Article: "School Bans Phones and is Praise by Thousands of Parents". This article has been making its way around my news feed, with some people praising this movement, and others saying that it's ineffective. I don't agree entirely with the "cell phone hotel" idea that's proposed in this article. Obviously during exams/tests, or during presentations, it could be effective. For example, in my PS2, during exams students had to leave their cell phones (turned off, not just on silent) at the front of the classroom on the whiteboard ledge. They weren't allowed to retrieve their phones, even if they finished their test early. However, with the exception of tests or similar activities, removing cell phones entirely in upper grades is just going to cause anxiety...of which I've experienced...

• http://www.newsner.com/en/2015/06/school-ban-phones-and-is-praised-by-thousands-of-parents-their-solution-is-spot-on-2/
• As I was searching for images to enhance this blog post, I came across this article that details how to get away with using your phone in class. Yikes! http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Cell-Phones-in-School

Cell Phone Social Experiment: Recently, I was part of what I'd call a "social experiment", if you will. Without giving away too much information about the context of this, I'll do my best to describe it. I was in a room with around 20 other people, all young adults, all of us without children at this point in our lives. First, the person holding the meeting asked the group to raise their hands if they had a piece of technology on them (phone, tablet, etc.). Everyone raised their hands. Next, this person came around with a basket and asked everyone to put their phone/tablet inside the basked. We did. Then, this person said: "I'll be right back!" and left for about 5 minutes. 

• During this time, we started talking. Why did they take our phones away? So we'd pay attention in the meeting? To make a point? They've been gone for a long time; what are they doing with the basket?
  
• The person returned empty-handed. They then asked how we were feeling, and we reiterated the questions above. The person then showed us a picture of the basket outside of the building, on the sidewalk of a busy-ish street. She assured us that she put a sign on top of the basked that read: "thanks for participating in our video-recorded social experiment". Then, she continued on with the meeting. 
• Essentially, the point of this experiment was for us to feel anxiety about our phones in the same way a parent feels about their child. Did it work? Yes! I kept thinking that I didn't know anyone's number off by heart, so if my phone DID get stolen, how would let my hubby know? I just use speeddial all the time! Also, my phone has my life on it: passwords, pictures, and plenty of other personal information. I was worried!
• My point is...we felt anxious about our phones, and I'm sure students would feel that way too if we confiscated their phones every class without somehow incorporating it! This also points to what Jared Heidenger talks about!
• (Note: I'd rather this social experiment than having my phone smashed!)

Example: I had a student in PS2 that I taught during the last block of the day, and often worked right after school. He often needed to figure out his rides from a family member, and so after a few times of asking him to put his phone on the desk, we figured out a system: If he needed to text his mom or brother during class, if he had his notes completed and other students were still working, and he asked me, I let him text his mom. But, and this happened, if he didn't ask me and he texted, then he had to put his phone on my desk. For the most part, our agreement worked. I wouldn't implement 'text breaks' in the same way we're implementing 'brain breaks', but I found him to be more engaged throughout the lesson when he knew he'd have a minute to text his mother, then he wasn't texting under his desk throughout class. I'm not suggesting that'll work for every class or every student, but it worked in this instance. 

Taking Notes in Class: I chuckled when I saw this meme on the right. I didn't have this happen with notes in my PS2, but students would take pictures of the homework board (with reminders, upcoming assignments, etc.), and I encouraged them to do so. I think that if that will help to keep them on track with handing in work, all the more power to them! 

What approach will you take to MIDs? Will you ban MIDs and cell phones from your classroom or integrate them? (given the choice if not determined by the school) Continuing from what I wrote about above, I'd like to integrate. 

• Music: Some students like to listen to music while they work independently. I know that I like to work in silence, so finding a YouTube clip of white noise has always helped me if I'm working in a louder space. But for students and music, if it helps them focus, then by all means I want to encourage them to do so. I think this privilege is like fidgets: If you allow fidgets in your classroom, the first week or two might be chaotic. Every student wants to have a fidget. But, by the end of a couple of weeks, the students who don't need a fidget don't take one. And the chaos goes away. I think this is similar to cell phones. For the students that want to listen to music to help them focus, I'd encourage it. By junior high and high school, when students begin to have their own devices, they're also going to realize when they're being unproductive and falling behind and if music has something to do with that, hopefully they'll make the responsible decision and put it away. 
  
