IMovie PSA Project

NETS-S 1,3 & 4

I used IMovie to create a public service announcement about California State University, San Marcos. Using footage by Jeff Heil, I used the software to create a movie with music, screen effects and transitions all while delivering important content to students, parents and peers about Cal State San Marcos. 

NETS-T 3

Journal 7: My Personal Learning Network

NETS-S 1, 3, 4 & 5

PLN

A PLN is a personal learning network that utilizes technology to connect and grow with like minded individuals. As an educator, my PLN is a series of tools used such as twitter, diigo, blogs and wikis that are accessed to stay connected to the profession. With the use of such tools, I can stay up to date on some of the latest educational topics such as technology in the classroom, implementing current events into the classroom and creative classroom lesson planning. By connecting with a tool such as twitter, I can join chats and access useful information from my peers and leaders in the field of education.


I am finally starting to slow down so I can realize the impact of my PLN. I am always hesitant about putting myself out there on the web. I was hesitant to get a Facebook account, post pictures and videos, but whenever I take the plunge I can’t imagine my life without it. I am from the East Coast originally, so these tools really help me stay connected to my friends and family back East.

As I read in one of the articles, the concept of a PLN is not something that is too unfamiliar. It is not an unchartered territory; rather it is just reshaping a way to network with others. As a student, it took a while to appreciate the value of my PLN, but once I am able to really learn and apply what I am learning through my connections then I believe I will be a very active member of my PLN.

TWITTER

I chose to follow many students in my 422 classes as well as a few educational experts I found through your Twitter. I decided to follow my fellow students because I am curious to see all of our transformations from pre-req students to students in the program to credentialed teachers.  I am following you because you are posting great and wonderful tweets full of engaging and useful information. I found Nancye Blair on your site and I decided to follow her as well because after reading her profile and blogs that she would offer a lot of ideas used in the classroom. I also found weboword because it is just a quick way to learn something new.

I used Tweet Chat to follow a chat for Social Studies teachers on Mondays at 4 PM (7 Eastern Time). At first it was a little confusing to follow, but then I got the hang of it. I was torn between a chat for English teachers and the Social Studies chat, but as I was researching the two I liked the Social Studies topic better. They had changed their topic last minute to discuss a very relevant current event: the death of Osama Bin Laden. They asked questions like how did you bring it up and how did your students find out. As it was going I had to pause it a few times because I started to get dizzy trying to keep up. The grades the teachers taught varied.

They asked questions about morality like was it okay to celebrate someone’s death? They discussed the person that was tweeting as it was all happening. One teacher spoke of the challenges discussing such a sensitive topic with younger students because some of them didn’t know about 9/11 or who Osama Bin Laden was. One thing that was really interesting was if they decided to forego their previous lesson plans to discuss a current topic. Almost all of teachers felt that current events like this take precedence over the planned lesson.

Many decided to show President Obama’s speech in class and that it tactic that I would have taken.  The entire chat made me really think about the many challenges I will face as a teacher and one of those will be how to explain hardships to children.  I think as a teacher, I will walk a fine line if I teach younger students when describing death, evil and destruction because I may not know their beliefs, backgrounds or if the parents have discussed such topics with them. A few people chatted today that students began their responses with “My Mom and Dad said” because depending on the ages they are so impressionable and may not really understand how to grasp such deep feelings.

As far as my participation with the chat, I decided just to limit myself because I didn't really feel I had anything to bring to the table. I just wanted to observe and learn from them. I just thanked them for their information. 

DIIGO

The sites I tagged to my PLN network on Diigo are the English Companion Ning, Classroom 2.0, The Educator’s PLN, Eductopia and educationalwikis.  As a future educator in this class I have learned that we must form our PLN first of all as a great networking tool. However, as I began to explore the sites I was really starting to see the value behind using our fellow educators as a great source for information.

