Week 12 Case Study: Virtual School

I do not know who should be responsible to pay for students who attend virtual high school. It makes sense, with all the benefits a virtual high school can offer that a face-to-face one lacks, that state governments should provide that option, especially for students with disabilities. However, state governments already provide high schools and resources within the schools to help students with special needs. With this in mind, it is logical that students should have to pay tuition for a virtual school, similarly to attending a private school. I do think, that perhaps a solution would be to charge a tuition, but for government financial aid and scholarships to be made available to students who cannot afford the tuition.

I do not think that every school should be required to have a virtual school component. Some schools, especially smaller schools, can hardly afford to offer a variety of programs within their school, let alone incorporating a virtual option. A virtual high school component should be an optional part of public/private high schools, but not required. Schools can, however, look into partnering with another school or alternate virtual school that can be recommended to students with special needs.

As we, as educators, want to provide all of our students with equitable opportunities, I think all parents should be informed of the option for virtual school. This could be done through a newsletter, the counseling department, or an individual teacher. Whatever method of communicating this option is best for the school can be used to alert parents of the alternative schooling. In keeping with classroom equity, the high school may need to accommodate students' needs for internet, a computer, etc. However, this should be a very viable option.

I do not think that teachers need a degree in teaching online courses, because they are already required to take classes, such as this one, that equip them with the basic knowledge needed. I do think, however, that some sort of training should be required before teaching an online class. A special degree seems to be more than necessary, but some training in specialized teaching (online) is necessary and best for student success.

I really like what the case study brought up as a benefit to virtual education. Generally, technology like this is focused on students with disabilities or gifted students. Virtual schooling can help any student whether they have a special need or not. Something as simple as more flexible school hours providing time for a student to work and help out his family can make a big difference. I wonder, if virtual high school as an option was made affordable for any student, if we could see a decrease in drop-out rates. Often, students do want to learn, but environmental factors get in the way and influence their ability to learn, even if they do not have any "disability." This does directly relate to the question about who is responsible for providing/financing virtual school as an option. I really do not know, but it is obviously an important question to consider as we consider all the potential benefits and pitfalls of virtual high school.

My favorite tool is the ipad (I now want one). There is just so much you can do with it. A close second, would be the pulse smart pens. However, I like the ipad because it has similar applications on it that allow a lot of the same capabilities as the smart pen.

I would not use the flip camera. There is not really anything about it that makes it better than another piece of technology. A digital camera or even something like an ipad has the same quality of video recording along with much more. The only benefit I see that the flip camera has over other similar technologies, is that the thumb drive is right there, making it easy to load to a computer. Other than that one plus, I think it is a waste of money and technology resources.

To use most of this technology, I would want to practice with it to master it and decide the best way to use it in class. I would use the smart board and wolf vision tomorrow, because I feel like I am most familiar and comfortable with these. The smart board is very basically a way to combine a white board and a projector connected to a computer. I could easily incorporate that into a classroom tomorrow.

I would use the smart board as a way to brainstorm paper ideas with students. After we brainstorm (and I write the ideas on the smart board) I could save the ideas to my computer and compile a list for students. Students would not need to take notes, but could instead be fully engaged in coming up with ideas while I take notes for them. Given more time, I would love to come up with more ways to use much of these technologies in my own classroom, because I think they have a lot of potential benefits.

Week 10 Case Study: Podcasting

As a teacher, preparing for podcasting does not require as much for my end of it, but would require preparing students for it. Because of programs such as Vocaroo and Podomatic, creating a podcast is not hard for me to do: I simply need internet access and a microphone. Preparing students for podcasting may be much more difficult, though. First, before preparing for podcasting, I must determine how useful it would be for my classroom. Secondly, it is very dangerous to assume that every one of my students will have access to an mp3 player, ipod, computer, or any other device on which to listen (or view) a podcast. The biggest requirement I see is simply making sure that it is a feasible means of learning for all my students.

There are many potential detriments to consider in regards to podcasting. I have no way of knowing that students actually listen to the podcast; they could be missing instruction, and I have no way of knowing that. Also, the availability of listening whenever they want eliminates the need to come to class, causing a loss of interaction. On the flip side, the availability to listen to a lecture that is missed could be a benefit if students are absent. Another benefit is the use of podcasts to communicate with parents or substitute teachers.

If a teacher uses a podcast, students are obligated to decide whether they want to attend class in a traditional way or if they would rather listen to the podcast later. Choosing to utilize podcasting puts more responsibility on students. I think students are also obligated to inform the teacher if there is a way to use a podcast to best promote their success. Is the podcast a really helpful study tool? Is it easier to take notes with because it can be paused? Questions like this are important for students to think about in order to help the teacher help them.

I do not think that in a high school (or lower) class attendance should be optional. I can see perhaps taking that into consideration for college students, but if attendance is optional in a high school class, problems will arise. I feel that implementing podcasts as an alternative to in-class lectures is very dangerous and should not be considered for primary or secondary education.

