We all know the dangers of technology and we all know how a great resource like the internet can be abused. We hear of online bullying, sexual abuse, and even violence that can start though the internet. Though it is true that these problems exist, at the same time there are much more good than there is bad. Letting fear of falling down didnt stop you from riding a bike and this is the attitude i have towards the dangers of the interent. There is too many useful tools and information on the internet to let the negative aspects of it get in the way.
There are also many ways of protecting yourself against these dangers and threats. More security, anti-virus software, encryption are coming out everyday and its coming to a point where the dangers are becoming easy to avoid. On facebook you can choose exactly who can see what information and easily change these settings in a few minutes. Online credit card purchases are becoming encrypted in extremely complex formulas. Even our own desktops are becoming so protected through multiple firewalls and anti-virus / anti-spyware that even if an unwanted person or program managed to get through,you would instantly know and be able to act accordingly. In the beginning of the internet, the dangers were enough to make people (including myself) steer clear of it but in this day and age it is crazy to avoid the internet because of those fears. The internet can bring you to amazing tools and resources in a safe way as long as you wear your helmet when you ride.
You can build an internet "helmet" using the following tools:
Symantec Anti-virus
This is a monthly subscribed program used to keep unwanted malicious software out, and quarantine / destroy it if it manages to get it. A must have for all internet users.
Spyboy S&D
Spybot search and destroy is a free program open to the public that protects against malicious, self-downloading software refereed to as spyware or adware. These can contain keyloggers and other dangerous tools that can record and transmit your information. Aside from that they slow your computer down immensely. Spybot is your shield against adware and is extremely effective in keeping them out and finding those that are already installed.
Net Nanny
This is a program that montitors and controls the use of internet. It can block certain sites, (individual sites or categories) limit amount of time spent on internet, or even show you the sites being accessed. This is an extremely powerful tool for parents and teachers.
Just these 3 tools alone protect you against 99% of internet threats and dangers. Using your "helmet" can make the internet one of the most powerful and useful tools in the entire world.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Using social networks in the classroom
Web 2.0 is revolutionizing the way students can be educated. I plan on being a technology education teacher so obviously i am enthusiastic and passionate about utilizing these new tools effectively. 3 tools that I plan on using in my future classes are Blogger, Wikispaces, and Google Docs.
Blogger can be used in so many ways to enhance the class. It can be used as a medium for projects and assignments. When students use blogs for projects it gives them so many options. The entire project is creative and completely up to them to design a website. It also give them a doorway into the world of blogs. They could find they enjoy blogging and discover many hobbies and interests that they never could have if it wasn't for the blog.
Wikispaces is another resource i plan on using in the classroom. I feel that wikispaces have everything you need to base a class off of. Students can easily access assignments, important dates, resources, etc. This can also be a great communication method to parents as they can also access everything the students can. Here is a great site i found with people discussing how they use wikis in education.
Another tool i plan on using in my classroom one day is google docs. Google documents is an extremely powerful tool that allows people to create, edit, and share files. This can used in so many ways to improve a class. First off, it is the ultimate tool for students to turn in assignments. Students can send teachers the link to their assignment instead of dealing with paper copies, or emailed attachments. Students can also collaborate together from anywhere by allowing multiple users to edit the document. This can also be used by the teacher to add comments and suggestions whenever they want. The power of Google docs doesn't stop there. Here are some more ways it can be used.
Blogger can be used in so many ways to enhance the class. It can be used as a medium for projects and assignments. When students use blogs for projects it gives them so many options. The entire project is creative and completely up to them to design a website. It also give them a doorway into the world of blogs. They could find they enjoy blogging and discover many hobbies and interests that they never could have if it wasn't for the blog.
Wikispaces is another resource i plan on using in the classroom. I feel that wikispaces have everything you need to base a class off of. Students can easily access assignments, important dates, resources, etc. This can also be a great communication method to parents as they can also access everything the students can. Here is a great site i found with people discussing how they use wikis in education.