For example, I added and liked the Edutopia Facebook page so that I could connect with other educators. Edutopia is the George Lucas Education Foundation. Since I have visited the page I have already found many resources to access and sites to add to my PLN including Ideas for teachers. I frequent Facebook almost daily so this is an incredible current tool for me to access seemingly without effort.

I have applied to both the Concurrent Multi Subject /Special Education credential and the Middle School Credential Program. If I decide to pursue Middle School I hope to teach English and as an elementary school teacher I would teach every subject so for me the English Companion site is very valuable. There are groups on the site you can join like Poetry or Teaching Writing. I was so excited to come across this site. As an English teacher, it would be a goal of mine to find new and innovative ways to tap into my student’s creativity through writing so this source is a wonderful place to find new ideas.

DIGITAL DISCUSSION FORUM

The Educator’s PLN is an unbelievably resourceful site for educators. You can access videos and blogs, join forums all while connecting with other educators.  I decided to watch the called “The sad legacy under Rhee: A DC community speaks out” video about the former Chancellor DC schools, Michelle Rhee. I chose this video because I read Waiting for Superman in my 364 class and I was really rooting for Michelle Rhee. The video was discussing the consolidation of two schools and the new was principle that was put in place and eventually fired by Rhee.  The three people featured in the video claimed that Rhee did not unite the teachers, community and the students, but rather tried to create a gap between the teachers and their students.

There were some other articles and forums that I wanted to check out, but as of now my membership is pending. As I said, in the future this will be a great source for me as an educator. 

Journal 9: Teaching Green

Teaching Green by John K. Waters

NETS-S 1, 2, 3, 5

Waters, J.K. . (2011, April). Teaching green. The Journal , 30(4), Retrieved from http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/1105/journal_201104/#/12

This was a wonderful article written by John K. Waters that highlighted the many resources to bring the green movement into the classroom. The article begins by reflecting on the initial push by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and President Nixon to establish the National Environmental Education Act and Earth Day nearly 41 years ago. Since that time we have celebrated Earth Day every April and while there is an awareness of our impact on the Earth there are still many aspects about our lives that need to change.

Waters lists the many many resources that are available to teachers and students regarding a green society.  There were a few key sites that stood out for me including Classroom Earth, A Walk in the Woods, EEK, Power Up, and the Ecological Footprint Quiz.

Classroom Earth is intended for the use of High School students and teachers. It was founded by the National Educational Foundation in partnership with the Weather Channel.  Classroom Earth has a main goal that is to “enhance and strengthen environmental education in high school classrooms nationwide.” It is a site that is clean and simple to navigate. It has topic sections such as “In the News” and “Where in the World”. There are lists of videos, lesson plans and as well as links to other resource sites. Something I found especially interesting was a list for teachers to access regarding professional development and grant information regarding funding for green education programs.

My favorite site in the article was a Walk in the Woods, which is a resource site geared towards urban students 3-5. Here the students can take virtual trips through the woods and learn about the many different plants, trees and animals that inhabit their woods. There is a narration feature both in English and in Spanish.

EEK stands for Environmental education for kids and this site targets students in grades 4-8. This was developed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as an “electronic magazine for kids”. There are sections for teachers listing guides and activities to bring into the classroom. There is also a wonderful section for students called “Get a Job” that lists prospective jobs for students in the future that tare in the green fields.

The Ecological Footprint Quiz was created to “estimate the amount of land and ocean required to sustain one person’s consumption pattern”. This is a great tool for students to realize the impact they are making on the Earth.

And finally, Waters lists the online game site called Power Up. Power Up, established in 2008, is the oldest environmental science themed educational games. The premise of the game is for the players to join a group of volunteers to save the planet. The Planet is suffering due to the many threats to our eco system, extreme weather patterns, and the many gases emitted that are ruining the Earth’s atmosphere.

Q1-As an educator, how can you creatively incorporate sites like these into your classroom?