• Activities: I think that cell phones or iPads are a great way to integrate technology, especially if your school doesn't have it. Review games are great with texting answers in, things like Wordle can utilize student tech. 

How will you deal with issues when they arise? I will smash the cell phones...kidding! I think that I'd treat cell phones in the classroom as a privilege. If students follow the rules of the classroom (when they're allowed to use their phones, when they're not), then great! If not, they'd lose that privelege. I think putting the responsbility back onto the students would be the most effective.

How can you develop a constructive learning environment that engages students in learning in a world with MIDs? As mentioned above - I'd treat it as a privilege. I'd have very clear expectations laid out, perhaps in the form of a list. If clear and fair expectations are presented, it'll be easy to enforce. 

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore: I figured I should talk about this book considering this is, after all, a class about technology! I was introduced to this book in PS1 by Robin Bright, and fell in love immediately. It's a lovely picture book about a young man (who grows old throughout the story) and his love for reading. BUT - this picture book is unique! If you download the app on your phone or iPad, open the app, and hold your phone/iPad overtop of the book, the book will "come alive" on your screen! Somehow, the camera, through the app, recognizes the pages, and it becomes animated visually, but there is also sound and music. When Robin Bright showed our class, she connected it to the Smart Board, so we could see all see what was happening on her iPad. Our whole class, of adults, was 'oohing' and 'ahhing' the whole time!

• In PS1, after the students were given a presentation by Usher on literacy and the importance of reading, I thought that this would be a great book to read. So, with my Grade 6 students, I read them the book. Then, using my phone and connecting it to the Smart Board, the students could see what was happening! It was great! The students then wrote a blog post about their experiences with reading, their favourite books, and how reading/writing might be incorporated into their future career areas. They loved it just as much as our class of PS1 adults did! I ran out of time, but there is also a silent animated film telling the same story, which I would have liked to use!
• I would definitely use this book again. I'm sure we'll have more and more "interactive books" like this as we continue to teach! I'm keeping an eye on this author to see if he comes out with more like this! You can learn more about it here: http://morrislessmore.com/

What is it that our students need to know about the Internet to be informed and safe? 
I believe our students need to know both the implications (short-term and long-term) of using the Internet, how to keep themselves safe (privacy settings, what kind of information to never post online, etc.), but also the benefits of the Internet. 

Do we really know the long-term implications of increased access to the Internet?  Stereotypically, I think that many people see increased access to the Internet as dependence, and as lacking traditional skills such as hand-writing, dictionary use, patience, and conversational skills. I think the movement toward digital citizenship isn't that we're losing these traditional skills so much as we're upgrading these skills to meet the requirements of our upgraded society. 

Are we educating our students to work, live and play in a digital world? 
The digital citizenship initiatives are moving toward this kind of an education. As our world/society does become more digital and globally connected through technology, the importance of digital education and digital citizenship increases. 

Are we offering the education that teaches good digital citizenship? 
I think we are. The only digital citizenship education I received in high school was about typing: how to type with all fingers using programs like "All The Right Type". Considering my high school was a pilot school for a one-to-one laptop program (unique to all of the schools in my area), I think we should have been taught more. We had rules to follow, and certain sites (like Facebook) were blocked when under the school's wifi. But I don't feel that I was taught to be "informed and safe" like we're teaching students today. 

Is it necessary for the teachers to understand the ethics behind being a good digital citizen and does education have a role to play in teaching cyber morality?
Definitely! If the teacher doesn't fully understand how to be an ethical and 'good' digital citizen, how will they accurately teach their students? This is just one of the reasons that my goal is to stay as current and updated as I can when it comes to technology. I remember in PS2 my English students had the option to create a plot diagram using Tweets. As I was explaining this activity, I completely forgot what the twitter "handle" was called, and had to consult the students. We all had a good chuckle at my attempts to remember ("that name", "the @ sign is at the front"), and that's just a silly example. But in order to take digital citizenship seriously, it's important that the teacher fully understands the impact. 

