Due November 24th

For your last blog question of the year I just want you to sit back and think what technology concepts do you think would be good for me to include in the class next year that I have not included this year (or have only touched on and need to spend more time on). It is also ok to suggest anything for the betterment of the next class. I hope you believe me when I say your grade for this is not dependent on what you say. I really want to try to keep this class up to date and your input would be greatly appreciated. To give you 2 examples: a) I am contemplating trying to do more on how phones are being used in the classroom and b) I am also considering trying to find a good textbook. What do you think? Again you do not have to comment on these 2 if something else is burning in your cerebral cortex.

Due October 29th

In your school district, Internet access is available in all classrooms. Most teachers use the Internet for research. You would like to integrate the Internet in the classroom in a meaningful way; however, you need some ideas about how to start. Where can you find sources to use that can be integrated into your classroom appropriate to their age? What I want you to do is list 2 sources (with the appropriate grade level) that you think would be useful to you with a one paragraph description of what each website is about. Hopefully others will find these helpful also. Your reply this time should be to look up one of these sites from one of your classmates and give your opinion of it. Hope your surfing is profitable.

due 10/13

The Internet and Web contain thousands of wonderful sites for educators and students of all ages. Unfortunately, the Web has sites that are inappropriate for children, and some that collect information that invade the privacy of adults and children. The Federal Trade Commission’s Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) was passed by Congress in October 1998 to protect children from those who would steal personal information. COPPA also provides information on how to locate sites that have been reviewed by experts and rated as safe for children. All teachers, students, and parents should become knowledgeable about the rules and regulations that exist to protect their identity. How can you ensure student privacy on the Internet? Look up one website that has information specifically for teachers to help them protect students while on the internet. Tell us what that website is and give a 1 paragraph critique of what you think.

Due 9/17

The space shuttle was first flown in July 1969 and landed on the moon that same year. An ingredient in many popular shampoos has been proven to cause cancer. It is illegal to contact space aliens. None of these statements is true, but each appeared on the Web. In today’s society, some people, especially young students, think that anything in print is true, and the Web adds to that because anyone can publish anything on a Web page. Authors with a wide range of expertise, authority, and biases create Web pages. Web pages can be as accurate as the most scholarly journal or no truer than some articles in supermarket tabloids. Ultimately, who is responsible for the accuracy on the Web? Why? How can you verify information on the Web? How would you teach your students to make sure information is accurate?

First Blog post – Due September 1st 2009

Create an entry after reading the Arizona Standards for Technology for Teachers appropriate for the grade level you desire to teach. Are there any standards that seem out of place to you? How do you feel about your skills as you read through this list? Pick 2 standards that especially stand out to you as needing work for you to become “up to speed”.