Rating Teachers by Video Taping

I just read an interesting article about how the Bill Gates  is at it again.  The Bill Gates foundation is investing $335 million through to help improve personnel at several large school districts, mostly teacher quality.  The article, Teacher Ratings Get a New Look,  Pushed by a Rich Watcher, written by Sam Dillon appeared in the New York Times on December 3, 2010. 

One concept that was covered and grabbed my attention the most was the idea of placing video cameras in the classroom to do teacher evaluations.  This would help with the time of administrators and their budgets.  In addition, it could allow teachers to be evaluated by several administrators instead of just one.  Further, Mr. Gates personally feels that it give an opportunity to study good educators - what they do to set them apart from the rest. 

Since I am not in a classroom and really can't imagine the political climate of working in a school, I was wondering what some of you thought about this concept?  How would you feel if you were videotaped?  Would it be okay once in a while?  What if video cameras are in the classroom all the time?  Would that make a difference?

A Figment for Young Imaginations

The New York Times reported on December 5, 2010 that a new web site has been created for teens that have literary aspirations.  The Web site, named Figment, was created by Jacob Lewis and Dana Goodyear.  At first, the intention was for Figment to be a social networking site for teens that share a common interest in writing and literacy.  However, soon after the Beta-test launch, Mr. Lewis and Ms. Goodyear discovered that teens were not interested in replacing their Facebook social networking for Figment.  What they did find, however, "'was to read and write and discover new content, but around the content itself...a free platform for young people to read and write fiction, both on their computers and on their cellphones. Users are invited to write novels, short stories and poems, collaborate with other writers and give and receive feedback on the work posted on the site. '” (Bosman, 2010)

Further, many publishers have signed on to scope Figment and keep an eye out for new talented writers.  The publishers also have something to gain from the site.  There is a new trend in tracking the literary interests of teens.  It is a booming area for the industry.  So, by signing on to Figment, the publishing industry can keep a pulse on what the teens want to read. 

The concept of giving teens a creative outlet is not new, but Figment is a new option for teens to be able to engage in writing and peer review.  Outstanding!

Reference:
Web Site for Teenagers With Literary Leanings. Julie Bosman. The New York Times. 12-5-10. Retrieved 12-7-10.

A Conversation with your PC

So, have your ever wished you could just talk to your computer instead of typing...well, I talk to my computer all the time.  However, it is usually when technology isn't going my way.  But, what if my computer talked back to me?  Have you seen Iron Man or Iron Man 2 where Tony Stark talks to his all-knowing computer named Jarvis? 

Well, according to a ReadWriteWeb article, Google is now one step closer to that technology as they acquired a "U.K.-based speech synthesis company Phonetic Labs in an effort to 'move a little faster towards that Star Trek future' where computers don't only listen, but they talk back, too." (Melanson, 2010)  There is technology that exists already that allows your computer to read texts.  However, the read is often poor as it try and not fluent.  This is going to be a focus of Google as it moves forward. 

The fact that this technology in not too far off into the near future is astounding.  It is weird to think of us using computers that can not only take in what we say, but respond.  What are your thoughts and feelings on having a conversation with your PC?

Google Wants Talking Computers, Acquires Phonetic Arts.  Mike Melanson.  ReadWriteWeb. 12-3-10. Retrieved 12-4-10.

Giving Kids a Positive Attitude Toward Math

As a parent, I am truly concerned about how well my children do academically.  No parent wants to see their child struggle, nor do I want to be a detriment to their learning.  That is why I came across a blog on Edutopia by Betty Ray entitled "Building Math Positively".  Ms. Ray wrote the blog for educators on how to give parents strategies for helping build a positive experience learning math skills (however, you may certainly read the article as a parent and get just as much from it.)

