style when developing and editing their wikis. Students learn team-work and communication skills when working in a collaborative learning situation. They learn to share ideas and thoughts with others and also learn to accept opinions and ideas from others. These collaborative skills are sometimes hard to acquire in a classroom setting, therefore integrating wikis into general lesson plans are a great idea for students of all ages.

While pursuing this subject further you can find examples of wikis throughout the internet. I found out who developed the first wiki which was wikiwikiweb. I found a website with a lot of valuable information about wikis. If you look at the first link you will find lots of answer to questions you may have about how to use wikis and also how to use them for certain purposes. This second link also provide good background information as to who started wikis and how they got their name. After you have read all of this information you will have a new found view of such a great invention, especially for the classroom!
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WelcomeVisitors
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiHistory

"Smile! Digital Cameras Can Make Your Day" Article Summary

Summary by: Katherine Eastham

The Article "Smile! Digital Cameras Can Make Your Day" was about how digital cameras have many uses in the classroom. A few being that they offer more opportunities for students to engage more, and they allow you to incorporate technology in the curriculum. A Roanoke teacher said," Kids love to take photographs, and with digital pictures they don't have to wait to have film developed". She also made a good point that with digital pictures you don't have to spend money on film. Another good thing about digital pictures that the article talked about was the fact that not everyone can draw well and digital pictures gives all students the chance to be creative. The article also mentions that another great thing is that it can be used to take pictures and post them on a school website, which the children's parents and relatives can look at and it allows that parents to be apart of their child's day. As with every thing in life though digital photography does has its down sides which include the risk of damaging the equipment. Digital Cameras are cheaper than they once were but are still quite expensive so you have to make sure you talk to your students about proper care and explain what is and is not appropriate to take pictures of. And finally there is the issue of privacy. You need to be aware of your schools policies before publishing any photos. Lori Miller, a teacher at an Elementary school in Georgia said" It is most important to remember that it is not all about taking pictures, it is about using the camera as a tool to help explore subject".

Thoughts and Opinions of Digital Imagery/Photography Article

Opinion and Thoughts by: Amy Lovett

The most important aspect of this article is when Leila Cross states, "Not everyone can pick up a pencil or paint brush and be happy with the results, but anyone who is willing to try can be really creative with a digital camera and some basic software!" This is the greatest thing about using digital imagery. It does require some creative ability but it is mostly required in the imagination rather than physical skills and abilities. With just a push of a button, a student can "snap" and create individual and unique projects. Going even further, digital imagery allows for students of all abilities, disabilities, cultures, and languages to excel in personal art production and most importantly, individual creativity. In addition, it is very important that both the teacher and the student make use of the digital media both individually and collaboratively. It is important for the teacher to use the media to enhance curriculum, create projects, and personalize memories. In this article, Cross also points out that, "they can also edit the photos to create all kinds of art." This is a great point! Digital images can be used to create ties, coffee mugs, mouse pads, t-shirts, etc. Local stores like Walgreens and Wal-Mart offer online ordering of such items when downloading your photos on their websites. Despite all of the hype regarding digital imagery it is also important to keep in mind that these electronics are expensive and fragile. Both the teachers and students should be aware and cautious at all time when using the equipment. In addition, it is important to follow school policies regarding digital imagery and legal issues involving privacy and waivers. This article was a fantastic read and really helped in outlining the issues surrounding digital imagery in its importance in education.

Thoughts and Opinions by: Alyson Sode

I think digital photography in the classroom is an excellent resource. I think having digital cameras in the classroom will allow students to become more involved with their learning. Like stated in the article, kids love taking digital photographs. Students are able to see instantly the picture they've just taken. Digital photography gives students opportunities to become more involved with their school work and their school in general. Students can use photography to become involved with school actives such as the school newspapers, or photography groups. This also gives students an opportunity to see their work in visual form when it's presented on bulletin boards or around the classroom. Overall, I think digital photography in the classroom is a constructive idea.

Thoughts and Opinions by: Courtney Thomas

My opinion of digital imagery and also photography in the classroom is a positive one. I think that having those two technology based items are a great way for students to become more involved in using technology. Another reason I feel that digital imagery and photography are great is because people along with students can become more adapt to using such technological instruments and it can also help people become more creative with taking pictures and downloading them online to save them. Students can take pictures of things that mean the most of them and can capture great memories of fellow classmates and others in the classroom.

