Digital Blog Post #D- Chapter 5

As a book lover, the thought of electronic reading was initially a huge turn-off. I love the smell of a new book and the feel of the pages between my fingers, but after learning more and more about e-Reading, I have to admit that I’m interested. Electronic books, or e-Books, are books that can be read digitally on a computer or a device known as an e-Reader. A survey done in 2010 found that 40% of 1,200 e-Reader buyers were spending more time reading now than they had before with print books. At first, I was skeptical. Other internet critics claim that reading printed books is the time-honored, proven path to intellectual growth. Personally, I have trouble focusing on a computer or phone screen for too long, but an e-Reading study found no significant differences between comprehension when using an e-Reading device and a print version of children’s fiction books. It’s also been found that web surfing, social networking, information synthesis, and digital text reading build frameworks that students can use for both online and print reading. As with all technology, e-Reading technology makes our lives easier. We no longer have to go from bookstore to bookstore searching for the next book in our favorite series; we can have it at our fingertips with just a few clicks. The truth is that times are changing and printed books are likely going to be left behind. Publishes are making more and more books available in e-Book editions, including college textbooks. Textbook companies are issuing texts in e-Book formats. Textbooks and other course materials may soon be available with pronunciation glossaries, animated flashcards, collaborative annotation, and embedded videos. As a college student, I can definitely see the appeal of an electronic textbook; information would be easier to find, simply by using Ctrl+F to find whatever it is your looking for in the blink of an eye, and with the help of advanced technological tools, I can still highlight, annotate, and take notes, without having to damage a printed textbook. E-Books could be the best thing that’s ever happened to avid readers everywhere.

As previously stated, I am a college student. I would say that at least 30% of my time spent doing school work is taking notes. Note-taking is a multistep process, especially if hand-written. Recording notes and writing them down is time consuming. If notecards are lost or misplaced, the process of redoing them is doubly time consuming. Searching through pieces of paper for one little factoid is an inefficient use of time. I introduce to you, electronic note-taking; the new and improved version of hand-written notes. Electronic note-taking uses computer technologies to organize and expedite note-taking. It transfers the work of writing, filing, and organizing to your computer, letting you concentrate on the content and meaning of your notes. I am an admitted technology skeptic, only just opening myself up to all the possibilities that technology has to offer. Therefore, I just recently made the switch to electronic note-taking. My notes are done in probably less than half the time that it used to take me. It also helps that I am a pretty quick typist, coming in at 72 words per minute. I believe that all students should take a keyboarding class, especially with the recent technological boom. There are many computer and online applications for electronic note-taking for students including Evernote, NoteStar, and OneNote.

The last topic that I will be covering ties directly into digital citizenship, a topic covered heavily in this chapter. Cyberbullying is the willful and repeated harm through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic equipment. It has emerged as a serious problem in schools and society. Bullying in any form has a negative and lasting impact on academic performance. The consequences for victims of bullying and cyberbullying are vast. These can include depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, poor school performance, and suicidal tendencies. Also, students who have been victims of cyberbullying have been found to be twice as likely to smoke, drink, and use marijuana. I have seen cyberbullying first hand while I was in high school, and I can only imagine how much worse it will get with the coming digital age. As a teacher, I vow to have a zero tolerance bullying policy in my classroom and will do my best to educate students about diversity, empathy, and compassion in order to prevent them from becoming bullies themselves.

Resources: Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Blog Post #C- Chapter 3