Another tool i plan on using in my classroom one day is google docs. Google documents is an extremely powerful tool that allows people to create, edit, and share files. This can used in so many ways to improve a class. First off, it is the ultimate tool for students to turn in assignments. Students can send teachers the link to their assignment instead of dealing with paper copies, or emailed attachments. Students can also collaborate together from anywhere by allowing multiple users to edit the document. This can also be used by the teacher to add comments and suggestions whenever they want. The power of Google docs doesn't stop there. Here are some more ways it can be used.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Hotel Project Lesson Plan (Any Feedback?)
This is a lesson plan idea I had for my Educ. 310 class.
Lesson Plan
-Design a website for a hotel somewhere outside US.
BIG IDEA:
To get students exposed to other areas of the world, cultures, and people.
RESOURCES:
Internet (Research)
Photoshop (Design, Creativity)
Google Earth (Geography)
Blog/Wiki/Facebook (Networking, Tech. Problem Solving)
Youtube
Questions
What hotel?
Where?
Why should we stay there?
What activities are there?
How expensive is it?
When is the best time to go?
What are the people/culture like?
What are some sites to see?
How can you make an attractive advertisement site?
Learning Activity
Use Google maps or Google Earth to find a hot vacation spot.
Research the area and hotel using any resource on the web.
Find reviews (video or written) of your hotel and location.
Choose medium for website (Blog, Facebook, Wikispaces, Etc.)
Design website displaying you information in an interesting and captivating way.
Use photoshop to design your own images to use on your website.
Comment on each others sites and tell them how likely you are to choose their hotel.
RUBRIC
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
Research | Includes a lot of important information and significant detail and depth. | Includes enough important information and reasonable detail and depth | Some decent information is given. Lacks detail and depth. | No important information evident. |
Design | Clearly displays information and research in a creative and interesting way. | Displays information in a clear way with some signs of creativity | Information is displayed in a distracting and unclear way. Little to no creativity is shown | No signs of creativity evident. |
Communication | Many comments show interesting thoughts and ideas. | Comments show some thought and depth | Few comments show little thought and lacks depth | No comments made |
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Top Web 2.0 Tools
There are hundreds of tools that we have access to that would be considered a web 2.0 application. These tools give people from anywhere in the world a way to interact with each other. Thanks to these applications, people can share and improve ideas, designs and really whatever you want. I have listed a few of my favorite web 2.0 applications that i feel are important.
Facebook/Myspace/Twitter
Everyone has at least heard of these social networking sites and most people have used them at some point. A lot of people cant see the amazing potential of these apps because they cant see past stupid teenages sharing inappropriate picture and cyber bullying. The truth is that if used correctly these sites can offer community that no other resource can match. All you need to do is tweet a question and within minutes youll have responses coming in from real people you can trust. These sites provide a means for spreading effective lessons, projects and other topics.
Delicious
Delicious is a site that documents bookmarked websites from thousands of people and shares them with the world. This tool is like a google but ultra refined so that any hits you get, you know are going to be credible because someone bookmarked it as a valuable site. This is a simple and yet genious system that can change the way information is acquired.
Blogs/Wikispaces
I posted previously about blogs as a tool in the classroom. They are one of the easiest and most effective way to organize a class. I plan on using wikispaces and blogs as a center for students to check due dates, assignments, help forums, calendars, class hand outs, study guides, really any material that was included in class. Not only can it be used as a reference for a class but also as a medium for students. They can use blogs as project submissions, primary research, and really any reason they can think. The uses for blogs and wikispaces are endless.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
National Educational Technology Standards
Visual representations of the ISTE NETS I posted about earlier.
Blogging as an Educational Tool
Blogging can be a very effective tool in learning if used correctly. a bloig is like a window in which we can see other perspectives and ideas and even interact with them. This is a resource of infinite value. Getting students to open their eyes and broaden their horizon is a very important part of education and throough blogs students can do exactly that. Just getting a student to find 1 blog that they are interested in can lead to a passion that will stick with them for their entire lives.
