Alisons' Blog

Blog #20- Schematic for Structure of Web- essay

2009-04-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

To make it clear to everyone, my focus of my hypertext essay is:
The benefits that integrating technology in the classroom have on children and their abilities to become autonomous beings.

Ok, so, our goal with this blog is to let it be known how we want our hypertext essay to look, the design of it. Since it is nearly impossible to draw an image on the blogger, I'm just going to type it out.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I plan on having an outline format for my hypertext essay. The reason for this is that the information will originate from a central page, then at the top of that page, will be links so that users can easily navigate their way to the different nodes that will provide more information. No matter which page the user is on, the same set of links will appear on the banner of the page.

Welcome Screen:
On the welcome screen will be general information related to my topic, basically introducing my focus. A definition of what literacy is, will also be seen on this page.
Visuals: picture of a classroom, teacher, and children (somewhere on webpage)

1st node- Technology Literacy defined:
On this page, I will have the definition of what technology literacy is.
Visuals: Here, I will have a character (person) with question marks surrounding their head as if they are confused. This image will appear on top, before the definition of technology literacy is defined. Then there will be a picture of a person with a light bulb, signifying that the definition of technology literacy turned on the switch and they now know the meaning behind the word. Lastly, I'll put a pictures of technology running across the bottom of the page.

2nd node- Government saying literacy is skill? Isn't it social practice?
Information regarding the above questions will appear on this page.
Visuals: political images (might be displayed-- not quite sure yet)

3rd node- Technology literacy as a social practice:
Information regarding technology literacy in a group setting (social practice) will be displayed here.
Visuals: Pictures of children on computers in a classroom. Student collaborating with one another.

4th node- What technologies provide the most student autonomy and how are they used? What makes them beneficial to the teacher and to the student?:
On this page, the bulk of the information for my research topic will be located. I will talk about the two technologies researched that can help promote student autonomy will be displayed here.
Visuals: Again, children on the computer in a classroom will be a great image. If I can find images of the two technologies I talk about on this page, I will post them here as well (Two technologies mentioned are: Thinking Reader and Wireless Classroom Microphones).

5th node- Students' Role in the technology supported classroom:
Here information on the way in which a students' role is changed if the classroom has technology in it, will be depicted on this page. When there is technology in the classroom, students have to be more careful and aware of their surroundings.
Visuals: Again, students working on the computers will be a good picture to put. Students teaching other students what the are learning could also be a good picture (if I can find it).

6th node- Teachers' Role in the technology supported classroom:
On this page, information on how the teacher role is changed once technology is incorporated into the classroom will appear. With out technology, the teacher takes on a particular role, but when technology is introduced, a new role is given to the teacher.
Visuals: Pictures of a teacher amongst children, rather then in the front of the class lecturing the children, will best emphasize the point I bring out in this node.

Conclusions: This will be the last informational node of my hypertext essay and it will be where all of the points are wrapped up. Everything will come together in this slide.
Visuals: I plan on putting numerous pictures of students, teachers, technology, visuals of technology being used in a classroom, etc.

References: In this final node, I will list the references I used to come to the conclusion that I have made. Sources will follow MLA standards and will appear alphabetically.
Visuals: Pictures of books and the computer (to represent internet sources) will be displayed throughout this page.

Revised, Revised hypertext essay

2009-04-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

Student Autonomy in the Technologically Advanced Classroom

General Information (welcome screen):
See if you can trace back to a time when you had to write a paper, and the only way to get resources was to go to the library and check out books. So much has changed in such a short time. “Technology literacy, as policy makers and government officials use it becomes a symbol for national success in a global economy: "Just as literacy embodied the ideals of an Industrial Age, technology is positioned as a symbol of enlightened progress in the Age of Information" (Tyner, 1998 p. 17). (http://www.literacyand technology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf). So how can educators help promote student autonomy while implementing technology into the classroom?
First off, let’s define what literacy is. Literacy is defined as the condition or quality of being knowledgeable in a particular subject or field: especially the ability to read and write. Schooling has a focus, and that focus is to produce literate and productive members of society. This can happen in the traditional way, but it can also happen if students are allowed to become technologically literate. What is that exactly? Technological literacy is the ability to understand and evaluate technology. It complements technological competency, which is the ability to create, repair, or operate specific technologies, commonly computers. Having said that, we aren’t trying to produce computer repairmen and women, but what we are trying to do is to use technology at its best, to help reinforce what is taught in everyday educational situations.
From a society that sent letters by postal mail, we now resort to e-mails. Everything we do in life, the internet or technology is involved with in some way or another. So, why not bring that new outlook into the classroom. "We know, purely and simply, that every single child must have access to a computer, must understand it, must have access to good software and good teachers and to the Internet, so that every person will have the opportunity to make the most of his or her own life (U.S. Department of Education, 1996)." (http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
Instead of being in a grammar school classroom having a teacher standing in the front of the room lecturing you, how about it be fun and exciting. Maybe have a game one the computer that can help a student who is struggling with addition or subtraction, for example. “Teacher technology use includes emailing, preparing lessons, and maintaining records, as well as personal use,” (Vrasidas 50), however the problem is that, “teachers lack an understanding of how technology can be integrated into regular classroom instructional practices” (Vrasidas 46).
School is supposed to be geared toward students’ and what will captivate their attention and make them want to learn more and more. If students are being lectured, what is the likelihood that they are going to be engaging in the lesson? Children, in this day and age, are growing up with their own televisions and computers before they even enter middle school. The issue at hand is that with “the right software can help teachers use computers to support child- centered inquiry” (Gordon 15).
“In an 2000 report, the U.S. Department of Education wrote ‘that teachers’ preparation and training to use educational technology is a key factor to consider when examining their use of computers and Internet for instructional purposes’’ (Vrasidas 47). In order for teachers to be able to use new technology in their classroom, they need proper training on the equipment they will be using, which can pose another issue. Where is the money coming for the training?

1st node- Technology Literacy Defined:
If students would benefit from having technology in their classroom, it is not like we can just go from day to night and have an entire school filled with technology. Additionally, where is the money coming from? School districts rely heavily on governmental positions to hopefully support their cause and give them monetary aid. “From Clinton’s 1996 “Technology Literacy Challenge” to Bush’s 2001 “Enhancing Education through Technology (ED Tech) Initiative,” educational policies of the last two administrations have made “technology literacy” a top educational priority and a major target for federal spending (U.S. Department of Education, 1996, 2001). (http://www. literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
A child, not only needs to learn the material that is to be covered in a given class, but needs to be technologically literate. So what does that mean? “Technology literacy was defined in 1996 as “computer skills and the ability to use computers and other technology to improve learning, productivity, and performance.” In these and subsequent educational plans, technology literacy continues to be linked to national progress and our nation’s success in a high-tech global environment (U.S. Department of Education, 1996, 2000; ISTE, 1998; Selfe, 1999a; 1999b). http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
The question that needs to be raised is why the government isn’t doing anything to fund the training necessary to educate teachers on modern technologies. The economy is suffering; we all know that, yet, government is doing very little in terms of helping school districts get the needed money for the training and the materials for the teachers and students.

2nd node: Government saying literacy is a skill? Isn’t it a social context?
Government is saying that literacy is a skill, when in reality it is a social context. Students are not going to learn technology by sitting behind a desk and hearing it go in one ear, in fact in will go in one ear and out the other. They need to be sitting behind the technology in which they need to learn. For instance, say it is a basic skills computer class and students need to learn how to operate a computer. Would it be fair to lecture to a group of 7 year olds? No, instead, they should each sit behind a computer screen, and have the opportunity to practice what is being said to them, during the learning process, not after.
If a child is sitting in a computer class, and they are next to their peers, it is bound to be a social context. Students are going to be talking to each other, and rather than hushing them up, teachers should encourage the chitter- chatter. In every situation, there is bound to be a student who knows more than what you are teaching at a given moment. Let that child be the second teacher and go around the room making sure his or her peers understand the same material.

3rd node- Technology Literacy as a Social Practice:
Technology these days is not just a computer screen sitting in front of you or a wide screen television set in front of you. It has become a social activity. I’m not referring to the social networking that has come so popular, what I am referring to is the fact that we all, at one point, sit by the computer and try to get others to watch a YouTube video or see a picture that we find appealing. There is also a literacy aspect when it comes to technology. “Gee (1995) calls literacy a socially contested term whose traditional meaning—the ability to read and write—appears rather straightforward and obvious. But by linking literacy with individual abilities, such definitions fail to acknowledge the ways in which literacy is implicated in power relations: “situating literacy in the individual person rather than in society, obscure[s] the multiple ways in which literacy interrelates with the workings of power (p. 2). According to Street (1995), such traditional definitions of literacy are based upon an "autonomous model, autonomous because literacy is extracted from its social, cultural, and historical context.” (http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
So how can students become autonomous beings, when it comes to having their teachers implement technology in the classroom? Let’s say, that during centers time, one of the activities that students have to do is 15 minutes of reading. Most first graders are beginning to learn the concepts of letter blends and other techniques that are learned in time. So, how are they expected to read? That’s simple. They listen to a book on tape using a tape player. Some children may not know how to work the player. The student, who does know how to use it, has developed a form of autonomy and can later display their knowledge when they see a peer struggling. “The digital classroom presents a different dynamic than the one for which most teachers have been trained. A growing percentage of students come to class with extensive experience using multiple technologies for social, educational, and recreational purposes, which in essence, makes them technology experts” (Gordon 14).

4th node- What technologies provide the most student autonomy and how are they used? What makes them beneficial to the teacher and to the students?
Having technology in the classroom is a great feature for both students and teachers. From my personal experience doing my junior field work, a student had made a comment about the different parts of the eye, after noticing that most of the students in his class had brown eyes, and I was the only one who had blue eyes. He kept calling the colored part, the pupil, and at the time, I couldn’t remember the other parts of the eye.
So, what did I do? I went to the back of the classroom where the computer was, and went to Google and typed in “parts of the eye.” I didn’t want this student to go home and still wonder what the colored part of the eye was, so I used his question as a learning opportunity. After getting many hits on Google, I clicked on one link and found out that the colored part of the eye is called, the iris. Of course I knew that, my mind just went blank at that moment.
Speaking in general terms, technology provides many positive outcomes, yet different types of technology are more respected then others. The bottom line is, the value of the technology, depends on how established it is, as seen in a study that was done. “….the results of these comparisons show that teachers place higher value on more established technologies such as desktop computers, and technologies that are placed into their hands, such as laptops and LCD projectors. In contrast, teachers place lower value on newer technologies, such as portable writing devices and palm pilots, and technologies that are place into students’ hands. (Vrasidas 53).”
When talking about technology as a whole, there are some clear benefits that it brings to students. “The most common—and in fact, nearly universal—teacher- reported effect on students was an increase motivation. Teachers and students are sometimes surprised at the level of technology- based accomplishment displayed by students who have shown much less initiative or facility with more conventional academic tasks.”(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )
Let’s say that a school has a computer lab, and students in your class have a research paper to do. Standards these days are to have all papers typed. Imagine how much more engaged students would be if they could go to the computer lab and type their papers, as opposed to hand-writing them. Many students complain that their hand/wrist hurt after writing for a long period of time, yet if they type, they won’t be making these complaints anymore. “…Some mentioned motivation with respect to working in a specific subject area, for example, a greater willingness to write to work on computational skills. Others spoke in terms of more general motivational effects—student satisfaction with the immediate feedback provided by the computer and the sense of accomplishment and power gained in working with technology.” (Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )
While doing research, I came across a district that had something called Laptop Initiative. What is that, might you be asking yourself? Well, laptop computers are given to all teachers and students in 7th through 12th grade, a wireless network covering the entire school campus, and innovative approaches to teacher professional development and support: “In addition to the overall positive attitudes, access to laptops in the school led to six areas of growth and success for teaching and learning: 1. increased communication, 2. more convenient access to resources, 3. increased use of resources, 4. enhanced computer literacy skills, 5. better organization of documents and resources, and 6. a move toward a more equalized distribution of computer expertise (Vrasidas 68-69).” Children learn differently. Some children may know how to do math without needing manipulative or that aid of technology. Other students may need to listen to a book on tap in order to read a story because they don’t need help. Whatever the students’ difficulty is, there may be technology that can be used to help the children become autonomous and able to learn on their own.
For a child who maybe struggling with reading, there is a program that can be installed on the computer, called Thinking Reader. With Thinking Reader, students sit at computers with headphones, and read a text. The computer simultaneously highlights each word on the screen and reads it aloud. Students who don’t understand a particular word can get a definition with a click of the mouse” (Gordon 79), and begin to understand what they read.
So what is the benefit to having this type of technology in your classroom? “The idea is to get students to be active readers using a four- part strategy: formulating questions, summarize, clarify, and predict” (Gordon 80). For the teacher, the benefit is that she or he can have more time to help the class as a whole, rather than having to work one- on-one with a child who simply doesn’t get it. “Technology makes it possible for each students to directly engage the text through prompts embedded in the story itself and various decoding supports- supplemented, of course, by interactions with the teacher, who spends his or her classroom time monitoring student progress and providing targeted guidance to individual students” (Gordon 80).
Another type of technology that is beneficial in the classroom is Wireless Classroom Microphones. More and more schools are discovering this hidden technology. People think that if the walk into a classroom where the teacher has microphone, that there is someone who is hearing impaired in the class. However “the justification for supporting amplified classrooms is not children with hearing problems. Classrooms are installing sound systems so children don’t have to strain to hear the teacher and the teacher doesn’t have to talk over noise” (Pytel 1). There are so many sounds that wonder through the halls of a school such as “hallway traffic, heating system fans, paper shuffling, dropped pencils, whispering, desks opening and closing, and students walking around. Multiply these sounds times 26 students and the noise in a classroom can be very distracting. The teachers’ voice is expected to rise above all of this.”
When you first walk into a classroom that has this technology, you won’t see the immediate results, yet there have been studies done that say that when spoken at a higher frequency, the attention span lasts longer. “Wyoming Elementary school in Millburn, N.J. points to research stating that children learn better hwne they hear the teacher clearly. One teacher commented that she no longer loses her voice by the end of a school day and all students can hear her voice” (Pytel 1).
Clearly, there are benefits to both students and teachers with this type of technology. For teachers, they are able to make it through the school day without losing their voice or having a cracked voice. The advantage for students can be seen, for example in West Orange, N.J., “reading scores in one year went from 59%- 89%,” with nothing in the curriculum changing other then the amplification. “Some researchers say that test scores have improved and classrooms are less stressful with amplification. Students state they can now hear their soft- spoken teacher even across the room or when writing on the board” (Pytel 2).

