Social Media and Education

I have viewed social media in general as a distraction and up to taking this course have not considered it's benefits to both teachers and students. After reading the articles, I think that Twitter could be an important resource for myself as a new teacher and all throughout my teaching career. Building a PLN through this platform can reduce the feeling of isolation that new teachers frequently experience and thereby reduce the chance of burning out. I learned that there is available support on educational chats and that it does not necessarily demand excessive time that is so valuable in education. I will most likely create a twitter account for the importance of connecting with and communicating with experienced educators, colleagues, and possibly parents. I suppose Facebook and the other social media sites could be used in the same way, but for myself, I worry that keeping up with too many sites would cut into time that could be used for other important things.

I have been anticipating this part of the course to discover the ways in which social media can actually be beneficial to students' learning. Blogging has proved to be an effective tool that I would like my students to use in the classroom, but as far as Facebook and the other social media sites to "friend" students I feel that there is already a sketchy line with teacher/student relationships. This is apparent in the USA Today News case with the substitute teacher who unfortunately was not able to connect with students because of a known case of inappropriate relationships between a teacher and student in the district. I think that it could maybe be supported by administrators and implemented with formalized training for teachers on how to effectively use it in class, who can then teach their students how to effectively use social media in a professional way like Chris Lazarski teaches. He says that teens are "digital natives" who have grown up with the technology but don't necessarily know how to use it correctly. With the younger students I plan on teaching, I could expose them to benefits and dangers of social media and teach them the importance of keeping a positive image for their future. Since social media is so common in today's society, I can't resist or ignore it any longer, especially when it comes to the impact it has on my students learning and my own professional development. Social media has significant benefits to educators and students if it used cautiously and reflectively.

image: http://rlina.blogdetik.com/files/2012/03/dd_social.jpg
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"Can Tweeting Help your Teaching?"
"Teachers, Students, and Social Media: Where is the Line?"
"Using Twitter to Break Down Classroom Isolation"

Accessibility and Digital Equity

Prior to reading the article AIM for Digital Equality, I knew of the importance of making class material and lessons accessible to all students so that they all have the same opportunities to succeed. The thought that this must include all online/digital materials as well hadn't occurred to me. I think the accessibility it allows for new/struggling readers and students with disabilities is one of the undeniable advantages of technology in the classroom. With that said, I think that the teacher is responsible for reflecting on if the intended help could actually be hurting or doing a disservice to students. The example the article gives is of Dylan V., the student who took over 2 hours to complete math homework because he had difficulty with reading and comprehension of the written directions. By the teacher introducing the textbook's speaker icon tool to the whole class, she provided the same opportunity to utilize the tool for all of her students. Dylan V.'s homework time was significanlty lowered and he achieved the curricular goal in Math assignments, but my concern is if he is able to achieve the same goal in reading comprehension without the use of a text-reading tool. I don't think that the main issue of a struggling reader can be covered up with the use of a tool that is not available all the time in the real world. The words being highlighted as they are spoken I would imagine assists with word recognition, but can not replace the much needed reading lessons for the student in my opinion.

By law and morals, I will ensure online accessibility for all of my digital content by informing myself on the accessibility tools that are available to students with a variety of disabilities. Like we discussed in class, I will make transcripts to videos and other media that can be listened to by students who are visually impaired. Also using captions and lots of visual material for students who are hearing impaired. Doing research on the resources provided in the article, like the AIM Center and NIMAC, would be a good starting point.
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Bowser, Gayl, and Joy Smiley Zabala. "AIM for Digital Equity." Learning & Leading with Technology 39.7 (2012): 16-19.

"Flipped Classrooms"

The idea of the “flipped classroom” is based on engaging students using visual media to capture their interest on topics that they then can share in the classroom. Not initially knowing what the “flipped classroom” was or thinking it was simply using technology in the classroom, I assumed that it was an easy way to unassertively just cover material for both teachers and students. I’m glad these articles were presented and that I learned that it is far from it’s intentions because I think if used correctly, the “flipped classroom” can be extremely beneficial. In the John Hughes video, he says that the “flipped classroom” can inspire, engage and interest students, that videos can provide information that combine visual elements with listening elements, and that integrating video can help students learn English more effectively.

The “flipped classroom” is so by the material (online video lectures) being accessed at home first, then the interactive part of the lesson is done in the classroom after students gained their own individual thoughts and perceptions and can express them by way of exercises and discussions. This is in contrast to the traditional classroom in which lectures are presented in class and homework is given so students can gather their independent thoughts on what they retained. In elementary, I had a teacher who would supplement her science lectures with Bill Nye the Science Guy or Magic School Bus videos. What was viewed in the videos seemed to be more exciting and the talking points among us more so than the teacher's lecture Still, I commend that teacher for knowing how to capture our attention using video in an effective and impressionable manner.

