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Before taking IT365 I considered myself pretty tech-savvy.  However, I had never thought about how to apply what I know about technology to my future career as an educator.  This class has made me realize that there is so much technology available to inspire learning; you just need to be creative when thinking of the end goal and how to achieve that goal.  Creativity is definitely my weak point.  It is not that I am not a creative person; it is more that I have little faith in my creativity and I always feel like my ideas are not good enough.  After completing some of the more creative assignments, such as the concept map, I liked the end result and it made me gain confidence in my abilities.   My strong point is definitely my work ethic.  I have always wanted to do well in school and will work all night if I have must to make whatever assignment I am doing the best it can be.  With this class and these assignments, I realized that my hard work will translate into great teaching.  I have no doubts that this is exactly what I am meant to do. 

I plan to use many of the tools I have learned about in this class regularly, to continue to grow my creativity.  I was most impressed by the Google Tools that I learned about in this class.  I definitely plan on using some of these in the future, and can see many ways to incorporate these into my future classroom. 

I was less impressed with the VOKI and Extranormal assignments.  I just cannot see many ways to incorporate them into my future classroom.  Since completing these assignments, I have seen a couple videos on Youtube of other people’s Extranormal videos and I was impressed.  One of the Extranormal videos was on the Common Core (Why We Need the Common Core: I Choose C).  It was very good. 

The Turnitin assignment was interesting.  I always knew there was a way for teachers to check for plagiarism, but I never knew how.  I think this is a great tool for educators.  Plagiarism is wrong.  This goes back to my work ethic.  I would be very upset if someone used my work as their own, so I would not do this to someone else.  I was shocked however, that when we first did the “copy” assignment, I literally copied and pasted everything on that paper and yet only got 80%.  To me, this should have been 100%.  It seems to me, this technology needs some improvements. 

Before this class, I had never heard of TED.  I thoroughly enjoyed those videos.  I learned so much by watching those people talk.  The topics discussed were things I had not thought of before.  I have thought about how boy’s natural tendencies to be a little more rough is being tamped down, but I have never thought about how that affects their feelings of acceptance and how that could translate into the reason there are so fewer male college graduates.  Fascinating.  The video I most enjoyed though was Ken Robinson on creativity.  This topic hits close to home for me.  Both of my children are extremely creative and cannot sit still.  It made me so happy to hear someone say that is not a bad thing.  It made me excited to be able to look at my children and my future students from that prospective.

Finally, I think that after completing all of the assignments, we touched on each of the NETS-T standards.  Being more creative myself, I will definitely be able to facilitate creativity in my students.  I have learned to design digital assignments and can be a model of how best to be an innovative professional.  I am a respectable digital citizen and I will promote responsible use of technology in my classroom.  Because of this class, I will continue to grow my knowledge of technology and how to apply it to teaching. 

TPACK

Activity	Description	Technologies
State Capitals	Break up the country into 4 sections, Northeast, south, central, and west to make learning the capitals manageable.	·         Online games such as http://www.addictinggames.com/puzzle-games/50statecapitals.jsp ·         Use the smart board to allow students to place the capital in the correct state, Sheppard’s Software has free software http://sheppardsoftware.com/states_capitals_10_500.html
Branches of the Government	Teach the branches of the government and the functions and limitations of each.	·         Online games such as http://sheppardsoftware.com/usa_game/government/index.htm ·         Power point presentations ·         Youtube has a School House Rock video about the 3 branches of government http://youtu.be/-EISWIY9bG8
Emancipation Proclamation	Abraham Lincoln’s speech to free slaves, the importance of this speech to end the civil war.	·         Online videos: http://youtu.be/xh3-9R7Q0OE, http://www.history.com/shows/classroom/videos/gilder-lehrman-the-emancipation-proclamation#gilder-lehrman-the-emancipation-proclamation ·         Araham Lincoln’s presidential library has games and resources available: http://www.underhishat.org/intheclassroom.html
Indians in Mississippi	The history of Indians in Mississippi	Power point presentation Online resources: http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/index.php?id=4 , http://trails.mdah.ms.gov/moundtour.htm Use smart board for maps http://www.native-languages.org/mississippi.htm
The Constitution	Learn the Preamble, the people the wrote and signed the constitution, the Bill of rights, and some of the amendments	Online resources: http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/preamble-constitution-how-do-you-make-more-perfect-union#sect-introduction , http://www.congressforkids.net/Constitution_index.htm , http://www.constitutionfacts.com/?section=funZone&page=treasureHunts.cfm Online videos: http://youtu.be/30OyU4O80i4 , http://www.history.com/topics/constitution/videos#america-gets-a-constitution

The Meaning of Technology

I define technology as the study of machines or tools that when used make life easier or better in some way.