More than just finding their interests, students can use blogs to gain access to help with almost any subject they need. Many blogs focus on certain subjects and topics that can be use to form ideas for projects, presentations, and papers. A blog can even be an excelent medium for a project. I think an excelent idea for an assignement would be create a blog about an interest the student has, make a few posts about said topic and find five other blogs that focus on the same topic (out of the 6 billion people on this earth, i guarantee someone has posted about any subject you can think of) and interact with the blog in some way. They can email the creator, make a comment, link your blog to theirs, etc. The web log has changed the way people can interact and therefore changed education.
More than just finding their interests, students can use blogs to gain access to help with almost any subject they need. Many blogs focus on certain subjects and topics that can be use to form ideas for projects, presentations, and papers. A blog can even be an excelent medium for a project. I think an excelent idea for an assignement would be create a blog about an interest the student has, make a few posts about said topic and find five other blogs that focus on the same topic (out of the 6 billion people on this earth, i guarantee someone has posted about any subject you can think of) and interact with the blog in some way. They can email the creator, make a comment, link your blog to theirs, etc. The web log has changed the way people can interact and therefore changed education.
Monday, January 25, 2010
ISTE NETS
The ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) provides standards that set the bar for how technology should be used in a school. They call this set of standards "NETS" (National Educational Technology Standards). The NETS for students focuses on six categories; Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking, Research and Info. Fluency, Digital Citizenship, Tech. Operations and Concepts. These are in order as to how important i feel they are in today's students.
The first and most important category they point out is creativity and innovation. Creativity is the gasoline that fuels the growth of technology. If it weren't for people that think outside the box, people would still be sitting in caves writing with rocks on a wall. Developing creativity in students is ensuring that those who will shape the future have the qualities to break through on new levels and continue to advance us as a society.
The next quality that ISTE recognizes is Communication and Collaboration. This is another extremely important quality in a student. Ideas are rendered useless if they cannot be communicated and articulated clearly. Students have to learn to share their ideas and critique them in order to find the best possible solution. Technology has completed changed the way we communicate as a society and it is necesary for students to understand this.
Another crucial skill in today's culture is Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making. Now that computers have revolutionized the way we do calculations, we have to move on to more complex thought.We have to teach students to use technology to assist them in their problem solving and critical thinking. With the use of technology we can take our critical thinking to another level and continue to push the limits to human thinking.
Research and Information Fluency is the next ISTE standard in the NETS. This in my opinion is important but not anything too new. Today all it takes is a couple of Google searches to find out anything you could ever want to know. Yes it is important to teach students how to differentiate between good and bad information but i feel that computers have made research and info. gathering so easy that any literate human being can acquire almost any piece of information they desire.
The last two standards are Digital Citizenship and Technology Operations and Concepts. I feel that these two categories can be melded into one. They entail effective, safe and efficient use of technology systems. All of these qualities are necessary to a productive member of society.
The first and most important category they point out is creativity and innovation. Creativity is the gasoline that fuels the growth of technology. If it weren't for people that think outside the box, people would still be sitting in caves writing with rocks on a wall. Developing creativity in students is ensuring that those who will shape the future have the qualities to break through on new levels and continue to advance us as a society.
The next quality that ISTE recognizes is Communication and Collaboration. This is another extremely important quality in a student. Ideas are rendered useless if they cannot be communicated and articulated clearly. Students have to learn to share their ideas and critique them in order to find the best possible solution. Technology has completed changed the way we communicate as a society and it is necesary for students to understand this.
Another crucial skill in today's culture is Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making. Now that computers have revolutionized the way we do calculations, we have to move on to more complex thought.We have to teach students to use technology to assist them in their problem solving and critical thinking. With the use of technology we can take our critical thinking to another level and continue to push the limits to human thinking.
Research and Information Fluency is the next ISTE standard in the NETS. This in my opinion is important but not anything too new. Today all it takes is a couple of Google searches to find out anything you could ever want to know. Yes it is important to teach students how to differentiate between good and bad information but i feel that computers have made research and info. gathering so easy that any literate human being can acquire almost any piece of information they desire.
The last two standards are Digital Citizenship and Technology Operations and Concepts. I feel that these two categories can be melded into one. They entail effective, safe and efficient use of technology systems. All of these qualities are necessary to a productive member of society.
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