About Me

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What to say about me??? My life is consumed with weekend travel to soccer games in and out of this state! My 13-year old daughter, Kylie, plays competitively and is a fierce right defender! I am the ultimate soccer mom!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Copyright Regulations

This document was created to teach me to reference the fair use of copyright laws in education. Used the Fair Use Harbor Website.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

imovie software NETS III

This movie was created using Mac Imovie software promoting CSUSM.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Journal #10-Creating Tech Wizards

This educational group called the Technology Wizards promotes the learning and teaching of modern technology first started in October 2007 with the purpose to further the knowledge of computers in the classroom. The program seeks to “transform the delivery of professional development and change traditional practice by cultivating a cadre of student leaders equipped to provide teachers with technology training and support.” The members of the Technology Wizards is located in Pennsylvania and is offered to 5th-9th grade students from 14 districts. There are plans to expand to the lower grades as things in the middle level program get settled. The program curriculum emphasizes the need to align to the NETS standards for students, to align to 21st century skills, model the best practices in education, provide multiple intelligence learning, include student created technology, and focus on the emerging technologies. This one day a month program encourages hands-on learning and collaboration within the group of students. They take the skills and knowledge back to the home schools and spread the information to their peers and teachers.

Questions:
1. Is this type of program necessary for the leaning of current technology?
*No, but it’s nice that there is a organized space with a core focus to encourage students who have a passion for learning technology and want to mentor others in their home school.
2. Is this a program that the state or federal government should cover within the public school funding?
*Yes it is important to know that the next generations of students are kept current with technology.

Breiner, Beth (May 2009). Creating Tech Wizards. Learning & Leading with Technology, 7, Retrieved April 2009, from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200905/

Journal #9-The Kids Are All Right

The importance of teachers finding out about the level of engagement that their students have in the online community is an important topic of discussion in this article. After extensive research that the MacArthur Foundation began over three years ago involving the technological cultures of today’s youth has some fascinating findings where social interaction is concerned. In this study, over 800 young people and their parents were interviewed and more than 5,000 hours of observation on websites such as MySpace and Facebook were logged. In this report the researchers found that there are 3 different type of online participation amongst teens. One was called “Hanging Out” and this was the casual online social place such as Facebook that kids had casual social interaction. The next was called “Messing Around” which is similar to the hanging out but with sometimes more specific interests in common that were discussed and shared. The third aspect was called “Geeking Out” and this is the area where teens had an intense interest shared with others who were not a part of their local and physical social circle. The subjects range from anything subject the teen was passionate about discussing. Through this study the findings were that 80-90% of teens were using some sort of media social tool and that it is important for parents and educators to meet the needs of the teen by relating to the new technological world.

Questions:
1. Should Middle school students be offered online social classes?
* Yes, because it is an important part of human development to have strong social skills. And not all pre-teens are comfortable with their physical appearance or behavior and can help them become more involved with others in the online world.
2. Should there be a time limit placed on teens when having media social interaction.
*Yes because they have to also learn to communicate with physical human beings that have facial, vocal and bodily emotions that a computer cannot elaborate. A well balanced amount of time to develop the child/teen is important.

Waters, John K. (march 1, 2009). The kids are all right. The Journal, 6, Retrieved march 2009, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/24104