Ms. Ray suggests that there is a connection between children learning math and how they feel emotionally about it.  So, she suggests the following stratgies:

1.) Arrange family conferences - Help parents understand that by placing expectations and pressure on their child to do well, it also places stress on the child.  If you hold family conferences, parents can learning some to the research behind not placing expectations on their child and how it can affect academic success.  Further, she gives some insight on how parents might be able to make math connections with their child by using real-world examples that interest the child.

2.) Re-test to De-stress - I love this strategy as I fully believe that we learning more from our mistakes than we do our successes.  Ms. Ray suggests, "Because progress in math is so strongly based on foundational knowledge, students need to achieve mastery in each topic—which forms the basis from which students can extend their neural networks of patterns and concepts—before they move to the next level."  (Ray, 2010)  Re-testing allows students to fully build that foundation and master material that they may not have understood before.

3.) Demonstrate the Value of Math - "Key to developing students' interest in math is to capture their imaginations."  My daughter's 2nd grade teacher just did this very thing in their class.  We received an email that several students were not mastering the money content chapter of math.  To strength what the students couldn't master after the chapter test, Mrs. V. incorporated a money incentive in her class to also combat the behavior issues she was dealing with.  Each day, the students have an opportunity to earn money (a penny, or nickel) for behaving or for being "world famous" as they call it.  Then, the students are able to purchase something from her in-room store when they saved enough money.  I love the concept. 

These strategies are great for educators and parents alike.  I encourage you to read the blog article.

Building Math Positively.  Betty Ray.  Edutopia. 12-1-10. Retrieved 12-4-10.

Who Should Run Our Schools

I have often thought that part of the problem with school policy and decision-making is that those who are in power of making decisions are the furtherest removed from the classroom.  To master and truly understand the issues in curriculum, how budgets affect classroom instruction, etc., you need to see and experience it on a first-hand basis. 

However, for many larger city mayors, they are causing quite a controversy by placing business-savvy professionals with no formal educational background in high-level education positions.  A recent article in The Christian Science Monitor explores the question, "Education reform: Have business-savvy officials improved big-city schools?"  The article reviews the decisions of recent Mayors who have control of schools as opposed to school boards.  It looks at the decisions of the mayors of D.C., Chicago and New York City as it explores how the decisions these mayors may make follow current educational policy or not.  What happens when you have a weak vs. a strong mayor and what are the affects of a mayor not in office long term. 

Personally, I think that placing business savvy professionals versus those with an educational background really has a negative impact on curriculum, pedigogy, instruction and most importantly the students.  What are your thoughts?

Reference:
Education reform: Have business-savvy officals improved big-city schools? The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 12/4/10.

Mobile Web & the Proliferation of Mobile Apps

So, I have to admit...I love my mobile web.  I have access to my email, the Internet, information and pretty much anything I need anytime I want.  According to Richard MacManus of ReadWriteWeb, the Mobile Web really became popular this year.  And due to it's popularity, thus has begun the proliferation of Mobile Apps. 

To give you an idea of the growth in the Mobile Apps, here are some astounding statistics from "Top Trends of 2010: App Stores" by Richard MacManus, "At the start of the year, Apple's App Store had about 120,000 apps and the Android Market 20,000. Now, iTunes is carrying over 300,000 apps and has had over 7 billion downloads - according to statistics on Wikipedia. By comparison, Android has around 175,000 apps and has had 2.2 billion downloads, according to AndroLib. So while Apple's App Store is nearly twice as large, Android Market has had the most growth over 2010." 

Regardless of which App store has more or experienced the most growth, downloading Mobile Apps has become the biggest fashion for your phone.  You can pretty much get an App for anything you want out there: games, weight loss tips, horoscopes, I.Q. tests, and even weird bodily noises (we don't need to go any further!) 

So, why do you think Mobile Apps are the new hottest thing? The article really doesn't think about that.  Is it that we are bored with a phone that just rings and connects you to a person on the other end?  Are we now a society that needs a constant distration?  Or, is it just cool? 

Have you ever downloaded a Mobile Web, if so, what do you think?  What are some of your favorites?

