Week SIX

Task 1:

21st Century Skills...Fad or Key? The movement on how to prepare today's youth for tomorrow's world  has become a source for debate. Do we as educators continue the school routine that has been "working" for years, or do we try to take a leap and change our approach? I believe that providing students with 21st Century Skills is one of the best things that we can give them for their journey from school to the work force.
Having the ability to problem solve, critically think, and effectively communicate are skills that set the great apart from the good. The article "The Workplace Readiness Crisis" addresses several issues that recent graduate face when entering the job market. While in school, students are under the notion that getting good grades and passing exams will land them their dream job. Where on a test have they learned how to have the charisma and quick thinking to turn around a bad conference call, or the creativity to tap an unusual source for assistance? Recent graduates are in for a rude awakening when they find out that they do not have these necessary skills. I am currently a part of the working world and frequently interview candidates. Some of the things I find myself looking for during an interview are: do they have personality?, will this person work well with others?, how would they respond to a problem? and are they willing to learn? These things I look for are all 21st century skills (i.e. innovation, collaboration and communication). As the article "21st Century Skills - Will our Students Be Prepared?" states "the illiterate of the 21st Century will be those that cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn". It is all about the willingness to adapt.
Supporters of the 21st Century Skills do not discount the importance of knowledge. They believe that knowledge and 21st Century Skills should work hand in hand. I agree with authors in the  "21st Century Skills - Will our Students Be Prepared?" and "The Value of Teaching 21st Century Skills" when they say that effectively teaching requires "blending" knowledge and skills and that "when taught concurrently, one reinforces the other". Students must have the required knowledge to back up their innovations and problem solving skills. Those that are critics of integrating 21st Century Skills seem to believe that educators are only interested in the skills, not the combination of skills and knowledge. While I agree with some of the critics that there are still some flaws to the system, continuing to explore and evaluate its potential will only improve its effectiveness.

Task 2:

I liked this video by Ken Robinson. I thought it was comical as well as informative. Like Ken, I think that creativity should play a big part in the way that we educate. Encouraging students to be creative lets them take the lead. Students can paint their own picture of God or act out a character in a play however they wish. With the right amount of guidance and input from the teacher, students will learn through these creative experiences. Students might feel like making a mistake is the worst thing that they can do, so educators must encourage and critique students in a way that they still feel free to express themselves.
I do feel that there is room in schools for other outlets such as art, music and sports. I think that schools must focus on both the traditional subjects (i.e. math, science, and language) as well other disciplines. I do not agree with Robinson when he says that degrees are not worth anything anymore. I think that is it still very important to have a basic and deep knowledge about your subject of choice. Not everyone will grow up to be an accomplished recording artist or star baseball player. However having the skills and creativity associated with these specialties can enhance your typical subjects. Someone who studies fiance or economics and also plays baseball might be great at providing money management skills for athletes. They understand both the money and talent side. The same goes for recording artists and other performers.
At my high school I had many opportunities to  engage in creative activities. There were many art and music classes available and students were encouraged to play on sports teams. I went to a small school where there was little competition for spots in these classrooms and teams. Anyone was able to try anything regardless of skill level. I think that it is not just the job of schools to push students toward creative outlets, but also the parents.
Having experience and background in a variety of skills also makes you a more marketable candidate for a job. In today's economy landing a job is not easy. Job seekers need the degree and skills you might gain from other creative outlets. Sports encourage team work and collaboration which are important skills to have in the working world. Sometimes it also helps if you can hold your own at the company golf tournament.

Week FIVE

Journey to the_center_of_the_earth

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Wow what a great way to connect with both parents and students. I could see using this type of technology in my classroom similar to the teacher in the "Flipped Classroom" video. Presenting students with the lesson at home allows them to spend as much time as they need to digest the lesson. They are able to re-play it as many times as they want. Having the teacher there with them when they are going over "homework" assignments is beneficial. Students can bounce ideas off the instructor as well as their fellow classmates. Students are accustomed to learning things from videos on the web, so this process would be something very familiar to them.

Week FOUR

Phew, I made it through my first GoogleDocs presentation and have embedded it (hopefully!) into my blog!This is a very effective way to communicate necessary information to students in a classroom. If I had presented these slides in my classroom, by publishing them online students can revisit them to firm up on any topics. Being able to embed the presentation in my blog allows for one-stop-shopping for the students. Students will only have to visit one website, and the presentations are easily visible. Parents will also be able to connect to what is being presented in the classroom.

WEEK THREE: Task 1

Section 8 of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards lays out ways for technology to be employed in the classroom. Teachers from any subject can use these standards and apply them to their content area lesson. Students who are able to use technology for problem solving and project completetion will be assets to our ever-changing society. As Michael Lasusa, principal at Chatham High School, stated; districts, schools and educators HAVE to be interactive because students are so accustumed to this lifestyle. Students have vast amounts of information and media at their fingertips. To be able to engage students educators must “cut through the media to capture their attention”. Although educators might seem in competition with digital resources, the solution to the problem seems to be to work with the digital resources to invovle the student. I am amazed at the advancements such as smartboards, podcasts and LCD screens that exist at Chatham High School.

The video from Catalina Foothills School really got my attention. My content area is Earth Science so I was really excited to see the lessons Mr. Draper was using with his students. The fact that earth science is so hands-on is exactly the reason I got into the subject in the first place. Seeing geologic features first hand is so powerful in the learning process. This sort of hands-on experience is one area where technology might fall short. While students can access videos and pictures online, these images do not compare being able to pour water down a model stream and seeing its effects. However together, technology and hands-on experiences produce optimal learning. In Mr. Draper’s class students were able to take concepts from the classroom to the community.

