Yet another shooting.

Another bullet fell today,

This time it took three.

It is no longer the adults that shoot,

Children are targets,

Schools where the focus should be on education

Instead turn into battlefields.

Students learning lockdowns—

Drills that go beyond natural disasters.

Soon, schools will all be equipped with

Metal detectors, and locker searches will be conducted

Not for spray cans but for bullets.

Instead of fractions, students learn how to stay silent.

Instead of figurative language, students learn to describe reality.

In case there is a shooter on campus, students learn how to hide.

When will we change?

They say that we can have screenings and backgrounds.

Every day the bodies keep stacking.

When will we change?

Every day, the shootings seem to get closer.

Parents now are told of emergency protocol for shootings.

There is something wrong with our values when we argue for our rights to property

And others argue for the safety and lives of the innocent.

Reflection #13

I know I've already met the requirement for reflections, but I came across this video on 3-D printers.

Printable Gun

It does not simply focus on the gun issue (being able to print a gun) but also in allowing people the creative freedom to print something that they have thought of, with ease.  The reporter mentions printing a button for a lost coat, but in the arts, the possibilities are endless.   3-D printers are becoming more affordable for the everyday household, also raising the risk for gun parts to be created and used.   They briefly discuss a need to look at regulations as these parts will not be detectable.

Technology Project

Classroom Rules

Grade Level: 4th/5th Grade
Subject: Technology, Theater/Storytelling
Learning Target:

• Students will formulate three necessary rules in a classroom.  They will communicate these rules through a stop motion video by creating a story line that highlights the reason for these rules.
• Students will use sounds, visuals, words, and show techniques of editing, timing/order, and plot sequencing to demonstrate their understanding of the components of a completed, visual piece.

Standards Assessed & NETS Standards:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

• Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.
• Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
• Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
• Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
• Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments

      Common Core Standards for Communication

• 1.2.1 Applies strategies to comprehend auditory and visual information
• 1.2.2 Recognizes and understands point of view and persuasion in mass media.
• Identifies point of view in an oral story or video, with teacher guidance.

Rationale:  The ability to communicate ideas through a video allows students to think critically about the factors that influence an audience.  Students who effectively communicate will have greater influence upon their community.  Stop motion technology integrated with storytelling will help students plan and work out their thoughts before putting them into action.

Rubric:

Worksheets:

Handout

Blank Storyboard

 

End of Semester Reflection

When I first enrolled in Technology in Education, I was extremely excited about the prospect of integrating tools into lessons.  Believing myself to be tech-savvy, I did not anticipate having trouble with this subject.  Upon taking the course, I've realized how expansive the topic truly is.  Not only will we try to acclimate to an increasingly technological environment, we also have to understand it well to use it seamlessly.  Having been exposed to so many innovative programs, techniques, and creative minds, I feel an excitement to enter the educational field that is rapidly adapting to technological advances.

While technology itself could easily take over a lesson, the key lies in the integration of technology--not allowing it to be the focus but rather in the art of teaching.  To sum up the main criteria for an effective use of technology, we have to ask ourselves two things:

• How does it help students learn the curriculum/content?
• Do I know how to use it well?

This shows where the focal point of the class lies.  The point is to be effective teachers, not magicians or entertainers.  While those roles may help us peak students' curiosities to a state of learning, everything we do must be centered around helping every student succeed.  Technology is just another resource we may use to raise the standard of education.  I hope to use it well, so that students may find relevance in all that they learn.

My focus from NETS for Teachers:
The first NET for Teachers which highlights facilitating and inspiring student learning and creativity.

• teachers to use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

Throughout this class, I have thought carefully about how I would integrate technology to allow students the ability to be creative, educated, and innovative.  I did not necessarily think "oh I need to fulfill this NET" for every project; it was an innate and inseparable desire that I'm certain most teachers would want for their students.  Looking in hindsight, the NETS are simply unnecessary to define--they should be always be present (though some are indeed, situational).  For my teaching style, this NET defines my focus.  They cannot be separated.

Comments 2nd Part

Yuliya's Reflection 11
Ilona's Week 13
Jeffrey's Reflection 11
Erin's Reflection 12
Heather's Reflection 10
Nicole's Reflection

Week 14

EnvisioningTech

This site provided an attempt to predict the move of technology in education.  This chart shows a potential for students to interact at a higher level while artificial intelligence helps teachers move to an ability to do away with physical teaching models.  This seems rather difficult as teachers also help modify behavior and the social structure for students.  As education originally functioned to assimilate students into a religious and social constructs, it would be interesting to know how this futuristic structure would address behaviors.

Many of the technological advances that move from 2012 to 2020 seem tangible.  I know that much of technology has gone toward the ability to have digital classrooms and even eye tracking, though eye tracking has not been used much for students.  Having these different parallels (between global communication, education, and invention) help strengthen the technological growth we will face.  I notice that without one of the central pieces, the other main pieces would fail.

Week 13

MS Word:
As a student, I use MS Word for so many different reasons. While note taking, I find the organization tools to be effective (bullets, indentations, etc.) since they have quick buttons where you can easily redefine a level of indentation. Since note taking requires a need to quickly process the information and jot it down--it helps having these quick switches and the knowledge of outlining points easily.

I also use the tables and text boxes quite often in projects. Having the ability to customize the font and structures of these two, allows me the ability to concentrate on the content as it helps organize things visually for me. Their selection of real to cartoon images for clip art are helpful when planning lessons. Children are so easily drawn to visual design traits, and MS Word offers so many variations.

MS Excel:
I must confess that I do not use this program as often as I could. MS Word has tables that I would use on a more regular basis. I find that Excel might be helpful in terms of budgeting--though I have created visual representations of data in Excel. Since there are online spreadsheets (ie. Google spreadsheets) that allow me to share information with others as well as allow them the ability to interact with my spreadsheets, I generally will turn to those first. Since data itself is better served while feeding to an audience, using the offline Excel is less beneficial to the Google version. I know there are methods to share Excel, and it is also more technical with better formulas or functions, but I rarely need anything beyond a basic function of defining sums or lists.

MS PowerPoint:
MS PowerPoint is so helpful with presentations.  I use it often for lessons or class presentations.  The functions I mostly use are embedding images or videos, slide animations (with different levels of timing), and of course the templates they have.  Since it is visual, organizing your information with less text is ideal.  I find that the slide animations help me most in defining what I want shown at a specific time.  I've used this for class games before as well.

Projects for MS PowerPoint:

• Targeting elementary-level students, they would learn the importance of form, structure, and organization through creating a PowerPoint and its animation function.  Students would show a procedure or tell a story with dynamics.  The animation function allows them to control when information is given and teach them the use of structure.
• For middle-level students, I would ask that they create a presentation on the three branches of American government.  Since they will be taking a field trip to the state's capital, I would ask them to incorporate a self-interview embedding video clips, organizational charts, word-bullets, etc. to show their experiences.
• For middle-level students, I would ask them to present 3 short presentations with different themes (three different styles of information perhaps with the intent to evoke sadness/empathy, humor, and excitement).  Students would need to persuade an audience by using PowerPoint's templates, animation, etc. in an effective way.  The teacher will ask students to reason their use of certain functions to show their thought process.