5th node- Students’ Role in Technology Supported Classrooms:
Implementing technology in the classroom can bring negative results, but can also result in very positive results. “[Students] autonomy and confidence increase as they rely less on their teacher and more on their own initiative for knowledge- creation. Likewise, technology enables students to manipulate information in a manner that accelerates both understanding and the progression of higher- order thinking skills. As students gather more real-world data, share their findings with learners beyond their school, and publish their findings to the world, their role broadens from investigators of other products to designers, authors, purveyors, and publishers.” (Adams, Sharon and Mary Burns. Connecting Student Learning and Technology. 1999. 22 March 2009.)
When technology is being implemented correctly in a classroom, many positive outcomes will be seen. “The student is actively making choices about how to generate, obtain, manipulate, or display information. Technology allows many more students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and executing skills than is typical in teacher-led lessons.” (Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009. EdTech/ effectsstudents.html>).
Children want to learn, and they also enjoy experimenting on the computer or the internet. Allowing students to use the computer while learning a new lesson could help them grasp the topic. “Another effect of technology cited by a great majority of teachers is an increased inclination on the part of students to work cooperatively and to provide peer tutoring. Students’ ability to collaborate on substantive content can be further enhanced through the use of software applications specifically designed for this purpose.”
(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )
The bottom line is, a classroom needs to be set up to be child friendly whether there is technology in the classroom or not. If there is technology in the classroom though, there needs to be some rules, otherwise students will be running toward the computer all of the time rather than paying attention to what the teacher is trying to teach. There should be a short amount of free time within the school day, where students can explore different technologies under the supervision of the teacher. Having the technology in the classroom and allowing for student exploration will help the students grow autonomous.

6th node- Teacher Roles:
With technology implemented in the classroom, not only is the students’ role changed, but the teachers’ role is also changed. The goal is for students to become autonomous, which will then play into the changing role of the teacher. “The teacher is no longer the center of attention as the dispenser of information, but rather plays the role of facilitator, setting project goals and providing guidelines and resources, moving from student or group to group, providing suggestions and support for student activity”(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 ).
On a day to day basis, there are always going to be little problems or issues that a teacher will face in a classroom, however, having technology in the classroom, can bring on more problems. “… technology provides a very different set of challenges and different ways in which students can demonstrate what they understand (e.g., by programming a simulation to demonstrate a concept rather than trying to explain it verbally)” (Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 ). “Along with training and support, teachers need more time to develop new teaching and technology knowledge, skills, and attitudes” (Vrasidas 76).

Conclusion:
The bottom line is that the world is ever changing and just like in our day-to-day lifestyles, we conform to change, so does the education department. Schools should be more willing to put different forms of technology in the classrooms of their schools. This may pose a problem when it comes to the monetary aspect, but there is always room to reconsider the way the budget is divided. If there is fear that money will be spent and new technology will be given and teachers won’t know how to use it, then provide the training necessary to get all faculties knowledgeable.
After teachers began using technology in their classrooms, they were able to notice significant results, and ways that their students became autonomous beings. “Many respondents stressed opportunities that technology provides for acquiring problem- solving skills- either through instructional software designed to teach problem solving (including open- ended exploratory software such as LOGO) or through the many requirements for solving problems that naturally emerge when on is trying to use computer tools to accomplish a task” (Singh and Means). Another teacher noted and “some described supports that technology can provide for acquiring complex concepts, for example by graphically representing abstract concepts such as acceleration, or by providing scaffolding for thinking” (Singh and Means). “A second frequently cited rationale for introducing technology was to stimulate motivation and self- esteem. Through either personal experience or a review of the literature, many innovators perceived the dramatic effects that technology can have on a students’ interest in class activities and their sense of their own capabilities” (Singh and Means.
A third area where technology helps is to prepare students for the future. “The concern for equity is related to a third major motivation for introducing technology—to prepare students for the future. Respondents at a number of sites foresaw a future in which both high education and the world of work be infused with technology. These educators argue that schools have a responsibility to give students the confidence and skills in using such technology that they will need after graduation” (Singh and Means).
All in all , students want to learn, their brains are like light switches that can’t be turned off. Give them more opportunities to learn and explore the environments around them. Let them go onto the computer if they are curious about something- just point them to an appropriate kid-friendly website. Technology usage in the classroom is available, so why not use it!

References:

Adams, Sharon and Mary Burns. Connecting Student Learning & Technology. 1999. 22 March 2009. < http://www.bazzirk.com/sedl/files/images/pub_CSLT.pdf>.

Evans, Ellen J. Autonomous Literacy or Social Practice? Students’ Constructions of Technology Literacy. 2005. 11 March 2009. < http://www.literacyand
technology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf>.

Gordon, David T. Better Teaching and Learning in the Digital Classroom. Massachusetts: Harvard Education Press, 2003.

Preparing Teachers to Teach with Technology. Ed. Charalambos Vrasidas and Gene V. Glass. Connecticut: Information Age Publishing, 2005.

Pytel, Barbara. Amplified Classrooms: Wireless Classroom Microphones Becoming Popular. 2008. 6 April 2009. < http://classroom-issues.suite101.com/article. cfm/amplified_classrooms>.

Singh, Dr. Ram and Dr. Barbara Means. Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. 11 March 2009. EdTech/effectsstudents.html>.

Blog #19- Free Blog Post

2009-04-09T11:58:00.000-07:00

Throughout the semester, I feel that I have learned a lot when it comes to the digital world of writing. It has also been a semester of change!

During Professor Chandler's class, my first assignment, which I had never done before, was to set up a blog. I have blogged before on my Myspace page, but never on an official blog website. I consider myself rather computer savvy, but needed the assistance of some of my peers in the class to help me set up a blog. Sue, who has been in a Dr. Chandler class before, was more than willing to help me set up a blog. This was my first new experience of the semester.

The next thing I learned was just how far back the history of the internet goes. I guess you can say that I lived a sheltered life, and just figured that the world of technology started when I began using computers. By doing the history of the internet time line, I realized things did exist before I found my way to the internet world. The other thing which I realized is that my literacy developed through peer influence.

A phenomenon which I knew nothing about, which I learned through reading an article was the phone novels. I never thought it possible that people would post whole stories while using a cell phone as their media. I think that the idea can shape the way we look at the future and literacy. Currently it is a fad overseas, but who knows, maybe it will take us all by surprise and people will be writing phone novels instead of publishing books. Who knows?!

Smart mobs, yet another new topic that I never even heard of. Sending out a mass message to have thousands of people show up at a central location and be a mob. What an idea. While learning about this topic, I thoroughly enjoyed going on the web and just seeing all the different flash mobs that exist: pillow case fights, ninja fight, supermarket mobs. The list goes on and on. Reading and learning about this opened yet another door.

Then there was the Wikipedia post. In the past, I have used Wikipedia as a source while doing research papers, but never knew that the website was operated by ordinary people like me and you. This mindset changed while being in Dr. Chandler's class. We were going to become contributors on a page within Wikipedia. First we set up accounts and then we explored to see what topic we might want to contribute to. Shortly thereafter, we were all official members of Wikipedia. Some of us had our information taken down the minute after we put it up, and others stayed up and continue to stay up. What an accomplishment this was to be able to say I've contributed to a page on Wikipedia!

Another thing that changed about me or something that I realized while in this class is that when it comes to school work, I am deep attentive and can only focus on one thing (my schoolwork). However, when it comes to everything but my school work, I am hyper attentive and multitask. While cleaning my room, I'll have my music on, I'll be on the phone and/or text messaging. Isn't that amazing?!

All in all, I came into this course expected to be writing for cyberspace, after all that is the name of the course; however that is not the only thing that we have done. I have learned about some many new things and have explored areas that I otherwise would not have explored unless I was told to do so in the context of this course. Overall, I am very happy that I took this course and I'm happy that I am going to walk away with a wealth of knowledge!

Writing the Literacy and Technology was another teachable moment as us education majors say. While doing pre-writing exercises and figuring out the angle I wanted to take on my essay, I learned a lot about myself. I found out that my family and peers had a major influence on who I have become as a writer and how it all developed. I think that if I didn't take the time out to write

Friend Game Article

2009-04-06T15:37:00.001-07:00

Friend Game by Lauren Collins:

-Megan Meier, a 13 year old girl, a volleyball player, and a Chihuahua maniac

-Committed suicide which is known as the Myspace Suicide Hoax

- Megan committed suicide after an exchange of hostile messages with a boy who had befriended her on Myspace.

- Her suicide was not a hoax, rather it was precipitated by a hoax, involving a box named Josh Evans

- Josh Evans was a fake, a cyber- character created by neighbors of the Meiers

- "Like many teen-agers, Megan and her peer carried on an online social life that was more mercurial, and perhaps more crucial to their sense of status and acceptance, than the one they inhabited in flesh."

- Teen-age identities mutate so quickly online, and can be masked so easily, that by the morning Megan was pronounced dead Josh Evans had vanished from Myspace

- It wasn't until a month after her death that a neighbor named Michele Mulford told the Meiers that Curt and Lori Drew, who lived four houses down had created "Josh" in concert with their thirteen-year-old daughter, a longtime friend of Megan's

- "As Megan got older, she demonstrated a worrisome volatility. Megan could come in a room and be happy, and something could affect her and she would just switch."

- Megan was taken to a psychiatrist during third grade after admitting that she wanted to kill herself

- In eighth grade, Megan's parents switched schools and that's when she began to ask permission to have a Myspace account so that she could chat with her new friends

- Tina and Ron agreed to allow Megan to open an account with strict restrictions: "1. your dad and I are the only ones who know your password; 2. it has to be set to 'private'; we have to approve the content; 4. we have to be in the room at all times when you're on Myspace."

