The Blue Nowhere--Post 2

The second quarter of the book moves along a little quicker than the first. We figure out why Phate has been so nice in helping Jamie sneak out for his concert (Santana...very early 2000s). Turns out he just wanted to use him as a pawn to break in (physically "hack" into) to the school. Makes sense when you think about the high level of security involved in the school. Sort of takes away their bragging rights of being so safe. I'm interested to see where this goes with Gillette. I think he escapes. He is turning into a pretty likeable character. Anyway, the book is really starting to draw my attention. Wonder what sort of stunt Phate will pull next...

Here Comes the E-Rate (Egads!) Article 3

This article is a gem from 1997--a full ten years ago. When talking about technology, going back ten years is usually very obsolete stuff. The FCC ruling which provided over 2 billion dollars to schools to fund their technology programs was passed back in the Clinton Era of 1997. I wonder if over the last 10 years that money has shrunk, gotten bigger or disappeared completely. The last 7 years has definitely not been good for school funding. We've since started a war and it is very expensive. I would like to know if this e-rate business is still around in some way or another.

Author Says Technology Brings False Promises To Schools

I found this article to be very interesting. It takes the position that schools are relying on the fact that because they have lots of technology, they have a better school with smarter kids than if they didn't have the computers. I agree. However, I don't think that the teachers are the ones pushing this idea forward. I think it's the administration. At least in our district, the administrators really push the use (and the subsequent purchase of) technology. As a a teacher, I appreciate technology as a supplemental tool. Just in the same way a book is a good supplement and the library is a good supplement. I do not rely on any one thing to teach my students, especially computers and internet. I am constantly telling students that the internet is like a bathroom wall that anyone can write on. Some info is reliable, but lots isn't. I also agree that we're looking at a generation of kids that will be very computer literate, but lack the basic skills to think creatively, adapt, or do much of anything without being prompted. I think computers and technology are nice, but they're not the focal point of my classroom. They're only tools to get the kids enthused to learn.

Is Technology Just For Boys? Article 1

This article takes an interesting viewpoint. I chose it because it blends together the current topics in both classes I am currently enrolled in: Today's Learner and Issues and Ethics in Technology. The articles claims that boys are more apt to benefit from use of technology in schools. I somewhat agree with this mindset, but only to a point. I see that boys may be drawn to the gaming aspects of computers and technology, but lately I am seeing girls drawn to computers as well. This article was written in 2000. Over the last 7 years, computers (mostly the internet) have undergone a transformation of sorts. It has become a very, very social place. Entire sites dedicated to creating and maintaining cirlcles of friends and contacts have sprouted up in this timeframe. Just about every female I have in class has a myspace page and checks it with much more regularity than the males. This is showing that women are drawn to the internet technology, too. It just took the social draw of friend sites to do it.

The Blue Nowhere--Post 1

I am about a quarter-way through this book and so far it is pretty entertaining. There is a lot of lingo being thrown around. There's almost a new term on every page. I am interested in the concept of a killer constantly changing their identity. That is a pretty common theme among murder-mysteries, but using computers to the extent that Phate does is a pretty nice twist. I've known about using someone else's computer from a remote location for a few years now, and the technology is actually becoming common enough to create businesses around the concept. One is called www.gotomypc.com. They specialize in helping traveling businessmen have remote access to their own computers from other cities. Of course, I'm learning that other people can do this too...

ISTE Standards

I had no idea that there was such a formal organization whose sole purpose is to push technology in education. I just thought that it was emphasized, I had no idea there were standards set up and everything. After looking at these standards on what a teacher should be able to do and what their students should be able to do, I realized that I already incorporate a lot of technology into my classes anyway.
The podcasting project didn't go very well last year, but I have been re-tooling it (with the help of our school's tech guy, Andy) and look forward to perfecting it early next winter. To my knowledge, my attempt at podcasting last semester may have been the first attempt to do something of this sort in the district, county or this region of the state. When I would talk to most teachers about it, it was their first time ever hearing of such a thing.
Just using this one project as a guage of what most teachers know and use of technology in the classroom, it probably isn't much. I feel like teachers almost have an obligation to learn about what their students know and sort of be ahead of the curve even when it comes to brand new technologies. Otherwise, the students will be bored with the class because they learn in a fascinating, engaging way outside of school, and are expected to sit and listen and take notes inside of school.
I know I could do more with technology, but overall I feel like I do a way better job of using it effectively in the classroom than most teachers (especially older ones). That's just the nature of getting older. You become set in your ways, but the world moves on. Teachers really don't have that luxury. We have to be able to connect meaningfully with the youthful generation every year. For now, I think I'm doing a good job of that. I hope I can still say that in 20 years...

MAED52: Issues and Ethics in Technology Blog

Turns out, for one of my master's classes I need to create a blog on blogger.com. Lucky for me, I just so happen to already have a blog about technology on blogger.com. Lucky me. I originally created this blog to let parents know about an upcoming podcasting project. Which crashed and burned magnificently. You can read about it in the first post. Anyway, don't think that I made this whole blog just for this class--I already had it up and running since early May.