Further Research on Digital Imagery/Photography

Further Research: by: Amy Lovett

These are great articles on digital imagery. They will be very useful in creating and shaping the Virtual Field Trips as well as in your future or current classrooms! Please take a minute to check them out if you can. 1.Introducing your Child to the Arts: Media Literacy http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Introducing_Media/ 2.Increasing Visual Literacy Skills With Digital Imagery http://thejournal.com/articles/17145 3.The Digital Picture http://thedigitalpicture.ac.uk/documents/pdf/digital_picture_final_report.pdf


Further Research by: Sarah Capple

With research I think one of the most interesting things I found is that even elementary classrooms are using digital camera's to teach subjects such as english. I find that intriguing because it is not a typically subject to use pictures for but they are able to take pictures of common nouns and identify them, or even verbs in action. The possiblities really are endless and I found a great website of ideas for primary education: http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/res_techn/TEC/digitalcamera/primary.htm


Further Research by: Laura Kvaley

Pursuing further research, I found out just a sample of how many things a digital camera can do in the classroom. Not only does it help the children visualize a simple lesson, but teachers can use it for so much more. The can use it to take pictures of a field trip and have the children make the captions to tell about their field trip. They can also take pictues and use them to show parents what their children have been up to in the classroom. I found many other ideas for the digital photography from teachers on http://www.cbv.ns.ca/sstudies/activities/computer/4.html

Virtual Field Trips

Link: http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/sep01/stevenson.htm


SUMMARY:

"Over the years, the idea of using field trips to provide opportunities for extending learning through firsthand experience has become commonly accepted. The traditional field trip requires planning and preparation, participation, and follow-up, all needing a great deal of time and energy. Well, so does a virtual field trip! However, the expanded range of experiences extends to the limits of your imagination, and sometimes beyond" (Stevenson). This quote says it all.

Traditional field trips such as school trips to museums, the sheriff's office, or the zoo, were at one time not well accepted. There were issues regarding liability, funds and transportation that hindered acceptance of the idea of field trips. Also, at one time people believed that everything a student should know was provided in the textbook. Just like the quote states above, it is the idea of, "extended learning through first hand experience," that swayed people into agreement of the importance of field trips.

The largest benefit of incorporating virtual field trips into the classroom is that it is cost effective. When using a virtual field trip, you will be saving money that you would have otherwise spent on gas, food, fees, etc. In addition to commenting on financial savings, Stevenson also pinpoints four ways a virtual field trip can be incorporated into the classroom.

1. An instructional tool when a site visit is out of the question
2. A focus activity prior to a class taking an actual field trip
3. A reporting and reflecting follow-up activity for students after they have been on a field trip 4. A presentation tool for you to share your own travels

Based on the information in this article, and other learned information, virtual field trips are a great asset for school systems, in home schooling, teachers, etc. They are informational, cost effective, and accessible. This is a short but sweet article on the benefits of virtual field trips!

THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS:

"Discover and Create Your Own Field Trips" is a great article by Stephanie Stevenson, a 6th Grade teacher from Ft. Caroline Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida. In her article, Stevenson points out the advantages of a virtual field trip compared to that of a traditional one. In a very precise and informative way Stephanie lists all the risks and costs of taking a traditional field, and then with a great transition moves into the benefits of a virtual field trip, concluding by giving the readers access to virtual field trips that she was able to find searching the internet. This article was really impressive because of amount of quality resources that the reader is given. One of the greatest parts of the article is the chart at the end where Stevenson categorized 11 virtual field trips into 18 different categories. This organization facilitates the choice process of which virtual field trip would be best for his or her classroom based on content, target audience, medium and many more. The chart seemed professionally done and was a great conclusion to a great article.

IDEAS REGARDING TOPIC

From this article it is obvious that there are financial benefits of a virtual field trip versus a traditional one. Students will spend more money and go through so much trouble just to leave the parking lot school. By using the virtual field trips the students won't even have to leave their seat. The money being saved could be used to fund other facets of educational needs. They could save up and spend it on new computers for the classroom itself.