- "The purpose of Josh Evans, according to the Drews' testimony, was to ascertain whether Megan was making nasty remarks about their daughter, whom Megan had previously called a 'lesbian'. Initially a police officer wrote in a report that Lori Drew had "instigated" and "monitored" the account; she now contends the report is inaccurate, and has asserted that she merely agreed to the idea, which was run from their dining room."

- Josh's components were carefully chosen to exploit Megan's vulnerabilities

- Josh was "exactly what Megan was looking for" and everything he said it what she wanted to hear. Megan begged her mom to let her add this guy, and eventually she gave in and Megan became friends with Josh on Myspace

- "On October 16, 2006, Megan went to school, where she passed out invitations to her fourteenth birthday party, which was to include a game of flashlight tag around the neighborhood. At 3:20, Tina picked Megan up at school and dropped her off at home. In the basement, Megan immediately logged on to Myspace. Tina had to take Megans' sister, Allison to the orthodontist, and, before she left, she told Megan to get off the computer. Ron had worked the early shift and was upstairs taking a nap."

- From the orthodontist office, Tina called Megan to check on her. Megan was crying. She admitted to Tina that she was still online, and that some kids were mocking her.

- "When Tina got home, around five o'clock, she found Megan in front of the computer in a state of superheated distress."

- "Tina and Megan argued, and Megan ran up to her room, bumping into Ron on the stairs. After about twenty minutes, Tina had a 'godawful feeling.' She went upstairs to Megan's room and found her in the closet. Megan had used a clothe belt- Tina had just bought it for her at Old Navy- to hang herself from a closet organizer."

In this incident, an innocent 13 year old girl became the victim of suicide due to the hoax that was place before her.

Blog #18- Patterns for Attending....

2009-04-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

1. On a daily basis, there are many types of media that are involved. Throughout the day, I use the computer for schoolwork, instant messaging, going on social networking websites (Facebook and Myspace). When I am not tied down with endless amounts of homework, I also watch television. I also use my cell phone- it is pretty much attached to me like an umbilical cord. Sometimes while I write papers, I have my music going on the computer. I also play music when I am cleaning my room or driving in my car. Especially if I am by myself, I need background noise! I am constantly texting people. If on a given day, I am to go to an unfamiliar place, I will use my gps unit, to help me navigate my way to the destination. I definitely don't use the same types of technology now, as I did when I was younger (5, 10), but I sort of do the same thing now as I did when I was 15- just in a greater magnitude now.

2. Watching Tv- over the course of a week, maybe 2-3 hours of television (especially during the semester). I watch more over the summer.

do math or other calculation- based homework= I need peace and quite in order to determine what numbers I need to be calculating and what I need to figure out. Math is not a favorite subject of mine, so it is surprising that I am able to sit at the table and just do the math work without any media interruption. The only type of media that I would use to do math problems would be a calculator. I definitely need a calculator!

reading assignments= Again, I need peace and quiet. In order for me to read something and understand it, in its entirety, I can't have any background noise.
compose a paper (answers may be different for drafting, revising + editing= When composing a paper, I need different things during each stage of the game. During the drafting stage of writing, I need some sort of background noise, in order to help me get motivated to type and get my mind going. Usually, I'll put on the radio or start texting/IM'ing people to help me get ideas. During the revision and editing process, I cannot have any media surrounding me. I need quiet in order to think about what corrections need to be made and where things can be moved around in my paper.

studying for an exam= When studying for an exam, I tend to use the book that the professor told me to buy. Sometimes if I need further clarification on a given concept, I will use the computer and do a Google search to further my knowledge.

conduct research/ find references= When conducting research and looking for resources, I first go onto the web, and see what reliable websites I can find. Then, after finding those websites, I tend to go to the library of either my town or Keans' and then do a topic search. Once a topic search is done, I'll go to the library and read through the books for further information for my topic.

4. Media associated with how I do the following everyday tasks:

drive= While driving I definitely need the radio on, and sometimes I need the gps unit, if I am going to a place that I've never been to before. I will definitely have my cell phone with me, and because I'm driving, I won't be texting, but instead, I'll be on the bluetooth talking to someone, just to have the sound of someone's voice while i'm in the car.

eat a meal by yourself= typically, If I'm eating by myself, I'll usually have a book or magazine on the table while I eat, and something to occupy myself while eating alone- it can get very lonely. I'll also have my cell phone near by and will most likely be texting while eating.

eat with your family/friends= While eating with family and friends, I try not to have any type of media around me. If I have anything, its only my cell phone, which as I mentioned above, I have on me at all times.

household chores (cooking, cleaning, household repairs, work on your car)- As mentioned above, while I am cleaning the house or my room, I tend to have music on in the background. I need some kind of upbeat noise in order to focus on the tedious task of cleaning. While cooking, I don't have any media because I need to make sure my measurements of ingredients come out right and that the food tastes good!

5. In my free time, I am usually text messaging people, instant messaging people, on Myspace or Facebook, sometimes reading a book or magazine, etc. I can't just sit in a room and be silent. I need some sort of background noise to keep me from going bored.

Analyzing your patterns for attending:
a) I would rate myself on a scale of 1-5, coming in at a 4. I tend to do more than one thing at a time. I guess you can say that I a hyper-attentive person. I tend to be doing more than one thing at a time.

b) School activities= 2
living/ household activities= 4
relaxation activities= 4

Overall: 10
10/3= 3.33

c)My overall pattern for attending is a 4. I tend do more than one thing at a time. I am a hyper-attentive person.

6. Questions to think about:
a) I am most likely to use hyper-attention when I am doing things unrelated to school work. When I am doing school work, I tend to give it my all and only focus on one thing at once. If I am doing something other than school work, I am a multi-tasker all the way!

b) I'm not sure why the range of numbers is so drastic. When doing school work I deep-attentive, but when I am doing anything besides school stuff, I am more hyper-attentive.

c)With school work, I had the most consistent results. It doesn't matter if I am writing a paper, studying for a test, or just doing math problems, I tend to be deep-attentive. Everything relating to school would be rated with a lower number, rather than a higher number. I think this is so because I want to do my best in school, and I feel that if my mind was caught up on something other than the assignment, then I wouldn't be giving it my all.

7. As mentioned above, my patterns for attending are pretty much self- explanatory. Anything related to school work is deep attentive, and anything for pleasure is more hyper-attentive. I don't think the numbers reflect reflect how I would characterize myself in my patterns for attending.

Blog 17- Revised hypertext essay

2009-04-06T09:37:00.001-07:00

Revised Hypertext Essay Draft

General Information (on welcome screen):
See if you can trace back to a time when you had to write a paper, and the only way to get resources was to go to the library and check out books. So much has changed in such a short time. “Technology literacy, as policy makers and government officials use it becomes a symbol for national success in a global economy: "Just as literacy embodied the ideals of an Industrial Age, technology is positioned as a symbol of enlightened progress in the Age of Information" (Tyner, 1998 p. 17). (http://www.literacyand technology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
From a society that sent letters by postal mail, we now resort to e-mails. Everything we do in life, the internet or technology is involved with in some way or another. So, why not bring that new outlook into the classroom. "We know, purely and simply, that every single child must have access to a computer, must understand it, must have access to good software and good teachers and to the Internet, so that every person will have the opportunity to make the most of his or her own life (U.S. Department of Education, 1996)." (http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
Instead of being in a grammar school classroom having a teacher standing in the front of the room lecturing you, how about it be fun and exciting. Maybe have a game one the computer that can help a student who is struggling with addition or subtraction, for example. “Teacher technology use includes emailing, preparing lessons, and maintaining records, as well as personal use,” (Vrasidas 50), however the problem is that, “teachers lack an understanding of how technology can be integrated into regular classroom instructional practices” (Vrasidas 46).
School is supposed to be geared toward students’ and what will captivate their attention and make them want to learn more and more. If students are being lectured, what is the likelihood that they are going to be engaging in the lesson? Children, in this day and age, are growing up with their own televisions and computers before they even enter middle school. The issue at hand is that with “the right software can help teachers use computers to support child- centered inquiry” (Gordon 15).
“In an 2000 report, the U.S. Department of Education wrote ‘that teachers’ preparation and training to use educational technology is a key factor to consider when examining their use of computers and Internet for instructional purposes’’ (Vrasidas 47). In order for teachers to be able to use new technology in their classroom, they need proper training on the equipment they will be using, which can pose another issue. Where is the money coming for the training?

1st node- Research about the implementation of technology in the classroom:
If students would benefit from having technology in their classroom, it is not like we can just go from day to night and have an entire school filled with technology. Additionally, where is the money coming from? School districts rely heavily on governmental positions to hopefully support their cause and give them monetary aid. “From Clinton’s 1996 “Technology Literacy Challenge” to Bush’s 2001 “Enhancing Education through Technology (ED Tech) Initiative,” educational policies of the last two administrations have made “technology literacy” a top educational priority and a major target for federal spending (U.S. Department of Education, 1996, 2001). (http://www. literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
A child, not only needs to learn the material that is to be covered in a given class, but needs to be technologically literate. So what does that mean? “Technology literacy was defined in 1996 as “computer skills and the ability to use computers and other technology to improve learning, productivity, and performance.” In these and subsequent educational plans, technology literacy continues to be linked to national progress and our nation’s success in a high-tech global environment (U.S. Department of Education, 1996, 2000; ISTE, 1998; Selfe, 1999a; 1999b). (http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/
volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)

2nd node- Technology Literacy as a Social Practice:
Technology these days is not just a computer screen sitting in front of you or a wide screen television set in front of you. It has become a social activity. I’m not referring to the social networking that has come so popular, what I am referring to is the fact that we all, at one point, sit by the computer and try to get others to watch a YouTube video or see a picture that we find appealing. There is also a literacy aspect when it comes to technology.
“Gee (1995) calls literacy a socially contested term whose traditional meaning—the ability to read and write—appears rather straightforward and obvious. But by linking literacy with individual abilities, such definitions fail to acknowledge the ways in which literacy is implicated in power relations: “situating literacy in the individual person rather than in society, obscure[s] the multiple ways in which literacy interrelates with the workings of power (p. 2). According to Street (1995), such traditional definitions of literacy are based upon an "autonomous model, autonomous because literacy is extracted from its social, cultural, and historical context.” (http://www.literacyandtechnology.
org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
So how can students become autonomous beings, when it comes to having their teachers implement technology in the classroom? Let’s say, that during centers time, one of the activities that students have to do is 15 minutes of reading. Most first graders are beginning to learn the concepts of letter blends and other techniques that are learned in time. So, how are they expected to read? That’s simple. They listen to a book on tape using a tape player. Some children may not know how to work the player. The student, who does know how to use it, has developed a form of autonomy and can later display their knowledge when they see a peer struggling. “The digital classroom presents a different dynamic than the one for which most teachers have been trained. A growing percentage of students come to class with extensive experience using multiple technologies for social, educational, and recreational purposes, which in essence, makes them technology experts” (Gordon 14).

3rd node- Students’ Role in Technology Supported Classrooms:
Implementing technology in the classroom can bring negative results, but can also yield in very positive results. “[Students] autonomy and confidence increase as they rely less on their teacher and more on their own initiative for knowledge- creation. Likewise, technology enables students to manipulate information in a manner that accelerates both understanding and the progression of higher- order thinking skills. As students gather more real-world data, share their findings with learners beyond their school, and publish their findings to the world, their role broadens from investigators of other products to designers, authors, purveyors, and publishers.” (Adams, Sharon and Mary Burns. Connecting Student Learning and Technology. 1999. 22 March 2009.)
When technology is being implemented correctly in a classroom, many positive outcomes will be seen. “The student is actively making choices about how to generate, obtain, manipulate, or display information. Technology allows many more students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and executing skills than is typical in teacher-led lessons.” (Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009. EdTech/ effectsstudents.html>).
Children want to learn, and they also enjoy experimenting on the computer or the internet. Allowing students to use the computer while learning a new lesson could help them grasp the topic. “Another effect of technology cited by a great majority of teachers is an increased inclination on the part of students to work cooperatively and to provide peer tutoring. Students’ ability to collaborate on substantive content can be further enhanced through the use of software applications specifically designed for this purpose.”
(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )

4th node- Teacher Roles:
With technology implemented in the classroom, not only is the students’ role changed, but the teachers’ role is also changed. “The teacher is no longer the center of attention as the dispenser of information, but rather plays the role of facilitator, setting project goals and providing guidelines and resources, moving from student or group to group, providing suggestions and support for student activity”(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 ).
On a day to day basis, there are always going to be little problems or issues that a teacher will face in a classroom, however, having technology in the classroom, can bring on more problems. “… technology provides a very different set of challenges and different ways in which students can demonstrate what they understand (e.g., by programming a simulation to demonstrate a concept rather than trying to explain it verbally)” (Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 ). “Along with training and support, teachers need more time to develop new teaching and technology knowledge, skills, and attitudes” (Vrasidas 76).

