"Template- Based Teacher Web Pages"

I read the article "Template Based Teacher Web Pages". It was about a project in Brewster Central School District that was stated to increase computer literacy. This was done by allowing teachers in the school district to create websites for their classrooms through the use of templates. It was encouraging to read about the change that this project brought to many of the teachers and helping them to feel comfortable with the integration of technology in their classroom. The project also helped to shine light on the issues that teachers faced in regards to technology and helped to come up with solutions to approach those.
  One of the issues addressed in the article was that teachers saw this project as a burden and something they did not have time for. The article states, "This feedback demonstrated to me that the initial message and purpose of the project translated quite differently when it fi ltered down to this teacher’s level. Unfortunately, this teacher considered it another burden and expectation. It was clear that we needed to demonstrate how Web pages could fi t in to existing programs and be relevant to teachers." I think it is important to remember that we as educators need to see technology as relevant and work it into the existing programs. I agree with the article that unless we are able to do this technology will be seen as a burden and something that we don't have time to use in our classrooms.
The end of the article summarizes their goals for the district in the coming year. It states, "This year, the district started the next phase of the technology professional development program, using technology to enhance existing curriculum. Teachers are receptive to and comfortable with these concepts, because most of them now have the requisite skills and insight to work in this medium with their students. The instructional benefits cannot be understated. The Websites have become a springboard for many technology activities, containing rich collections of lessons, links,and other materials that will enhance instruction in Brewster for many years to come." In this section two things stood out to me. First, that teachers were receptive and comfortable with taking technology to the next level. This was a direct result of the training and guidance they received in setting up their website. The second thing is that the website has become the spring board for enhancing students educational experience.
    I believe that this article touches on all the NETS standards. However, one in particular stands out to me. The is standard 5 which states, " Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership- Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources." I think that by learning how to create a website for your classroom you as a teacher are improving your students quality of education as well as participating in lifelong learning. Many of the teachers from Brewster where able to take their websites and demonstrate how they could effectivly use those resources to their students, and parents advantage.

"What's Not on the Web"

 “What’s Not on the Web”, is an article that argues that there may be important information that cannot be found on the internet especially when students are conducting research. It also explores credibility and accuracy of information that can be found on the web, and suggests search engines and databases to use.  The article gives examples of the kinds of resources that are commonly not found on the internet and where you could find these resources.

I think that by conducting research on the internet you are meeting all 5 of the NETS Standards. By having your students research information on the internet this can facilitate and inspire learning. The internet maximizes student learning by providing them with rich content and context for what they are studying. As a teacher you can exhibit knowledge of navigating the internet by teaching your students to use specific search engines, or databases. This can also be acheived by teaching them key words and phrases to search by.  Lastly, by providing students with guidelines for conducting research on the internet you are promoting leadership in the classroom by effectively teaching your students to best use the internet.

This article suggests that when conducting research students are missing out on great resources because they are only searching the web. I think this is a very valid point and have felt this way in the past when conducting my own research. I had a professor in college that assigned a 15 page research paper and in the guidelines told us we needed to find at least 3 internet resources, 2 scholarly journals, 3 book resources, and 1 media resource. I thought that this was a great way to make sure that the information that we were gathering was from a lot of different sources, and it also taught me how to find these types of resources.

Another interesting point that the article brings up is that it is hard to tell how accurate and credible a source is on the web. Because there is no guidelines or regulations to setting up a website it is much harder to know the information you are looking at is accurate. The article listed a number of websites and sources that are reputable which I found helpful to read through. I agree that not all information can be found on the internet and think that it is important for students to know how to filter through websites. I also that think that it is important to teach students how to conduct research in a library using books, journals, encyclopedias, and articles.

Speak Up!

Reading through the article “Speak Up” introduced me to many new ideas when looking at technology and its use in the classroom. I was overcome by the importance technology has for many of the students and the impact that they see it having on their education. Throughout my K-12 experience I never thought about integrating what I was learning in the classroom into the limited way that I used technology at home. It is mind boggling to read through these surveys and consider the impact and potential that technology could have on education.  There is no denying that separation of education and technology is not even an option anymore for the computer savvy, technologically advanced 21^st generation.  The article states, “Using technology as part of learning is an essential business practice for today’s students, not just an add-on for skill development or motivation” (p. 24).This idea of being an add-on or used for motivation is how I would correlate the use of technology to my own education. However, I don’t think that this is the case anymore. Initially as I read through this article I found it difficult not to fall into viewing technology as a add-on or a motivator, but as I continued to read through and compare the data and research it is evident that the education I received was much more limited in its relation to technology. For the current generation it is nearly impossible for them to view their education in these same terms because they see education as such an integral part of their lives.

I think one of the positive influences technology has on the modern day student is the student thinks of education differently. As it states in the article, “They understand that learning is a 24/7 enterprise and need learning tools and processes that are not tethered to time, place and geographic boundaries. And they recognize from their own experiences growing up immersed in digital media that the best way to drive educational productivity is through the effective use of rich and relevant digital tools, content and resources” (p.25). I think this is important to differentiate that learning can and should be taking place 24/7. Instead I think that students often relate learning to the classroom and during specific times. With the use of technology these notions can be eliminated and students can be enabled, empowered, and free to engage as a student in ways that traditional learning has not allowed (p.25).

As a future educator this article gave me a lot to think about. It inspired me to want to create a classroom that would encourage students to reach their educational goals by providing them with the technological resources to do so. After reading this article I am convinced that in order to be an effective educator I need to construct my teaching pedagogy to reflect what the students are requesting. I think it is important to remember like the article states, “that the future of our nation is in the hands of today’s students. Students: We are listening for your ideas. Go ahead and speak up!(p.26)”.

(2010) Speak Up 2009 National Findings. Creating our Future: Students Speak Up About Their Vision 21^st Century Learning. Retrieved from http://cc.csusm.edu/course/view.php?id=6176

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