What I loved about this article is that there are sites listed that are not solely focused on the science minded student. You can use the Footprint quiz in the classroom to ultimately have students reflect on their impact on the Earth and then it can be turned into further lesson plans regarding the physical effect on the Earth as well as the individual moral effects of what we are doing to our planet. The online game site Power Up is a great source for many kids that are live and breathe video games. The goal of this site is to “volunteer” which is the key word to save the planet. Kids that want to make a difference will feel compelled to do well in this game while also targeting the kids that excel in math and science.

Q2-When funding is tight for student field trips, what site could you use to teach students about the environment and why?

A Walk in the Woods is an excellent tool for a virtual field trip. There are pages for students to create a scrapbook. There is narration in both English and Spanish.  The best part about the site in my opinion is the section called Nature Notes that lists the plants, trees and animals found it the woods and information about them.  Also, as a teacher in Southern California, it will be a wonderful source to show students areas of the country that are different than here. 

Journal 8: POINT/COUNTERPOINT: SHOULD SCHOOLS BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR CYBERBULLYING?

NETS-T 4

Bogacz, Gordillo , R., M. . (2011). Point/counterpoint: should schools be held responsible for cyberbullying. Learning and Leading, 38(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Point_Counterpoint_Should_Schools_Be_Held_Responsible_for_Cyberbullying.aspx

This article offers the point of view from two different authors. Renee Bogacz claims that yes, schools should be held responsible for cyberbullying.  On the other hand, Miguel Gómez Gordillo argues that no, schools should not be held responsible for cyberbullying.  To begin with I will discuss the arguement made by Bogacz, that yes schools should be held accountable.

Technology has created many ways for children to threaten and harass each other. Even though this bullying may occur off the school grounds, Bogacz argues that it still affects the school environment. Bogacz claims that there is a community of people that should be responsible for cyberbullying. This includes teachers, administrators, parents and students. Each participate must play their part to succeed in the education and eradication of cyberbullying.  

Teachers must educate themselves about cyberbullying.  They should know the rules and laws against it as well as the resources for the victims. They should address cyberbullying in their classroom and not be afraid to document cases. They should listen to the victims and not dismiss the occurrence as basic child behavior.

School administrators must adhere to the same obligations as the teachers. However, in addition they must establish clear and concise consequences for perpetrators. They must also contact law enforcement when necessary.

Parents must always stay involved in what their children are doing online and on their cellphones. They should friend their children on their online networks and have passwords to their emails, chats, etc. Parents should consistently check their children’s computer history and confront any issues of bullying. Bogacz urges that parents should not be passive because in the past students have taken their own lives because of cyberbullying.

Finally, students themselves are large part of this community. They should stand up for what is right and assist victims when they see cyberbulllying. If they are victims to cyberbullying they should not be expected just to deal with it. They should talk to someone and receive counseling.

Miguel Gomez Gordillo argues that is not responsibility of the school to deal with cyberbullying.  He states that schools cannot be held responsible for issues of behavior that are not within or did not begin in the classroom.  Rather, Gordillo puts the blame on society for not supporting family as an institution. He claims that bullying results because of the weakening of the family.

His response to bullying is love. He claims that children that have received love from the beginning have an automatic vaccine against bullying. Bullying by children is a consequence of the lack of love and support at home. He questions how children can receive love if the parents are gone all day or the kids come from a broken home.

Gordillo insists that the parents are the primary educators of their children. The schools can assist parents by establishing close relationships with them and providing supportive parental resources.  He states that the ways schools can help with cyberbullying by helping parents to recover and establish their roles as the primary educators.

Q1- what would you do as an educator if you found out a student was being cyberbullied by your other students?

First of all, I would make it a point to educate my students from the beginning on cyberbullying. I would create weekly lessons that address this issue and incorporate ways for students to participate in the research and education themselves. 

If the issue came up and cyberbullying was evident then I realize it would be a touchy situation. My first instinct would be to address the situation right away to the entire class, but I would need to speak to the victim. Unfortunately, the victim may feel incredible shame about the situation and bringing it up to the entire class could embarrass them further and make the situation worse.