5th node- What technologies provide the most student autonomy and how are they used? What makes them beneficial to the teacher and to the students?
Having technology in the classroom is a great feature for both students and teachers. From my personal experience doing my junior field work, a student had made a comment about the different parts of the eye, after noticing that most of the students in his class had brown eyes, and I was the only one who had blue eyes. He kept calling the colored part, the pupil, and at the time, I couldn’t remember the other parts of the eye.
So, what did I do? I went to the back of the classroom where the computer was, and went to Google and typed in “parts of the eye.” I didn’t want this student to go home and still wonder what the colored part of the eye was, so I used his question as a learning opportunity. After getting many hits on Google, I clicked on one link and found out that the colored part of the eye is called, the iris. Of course I knew that, my mind just went blank at that moment.
Speaking in general terms, technology provides many positive outcomes, yet different types of technology are more respected then others. The bottom line is, the value of the technology, depends on how established it is, as seen in a study that was done. “….the results of these comparisons show that teachers place higher value on more established technologies such as desktop computers, and technologies that are placed into their hands, such as laptops and LCD projectors. In contrast, teachers place lower value on newer technologies, such as portable writing devices and palm pilots, and technologies that are place into students’ hands. (Vrasidas 53).”
When talking about technology as a whole, there are some clear benefits that it brings to students. “The most common—and in fact, nearly universal—teacher- reported effect on students was an increase motivation. Teachers and students are sometimes surprised at the level of technology- based accomplishment displayed by students who have shown much less initiative or facility with more conventional academic tasks.”
(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )
Let’s say that a school has a computer lab, and students in your class have a research paper to do. Standards these days are to have all papers typed. Imagine how much more engaged students would be if they could go to the computer lab and type their papers, as opposed to hand-writing them. Many students complain that their hand/wrist hurt after writing for a long period of time, yet if they type, they won’t be making these complaints anymore. “…Some mentioned motivation with respect to working in a specific subject area, for example, a greater willingness to write to work on computational skills. Others spoke in terms of more general motivational effects—student satisfaction with the immediate feedback provided by the computer and the sense of accomplishment and power gained in working with technology.” (Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )
While doing research, I came across a district that had something called Laptop Initiative. What is that, might you be asking yourself? Well, laptop computers are given to all teachers and students in 7th through 12th grade, a wireless network covering the entire school campus, and innovative approaches to teacher professional development and support: “In addition to the overall positive attitudes, access to laptops in the school led to six areas of growth and success for teaching and learning: 1. increased communication, 2. more convenient access to resources, 3. increased use of resources, 4. enhanced computer literacy skills, 5. better organization of documents and resources, and 6. a move toward a more equalized distribution of computer expertise (Vrasidas 68-69).”
Children learn differently. Some children may know how to do math without needing manipulative or that aid of technology. Other students may need to listen to a book on tap in order to read a story because they don’t need help. Whatever the students’ difficulty is, there may be technology that can be used to help the children become autonomous and able to learn on their own.
For a child who maybe struggling with reading, there is a program that can be installed on the computer, called Thinking Reader. With Thinking Reader, students sit at computers with headphones, and read a text. The computer simultaneously highlights each word on the screen and reads it aloud. Students who don’t understand a particular word can get a definition with a click of the mouse” (Gordon 79), and begin to understand what they read.
So what is the benefit to having this type of technology in your classroom? “The idea is to get students to be active readers using a four- part strategy: formulating questions, summarize, clarify, and predict” (Gordon 80). For the teacher, the benefit is that she or he can have more time to help the class as a whole, rather than having to work one- on-one with a child who simply doesn’t get it. “Technology makes it possible for each students to directly engage the text through prompts embedded in the story itself and various decoding supports- supplemented, of course, by interactions with the teacher, who spends his or her classroom time monitoring student progress and providing targeted guidance to individual students” (Gordon 80).
Another type of technology that is beneficial in the classroom is Wireless Classroom Microphones. More and more schools are discovering this hidden technology. People think that if the walk into a classroom where the teacher has microphone, that there is someone who is hearing impaired in the class. However “the justification for supporting amplified classrooms is not children with hearing problems. Classrooms are installing sound systems so children don’t have to strain to hear the teacher and the teacher doesn’t have to talk over noise” (Pytel 1). There are so many sounds that wonder through the halls of a school such as “hallway traffic, heating system fans, paper shuffling, dropped pencils, whispering, desks opening and closing, and students walking around. Multiply these sounds times 26 students and the noise in a classroom can be very distracting. The teachers’ voice is expected to rise above all of this.”
When you first walk into a classroom that has this technology, you won’t see the immediate results, yet there have been studies done that say that when spoken at a higher frequency, the attention span lasts longer. “Wyoming Elementary school in Millburn, N.J. points to research stating that children learn better hwne they hear the teacher clearly. One teacher commented that she no longer loses her voice by the end of a school day and all students can hear her voice” (Pytel 1).
Clearly, there are benefits to both students and teachers with this type of technology. For teachers, they are able to make it through the school day without losing their voice or having a cracked voice. The advantage for students can be seen, for example in West Orange, N.J., “reading scores in one year went from 59%- 89%,” with nothing in the curriculum changing other then the amplification. “Some researchers say that test scores have improved and classrooms are less stressful with amplification. Students state they can now hear their soft- spoken teacher even across the room or when writing on the board” (Pytel 2).

Conclusion:
The bottom line is that the world is ever changing and just like in our day-to-day lifestyles, we conform to change, so does the education department. Schools should be more willing to put different forms of technology in the classrooms of their schools. This may pose a problem when it comes to the monetary aspect, but there is always room to reconsider the way the budget is divided. If there is fear that money will be spent and new technology will be given and teachers won’t know how to use it, then provide the training necessary to get all faculties knowledgeable.
Students want to learn, their brains are like light switches that can’t be turned off. Give them more opportunities to learn and explore the environments around them. Let them go onto the computer if they are curious about something- just point them to an appropriate kid-friendly website. Technology usage in the classroom is available, so why not use it!

Blog #16- Hypertext Essay Draft?

2009-04-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hypertext Essay Draft

Just letting everyone know that the information that is to follow is simply quotes that I found that can help me with my hypertext essay, it isn’t the only information that is going to be up there!

General Information (on welcome screen):
-"We know, purely and simply, that every single child must have access to a computer,
must understand it, must have access to good software and good teachers and to the
Internet, so that every person will have the opportunity to make the most of his or her own life (U.S. Department of Education, 1996)." (http://www.literacyandtechnology.
org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
- “Teachers lack an understanding of how technology can be integrated into regular classroom instructional practices (Vrasidas 46).
-“In an 2000 report, the U.S. Department of Education wrote ‘that teachers’ preparation and training to use educational technology is a key factor to consider when examining their use of computers and Internet for instructional purposes’’ (Vrasidas 47).
-“Teacher technology use includes emailing, preparing lessons, and maintaining records, as well as personal use” (Vrasidas 50).
- “The right software can help teachers use computers to support child- centered inquiry” (Gordon 15).

1st node- Research about the implementation of technology in the classroom:
- From Clinton’s 1996 “Technology Literacy Challenge” to Bush’s 2001 “Enhancing Education through Technology (ED Tech) Initiative,” educational policies of the last two administrations have made “technology literacy” a top educational priority and a major target for federal spending (U.S. Department of Education, 1996, 2001). (http://www. literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
- Technology literacy was defined in 1996 as “computer skills and the ability to use computers and other technology to improve learning, productivity, and performance.” In these and subsequent educational plans, technology literacy continues to be linked to national progress and our nation’s success in a high-tech global environment (U.S. Department of Education, 1996, 2000; ISTE, 1998; Selfe, 1999a; 1999b). (http://www. literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)

2nd node- Technology Literacy as a Social Practice:
- “Gee (1995) calls literacy a socially contested term whose traditional meaning—the ability to read and write—appears rather straightforward and obvious. But by linking literacy with individual abilities, such definitions fail to acknowledge the ways in which literacy is implicated in power relations: “situating literacy in the individual person rather than in society, obscure[s] the multiple ways in which literacy interrelates with the workings of power" (p. 2).
(http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
- “According to Street (1995), such traditional definitions of literacy are based upon an "autonomous model, autonomous because literacy is extracted from its social, cultural, and historical context.”
(http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)
- “Technology literacy, as policy makers and government officials use it becomes a
symbol for national success in a global economy: "Just as literacy embodied the ideals of an Industrial Age, technology is positioned as a symbol of enlightened progress in the Age of Information" (Tyner, 1998 p. 17).
(http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf)

3rd node- Students’ Role in Technology Supported Classrooms:
- “Their autonomy and confidence increase as they rely less on their teacher and more on their own initiative for knowledge- creation. Technology enables students to manipulate information in a manner that accelerates both understanding and the progression of higher- order thinking skills. As students gather more real-world data, share their findings with learners beyond their school, and publish their findings to the world, their role broadens from investigators of other products to designers, authors, purveyors, and publishers.”
(Adams, Sharon and Mary Burns. Connecting Student Learning and Technology. 1999. 22 March 2009.)
- “The student is actively making choices about how to generate, obtain, manipulate, or display information. Technology allows many more students to be actively thinking about information, making choices, and executing skills than is typical in teacher-led lessons.”
(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )
- “Another effect of technology cited by a great majority of teachers is an increased inclination on the part of students to work cooperatively and to provide peer tutoring. Students’ ability to collaborate on substantive content can be further enhanced through the use of software applications specifically designed for this purpose.”
(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )

4th node- Teacher Roles:
- “The teacher is no longer the center of attention as the dispenser of information, but rather plays the role of facilitator, setting project goals and providing guidelines and resources, moving from student or group to group, providing suggestions and support for student activity.”
(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )
- “… technology provides a very different set of challenges and different ways in which students can demonstrate what they understand (e.g., by programming a simulation to demonstrate a concept rather than trying to explain it verbally).”
(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )
- “Along with training and support, teachers need more time to develop new teaching and technology knowledge, skills, and attitudes” (Vrasidas 76).
- “The digital classroom presents a different dynamic than the one for which most teachers have been trained. A growing percentage of students come to class with extensive experience using multiple technologies for social, educational, and recreational purposes, which in essence, makes them technology experts” (Gordon 14).

5th node- What technologies provide the most student autonomy and how are they used? What makes them beneficial to the teacher and to the students?
Technologies that Provide Autonomy:
- Thinking Reader: students sit at computers with headphones, and read a text
- “The computer simultaneously highlights each word on the screen and reads it aloud. Students who don’t understand a particular word can get a definition with a click of the mouse” (Gordon 79).
- “The idea is to get students to be active readers using a four- part strategy: formulating questions, summarize, clarify, and predict” (Gordon 80).
- “Technology makes it possible for each students to directly engage the text through prompts embedded in the story itself and various decoding supports- supplemented, of course, by interactions with the teacher, who spends his or her classroom time monitoring student progress and providing targeted guidance to individual students” (Gordon 80).

-“….the results of these comparisons shows that teachers place higher value on more established technologies such as desktop computers, and technologies that are placed into their hands, such as laptops and LCD projectors. In contrast, teachers place lower value on newer technologies, such as portable writing devices and palm pilots, and technologies that are place into students’ hands. (Vrasidas 53).”