Top Trends of 2010: App Stores. Richard MacManus. ReadWriteWeb. 11-25-10. Retrieved 11-27-10.

Project Based Learning - Challenges to Change How Students Learn

Project-Based Learning, a somewhat new concept in how we teach.  I have heard many excellent things about what PBL has to offer working usually with real world problems, students developing deeper understanding into curriculum, strengthening time-management and critical thinking skills, and learners taking ownership of their learning.  However, until I read Suzie Boss's blog "Project-Based Learning: A Case for Not Giving Up", I had never really thought of the challenges to implementing PBL into the classroom.

Ms. Boss details how, in the beginning, implementing PBL can be frustrating, not only for the teachers but the students as well.  Change is never easy.  So, when we try to change how our kids learn, it can be challenging.  Implementing PBL should be a gradual process as we teach the students to become responsible for their learning without use to traditional classroom tools such as "text books, tests and teacher-driven instruction." (Boss, 2010).

"Project-based learning can pose challenges for teachers as well as students, especially when both are new to this approach...some project management skills may need to be taught explicitly. Formative assessment has to happen early and often, and a teacher needs to be ready with support for students who are struggling. Handing over responsibility to the learner happens gradually, not all at once." (Boss, 2010)

Have you implemented any PBL into your classroom?  What challenges have you encountered?  What would you consider the benefits?  Do the benefits outweigh the challenges?

Resource:
Project-Based Learning: A Case for Not Giving Up. Susie Boss. Edutopia Blogs. 11-26-10. Retrieved 11-27-10.

Using Social Media to Engage Students

So, we all know that today's tech savvy students can't seem to let go of their phones, iPods, MP3 players or computers.  And, it is probably are rarity to find a high-school student (and possibly middle school student) without a FaceBook or MySpace account.  So, can using what our students use really engage them in today's curriculum?

If you ask Chuck Moore, a Tinley Park High School English teacher, he would definitely urge you to use classroom friendly web tools to engage your students and keep them interested in what they are doing in class long after the bell rings. 

Mr. Moore just gave his fellow colleagues, as well as district board members and parents, a presentation on how he is using PBworks and edmodo (free web tools) to help students stay focused and deleve deeper into ancient=old classroom tools...books.  "'They use this site and they start talking about the book ... it's like natural to them,' he said. 'It's like what they're used to doing when they socialize with each other.'...Although this style of learning gives students a bit more autonomy, Moore has noticed they actively contribute and are respectful of their peers' contributions." (Fanuko, 2010).

Mr. Moore feels that his students have grasped and developed a greater understanding of the current book they are reading - Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" - due to the students being able to use what comes natural to them to study the content.  "This online component allowed students to quickly grasp the book's historical elements, which in turn helped them develop a deeper understanding of the book's content, he [Moore] said. (Fanuko, 2010).

Personally, as a 30-something year-old, I love social media and technology.  That love is even deeper for generations younger then myself.  Using tools that kids already have a love and understanding of helps engage them in what they are doing.  I hope that educators, administrators and parents continue to realize the potential behind classroom friendly tools. 

Resource:
Tinley teachers uses social media as learning tool. Kate Fanuko. Southtown Star. 11-22-10. Retrieved 11-27-10.

Shadow Scholar: Super Hero or Super Villain

So, until today, I have never heard of the Shadow Scholar.  Have you?  If you have, you were probably just as shocked as I was.  Or, maybe – you have used his services.  The Shadow Scholar has written numerous papers and completed just as many courses for students of all levels.  

On November 12, 2010, the Shadow Scholar gave The Chronicle of Higher Education an indepth perspective into his unique profession by writing the article, “The Shadow Scholar -The man who writes your students' papers tells his story”.   Under the name of “Ed Dante” the Shadow Scholar details “the story of how he makes a living writing papers for a custom-essay company and to describe the extent of student cheating he has observed.” (Editor Note, 2010).  Plagiarism at it’s finest!