However, the bullies will be addressed and reprimanded for their actions. I would involve the administrators and parents and punish the students accordingly. I would again in the classroom stress the devastation of cyberbullying and continue to educate my students about it. I would then make sure that the victim received counseling for the bullying.

Q2- Do you believe the argument of Miguel Gómez Gordillo that love from parents is a vaccine against cyberbullying? Why or why not?

While there is a just a fleck of truth to this statement, overall I do not agree with it. It is not a vaccine against cyberbullying.  Whether or not a student is loved it does not keep them from having their feelings hurt and from being the victims of bullying. I believe Gordillo was arguing that love can extinguish the acts of the bully, but again I do not believe this to be necessarily true in all cases. Students can possess many behavioral problems that are beyond the nurturing aspect of their parents.

Also, students may receive plenty of love at home, but they do not feel accepted at school. I am not an expert on bullies, however I feel this is way too broad a statement to make about why bullying exists. I am frankly terrified for my daughter to go to school because I remember how cruel kids can be. I was kicked out of a group of girlfriends many times. One time I couldn’t describe the perfect outfit and another time I wasn’t popular enough! And these were girls that seemed to be very loved at home, but kids can always be cruel. 

Journal 6: Grow Your Personal Network

NETS-T 4, 5

Warlick, D. (2009). Grow your personal learning network. Learning and Leading, 36(6), Retrieved from http://istelearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Grow-Your-PLN.pdf

David Warlick’s article on growing your personal network begins by explaining to the reader that this idea of a personal network is not a new one. Rather, we have always called on sources to grow our network. This includes the people in our lives (family, friends, and co-workers) as well as the texts and periodicals we use to learn. However, with the rise in technology he explains that our network is a growing and more information is accessible and delivered by many more people.  Through ICT, Information and communication technologies, those voices that did not have access to deliver information now have a voice.  

It is important in an ever changing world, and especially in technology, to be a good educator we must always be open to learn as well. We need to stay up to date on all of the innovative forms of technology and ways to retrieve valuable information. Warlick describes that there are three main types of our PLN:

1. Personally Maintained Synchronous Connections

This type of PLN is the traditional network that consists of the people and places that we consult to find information.  This is where we turn to answer questions and problem solves. Examples of these connections are Skype and Twitter.

2.  Personally and Socially Maintained Semi synchronous Connections

This is perhaps the best part of information sharing in technology because we are not limited to proximity or time constraints. This type of sharing is not in real time and we can participate based on our schedules and we can multi-task while doing so. For example, we can read and respond to blogs on our own time as well as Facebook.

3. Dynamically Maintained Asynchronous Connections

This PLN refers to our ability to stay connected through sources. For example, if we subscribe to a blog on a particular subject we can subscribe to the RSS feed with our aggregator and the software does the work for us. It will retrieve relevant post and information and relay that to us. In class we learned about Social Bookmarking sites such as Diggo. When searching for information the results contain more manageable and reputable lists of sites to visit.

As educators we are learning ourselves and we need these tools and opportunities to gain and develop skills to remain up to date with society and especially our students. Warlick offers a piece of cautionary advice when he states that it is important to understand the responsibility of our PLN. We are retrieving and then re-issuing this information to our network therefore it affects people other than just ourselves.

He also explains that it is human nature to find sources and people that agree with our view of the world, but he challenges us to find networks that test our ideals. As teachers we will realize that our students are facing an uncertain world filled with the ups and downs of life. We must teach our students to trust in themselves.

Finally, Warlick offers a list of tips to get our PLN started and how to keep it simple. Again, he mentions to be smart about what we subscribe to because it all affects our PLN. He suggests that we remain organized including ways to organize our folders and blogs by subjects and usage.   Many of us do not want to commit to creating our PLNs because we are already so busy and time is limited. Warlick suggests just 15 minutes a day is all it takes to learn something new.

Q1. What are the responsibilities that go along with your PLN?