I think the best way for me to integrate a podcast into a classroom is to record lectures and only make them available to students when they are absent. When a students is absent from class, they are expected to make up work but still miss out on so much instruction; a recorded podcast can help with that problem. Also, pre-recording a lesson for a sub to play in class could be really beneficial. When I was in high school, a sub meant it was an easy day to do a generally meaningless task to fill the hour because the substitute may not have been or felt qualified to actually teach. By recording the lesson for my students, class time is not lost or wasted just because I cannot be present.

Podcasts

1) Vocaroo and Podomatic are both super easy to use; however, Podomatic required many more steps. If all I wanted was an audio recording, I would choose Vocaroo, rather than Podomatic in order to save time. Podomatic, on the other hand, offers the availability to upload photos, etc., giving me more control in how my final podcast functions. If it would benefit my podcast to have visuals, I would use Podomatic. Both are, as I said earlier, very easy to use, so I could see myself using either tool.

2) A podcast could be very helpful in communication within a classroom in a number of ways. It could be extremely valuable to a substitute. For example, the sub could listen to step by step instructions for finding something for class while actually finding it rather than having to keep looking at typed or hand-written instructions.

Also, parents and students alike could listen to (or view) podcasts through a class blog, etc., for information on what is happening in class. This is more effective than the newsletter idea, because it prevents the newsletter from getting lost on the way home.

A podcast would also be a great way to teach a lesson if a sub was not prepared. Rather than leaving the sub with a list of instructions for an alternative lesson, I could record my instruction (that a sub may not feel comfortable teaching), and students could listen to it in class. I could also record classes so that absent students have an easy way to catch up on what they missed.

Podcasts have lots of potential uses, depending on the imagination of the person using them to benefit communication.

Week 8 Case Study: Cell Phones

Depending on my school's policies regarding cell phone use, as a teacher, I probably would have handled the cheating situation with Laura and Jessica similarly to how their teacher handled it. I do not intend to tolerate cheating at all, regardless of how students do it. If this had been my classroom, I would have made sure to warn students about the penalties for cheating before it was an issue. I do not think it is fair to spring a punishment on students without a fair warning. If I did confiscate the cell phones, I would hold them "ransom" as a way to talk to Laura and Jessica's parents about the issue; it is important to make parents aware of what happens in school. I may allow Laura and Jessica the opportunity to retake the test, but I would take points off for cheating so that my point remains clear-cheating is unacceptable.

I do not think I would entirely ban all cell phones in my classroom. I would like to be able to trust my students. I think sometimes the best way to encourage a behavior is to make it wrong. If I ask the students to respect me in return for my respect of them and their belongings, it may be effective in keeping them off their phones. As long as students are paying attention and not cheating in my classroom, I do not necessarily mind them being present. I do not know for sure how I would implement cell phone use in my classroom, but it may be beneficial to ask students how they would use their cell phones to help them within the English classroom and outside of it to do homework. My school's policies would matter to me as a starting block for my personal decision on whether or not cell phones would be a positive or negative presence in my classroom.

Laura and Jessica do deserve punishment of some kind. Clearly they already got into trouble for talking in class when they were not supposed to. Using their phones to communicate was an extension of that same problem so was a blatant dismissal of what the teacher had expected of them. If this is the first time either one has cheated on a test, some leniency may be appropriate, but it must be made clear that cheating is not okay. I would probably be willing to allow them to retake the test for partial credit. However, I would want to make sure Laura and Jessica clearly understood that cheating would not be tolerated at any point, and if it happened again, the punishment would be more severe.

I do not think that cell phones should always be banned in schools. I think teachers can make the decision to allow them or not depending on whether or not they find them a useful tool. I do not understand entirely why parents would feel the need for their child to carry a cell phone in school in order for them to be safe. I do understand that parents could find comfort in their child having a cell phone for the trip to and from school, but a school should be a safe environment for kids. One solution for classrooms that want to prohibit cell phone use could be a blocker. I am aware of classrooms that have already implemented them. The blocker blocks cell phone reception making it so that students cannot receive messages or access internet on their phones. Students would be able to use their cell phones in the hallways and during breaks. They could not, however, use them during class or tests. This could be an effective way to enforce policy while still allowing parents some comfort of mind. If a teacher desired to use cell phones in their classroom, they could avoid the use of a signal blocker.

What resonated with me, was just how big of a deal cell phone use really is in a classroom. The school I attended was in a town that did not have cell phone reception. So although most students owned a cell phone, it was completely useless in the school. We were not distracted by it, nor was it able to be used to cheat. I think it is very interesting how ways of implementing modern technology, including cell phones, is being considered for classroom use. Although I am seeing the value in it, I am not sure I entirely agree. There are many other options for technology that are available for students to use in class. Also, not all students will have smart phones or even phones with equal capabilities, thereby disadvantaging some of them. I do believe that there is a place for cell phones within our world, but I am not sure yet where they would fit in my own classroom if at all.

