iMovie PSA NETS-T I,II, & III

I created an imovie about a brief 38 second clip of the uniqueness of CSUSM. I researched 3 facts and included it in my clip. My clip included music, many video clips, transitions, color effects, and modified speed among other things.

Untitled from huerta on Vimeo.

Internet Safety Google Site NETS-T III & IV

I along with a group of 5 other classmates collaborated on Google sites to create our cyber safety site. We included a home page and each one of us made a subsection. I created the subsection on identity safety. There I included the description of it, tips for students, tips for educators, resources, videos and images. This site was created as a resource for educators.

Classroom Newsletter NETS-T I & III

Using Microsoft word, I created a newsletter with information about my classroom to communicate with parent and students. I added a scanned hand drawn picture, bullets, drop caps, clip art and a border to make it more appealing.

Newsletter JH1

Wiki Page "Image Chef" NETS-T III & IV

I investigated and found a web 2.0 tool and created a wiki. I used the tool Image Chef and created an example of an assignment I would have my students create with the tool. In my wiki I described my tool and what it did and gave an example of how I would use it in my classroom. In addition I also wrote about something’s to consider when using the tool as well as some recommendations.

Journal 7: My Personal Learning Network NETS-T III,IV & V

I created my personal leaning network which is composed of Twitter, Delicious, and the digital discussion forum Classroom 2.0. On twitter, I contributed in an educational chat and followed members with similar interest in education. On, Delicious I book marked websites and also added educators to my network. Finally in the digital discussion forum I became a member and read an article about bullying in schools. My PLN allows me to search, share, and exchange ideas with other educators.

My personal learning network is composed of Twitter, Delicious, and the Digital Discussion Forum Classroom 2.0. This network will help me as a future educator by keeping me informed about current events in education. It will also help me because I can search, share, and exchange ideas with other educators that I can use in my classroom.

Through the use of twitter I can search and exchange ideas with other educators across the globe. My network is composed of current and future educators. The reason I choose them was because we have the same interest and in the future we can exchange ideas that are useful in the classroom. Through twitter I participated in the educational chat called #edchat. I found it very interesting and was amazed on how many people share their ideas and opinion. We discussed about the use of social networks such as face book in school and for learning. I enjoyed reading different responses because it made me think from other perspectives. I learned that many more educators agree on the use of social networks than not. It definitely went fast; new tweets were coming in all the time during that designated hour.

Through Delicious I am able to book mark important sites and share with others what I have found.  I also created network of individuals who had an interest in education. Through their book marks I could also discover a wealth of information that I can use as a future educator. I tagged a few educational bogglers, digital discussion forums and educational wikis because they had good information that would also provide me with new ideas and resources and expand my personal learning network.

I joined the Classroom 2.0 digital discussion forum. There I was looking around through the latest activity and seeing what other members had posted. I came across Lauren Brodlo who had added a discussion to the group “Bullies Beware” that she also created. The topic was Bullying and the affect on gay students. She mentioned that one of the reasons she started that page was because of the recent story in the news about Tyler Clementi, the student at Rutgers who had committed suicide after his roommate had posted a video of him with another male student. As I kept on reading I was finding it very interesting. She posted a link to an interesting article titled “can we stop the Gay Bullying Epidemic?  http://www.education.com/magazine/article/gay-bullying-epidemic/

This article provided tips to help parents teach anti bullying to their kids. I thought this article was interesting because as a future educator bullying is an issue that is prevalent at any age level and the sooner we take action to prevent it the better. I think its very unfortunate how sometimes lives are lost because of other people’s ignorance. Bullying clearly can be detrimental to student’s self esteem and life, so it is very important to finds ways to prevent it in school, communities, and societies around the world. Everyone deserves respect regardless of their beliefs, background, gender, etc. Taking small steps today can make a difference tomorrow.

Inspiration NETS-T I, II & III

Using the program Inspiration from the downloadable free trial of 30 days, I created a visual graphic organizer. This graphic organizer demonstrated the relationship of my work for my education class 422 and the NETS-T standards for teachers. Under each NET-T I included two artifacts and how they related to the standards.

Journal 4 NETS-T II & III

Journal 4 “Computing in the clouds”

Johnson, D. (2009 - 10, Dec/ Jan). Computing in the clouds. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(4), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleadingdigital.com/learning_leading/200912?pg=18&pm=2&fs=1#pg1

Computing in the clouds is a term that refers to productivity tools that allow users to create files such as presentations, documents, spreadsheets, editing etc. It is an effective alternative that can be used by students and staff instead of costly software programs both in school settings and at home. This idea is beneficial because it gives access to files from any computer without having to worry about saving those files in external hard drives.