I have never really had to think about what the word actually means, so I broke it up and thought about what each part means.  I came up with 'ology' first.  Obviously that is the study of something.  Next I took 'tech', I did not know the meaning of tech, so I thought of other words that begin with tech. Technician came to mind, and a technician is a person that works on machines or with tools. Technique is a way to do something correctly or better.  So when I put it all together, that is how I came up with my definition. 

When I think of technology, I instantly think of the computer I am typing on, or the internet I am using to post this blog.  Those could both be debated on whether or not they make life easier or better.  But when I think bigger, outside of me, technology is the tractor helping the farmer produce more with less work to feed people.  Or the drone that kills a terrorist so that less of our men and women in the military have to be in harms way.  Technology is the CT scan that tells the doctor a child has cancer, and the chemotherapy that cures that child. 

Technology is not always good or does not always make life easier or better, so maybe my definition is not accurate.  For example computer viruses, I cannot see a way they make anyone's lives better but I don't fully understand them either. But overall, I think that is a pretty good summation of technology. 

Data Mining



http://www.pcworld.com/article/2043327/how-we-sabotage-our-own-privacy-for-deals-and-ego.html
 

True privacy is a thing of the past.   Mark Gibbs states in his article that "you'd have to be willing to live in a cabin way out in the woods somewhere, have no utilities, spend only cash, grow most of your own food, never, ever, ever get sick and, if you were really serious, break the law by not filing your taxes and being generally unaccountable as a citizen."  The reality is, that is not possible for the overwhelming majority of people in the world, and they are okay with that.  Most people are willing to give up their so called "privacy" for the conveniences of todays world.  Most people love the fact that they do not have to leave their couch to go shopping or pay the credit card they maxed out doing so. 

I personally am guilty of being one of the people okay with giving up some of my privacies.  I still do not bank or pay bills online, but I love to shop online.  I am pretty sure Netflix and Pandora know my tastes better than I do, and I am happy to have them mining my likes and dislikes to provide me with new and relevant content for my viewing and listening pleasure.  I know Facebook and Google have been in the news for sharing information, and I feel like as long as they put it in their privacy disclosure, it is up to the consumer to use their product or not.  Facebook does not make anyone put their private information on their site.  I know people who don't even use their real names on Facebook, so as to keep their identity safe.  I personally think this is going overboard, but if it makes them feel better, go for it. 

Libraries and Technology

http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/06/25/younger-americans-library-services/
 

According to this article by the Pew Research Center, the vast majority of people under 30 years old still think that a brick and mortar library is "very important" and would not want the majority of services online.  This same group has also read at least one print book a year.  Although these young people do a lot of their reading online and on e-readers, they still feel the need for the traditional library.  These young people also use the library for meeting people, a quiet place to study, and watching media. 

I find these statistics to be fascinating.  I would have never guessed so many young people still use the brick and mortar library so much.  Considering how easy it is to find most of what you need through library websites or elsewhere online, I find it interesting how much libraries are still used.  I personally have not physically been to a library in a couple years.  I have found everything I need through the library's website.  I guess if I was unable to find what I wanted or needed I may go to speak with the librarian.  But I have not found that need yet.

Determination is key to success

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/06/what-makes-a-top-student/

The author Stefanie Weisman states in her article that determination, not intelligence, is the key success for students.  She states that IQ has very little to do with academic success.  She is was a top student herself and says "it never came easy."  She interviewed many top students for her book and stated that "hard work, the desire to learn, and pressure from self, in that order, were rated as far more important than IQ."  These students do homework when others are partying and socializing.  She goes on to say that the majority of these students stated that they did not have a lot of pressure from their parents to get good grades.  They usually put the pressure on themselves. 