The article reminds the reader that our PLN does not just affect one person. This is a way to gain information and then pass this information onto others. Especially when developing your PLN for professional reasons, it is important to understand the quality of information that you re-issue. You are developing a reputation for yourself and you cannot issue information that is not based on facts and quality. You should be selective in your choices.

Q2. Why is it important to visit networks that challenge our point of views as educators?

The world is changing. The world always changes and our world views may need to shift as well. As educators, we will have students from all different walks of life and they may have very different backgrounds then our own. We need to realize that everything will not be viewed from our rose colored perspective and we need to educate ourselves to be empathetic.

I am going to follow a twitter chat that is based in Europe because I would like to see the issues faced as well as hear the many ideas these educators have. I believe if we look into a diverse network then we will learn so much about the world. 

Sometimes, our ideas are based on biases and sometimes even generalizations that we didn’t even know we possessed. It is always a good idea to see the other side. Visiting sites that challenge our point of views will show us that other side and perhaps help us to realize and squash the ideals that are holding us back as educators. 

Presentation Assessment

Click here for assessment results

NETS-S Presentation Assignment

NETS-S 1, 3

I created an exciting, fresh and unique presentation using the online software called Prezi. The presentation includes valuable information regarding lesson plans to include technology for students K-2. This presentation is a great resource for students, educators and parents.

NET-S Presentation Assignment on Prezi

All About Me Survey

Journal 5: Find Free Tools and More

NETS-T 1, 5


Ribera, M. (2011). Find free tools and more.International Society for Technology in Education,38(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Learning_Connections_Find_Free_Tools_and_More.aspx


EduTecher (http://edutecher.net) is a wonderful teacher resource free site and the best part is that it doesn’t contain any ads! The site contains more than 1,000 links, specially attracting teachers, but also serving as a source for students and parents. Each link allows the users to post feedback and they are notified as soon as there is a response.


Users are also encouraged to post web tools, videos and links. They can comment and receive comments on their material. Adam Bellow is the creator of EduTeacher and his links cater to teachers of all levels. EduTecherTV is an incredible tool with tons of webisodes illustrating tutorials and learning materials for many of the Web 2.0 tools teachers implement into the classroom.


EduTeacher is also available as an IPhone application. It is simple and user friendly so teachers can access it even in the classroom. EduTeacher is easy to navigate through and Bellow created a subjects tab so that teachers can attain information they are looking for quickly.


Q1- Why are free and easy to use technology tools so important for teachers?


Teachers are extremely busy and in an environment of constant learning. Budget cuts are a major problem right now therefore these free resources are necessary for teachers to access to gain valuable information that they can bring into the classroom.


Q2- Adam Bellow, the creator of EduTeacher, allows for users to contribute with questions or comments about the links. Why is this so important to teachers?


When teachers are educating themselves with these links to these sites and bringing the information into the classroom, it is imperative that they have a strong understanding of the material. 

Journal 4: It's Time To Trust Teachers with the Internet:

NETS-T 1, 2, 4, 5

Schaffhauset, D. (2010, December 1). It's time to trust teachers with the internet: a conversation with meg ormiston. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2010/12/01/Its-Time-To-Trust-Teachers-with-the-Internet-A-Conversation-with-Meg-Ormiston.aspx?Page=1

The article is an interview of Meg Ormiston. She has held many positions including curriculum coach, school board member, conference presenter, professional development specialist and grant facilitator. She currently serves as a consultant to bring technology into the classroom.

Ormiston finds that teachers are not trusted with the use of the internet yet they are expected to incorporate technology into their classroom. She argues that teachers are not receiving the adequate tools they need to successfully implement this ‘21^st century style’ teaching into the classrooms.

In some cases bandwidth is too limited or schools are blocking the internet entirely or the blocks have been created by outside sources such as private companies and non-educators. She mentions the fact that budget cuts are an everyday issue with our schools therefore a source such as YouTube would be extremely beneficial in the classroom. She claims if a teacher cannot be trusted to filter material on YouTube then they should not be even trusted to teach in the classroom.