What are some factors to consider?

Even though the benefits are many, there are also many factors to consider. One should consider accessibility to the internet. Even though students may have access to their files from any computer what happens when they don’t have access to the internet or systems are running slow? There are also potential costs later in the future for using such programs that are currently free. Then there is the issue of privacy, will the files really be safe?

In addition to cloud computing what would be another means to reducing expenditures in schools without sacrificing materials?

Apart from reducing cost on software through cloud computing, schools can also purchase net books instead of laptops. Since computing on the clouds doesn’t require any storage space and students would be working online then it would make sense to incorporate the use of net books. Why net books? Net books because their main purpose is for internet use. In addition, they are more affordable because they are sold at a reduced cost over laptops making it them even easier to replace.

Journal 3 NETS-T I & II

Journal 3 “Bring the world into your classroom”

McDermon, L. (2010, September/ October). Bring the world into your classroom. Learning and Leading with Technology. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and- leading/digital-edition-september-october.aspx

The article “Bring the world into your classroom” discussed the use of video conferencing with two programs (RAP) “Read Around the Planet” and “Mega conference JR”. These programs basically enable students to share and collaborate with students from other schools all over the nation and even the world. Distance is no barrier for these programs because it is done virtually; it exposes students to different ways of learning.

What are the benefits of incorporating this in a classroom?

Students would benefit significantly because they will be able to share and collaborate as well as be exposed to other student’s perspectives. Another benefit is that even with the current budget cuts on educational funding that have cut back field trips students can still virtually visit museums, galleries, and other places without losing time away from the classroom. In addition this would significantly reduce the school expenses and allow students with the opportunity to visit even more places.

What could be one area of concern for using these programs?

Even though the benefits are many, there are still some factors to consider. Something to consider are the differences and similarities in the schools curriculum. Will the assignments fulfill both of the school standards and requirements? So it is important that educators place close attention to these details before starting the programs.

Journal 2 NETS-T V

Journal 2 “Join the flock” and “Enhance your twitter experience”

Ferguson, H. (2010, June/July). Join the flock. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), Retrieved fromhttp://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100607/#pg16

McClintock, S. (2010, June/July). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from
http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100607/#pg16

The two articles “Join the flock” and “Enhance your twitter experience” talk about building professional learning networks through the use of twitter. The authors discuss the reasons why a twitter account is useful to educators. They also give the basics of how twitter works and how you can make the most out of using twitter both personally and professionally. In addition, they offer useful tips along with examples. They even add in a page with twitter terminology so you can know the terms and what they stand for. This will help you find your way around twitter as a new user.

How can twitter be useful to me?

Twitter can be useful to me in many ways. I can use it a means to search, gather, and communicate information on both a professional and personal basis. I can use twitter professionally as a future educator to find out about a wealth of resources and ideas that can help me in my classroom. Similarly, I can also share my ideas and findings to help other educators around the globe.

Do I have to post information to receive information?

No, it is not necessary to post information because I can just be an observer and learn a lot of information from others. The level of participation is up to me, although it would be beneficial to post information and share what I have learned with others.

Journal 1 NETS-T III

Journal 1“Taking laptops school wide”

Green T., Donovan, L., & Bass, K. (2010). Taking laptops school wide: a professional learning community approach. Learning and Leading with Technology, 38(1), Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3820102011/August_No_1_3/L_L_August_2010.htm

The article “Taking laptops school wide” talks about the benefits of using laptops for student leaning. Researchers evaluated the differences among schools that used a structured system using laptops and those who didn’t. They found that it was beneficial for schools to have a system that had structure so that students are able to build on the skills from their previous grade level. In those schools were there was structure researchers also found a significant amount of collaboration between teachers. Teachers work and collaborate with each other through the (PLC) Professional Learning Community approach which also played an important role in the successful implementation of these programs.

Would the professional learning community make a difference in the implementation of a successful program?

Absolutely it is much harder to establish a strong foundation by one’s self as opposed to establishing it with others. Not only will the establishment last longer but working in collaboration with other teachers can also help improve the program. This is because of the different perspectives and ideas that teachers can contribute to the program.

Why would the progression of laptops use across grade levels be beneficial?

It would definitely be beneficial because students would acquire more technological skills as they go through grade levels. If they use the same skills every year then are they really learning anything new? Would it even be grade appropriate? If schools have an established system of laptop usage through grade levels the teachers can make learning more effective and productive. This is because students can come into the next grade level with their portfolio so that teachers can be aware of their level and in that way focus on new material or areas were students need more help.