This article was a bit of a no-brainer for me.  I did not see any groundbreaking information.  Of course it is not solely intelligence that makes a successful student.  Of course it is hard work and determination that counts.  The hard part is getting young people to understand that socializing is not as important as they feel it is and eventually the hard work does pay off.  The problem is that there are many young people just simply do not care about good grades.  As long as they pass the class they are not concerned with GPA.  Furthermore, I disagree that parents pushing their children to succeed is not a huge piece of this puzzle.  I think the parents and their home environment plays a huge role in the success of these students.  I would almost guarantee that the vast majority of top students interviewed have parents who value education and foster that in their home.  These are the parents that read to their children when they are very young and helps their children with their homework every night.  The parents that are not involved and show no sign of interest in their child's education cannot expect their student to be at the top of their class.  It starts at home. 

Creativity is a resource

Ken Robinson spoke at TED concerning creativity in children.  He argued that "creativity is just as important as literacy and should be treated with the same status."  I think this speech is one of the best I have ever heard given on education.  Mr. Robinson was a very funny fellow, but I not so much so that he was not taken seriously.  He made several very good points on creativity and how it is looked at in education. 

He noted that "if you are not prepared to be wrong you will never think of anything original."  I think this is a profound view and so true.  The best thinkers in human history were strange people outside of the "norm", that were not afraid to be different or wrong about their ideas.  All of these great thinkers were children at one time.  Children are unfiltered and not afraid to be wrong or different. 

Intelligence can be looked at in so many different ways.  Of course there is the standard intelligence, good grades, does well on tests and knows all of the answers in class... book smart.  But there is the creative intelligence which Robinson argues is not valued in school, and in many ways he is correct.  But schools are starting to see the value in creative intelligence. 

The state of Mississippi has 4 classifications of a gifted child.  There are Intellectually, Academically, Artistically, and Creatively gifted children according to the Mississippi Department of Education.  It is unfortunate that this program is offered to so few students in the state.  It is a wonderful program and gives children the chance to explore and develop that creative side that Robinson is talking about.  The classes are not as structures and give children he freedom to move around like Robinson said was so important. 

As a mother of two gifted children, one of whom has ADHD, I see the need for allowing children to do more than just reading and math in school.  Those subjects are important and should be taught, but drawing, painting, and acting are too and should not be pushed aside as unimportant.  As a future teacher, I want to be an advocate for encompassing more children into activities that gifted children get to experience.  Children should not have to be "gifted" to be able to explore their creative side.  All children should have that opportunity. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Boys will be boys

I was unaware of the statistics that this video highlighted about boys.  This video talks about the differences of boys and girls and how they react to the school environment.  I have one boy and one girl and I can tell you they are like night and day.  They are nothing alike.  Even though my boy is not the boy that plays in dirt and my girl is not a little princess, their personalities could not be any more different.  They look at the world differently. 

The speaker, Ali Carr-Chellman, spoke about these differences and how it translates to performance in school.  She talked about the Hundred Girls Project.  For every 100 girls expelled school, 335 boys are expelled.  For every 100 girls in special education, there are 217 boys in special education.  All of the negative things that she mentioned, there are always more boys.  This is shocking news.  I was completely unaware of these statistics. 

The speaker brought up a few reasons why the balance is so off for boys.  The first reason is Zero Tolerance.  Boys are not allowed to be boys in school anymore.  There is not allowed to be any mention of rough housing or fighting or aggression of any kind.  Boys are not allowed to bring their toy guns or knives to school for show and tell.  They probably are not even allowed to talk about them.  There is no reason for such hysteria.  A toy gun has never killed anyone.  I understand that the school shootings that have happened in the last decade or so have been tragic, but overreaction and going to the extreme is not the answer. 