Here are some highlights of Mr. Dante’s article:

·         He has written over 5,000 pages of scholarly material in the past year.

·         He will earn approximately $66,000 this year.

·         He has written papers for all levels of education: high school – doctorial degrees.

·         On any given day, he works on an upwards of 20 assignments.

·         His company generates tens of thousands of dollars.

·         His work is not limited to anyone content area.  He has written papers in the areas of cognitive psychology, business, hospital, accounting, cinema, labor relations, history, pharmacology, maritime security, sports management – and many, many more.  (Dante, 2010)

His warning to teachers and educators, “You've never heard of me, but there's a good chance that you've read some of my work. I'm a hired gun, a doctor of everything, an academic mercenary. My customers are your students. I promise you that. Somebody in your classroom uses a service that you can't detect, that you can't defend against, that you may not even know exists.” (Dante, 2010)

This man has been given passwords to learning systems to access pertinent course documents, and he has even participated in online classes as if he were the actual student.  

However, what is even more concerning to me is the underlying message that I believe the Shadow Scholar is trying to convey – “You would be amazed by the incompetence of your students' writing.” (Dante, 2010)   Although, Mr. Scholar or Mr. Dante – whatever you prefer to call him – gives an example of an international student who can barely speark/write English (as he shares actual pieces of her emails in the article), he wonders how educators don’t pick up on the blatant cheating that occurs.   “Do you ever wonder how a student who struggles to formulate complete sentences in conversation manages to produce marginally competent research? How does that student get by you?” (Dante, 2010)

His article is kind of ironic.  He is provoking educators to take another look at what their students write, even though that could lessen the number of clients who ultimately use his services. 

So, how often do you evaluate what your students write?  Do you have techniques for detecting work that is not their own?  Do value the article that the Shadow Scholar has written?  To your students, he is a Super Hero.  Is he a Super Villain to you?

Reference:

The Shadow Scholar - The man who writes your students' papers tells his story. Dante, Ed. The Chroicle of Higher Education. 11/12/10. Retrieved 11/20/2010.

Sharing through Blogging - Impact on Learning

If asked to write a paper on a specific topic with pre-defined outcomes, you may have a student that does well to please his or her teacher or to earn an "A".  Other students may do the paper just to pass the class, while others may fail.  However, ask the student to blog about the same topic, and you may see great results in the connection between your students and the material. 

Blogs and other social media are connecting students in many ways that traditional assignments cannot, as we can be seen in the article Middle school students sharing opinions on their blogs by Amy Crawford.  First, they are collaborative.  And as you learn in basic Ed Psych, collaboration in the classroom can help facilitate knowledge and eliminate misconceptions.

Further, not only can students write a blog, but they can also see other students' blogs.  The thought of peer review is more motivating than a teacher reading what is written.  "'The power of classroom blogging is that students are not merely writing to their teachers, what they think the teacher wants to read, and only for a grade,' Warlick said. 'They are writing with the knowledge that at least their classmates will be reading what they are writing and responding to what they are writing.'" (Crawford, 2010)

Then, you have homework.  Homework that no longer feels like homework as students go home and check their blogs and review other blogs - as social interaction takes homework to a whole new level.  In addition, the blog goes beyond the classroom.  Anyone who views it, can comment on it and contribute to the understanding of the student.  "'They extend learning and collaboration beyond the classroom to anyone that visits the blog,'" said Edublogs spokeswoman Ronnie Burt. (Crawford, 2010) 

Students are able to connect with others from all around the world - gaining greater perspectives on the world around them, from a far.  For example, students can gain firsthand knowledge of what and how it may look like to live near where Hurricane Katrina from students and people who have lived there by reading their blogs.  Instead of reading newspaper articles or a text book, they can gain insight into first-hand knowledge from those who have experienced it. 

Have you implemented blogs into your classroom?  If so, what have been the benefits and impact on learning?  What are the down-falls?