If schools continue to block everything then teachers will give up on learning about or teaching technology. What’s worse, Ormiston points out is that when students get home they don’t have those blockers. At home “there's no filtering. There's usually not an adult to help them make good choices.” They are not educated on what is appropriate and what is not appropriate.

Teachers aren’t receiving proper education on the internet and it is constantly changing and advancing. Students need to be engaged and prepared for the real world. Education and leadership is the key to success. My favorite quote is, “They want multimedia. They crave the opportunity to work with other people--and other people outside of our schools.”

Q1- What are some ways you can use YouTube as a learning tool?

With budget cuts in place YouTube can serve as a wonderful source to tap into. Teachers can bring up all sorts of learning demonstrations including tutorials on how to use specific software.

Q2- What is the problem with blocking all access to the internet?

The problem is that when students go home often times there is not blocking or filter systems and students are then exposed to everything. They have no guidance on what is appropriate and what is not. 

Journal 2: Twitter

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock. International Society for Technology in Education, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Join_the_Flock.aspx
http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx

SUMMARY


Join the Flock:

This article discussed creating your PLN, professional learning network, through Twitter. The author Hadley Ferguson mentioned that through the use of our PLN, we can alleviate the stress of researching on your own. We can now gather information from our colleagues, experts, friends, community, etc. Our PLN “is a community of individuals around the world who are learning together.”

She stresses that in order to success we must commit to the PLN community. By using the analogy of how we make new friends by deciding to either just say hello or to pause and have a conversation, we get a better understanding of the simple ways we can build our community.

The author states some simple steps to the process of utilizing Twitter. First, we set up our account with our bio and a photo. Then we learn to follow other people by just simply clicking “Follow”. When selecting those we want to follow we can choose individuals we want to learn from as well as those we share common interests with. Once we are following the process is simple and we can decide from there how actively we want to participate. Tweets will begin to populate our stream and we can either just lurk in the background or begin to gain exposure by retweeting something of interest and begin creating our own tweets. It is networking and if we start to create our PLN conversations, retweet, tweet, etc. then we will gain followers and create relationships. We can ask questions and receive extremely valuable feedback. By using hash tags, such as #teacher or #education, we will gain more exposure.

Enhance your Twitter Experience:

The author began her article by stating the wonderful connections she made because of twitter and the opportunities that presented themselves such as international connections. Through the use of a Twitter organizer such as a tweet deck you can organize your streams into lists. I am going to definitely put this to use because as of now Twitter just seems a little messy to me. She listed common twitter terminology like hash tag: discussion stream aggregating tweets on a given topic or a mistweet: to accidentally send a tweet to the wrong person or through the wrong Twitter account.

Q1- How can I get my point across or question answered in only 140 characters?

It can be difficult to do so at times therefore most of the time you can create a link to a site that further explains your question or answer in detail.

Q2- What is the purpose of a hashtag?

A hashtag is necessary to connect to specific communities. For example, in class if we tweet beginning with #422 it will be aggregated to other tweets with the topic and easily searchable. 

Journal 1: Do Web 2.0 Right

NETS-T 1, 3 & 5

Light, D. (2011). Do Web 2.0 Right. International Society for Technology in Education, 38(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Feature_Article_Do_Web_2_0_Right.aspx

Summary: 
This article describes the study and research of two experts that interviewed a number of teachers across the country to determine how to successfully use web 2.0 tools in the classroom. They found that there are three key elements to success: instituting daily practice, carefully considering the audience and teaching and enforcing appropriate behavior.

The goal of instituting daily practices of web 2.0 tools is to basically make the technology a part of everyday life in the classroom instead of being project driven. The researchers found that the 2.0 tools used in the classroom differ from the way adults use them in everyday life. For example, the goal of the classroom usage is interaction between students and instead of the way something like Wikipedia is set up with multiple anonymous contributors, the users in the classroom will be accounted for. The use of individual and classroom blogs seemed to be the most effective web 2.0 tool used in the classroom. They did find however, that often times with the use of public individual blogs that students are often times reluctant or shy to share information especially if it is not a motivating topic, a topic they are not interested in or a topic that is personal or embarrassing.