The second reason are fewer male teachers.  I think this is probably the most important point this speaker made.  There is virtually no male presence in elementary schools.  Boys have no one around them, that is like them, or understands them.  In society today, too few boys already have no male role model at home either.  So some of these boys may have no male influence at all until later years.  This is not healthy at all, for boys or girls.  I think having more males in elementary schools would be good for everyone involved.  But what could be done about it?  The same way that grants are offered to women to get into math and sciences, grants should be offered to men to get degrees in Elementary Education.  Too often if men go into education, it is in coaching.  This needs to change.  Men need to be encouraged to help in the education of our future. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/ali_carr_chellman_gaming_to_re_engage_boys_in_learning.html

World Peace Game

The game that John Hunter invented sounds extremely interesting for adults, much less 4th grade children.  What a fantastic idea to allow children to explore situations in the world through a game.

Children pay much closer attention to current events than adults give them credit for.  John Hunter developed a game for children in his class called the World Peace Game.  This game involves many scenarios that happen in the world today, and he has his students work out these problems in his class.  I imagine this to be a very complex version of Risk.  There are armies and oil fields, governments and religious groups all operating and making decisions at the same time. 

This idea of giving children a complex situation and asking them to solve these problems themselves is great.  It requires critical thinking and problem solving skills.  It makes them think of cause and effect, and how one decision will impact many others.  They are learning even more about the reports they hear on the news and it makes them think of how this issue may have happened. 

John Hunter is a teacher of gifted children.  I don't see how teachers other than gifted could possibly fit this whole game into their curriculum, but I could see taking a piece from it and incorporating it into a lesson.  This game could definitely fit into the new Core Standards.  It teaches new and richer language and thought provoking ideas.  Teachers could take a couple of these world problems, break the class into small groups and have them work on a solution.  Then have the students write a paper on the experience using sources. 

This is a fantastic idea and I will definitely think about incorporating ideas from this game into my lessons in the future. 

http://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game.html

Concept Map

Christopher Columbus

I.    in 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

A.  Nina

A.  Pinta

A.  Santa Maria

I.    The Spanish Monarch gave him the money to do his explorations.

Columbus requested funding from several royal families in Europe for his Atlantic voyage.  He was denied many times before King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella  finally accepted his request.  They gave him 2,000,000 maravedis, which is about $6,000.  It does not seem like a lot of money, but in those times it was. 

A.  Columbus was born in present day Italy in 1451

I.    Columbus is noted "discovering the Americas". 

Columbus did not set out to discover a new land, he was just looking for a new route to Asia.  He was able to persuade the Spanish Monarch into giving him funding for his trip by promising them cheaper spices.

A.  "Indians" or native people were there thousands of years before Columbus.

A.  Trade routes

During the 1400's people had to pay a lot of money to have spices brought by land to Europe.  Many times these spices were brought on the back of a camel.  Columbus originally set out to find a water route to Asia to hopefully be able to get spices and gold at a much cheaper rate.  The Monarch was very excited about this prospect. 

I.    He was in search of Gold and spices from Asia.

A.  Found something better than spices

Although he may not have successfully found a easier way to get to Asia, he found something much better... a new land.  Well, new to Europeans.  Because Columbus made this "mistake", Spain eventually colonized much of this area.  The colonization of the new world gave Spain much more money.

1.   Colonies

Spain went on to colonize part of North America, All of Central America and the majority of South America.  This colonization provided Spain with wealth and power.  This also opened the door for other European countries to colonize. 

A.  Spices were extremely valuable

I.    Columbus set the stage for future colonization of the new world

A.  France

A.  England

Teachers and the use of technology

Teachers depend on technology (cell phones, computers, search engines) to help them at home and at work.  I think it goes without saying that the more affluent the district is, the more likely the student are to have this technology  at home.  The poorer students may not have access to the internet at home, therefore it limits the teachers to how they can use technology in the classroom.  They are not able to assign homework that would involve a blog or internet research.  So I can see how technology could limit those teachers.  They would have to allow their students time in class for those projects.  Time that, in most cases, is limited already. 
There is also no surprise to me that the older teachers find technology not as important or reliable as the younger ones.  Most teachers did say that they feel children rely to heavily on Google to do the research for them.  And that their student may not be able to identify a reliable source.  I look at this as a failure of the teacher to teach what a reliable source actually is.  Also, those same teachers polled also answered that 99% of them use Google to do their own research.  So, sounds like a little bit of hypocrisy to me.  Overall, teachers rely on technology.  Students do too, we all do. 

http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teachers-and-technology/Summary-of-Findings.aspx

Cyberbullying

This topic hits close to home for me.  A teenager in our neighborhood committed suicide after getting in trouble for cyberbullying.  He was completely shamed and shunned by his school.  So, the victim is not the only one that this can hurt.  Everyone involved feels the impact.  Educators, parents and children all need to be well educated on this topic.  I think it is great that the schools are getting involved and taking the lead in educating children and parents about this.  I learned a lot from this article.  There are forms of cyberbullying that I had never even thought of. 