Do we need to teach ethical decision-making and the impact that actions and statements have on others in social networking sites?  
Completely! Cyber-bullying is such a problem in today's schools. I think it's challenging for the teenage brain to understand long-term implications past tomorrow. That's part of their brain development, and not all teenagers are at the point where they fully grasp the idea that "once it's out there, it's out there forever". If we could somehow make that real and tangible, we could make the point. It's easy to type something without thinking about the consequences. Being ethical means thinking two steps ahead and realizing the implications of our words. 

Do we need to discuss with students the value and downside of text messaging?  
This is an interesting question, because I, too, rely very heavily on text messaging, which I'm sure has its implications. I think it's important not to be bias, and to teach both sides. Just like we should teach the benefits/consequences of the Internet, we should teach the benefits/consequences of texting. However, who does this fall on? In junior high and high school, when teachers teach their subject areas, is it the homeroom teacher's responsibility? Is there a tech teacher that this falls to?

What type of consequences are there for students who make the wrong choices?  If any? 
I vaguely remember that, in my high school, the administration took on the responsibility of disciplining cyber-bullying. I'm not sure if that was because of our one-to-one laptop program, and if the cyber-bullying was done on the school computers, it was the school's responsibility to take action. I think this brings up an interesting line that schools are still trying to figure out where to draw. If the cyber-bullying happens at home, but the effects are seen at the school, does the school take action? Is it the parents' responsibility? I'm not sure what the expectations are in this regard. 


What is the role of the school in developing character in students?
I find this question very interesting! I'm currently in a C&I for Social Studies course, and we've talked a lot about what it means to be an "active and responsible citizen", and what that looks like in regards to our teaching. Does that mean we should be pushing students to vote? To protest? To be informed and take a stance on current issues? At what point are our own biases displayed when we're encouraging students to take actions on current issues? For example, if students approached me because they wanted to start an LGBTQ club, I'd encourage them and support them wholeheartedly. But does that display my own bias because I think it's important? 

With that being said, I think there are certain values and characteristics that I consider to be universal, and that I'd be confident in developing in my students: acceptance, empathy, work ethic, integrity, honesty, respect, resilience, teamwork, courage, responsibility. 

How important is it that teachers model the expected behaviour for students?
Very important! For example, I can't expect my students to be respectful and to accept one another if I clearly have biases/favourites among the students. If I am developing and encouraging the above list of traits, I should model those traits to the best of my ability so students know what it looks like in action. However, it's also important to let students know that we're not perfect either! Mistakes are okay, so long as we learn from them.  

Does 'no cell phone use' in the classroom mean 'no cell phone use' for teachers? 
This is a hard one for me to answer, because in PS2, our clock sometimes didn't work! So I'd use my phone. Or I'd set timers for activities on my phone, and students would know to listen for the ring. Furthermore, students were allowed to listen to music or google things on their phones. I think if music helps a student to concentrate, then all the power to them. However, I did have a strict rule that if they were using it when they weren't supposed to, it went on my desk for the rest of the period, which I believe was very fair!

Should teachers be checking personal email in school or surfing pages unrelated to work during class? Definitely not during class! However, teachers need breaks and brain breaks too! If it's on a lunch break, I think that's fine. 

More importantly, what is your position on the filtering of Internet content within the school? Should filters be placed on some content or should schools depend on the development of ethical digital citizens? Do the standards differ for each Division?
As I mentioned above, my high school's one-to-one laptop program had filtering when under the school's wifi. No one at that time had a smart phone where you could access Facebook or other social media sites from anywhere but your computer, so it was a way to keep students on task. However, if we're teaching digital citizenship in its entirety, maybe that means removing those filtering (or having just low-level filters like Google's Safe Search) because students need to know what responsibility looks like. This is a hard question! I think that the standards do need to differ depending on grade level. By the time students have reached high school, if they want to search something on the Internet, they've probably already done so. I honestly am unsure where I stand on this issue. I think that once I have my own classroom and students, it'll be easier to judge what my expectations are for them. 

Significant Comments:

• http://jjohnsonblog.weebly.com/blog/web-awareness-i
  
• http://zacharyrhodes.weebly.com/ed-4764-blog/topic-8-web-awareness-i
  

My opinion of Google: One of the first things written about Google in this week's Moodle topic: "most people either love or hate Google". I love it! I've had nothing but positive experiences with Google. I love Google docs as a collaborative tool for group projects (both as a student and a student teacher). I love Google scholar as a research database. I love using Google images/maps/earth. I'm currently in a C&I course for Social Studies, and we've talked a lot about Google Earth as a Social Studies tool. 

