Journal 8

Disabled Bodies, Able Minds: Giving Voice, Movement and Independence to the Physically Challenged
By Diane Curtis

This article encourages schools to invest in assistive technology for disabled students. The author talks about 4 students (Adrian, Niara, Susanna, and Lukas) who are disabled students that have benefited tremendously from assistive technology.

Adrian is unable to use any of his limbs, walk or speak and can only move his eyebrows to communicate. He participates in a program at his school called TACLE (Technology and Augmentative Communication for Learning Enhancement)which developed a headband for him to use that sensed his eyebrow movement. With this headband he could move the computer cursor to a row or line, select it, and the computer would speak those words for him.

Niara is in the same program and has Cerebral Palsy. She uses her cheek to communicate to the computer in the same way Adrian does.

Susanna is an outgoing college student who wants to be a TV anchor. She states "Without a computer, I couldn't do my homework, without my [wheel]chair, I couldn't get around. Without my cell phone, I couldn't call for help."

Lukas was born with very limited use of his arms and legs and is now a sophomore. He decided to play the euphonium (horn similar to a tuba) but could only play one note because he couldn't press the keys to open and close the valves. He was happy to do just this, but a school employee found a music store which agreed to create a euphonium with a joystick that would be used to open and close the valves. His music teacher states that the key to his success was his smile and great attitude.

Sheryl Burgstahler, director of DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) states "If they have access to their own computers, they can take their own notes, they can take their own tests, they can write their own papers, they can use the Internet and do their own research," She goes on to ask schools why they wouldn't want to invest in these students.

Aside from the financial aspect of including assistive technologies in schools, what might other reasons be to NOT use or invest in it? I'm sure different schools would come up with different answers or reasons but one could be that there is not much need seeing as many disabled students already have their own assistive technology.

On the opposite note, How responsive would students and parents be to a program offered to disabled students which created a specialized assistive technology for them? I think this program would be tremendously successful as was evidenced in the article! If I had a disabled child I would want the best there was to offer him/her and a program that tailor fit a device for my child to learn to their full potential is exactly what I would choose!

Journal 7

Envisioning the Future of Education
Learning While Mobile
Mark Van 'T Hooft

In this article the author discusses the pros and cons of learning while mobile. He first explains that learning while mobile is not only learning with the use of mobile technology and mobile learners, but looks at the constant mobility of knowledge and our society. He states "It focuses not on learners and technologies, but on the interactions between them, emphasizing that learning is a social process."

The two main components of this type of learning are context and conversation. Context is the location that learning takes place, such as a museum, classroom, workspace, etc. These are mobile because learners move from one location to another. Conversation is not only communication between two or more people, but the exchange of knowledge and information, creating active and collaborative learning.

Some examples of learning while mobile are MyArtSpace (where technology allows children to connect their experiences in a museum to school), Frequency 1550 (a artifact hunt done in medieval Amsterdam where students take on the role of pilgrims but use GPS-equipped cell phones to navigate), and National Museum of Natural Science (in Taiwan technology is used in this museum to create learning tours and much more)

The negative aspects of learning while mobile are:
Participation Gap-since there is unequal access to opportunities, skills, and knowledge, it doesn't fully prepare our youth for tomorrow's world.
Transparency Problem-much of the media in today's society is extremely biased in their distribution of information, and this makes it difficult for kids to make their own judgments.
Ethics Challenge-when traditional forms of professional training are broken down and thus not adequately preparing youth for public roles, ethical challenges occur.
Fear Factor-adults fear what kids will do with emerging technology and the potential negative side effects.

How can we find the balance of learning while mobile and yet sticking to traditional learning methods as well? It looks like a hard balance to find, but I'm sure eventually we will find it.

Journal 6: Google Earth

Google Earth is "a desktop application for Mac, PC, or Linux computers that allows you to navigate planet Earth from multiple views. Google Earth combines satellite photos and maps with a search engine to allow you search to find directions and specific addresses or general locations and services." (Marziah Karch)

I learned from a discussion about Google Earth that there are many lesson plans that can be derived from the use of Google Earth. Many students benefit from engaging in the use of this and it truly can make learning fun. It can be included in lesson plans for almost all subject areas, and the discussion on this included links to usable lessons. A very helpful resource!

As one member of Classroom 2.0 states "Google Earth is a good resource because it can be used asynchronously and the files can be downloaded or emailed. The students also learned how to annotate their work and add citations." So not only is it fun, they are learning to use other aspects of technology. The lessons given were geared towards Middle School & High School, but could be modified for the lower grades.

Journal 4

Making Field Trips Podtastic!
By Aliece M. Weller, John C. Bickar, and Paul McGuinness

In this article the authors discuss the benefits of using podcasts on handheld wireless computers as a guide during field trips. An experiment was done on a group of kids at the Boston Museum of Science using this technology, and kids were sent from station to station with their hand held computer and headphones, listening to the podcast and answering short quiz questions. Once the question is answered correctly, the next podcast is "unlocked" and they are sent to a new station or area. They can take pictures as they wish and make observations in their journals on the handheld. This technology in essence adds to the multi-sensory experience of the field trip be it the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, or a Museum. It's range is endless. This requires a lot of prep work on the part of the teacher as they need to create each podcast for the fieldtrip, but the benefits are huge to the students, according to the authors.

How would a teacher go about getting funds to purchase enough sets for their entire class? I'm not sure! The computers used in the experiment were Toshiba Pocket PC e750 which can cost around $200 each. This seems very costly, and I as a teacher would worry about the kids damaging them.