It is important to know that “flipped classrooms” don’t follow one singular model, that they are open for creativity, and that they require careful preparation by the teacher. “Flipped” learning gives students responsibility for their own education and allows for them to take charge of the focus with the guidance of an active/present teacher. I could see myself using “flipped” elements as a possible tool in my own classroom, similar to how my teacher used it, by supplementing lessons. The students could view the video material at home, develop their own opinions, thoughts, etc. write notes as needed and bring them to class the following day. In class, this would allow for more time discussing in-depth student’s reactions and more time for hands-on activities and experiments.


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“John Hughes Talks about Using Video in the Classroom”. .

7 Things you Should Know about Flipped Classrooms”. Educause.February 2012.

"What Is The Flipped Classroom Model And Why Is It Amazing?." 2012. 27 Jul. 2014

Testing Students and the Internet

Using the internet while testing, at first thought, seems like a luxury. Access to all the endless information, facts, other people's opinions on issues, etc. potentially sets the student up for foolproof testing. I have myself have had the opportunity to use the internet while testing in an online class, and passed almost effortlessly. I say almost effortlessly because the effort was in typing the keywords into Google and deciding which information was useful for the obtaining the correct answer. Following those tests though, most of the information didn't stick. I have also had tests where the teacher locked the screen so that browsing was not possible. I passed this course as well, with a bit more effort and most of that information actually did stay with me. Studying for the material made me think about it in a way that I didn't have to when taking the test using the internet.

Reading the "Yes" side of the issue, I think that it is key to realize the point that our assessment of students should be beyond them just knowing plain facts and basic understanding of concepts that are readily available on the internet. Students should be held responsible for analyzing and thinking critically about topics, something James Cash says is so essential in the real world. I agree, but I think that there is an opinion about everything online and that a search for the topic of question produces these within the results. Student's minds can be opened to many stances they may not have even thought of if the internet was not available. So, yes, students can critically analyze what others have said on that topic, but with that they are not necessarily developing their own opinion, rather it is one based on an already standing reaction/argument. The creativity that we hope for students to possess is limited by what they find to be already established on the internet. Jeffrey Starr presented the "No" side of the argument by stating the undeniable fact that the range of student skills is too wide to assess students critical thinking by giving access to the internet. I feel that this is critical to this side of the argument because we can't assume every student is at the same level of learning, we have to be sensitive to the different backgrounds and learning styles of our students. He also pointed out potential distractions on the internet and the lack of the ability to monitor or filter cell phone internet connections, that I see as being fixable with time.

I could see myself embracing the idea of students using the internet while testing for some assessments, but definitely not solely. I feel like with the understanding of students having multiple intelligences, there is much to be learned from a variety of learning techniques and assessments. Within the primary grades, I can see young students being overwhelmed by trying to critically analyze so much information exposed to them by unfiltered internet. At this early point in my career, I don't oppose the idea of internet usage while taking tests, but I don't think it's something I would use exclusively.

Photo: Josh Davis

Who Are You Online?

"Think before you post" is the recurrent theme I saw in all three articles. We have to ask ourselves and teach our students to think: What are the potential consequences that this post/comment can have on my future relationships, job opportunities, professionalism, etc. every time they post. It is not surprising that colleges and employers use what people willingly make public to assist in gaining a better understanding of who you are and if they want to be affiliated with you. Yet, on the other side of the issue, I think that there should be transparency on the part of the university or interviewer so that applicants know that they are subject to being searched for online and that anything found can be used against them.

I think that Colgate University's policy in the NY Times article is fair. The Dean of the University, Gary L. Ross, said that they contacted applicants in an attempt to verify with the student on incidents of question before they make their final admissions decisions. This gives the applicant a chance to explain the situation or defend themselves so that is not completely based on judging profiles. The graph on the Mashable article suggests that employers do in fact judge profiles and that they have a significant negative effect on a person's ability to be hired. The Lifehacker article gave more evidence as to just how much information about you an employer can retrieve. It is concerning that they can access amazon wish lists, credit reports, certain medical records (that I thought were confidential)at the press of a button. This is information that wasn't necessarily posted by the individual voluntarily, but that just happens to be public information. i think that employers should adopt similar principles of transparency.