The most successful blogging was between teachers and students. It was a very effective way for teachers to work one on one with their students and to get to know their students. The students feel it is a safer environment to reflect on the classroom, topics and their general feelings towards the classroom. An open classroom blog can be used to generate interest in a topic especially when it is an area that they will be studying in the near future. The researchers and teachers concluded that often times this can be a great way for shy students to find their voices and feel safe to debate openly.

One study concluded that the main goal of a Spanish teacher was to have her students write in Spanish, but by giving them an imaginary topic such as a visit to a Spanish speaking country; the students were learning more than they bargained for. They were writing in Spanish, but also using creativity and exploring the current events, laws and customs of that particular country.

Teachers must carefully consider the audience when using web 2.0 tools. They can limit access and direct the students to a specific audience. Also, it is imperative that teachers select material that is appropriate for his or her students. When using open to the public web 2.0 tools the boundaries can become blurry with audience and posted feedback. It is not a controlled environment like a classroom where as the teacher sets the tone. I found it interesting that a major concern for the adults (teachers, parents) is the fact that other adults are viewing and commenting on the work of children, but the students themselves seem more concerned with other young people viewing and commenting on their personal material. Students that are subjected and sensitive to peer pressure can become demotivated when they have to go public.

Finally, and most important, it is the responsibility of the teacher to enforce appropriate behavior.  Teachers must again be very selective about what materials will be open to the outside world. Overall, the use of web 2.0 tools can be a wonderful way for teachers and students to stay connected to the classroom and support one another.

Q1. As a teacher, how can I create topics that motivate students to interact with one another and not feel sensitive to peer pressure?

This answer to this question will come with time and probably by trial and error. I think it is important to know how to engage my students to interact with one another and take assignments to that deeper level. I liked the idea that the Spanish teacher had about students writing about an imaginary trip to a foreign country. I will have a goal as teacher to implement the teachings of a specific lesson, but the fun part will be finding creative ways to strike interest in my students. 

Q2. What are some good examples of materials that should be limited to only teacher and student interaction and why?

I believe the article makes a good point when it discusses the particular study of creative writing assignments. Sometimes students can be reluctant to express themselves creatively if they believe they will be subjected to judgment by their peers. In this instance I believe it is best to create a teacher to student blog so that a student can feel free and open to create their work. In the future, the teacher can create an open artistic class blog where the decision to post creative works can be decided by the student. 

Journal 3: 100 Things that make me happy

1. My daughter
2. My husband
3. Ambition
4. The Ocean
5. My sister Lauren
6. My sister Stacey
7. Encinitas
8. California
9. Running
10. Yoga
11. Eating
12. Wine
13. My parents
14. My brother Keith
15. My brother Brad
16. My niece Lily
17. Surfing
18. Animals
19. Smiles
20. Movies!
21. Sleeping...ah I miss sleep
22. A clean house
23. Vacuuming- strange I know, but I love it!
24. Soup
25. My friends
26. Coffee!
27. Coffee talk
28. Going to breakfast with my friends
29. Music
30. Singing
31. Sunshine
32. The outdoors
33. Driving to good music
34. Laundry that is folded and put away
35. Completed tasks
36. Relaxing
37. A good beer after a long day
38. Sunsets
39. TRAVELING- although I can't afford it these days
40. People watching
41. Reading a really good book
42. When my magazine comes in the mail
43. Kissing my daughter good-night
44. Foot massages
45. Being financially secure
46. Flowers in the house
47. Receiving good mail
48. Giving presents
49. My grandmother
50. When my daughter laughs
51. A job well done
52. A hug from my Mom
53. Visiting my family
54. North Carolina
55. Having money to shop
56. Helping others
57. Clean Water
58. Food in my refrigerator
59. Italian Food
60. Snowboarding
61. Christmas
62. Fall leaves
63. Candles
64. Meeting new friends
65. Hot shower after a surf session
66. Sweatpants
67. A good pair of jeans
68. Feeling confident
69. Saturdays
70. Looking at pictures
71. When my husband comes home
72. Feeling strong
73. Summer days
74. Long dinner parties with friends
75. NYC!
76. Surfing the internet
77. Connecting with long lost friends
78. Feeling artistic
79. Liberal People
80. New Jersey
81. Dinner with my family
82. When my husband cleans!
83. Walks on the 101
84. Live shows of any kind
85. When my daughter is asleep
86. Girl's nights
87. Feeling that I serve a purpose
88. Finding forgiveness
89. Learning
90. Organization because it is rare for me!
91. Going out to dinner
92. Talks with my husband
93. Parties
94. The feeling after a good workout
95. Being clean
96. Love
97. Feeling Accepted
98. Learning about cool and exciting things
99. Getting excited
100. EDUC 422