When I am navigating the job market, a school’s technology resources will certainly be something I consider. Being provided with the correct tools can only improve the way we teach students. As a future educator who has exposed to the benefits of technology in a classroom, I will urge my school to invest in learning formats that will fit in with 21^st century skills.

WEEK THREE - Task 2

Standard 8.1 Educational Technology: All students will use digital tools to access, manage, evaluate, and synthesize information in order to solve problems individually and collaboratively and to create and communicate knowledge.

By grade 12: The use of technology and digital tools requires knowledge and appropriate use of operations and related applications.

CPI: 8.1.12.A.1 - Construct a spreadsheet, enter data, and use mathematical or logical functions to manipulate data, generate charts and graphs, and interpret the results.

Students are expected to be able take data in its raw form and transform it so that it can be used to interpret the data. Students should be able to create a spreadsheet that is organized and capable of displaying the data correctly. With this data students should be able to apply mathematical functions, sort into groups, and highlight key numbers. Students should also be able to produce visual depictions of the data. Graphs and charts make large amounts of data user-friendly. With these tools students can more easily interpret data and form conclusions as to what the data means.

My content area is Earth Science.

Task: Evaluate how the water level in the Rondout Creek is effected by:

-          Rainfall

-          An adjacent ground water treatment pumping system

-          An upstream dam

Identify on what dates the creek exceeded the flood levels.

Methods and Procedures: Students will be provided with water level in the Rondout Creek, and rainfall data from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website as well as dates of pumping and dam releases. They will enter dates, times and water levels of the Rondout Creek into an Excel spreadsheet. In the excel spreadsheet they will use conditional formatting with a mathematical function to determine when the Rondout Creek exceeded the provided flood standards. Flood occurrences will be bolded and boxed. Next, students will generate a graph showing changes in water level. Students will follow the same table and graph procedures with the rainfall data. The two graphs will be plotted in the same window to be used for comparison. Using the two graphs and information from the pumping system and upstream dam students will be able to see how each of the factors influenced water level in the Rondout Creek.

Week TWO

I chose to take a look at Lavallette Elementary School. The school's website is very informative and seems to accomplish all four of the primary goals for a school website as discussed in the Reasons for Websites article by Dr. Jamie McKenzie. The main page of the website was complete with upcoming events, news and announcements and scrolling pictures of the school facilities. At the bottom of the page is an RSS icon! I now understand what this means and am using it to streamline my web browsing.

Lavalette Elementary's website offers a lot of information to parents and students. Each teacher has their own web page which is packed with information. Teacher bios, dates to remember, weekly homework assignments, classroom rules and students birthdays are all available online. Some teachers also posted links to websites that might be beneficial to students. Forgetting your notebook or planner at school is no longer an acceptable excuse for missing your homework!

As discussed in the Reasons for Websites article, Lavallette posts a student literary magazine, short book reviews and school newspaper online. While the web design is not very glamourous, I think that both current and prospective students and parents can learn a lot about the school from the website. The website even features a survey which analyzes the effectivness of the school's communication with parents.

Week ONE

Blog: A blend of the term web log. Being a first time "blogger" I was curious where the word blog came from. I was not surprised to see that it was two words blended together. This seems to be a popular trend nowadays - bromance, jeggings and Brangelina, just to name a few. If we are shortening words we are certainly broadening our use of technology. While I do not consider myself "tech-savvy", I did think of myself as in-tune with social networking and sharing technology. I use my smart phone for just about everything and keep up with breaking news on Facebook. That was until I discovered Twitter. You can have it ALL in one place. What is happening in US News, abroad, with your friends, on the football field and in the life of Kim Kardashian is at your finger tips on Twitter. I feel like this is just the tip of the iceberg and that connecting with and learning from people is easier than you think.

I think utilizing technology in the classroom is necessary for preparing students for the real world. In today's work environmental most communication is over email, web conferences and project blogs. I currently work as a Geologist at an Environmental Engineering firm. In order to keep project team members up to speed on project progress and changes a blog is set up. Team members can comment on questions that have been raised without having to gather into a conference room. Team members are kept up to date without having to leave their desk. Being a nationwide company we rely on web casts to bring all employees together.

One of my favorite sections from "Four Takes on Technology" is Flags and Friends. It brings me back to the sixth-grade where we had international pen-pals. I remember the excitement when my next new letter arrived. Communicating with someone 3,000 miles away was so new and exciting to me. I even remember how different my pen-pals handwriting was from mine. Today students can fully communicate with their peers in other countries. Not only can they reach each other through writing but they can now see and hear each other! Connecting with people from different backgrounds fosters acceptance, collaboration and people skills.

The video "Learn to Change, Change to Learn" reminded me of a recent article I read for my READ class here at Montclair State. A student was known to struggle in reading and writing. His mentor found out that he had a blog about environmental issues and policies. His teacher was shocked that this student who she thought had no point of views was expressing himself through his online community. The speakers in this video described this type of learning environment as "not pressured and reflective".

Now that I am finished with my first blog I am excited for what is to come in this course! I am looking forward to exploring the many uses of technology in the classroom. I am sure that I will also be learning a lot about how to use technology for myself!