Harassment or repeated insults through various forms.

Defamation of a person’s character through derogatory postings, rumors, or images.

Flaming or fighting messages using anger and vulgar language. 

Outing or deceiving someone into sharing secrets or private information.

Polling such as posting an image on a voting website to make fun of a person’s looks.

Impersonation or identity theft to embarrass or destroy a person’s identity.

Cyber Stalking including sending intimidating or threatening messages.

Sexting including sexual solicitation and/or exploitation.

Unsafe digital communities with shared interests, such as social communities that validate eating disorders, violence, or drug use. 

Cited From: http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/15-strategies-educators-can-use-to-stop-cyberbullying/#ixzz2WcNXy8Xs

Polling is one I have never heard of.  I have seen polls on Facebook, for political topics.  I have never thought of kids using this to harass other kids.  This article was very informative of the different types of bullying that can occur. 
Also, the article lays out ways educators can teach their classes to be good digital citizens.  I learned that Microsoft offers a class on digital citizenship.  I think that is great.  Microsoft has a huge network and should be able to reach many children with that message. 
Letting children know how important it is to report abuse was the key take away for me after reading this article.  Children need to know that they will not be in trouble or have their technology privileges taken away for reporting an issue.  Schools should be using the approach mentioned in the article:

Respond always, Research facts, Record documentation, Report findings, and Revisit the issue to make sure it is resolved.

Cited From: http://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/15-strategies-educators-can-use-to-stop-cyberbullying/#ixzz2WcPaxyrz

If schools would use this approach, and I think a lot of them are moving toward it, I think we as digital citizen can get a handle on this issue. 

Technology in the Classroom

Technology is very important to education.  Children are exposed to education on a daily basis at home, it only makes sense that when they are at school, technology should play a part.  Unfortunately, with public schools having limited bugets, it will be hard to keep up with the rapidly changing and improving technology.  Schools could invest tons of money into Ipads for next year, and the following year those Ipads will be outdated.  But outdated technology is better than none at all.  I think schools are seeing that and making the investments where they can.  It is also equally important, as this article mentioned, for teachers to keep up with technology and learn all about the uses for their classrooms.  I am extremely glad that USM is making this class a requirement for my degree.  I think it is important for future teachers to know how to use technology to benefit their future students. 

http://stories.illinoisstate.edu/2013/05/colleges/college-of-education/college-hosts-educational-technology-speaker-series/

PSA video

 

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/14586078/look-who-wants-you-to-stay-in-school

Voki

Google, not just a search engine

http://www.edudemic.com/2013/05/creative-ways-to-use-google-tools-to-maximize-learning/

I have learned a lot reading this article.  I had no idea the things Google had to offer.  Before this class, I didn't even know about Blogger.  I have definitely learned a ton already.  My two favorite things that Google Tools has to offer are the Image Dictionary and the Video Notes.  I am a visual and audial learner myself and I can see how both of these could be extremely helpful for so many people. 

The Image dictionary works just like the dictionary in Word except better.  Like in Word, when you want to know the definition of a word, you can right click it and click "look up" and it will give you the definition.  In the Google Image dictionary, not only would it give you the definition of the word, but also give you a picture.  Sometimes even the definition is hard to understand, and seeing what the word looks like could be very helpful in determining the actual meaning of the word.  For instance, the word Otter.  When you right click it in word, the definition is "any of 13 species of semiaquatic mammals, noted for their playful behavior, that belong to the weasel family." Well, that doesn't tell me much.  I know it is an animal, but I knew that before.  In Google's dictionary, you would get a picture of an otter.  This could help you understand the creature you are reading or writing about. 

