Webquest

Hey, check out my Webquest!!

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

Lesson Plan

I hope I did well on my lesson plan. I worked really hard for it. I picked 1st grade GLEs but now that I think about it, after I handed it in of course, the actual activities were kind of advanced for that level. Hmmm, maybe not. I have not had a lot of experience with younger students recently so I am not too aware of how much they actually know. However, I do know that kids are becoming increasingly familiar at a fast pace with computers, so I feel like I did a great job, just a bit insecure in that regard. Just felt like blogging. Back to writing!!

10/25/09 - EdTechTalk Discussion

Well I FINALLY (lol) figured out how to join in these discussions. There was no Classroom 2.0 to join today, so hopefully this week I will, so I joined an EdTechTalk discussion. The main theme for this morning was focused on the internet and children. I believe the theme started as trust, students and the internet, but we all discussed numerous aspects of all three. I gave an example of how my goddaughter looked up porn, because last year in 4th grade (YES, 4th grade), some girl told her to "Google sex tapes and see what happens." So, she came home and went on her mother's computer that was on (they only have blocks on the kids' computers). She googled it and was fairly mortified. Just as I did with my cousin (My goddaughter's mom), we talked about how far is far enough and whether or not we should just allow them to see it all. We all go far to protect kids from the internet and EVERY single time, they still figure out how to see everything anyways!! As for the classroom, we spoke on the importance of proper use. One of the speakers even stated that one parent had told her that her child was to NEVER use the internet! I also heard her discussing that a parent complaining about her song being played in the class was offensive, due to the 'swearing/profanity' in the song. That parent told her the word 'ain't' is in the song and that she classified that as a swear! So, it is like we as teachers get scrutinized no matter what, but how far should we go? There seemed to be a general consensus in the room that SOME sort of blocking needs to be in place through schools and into the classroom. However no matter what we do, unfortunately someone will always seem to be displeased.

We also discussed the issue of trust and children. How much do we trust our students? Is it appropriate to befriend them on social networking sites? We had all generally agreed that befriending them is not okay (especially today), and that some children can be trusted to police themselves, while others simply can not.

Also, I was speaking with another student from our class. That was interesting because I did not expect another student from our class to be there! We had a few people in there from SNHU!! The speakers are two nice, soft-spoken women and I enjoyed how they were pulling some thoughts from the chat room and discussing it verbally. They gave their own life examples from whatever we were discussing as well. I will participate in another discussion there! Very nice, welcoming and informative!!

Next week we will be discussing; 'Why do we educate children?' And that was said to be literally, as why do we literally educate children.

Classroom 2.0/Podcast

Okay, so I have been trying on and off since late Sunday and Monday afternoon to log in and listen to one of these webinars/podcasts. I am so confused and hate this because I am very computer savvy!! Is anyone else confused or having difficulty as well? I do not understand how the process of these 'shows' so to speak, goes about! I've logged in and gone to 'chat,' only to see dozens of people in there that say nothing and all I seem to be able to hear on my end is all computer noises EXCEPT for what I need. For example, I can hear when I blow into the microphone, click the mouse and/or play music but I am unable to hear anything from these sites! Hopefully we can go over this tonight real quick in class!? 

Equal Access

"How can we, as teachers, provide equal access to the digital world to all students."