Benefits to the Students:
- “The most common—and in fact, nearly universal—teacher- reported effect on students was an increase motivation. Teachers and students are sometimes surprised at the level of technology- based accomplishment displayed by students who have shown much less initiative or facility with more conventional academic tasks.”
(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )
- “…Some mentioned motivation with respect to working in a specific subject area, for example, a greater willingness to write to work on computational skills. Others spoke in terms of more general motivational effects—student satisfaction with the immediate feedback provided by the computer and the sense of accomplishment and power gained in working with technology.”
(Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 )
- LAPTOP INITIATIVE: laptop computers for all teachers and students in 7th through 12th grade, a wireless network covering the entire school campus, and innovative approaches to teacher professional development and support: “In addition to the overall positive attitudes, access to laptops in the school led to six areas of growth and success for teaching and learning: 1. increased communication, 2. more convenient access to resources, 3. increased use of resources, 4. enhanced computer literacy skills, 5. better organization of documents and resources, and 6. a move toward a more equalized distribution of computer expertise (Vrasidas 68-69).”

Blog 15: Wikipedia Posting

2009-03-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

When first learning about the project that we would be responsible for in this class, by contributing to a Wikipedia post, I was nervous. I thought to myself: how would I gather information that they would consider valuable and resourceful. This was a hard task, but I managed to have most of my information stay up for a month, without it being taken down.

My user name is: Ame0401

I chose to contribute to the article on: Educational Technology

A link to my page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_technology
(sorry for not setting up a hyperlink, but whenever I try to do it, it never shows up. I'm not sure what I am doing wrong :(

I contributed to a few sections within this article:

#1- The first contribution falls under the CRITICISM category and the text I published is as follows: "Similarly to learning a new task or trade, there is special training that is involved with adding elements of educational technology to the classroom. Without proper training, teachers and students cannot benefit from devices that will improve the quality of education. Devices are a waste of time and money if teachers are not receiving proper training. [26] Another disadvantage is that if teachers plan on using educational technology, they must come to the classroom prior to start time and set everything up and make sure it is all working."

This information stayed up but in the discussion part of the page, I noticed that there was a comment left, basically saying that this is not criticism and it should be taken down. (Comment from Wikipedia: "The Criticism section is not a criticism so that section should be removed and an actual criticism(s) should be added.") Although this comment was made, the information I posted has yet to be taken down.

#2- Considering I am an aspiring teacher, I wanted to include a section that would be helpful to teachers, so I made the section entitled: Technology in the Classroom. The information that I posted there has remained up for a month. It reads as follows: "* Computer in the Classroom: Having a computer in the classroom is an asset to any teacher. With a computer in the classroom, teachers are able to demonstrate a new lesson, present new material, illustrate how to use new programs, and show new websites. [28]
* Class Website: What better way to display your student's work, then to create a web page designed just for your class. Once a web page is designed, teachers can post homework assignments, student work, famous quotes, trivia games, and so much more. In current day society, children know how to use the computer and navigate their way through a website, so why not give them one where they can be a published author.
* Wireless Classroom Microphones: Noisy classrooms are a daily occurrence, and with the help of microphones, students are able to hear their teachers clearer. Children learn better when they hear the teacher clearly. The benefit for teachers is that they no longer loose their voices at the end of the day."

#3- The third section in which I tried to post was entitled: "Websites that Help Teachers." In this section I began a preliminary list of websites that would help teachers use technology in the classroom. These websites got deleted because it was considered advertisement and Wikipedia is not a site to use to advertise. The two websites posted are below:
*4teachers.org http://www.4teachers.org/
*E-learning For Kids http://www.e-learningforkids.org/

Overall, my contributions were received as being helpful to the website. I took the time to do research and try to find reputable websites that would provide as a resource so that the information was not taken down. I noticed from other people in the class posting information, that unless you have a resource to back your information up, then most likely the information would be deleted by the "big shots" of the page. The information that I put up to provide teachers with helpful websites was taken down because it was considered advertisement, which in fact it was, it was advertising for the two websites that I found.

I also posted a clean up request comment in the discussion portion of the article, and it read as follows: "The part that talks about behaviorism, constructivism, etc. does not really belong on this page. I think we need to look into editing what information really is relevant and what isn't." I wrote this comment on Feb. 26th and within two days there was a response from the avid contributors to this page which read as follows: "I disagree. If it was just general overview of the learning theories, that would be one thing, but since it talks about each theory and how that affects your perspective on educational technology, I think it's relevant. If you're coming from a cognitivist perspective, you're probably focused on cognitive load and multimedia processing when you make decisions about technology use. If you're coming from a constructivist perspective, you may focus on technology that creates environments for problem solving. Second Life may not make sense as an educational tool from a cognitivist perspective because of the ill-structured environment, but a constructivist might find it quite valuable, especially for more advanced learners."

Having said that, I chose to stay away from deleting that section, and chose to just mind my own business and publish what I found would remain on the website. All in all, my experience with Wikipedia was a successful one. The majority of the information that I put up remained up and unharmed. The one major thing that I learned from this experience, is that when I go to do a research paper of some sort, I should only use the information posted that has a reference, to make sure that it is reliable. People still get away with publishing pure nonsense on this encyclopedia and one must be careful in what they pull out as reliable information.

Blog 14: Thoughts, reflections, ideas for the structure of hypertext essay

2009-03-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

After studying in more depth the different types of macrostructures of websites, I have come to the realization that the one that would work best for my research project is the OUTLINE format. The reason for this is that the information will originate from a central page, then at the top of that page, will be different nodes that will take the user to another page where they can find additional information.

While gathering preliminary research, I came to the realization that the information that I posted previously about my type of user has changed. Teachers, future teachers, and school administrators will still be my targeted audience, but I don't think parents will find a need to go onto my website.

My hopes and intentions of organizing my information are as follows

The information will be broken down into different nodes:

1st node- research about the implementation of technology in the classroom (as gathered from the website listed below. http://www.literacyandtechnology.org/volume5/jltvol5eevans.pdf

2nd node- Technology Literacy as a Social Practice: basically in this node, there will be information related to the topic of social practices of reading and writing and the ideological and culturally embedded nature of these practices (information also taken from website linked above. "As Snyder (2001) notes, failure to place technology literacy within its social contexts leads to unrealistic expectations."

3rd node- What technologies provide the most student autonomy and how are they used? What makes them beneficial to the teacher and to the students?

(Possible 4th node)- Budget issues and being able to get the money needed for the technologies that would best suit the needs of students.

One quote that I found while doing research that I thought was really powerful is below:
"We know, purely and simply, that every single child must have access to a computer,
must understand it, must have access to good software and good teachers and to the
Internet, so that every person will have the opportunity to make the most of his or her own life (U.S. Department of Education, 1996)."

Blog #13- Research Plan (Revised)

2009-03-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

Focus: Education and Technology

Statement of Purpose: Through my research, I hope to discover the benefits that technology brings to the process of students becoming autonomous in the classroom.

Detailed statement of your research question: What are the benefits that technology provides to allow student autonomy and what specific technologies provide the greatest autonomy?

List of the information you need to gather:
- What types of technology are the most beneficial in allowing students to become autonomous?
- What features of the technology help the students want to learn?
- What levels/ kinds of technology will work best? Why do some work and others don’t? What makes the successful technologies work?

A preliminary list of sources:

Books:
Gordon, David. T. Better Teaching and Learning in the Digital Classroom. Harvard Education Press: Cambridge, Ma, 2003.

Vrasidas, Charalambos, ed. A Volume in Current Perspectives on Applied Information Technologies: Preparing Teachers to Teach with Technology. Connecticut: Information Age Publishing, 2005.

Websites:
Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students. Technology and Education Reform, 11 March 2009 html>.

Adams, Sharon and Mary Burns. Connecting Student Learning and Technology. 1999. 22 March 2009. .

McGhee, Ray. New Teacher and Student Roles in the Technology- Supported Classroom. 2003. 22 March 2009. .

Plan for gathering your information:
I plan on looking through education journals that are located online as well as through textbooks dealing with technology in the classroom. I feel that doing a Google search just won’t be enough and won’t give me the broad range of information that I need to cover this topic.

Blog #13- Research Plan

2009-03-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in blog #11, I'm planning on doing my research hyper-text essay on technology in the classroom.

Topic: Technology in the Classroom

Purpose: To inform teachers on technology that can enhance the quality of education of their students.

Research Question: What technologies are out there that can provide a better learning environment for students? How will school districts be able to afford these technologies? What types of technology are available to teachers at various grade levels?

Websites that maybe helpful (same as from blog #11, and a few new ones):
-http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=623
-http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html
-http://www.ldaofmichigan.org/articles/early_intervention.pdf
-http://www.teachersnetwork.org/ntol/howto/incorptech/
-http://www.edletter.org/dc/wiske.htm
-http://www.classroomtco.org/publications.html
-http://www.middleweb.com/TechDefns.html
-http://education.mit.edu/papers/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf
-http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/RT/focus/
-http://catnet.sdacc.org/articles/tech_ID374.pdf
-http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/collaboration/papers/chile.pdf
-http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ent/library/teaching_culture_article.pdf

Blog #12- Wikipedia Post

2009-03-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

I chose to do my Wikipedia post on Educational Technology. I chose this topic because last semester I went to Patton Elementary School in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, where they had something I'd never seen before. Every classroom teacher had a wireless microphone hooked up and there was surround sound in the class. While there, I asked one of the teachers why they had that, assuming it was just in the one class I went to for a child who may have been hearing impaired. Turns out that there have been studies that proved that children learn best at high frequencies, thus the reason for the microphones in the classroom.

While looking at the Wikipedia post, there seemed to already be a lot of information, so I thought to myself how would this post help in practicality. So, I added a subtitle called Technology in the Classroom. I first posted the information on February 26, and to this date, the information has not been taken down. I went back a few days later, and posted more information on March 1st and 2nd and that information too has not been taken down yet. My contributions thus far to the wikipedia site has been successful. Let's keep tracking it to see what happens, if anything!

Blog #11- Audience, Purpose, and Focus of Hypertext Essay

2009-03-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

So I've changed my topic, yet again. I am now back to the concept that I am posting on, for my Wikipedia article. That is, technology in the classroom.

Questions on Page 19:
1. The people who use the website will be teachers, future teachers, school administration, and even parents.
2. The users will be either in a classroom, an office, or on their home computers. Most users will be computer literate and the information will be easy to access and in small bits rather than large chunks of information.
3. If the users are teachers, they might want information from the website on different ways they can use technology in the classroom. Possible website suggestions will be offered for them to later incorporate in their classrooms. If the user is parents than they might research what a particular technology is that their children are using in their classroom.
4. The text of the site addresses the users because it is a place where teachers can get information and ideas of how to use different technology in the classroom. A lot of teachers use simple technology, yet there are more advance ways that can get more of a good vibe from.
5. The graphics on the webpage could be pictures of the examples of technology that can be found in the classroom. Lots of times new material is unclear if we don’t have a visual aid to help elaborate on the discussion at hand. For example, wireless microphone technology would be an example that I would have, so maybe I could have a pictures of how the system looks like or a video of a classroom that uses it.

Focus:
I want to make a hypertext essay on technology usage in the classroom and how students benefit from different types of technology.

Audience:
My website will be designed for teachers and other professionals in the education field. While at my web page they will be able to get insightful information on new technology that they can use in the classroom to enhance the education.

Purpose:
The purpose of my website is to provide the information that all teachers are looking for. Teachers are constantly looking for new ways to enhance their lesson plans to help the children engage more, and sometimes don't know where they can resort to. If they visit my website, they will be provided with some interesting techniques and new technologies that they may want to consider.

Structures:
-Linear (w/ nodes)
-Outline

Navigation Devices:
-In-text link
-Navigation bar
-Forward/backward; up/down; previous/next
-table of contents (maybe-- not sure on this one yet)

Some websites that might help in my website are:
http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=623
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html
http://www.ldaofmichigan.org/articles/early_intervention.pdf
http://www.teachersnetwork.org/ntol/howto/incorptech/

Blog #10- Exploratory writing for web assignment

2009-03-08T17:43:00.000-07:00

I just want to start this blog by saying that I'm not quite sure what exactly we are supposed to post, but I'm just going to write what's on my mind.

