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!