Since I don't use social websites and I have a common name, when I did the searches in class I couldn't find anything on myself. But that is not necessarily a good thing, as mentioned in class. It probably seems suspicious, but the reason behind this is I was always cautious of social media and used a different name when I did have Facebook about 9 years ago. As of right now, I have the ability to create a positive digital tattoo and I would like to build an online presence based on education as it has become more appealing to me to use social media to connect to resources and other educators. Like the high school counselors in the NY Times article, I would constantly remind students of keeping their digital images clean as it is increasingly important. I wouldn't recommend two profiles because it just seems like too much work; like maintaining two personalities. That involves more time in front of the screen and takes time away from actually living. I think that the best thing is to be honest with your students, to point out the positives and negatives associated with having an online profile, and to bring awareness to the fact that what is posted is permanent in the online world. Even when teaching the primary grades, I think it's important to bring awareness to the fact that they may already have a digital image without them even knowing. I know a parent wouldn't intend on hurting their child while posting thousands of pictures and blogging about them, but it could be potentially damaging to a developing child's self-esteem. It's still too early to know the outcomes of this emerging trend, but it will be interesting to observe as it unfolds.

Edutopia

After reading the article "Technology Integration: A Short History" my mind was opened to the ways in which technology is used as a supportive tool in education. I'm fully aware of the importance of technology and computers in the classroom. It allows students to utilize and discover the instrument they most likely are already accustomed to in a way that is beneficial to their learning. This article helped me to better understand the advantages technology offers to both students and teachers as it can be used effectively, with proper guidance, for active engagement, group work, interaction and feedback, connections to real-world content and to access limitless information as was stated. I have always been somewhat apprehensive but mostly because I didn't fully understand of the dynamic technology can have. I still have my reservations as far as how much creativity is effected in an environment that seems to have the answers to everything. It makes me question are any thoughts actually original? I imagine it being a challenge for teachers to monitor students usage in that aspect as well as in preventing it from becoming a distraction that could be detrimental to education. The social media section of the article was particularly interesting for me. As I've said before, I don't use facebook, instagram, etc. but I do see how advantageous technology can be. Just by doing this course, I'm particpating in being social online. Learning is successful because of the boundaries that are established and that are understood by students. Like stated in the article, technology should "complement what a good teacher does naturally" and that includes caring enough to provide active support, guidance, and a model of integrity so that students can use the tool to enhance their educational experience.

About Me

I'm Stephanie Garcia-Hayes and this post is a little peak into my life. I'm generally a very private person; I don't have facebook, instagram, or any other social media for that reason. This is all very new to me, so here goes my first blog!
I’m currently a homemaker and student who just graduated from CSU East Bay with a Sociology degree. I have attended multiple universities including, SDSU, CSU San Bernardino, and a couple of community colleges in between. My higher education path has been a long, winding road though I feel like I’m definitely a more stable learner now. After changing my major from Biology to Political Science to Sociology (what was I thinking??) it finally feels like I'm on the path intended for me. I worked at a non-profit organization as a Life Coach to former foster youth for about a year, which gave me insight into being sensitive and aware of diversity and disadvantaged populations. I’m a first generation college graduate and I’m proud to have established this for the younger generations of my family. My grandparents believed it was important to send us grandchildren to private Catholic school, so my education started at Our Lady of the Assumption School in San Bernardino and continued on to Aquinas High School. I always liked school and could be described as the quiet, studious type. I learned to be a little more outspoken in college. Getting good grades came easily for me but Math has always been a struggle.

 Even though I don't utilize social media (other than email) and don't have a smart phone, I am not opposed to technology completely. I wouldn't say I dislike the whole computer revolution, I just never saw an urgent need for it in my life. If I wanted to speak with someone, I will just call them. I don't need to know what people are doing every so often, nor do I want people to know that much of me. I know that computers serve a purpose more than just being a social tool and I can appreciate it beyond that. Computers are a  vital resource tool and allow for distance collaboration which is absolutely great. I think it's important for young learners to advance along with developments that are beneficial to education. I look at this class as an opportunity for personal growth in the technology realm and I'm excited to learn how to integrate technology effectively in the classroom.

I think that the School of Education's mission statement perfectly illustrates what any educator should strive to live by. Promoting and fostering social justice and educational equity spoke to me because I believe that every student should have the same opportunity to succeed. I think that it's important to provide a comfortable, nondiscriminatory learning environment so that each student's input matters and contributes to a group learning experience. Also, the inspiring reflective teaching and learning spoke to me because I had a professor who stressed the importance of taking the time to reflect on one's actions and impact on others. Reflection allows for one to take care of themselves mentally so that they can in turn take care of others. I'm really excited about taking this course, I feel like I'm already learning so much just by writing my very own first blog!