OPINION

Before this assignment I had never heard of Virtual Field Trips. However, after reading this article I can really see how beneficial they can be. Traditional field trips are costly and require lots of planning and preparation. Where as virtual field trips are often cost free and they allow the students' imaginations to run wild. There are also so many virtual field trips available; the educational possibilities are endless. You can create a virtual field trip for any grade level and on just about any topic. I think that virtual field trips are truly a great tool to use in the classroom.

Storyboarding: Summary, Opinions & Reflections

Story Boards
Professor Diana Haney
South Suburban College

http://www.oncourseworksh=op.com/Motivation019.htm

Intro to Article: (For the entire article, please click the link above)

“I teach Reading and Study Skills at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois. At some point in the semester, some students forget why they have decided to pursue a college education. They also stop doing what is necessary to be successful. Just as a road map leads a traveler in the right direction, a story board can help students from straying off course from the goals they have set for themselves. It will help them feel successful, one step at a time. Collaterally, they build self-confidence by speaking in front of their classmates. This activity could be used in any class at any time during the semester. (For an artistic student, this activity might even suggest a new career goal, as artists can make their living creating storyboards.) I decided to use it in the middle of the semester to remind students why they enrolled in college in the first place” (Haney).

Summary

In the article a professor at South Suburban College in South Holland, Illinois, gives an assignment of creating a storyboard. The storyboards purpose is to re-motivate the students and to recall what their reason was for enrolling in college, to build self-confidence in presenting in front of their peers and also to define the specific steps they need to take in order to reach their goal. The professor gives an immense amount of detail in describing what the students should do and how they should do it. She provides directions and also asks the class what their goals are. The professor then made the class present their storyboards after 30 minutes of planning it out and creating it. Each one was different and each person had different goals that pertained to them. The professor made the students realize that they needed to get focused again and to realize that they need to think about the steps it takes to get to their goals and why they decided to even go to college. The professor herself even realized that each student had huge goals. Although they were a bit extreme most of them were going to do what it would take to achieve that goal of theirs. The point of the matter is making the students realize what their goals were to get into college and what they were going to do when they get out of college and also how they were going to achieve those goals.


Thoughts and Reflections

From reading this article I feel that storyboarding is a good form of communication throughout the classroom. Storyboarding allows people such as these college students to stop and put something into an order and realize what they are doing and what they should do. Storyboarding is also great for classrooms because it provides interaction throughout the students. For example, in the article we read the college students were organizing their thoughts and presented their storyboards to the class. I believe that storyboarding is a fun and easy way to organize your thought and be able to present them to a group of people.

After reading this article I have realized that storyboarding is a great tool that can be used to organize your thoughts and it can be used to plan step by step process when you are creating a project. It can also be used like in the article when you want to write down how you will achieve a goal. I think that it helps you break it down into smaller achievable goals that give you instant gratification when you achieve it. It helps you see what you are working towards making all your hard work worth while once you get to the completed project. Whether it be a project for school or your life goals.

Storyboarding gives students an opportunity to be more organizes with their thoughts. In this article, students we're asked a question on regards to their own personal educational goals. Not only does the storyboard process help put their ideas and goals in a structures manner, storyboarding gives them a chance to be creative by using words and pictures. I think organization and creativity are two words that help students achieve what they set out to do. Storyboarding not only helps structuralize your thoughts, it gives the student a chance to put their creativity at use. As the article mentioned, some students labeled their storyboards, while others used their artistic talents. Overall, I feel storyboarding is a good concept for creating structured ideas for the students in the classroom.

Further Research

Chronology and History of Storyboarding:

“Stories can be told in many different ways—word of mouth, written word, movies, plays. One of the fastest, most universally understandable and information-rich ways to tell a story is with a storyboard. Storyboards have been used throughout history to depict events through pictures. Even when created very quickly, storyboards can convey a wealth of information, showing a particular order of events in an interesting and easy-to-understand way (www.teched.com).
This abstract beginning quote does a great job of explaining the significance of storyboarding. The article itself goes into the history of storyboarding as well as step by step instructions on how to create an effective storyboard.

http://www.teced.com/PDFs/upa2006_storyboards_a_dynamic_storytelling_tool.pdf


The Difference Between a Script and a Story Board:

This article does a great job of explaining the differences between storyboards and a script. It also states all of the benefits of using storyboards when creating projects or scripts.

http://www.create.cett.msstate.edu/create/howto/Storyboard_Handout.pdf

Opinions and Such...