Within that context I first notice the word all, as in all students. Equal access to the digital world for all students does not seem like an easy task. As a matter of fact, equal access to anything for ALL students is not easy. Not every student is going to be on the same level, including financially and in regards to their level of intelligence. However, we as teachers have more power to do such a thing. For example, say we have a classroom of 30 kids. In 2009-2010 (I know no statistical proof) I would imagine that no more than a 3rd of the class had no access to a computer; worst case scenario. However it seems logical when we say 'Everyone has a computer,' but that is NOT the case!! In worst case scenarios, some kids are certainly not going to have access to a computer! It would probably be few and far between, depending on location, but it is still real. Inner city kids at least have access to public transportation and usually live walking distance from a library, but with suburban and rural kids, it's a different story. If there is no access at home, they have no access out of school. On the other spectrum but at the same time, we will have students who possess the latest means of the digital-world at their fingertips. Depending what age, students may have Blackberrys, other PDAs, cell phones, Ipods, internet, games, etc, etc. So we as teachers can provide equal access to the digital world, by offering it in our classrooms!! My idea would be to incorporate the digital world in our lesson planning and by (if possible) offering separate time allotted focused on just the digital world. We would also need to ensure that the children whom are already digital-savvy are not surpassing the kids just exploring. Creating a way for all children to learn from this is better than (i.e.) 'free time.' I think that giving kids time to do whatever they want is great, but if we wish to provide equal access to the digital world, giving them an hour to 'surf the net' is not a logical means to provide equal access. Equal access to me is not just being 'allowed' to utilize something, such as the internet in this case. Equal access means my entire classroom are equal learners. Teaching the kids how to use the digital world for their benefit, safety, appropriate fun and education is how we can provide equal access. This means that even the less-fortunate children in your class will not only have literal 'access' to the digital world, but he/she will be learning about what it is and how to appropriately incorporate it into their lives. This means that your entire class is provided with equal access on the same level. There is no racial and/or social class gap because all of your kids are learning how to use something simultaneously. If there are any special education students in the classroom, they too will benefit. They may need additional support, but it certainly will captivate their attention. Anything digital is already of interest to kids, so that is a stepping stool in forming an interest to them. The digital world is exciting and educational, and should be incorporated into education, since it has been incorporated into our lives!

Teaching & Website Evaluation

We have previously learned that websites need to be evaluated prior to any classroom introduction. How teachers need to evaluate websites for use in their classroom is to check EVERYTHING! Primarily, they need to decide whether or not this website is appropriate and/or relevant. The teacher needs to go to this website and evaluate it. I would recommend taking time out to click on everything and re-read the site! Refrain from just glancing at it and assuming it is okay! It is not alright to use the average way of evaluating websites that WE use! A quick glance and a few clicks does no justice, because there may be many things overlooked and possibly hidden within the main part of the site. If any references are listed, those should also be checked to make sure they too are appropriate, relevant and real. If you are using a website in the classroom, there will be well over a dozen different people utilizing the site. This means that even the slightest slip-up could cause disruption. Teachers should make sure that the site is fair in regards to religion, race, color, sexuality, etc. With a diverse student population and the world we live in today, we can never be too careful, ESPECIALLY on computers. By evaluating the site first, not only are we helping to ensure safe and appropriate use, but we are also becoming educated about the site through kinesthetic learning.

Why teachers need to evaluate websites for use in the classroom is primarily for safety. For example, we viewed a website in class that looked like it was an appropriate site for Martin Luther King; only to be quite the opposite. It was a site dedicated to racism, explicit wording and slandering. The site LOOKED like any other site, but once we clicked on links and slowly viewed the site with critical thinking, it was obvious that this site was an explicit fraud. Now if that kind of assumption that it LOOKED legitimate were done prior to a lesson in class, the kids would have been exposed to extremely explicit material and depending on what age, could have been fully aware of what was shown or just learning for the first time; NOT the kind of outcome we would desire!!! Also, I know from experience that some administrators require things, such as web-use and movies to be approved or denied prior to classroom introduction. Imagine going to the administration with a website that is irrelevant, fake, inappropriate and/or explicit!? Now THAT is certainly not something we would hope to experience. The bottom line is that the internet is a WONDERFUL tool, but has to be monitored very carefully when being used as an educational tool.

10/6/09

Since the content of our reaction to these two chapters is left in our hands, I would like to state that I honestly learned a decent amount of things I was unaware of. For example, on pg. 208 it states that YouTube was sold/bought for $1.65 BILLION in stock! WOW! I had NO idea! Maybe because I don't watch TV or read the paper? Either way, that is SO much money! And all for just making a platform for people to post personal videos, TV shows/segments, etc., etc. I was on YouTube bored one day a few years back during a snowstorm, stuck at home. I took the liberty of turning YouTube into a google-tube, so to speak. For example, I had first typed in 'Kids Incorporated,' the name of one of my favorite shows as a child. It's there! The theme songs, episodes, segments and whatever else! That's so awesome! I found Fraggle Rock, He-Man and dozens of other shows I grew up with in the early-mid 80's. Awesome! I've also been studying the weather for 20 years (since a little kid), and was searching for weather related YouTube videos, where I found the ACTUAL TV segments/specials from Hurricane Gloria, Hurricane Bob and the massive floods we had in 2006; and scores of other weather-related events! You can watch tornadoes form, see the entire Tsunami from 2004 and basically whatever else!!It's like typing in things to google, but instead you get dozens or more of VIDEOS!!! I seriously think YouTube and Google are the TWO BEST inventions of modern time! Hands down! I can't believe the stuff I can find on YouTube! My ENTIRE PAST is on video FOR FREE, on the internet, FOREVER!! This sounds corny but I have always thought about that; like 'that would be so cool to get any videos I want,' and now I can!! I knew YouTube was huge, but I had NO idea until I sat there that day!! It's so amazing that we are now living in an era where you can watch ANYTHING on video, which is stamped on the internet for infinity!! That is really amazing!

