oral assignment using audacity in response to http://www.digitales.us/story_details.php?story_id=57
Here's my response in audio file .
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sunday, October 5, 2008
digital story telling
This first digital story about halloween was my story about the moon, pumpkins, and cats and kids dressing up. As to the technology, it took me a long time to upload the pictures and to rearrange them into the order I want. The technology takes it upon itself to rearrange the final display into a collection, so some picutres were grouped together and the background for future pictures.
This next story is about a puppy being born, being sold to a family, having fun in the sun, and loving his owner. I liked the technology better in this formatting because the options were easy to find and it made each of the pictures stand out at their brightest. For example, you could take out red eyes and improve the colors. However, I did not like the fact that after the pictures were used they were not taken out of the sequence. This made it difficult for me to remember which pictures I had already used.
This final digital story about positive, negative, zero, and undefined slope was very hard to do considering I do not have a microphone. It was also hard to get my point across because I wanted to include the equations of this graph but I thought it was hard to read my writing after drawing the graph. It was also hard correcting mistakes and knowing if the pictures were saved. However, I did like being able to draw!
This next story is about a puppy being born, being sold to a family, having fun in the sun, and loving his owner. I liked the technology better in this formatting because the options were easy to find and it made each of the pictures stand out at their brightest. For example, you could take out red eyes and improve the colors. However, I did not like the fact that after the pictures were used they were not taken out of the sequence. This made it difficult for me to remember which pictures I had already used.
This final digital story about positive, negative, zero, and undefined slope was very hard to do considering I do not have a microphone. It was also hard to get my point across because I wanted to include the equations of this graph but I thought it was hard to read my writing after drawing the graph. It was also hard correcting mistakes and knowing if the pictures were saved. However, I did like being able to draw!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Internet's Impact on Kids
Original article by PBS FRONTLINE: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/
After watching the video special Growing Up Online by PBS FRONTLINE, I realized how much the internet is harming students and their identities. I also suddenly realized that I will be competing against Facebook and MySpace in my future classroom, both of which I am currently apart of. While the internet can be a useful tool for exploring and learning, it is also a place for mistaken identities, cyberbullying, online predators, sexual exploitation, and overall social interactions. In the video, we meet several individuals who have been victims of these horrors. We also meet teachers and parents who have realized that they can not compete against the internet. Since every single teacher and parent said they were worried about the impact of the internet, I am now worried for my future students.
In the video, we hear about students living their lives online. We see how children have different personas online, have invisible relationships, express themselves in any way possible, talk to strangers who are in same situation for comfort, and how the internet has become a social arena. Most parents and teachers said this is harmful because no one is in charge. I agree that this can be a dangerous situation for anybody who puts information out onto the web. We saw students having two different identities. One student was a smart high school girl, who all along was addicted to going online looking for ways to enhance and hide her eating disorder, while her parents knew nothing about it. Another student expressed her feelings through provocative pictures, which were brought to the principal’s attention. Other students say these use websites such as Sparknotes and say that they haven’t read a book in years. Another young kid Ryan was having relationships online that were completely invisible from his family and became the victim of cyberbullying. Rumors about Ryan being gay led him to find support online from other kids who were thinking about killing themselves. He also went to websites learning how to tie the rope and other such websites that asked for personal information and then gave back “the best way for your suicide ….” Unfortunately, Ryan ended up committing suicide. These were just a few examples of how the internet has become a source for concern. I feel the internet has added pressure to students to become a part of this social life. I can see this potentially hurting kids who do not have many friends and feel they need to conform to fit in. While many students say they can express themselves freely and be who they are, this can also be dangerous because of cyberstalkers and even other kids who read it and then pick fights over it.
