I maybe use Wikipedia for research 50% of the time. Ever since I found out it was a website anyone could post on I probably have started using it less. Now when I do my research online the very first thing I do is Google the topic and try to see what web pages it brings up. I like to see if the page has an author but if not I make sure it has a date and some sort of supervisor or credible source backing it up.
As a teacher I would have to say I wouldn't allow Wikipedia as a source. If you look at most Wikipedia pages you can see sources are cited. If a student is going to go through the effort to find the information on a Wikipedia page they should be able to use the references from the original source and check to see if the information is indeed accurate. This article has a point in stating that there is more information on Wikipedia than an encyclopedia. You can find all sorts of off the wall stuff. The thing is that the people who post on there get their information from somewhere. Wherever that information comes from it is accessible and that means whoever is doing the research needs to find similar or the same credible sources. The article supports my position I feel.
I support internet research. The use of computers is the norm now and it makes it easy to research things. Credibility and plagarism have to be closely monitored though. Anyone can make a website now. Websites need to have a credible author or supervisor or editor. Something that gives the credentials and origin of the information is important. If you don't know where the information comes from then how do you determine its accuracy. A date is key too. You need to know how old the information is and if it is up to date. These are all key as well as if the paper is opinionated or not. Articles should argue both sides and have a good amount of facts over opinions. These are the kinds of policies I would follow in allowing use of internet research on projects. The internet can be a useful tool if used properly.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Cell Phones In School
I would have to say I agree with the side that is against cell phones in the classroom. I believe they have no place in helping out with education. There are plenty of other smart devices that benefit student learning with less of a distraction than cell phones. Graphing calculators, laptops, even the use of classroom ipods for videos and other features they have. I feel when you allow a cell phone to be openly used into a classroom you allow for all kinds of distractions that can be more harmful to learning than good. With the use of cell phones you can look like you are doing your work but you could really be sending text messages or instant messages or even playing games.
My opinion was the same before as it was after reading the articles. I listened to the points on the other side but none of them seemed strong enough to get me to want to allow cell phones in my classroom. My cell phone policy someday will be simple. I won’t allow them to be used in class. Students can have them on them but they better be on silent or vibrate. The only time I would allow it is if I needed to check something online during a class and a student’s cell phone allowed the best opportunity for finding that out. Consequences for not following the rules would start out with a verbal warning. From there I would confiscate the phone. If the student still won’t comply I’ll start sending them to the principal and getting the parents involved.
I really can’t think of any ways I could incorporate cell phones into my classroom. I want to teach PE most of all and I think cell phones would hinder teaching in a physical education classroom more than they could ever help. Video games could help but cell phones would be too difficult. In health the only use I could get out of cell phones would be the use of videos. Still not a lot I would want to use them for. There are plenty of other teaching tools out there I would use before incorporating cell phones into my class and many which can teach the skills better than the use of cell phones can.
My opinion was the same before as it was after reading the articles. I listened to the points on the other side but none of them seemed strong enough to get me to want to allow cell phones in my classroom. My cell phone policy someday will be simple. I won’t allow them to be used in class. Students can have them on them but they better be on silent or vibrate. The only time I would allow it is if I needed to check something online during a class and a student’s cell phone allowed the best opportunity for finding that out. Consequences for not following the rules would start out with a verbal warning. From there I would confiscate the phone. If the student still won’t comply I’ll start sending them to the principal and getting the parents involved.
I really can’t think of any ways I could incorporate cell phones into my classroom. I want to teach PE most of all and I think cell phones would hinder teaching in a physical education classroom more than they could ever help. Video games could help but cell phones would be too difficult. In health the only use I could get out of cell phones would be the use of videos. Still not a lot I would want to use them for. There are plenty of other teaching tools out there I would use before incorporating cell phones into my class and many which can teach the skills better than the use of cell phones can.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is the use of any technology source in an effore to put down or harm someone else emotionally. It is something that is problematice. I have been a part of it to a certain extent without knowing it. I have taken part in sports forums talking trash to other people. Some people take it too far though.