As an online student I can see huge potential for the Video Notes tool from Google.  In my Geography class, my professor posts videos of the lessons.  I could use the video notes tool to take notes and it would time stamp in the video where I noted something, so I could go back to it later.  The video would play again where I made the note.  This is fantastic.  I would not need to watch the whole 30 min video again just to hear a 2 minute little segment that I needed.  The site does not say however, if you can use Video Notes like the Google Docs and have multiple people make notes on the video to share ideas.  I can see this being very helpful as well especially in an online class setting.  Since there is no actual conversations in online classes, forums and discussion boards are used.  This would be a wonderful change of pace and still have the sharing of thoughts and ideas with classmates. 

Virtual Field Trips

I found each one of the 10 suggested websites to be truly fascinating.  I think each one could be used by teachers to show their students the world.  Most kids will not get to see the world.  There are some that will, but the majority of students will not.  I want to be a History/Social Studies teacher.  That is my passion.  That does not help me narrow down my top two however.  I could work in a lesson from 8 out of 10 of these great sites, but I must choose. 

So, considering the age I want to teach is anywhere between 5th - 12th, my first choice will be the National Museum of Natural History.  This site has a virtual tour that is out of this world.  It makes you feel like you are actually there.  Which I have never been, but I sure don't feel that way now!  You are able to zoom in and actually read the little signs next to the exhibits and learn the facts about it.  I could definitely make a lesson plan out of this and use the site for a demonstration.  Maybe when teaching about the Egyptians, I could use this site and the Ancient Mummies room on the projector.  Or assign it as homework and have them write a couple paragraphs about what they learned.  The only criticism I have is when you click on the exhibit to see a larger picture, I think it should have a little information box.  This could give the history or reason why it is important.  The site does say they are updating things, maybe this is something they are working on.  Either way, this site is fantastic, and it is now bookmarked! 



http://www.mnh.si.edu/panoramas/

My second choice is what the author, Meris Stansbury, calls Mt. Everest. The pictures of Mt. Everest were beautiful, but there are so many panoramic views of historical places in the world.  The Mayan Pyramids, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and many more.  This is a Geography teachers dream!  I would love to use this site in my class.  To be able to show them where a place is on a map, and then be able to show them the 360 degree view of it.  Places like Paris, Istanbul, and Moscow.  This site is a wonderful resource for teachers.  Even small children learn a little about foreign places, their teacher could use this site because little ones especially are very visual learners.  This could just help them bring it all together. 



http://www.panoramas.dk/

Tech Savvy Children

I hate to admit it, but when my daughter was 6 she was able to navigate around my Ipad before I could.  Children have become extremely technology savvy these days.  They are exposed to technology on a daily basis, and schools are finally catching up with the rest of the world and incorporating technology into the curriculum.  I think this is a great step forward, I just hope that with the limited budgets public schools have, that they are able to keep up with the technology. 

In the article linked below, the author, Jane Bailey talks about monitoring children's time and usage of their children.  I think this goes without saying.  Children do not need to be let loose to do whatever they want to do on the Ipad, or any other device.  Children need to be limited and she gives us some great apps for kids to try.  However, I think her scope is too narrow.  There are several "games" that may not seem educational but can definitely teach children things that simple kindergarten games will not teach them. 

Minecraft is a great example.  Upon first glance, it is an adventure game, there are zombies and bad guys.  Some parents may not let their child play this game.  However there is a creative mode that you can make "peaceful" (no bad guys) and the child can just build things.  You should see some of the structures that my 8 year old has built!  She is learning about geometry and engineering.  That is not something that a simple toddler game will teach them.  I am not saying that there is not a need and a use for apps that teach counting, colors, alphabet, and animals... I simply saying that before people limit the apps their children want to play, try to think of what they could get out of it. 

http://learningworksforkids.com/2012/11/using-minecraft-to-encourage-student-directed-learning/

http://blog.post.edu/2013/05/giving-ipads-to-kindergartners.html

Teenage Social Media

While I write this post, I have to admit that I am a social media junkie myself.  I check my Facebook several times a day.  I am completely addicted to Pinterest.  I do use Twitter, but I have not caught the Twitter fever.  Maybe I am just not "following" the right people?