While the internet can be a place to escape and find support, it is can have truly devastating effects and outcomes. Like other teachers, I am worried about what the internet and technology will do to the classroom. Teachers expressed their concern that students have the inability to pay attention, that “having no media in the classroom is like walking into the desert,” and that teachers have to become “entertainers.” One teacher said that after 30 years she can longer compete in the classroom because of technology. I was scared when I heard that because I think I am familiar with technology but I have this concern that my students will know more about how to use it than I will and they will give up in my classroom because I don’t know how to use it. Teachers are now using technology to upload their lessons so that students can listen to them on their ipods. All this technology seems overwhelming to me and I feel it will eventually take away from the traditional way of teaching. Students who go to Sparknotes instead of reading books and learning how to take away from one website and rewrite it into their own words takes away their creativity and is in a sense a form of cheating. The internet is a “willing listener” and anything can be put out there without supervision or rules. I just see the internet harming so many children and their reputations.
In my Catholic high school we had about 400 students total. We only had computers in the computer lab and they were used only for computer class where we learned how to type and type different letter styles. However, as of two years ago, each student was given a laptop computer and wireless internet was installed. I just saw this example of how times have changed and how technology has become the new teacher.
After watching the video special Growing Up Online by PBS FRONTLINE, I realized how much the internet is harming students and their identities. I also suddenly realized that I will be competing against Facebook and MySpace in my future classroom, both of which I am currently apart of. While the internet can be a useful tool for exploring and learning, it is also a place for mistaken identities, cyberbullying, online predators, sexual exploitation, and overall social interactions. In the video, we meet several individuals who have been victims of these horrors. We also meet teachers and parents who have realized that they can not compete against the internet. Since every single teacher and parent said they were worried about the impact of the internet, I am now worried for my future students.
In the video, we hear about students living their lives online. We see how children have different personas online, have invisible relationships, express themselves in any way possible, talk to strangers who are in same situation for comfort, and how the internet has become a social arena. Most parents and teachers said this is harmful because no one is in charge. I agree that this can be a dangerous situation for anybody who puts information out onto the web. We saw students having two different identities. One student was a smart high school girl, who all along was addicted to going online looking for ways to enhance and hide her eating disorder, while her parents knew nothing about it. Another student expressed her feelings through provocative pictures, which were brought to the principal’s attention. Other students say these use websites such as Sparknotes and say that they haven’t read a book in years. Another young kid Ryan was having relationships online that were completely invisible from his family and became the victim of cyberbullying. Rumors about Ryan being gay led him to find support online from other kids who were thinking about killing themselves. He also went to websites learning how to tie the rope and other such websites that asked for personal information and then gave back “the best way for your suicide ….” Unfortunately, Ryan ended up committing suicide. These were just a few examples of how the internet has become a source for concern. I feel the internet has added pressure to students to become a part of this social life. I can see this potentially hurting kids who do not have many friends and feel they need to conform to fit in. While many students say they can express themselves freely and be who they are, this can also be dangerous because of cyberstalkers and even other kids who read it and then pick fights over it.
While the internet can be a place to escape and find support, it is can have truly devastating effects and outcomes. Like other teachers, I am worried about what the internet and technology will do to the classroom. Teachers expressed their concern that students have the inability to pay attention, that “having no media in the classroom is like walking into the desert,” and that teachers have to become “entertainers.” One teacher said that after 30 years she can longer compete in the classroom because of technology. I was scared when I heard that because I think I am familiar with technology but I have this concern that my students will know more about how to use it than I will and they will give up in my classroom because I don’t know how to use it. Teachers are now using technology to upload their lessons so that students can listen to them on their ipods. All this technology seems overwhelming to me and I feel it will eventually take away from the traditional way of teaching. Students who go to Sparknotes instead of reading books and learning how to take away from one website and rewrite it into their own words takes away their creativity and is in a sense a form of cheating. The internet is a “willing listener” and anything can be put out there without supervision or rules. I just see the internet harming so many children and their reputations.
In my Catholic high school we had about 400 students total. We only had computers in the computer lab and they were used only for computer class where we learned how to type and type different letter styles. However, as of two years ago, each student was given a laptop computer and wireless internet was installed. I just saw this example of how times have changed and how technology has become the new teacher.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
MONEY FOR GOOD GRADES!?