Middle school students sharing opinions on their blogs. Amy Crawford. Pittsburg Tribune-Review. 11/15/10.

Let's Follow Detroit Public Schools: Science Gone Digital

Detriot Public Schools has gone digital - at least with their science curriculum.  Scott Aronowitz's article Detroit Takes Science Education Digital appeared in The Journal on November 12, 2010 covering this ground breaking news for the school and for the teachers.  Over the summer, over 200 middle and highschool science educators in the Detroit Public Schools underwent intensive training on implementing digitized science curriculum into their classrooms.    "They prepared to integrate the extensive audiovisual and other digital content offered by the company's services, streaming and Discovery Education Science (DES), into their regular curriculum."  (Aronowitz, 2010)

Detroit Public School's master facility plan includes an "academic rebirth."  Per Barbara Byrd-Bennett, DPS chief academic and accountability auditor, 'The process of rebirth includes changing the way we engage students in learning. Student's today are different. They inhabit a digital world.' (Aronowitz, 2010)

Engaging today's student isn't all about the student, it is about the educator as well to be open to new experiences.  "Sherry Ulery, deputy chief of academic affairs for DPS. 'After witnessing the growth of our teaching staff this summer and [seeing] the positive impact our efforts to incorporate digital content into our curriculum have had on student engagement, I can say that this initial step towards a digital curriculum is good for the kids.' (Aronowitz, 2010)

 Bravo, Detroit Public Schools!!!!  I applaude the efforts of this school system, and the efforts of all the educators who gave up their summer to immerse themselves in how to engage students in this type of curriculum.  Thank you for recognizing that we cannot teach today's students they way that we were taught.  Although we will never catch up to them technology wise, we can try and draw kids into today's curriculum by engaging them with what they already know. 

Detroit Takes Science Education Digital. Scott Aronowitz. The Journal.   11/12/10. Retrieved 11/15/10.

Hmmmmm....Let's ask the teacher. Why didn't we ever think of that before?

In a profession where there is a 50% attrition rate within the first 5 years, it is hard to find a teacher a good mentor and resources to help them make their classes the best they can be, especially for those instructional areas for STEM. 

 

The article "State Business and Education Leaders to Create New Tool for Teachers" by Liz Bowie recounts how the Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Business Roundtable on Education are collaborating on using Race to the Top funds and over $300,000 from major business contributors to design an online Internet resources for teachers teaching in the STEM curriculums. 

 

What I found most interesting in the article, they actually asked the experts what would help them most.  They brought in 30 teachers to ask them to think of an "online network that would help them become better teachers." (Bowie, 2010)  It seems like a simplistic enough idea, however, too often we see grants and funds used to implement to improve instruction, but teachers (the end-user) are not included and often are left out of the planning stages. 

 

Applause to the Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Business Rountable on Education for recognizing that teachers should be consulted on the design and implementation of such a valuable resource. 

 

 

State Business and Education Leaders to Create New Tool for Teachers. Liz Bowie.  The Baltimore Sun (MCT), Teacher Magazine.  Published Online: 11/11/10. Retreived: 11/11/10.

Value Added Evaluations - Are They Worth the Cost?

When I read the article, "Los Angeles to Develop Value-Added Teacher Evaluations" by Connie Llanos, it wasn't the thought of implementing teacher evaluations that astounded me.  It was the cost to implement.  In a world where budget cuts are happening on an almost daily basis, I am shocked that a school system would pay $4.5 million dollars to contractors to "study and develop the new teacher evaluation methods." (Llanos, 2010) 

 

Maybe if we thougth about giving teachers that kind of money for resources for their classrooms, improved school infrastructures and technology, we wouldn't feel the need to base teacher evaluations on student achievement.  Why is it that the closest to our children in the classroom are the furtherest from the old purse strings?

 

Los Angeles to Develop Value-Added Teacher Evaluations. Connie Llanos. L.A. Daily New - Teacher Magazine. 11/11/10. Retrieved 11/11/10.