• Google Drive: As groups of PS students, we've had Google Drives as a place for everyone to drop their assignments/resources/unit plans for everyone else to access. 
• I even got to experience Google Classroom in my PS1 - and it was great! Students could work on their assignment in a Google Doc, and "submit" it to me. I could respond with feedback that they'd see, send out group messages, etc. One thing that I noticed about Google Docs and grade 6s: they really struggled without automatic spellcheck! Word underlines any spelling or grammatical errors, something that Google docs does not. It was quite the learning curve for the students to have to think about it on their own!  (Note: As I read the topic, I write as I go! I typed up this part about Google Classroom before realizing that it's discussed in the topic as well. The Moodle topic does a much better job of explaining the features than I did!)
  

Google Hangouts: 
What possibilities does Hangout offer for collaboration between classrooms? 

• If your school had a sister school in another country, you could use Google hangouts to connect with that school to learn more about their culture, country, and curriculum. 
• If your school had an exchange program, you could have a Google Hangout with students from you school and discuss and share their experience in another country. For example, at my PS2 school, a few of my students were preparing to do a month-long exchange with their sister school. 
• If you had pen pals, or e-pals, it would be neat to meet your 'pal' via the Internet.

What are the risks?

• Technology issues would be a risk, in my opinion. During our Google Hangout, I experienced technical difficulties as it was pretty delayed, and I was unable to contribute to the conversation because I was hearing it a minute after it happened. Also, for whatever reason, I didn't have the same features accessible to me as the other students did. If I were more familiar with the tool, I may have been able to fix it. I think that if I were to use this in the future with students, I'd have to be very familiar with troubleshooting the tool before using it. 

Are there privacy concerns?

• During the Google Hangout for this online course, we briefly discussed that the privacy concerns associated with students using Google Hangout in their homes or bedrooms. I think that if this were to be an implemented tool, you'd have to be very clear with the expectations in order to minimize any concerns. 

Is this appropriate for Elementary? Junior high? High school? If yes, what uses are appropriate for each level?

• I think it could be appropriate at every level when implemented properly, like with my examples above. You could even get in touch with an author whose book you're studying, and have a Google Hangout/interview with them. I think it's a resource that could benefit your students when used properly!

What type of information would you provide to the parents?

• I would offer up the times and links to each of the hangouts to parents, so they could be present for the Hangouts if that is something they'd feel more comfortable with. It would provide parents with the means to monitor, if necessary. It would also get parents familiar with this tool if it's something that would be continually used within the classroom. 

Visual Collaboration in English: I've mentioned this before on this blog when we discussed Pinterest. In PS2, while reading Hunger Games with my 10-4 class, we worked on dystopian/utopian collages. I would have loved to incorporate Pinterest - and had students create a "dystopia" board and a "utopian" board. It would have been easier than the traditional cut-and-paste collage format. However, I'm not sure how we'd be able to visually display their collages/boards like we did their collages. Perhaps a screen shot of the board and printed? Or, perhaps I could have made a Pinterest-esque graphic organizer, and students could print their images (on Mac, if you open images in 'Preview' you can print images all of the same size) and glue onto their hardcopy Pinterest board, which could then be displayed in the classroom. 

Significant Comments:

• http://michelleosborneblog.weebly.com/journal/online-collaboration
  
• http://marywauters4764.weebly.com/blog/collaboration
  

Considering the sites I prefer, what is it that makes those sites worthy of my time? If I'm reading something online, there is usually a purpose behind it: for information, knowledge, or leisure. Regardless of the reason I'm reading, I'll deem a site 'worthy' if it's providing me with the content that I'm looking for. If not, it's easy enough for me to find it elsewhere. I can afford to be picky and choosy when it comes to the content I'm reading online - because of the plethora of content available! I think that if we're asking students to read/research something online, we need to make it worthy of their time. I strongly dislike "busy work" that doesn't have a strong and thoughtful purpose - because students can see right through that! If deemed 'worthy' by students, whether that be because it's for marks or because it's something they're interested in, they'll inevitably put more effort into it if they've decided it's valuable or worthy. 

