Blog Post 4
In one course in particular we had to utilize Twitter within the classroom setting for our QQCs (Question, Quote, and comment) and to communicate with both the teacher and fellow classmates. Using Twitter was a requirement within the class and we had an allotted amount of times we had to post within a week in order to obtain participation credit. We had to interact with fellow classmates and comment on some of their posts on occasion. We all had to follow each other as well. Our teacher monitored our classroom Twitters and we were able to ask her questions about assignments on there as well as fulfill requirements for the class. I also followed a few accounts of some of the things we talked about within the classroom like Creative Commons which is useful for things that fall under Fair Use. Ultimately, I think that Twitter is something that has become usable within most fields. Technically with my EWM degree, Twitter would be useful because it is a great aspect of social media and a quick, easy way to communicate with others, especially in something for journalism or publishing. As for in a classroom setting, I think that with individuals who have reached a level of maturity and responsibility, Twitter could be a great source of communication but with younger levels it will be hard to use something like Twitter for classroom interactions.
The digital divide is a gap between people who do and do not have access to technology. This means that not every student owns a computer, not every student has internet access at home, and not every student can readily access these within a public setting. Therefore, this is most noticeable within the educational environment and this impact also affects knowledge and skills. This divide creates an unequal quality between the students with the access to computers and the internet who are seen to have a better chance at success within education compared to other students who do not. School based access also plays a part in this as well. This has an impact on students that do not have access to the internet or computers and the disadvantage they will face when it comes to college or the work force. Despite the fact that skill level could be equal and they may both require the same training , students who had access to these will most likely have more confidence in the ability to learn technological skills more easily as well as be better prepared. According to the podcast, when it comes to the teacher in a classroom setting, teachers must be sensitive to the issues related to the digital divide and pay attention to the students who do or do not have technology access outside of school. If there are students without access, teachers should not assign assignments or homework that require the use of technology as to not favor the students who are at a disadvantage. Teachers should teach technology based skills during school hours in order to help all students to develop the confidence and skills needed equally between them.
Ultimately, I would initially like to teach high school English of all grades from 9th to 12th grade and then eventually be a professor of English at a university. As the internet will most definitely be an integral part in teaching, emails will be one of the biggest things for communication in my teaching career. Not only will I contact parents through emails but when I eventually become a professor, it will be the main source of communication with my students. Considering that discussion groups are such a big part of my educational career, I feel they can be beneficial in the classroom setting. Therefore, this is a potential resource that I could use within my classroom in both high school as well as at college level. I don't see chats being a big thing that I use however, I will not completely rule it out as it is a great way to communicate with students and could allow for some extra help with the curriculum. Video conferencing is a great way to talk to parents and is something that could be potentially be beneficial if a face to face meeting is not possible. It is also something I can do in the university setting to further help students outside of the classroom or if I ever teach an online class. When it comes to tools for research and discovery, search engines, educational organizations, academic portals, and wikis are all something that I have familiarity with and could use in my classroom setting for students in their education. As I am not as familiar with RSS Feeds or Mashups, I will most likely not use them in the classroom setting unless I became more familiar with these resources. Blogs are a great use for communicating with students and having them fulfill assignments requirements. It is also a great place where they can express themselves about the material and get a better understanding of where they stand on it. I've used blogs in a couple of my classes and I find they have been beneficial in my educational setting. Graphics, audio, and video are three things that I feel will definitely come into play for me as a teacher in my classroom and therefore I do plan on using these when I deem it is most appropriate and beneficial. The web tools listed like the learning management systems. the web enhancements, and social bookmarking are things I am not familiar with but would like to be able to utilize in my educational setting. I did like when we used Poll Everywhere and I feel that could useful in my future endeavors. Social networking I am obviously very familiar with but I am not sure I would want to use it for my students as it can be distracting and an easy way for them to lose sight of the lessons and get caught up in their social lives. I think website evaluations are definitely beneficial and I like learning about these as they show the credibility and beneficial qualities of a website to a student. This is something I would like to continue in my classroom. Honestly, I feel many softwares could be beneficial to use and for students to learn about as there is no real shortage of knowledge that could be beneficial in their future endeavors.
The digital divide is a gap between people who do and do not have access to technology. This means that not every student owns a computer, not every student has internet access at home, and not every student can readily access these within a public setting. Therefore, this is most noticeable within the educational environment and this impact also affects knowledge and skills. This divide creates an unequal quality between the students with the access to computers and the internet who are seen to have a better chance at success within education compared to other students who do not. School based access also plays a part in this as well. This has an impact on students that do not have access to the internet or computers and the disadvantage they will face when it comes to college or the work force. Despite the fact that skill level could be equal and they may both require the same training , students who had access to these will most likely have more confidence in the ability to learn technological skills more easily as well as be better prepared. According to the podcast, when it comes to the teacher in a classroom setting, teachers must be sensitive to the issues related to the digital divide and pay attention to the students who do or do not have technology access outside of school. If there are students without access, teachers should not assign assignments or homework that require the use of technology as to not favor the students who are at a disadvantage. Teachers should teach technology based skills during school hours in order to help all students to develop the confidence and skills needed equally between them.
Ultimately, I would initially like to teach high school English of all grades from 9th to 12th grade and then eventually be a professor of English at a university. As the internet will most definitely be an integral part in teaching, emails will be one of the biggest things for communication in my teaching career. Not only will I contact parents through emails but when I eventually become a professor, it will be the main source of communication with my students. Considering that discussion groups are such a big part of my educational career, I feel they can be beneficial in the classroom setting. Therefore, this is a potential resource that I could use within my classroom in both high school as well as at college level. I don't see chats being a big thing that I use however, I will not completely rule it out as it is a great way to communicate with students and could allow for some extra help with the curriculum. Video conferencing is a great way to talk to parents and is something that could be potentially be beneficial if a face to face meeting is not possible. It is also something I can do in the university setting to further help students outside of the classroom or if I ever teach an online class. When it comes to tools for research and discovery, search engines, educational organizations, academic portals, and wikis are all something that I have familiarity with and could use in my classroom setting for students in their education. As I am not as familiar with RSS Feeds or Mashups, I will most likely not use them in the classroom setting unless I became more familiar with these resources. Blogs are a great use for communicating with students and having them fulfill assignments requirements. It is also a great place where they can express themselves about the material and get a better understanding of where they stand on it. I've used blogs in a couple of my classes and I find they have been beneficial in my educational setting. Graphics, audio, and video are three things that I feel will definitely come into play for me as a teacher in my classroom and therefore I do plan on using these when I deem it is most appropriate and beneficial. The web tools listed like the learning management systems. the web enhancements, and social bookmarking are things I am not familiar with but would like to be able to utilize in my educational setting. I did like when we used Poll Everywhere and I feel that could useful in my future endeavors. Social networking I am obviously very familiar with but I am not sure I would want to use it for my students as it can be distracting and an easy way for them to lose sight of the lessons and get caught up in their social lives. I think website evaluations are definitely beneficial and I like learning about these as they show the credibility and beneficial qualities of a website to a student. This is something I would like to continue in my classroom. Honestly, I feel many softwares could be beneficial to use and for students to learn about as there is no real shortage of knowledge that could be beneficial in their future endeavors.
Comments
Post a Comment