For my web assignment, I want to do something that relates to teachers having social networking profiles such as Myspace and facebook. I am an aspiring teacher and will have my degree by the end of December 2009. I also have profiles on a few different social networking websites: Myspace, Facebook, and Orkut. Although I have these pages, I do not post anything that is too informative of my social life (i.e. what I do outside the classroom). I feel as though everyone, including teachers should be able to have these personal profiles, but to limit the material in which they post.

While looking at other sources to gather information about this topic, there have been a few cases where teachers got into trouble. It is their own stupidity. They were the ones who posted pictures that revealed too much of what they do in their personal lives, and ultimately, their jobs were at risk.

The focus that I want to take for this hypertext essay assignment is as follows.
1. Teachers are role models and have many students who look up to them for advice and guidance. Having said that, there shouldn't be any objections to teachers having these pages as long as their content is PG rated and stuff that is okay if students happen to stumble across it.
2. What about teachers who teach at the high school level. How is the student- teacher relationship affected if teachers befriend students? (this issue doesn't apply to elementary teachers as most children at that age, do not have social networking profiles).
3. Do the risque pages matter if teacher performance is not threatened and if students and parents (and school officials) don't see them?
4. If school districts put a ban against teachers having these social networking profiles, isn't that taking away their first amendment?

My personal opinion, as mentioned above, I don't see why there is an issue if teachers have these profiles, as long as certain rules are followed. Those are that they should set their profiles to private, so that students can't have access to their pages. They should not post any picture which are too revealing or explicit of how they live their lives outside of school. And most importantly, they should make sure their information is not R rated (i.e. "young, single teacher, looking for lover"---> stuff along those lines). Thus concludes what I intend my focus of the web assignment to be on.

Change in mind for hypertext essay topic

2009-03-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

Professor Chandler,

I decided that for the hypertext essay, I am going to change my topic. My topic choice is no longer going to be the same as what I am posting for my Wikipedia post. My wikipedia post is going to remain Educational Technology (where I have added a subtitle and posted information under the subtitle "Examples of Technology Usage in the Classroom"). For my hypertext essay, I still want to do what I was originally planning on doing, which was on Teachers and Social Networking websites.

Thank you!

Blog #9- Produsage

2009-03-01T13:13:00.001-08:00

So, how does the concept of produsage connects to : 1) the features of the internet; 2) internet mindsets (as set forward by Lankshear & Knobel); 3) the concept of remediation; 4) the ideas underpinning the intensive information exchange for flash mobs; and finally, the community that underpins Wikipedia itself.

After trekking my way through the Produsage article, I am able to come to some common ground as to what all of the articles have in common. I will go into specifics within my post, but the bottom line is that we are all producers and consumers.

The Produsage article talks about people being producers and consumers. In terms of the features of the internet, there a few different aspects to show how we are producers and consumers.

#1- Features of the internet- First off, think of the internet and all the possibilities that are out there. There are websites to research different material, online shopping, online banking, etc., which make those consumer based websites. On the flip side, if you look at websites that give research material, such as Wikipedia, than that is a website that can be both consumer based and producer based. On Wikipedia, an average citizen is a producer when they come up with an article to write about and they post it. That same citizen can then go onto Wikipedia and look up an article. Some of the other features of the internet are anonymity, interactivity, and immediacy. Anonymity is seen on blog websites where the user name is concealed or even on social networking websites where photos of the profile is "privacy protected." In terms of interactivity, there are so many websites that people can go on where they are connecting with the outside world: social networking websites, blogs, forums, chat rooms, etc. And lastly, immediacy, is a key factor of the internet. As long as you have a good internet connection, you can have information at your fingertips.

#2- Internet mindsets (as set by Lankshear and Knobel)- There are different discourses in which each and every one of us belong to. Our Primary Discourse is how we learn to do and be. How did we learn how to be producers and consumers on the internet. Most likely from peer influences or watching those around us (such as teaching in a technology class, older siblings, parents, etc.). Our Second Discourse (and we each have many of these, although they differ from person to person) are those we are recruited to through participation in outside groups and institutions, such as schools, clubs, workplaces, churches, political organizations, and so on. Think of how you became a member of the social networking websites. Mostly likely someone in you high school or college class, told you about it, and then you signed up and joined. Another example of produsage comes with eBay. People are selling their merchandise and then other people are buying their stuff.

#3- Remediation- There are many mediums in which give us the chance to be producers and consumers. Take for instance the radio- who's to say you or I couldn't be a radio DJ, for example. If we were, than we would be a producer, but because most likely we are not, than we are consumers (just listening to whatever they are saying). The cell phone is another example- we are producers when we go to send a text message because we are typing it. Likewise, we are consumers when we receive a text message. Other examples of different mediums were we can be both producers or consumers are: print, television, and the computer.

#4- Flashmobs- The whole concept of a flash mob is still one that boggles my mind. Why would someone be the leader in organized a mass crowd. Flash mobs are both consumer based and producer based. The men and women in charge of organizing these flash mobs are sending out messages either by e-mail, text messaging, or other form that mass contact can be made. With the flash mobs example, the leader is the producer and all of the people who come to participate in the 'mob' are the consumers.

#5- The World of Wikipedia- Ever since really being introduced to Wikipedia during this course, I have seen the mass collaboration that the general public can make. So many people sign into Wikipedia daily to explore the website. Again, there are producers and consumers of the information. Those of us, who go onto the website and create an account and choose a topic to post on are considered producers. Likewise, those of us who go onto the website and read the information that is posted are being consumers.

Having said all of the information, the concept of produsage surrounds our daily life. Think of the clothes that you are wearing at the very moment. You are the consumer, because you bought them, but there are one (if not more than one) producers of your blue jeans. Everything in our lives has a producer and a consumer.

Blog #8- Exploratory Writing for Wikipedia Post

2009-02-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

While browsing through the Wikipedia articles, I cam across an article entitled Education Technology (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_technology), and feel as though I might be able to contribute to that page. The page is broken down into a few different sub-headings, which all have a little bit of information. I think that I might be able to surf the internet and come across some information that will help me expand a few, if not all of the subtitles within the page.

Some resources and outside websites that I found, which may or may not be helpful are as follows:
http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/res.cgi/Educational_Technology - This website provides links to other websites that offer technology that can be used in the classroom.

http://coe.sdsu.edu/EET/ - This website offers definitions to educational terms that may or may not have been heard before. It also provides ways in which to teach under specific areas.

Chris Dede, writes about different ways we can bring technology into the classrooms:
http://www.virtual.gmu.edu/ss_pdf/DedeJCS.pdf - These curricular approaches curricular approaches improve success for all types of learners and may differentially enhance the performance of at-risk students.

http://www.virtual.gmu.edu/ss_pdf/ETDL.pdf - This chapter depicts visions of how sophisticated information technologies may influence the nature of higher education over the next couple decades.

http://www.virtual.gmu.edu/SS_research/cdpapers/policy.pdf

http://www.virtual.gmu.edu/pdf/ASCD.pdf - This article talks about 6 challenges for educational technology

http://connect.educause.edu/blog/jcummings/chrisdedeonemergingtechno/16662?time=1235509800

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~dedech/

Blog #7- Smart mobs response

2009-02-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

Flash mobs have been around for a few years- in fact, since 2003 when it all started in Manhattan. So what is that gets thousands and thousands of people to gather in one agreed upon destination and do what seems to be unusual behaviors? How is print in any way connected to strange phenomena that is going on?

Flashmobs work when there is a large crowd of people who are all gathering in a central place. Additionally, think about the people who do street theater. That is a group of people who have a passion to act, and have no better place than to do it in the streets. There are different perspectives that one can look at flash mobs, but if you take an artistic approach, the arrangement of flash mobs began as a performance art (i.e. street theater). So how does the world of "print" help the foundation of flash mobs?

When thinking of the world of print, one has to think of the use of other methods besides pen to paper. For example, the rise of text messaging, has given flash mobbers a better chance at getting larger crowds. Think of what you can do with a cell phone and a contact list. Generally speaking, a person has a few dozen friends in their list of contacts, so, say I were to get a text message inviting me to be part of a flash mob, I send it out and it reaches all my friends and then they pass it along, as so on and so forth. Before you know it, there are thousands of people gathering.

Digital communications have helped change the communications that occur in the process of gathering a mob of people. As mentioned in my example above, with the click of a few buttons, there could be a gathering of a lot of people at a particular place and a particular time in a matter of minutes. The use of these digital communications have brought forth a lot of change to the world as we knew it, especially to flash mobbers.

With the use of digital technologies, more people can gather due to a more rapid exchange of information. Photos are also able to be sent now, so that people are clear as to where the mob is to meet. It is also more intimate, in the sense that each person goes through their list of contacts in their cell phones, and sends it off to their contact list and then they pass it on. The list of contacts is endless as long as each person passes it on. There is also the capabilities of a GPS device in cell phones that help you navigate your way to where the mobbers are. Having said that, digital technologies have significantly changed the world for flash mobbers as they once knew it back in 2003 when it first started.

What can happen in the future with the organization of flash mobs. This is still in the unknown. Technology keeps advancing at an outstanding rate, so there is no way of knowing what new things may come as soon as tomorrow. Personally, however, I think that if the advancements get too much further, there is a major risk of invading privacy.

Final draft of Literacy and Technology narrative

2009-02-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

When reflecting back upon my experiences of when I first became a literate member of society, was quite challenging. For starters, I grew up in a very literate household with two well educated parents; in addition to having a brother who is almost three years older than me. Growing up, I would see my older brother (and role model at the time), Todd, doing something, and it made me want to do exactly the same thing as him. A major influence on how I became a literate member of the twenty-first century, is due to peer pressure from teachers and friends, as well as social conforms.

As a young child, before entering preschool, my parents would have my brother or I select a book to read that night. As a baby and toddler, my mother made sure that there were always books surrounding my play area, and would encourage me to open the book, even if it was just to look at the pictures. Additionally, I received a lot of encouragement from my parents, relatives, and teachers to read and write. As a young child, I would always want to take crayons and ‘write.’ This ‘writing’ that I was doing, was more like scribbling lines on a paper, but to me, it was writing. My parents never forced reading or writing upon me, it was a desire that I picked up on my own after seeing my older brother doing it, and made me want to be just like him. If there was enforcement from my parents to read or write, I doubt that I would have had the passion to do so on my own, as often as I did.

When I began preschool, my interest in reading became stronger, as my teachers would read numerous books, daily. While writing this reflective piece, I couldn’t remember all of the details from my early childhood years, so I had to ask my parents, but mostly my mother for assistance. One story that my mother told me, was that when she would pick me up from preschool, I would tell her what story we read that day, and then she would take me to the library and we would rent the book for a week. Back in those days, what I called ‘reading’, was simply taking the book in my lap and sliding my finger along the words in the book, and then make up my own story (because I didn’t quite know how to read yet).

My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Vacchio, was a very animated individual, who would always dress up like the characters in the book she was reading us that day. I feel that her animation of the characters helped me gain interest in reading books. I began learning how to blend letters in order to make certain sounds. My literacy development was slowly rising. I knew the entire alphabet and the different sounds that each letter made. Another factor that I was coming to realize was the concept of writing. In the beginning of the school year, my teacher would give us a handout that we had to trace the letter with pencil. After tracing the letter by connecting the dots on the page, we then moved to lined paper, where we had to make the letters on our own. Print writing was something that I had to do, because it was valued in school.

By the time I got to first grade, I was able to recognize a lot of words and sound them out. They were mostly high frequency words, such as ‘the, it, he, she, me, I,” and so on. The motivation and desire to want to learn to read stemmed from my kindergarten teacher, but was encouraged by my first grade teacher, Ms. Schiller, as well. Story time was a regular occurrence in my classroom, and I remember all of the students sitting on the reading carpet and carefully listening to the stories. Both my kindergarten and first grade teachers had a strong passion for reading and writing, and getting their students literate, as best they could. They too were my role models at the time, and I wanted to please them, so I took the interest and began learning how to read and write.

