Journal #3: Social Media in Schools

Kessler, S. (2010, September 29). The Case For Social Media in Schools. Retrieved October 13, 2016, from http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school/#7ttdiIaPOkqR

Klopfer, E. (2009). The Instructional Power of Digital Games, Social Networking, Simulations and how Teachers Can Leverage Them. Retrieved October 12, 2016, from http://education.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf

The biggest question in debates today is: “Is social media and technology an asset to have in schools?” There are many sides to this debate, but I have my opinion that might be different than others. In my opinion, I believe that social media and technology can have many positive assets for a classroom. I can see how it can add a great deal to lessons, as well as the classroom environment. For instance, the way social media and technology can add to lessons was discussed in the article written by Eric Klopfer. He states that simulations and digital gaming can be added to give lessons an added challenge and sense of engagement for the 21^st century learners in the classroom. As for the classroom environment, Sarah Kessler discussed how social media can add a great positive dynamic to the classroom environment, due to fact that it creates collaboration instead of cliques, which cause displaced students in the classroom environment.

Question 1: Do cell phones help with chronic absenteeism in school?

Answer 1: According to Kessler, many schools have adopted a program that will wake up students who have chronic absenteeism through a text message. This will allow the student to get a reminder that they are wanted at school. As a result, these schools have seen a 35% improvement in chronic absenteeism and the school did not have to spend any money for this program.

Question 2: What are simulations? What are a few examples of simulations?

Answer 2: According to Klopfer, simulations are analogies of a real world situation, as they recreate a modeled or modified version of a real world situation. Some examples of simulation are Molecular Workbench, StarLogo: The Next Generation, and SimCity.

Journal #2: Affinity Group and Digg RSS Stream

The affinity group I decided to join is called Classroom 2.0. This affinity group is geared toward people who are interested in integrating technology into the classroom. As a result, this is why I joined this affinity group, because I am completing this master’s program in order to make my classroom a more technological place. As I continue to read the posts on this affinity group, I hope to get many ideas and strategies that I can use to incorporate more appropriate technology into my first grade classroom.

When we first created the Digg RSS stream, I was unsure how appropriate it would be for me to use, since I have other social media accounts, such as Twitter. However, after using the blog stream, I am now able to see how useful this site is, especially for a busy teacher like myself. I am able to see what other first grade teachers are incorporating into their classrooms, such as lessons or activities. I am able to see all of these ideas in one place, rather than searching on many websites to find one good idea.

Question 1: Will I continue to use Digg RSS Stream for my professional and personal life?

Answer 1: I believe that I will continue to use this blog stream, since it is making my professional life much easier. As a result of seeing how it is making my professional life better, I will see if I can use it for my personal life.

Question 2: Will I join another affinity group?

Answer 2: I am unsure if I will join another affinity group at the moment. I will need to see how effective Classroom 2.0 is, in order to see if it is worth to join another one. If I were to join another affinity group, I believe that it would be one specifically for teachers in the primary grades.

Journal 1 Blog Post: Chapters 1-3

Robbins, J. N. (2012). Learning web design: A beginner's guide to HTML, CSS, Javascript, and web graphics (4th ed.). Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly.

What resonated with me?: Upon reading these first three chapter of Robbin’s book, I felt a little overwhelmed with the amount of material that we would be covering in GED 512. However, upon further reading, I realized that I already know much of this information from previous classes on website development and my every day interaction with different websites on the internet. For instance, in chapter three, the development of a website with the different aspects that must be monitored is related to the ADDIE model that I learned in a previous course. Also, the information presented in chapter one about the things I would need to get started in the web design process allows me to see that I am ready to become a beginner web designer!

Question 1: Does a web designer complete each step of the design process solo?

Answer 1: Absolutely not! If a web designer completed all aspects of the web design process on his or her own, it would take a very long time for websites to be completed. As a result, web designers hire a great amount of people that focus on one or a few aspects of the web design process to make it more functional. These people could be experts in the field of study that the web developer is making a website for, such as an expert in dinosaurs to help complete a website for a museum that is getting a new dinosaur attraction. Also, a web designer can be paired up with a person that works for the company requesting a website, which allow the web designer to ensure that the company is getting what they are requesting by having one of their employees overlook the web design process.

Question 2: When creating a website, should a web designer create a website that is only accessible by one audience?

Answer 2: No, a web designer should create a website that is accessible by all people, not just one audience. A website should have accommodations for people that have vision, mobility, auditory, and cognitive impairments. This allows all people, regardless or abilities or disabilities to access, navigate and understand all websites.