Week 6 Case Study

Students can gain a variety of skills useful beyond the classroom through a digital storytelling project. One is simply organization of data, which is a skill necessary to some extent in virtually any job. Also, thinking creatively, or outside the box, can be practiced when creating a digital storytelling project. Manipulating different elements of a project, gathering evidence, comprehension, and critical thinking about different levels of the project can all be applied to digital storytelling and numerous situations outside the classroom.

Teachers really do not need much training or preparation before they implement digital storytelling into their classrooms. I would say that a teacher should make his/her own digital storytelling project as an example for students but also as a way to learn methods for putting one together. Teachers should plan for time in computer labs and a learning curve as many students will never have done a project like this. I do not think it is ridiculous for teachers to assume the "learn as you teach" method a little bit; this project could certainly be used to promote problem-solving, so teachers do not need to spoon-feed the solutions to students. Allowing students freedom to explore different ways is good. Teachers should have a basic knowledge in order to help students with questions, but the purpose of digital storytelling is not so much about the technology as about what is being produced by the technology.

Digital storytelling definitely holds much potential benefit for shy, quiet students who do not like public presentations. This is a way to share with a class in a creative way without having to stand in front of a group of peers, which is typically very uncomfortable for many people. In the case study, Glenna (the shy, quiet girl) was very comfortable with posting her digital storytelling project to YouTube where her class could view and comment on it. It is a "safe" way to open up among peers.

Outgoing students would not necessarily be harmed by a digital storytelling project. It probably would not have the same impact for them, as it would for a shy student, but is a new way to present ideas and learning, which can benefit all students. Outgoing students would potentially enjoy the opportunity to express themselves in a new way and however they want. Teachers could have an in-class discussion about the projects as a way to allow outgoing students the opportunity to share their thoughts in a comfortable way for them as well.

Week 4 Case Study: Wikis

As always, Miss Walker could have handled the situation differently, but this was not a bad way to handle it either. Being proactive in regards to plagiarism, paraphrasing, summarizing, etc. would have certainly decreased the problem. Depending on the age of the students, it is possible that Miss Walker's class had not yet learned about the problem with plagiarizing. She should have addressed those rules and techniques for avoiding it before students began the assignment. However, since she did not, I think she handled it appropriately.

Students could begin using wikis at a young age, even late elementary (fourth or fifth grade). If a teacher decides to begin using wikis with a young class, the first assignment may want to begin as in-class assignment where the teacher can walk around and actively assist the students. Older classes, Jr. high and certainly high school, can be done solely by the students with the teacher being simply a resource in case of problems.

In order to ensure that all students participate in the writing and editing of a group wiki, the teacher could avoid awarding a group grade (everyone in the group receives one grade on the overall product) but instead grade each individual student's input. Because of the software that allows a teacher to see how it is modified and who contributes, this would not be an impossible or unreasonable solution to one person or a couple students doing all the work while their peers do not contribute.

Students should definitely realize the severity of plagiarism. However, since Miss Walker did not address the situation until after the problem occurred, it was reasonable that she is allowing them to edit their work this time. If she explains why it is not allowed and gives them alternative ways to publish the information so that they are not plagiarizing, it would be expected that she is much more strict if it happens again. Giving her students a second chance this first time is acceptable, but if it happens in the future, giving a "0" on the assignment should be her course of action.

I think this is a very interesting and reasonable alternative to standard group projects/presentations. Instead of trying to get together to make a power point or something equivalent, this allows each student to be involved from a different location. Other than the plagiarism, the only other concern I have is: is it possible for someone outside the classroom to access and edit the wiki? If just anyone is able to post to the wiki, that could be dangerous and annoying. Is it possible to restrict access to the wiki to only the individual members of that wiki and the teacher?

Similar to the last paragraph, I would like to learn more about the privacy and security of a wiki. Wikipedia, for example, is a public wiki that anyone can edit (even though monitors can also remove inaccurate information). I just wonder if it is possible to keep the public out entirely to protect the students and their work from vandalism of any kind. That was not directly discussed, at least not as far as I could see.

Copyright and Fair Use

Copyright= exclusive right to produce or reproduce any artistic work

Fair Use= (without permission) for criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship or research is not an infringement of copyright IF.....

• purpose is for nonprofit educational purposes
• the nature of the copyrighted work (some "more worthy" and more protected than others)
• amount and substantiality used (using only what is necessary; quantity and quality)
• effect of use upon potential market value of the copyrighted work (original creator losing money?)

*don't share copyrighted work with the public...keep it under the umbrella of fair use

http://copyrightconfusion.wikispaces.com/

Week 2 Case Study

Case Study discussion question responses here....

Put additional question here...