Would the use of handhelds take away from the overall experience on the fieldtrip if the students were solely focused on the technology? Perhaps at first, but I'm sure once the students got used to it, it truly would enhance the learning experience and fieldtrip overall.

Journal 3

Five Don'ts of Classroom Blogging
By Julie Sturgeon

In this article, Julie not only discusses the value of classroom blogging but five things you should not do in classroom blogging. They are as follows:

1. "Don't just dive in." Make sure the students know the guidelines you have set in place ahead of time and know the consequences for breaking those rules.

2. "Don't confuse blogging with social networking." This is an educational blog--not a socializing time like is done on MySpace, etc. and it is necessary for the teacher to keep the focus on academic collaboration.

3. "Don't leap at the freebies." Many blog sites are free but have numerous advertisements that are very tempting for students to click on. Julie sites other alternatives to Blogger.com and TypePad.com.

4. "Don't force a sequential style." Allow students the freedom to create and blog by topic, not time.

5. "Don't leave the blogging to the students." Julie encourages the teachers to create their own blog as well and post things about class and their students to encourage all students to share opinions.

What can a teacher do to ensure the class is serious about commenting on each other's blogs? I think using positive reinforcement for thought-provoking comments is one way.

How can a teacher handle a parent who is opposed to their child going online and using a blog site? Perhaps an agreement could be made where the blog entries are printed out and the student is responsible for commenting on them. They could also do the same writing assignments with simple pen & paper rather than online.

Journal 2

Speaking Math
By Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson

This article talks about the use of electronic discussion for geometry and algebra classes at Osbourn High School. The course management system (CMS) used was Moodle and basically uses chat rooms as discussion areas for the students of the math class. The teacher posts a question, and the students have computer lab time to discuss the question using the math terms given. The article posts examples of students chats/discussions, and it is actually quite interesting.

The value of CMS is that the discussions can be downloaded and analyzed by the instructor, and the instructor can see where confusions might lie or topics that need further discussion in class. They can also get insight into the student's thought process. This is valuable to the students because it gives ESL students time to think and post their thoughts, collaborate with other students with the same primary language, and gives all students fun practice using math terms.

The article also states that this system does not solely need to be used for math, but can be used for any subject. The authors state, "Whether one teaches math, science, English, or history, chats and electronic discussion boards facilitate rich discussions about course content and broad participation by our increasingly diverse learners. They add new, effective tools to the teacher's instrucional toolkit."

Can this system be used by any culture and country? Yes! For those who have internet connections, it can be modified to fit any curriculum or class.

Could the free use of chat and discussion rooms of students get out of control? Not if the teacher is constantly monitoring the chat and discussion rooms.

Journal 1

Social Networking for the K-12 Set
by Jim Klein

In this article the author discusses the value of social networking amongst schools in a district. It enables mass communication amongst schools, reduces district and school costs, allows messages, ideas, lessons, podcasts, projects and collaboration amongst teachers to be spread at a rapid rate. With teacher guidance and approval, it also allows students to publish work, see other students work--even at a completely different school within the district, and work as a team without having to sit face to face. Klein states "One of the key benefits of this initiative has been improved communication and the establishment of a sense of community."

What would hinder some districts from using this initiative?
Perhaps cost and the initial set up and training of the program is one reason. Maybe another reason would be fear that it simply would not be used enough to qualify cost, or each school already has a system in place and do not want to change.

How could social networking help students succeed?
Most of todays students are very adept at technology and I believe they would find social networking to be much more fun and easy than some might think. With teacher's approval, collaborating with peers online, sharing thoughts, projects, lessons learned is yet one more way students can learn and succeed in the technology age.

Personal Introduction

Hello! My name is Corrie Marquardt and I'm a post graduate student at CSUSM. I was born in Redlands, Ca and lived there for a few years. We moved to Texas for a couple years, then back to California. When I was 9 my family moved to the Philippines because my dad is a pastor and felt led to do missionary work there. So from the age of 9 through 15 we lived there. I learned the language quickly, made friends, and eventually graduated High School there. I graduated at the age of 15--not because I'm so smart :), but simply because they graduate early there. They go straight from 6th grade into their first year of high school, completely eliminating Jr. High. Academically it is MUCH harder there as they are driven to overcome poverty through education. With all that said, I went to a Jr. College (when we moved back to the USA) for many years until I got serious about graduating. I finally graduated with my BA from CSUSM in 1999, and the following year with my Preliminary Teaching Credential. I subbed for several years trying to get hired into schools, but it was a very competitive time and I just didn't have experience. So I went and taught for a couple years in private schools, then stopped teaching all together to have kids. I currently live in Oceanside and have been married for 7 years. I have two sons (ages 3 & 3mo.) and two stepdaughters (ages 10 &15) I now happily stay at home with my kids. I'm taking this course to get my Clear Credential, as my Preliminary Credential has expired, and I'd like to keep it current in case I need to go back to teaching.

Personally, I've been into computers for the past 10 years or so. I've used most all MS Office programs for some sort of work, I email, am internet friendly, and can figure out most programs pertaining to the computer. I'm definitely a PC person, however, I'm interested to see what MAC has to offer through this class. As a teacher, my kids were able to use the computer in our classroom to create reports, research, and play educational games during free time. They also had computer days during the week to use the lab.

As I stated before, I am a CSUSM graduate, and thus the reason for my coming back to get my Clear Credential. It honestly has nothing to do with the Mission Statement. I do like the Mission Statement--specifically the part where it states they aim to "transform public education by preparing thoughtful educators and advancing professional practices."