5-4 Social Networking

Social media in schools is a big topic in education right now. Many schools currently ask students to unplug when they arrive, turn off or hide all devices and avoid checking them. However, this doesn't match our students lifestyles outside of school, where they are always connected.

Concerns

• Students spend too much time on screens and lose the ability to handle face to face interactions.

Pros

• Easier to share information globally
• Easier to collaborate with people in a different area of the world
• Video game like tasks provide feedback and data to students on how they are doing, while providing another way for teachers to gather formative assessment on students
• Quicker and easier to stay in touch with students

Cons

• Not all teachers are up to date on the new methods of social media, or comfortable using social media
• Online bullying is a concern of parents and teachers when social media is introduced to school.
• Teachers need to stay on top of social media platforms and continually use them for students to get the most out of them.

References:

Pandolfo, N. (April 30, 2012). Social media and video games in classrooms can yield valuable data for teachers. Huffington Post Education. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/30/social-media-and-video-ga_n_1465082.html

Glenn, D. (Feb. 7, 2012). How well are schools using social media. Social Times. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/how-well-are-schools-using-social-media-infographic/90209?red=st

2-1 Reflection

Digital Footprint
I find my digital footprint to be a very interesting idea and different than my students. Nowadays students have a digital footprint before they have the ability to decide if they want one or what to share. However, when I was growing up we did not have internet until middle school. The early years of my childhood were not documented on the internet like today's students. I started building my digital footprint around the age of 13. Truthfully, I feel like I have two footprints. I have my professional one developed around college and tied into one username. However, before that I had developed a username early on that I have stuck with throughout my personal life. To examine my whole digital footprint you would need to research both names and their usages, which are vastly different. My personal username ties into games, chat rooms, message boards, Twitter, Facebook, and my life outside of school. If examined it would show growth of a person over time from a young teen to an adult.

Digital Citizenship
I was not even aware of the idea of digital citizenship in the beginning of my internet usage career. The idea that the internet is forever was not on my radar. Students need to be taught early how to monitor their usage and how to be safe on the internet. They need to be taught what information is safe to be shared and how just a little can be traced back. They also need to be made aware that although the internet feels anonymous there is a person on the other end of that message or voice or comment that has feelings too, and bullying is still not okay. I think students should be learning this from a very young age.

1-4: Reflection

What are your ideas of what a technology integration specialist is as you previously learned in other SNHU courses? 

My current ideas of a technology integration specialist based on prior courses, is the tech integrator is a person who is responsible for teachers other teachers about technology. The technology integration specialist is responsible for finding new technology and resources for teachers to use in their lessons and help teachers integrate these tools into student learning. Tech integrators work with teachers inside and outside of the classroom. The tech integrator should be helping teachers to incorporate the national technology standards into their classroom. 

Also, discuss today’s students and teachers as related to their use of technology in and out of the classroom. 

In the MacArthur Foundation's video (2010), one idea was that students and teachers use technology appropriately and put it away when it is not necessary. Students currently are very connected to technology and usually have their own devices they use at home. At school, it seems like the majority of classrooms in my building ask students to unplug from technology completely. Teachers need to give students a chance to connect in the classroom like they do in their out of school lives.

The video also talks about students becoming a producer of content using technology. In my building, students and teachers are both content viewers (which can be seen through the conversations they have with each other), but rarely do students get a chance to create with technology in school. My students will often tell me about elaborate worlds they have created in Minecraft at home, so my third graders can be content creators in their home lives.

David Warlick's article (2010) discusses how the focus of technology right now is about getting one to one devices, when it should be on the type of activities we are using the devices to accomplish. Warlick discusses how 21st century learning is about creating experiences that will benefit our students. This means that we should be having our students use technology in useful ways, not just to word process documents. However, this is not the case in all schools (mine included). Teachers are unsure of how to integrate technology in a useful manner.

Reference:

MacArthur Foundation. (2010, December 1). Rethinking learning: The 21st century learner. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=c0xa98cy-Rw 

Warlick, D. (2010, August 16). Technology for 21st century learning: Part 1. Retrieved from http://2cents.onlearning.us/?p=2712