Technology Self Assessment: School 2.0

NETS-T 3


The NETS-T that I chose to discuss is the following:
3. I engage students in reflecting on and clarifying their own thinking, planning, and creative processes, in correcting misconceptions, and in using meta-cognitive thinking strategies with collaborative tools and environments.


I chose to discuss this NETS-S because I believe any sort of tool that will engage and promote creativity is a beneficial one. I also love to learn about collaborative tools that can help my students. The resource that I clicked on was Google Groups. I had no idea this existed! It is a wonderful way for people to connect with one another based on common interests. You can join groups by browsing through such categories as Arts & Entertainment, Sports, Computer Games, Schools and Universities and many more. When you join these groups you can become an active part of group discussions, you can ask questions and research whatever you find interesting. You may also create your own groups which I thought would be a great way to reach out to like minded people. There are groups from many different countries and languages and for someone that is far from their homeland it is an awesome way to stay connected. Google is awesome!


I

I 

Carly O'Brien

Greetings and welcome to my first blog post! My name is Carly O'Brien and I was born and raised in Southern New Jersey. I am one of five children and family is the most important aspect of my life. Sports was a huge part of my life growing up and I played soccer and received an athletic scholarship to Radford University in Virginia. I graduated with a Communications degree in 2000. I moved to California in January of 2002 . I came to California for change, new opportunities and I wanted to be in warm climate where I could surf all year long. I was married in 2007 to my wonderful husband Sean in Encinitas, California overlooking the Pacific Ocean and it was amazing. My daughter's name is Cecilia and she is the light of my life. My sister and brother moved to San Diego shortly after I arrived and I am so grateful to have them close to me.  In my professional career, I  have worked as an Interior Designer, Project Coordinator and Account Manager yet I never felt connected to my work. I am looking forward to pursue a career that invokes passion, motivation and an overall sense of well being. 

I am a little slow with technology, but I do appreciate what technology can bring to the classroom. I am so excited for this class and to become more proficient with the computer. I believe that technology will be our future and it is imperative to remain up to date on all aspects of technology to remain a factor in any career. However, I will say that I am worried about us losing our sense of personal connection through technology. I find that often times people will take the easy way out when it comes to communicating instead of having a face to face interaction. I am actually really happy that in college cellphones were not widely used because I don't think that I would have had the same experiences.  

I think the most important aspect of the mission statement to me is the idea of transforming education. It ties in with my previous paragraph in that the world is ever changing and if you do not move along with these changes (hopefully positive changes) then you will be left behind.  I believe that my education was a bit outdated and did not prepare me for the challenges of the real world. Cultural diversity is so important to highlight in education because otherwise we are acknowledging that the current state of society is just and I do not believe that. Yes, the mission statement was a factor in my decision to pursue my education at California State University, San Marcos. I want to have a liberal and open minded classroom and I believe that Cal State San Marcos will guide me in the way that I believe is true.