When I publish information on the Internet, what will the content of my pages be and how will I represent that information in a way that people will want to read more? 

• I did a lot of browsing of other photography sites when I redesigned my site. I made a list of likes and dislikes, and saved the URLs to the ones I found to be pretty, easily accessible, easy to navigate, etc. The trend among all of these is user-friendliness! 
• Even when looking at different websites for schools or districts (we had a big project on this for a class in PS2) it was quickly noticeable which sites had information that was easy to find, user-friendly, etc. The common theme for me is "user-friendly"! If a site is user-friendly, a person is more likely to return back to that site in the future. 
• For example, when I am looking for recipes, I prefer sites that let me print off the recipe, and just the recipe (not the ads or comments). I'll return to a site if it's easy to do!
• When creating a classroom blog, I think user-friendliness is the most important trait. There will be some parents that are unfamiliar with social media platforms, new technology, etc. In order for them to be able to access the information, easy navigation and accessibility will keep them coming back for more! 
• This is something to keep in mind, too, as we create our information website for this class. Also, as we are getting close to graduation and applying for jobs, it's important that our portfolios have the above characteristics!

Web Quests: I love the idea of Web-Quests! As one of my pre-reading activities with my 10-1s before beginning Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird", the students completed a "Context Web-Quest". Students were grouped by popsicle stick colour, and the number on it. In colour groups, students became experts on pieces of the historical context (author history, Scottsboro Boys, Jim Crow Laws, Great Depression, etc.). Then, in number groups, the experts of each topic shared their information with their group members, while taking notes. They used this information for their final essay. 

Digital Storytelling: As an English major, I took a course a couple of years ago on Transmedia storytelling, and we examined the different types of narratives that exist outside of the traditional, left-to-right, turn-the-page, chronological texts that we're used to. We looked at digital narratives (Toc by Tomasula), choose-your-own path narratives (Choose Your Own Adventure books for kids), and even narratives within the media (Art of the Heist - Audi). It was fascinating! If you wanted students to create their own digital story/narrative, looking at the above examples beforehand would be a great introduction to the vastness of possibilities! 

• At the Teachers Convention this February, I attended a small session about digital storytelling, and I found it very interesting! More information can be found here: http://www.nmc.ca/alberta-stories-bringing-digital-storytelling-to-albertas-classrooms/

What are my thoughts on digital storytelling? Go through the following resources to gather some insights into the ways that I can use this activity in your classroom. 

• I love the idea of digital storytelling! I think that the National Music Centre offers a great program and would be a fantastic resource for a school-wide project. It doesn't say on the webpage (link above), but if I remember correctly you could rent the box of equipment for a few hundred dollars and have it for a month or so. You could even have one of their staff members come and talk to a group of teachers and help them implement it. 
• If I had the budget to do so, I would use the NMC to create a school-wide (or at least a grade-wide, or department-wide) project where students could use the equipment. Especially if the school doesn't have access to this new technology (and very high-end equipment), a program like this could make a world of difference! 
• Through this blog for this course, I've talked a lot about student blogging, because I'd love to one day implement blogs into my classroom. If I had a high school classroom where each student had their own blog, I'd have them create two digital stories. The first at the beginning of the year, as a way to introduce themselves to me. Students don't have to be in front of the camera if they don't want to be. The beauty of digital storytelling is ability to make it into whatever you'd like! It could be a slideshow of images with a voiceover, for example. There are so many options. I'd also have them create another one at the end of the year, on a topic of their choosing. After they've seen their peers' stories, they'd have lots of ideas on how to make their second one. What a great takeaway for them!

"The Internet is the nervous system of the human race". How might this idea relate to the notion of distributed intelligence? What impact will connectedness have for humanity? Knowledge has become easily accessible to most people - which I think is a wonderful thing. I can look up scholarly articles in a variety of disciplines. I can research different recipes. I can visit different online magazines to keep up with the news and other current events. I think all of these different avenues contribute to connectedness. For example, me sister-in-law was recently telling me about a website called "The Bump" or "The Baby" that has multiple forums that new parents can submit questions/comments to - to help other new parents, which she contributes to and connects with others with. 