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Chicago Public Schools: Green for Grade$ http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/content/education/chi-money-for-grades-11-sep11,0,4916582,print.story
I read the blogs by Rachel Barry’s at http://rachelsedreflections.blogspot.com/
John Lundeberg’s at http://johnlundy.blogspot.com/
and Angela Dodge’s at http://angeladodge.blogspot.com/
The main issue of these blogs was whether or not it is a smart idea to pay students for getting A’s in school and if the opinions differed depending on if we were looking at the perspective of the parents, the teachers, or the taxpayers. First of all, I do not think it is right to pay students to get good grades. Students are in school to learn, not to get paid. School is not a job, but a place of learning and growing. Secondly, I do not think cash for grades is a good idea because of what the money will be used for. Students might use the money to buy drugs, guns, or illegal cigarettes or alcohol. Ultimately, they might use it for activities that will distract them from their studies. While there may be positive, good uses for this money, such as being able to pay for some extra groceries or to pay house bills, I do not think this money will motivate kids to actually learn and comprehend the material; rather, I think it will force students to memorize the material for the test. Thirdly, I think it is a bad idea because after their freshman year they do not receive anymore money. If students did memorize the material, they will soon fall behind in their sophomore year classes. In the end, hurting their education will not be worth the extra $50. I think getting paid for good grades, would also create extra tension and anxiety for those students who do not test well or who do not have a good grasp for the material. This might create extra controversy in the home environment and in schools. Parents and teachers might put extra emphasis on the money instead of the most important underlining factor of learning.
In regards to the actual money, I did not read exactly where the money came from besides donations. I would assume then that the money would have to come from taxpayers in the future. As I thought about this, I realized that the money from the taxpayers should not go to the students who are succeeding, but rather to the students who need the extra help. So, I believe the money should go to the school instead of those select students. This money can then pay for books, workbooks, computers, extra personnel, extracurricular activities, and other beneficial materials.
In regards to this in my future classroom, I might have students who will have to work in after school jobs to help out their families and might not have the time to do their homework. While I will have to take this into consideration, I can not penalize the rest of the class by assigning less homework. Rather, I will have to work extra hard in the classroom by thoroughly explaining the material and doing an efficient number of examples, so that the students will not have terrible difficulty doing the homework. I might then have to rearrange the lesson plan so that harder problems can be discussed in class rather than done individually at home and on their own.
I read the blogs by Rachel Barry’s at http://rachelsedreflections.blogspot.com/
John Lundeberg’s at http://johnlundy.blogspot.com/
and Angela Dodge’s at http://angeladodge.blogspot.com/
The main issue of these blogs was whether or not it is a smart idea to pay students for getting A’s in school and if the opinions differed depending on if we were looking at the perspective of the parents, the teachers, or the taxpayers. First of all, I do not think it is right to pay students to get good grades. Students are in school to learn, not to get paid. School is not a job, but a place of learning and growing. Secondly, I do not think cash for grades is a good idea because of what the money will be used for. Students might use the money to buy drugs, guns, or illegal cigarettes or alcohol. Ultimately, they might use it for activities that will distract them from their studies. While there may be positive, good uses for this money, such as being able to pay for some extra groceries or to pay house bills, I do not think this money will motivate kids to actually learn and comprehend the material; rather, I think it will force students to memorize the material for the test. Thirdly, I think it is a bad idea because after their freshman year they do not receive anymore money. If students did memorize the material, they will soon fall behind in their sophomore year classes. In the end, hurting their education will not be worth the extra $50. I think getting paid for good grades, would also create extra tension and anxiety for those students who do not test well or who do not have a good grasp for the material. This might create extra controversy in the home environment and in schools. Parents and teachers might put extra emphasis on the money instead of the most important underlining factor of learning.
In regards to the actual money, I did not read exactly where the money came from besides donations. I would assume then that the money would have to come from taxpayers in the future. As I thought about this, I realized that the money from the taxpayers should not go to the students who are succeeding, but rather to the students who need the extra help. So, I believe the money should go to the school instead of those select students. This money can then pay for books, workbooks, computers, extra personnel, extracurricular activities, and other beneficial materials.