Unfortunately, like anything else, this leaves a wide-open path for destruction; such as explicit videos, slandering, kids posting fights, etc. However, all new technology seems to go through crisis prior to being incorporated into mainstream America. Remember the ORIGINAL Nintendo games that you had to blow in, bang, blow in again and hit on the floor just to get working? Ha! Remember when the internet was a HUGGEEE NO NO to meet people from? Now, internet dating, internet chat and friendships are commonplace. The internet is officially the new wave bar/social club. My point; like everything else people are going to focus and sensationalize the negative aspects! Oh well, the positives of this technology outweigh the negatives in my opinion. I think the internet is an AMAZING tool which will forever remain! It makes life easier, more accessible and allows for education to flow through the world!

In terms of education/teaching, I think things like Twitter and Myspace are awesome! A teacher I work with bought a separate, cheap cell phone and gives the number to all of his students and tells them to text him any questions. How cool! An IMMEDIATE response is always wonderful when learning. Or Twitter would be cool, if they knew how to use it. They could send a tweet and they get an immediate response by the teacher. A page like myspace could be used to post whatever; homework, assignments, parental questions, etc. Any internet technology is a major help for education!

Chapters 1 & 8

I am and have always been an internet lover. I am forever utilizing social networking sites, twitter, etc. I see it as innovative, creative, fun and interesting! So I thought that reading these chapters would be a review of things I had previously known already. I was wrong! Bonk's explanation into the 'web of learning' is excellent! For example, he states on pg.34 that "the web of learning is effectively a monster with thousands of heads and tentacles, each possessing its own knowledge......" That statement helped me to realize that the web of learning is MASSIVE! I never thought of it as a medusa-like monster, but it is. Once one enters into the web of learning, there stands an incredible amount of choice. It is like we are controlling something we can explore, discover and sometimes alter. The opportunities are endless and reach out to each aspect of the world.

Second, on pg. 251 Bonk states that "the past decade has brought a series of overlapping trends and technologies that feed off each other and escalate changes occurring in business, government and education." I mean, the PRESIDENT is sending tweets on his Blackberry, as am I. Children in schools are texting each other millions of texts each day, and social networking sites are the new wave bar/coffee house. It never dawned on me how much everything is escalated by these changes. For example, Blackberries are just as common as anything else these days. This is due in part to Twitter, facebook, wireless internet, etc. When new things arise, even existing things are affected. Blackberries were like the 'celebrity phone' when they first came out and now, with a rebate you can get one for almost pocket change! Amazing! People want easier access to internet AND phone, so something like a P.D.A. is now logical, helpful, useful and easily affordable. But unfortunately (or fortunately-whatever you feel), my Blackberry will be outdated in a matter of years; which is going to mean that the cell phone companies are again changing to more, better technology. Education being affected is immense. Teachers can set up Twitter, Myspace and Facebook accounts JUST for classroom purposes. I could have NEVER imagined in 6th grade that one day another 6th grader could go home, click a button and get all assignments, grades and whatever else in an instant! Similar to the 'flat classroom,' I am anxious to have my own classroom where I can utilize the most current technology to benefit myself, my students and their teachers.

My first blog

My name is Adam. I am 28 years old today, but tomorrow I will be 29! My birthday is September 24th and I live 20 minutes from Boston, in the northern suburbs; The Merrimack Valley to be precise. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts with a dual concentration in Psychology and Philosophy and am currently attending grad-school for my Master's degree in Elementary Education (K-8).