Prompt #8

"List the issue # you ETE 100 – Technology Applications 11 are reviewing and then identify which position you believe is most accurate/valid, and explain why."

Issue #7: Facebook Etiquette

As an avid and frequent Facebook (and many other social media sites) user, I strongly believe that educators should not be Facebook friends with their students. There should be a healthy distance between educators and students for multiple reasons. First, if educators and students are Facebook friends, students may be less willing to cooperate with the directions of their teacher during the school day. Students may be distracted by something they saw on their teacher's Facebook page which may weaken the relationship between the two. Students may see teachers as more of a friend than of an authority figure which may lead to a decrease or lack of respect altogether. Additionally, students may believe that, because they saw their teacher busy the night prior, deadlines do not apply. Students may make inferences about a teacher's personal life which are untrue and this can cause a decrease in performance, effort, or even academic grades for that particular student. Lastly, it may be too easy for a teacher to forget that his/her students are friends with them on Facebook and may post something that is not for students' eyes, such as an opinion or comment. By being Facebook friends, it is too easy for a student to decrease the respect he or she has for the teacher and this can lead to all sorts of problems both inside and outside of the school day. 

I do, however, believe that educators may accept Facebook friend requests from their students upon graduating from that particular school or from high school so that the two may keep in touch. It would be best if the individual students friend request their teacher, that way it is each students' decision as to whether or not they would like to continue their relationship with their teacher in this way and do not feel pressured by their teacher's request. Personally, I have Facebook friend requested my own middle school and high school teachers because I would like the friendship that I created with them during the school year to continue and I genuinely care for those specific teachers as individuals. Another idea is that it may be more beneficial for a teacher to share a personal email address, or email address tailored specifically for teacher/student contact, so that the teacher and students may keep in touch months and years after they spent time together in the classroom. I know that I would love to communicate back and forth with my previous teachers but not all teachers have Facebook profiles and this makes contacting them difficult. All in all, I believe it is best if students and teachers do not have social media contact with one another during the school year and during the time that each student spends at the particular school in order for professional, healthy teacher-to-student relationships.

Prompt #7

"Discuss which technologies you believe, in accordance with the Gretzky Principle, we should be skating toward in American K-12 classrooms, and explain why."

NHL professional hockey player Wayne Gretzky explains "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been." To educators, this essentially means that they should focus on the direction education is going instead of where it currently is. More so, educators should focus on what is up-and-coming in relation to technology in the classroom so that they can focus on better preparing students for their future life beyond the classroom. I believe that educators should be "skating" toward cloud computing and collaborative environments in American classrooms above all other technologies.

Cloud computing opens up a world of possibilities and opportunities for anyone with access to the internet. Students can work on group projects simultaneously from the comfort of each of their homes to accomplish tasks without meeting in person using collaborative environments. Groups can work together at different times of day using this technology and more effectively accomplish tasks. Students may work together on assignments online while in different classrooms, parts of the school, in their homes, in different states, and even while in different countries. Students may gain a better view of the world and all it has to offer by participating in collaborative environments.

In my own college educational past, group members and I have used cloud computing in addition to collaborative environments through Google Documents to create presentations, create and edit papers, and work on related assignments for multiple classes. This demonstrated to be extremely helpful since my peers and I were taking classes throughout the day and had different schedules. Each member of the group could work on their assigned part by a certain deadline that we set so that we could more efficiently work toward our common goal. These two types of technologies prove to be extremely beneficial in my own educational career and I am sure that they will be increasingly helpful as they are repeatedly used in classrooms across the United States.

Prompt #6

"Discuss how you have witnessed the evolution of technology integration in society and in the classroom during your lifetime – from the when you were a student in elementary school to present."