In regards to this in my future classroom, I might have students who will have to work in after school jobs to help out their families and might not have the time to do their homework. While I will have to take this into consideration, I can not penalize the rest of the class by assigning less homework. Rather, I will have to work extra hard in the classroom by thoroughly explaining the material and doing an efficient number of examples, so that the students will not have terrible difficulty doing the homework. I might then have to rearrange the lesson plan so that harder problems can be discussed in class rather than done individually at home and on their own.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
A VISION OF STUDENTS TODAY
A Vision of Students Today
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=related
A Vision of K-12 Students Today
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related
I will be my own agent of change in the classroom by being informed about current technology and being informed about what kids are currently into. Technology can be a great tool for learning; however, teachers have to be careful how they incorporate it into the classroom so that students don’t get bored and not do the activity. I remember in my grammar school, none of the classrooms had computers, but we did have a computer lab were we played games like Math Learners and Oregon Trail. With the lack of technology in the classroom, we never had an opportunity to learn digitally. Even with the math games we played in the computer lab, they had no effect or emphasis on what we were learning in class. This resembles the clips on YouTube because teachers do not realize that students in today’s classrooms are visual learners. The ipod, internet, blogging, video games, lap tops, and other certain types of technology are constantly being used by students. In the clip, it showed how more students will spend more time on the internet checking and writing e-mails, checking facebook profiles, and blogging than studying, reading, or paying attention in class. This shocking realization sends the message that teachers need to be informed about what students are currently into. Teachers, like myself, will then need to come up with a plan of action where these types of technology can be used in the classroom. The clip emphasized that students are digital learners so as a math teacher I will need to learn how to use and implement websites and activities that correlate with my lesson plans. For example, for a geometry class, I could find a program that allows students to look at different shapes and areas and decide which groups are congruent. Also, for an algebra class, having students digitally draw lines and formulate the slopes to decide which pair or pairs of lines are parallel. I remember for my calculus class, the answers to the problems were on the internet and if you didn’t understand how they got the right answer then you could click the help button and they would show you how they solved the problem and it would also draw for further assistance. There are so many other examples where students can learn from technology especially on the internet and mathematical programs. Teachers need to incorporate technology into their classrooms to captivate the students’ imaginations. While technology in the classroom is usually left up to the teacher’s discretion, I do not think it is their sole responsibility. If teachers want to be thorough and creative, then I think technology should be used. Overall, I think technology will give the students a better understanding of the material and will ultimately lead to a better education, but there is a sense of responsibility on the part of the teachers to give the students a quality education. So, I believe they do share apart in enforcing technology, but the school should have the ultimate say in the matter.
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o&feature=related
A Vision of K-12 Students Today
LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related
I will be my own agent of change in the classroom by being informed about current technology and being informed about what kids are currently into. Technology can be a great tool for learning; however, teachers have to be careful how they incorporate it into the classroom so that students don’t get bored and not do the activity. I remember in my grammar school, none of the classrooms had computers, but we did have a computer lab were we played games like Math Learners and Oregon Trail. With the lack of technology in the classroom, we never had an opportunity to learn digitally. Even with the math games we played in the computer lab, they had no effect or emphasis on what we were learning in class. This resembles the clips on YouTube because teachers do not realize that students in today’s classrooms are visual learners. The ipod, internet, blogging, video games, lap tops, and other certain types of technology are constantly being used by students. In the clip, it showed how more students will spend more time on the internet checking and writing e-mails, checking facebook profiles, and blogging than studying, reading, or paying attention in class. This shocking realization sends the message that teachers need to be informed about what students are currently into. Teachers, like myself, will then need to come up with a plan of action where these types of technology can be used in the classroom. The clip emphasized that students are digital learners so as a math teacher I will need to learn how to use and implement websites and activities that correlate with my lesson plans. For example, for a geometry class, I could find a program that allows students to look at different shapes and areas and decide which groups are congruent. Also, for an algebra class, having students digitally draw lines and formulate the slopes to decide which pair or pairs of lines are parallel. I remember for my calculus class, the answers to the problems were on the internet and if you didn’t understand how they got the right answer then you could click the help button and they would show you how they solved the problem and it would also draw for further assistance. There are so many other examples where students can learn from technology especially on the internet and mathematical programs. Teachers need to incorporate technology into their classrooms to captivate the students’ imaginations. While technology in the classroom is usually left up to the teacher’s discretion, I do not think it is their sole responsibility. If teachers want to be thorough and creative, then I think technology should be used. Overall, I think technology will give the students a better understanding of the material and will ultimately lead to a better education, but there is a sense of responsibility on the part of the teachers to give the students a quality education. So, I believe they do share apart in enforcing technology, but the school should have the ultimate say in the matter.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Are schools killing creativity?