I think that blogging is a great tool to be used in the classroom. Just as the teachers in the article "In the Classroom, Web Logs are the new Bulletin Boards" said, Blogs are a way that quieter children in class can voice their thoughts and ideas with out feeling intimidated or scared. It is also a good tool for teachers as well because it allows them to read students journals faster than hand written journals. They are faster because you don't waist any time to trying to figure out what a student wrote if their hand writing is illegible. It also allows teachers to respond quicker to their students journals. On the other hand, I understand that there are concerns with slang being used in the Blogs but that can be fixed if you require the students to pre-write their journals before typing them and posting them on the blog site. In conclusion, it can be argued that there are pros and cons to blogging being used in Education, but in my opinion there are more pros than cons and I think that blogs should be used in the classroom.

Jeffery Selingo proposes positive and negative opinions and reflections in his article, "In the Classroom Web Logs Are the New Bulletin Boards." It is obvious, as with any new technological inventions or creations, there is a certain amount of negatives attached to the idea of blogs. However, in this article, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives. Mrs. Dudiak, a second grade teacher in Frederick County, Md. States, "it (blogs) allowed them to interact with their piers more quickly than a journal and it evened the playing field." By evening the playing field Mrs. Dudiak means that each student had a chance to express themselves via blogs. I agree that blogs are a great tool for child expression, given that some children may resist sharing their thoughts and ideas if they are required to speak in front of the class or pressured to use neat handwriting. Another key idea in the article is that "class does not have to end when the bell rings." I think it is great that in addition to doing homework at home, students may go on the web and participate in their class blog rather than playing video games, internet games or watching T.V. Although the article states, "few entries seem to come after school hours," I think it is important to note that the article was written in 2004, almost four years ago, meaning that participation in online blogging and an increase in technology and internet education has already occurred. I am sure, with updates and changes to blog sites, that blogging could possibly be much simpler as well as more interesting for students than it might have been in 2004. Another great point addressed in the article is, "the Web has turned bloggers into modern-day pen pals, allowing students to collaborate easily with their peers in other classes or even other countries." This extension of communication is another positive aspect of blogging. Communication with foreign neighbors is a facet of multicultural education, and should be highly useful in integrating cultural education into the classroom. This article is a great example of the usefulness of blogs and technology in the classroom. It would sure be interesting to discover Mrs. Dudiak's experiences with blogging in her classroom during the past three years and compare that finding with her proposed expectations and experiences from 2004.

In response to this article, I feel that blogs are a necessary means of learning to have in the classroom. I personally feel it's easier to interact and get more involved in education when you have an ultimatum to hard copied journals. I feel it makes students more enthusiastic because internet holds attention more than that of just writing in hard copied journals. Blogging gives students the opportunity to express their thoughts in a more structured manner. I also think it's an accurate way for parents to get involved with their child's education. Parents would feel more self assured if there able to log on to the blog and see their child's progress in class. I agree with the article in the sense that when students think it's more than just there peers reading their work, they put more thought and effort into it. Blogging also offers the opportunity for students to interact with peers in other countries which gives them a feel for diversity. Overall, I think blogging is an accurate means of communication and learning throughout the classroom.

There was a two sided view of having blogs in Education and in the classroom. Some teachers gave great reviews toward the blogging. They mentioned that it helped thosed students who were more quiet in the classroom to open up and express how they feel towards certain subjects provided by the teacher. One teacher had mentioned that "It allowed them to interact with their peers more quickly than a journal," (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C04E5D7113FF93AA2575BC0A9629C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print) On the opposing side, blogs do not really enforce grammar with the students. The teachers who are reading these blogs tend to focus on how much more the students are writing more with online blogs. There are some things that critics are worried about and that is the grammar from people and also those students using the blogs. Also when one is writing and email grammar is not important to them. Those critics are worried that abbreviations and computer slang will over rule the correct way of spelling. In my own opinion I believe that blogs are a great way for students and also other people to express themselves. Some people do not like to speak and answer questions in front of the class, but by posting a blog about a question would be more effective to grab students' attention.