Schools face this growing problem because students are more and more technology savvy. It is a lot easier to put down someone using technology and not face any of the consuequences you would face if you did it in person. It is really hard to regulate legally also. The question is when do you regulate it? The only thing you can do is start having regulation for websites and have them closely monitored to kick people off who break the rules. Since it is hard to do this we need to try and do something in the schools about this. You can't really punish students for what takes place out of class but we need to try and identify any cyberbullying as it occurs and talk to the students to try and squash it. Also we need to educate students starting when they're young about cyberbullying and let them know its not accepted.
In my classroom I will have an open door policy. I will tell any student to come talk to me about any issues regarding cyberbullying or bullying in any form. First step would be to talk to the students who are at fault. If it continues my next step would be to talk to the parents. Also during all of this I would let the principle be aware of what is going on. If this is something that continues then disciplinary action would have to follow. If the issue really becomes a problem I would run an entire class on cyberbullying getting every student aware of it. I could use any of the stories I read to even scare the students a little. Awareness will be the best way to take on cyberbullying and hopefully minimize its occurance.
Schools face this growing problem because students are more and more technology savvy. It is a lot easier to put down someone using technology and not face any of the consuequences you would face if you did it in person. It is really hard to regulate legally also. The question is when do you regulate it? The only thing you can do is start having regulation for websites and have them closely monitored to kick people off who break the rules. Since it is hard to do this we need to try and do something in the schools about this. You can't really punish students for what takes place out of class but we need to try and identify any cyberbullying as it occurs and talk to the students to try and squash it. Also we need to educate students starting when they're young about cyberbullying and let them know its not accepted.
In my classroom I will have an open door policy. I will tell any student to come talk to me about any issues regarding cyberbullying or bullying in any form. First step would be to talk to the students who are at fault. If it continues my next step would be to talk to the parents. Also during all of this I would let the principle be aware of what is going on. If this is something that continues then disciplinary action would have to follow. If the issue really becomes a problem I would run an entire class on cyberbullying getting every student aware of it. I could use any of the stories I read to even scare the students a little. Awareness will be the best way to take on cyberbullying and hopefully minimize its occurance.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Social Networking
I really didn't expect to find out much when I first googled myself. I actually thought it was a little silly. There really is more out there about you then you know apparently. Not saying that I have done stuff to be ashamed of that is on the web but using the PIPL search engine I actually found my court record for my seat belt ticket in California. the link is: http://www.glenncourt.ca.gov/online_index/CMSCaseDisplay.cfm?URLCaseNumber=ST080705. It's crazy to think you can find that so easily.
When I think back about my life there is a lot I have changed and even some I still want to change. That is all part of growing up. I don't want to take back anything I've done because it has made me who I am today. I at times was rebellious early on in college and now I can't even see myself being the way I was. As far as a teacher being held to community standards as to what they have done I don't know about that. It depends on the severity of the situation. I feel like one thing that needs to be understood is that no one is perfect and we all make mistakes and have our regrets.
I feel like the most important thing I took from the article is that nothing in our lives is really private when it comes to technology. For instance the teacher who's partner posted artistic nude photo's on the web. Something like this which may seem small at first can have lasting effects. In her case she lost her job.
In today's society I need to be more consciencous about how I live my life and what I put on the internet. It is all about being careful. If its something you wouldn't want others to know about you or see you do then it probably is a good thing to avoid.
When I think back about my life there is a lot I have changed and even some I still want to change. That is all part of growing up. I don't want to take back anything I've done because it has made me who I am today. I at times was rebellious early on in college and now I can't even see myself being the way I was. As far as a teacher being held to community standards as to what they have done I don't know about that. It depends on the severity of the situation. I feel like one thing that needs to be understood is that no one is perfect and we all make mistakes and have our regrets.
I feel like the most important thing I took from the article is that nothing in our lives is really private when it comes to technology. For instance the teacher who's partner posted artistic nude photo's on the web. Something like this which may seem small at first can have lasting effects. In her case she lost her job.
In today's society I need to be more consciencous about how I live my life and what I put on the internet. It is all about being careful. If its something you wouldn't want others to know about you or see you do then it probably is a good thing to avoid.
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