Blogs i read:
http://acttwointermission.blogspot.com
http://jzhang7.blogspot.com/
In these blogs, the question was raised are schools killing creativity. In my opinion, I would say that some schools are hindering creativity, while others are enhancing it. In some schools, extracurricular activities are cut because of funding, music and art classes are not offered or are not offered as honor classes, or special activities like guest lecturers are not an option. However, in other schools, creative writing classes are offered and after school programs like Math Team or Debate Team, are encouraged. In the classroom, creativity is dying because of the necessity for right and wrong answers. Students are afraid to raise their hand to offer their answer because they are scared of what others may say or think. I, personally, was always scared of getting called on because I wouldn’t have a correct answer and because it usually took me longer to figure out problems. Students should not be afraid to offer a wrong answer because it is the wrong answers that allow students to learn from their mistakes. Students are also scared to say that they don’t understand or that they need help. Students should not experience that type of tension from learning. The classroom should be filled with understanding and a commitment to learn together. In my classroom, I want students to be answer freely and confidently. Another reason why schools are hindering creativity is because of the importance of grades. I know students from high school who would rather memorize what they needed to know for the test instead of actually learning the material for the future. Although math typically requires a right answer, there are usually many different methods that can be used to derive the right answer. I want my students to learn all these types and not just memorize the easiest one.
http://acttwointermission.blogspot.com
http://jzhang7.blogspot.com/
In these blogs, the question was raised are schools killing creativity. In my opinion, I would say that some schools are hindering creativity, while others are enhancing it. In some schools, extracurricular activities are cut because of funding, music and art classes are not offered or are not offered as honor classes, or special activities like guest lecturers are not an option. However, in other schools, creative writing classes are offered and after school programs like Math Team or Debate Team, are encouraged. In the classroom, creativity is dying because of the necessity for right and wrong answers. Students are afraid to raise their hand to offer their answer because they are scared of what others may say or think. I, personally, was always scared of getting called on because I wouldn’t have a correct answer and because it usually took me longer to figure out problems. Students should not be afraid to offer a wrong answer because it is the wrong answers that allow students to learn from their mistakes. Students are also scared to say that they don’t understand or that they need help. Students should not experience that type of tension from learning. The classroom should be filled with understanding and a commitment to learn together. In my classroom, I want students to be answer freely and confidently. Another reason why schools are hindering creativity is because of the importance of grades. I know students from high school who would rather memorize what they needed to know for the test instead of actually learning the material for the future. Although math typically requires a right answer, there are usually many different methods that can be used to derive the right answer. I want my students to learn all these types and not just memorize the easiest one.
Monday, September 1, 2008
technology in the classroom
Instead of teachers deciding whether or not to use modern technology in the classroom, I think schools should mandate that teachers use some type of technology over a certain time span. I remember some teachers who would never use technology because they were uncomfortable using it. As a result, the students were the ones that suffered. Technology brings something new and exciting into the classroom and often intrigues students. Schools should give the teachers options about the technology they use, but overall, they should be required to use it. Everyone always says technology is the way of the future so students should be introduced to it as many times as possible.
welcome blog
Hi, my name is Brittney. I'm from the south suburbs of Chicago. I went to an all-girls high school and my graduating class had only 88 girls. My first year of college I went to the University of Dayton and played Division I volleyball. I then came home for a year and went to a community college, where I had the opportunity to play volleyball against other countries in Dublin, Ireland. Besides volleyball, I like to hang out with friends and go to the movies. I am very much an outdoors kind of person. All around, I am pretty much an easy going person. After community college, I decided to go to U of I because both my sister and brother went here and they were always bragging to me how much of a great school it was. I then decided to major in math and then do secondary education because I love working with kids and I love the rush of doing a good math problem.
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