From Toy to Tool Audio Blogging with Cell Phone: Review

This is an interesting article as it suggests turning a known distraction in a classroom into a useful tool. The proposal was made by a doctoral student of learning technologies at the University of Michigan. The proposal states that students can interview, take video and pictures and send them to a blogsite. This idea has its merits and has the potential to be an engaging and exiting activity for students who use their cellphones constantly. The message, video or other item would post to the blogsite immediately. Teachers can make projects for students to do based on content standards and grade them accordingly. There are many issues to consider. First it will take a-lot of monitoring to make sure students are doing what they are supposed to be doing. Due to copyright laws students would need permission to put music on their site. Students would also have to pay to get password protection if they wanted it. Lastly depending on the student's phone plan there could be a cost even if there is unlimited text messaging. In terms of teaching in the classroom it would require you to allow cellphone usage in the class and informing administrations about what is on the blogs.

So what does this have to offer? It is a good idea if teachers are willing to put in the extra effort to monitor student progress, inform administration and work with them on what to blog. Administration may not like the idea of trusting students not to follow copyright laws. There are sites the allow one to ask for permission to use copyrighted material. You also have to make sure to teach students to look at their cellphone plans and be responsible which could be a good lesson. Parts that I would like to be explained further are what cellphone plans would allow this and how much it would cost the student.

This article has definitely taught me to think outside the box in terms of teaching strategies. It has potential to be a very good lesson or a very bad lesson if things get out of hand. You will need strict measures governing the use of the blogs. Applying this reading would mean that it would take a-lot of research and setup to ensure a good lesson and cover content standards.


Kolb, Liz. (2006). From Toy to Tool: Audio Blogging with Cellphones. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/store/publications/downloads/l-l

Computational thinking reading C

Barr, D., Harrison, J. & Conery, L. (2011, March/April) Computational Thinking: A Digital Age Skill For Everyone

In the article Computational Thinking: A Digital age was written by a group of people including two teachers one math and a former elementary school teacher that now works for ISTE. Also the CEO of ITSE. It is made essentially as an introduction and advertisement to teachers and school administration such as superintendents and Assistant Superintendents of Curriculum to use this strategy in the classroom. This article also aims to make computational thinking accessible to educators by making a certain definition for the strategy. The strategy involves trying to solve problems, design systems and understand human behavior drawing on the concepts of computer science. So can a human adopt processes of solving problems in a manner of and using of computers? 

The significance of the article is that it does offer a new way of thinking, learning and teaching in the classroom. It is a strategy that teachers can use doing many different types of assignments due to the fact that the strategy is scientifically based. I have learned that getting the students to break down items that they are doing into components and compiling data is definitely a useable strategy in the classroom. The concept is vague even though the article gives examples they are not very clear as to how to implement the strategy. The examples need more depth as to what the students are trying to accomplish. Also, some of the examples do not use any hard data as the strategy suggests. So I would like to know if this strategy really usable for all subjects.

As a teacher I will have to get more data on how to apply the strategy however, there are many aspects that I can use and put together that would mimic this strategy. In history there are a lot of instances where hard data will be useful to solve historical problems. Social science in general uses this computational process in government and economics. This strategy will work great in a science and math class for sure. In fact, their first example on deforestation shows how well it can work. 

Article taken from http://www.iste.org/store/publications/downloads/l-l

NETS-T Makes it work!

If you are not familiar with National Education Technology Standards or NETS for teachers indicated by 'T' you should consider it as it is a tool to use technology in the classroom. The standard I will use today is the very first standard as I have used it many times either in my student teaching or substituting.  According to NETS-T the first standard is Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. To paraphrase it is the use of technology and especially your knowledge of the subject matter to advance the learning and creativity of your students. In terms of the environment you use face-to-face and virtual environments. NETS-T, ISTE (2008).

One reason I have some strength in this issue is that most of my training from my first credential, social science, focused on student creativity. Most of my lessons held students responsible for making something and presenting it. This is in response to the fact that two minutes into a lecture on the chinese empire most students will have tuned out or attempted to text someone. I liked using real-world issues in history and broadened it to include things that mattered to students as well as issues that I felt they should know. doing a current event in-class doing either individually or in partners is great if you have access to news papers, iPads, or a computer lab. I was able to use a computer lab to have students learn about an issue and I used partners so that they could learn to plan and collaborate on a common goal.

To further promote the NETS-T standard I offer two resources that promote implementing this standard. The first one is specifically on creativity called 'Grow Creativity' where Candace Shivley presents the idea of Fluency, Flexibility, Originality, and Elaboration. this may sound complicated however they are very easy steps to follow. Fluency is essentially brainstorming and the gathering of ideas what every student must do to start almost any assignment you give them. Flexibility is having your students think outside the box in terms of either presentations or looking at a problem in more than one way such as analyzing a historical issue from the people whom are effected by a decision rather than the dominant figure whom is making the decision. Originality is using ones own ideas and finally elaboration is to tell or give details on what and how your original idea works or is.
Shivley, Candace H., "Grow Creativity." http://www.iste.org/store/my-virtual-products click here for site

The next source is an ISTE-NETS-T document outlining the creative process and technology. Under the first category one of the ideas it offers is the use of models and simulations. You can use this to demonstrate or teach a subject and you can have your students do this to demonstrate what they know using a computer program or self made video. Secondly they may need work collaboratively on it, even if it is an individual assignment encourage your students to help one another. When researching,  item three on the document, using technology is easy and is a main tool that any one uses which covers the application of digital tools. The last category is a relatively new one called Digital Citezenship. this basically lets you know that as a teacher you will be responsible for teaching your students to practice safe, legal and responsible use of the technology. ISTE-NETS-T, (2007) http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-s-standards.pdf Click here for document

Hello to all welcome

I currently have a Single Subject Social Science and am pursuing an Add-On credential for Special Education.

I have used technology in a number of ways. I have made powerpoint presentations. I have used the Elmo camera, videos on computer in various ways. I have also used online videos from discovery.com

I hope to be employed as  a Special Education Teacher after completing the current program at CSU San Marcos. As for where that I cannot answer yet.

I have a number of experiences in my substitute teaching in various special education settings which helped guide me to decide to pursue this course. I have the patience and interest now I need the training to be able to teach in a special education.

One thing that is unique to me is that I hold both a bachelors and masters degree in International Relations.