Using Current Events in the Classroom

When I was in school, I remember being allowed to watch a current event if it was "historical" in nature.  Or, we would use a currrent event in writing or english class.  I even had a class in current events where we talked about the happenings of the world.  However, I don't recall a single class (even through my college years) where a current event was used in a math or science class.  We often say, "I'm not sure why I had to learn that in school, I never use it" - especially in the area of math and science.

In "Ripped from the Headlines: How to Turn Current Events into Real-World Projects" by Suzie Boss from the Edutopia website, gives strategies for implementing current events into real-world science and math.  They include:

• Look for Messy Problems - "These are challenges for which there's no single right answer. You can't Google a solution. Instead, getting to an answer may require trial-and-error or creativity." (Boss, 2010) Students may have to collaborate, and often when you have problems that require more than on right answer - it will cut across curriculums. 
• Make It Relevant - Current events happen all the time.  How do you make the event at-hand relevant to what you are teaching?  You also need to pick a topic that is going to sustain student interest over a long period of time.   One example of making a topic relevant would be to "connect students across distances." (Boss, 2010) Students who live closer to an event that is happening now may have a different perspective on it or know how to make a better action plan.  Another strategy would be to find events closer to home.
• Encourage Action - dont' just have the students learn about the topic, but what they can also do about the current event.  Ms. Boss gave real-world examples of the 33 miners who were rescued and the gulf oil spills.

(Boss, 2010)

I love the thought of implementing this type of current event into the classroom.  This type of project can help students reach a deeper level of understanding in all areas while they are actually learning on how it applies (and they can use it) in the world.

Ripped from the Headlines: How to Turn Current Events into Real-World Projects. Boss, Suzie. Edutopia. 11/8/10. Retrieved 11/9/10.
.http://www.edutopia.org/blog/real-world-projects-news-events-suzie-boss?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29&utm_content=Google+Reader. 

Attacking Copyright

Since this course deals a lot with the correct use of copyright, I thought it would be appropriate that when I found the article "Anonymous DDoS Attacks Crash U.S. Copyright Office Website" by Audrey Watters on the ReadWriteWeb site, I thought I had better give it a read. 

I never thought that one would be widely opposed to copyright laws to the point where attacks would happen on the U.S. Copyright office!  However, apparently, I am wrong.  There is a group called "Anonymous" who do not see copyright as a legal means to protect intellectual property, but a means to control and limit the freedom on the Internet.

"Anonymous sees itself as the defenders of the Internet, using the denial-of-service techniques as a sort of 21st century form of non-violent civil disobedience. Not a formal political group or organization, Anonymous is rather a loose coalition of individuals who see the crackdowns against file-sharing, done in the name of copyright protection, as contrary to the very freedom of the Internet." (Watters, 2010)

Today, Anonymous released havoc on the U.S. Copyright website and several websites of defenders of copyright - including Gene Simmons website.  Yes, that is "the" Gene Simmons from Kiss!  (At first I thought odd, but I can see where Mr. Simmons would have a slight interest in protecting intellectual property and copyright.)  This group went so far as even redirecting web surfers to a piracy website. 

I love the enthusiam behind this group.  I love that people are willing to make a stand for what they believe in.  However, I do not see that the actions of Anonymous as gaining them any support.  If they are in deed wanting to be a political group that gains support for their cause, they will need to find some respectable means for getting across their message_not antics that gains them some 5 minutes of fame in the media.