However, I do believe Facebook has an age requirement for a reason.  There really is a lot of dangers for children online.  Children who are too young to make good decisions on their own, should probably not be on social media.  There are predators lurking about looking for young children to prey on.  Parents need to be vigilant of their children's activities online.  There was a story on WLOX.com today about an 11 year old girl who was "friended" by a 23 year old man.  He asked her for improper photos of herself.  Her mother used the evidence she gathered to report him to the police.  I think this is all well and good, and the mother did the right thing by turning him in... but what was an 11 year old doing with a phone and a Facebook?  And if you are going to allow her to have one, she should have never been allowed to have a public account that anyone could send a friends request to her.  The mother failed to take the precautions necessary to keep her child safe online. 

Teenagers are increasingly active on social media.  Their lives seem to revolve around it.  There is quite an epidemic of bullying online as well.  I am encouraged that the schools have stepped in and made rules against cyber bullying.  Children can get in trouble now at school and with the law for harassment online.  I think that is a positive thing because kids can be harsh in person, when they can hide behind a computer, it can get real ugly real fast.  Kids have enough to deal with, they don't shouldn't have to worry about being harassed online as well. 

I believe social media has a large upside too though.  It provides people access to real time grass roots movements. Here in Mississippi, we do not have a lot of political happenings, but we can feel a part of the larger picture through social media.  Kids can get involved in their government through social media.  So, it can be educational... or at least that is what I will keep telling myself. 

wlox-childs-facebook-friend

Teens-Social-Media-And-Privacy

The Bit Coin

The Bit Coin sounds like a far off theory of a global currency.  I am sure that something similar may be in the works for the future.  The thing that confuses me about this theory of a globalized digital currency, is how to purchase bit coins.  In all of the research I did on Bit Coins for this post, I found zero articles that told me how to earn them.  Are they supposing that employers in the future will be paying their employees with a digital currency?  That could work, but not everyone works.  Not everyone has a computer.  I am having a hard time seeing how this could work for the world.  I don't see how people would get started with this digital money without using real money to buy into the system.  For instance, when I want to buy a new game for my X Box, I can go to the store and buy a card with 1600 "points."  I then use those points to purchase the game online.  I see how digital money works in my life today, but I don't see how it works without real money. 
As far as how to teach it, children can learn it.  I don't see any reason why they couldn't.  My 8 year old daughter already understands the concept of digital money whether she knows it or not.  When she wants to purchase a game, she understands that she needs to buy one of those cards with the points.  It really wouldn't be much different that how we teach money today.  Every thing would have a value, then they would have to figure out how many Bit Coins it would take to purchase said item.  Kids are open to new ideas.  It would be the older folks that it would be hard to teach. 

en.bitcoin.it/wiki

heres-the-thing-about-bitcoin-that-no-ones-talking-about

understanding-the-future-of-technology-in-the-classroom

Pinterest for Teachers

Pinterest is a great resource for the teacher that does not want to be dull.  There are so many great ideas for educators on Pinterest.  I personally have a board I  called education and I have already begun pinning ideas for my future classroom. 
I have come across some amazing organization ideas.  I struggle with organization, but there are some people out there that are great at it, and they have shared their ideas. 
 

http://teachinginroom6.blogspot.com/



 



There are also some great activity ideas.  As important as doing worksheets are, children learn better by doing hands on activities.  When they can see a concept you are teaching them in action with an activity, they become more willing and able to learn the information.  No one wants to sit and read text books.  Most of them are dull and boring.


http://www.lauracandler.com/filecabinet/science.php

 

In this day and age of technology, there is no reason that educators cannot shake things up in the classroom. Even when teaching those dull and boring topics, Pinterest has ideas for how to make those topics as fun as possible.

http://www.teachersnotebook.com/product/LoriR/do-we-agree-a-subject-verb-agreement-game

As they say in the Pinterest world.... Happy Pinning!

Introduction

Hello, I am Amy Stenger.  I am an Elementary Education major at the University of Southern Mississippi on the Gulf Coast.  I am happily married with 2 beautiful children.  It is a struggle balancing work, school and family but I enjoy my hectic life.