It is obvious that technology is ever-changing. I have witnessed, in my own life and educational career, many technological changes that have improved the way humans live and learn. At home, I listened to cassette tapes and as the years continued, I more often used CDs to listen to music. I believe that I first used and listened to cassette tapes because they were cheaper than their competitor, the CD-Rom, and my mother had quite a collection of tapes that were available to use at my disposal. Televisions also grew in number in my home as their price decreased. We had TVs of all sizes located in our family room, kitchen, parent's room, basement, garage, and my dad's office. I also used a personal computer at home to play computer games such as Nancy Drew, Barbie Detective, Carmen Sandiego, Freddie the Fish, and others. I even used the computer to type school work and play around with the Paint application. I also used computers at school. I recall typing and creating pictures in elementary school and first learning how to properly type in 6th grade during my computers class. Something I found interesting in Chapter 3's reading was that "students who learn to type improve their reading and writing skills." I can witness to this statement as I believe I became a better speller and writer as I learned to type and put my rapid thoughts on a page. I also recall taking placement and state mathematics and reading tests in the computer lab in middle school.

Over the years, computers became more compact and able to process information at a quicker rate. In 8th grade and high school, I remember using laptops, which came on a laptop cart to my classrooms. My class used computers to research information, visit interactive websites, and take standardized tests. From middle school to high school, my handheld calculator became smaller and better able to do complex computations. We also used a computer lab in my high school Spanish class to talk with friends using webcams, microphones, and headsets. In every classroom that I have been a student, some type, and if not many types, of technology has been used by the teachers and students. Technology has truly transformed society and the educational setting.

Prompt #5

"...discuss how you plan to integrate technology in your classroom in order to enhance the teaching and learning process and achieve the five educational standards identified by ISTE for teachers." 

I hope, in my future classroom and school, I have access to various types of technology in order to best appeal to my students. It is through the diverse means of technology that I may teach using the five educational standards for teachers as identified by the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education). I would like to use overheads, SmartBoards, laptops/computers, and TVs to allow my students to understand current events and world topics. In doing so, my goal is to lead my students to be knowledgeable citizens who care about their classroom, school, town, state, country, and world. I would ask my students to create blogs, share thoughts and opinions with their peers, and ask questions to their peers and answer their peers curiosities through online communication programs. I will find interactive websites and programs so that students are able to get a clearer understanding with a more hands-on approach. I believe it would be interesting to teach internet safety by engaging my students in a discussion using instant messaging and/or video chat. If iPads are available, I will let my students read e-books and encourage my students to play educational games to strengthen and improve their reading, mathematics, language arts, history, and science abilities. I will play soft instrumental music during quiet work time to promote focused learning.

I will attend online seminars to continuously become a better educator. I plan to use accurate and valid sources when seeking information to share with my colleagues and students. I will use proper spelling, grammar, and mechanics when using technological devices to model to my students that it is their responsibility to make wise decisions, even when using the internet. I will use various websites and resources when creating presentations and assignments. I will additionally use graphic organizers, interactive programs, and appealing images found online when presenting information or directions to my class. In all I do, I plan to strive to be an excellent role model for my students both in person and in the virtual, technological world.

Prompt #4

"...describe how you can apply the current use/role technology plays in the day-to-day life of students (to include social networking) in your classroom to help achieve the six educational standards identified by ISTE for students." 

It is true that technology plays a huge role in today's students' lives. Within the classroom, there are almost an endless number of ways in which educators can implement technology to achieve the six ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) educational standards. An educator may use whatever resources available to them to teach their students. Some examples include using laptops to allow students to foster their creativity by creating a website or writing about appealing topics through a blog. Students may use email accounts or instant messaging programs to communicate with their classroom peers, other peers in the classroom, or other people not in the school building. A more specific example of this stems from my own educational experience: my high school Spanish teacher advised my class to use an instant messaging program on the computer, that included a microphone and headphones, to communicate with our peers to improve our Spanish writing, reading, and listening skills. Students may record their voices or make videos then play their creations back for themselves or peers using Windows Movie Maker, iTunes, or other video and music programs.

Students may also collaborate together on a presentation or assignment that includes multiple parts to create one fluid whole. Students may also present their work to their peers which is another form of exemplifying communication using technology. Students may use laptops, iPads, and other devices to find factual information for projects such as research papers. Students may also weed out appropriate websites to find information that is reliable and valid. Students may use social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, not only to connect with family and friends but to make day-to-day decisions and share their opinions and thoughts. Through social network sites, students can learn internet safety and privacy to best protect themselves from bullying, cyber stalking, and more. Overall, educators should want their students to learn using technology that is safe and effective in order to become proficient in the classroom and to prepare themselves for their future education and career.