Standarized vs. Differentiated

In Alexander Russo's, This Week in Education on the Scholastic website, John Thompson questions Bill Gates and his love of standardized testing in his blog entitled, "Thompson-The Two Sides of Testing".  In his blog, Thompson reveals a sad story of a little boy named Ryder who's love of learning dissappeared as a result of having to try and learn for standard tests.  Mr. Thompson asks,   Mr. Gates, just because you love standardization, don't impose it on the rest of us." (Thompson, 2010)

I completely agree with Thompson.  At what point are we going to align what and how we ask our teachers to teach with needs instead of standards.  If we are asking them to teach for testing, why then to we ask them to learn and try and implement strategies such as differentiated instruction in their classroom?  Not all students learn the same way or at the same pace. Some kids learn best by listening, some by doing and some through watching.  Then, you could also get into some psychology of it all.  If we are teaching to meet standardized testing, what about those students with learning disabilities?  What about the students that are gifted, yet aren't recognized because standardized testing doesn't allow for them to fully grow beyond there potential?  So, they get bored.   So, isn't standardized testing then best for those you fall in the middle?  So, why then standardized tests? 

Facebook Used to Compile Statistical Data

So, is Facebook becoming the be-all to end-all?  I have known just how much Facebook has become a social tool used for many to keep in touch, then for businesses to advertise but collect data?

In "Facebook Knows When You'll Break-up" by Doug Gross on CNN's Tech news, Mr. Gross reveals how Facebook was used to compile the most likely dates that couples split.  The data was compiled from a British journalist named David McCandless. 

The facets that Facebook has exploded into just absolutely blows my mind.  Let's go over some of the features:

-Calender/Event Reminder - birthdays, anniversarys, upcoming special events
-Invitation sender
-Advertiser - you can liekk your favorite store, restaurant, coffee house, newspaper, (Find us on Facebook!)
-Social media
-Phone book/contacts/e-mails
-Games
-Inforamaton finder
-Media outlet
-Statistic and data
-Find people (adoptions, lost relatives, etc.)
-Catch theives (google "Robbers caught by Facebook")

Today, Facebook is being used a national motivator in the United States to get people out and vote.  I wonder what we will hear after the polls close tonight.  My guess is that we will have seen an increase in voting during this non-presidential election year.  I also predict you will also see an increase in younger generations at the voting polls. 

To what end will Facebook ever end in its abilities?  What is it about Facebook that makes it so powerful?  And if you don't think about Facebook as being powerful tool, you need to post "I don't get it!" as your status update. 

Time to Sharpen the Pencils

Okay, so I had an enlightening experience today and a reminder on just how much instruction has changed since I was in elementary school.  (It was a long time ago, but we don't need to really discuss how long ago it was.)

In the district where my daughter goes to school, they allow parent volunteers to help in the classroom.  This allows the teacher to be freed up from mundane tasks and clerical work for more instruction.  My daughter is in 2nd grade.  There are twenty-six students in her class. 

Today, I got to sharpen pencils for the class.  At first, I thought to myself, "Hmmmmm, these kids are old enough to do this!"   However, I quickly learned that there is a much more provocative reason behind me taking the time to sharpen the pencils verses the students. 

First, the instructional day is so packed, much more so then when I was in 2nd grade!  Every minute is precious when trying to make sure you can get through each and every lesson while staying on task with 26 students each with different learning abilities.  Children quickly become more involved in what the others are doing versus staying on task with their work.  Now, that is going to happen on occasion with individual students, but when you have an entire classroom that become distracted the impact on instruction is huge. 

Secondly, there are 26 students in this class and one teacher.  A teacher without some strong classroom management skills can quickly become out-numbered by the masses.  I am sure that the task of pencil sharpening can quickly become a big distraction when it comes to "monkey see - monkey do" - one child gets up from their desk to sharpen their pencil and then 25 more follow. 

It took me approximately 8 minutes to sharpen 36 new pencils.  Imagine 26 students all getting up to sharpen their pencils one after the other.  I am sure it would take longer than 8 minutes, and in the process create a constant distraction for other students.  Not to mention, I am sure that students need to sharpen their pencils more than once a day.  Now, imagine teachers losing that much instruction time from their day! 

It is amazing to me the ways that teachers have had to become creative and skilled in time management to stay on task with instruction…even in the time it takes to sharpen a pencil!