The first topic that I found interest in was learning theories. The learning theories covered in this chapter include Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism, and Constructionism. All four learning theories play a part in how understanding, or world view, is acquired or changed and knowledge and skills retained. Educators tend to use one or a combination of the four theories, although using all four would be particularly beneficial. Behaviorism states that learning is a set of changes in human behavior created as a response to events in the environment. Basically, an environmental stimulus leads to a response, which means that educators use this by creating a stimulus and providing a reward, so that good behavior is repeated by students. Cognitivism states that learning is influenced by nonobservable and internal constructs, such as memory, motivation, perception, attention, and metacognitive skills. This theory utilizes active learning. Constructivism claims that every person interprets and constructs the world in his or her own way. Thus, learning is a process of manipulating and interpreting the surrounding world in a unique way for each individual. This theory stresses the actions and responses of learners rather than those of teachers. Constructionism emphasizes the idea that learners build their own knowledge and adds the idea that those knowledge structures are public entities. This theory focuses on students investing more time, energy, and meaning in knowledge that they create. My favorite learning theory would likely by constructionism because it really focuses on fostering student creativity. I think that when students can create and explain the content to others, that is when knowledge is at it's peak. Although I do believe that constructionism is the best learning theory, all of the four theories should be combined and utilized to create the best possible learning experience. The second topic that I thought was important to write about is information literacy and internet literacy. Immediate access to vast resources of information means that students need to gain information literacy. Information literate students are those that can identify what information is needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the best sources of information given, locate those sources, evaluate the sources critically, and share that information. Information literacy is extremely important in this day and age. I see all too often people using false sources and incorrect information and thinking it's right because they found it on the internet. A great example of this is a study conducted by the University of Connecticut and Clemson University. They created a website for the "Northwest Tree Octopus", a make believe animal whose existence became threatened with extinction. The site had academic-sounding text, authentic-looking photos, and seemingly legitimate contact information. Students who viewed the website believed it was real and when told it was a hoax, had difficulty identifying the fictitious elements of the information. When I was reading about this study, I was extremely amused by the thought of a tree octopus, so much so that I had to show it to my boyfriend. He looked at me with such shock in his eyes and explained to me that he was shown the same website in school and believed that it was real all this time. This occurrence made realize how important it really is to teach students information literacy. We all think that it won't happen to us, but the truth is is that it easily could. Since I was brought up and educated in the time that technology immersion was still in the early stages, I wasn't taught how to identify valid sources, so I too am still learning. I can only hope that when I am able to teach, I will be well-versed enough to instruct my students in information literacy.

The third topic I chose to discuss was expressing creativity. When discussing technology and the complete immersion of it in today's society and educational systems, one wonders if the loss of creativity will be an issue. Since programs like arts and music are being cut across the nation, it's been an even bigger concern. The good news is, emerging technologies do not mean the death of creativity. There are many ways for students to foster creativity, and technology can help foster it even more if you use the many resources it offers. Word processing, drawing, design, and paint programs offer writers, artists, composers, engineers, and designers endless venues for self-expression and alternatives that support creative thinking. Multiple Intelligences researcher Howard Gardner located creativity in the actions of historically significant people such as Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, T.S. Elliot, and Mahatma Gandhi. I am a firm believer in cultivating creativity in students and will make an effort to do so in every lesson that I teach my future students. Resources: Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Save The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2015.

Digital Blog Post #B- Chapter 2

The first topic that really resonated with me was that a career in teaching really matters and the expectations of educators, especially now with all the newly emerging technology. As an educator, you must keep in mind that each student is an individual. You are not teaching to a class, you are teaching to your students, each of which has unique needs and interests. Teachers are expected to balance students' outside of school influences (social class, family income, race, gender, language, and individual exceptionalities) with inside the classroom dynamics (academic content, teaching methods, assessment practices, interpersonal dynamics, classroom management activities, and daily routines). This is so important. We, as educators, cannot forget that our students are human and have so much going on, especially in their school-aged years. In my opinion, a great educator is one who truly makes an effort to understand and get to know their students, and incorporate life lessons that students can relate to into their teachings. An issue that we run into with educators though, is that they tend to teach as they were taught. Beginning educators usually utilize whole-group instruction with desks arranged in rows, while students listen, take notes, complete worksheets, and receive grades reflecting test scores- all time-established educational routines. This is how I was taught all throughout middle and high school. I cannot think of any class I had that didn't follow this exact routine. . The problem with this is these practices often fail to engage at least half of students. Technology is helping to eliminate this problem by giving teachers access to so many different learning tools. Technology has the ability to offer diverse learning experience, motivate students, create group and cooperative learning situations, allow access to academic information from multiple sources, and allowing students to visit places and observe processes that cannot be seen without electronic systems. Some teachers are hesitant to use modern technology but students in this day and age need it. As educators, we must also be lifelong learners. In order to efficiently teach our students, we need to utilize the methods that make sense to them.