For the remainder of my grade school, I had teachers who strived on getting their student’s writing to be better and help them improve. I have always been good at writing papers and assignments; however, I did struggle a little bit when it came to reading longer pieces of work, as I got older. My mother noticed that when I would be given a reading assignment, it would take me twice as long as it should. She would see me on the same page for a good twenty minutes. At one point, I believe in the summer in between third and fourth grade, my mom sat down with me and read a chapter in a book with me, and she noticed that something might be wrong.

Upon entering fourth grade, my mom talked with my teacher, Mrs. Forte. She told her that she thought I might have a learning disability. My teacher wanted to see for herself, before suggesting anything. She spent a few weeks watching closely over me, and finally came to the conclusion that she was going to recommend me to the child study team to get tested for a reading comprehension learning disability. Ultimately, after taking the tests and awaiting the results, it came back that I had a reading comprehension problem, and that is why it took my twice as long as my peers to get through a piece of work, and yet, still not understand it completely.

From fourth grade until approximately eighth grade, I received extra assistance. Prior to entering high school, I hated the stigmatism that went along with being ‘classified,’ so I didn’t make it known to my teachers. Fortunately for me, this type of learning style is one that people can grow out of; that is what I think happened to me. I was able to make my way through a reading assignment, just at a slower pace, and with the possibility of needing to re-read it for extra clarification. I have since grown out of my learning disability, yet at times I still need to read things over more than once to get a clear handle on what is being said.

Big changes happened while I was in fourth grade. Not only did I get classified, but my house got a new addition. My parents were pretty much on top of new trends and fads in society, which meant that when I was in fourth grade, my parents bought the first computer for the house. It was kept in the spare bedroom and my brother and I were allowed to go on it whenever we wanted to, as long as we asked. At this early stage of my technological life, the internet was not known to me.

The elementary school that I attended also started to include ‘computers’ as a weekly special around the same time as when my parents purchased a computer. In this class, students learned how to type on the computer and the simple operating skills needed to maneuver my way through a computer. When first learning the computer, I was very slow and afraid that if I hit the wrong button, or clicked in the wrong spot, that I would break it. Digital writing allows me to keep in touch with family and friends that don’t live local to me. All of my extended family lives out of New Jersey; an aunt and uncle in Delaware, cousins in Maine, Upstate New York, California, Manhattan, Mexico, and even a brother who lives in Israel. There is no way that I would be able to communicate with them, if it weren’t for the advancements in technology, and creating an e-mail account at the age of ten. Once my school introduced the computers class, and my parents bought our first family computer, my life as I knew it was changed.

The foundation that I gained from my parents and teachers, early on, has shaped who I am as a writer and literate member of society. More often that not, I prefer using the digital technology of typing, rather than pen to paper. Once the computer world was brought to our culture, many things were done on the computer. You can now write using the computer, shop online, send and receive pictures and letters from friends and family, online banking, bill paying, and so much more. To this day, I prefer to type something, rather than handwrite it; however there are a few instances that I will pick up a pen and paper and write, especially during the brainstorming process. For example, if I am writing a letter or a thank you card of some sort, I hand write it rather than type it because it is more personable.

During my years at East Brunswick High School, other opportunities came my way. There was a lot of peer pressure that occurred at my school, so one had to be smart and make the right decisions. The biggest opportunity was the advancements with digital technology. I remember sitting at the lunch table in the cafeteria, my junior year of high school, and my friends talking about a website called, Myspace. I swore that I wasn’t going to let myself get into such absurdness, and that I was not going to make a Myspace page. At this point, I knew nothing of these social networking websites, but again, with peer pressure, I caved in and made a page. For me, I chose to ignore a lot of the other peer pressures, but chose to tune into the peer pressure of what computers can offer me.

Being able to go on AIM (AOL Instant messenger) and talk to my friends without having to pick up the telephone was a new and fun aspect of my life. After saying bye to them on the school bus, I would come home and a few minutes later, I was talking to them again, and it felt that they were face-to- face with me, even though it was through text that we were conversing. I have never been someone who likes to talk on the phone for a long time, and this instant messenger helped me stay true to myself and not have to be uncomfortable while talking to friends on the phone. The creation of my Myspace, Facebook, and Orkut pages allow me to keep in touch with all my old friends. We are all in college and in different parts of the world, so being able to use these websites, has given me the opportunity to keep in touch with friends. Additionally, these websites have also helped me to reconnect with former friends and acquaintances.

Now, almost five years later, wondering where I stand in the peer pressure pool. Well, I still have my Myspace page that I made in my junior year of high school in 2004, and now, I have a Facebook page and an Orkut page. Let it be known that I did not take the initiative to create either of these pages. At my first college, a friend of mine, named Ryan told me about Facebook and one day while we were waiting for our next class, he sat down with me in the computer lab, and made a Facebook page for me. As for Orkut, my boyfriend of one year has an Orkut page, and convinced me to make one. Social networking websites is what my generation has grown up with.

Peer pressure is definitely what has shaped my writing life. With the creation of these social networking websites that have features such as blogs, it is no wonder that my life has become that way it is, today; so needy of a computer. Print writing is a requirement that society puts on us and one that the educational system strongly values. Learning to print was something that I had to do, where as digital print is something I chose to do. The peer pressure that I received from my friends and older brother, forced me to conform to the way society was changing. In order to keep up with the crowds, I needed to take the step and make these social networking websites. With exploration of the blogging network, I am able to express myself more freely. I feel as though digital writing has allowed me to mature as a writer, more quickly then if everything was done in print writing.

I give the internet a lot of credit, because I don’t know what my life would be without it. I am able to write and let my writing be read by everyone, or just my friends. The way the culture is today, so many people have become computer literate, while others are feeling the need to do so, it is only a surprise what the future may present to us. From teachers who pushed me for great penmanship and a creative mind, to the digital technology that lets my voice be heard, my contribution to the 21st century on being a literate member of society is so clear.

Blog #5- Thoughts for Wikipedia article

2009-02-10T19:50:00.000-08:00

While thinking about what I might want to do my Wikipedia and hypertext essay, I knew that I wanted to do something that related to the field that I am going into, which is teaching. There are so many possibilities that can come out of it, such as: aiding students in the process of finding credible sources while doing research papers, social networking websites (myspace and facebook), cyberbulleying, and so on. Those were just a few of the ideas that I thought of on my own. But then when I looked at some of the topics that last semester's students have done, it brought forth another topic, that is teachers having a profile on myspace and facebook.

This topic really caught my attention. I am going to be a teacher, and currently, I have both a Myspace and a Facebook page. There have been so many stories and rumors spread that principals look on the web to check your background before bringing you in for an interview or offering you a job. On both of these social networking websites, I have my profile set as private, so in order to request me, one has to know me. Although I won't be applying for a teaching job until sometime after September (because I am due to graduate Dec. 09), I plan on deleting my profiles on both of these websites over the summer. I feel that I am about to start my professional career, and it is best that I set a role model for my students and not 'advertise' myself on these websites. This topic choice is not set in stone, and I am not 100% sure this is the topic I'm going to write about, but it is one that I have serious interest in.

2009-02-08T17:00:00.001-08:00

When reflecting back upon my experiences of when I first became a literate member of society, was quite challenging. For starters, I grew up in a very literate household with two well educated parents; in addition to having a brother who is almost three years older than me. Growing up, I would see my older brother (and role model at the time), Todd, doing something, and it made me want to do exactly the same thing as him. A major influence on how I became at literate member of the twenty-first century, is due to peer pressure and social conforms.

As a young child, before entering preschool, my parents would have my brother or myself go to our ‘library’ at home, (which we kept in the basement, also known as our playroom), and select a book for that night to be read. We would take turns as to whose room the story would be read in; one night in my bedroom, the next night in his. As a baby and toddler, my mother made sure that there were always books surrounding my play area, and would encourage me to open the book, even if it was just to look at the pictures.

Another aspect of my childhood was the encouragement that I received from my parents, relatives, and teachers to read and write. As a young child, I would always want to take crayons and ‘write.’ This ‘writing’ that I was doing, was more like scribbling lines on a paper, but to me, it was writing. My parents never forced reading or writing upon me, it was a desire that I picked up on my own after seeing my older brother doing it, and made me want to be just like him. If there was enforcement from my parents to read or write, I doubt that I would have had the passion to do so on my own, as often as I did.

When I began preschool, my interest in reading became stronger, as my teachers would read numerous books, daily. While writing this reflective piece, I couldn’t remember all of the details from my early childhood years, so I had to ask my parents, but mostly my mother for assistance. One story that my mother told me, was that when she would pick me up from preschool, I would tell her what story we read that day, and then she would take me to the library and rent the book for a week. I went to preschool for two years, and for both years, my mom would do the same routine. Back in those days, what I called reading, was simply taking the book in my lap and sliding my finger along the words in the book, and then make up my own story (because I didn’t quite know how to read yet).

My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Vacchio, was a very animated individual, who would always dress up like the characters in the book she was reading us that day. I feel that her animation helped me gain interest in reading books. While in kindergarten, I was beginning to learn how to blend letters together to make certain sounds, and my literacy development was rising. I knew the entire alphabet and the different sounds that each letter made. Another factor that I was coming to realize was the concept of writing. In the beginning of the school year, my teacher would give us a handout that we had to trace the letter with pencil. After tracing the letter by connecting the dots on the page, we then moved to lined paper, where we had to make the letters on our own. Print writing was something that I had to do, because it was valued in school.

By the time I got to first grade, I was able to recognize a lot of words and sound them out. They were mostly high frequency words, such as ‘the, it, he, she, me, I,” and so on. The motivation and desire to want to learn to read stemmed from my kindergarten teacher, but was as encouraged by my first grade teacher, Ms. Schiller. Story time was a regular occurrence in my classroom, and I remember all of the students in my class, sitting on the reading carpet and intently listening to the stories. Both my kindergarten and first grade teachers had a strong passion for reading and writing, and getting their students literate, as best they could.

My second grade teacher, Mrs. Pechar, had a different approach. Her passion was seen when she taught social studies. It wasn’t that she disregarded literacy (reading and writing) as useless or not important, but her background was in history and that is where we spent a lot of our time. To make sure that she was meeting all of the state guidelines, she made sure to incorporate reading and writing in her history lessons. I remember when we would learn about a new famous person, she would have us do a small biography about that person, thus using our reading and writing skills. Likewise, my third grade teacher, Ms. Keroni was very much like my first grade teacher and had her students do a lot of reading and writing in her classroom.

For the remainder of my grade school, I had teachers who strived on getting their student’s writing to be better and help them improve. I have always been good at writing papers and assignments; however, I did struggle a little bit when it came to reading longer pieces of work, as I got older. My mother noticed that when I would be given a reading assignment, it would take me twice as long as it should. She would see me on the same page for a good twenty minutes. At one point, I believe in the summer in between third and fourth grade, my mom sat down with me and read a chapter in a book with me, and she noticed that something might be wrong.

Upon entering fourth grade, my mom talked with my teacher, Mrs. Forte. She told her that she thought I might have a learning disability. My teacher wanted to see for herself, before suggesting anything. She spent a few weeks watching closely over me, and finally came to the conclusion that she was going to recommend me to the child study team to get tested for a reading comprehension learning disability. Ultimately, after taking the tests and awaiting the results, it came back that I had a reading comprehension problem, and that is why it took my twice as long as my peers to get through a piece of work, and yet, still not understand it completely.

From fourth grade, until approximately eighth grade, I received extra assistance. Prior to entering high school, I hated the stigmatism that went along with being ‘classified,’ so I didn’t make it known to my teachers. Fortunately for me, this type of learning style is one that people can grow out of; that is what I think happened to me. I was able to make my way through a reading assignment, just at a slower pace, and with the possibility of needing to re-read it for extra clarification. Fortunately for me, I have since grown out of my learning disability, but at times, still need to read things over more than once to get a clear handle on what is being said.