Social Networking - Take Responsibility

Because I am a big proponent to the use of technology, I also like to read articles about the dangers surrounding its use.  After reading a ReadWriteWeb blog, At a Café? Can I hack your Facebook, Twitter, Etc….with a Firefox Extension by Mike Melanson, I feel Mr. Melanson isn’t going deep enough into his own reason and thinking about who is most responsible for keeping the users of social networking sites safe.

Mr. Melanson blogs about Firesheep an extension from Firefox, developed by Eric Butler, that allows hackers to more easily hack into social networking accounts.  Hmmmmm….yet the argument is that Firesheep was developed to force social networking sites to become more secure. Is that an oxymoron?

“Butler says that he is hoping the extension will force major sites like Twitter or Facebook to act responsibly and protect their users.  ‘Websites have a responsibility to protect the people who depend on their services," writes Butler. "They've been ignoring this responsibility for too long, and it's time for everyone to demand a more secure web. My hope is that Firesheep will help the users win.’  (Melanson, 2010)

Mr. Melanson blindly agrees with Mr. Butler without thinking deeper about the true responsibility and implications behind the creation of Firesheep. 

While I agree that social networking sites should have some sense of responsibility to their users, users themselves also need to take on some of the responsibility.  Further, developers of programs, applications and extensions need to take on a social responsibility for their actions.  I don’t see how creating an extension that allows one to more easily hack my social networking accounts across an unsecure network the problem of Facebook or Twitter!  If I am using an unsecure network, I should be aware of the consequences that surround it…such as developers who create technology for others to freely and widely use that allows for them to more easily hack my accounts.   

My thoughts are that Mr. Butler created an extension that has huge implications on millions of social networking users.  Instead of taking responsibility for his actions and the implications behind developing this "tool", he looked for an “out” in saying his development is to protect the very users that his technology can harm by forcing social networking sites to become more responsible. 

While I know sooner or later had Firesheep not been developed by Mr. Butler, it would have been developed by someone else.  However, to say that it was developed to force social networking sites to become more responsible is not responsible in and of itself.

Melanson, Mike. “At a Café? Can I hack your Facebook, Twitter, Etc….with a Firefox Extension.” October 25, 2010. ReadWriteWeb.com. Retrieved on October 26, 2010.  Link: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/at_a_cafe_i_can_hack_your_facebook_twitterwith_a_f.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+readwriteweb+%28ReadWriteWeb%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Give Me My Digital Coffee

In the age where it seems that everything is digital, apparently so is my coffee now!  In Starbucks Launches Digital Network, Exclusive Content with Your Free WiFi (and Oh Yeah, Coffee),  Audrey Watters details how Starbucks is offering a new way of branding itself by offering Starbucks Digital Network.  “Powered by the free Starbucks WiFi, the digital network offers exclusive content to its in-store customers.” (Watters, 2010) 

Competitive gone digital – in these tough economic times, companies are pursuing all avenues to remain competitive and to reach out to their customer bases.  Using technology, social networking and digital networks are just a few avenues that are increasingly replacing paper media and advertising of yester-year.  Consumers today require, even demand, that companies stay on-top of the digital age forcing companies like Starbucks to reinvent how they market and brand themselves.  Hence, my coffee just became digitized!

Everywhere you look, company websites can be linked to FaceBook, followed on Twitter or offer their own RSS feeds and organizational bloggers.  No longer are cute jingles seen during our favorite soap opera the magic marketing tool.  (In fact, soap operas themselves are a dying brand themselves – but that is a topic for another day.) 

For companies to survive the competition of today, do they need to become digitized?  That is a good question.  I know myself, I don’t go anywhere without my Droid X, checking my email, my Facebook and connecting to the Internet.  I always “need to be connected.”  I am lost without it.  I am sure I am not the only one!  Therefore, companies are capitalizing on this new social need and if they are not, they might want to consider it to remain competitive. 

Creation

Whoo-hooo! My blog for EDU 653 has been created!