Where do I stand on the role of social media in education? When used properly, I think social media can be a great addition to a classroom! I may have mentioned it in this classroom so far along the way, but in my PS1, the class had their own Twitter and Facebook account. Daily, each student (taking turns through the class list) would update each account with what they did or learned today, event or deadline reminders, etc. It was a great way to keep parents updated and informed, as well as teaching the students not only how to use these different platforms, but also how to use them safely and effectively. For example, students had to be very careful about their spelling when using Twitter, because posts cannot be edited once published. I thought that technology was effectively integrated into that classroom! 

Think of innovative ways that you could use media sharing in your subject area. What issues do you see arising around its use? I would love to one day incorporate blogs into my classroom, as an English major. It gets kids creatively and critically thinking, writing, and reading. I'd like to use a platform in which students can share the links to new blog posts, interesting articles related to course subject matter, etc. I don't think I'd use Facebook, though, because too many of the students would use Facebook in their personal lives. Perhaps each student could have a Twitter account, and each student would follow the other students' accounts, so we'd have a little Twitter world just for my class. I think attaching names (removing anonymity) to these kinds of activities would prevent students from cyber-bullying. It would be interesting if each student had their own school blog, school Twitter account, school Pinterest account, and all linked back to one another. What a neat way to build an online presence, with so many learning opportunities! 

I would use the following social media platforms:

• Facebook: a classroom Facebook account
• Twitter: a classroom Twitter account
• Blogging: a classroom/Teacher blogging account
• Pinterest: a classroom/Teacher Pinterest account
• Blogging: each student with their own blogging account
• Pinterest: each student with their own Pinterest account
• Twitter: each student with their own Twitter account

Significant Comments:

• Jill
• Karli

Google Hangouts: This week, we got to experience video-conferencing through Google Hangouts. I think it's a great tool considering it's possible to record and stream live to other locations. I think Google Hangouts would be great for tutoring, distance learning, and flipped classrooms. However, there are always issues with technology that occur during things like this. For example, during my Google Hangout, I was unable to access some of the extra features, like adding your name to the bottom of the screen, or adding visuals. If that was a part of a lesson, that would have been problematic. Also, I experienced many delays. I'd start talking, but someone else would continue talking because it was very delayed. Issues like these can make it a bit time-consuming and/or tedious to fix. However, in a perfect world without glitches, this is a great tool. 

Do chat lines hold any educational value? I think that chat lines can/could hold an educational value. For online courses or distance learning, it would be very valuable. However, I can't imagine myself using a chat line in a regular classroom. Email, or apps like Remind101, are the closest I'd get to a chat line. Although many Education professors provide their cell phone number, for texting, to students, I think I'd want to keep work separate from home. 

Instagram and the Classroom: My TA in PS1 had an interesting approach to digital citizenship and awareness: She had an Instagram account in which she encouraged her students to follow, and she followed them back. She said it encouraged students to think twice before posting anything on their account. 

Pinterest: I wish I would have thought about using Pinterest in the classroom! I had students make a collage during PS2 on dystopias/uptopias (while reading the Hunger Games). Pinterest would have made that process more efficient - and more fun! I will definitely remember this idea for the future!

Significant Comment:

• Nathan
• Kirsten

Framework for Student Learning: Do you feel the graphic adequately reflects the 21st century learner? Are there any aspects of the graphic in which the Internet does not play a role?

•  I do think that the graphic represents the 21st century learner. I also believe that we need to be constantly evolving and adapting to the new needs of students. I've heard many times that we'll never be able to keep up with the new technology that our students use. Does that mean we shouldn't try? Does that mean we shouldn't do our best? Of course not! I think that this new model represents the needs and wants of our students, and I think that this model will produce the 3 Es: entrepreneurial spirit, engaged thinker, ethical citizen. 

• http://education.alberta.ca/media/6581166/framework.pdf
  

What are the underlying messages about the Internet that you see day-to-day? I think we hear messages that the Internet is 'frying' our brains, that teens spend too much time playing video games and not enough time playing outside, that the young generation spends too much time texting, that we are losing 'real-life' skills (like spelling, conversation) because of technology, that we are so self-involved because we have multiple social media accounts and rely on "likes" for gratification. 