The second topic that I thought was important to discuss was technology choices and student engagement. As stated in the previous paragraph, there are a lot of teachers who simply lecture, have students take notes, complete worksheets, and test. While most of us can appreciate routine, it was found at with this method of teaching, most students are disengaged. Two-thirds of high school students report feeling bored in classes every day, while more than half said they never discuss academic material from their classes or reading outside of class. In studying student engagement with various pedagogical methods, it was found that lectures were the least engaging to students, while discussion and debate was the most interesting. It is so important to have all of your students engaged, because if they’re not engaged then they’re not really learning. We can use technology to introduce variety and excitement into our lessons. Technology can assist in fostering critical and creative thinking as well as inquiry and problem-based learning through writing and design programs, online information research and retrieval, and web or computer based learning games. There is no limit, except perhaps your imagination, to the opportunities that technology has presented us with.

The third topic that I enjoyed was using technology to enhance teaching, but not just in the classroom. We are all aware of the long hours teachers put in in and outside of school. Educators can use advanced technologies to support both instructional practice and administrative/professional activities. For example, email can be used to give students feedback while also communicating with families about school. A teacher created blog or website could also be a valuable commodity for students and parents. I know that I would have appreciated an online database when I was in high school that presented me with due dates, notes I may have missed, and perhaps even grading rubrics. Teachers can use technology for lesson planning, curriculum design, professional communication, and student information management. They can also utilize online testing for immediate grading. It is important for teachers to learn and possess 21^st century skills themselves before they can really prepare students for college and careers. Technology can truly be an educator’s best friend, even making their jobs easier. 

Resources: Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013).

Digital Blog Post #A- Chapter 1

Becoming a 21st century teacher means having to convey 21st century skills and be familiar with 21st century technologies. Now, you may ask what are 21st century skills? 21st century skills include ability to think critically, make informed judgment, solve complex problems, think creatively, communicate and collaborate with others, use information in innovative ways, and take responsibility for ones personal and civic lives. The 21st century society is extremely technology based, especially in comparison to the 20th century. 20th century learning focused on proficiency in the 3 R's- reading, writing, and math. 21st century learning focuses on multiple literacies, including financial literacy, media literacy, information literacy, and cyberliteracy. 21st century technologies include computers, websites, and Web 2.0 tools. Teachers are expected to be knowledgeable in these things and use them to create interactive and inquiry-based learning experiences. Technology has had a massive impact on not only our society as a whole, but only the entire structure of learning and teaching. We now have unlimited access to enormous amounts of resources that, I believe, will aid in creating the best possible learning experience for students.

My second concentration is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, otherwise known as TPACK. TPACK is how teachers bring together three different forms of knowledge to produce exciting learning experiences. These three forms of knowledge are content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge. I think TPACK is extremely important for educators to be knowledgeable about because it is vital to student learning, in the sense that you must incorporate all three to be successful. This subject is an important one for me because I am a strong believer in catering to individual learning styles. I believe that in order to teach every student effectively, you must integrate every learning style. This relates to TPACK because you cannot just utilize content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge in this day and age. You must incorporate technological knowledge into your curriculum. In contrast, you also cannot just utilize technological knowledge and pedagogical knowledge either. In order to adequately teach and furthermore produce successful life-long learners, you need to fuse every aspect of TPACK together.

I also found interest in the thought that technologies enable teachers to convey concepts in new ways that would not otherwise be possible, efficient, or effective with other instructional methods. An example of this would be social media. Social media is thought of usually as just for fun and perhaps somewhat useless to learning, but it has been known to help navigate students through the challenges of adolescence, expand friendships, and encourage self-directed learning. In our society, if you do not have proper technological skills, you will not succeed in the working world. Teachers cannot teach you how to be technologically adept if they are not adept themselves, or if they are not provided with the proper resources.

In conclusion, there are many aspects to becoming a 21st century teacher. Growing up in the "iGeneration", we, as future educators, have an advantage. But technology is always advancing, so it is important for us to keep up, as well as learn how to effectively use technology and our knowledge of pedagogy to create a stimulating learning environment for our future students. I believe that we are paving the way for future generations and truly transforming learning with new technologies.


Resources:

 Maloy, R., Verlock-O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. 

 Oliva, P., & Gordon, W. (2013). 20th vs 21st Century Classroom. Retrieved September 5, 2015, from http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/20th_vs_21st_Century_Classroom.htm

 Education- Am I a 21st Century Teacher? (2013, August 1). Retrieved September 5, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCwtsAp2VyY