My parents were pretty much on top of new trends and fads in society, which meant that when I was in fourth grade, my parents bought the first computer for the house. It was kept in the spare bedroom and my brother and I were allowed to go on it whenever we wanted to, as long as we asked. At this early stage of my technological life, the internet was not known to me. While in fourth grade, the elementary school that I attended also started to include ‘computers’ as a weekly special. In this class, students learned how to type on the computer and the simple operating skills needed to operate a computer. When first learning the computer, I was very slow and afraid that if I hit the wrong button, or clicked in the wrong spot, that I would mess up the entire computer. Digital writing allows me to keep in touch with family and friends that don’t live local to me. All of my extended family lives out of New Jersey; aunt and uncle in Delaware, cousins in Maine, Upstate New York, California, Manhattan, Mexico, and even a brother who lives in Israel. There is no way that I would be able to communicate with them, if it weren’t for the advancements in technology, and creating an e-mail account at the age of ten. Once my school introduced the computers class, and my parents bought our first family computer, my life as I knew it was changed.

The foundation that I gained from my parents and teachers, early on, has shaped who I am as a writer and literate member of society. More often that not, I prefer using the digital technology of typing, rather than pen to paper. Once the computer world was brought to our culture, many things were done on the computer. You can now write using the computer, shop online, send and receive pictures and letters from friends and family, and so much more. To this day, I prefer to type something, rather than handwrite it; however there are a few instances that I will pick up a pen and paper and write. For example, if I am writing a letter or a thank you card of some sort, it is more personable to hand write it, rather than type a letter.

During my years at East Brunswick High School, other opportunities with digital technology came my way. I remember sitting at the lunch table in the cafeteria, my junior year of high school, and my friends talking about a website called, Myspace. I swore that I wasn’t going to let myself get into such absurdness, and that I was not going to make a Myspace page. At this point, I knew nothing of these social networking websites, but again, with peer pressure, I caved in and made a page.

Now, almost five years later, wondering where I stand in the peer pressure pool. Well, I still have my Myspace page that I made in my junior year of high school in 2004, and now, I have a Facebook page and an Orkut page. Let it be known that I did not take the initiative to create either of these pages. At my first college, a friend of mine, named Ryan told me about Facebook and one day while we were waiting for our next class, he sat down with me in the computer lab, and made a Facebook page for me. As for Orkut, my boyfriend of one year has an Orkut page, and convinced me to make one. Social networking websites is what my generation has grown up with.

Peer pressure is definitely what has shaped my writing life. With the creation of these social networking websites that have features such as blogs, it is no wonder that my life has become that way it is, today; so needy of a computer. Print writing is a requirement that society puts on us and one that the educational system strongly values. Learning to print was something that I had to do, where as digital print is something I chose to do. The peer pressure that I received from my friends and older brother, forced me to conform to the way society was changing. In order to keep up with the crowds, I needed to take the step and make these social networking websites. With exploration of the blogging network, I am able to express myself more freely. I feel as though digital writing has allowed me to mature as a writer, more quickly then if everything was done in print writing.

I give the internet a lot of credit, because I don’t know what my life would be without it. I am able to write and let my writing be read by everyone, or just my friends. The way the culture is today, so many people have become computer literate, while others are feeling the need to do so, it is only a surprise what the future may present to us. From teachers who pushed me for great penmanship and a creative mind, to the digital technology that lets my voice be heard, my contribution to the 21st century on being a literate member of society is so clear.

Blog #3- Lankshear and Knobel article

2009-02-04T10:34:00.000-08:00

The article entitled Sampling "the New" in New Literature was, for the most part an easy read. The article starts off with a sampling which talks about all the different technologies and ways that literature is being transformed as we speak. As we move into the first subtitle of the article, "A sociocultural approach to literature," we read about the contexts of reading and writing. The topic of Discourses is also brought up in this section. Discourses are "socially recognized ways of using language, gestures and other semiotics, as well as ways of thinking, such that we can be identified and recognized as being a member of a socially meaningful group, or as playing a socially meaningful role." (pg 3). Basically, no matter what it is that we are doing, we are using a discourse, because we are constantly thinking, talking, writing, reading, etc., and discourses tend to change over time.

In the section entitled, "Sociocultural Definitions of 'Literacies,'" talks mostly about the fact that literacy is a form of communication. When we talk and when we write, we are communicating with other people. "Without text there is no literacy," is a statement that is made in the text, which holds true to my own personal beliefs. Some people write for the entertainment of others, while some writers write as a means of self-expression and communicating what isn't possible to verbally communicate. Weblogging is an online form of communication. In simplest terms, it is a form of communication that is typed out and posted on the internet (sometimes for the public to see, and other times just for a select few people to view). Within this subtitle, there is a section that talks about ebay and how people auction off ridiculous stuff, but this is all a means of literacy. The art of being an ebay bidder and seller, comes into play with this era of "New Literacy" that the article is trying to talk about. (pg. 5).

Before reading this article, I considered literacy to be just reading books and stuff published on the internet, however this is so not the case. As mentioned in the article, "hence, our claim that literacies are 'socially recognized ways of generating, communicating, negotiating meaningful content throug the medium of encoding texts..." Additionally, such literacies can include the following, "blogging, fanfic writing, manga producting, meme-ing, photoshopping, anime music video (AMV) practicies, podcasting, vodcasting, and gaming are literacies, along with letter writing, keeping a diary, maintaining records, running a paper-based zine, reading literary novels and wordless picture books...." (pg 6). Literacy, in the modern day, is such a wide array of different materials.

The article also talked about two different mindsets, mindset 1 and mindset 2, and the differences that come along. There was a comment made on page 11, "schools, for example, have tradionally operated to regulate scarcity of credentialed achievement, including allocations of litercy 'success.'" This part became of interest to me, because as mentioned in the previous blog, I have intentions of being a teacher, and the minute anything is discussed about schools, teachers, and/or students, my mind goes to my future career. Then on page 14, the comment is made as follows: "From the standpoint of the first mindset, space is typically through of as enclosed, as having borders. In the educational context, learning space is bordered by the classroom walls, lesson space by the hour or 40-minute time signal, and curriculum and timetable space by the grid of subjects to be covered and the time and physical space allocations assigned to them." Again, my mind drifted to the classroom, and how true that saying is. There is only so much time alloted for everything to be covered and there just isnt enough time in a day, nor space in a classroom to do everything that needs to be done.

The final topic that I found interesting and that connects to our discussion that we had in class on Thursday about our own personal experience with technology and writing, is about the multi-tasking. In the article, it talks about wireless classrooms where students are half paying attention to the class, while surfing the internet, doing online shopping, or instant messaging with friends. The article also says that "even when they were 'drifting' on their screens, they demonstratably participated as much if not more in class discussions than their 'on task' peers." I don't sit in class on a laptop, to begin with, but I understand where the authors are coming from, and I have been in classes where people are doing just that!

Overall, this article was easy to read and Iwas able to connect to a few of the topics they were talking about. Anytime that you, as a reader, can connect with the writing, makes for a more pleasureable reading experience.

Blog #2- Course readings

2009-01-31T10:18:00.000-08:00

I am honestly not sure which course readings this blog is supposed to be about. I am going to write this blog on the basis of the various readings that we will be doing while in this class, that Dr. Chandler briefly told us about, while in class on Thursday Jan. 29th.

Some of the readings that Dr. Chandler talked about, captured my attention, while others turned my attention off. Right off the bat, the articles that captured my attention were as follows:

1. "Flashmobs"- While hearing what this article was about, I began to grow some interest in it. The title itself, is enough to make you wonder what the article is about and make you want to read it. It almost sounds like one of those space stories (which is something I am not interested in, yet this title caught my attention). While presenting this article topic to the class, Dr. Chandler mentioned that youtube can be a source of our presentations. I regularly use computers, but do not have a lot of experience with youtube.com. I tend to only go on youtube when a friend of mine tells me of a video that is sure to make me laugh (or just worthwhile to watch). Overall, this caught my attention.

2. "Friend Game"- This article caught my attention as well because it is about cyberbullies. I use social networking programs such as Myspace and Facebook, and never picture myself getting cyberbullied, yet it is possible. When Dr. Chandler was talking about this article, it caught my attention because I am going to be a teacher, and part of my job is to protect my students. I can do my best at protecting them in my classroom, but what happens when they leave my doors. There is no way of preventing them from having these social networking websites, nor ensuring their safety outside the classroom. There needs to be some sort of protection that can be put inplace to prevent these cases of cyber bulleying and horror stories that come from it.

The second part of this question asks for us to talk about any personal experience we have with any of the topics related to these articles. I have personal experience with the Friend Game article, as mentioned previously, that I do have a Myspace and Facebook account. Additionally, I would like to know what and how can we deal with cyberbulleying? The article entitled Flashmobs, I don't exactly have personal experience with, but I have interest in reading more about this phenomenon that people show up in an agreed upon destination, do their thing, and all disperse within minutes of their arrival. It sounds like a cult or something.

Those are the two articles that I hope to be assigned to report to the class.

Blog #1- Using google.docs

2009-01-27T09:47:00.000-08:00

After our first class on Thursday, January 22. I was a little nervous going into the class, because I really don't have extensive knowledge about computers and cyberspace and everything that goes with it. I got even more nervous, when Dr. Chandler said that we were going to create a blog and that during the semester, we would post numerous blog entries. The other thing that caught me by surprise is that our first homework assignment was to work collaboratively with the rest of the class to complete a History of the Internet Time line.

Over the weekend, our assignment was to make a few contributions to the time line. When I logged on from time to time over the course of the weekend (Thursday night- Sunday night), I saw that a lot of people had posted new comments, and at first when I was looking at the websites to get the information from, I didn't know where I could post something knew, that was a valuable contribution to the History of the Internet. This assignment was to be completed on google.docs, which is something that I had only heard about, but never used. One thing that I have been told, time and time again, is that when it comes to the internet, the best way to learn something, is by playing around and figuring it out on your own. Chances are, when you learn on your own, you tend to remembe the steps you took to doing something, better than if you were shown how to do it by someone. After playing around with the google.docs in class on the first day, I learned how to log in and how to post something.

During our first class, we spent some time just practicing putting stuff on the website, and it proved to be an issue. When everyone in the class was logged on at the same time, some people were shut out and not able to post anything, while others were successfully about to do so. For the most part, after I learned how to use google.docs, it was easy and it was a different way to work collaboratively with a group of people, yet be in different locations and working on the document at different times. I wasn't too concerned or worried about deleting someone else's work, my only thought was once someone saves what they were working on, if there is a correction that needs to be made, can it be made without messing up the entire document?

Some features that made it easier to collaborate with classmates were as follows. For starters, if we were all in a big corporation and needed to work together to get a job done, who says we all live in the same location. Same goes for this class. We don't all live in the same place, nor do we have the same time available to work on the assignment. By having this technology, as a class (or corporation if you want to call it that), we were able to work together on the timeline, and not once did we have to pick up the phone and call someone else, or drive to a mutual destination to sit down and work together. Another aspect that I thought was relatively easy, was once you let yourself go and explore a bit within the google.docs, it was really easy to insert a new row and put a new date in. I noticed that people tried doing so, and were able to put a new row in, but it didn't go chronologically in order. I'm the one who rearranged a lot of it. I also found out, that if someone's entry needed a little correction, even though it was already saved, another person was able to go in and correct it, without messing up the entire document. Overall, I found it relatively easy to navigate my way through google.docs, open the documents that we were to read, and then post on the time line.

Although I say that I had a relatively easy time, there were some problems with the google.docs. While we were all in class, and logged onto the google.docs, the network was not powerful enough to allow for all of us to post at the same time, so it allowed some users to post, while shutting out the rest of the users. This could pose as a major problem, because, what if there was a deadline. If there was a deadline and everyone waited until the last minute to go on and post something, there would be some of us who got shut out and others who were able to post.

I'm not too sure about what features I would add to google.docs to make it easier for class projects, but the one major thing is related to when too many users are logged on. I think that if there was a way to allow as many users as possible to work collaboratively on one project, all at the same time, it would eliminate some of the headaches that we might have had during our first experience. Again, I'm not really that knowledgeable when it comes to technology, so I really can't say what else we could do to make the system work better.

My first experience with google.docs is not something that I can complain about, and overall, it was pretty easy to figure out how to navigate my way through the program.