North America has often been criticized for its blind acceptance and idolization of technology and innovation.  What is the responsibility of the teacher in this? This is a huge question! I think that it's a teacher's responsibility to teach Internet safety, and to demonstrate the ramifications of what we put on the Internet (for example, I often see signs on Facebook of teachers teaching their class about Internet safety by seeing how many times images can be shared around the world), because not all parents do. On the positive side, I think it's also up to teacher's to demonstrate what the Internet can do for students. For example, as an English major, with literacy as a huge focus for 21st century learners, I think the Internet can play a huge role in reading. Most authors have websites you can visit, many books for children and teens have interactive activities online, some authors even do web-casts with classrooms who have read their book. These are great features that have the ability to enhance learning. 

What are different ways that students can share knowledge using the Internet? In my PS1, technology was truly utilized in many forms. For example, each student had their own blog. They learned to customize layout, colours, theme, and fonts. Weekly, they would answer a series of questions relating to what they learned that week in each subject area. Also, using the iPads available in the classroom, students would update the class's Twitter account and Facebook account daily. The students would rotate these jobs, so each of them had a turn to send out reminders of upcoming deadlines or field trips, and write what they did/learned that day. Both blogging and social media accounts were a great way to keep parents involved in their children's education, but also to teach students how to effectively and safely navigate the Internet. 

What are some strategies for managing text messaging in the classroom? How can texting be used to engage students in learning activities? Throughout both PS1 and PS2, we've been introduced to so many different apps that utilize the technology that most students already have (and attempt to discreetly use under their desks anyway!). For example, texting in answers, using Remind, doing quizzes or review via texting apps, etc. These games/apps are a great way to engage students with something they are familiar with, and enjoy using. 


Phishing Example: My mother-in-law recently received a phone call, with someone on the line who was supposedly one of her sons, telling her that he had been arrested. The "cop" then came on the line and told her that her son (they used his name) had been arrested because he rear-ended someone while texting and driving, and that the person was planning on pressing charges. They requested that my mother-in-law transfer money for his bail release. She did transfer the money (a few thousand dollars) before realizing that it was a scam! Fortunately, she cancelled it in time, and got her money back. This made me think about Internet safety: how did the scammers know her name? How did they know her son's name? How did they know her son's wife's name? Are their Facebook profiles too public? I'll definitely use this as an example if/when I ever teach Internet safety: privatize everything!!

Do you see email playing a role in your classroom? I hope to one day teach junior high or high school, where I think email is probably more prevalent than in elementary classrooms. In my high school, and in my PS2 high school, each student had an email account. They were sent reminders, announcements, etc. Students also used their emails to send themselves work they needed to finish at home from the school computer to their home computer. Emailing is also a great way to communicate with parents. During my PS2, I often emailed parents whose children were absent, who missed a deadline, etc. Personally, I prefer emailing parents to phoning parents because of the paper trail it leaves. 

What kind of traditional learning activities can be replaced with email or epals? I'm not sure how many elementary classrooms still do pen-pals - but email is an obvious replacement for written letters. Often schools have sister schools around the globe, in which email could be used by students to correspond with back and forth. I've also heard of classrooms across the country/world studying each other's geography, culture, etc. Emailing would be a neat way to ask questions to the other class.


How can email be integrated in different areas of the curriculum or across the curriculum? I mentioned something similar above, but as an English major, I think emailing would be a great way to contact different authors. After reading Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird", students could choose from a variety of written activities, one of which was to write a letter to Harper Lee and tell her why they loved the book, and why it made a difference to them. Reading these letters was amazing! I can't imagine being the actual author and receiving that kind of positive feedback. 

(Note: I've been reading the topic on Moodle and answering questions as I read - and there is a whole section on blogging on Moodle that I didn't realize when I talked about blogging above!)

The role of the teacher has changed from an "information dispenser". Content curator is just one of the roles that teachers now take on. What other roles do you see them taking on? In general, teachers also take on the role of counsellor, advisor, confidant. In relation to the Interent, the teacher can teach safety and skills. 

Significant Comments:

• Angela
• Caitlyn

Three Types of Internet Learners: (taken from Ed4764 Moodle)

1. Knowledge Seekers, those that actively seek out knowledge components of the content and strive to build their own structures of knowledge.
2. Feature Seekers, these are the ones who are lured by the special features of the application, (e.g. video, sound, animation)
3. Apathetic Hypertext users, these people tend to browse through the content, rarely reading anything in depth, and will often miss areas of content because they don't check out the possible links
   

If I were to classify myself, which dominates my interaction with the Internet?
When I think about my use of the Internet, I'd say I'm tied between being a knowledge-seeker and feature-seeker. I definitely use the Internet to gain knowledge (read the news, research, my photography business), but then I also really enjoy features like Pinterest and Netflix which are very feature-based. 

Are there strategies that might move you or your students towards becoming knowledge seekers?
In PS2, as a pre-reading activity before reading Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird", the students completed a Web Quest. Students were each given a popsicle stick. Grouped by the colour of the stick, each colour group was assigned a context area (Harper Lee's life, the Scottsboro brothers, Jim Crow Laws, Great Depression, etc.). The groups researched their area and answered a series of questions. Then, during the next class, students were then jig-sawed and grouped into number groups (written on their popsicle stick), where they became the expert on their context area, and they shared their notes with everyone else. 

I think activities like this can move students to become knowledge-seekers, because at least for this Web Quest Jigsaw, they became the experts in their field and were responsible for bringing information to their group members. For students to become knowledge-seekers on the Internet, we need to provide them with two things: 

1. The ability to choose an area that is of interest to them. If students can demonstrate their knowledge in a way that is personal to them, or on a topic that they are passionate about, they will be more invested. 
2. The ability for the project/assignment to mean something. Students are smart, and can recognize "busy work". However, if everything has a purpose and an end-goal, I believe they will be more invested. 

For example, when I was teaching "To Kill A Mockingbird", the final assignment was a written essay on a topic of the student's choice. All of the leg-work for the essay was completed as we read: chapter quotes, character activities, etc. As we read, I encouraged the students that the work they put into the novel during reading would make their essay easier, less stressful, and better! I found that they really gravitated toward this idea of scaffolding - even if they didn't know it as scaffolding. 

(Note: I had the rest of this blog post typed up...then somehow/somewhere I lost it. What a terrible feeling! Now I'm redoing all of this work...and I've learned my lesson. Frequently SAVE!!!)

Comparing Meta-Search Engines:

1. IxQuick
2. Dog Pile

After searching "To Kill A Mockingbird" in both of these engines, virtually the same information showed up. The top ten 'hits' on both sites were the same, albeit some in a different order. However, I still find Google to be my preference because of the layout and user-friendliness. 

Invisible Web: I had no idea that Google didn't reach all of the corners of the internet! Perhaps this is naive, but I truly did think, before this, that Google could access all information. 

Google Earth in the Classroom: I think that Google Earth is a great classroom tool that can be used within a variety of disciplines. As an English major, and hopefully as a future English teacher, I think it would be interesting both for myself and for students to look up different landmarks/geographical areas that we read about in literature. It would also be interesting to see how things have changed/grown using the Time Slider. 

Do I use advanced search or are you satisfied with the superficial searches to provide “adequate” information? When do I use advanced search features? How can I encourage students to develop their search strategies? I don't often used advanced search, unless I'm using one of the search engines provided by the UofL library (like Academic One Complete) while doing a research paper, for example. If I'm just googling general information, I'll admit that it remains rather superficial. I do know how to use the advanced features, but only because we learned in our PS1 tech class. I think having an overview lesson that introduces students to the different and helpful features would encourage students to develop their strategies. 

How can teachers increase the student motivation and appreciation for more complex search strategies? I think if the teacher is passionate and explains how the complex search strategies has helped them, students will be more receptive. Also, if the benefits are explicitely explanied to students, they'll be more likely to invest in the search strategies themselves. For example, I gave a few mini-lessons on MLA formatting to my students in PS2. I explained that I never learned MLA formatting (or other formats) in high school, and that it was a huge learning curve that I had to develop on my own. Now, I love the idea of students learning these things before post-secondary. Similarly, if students are invested in their work, the final project will exemplify this. 



Significant Comments:

• http://myeducationpath.weebly.com/reflections-for-tech/week-2-researching
• http://sarileedblog.weebly.com/blog/reflection-2-researching