Growing Up Online, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/, and Distracted By Everything, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/, were about the use of the internet among both children and their parents/teachers.  In my opinion, Growing Up Online focused more on the use of the internet by children and its effects on their personalities, home and school lives, etc.  Whereas, Distracted by Everything focused on both the children and their parent’s opinions and concerns about potential internet use at both the home and the school. I noticed that by the filming of the 2^nd film, the technology being utilized by both the children and their parents had changed dramatically.  All of the devices being used by the children were first and/or second generation products in the first film, with fewer applications and abilities.  By the filming of the 2^nd film, the devices being used by the children were much more advanced, with more capabilities and functions.  To some people, this could be seen as a problem because the technology is going to become more and more advanced with time and both parents and children will be affected by it.   

            Personally, I believe that multi-tasking can be both a good and bad thing, depending on the person involved.  I agreed with the MIT Professor in the 2^nd video when she said that students today need to be stimulated; she felt that multi-tasking wasn’t good at all during classes or homework time because it distracted students from their main task or purpose.  Of course, most of the students felt otherwise because they believed that they were great at multi-tasking.  It interested me that certain research showed that these students were, in actuality, awful at multi-tasking.  I agree with her that it’s a problem while in the classroom or doing homework but I feel that it’s less bad in other aspects of one’s life.  For example, I’ll have the television on in the background while reading a book and absorb the content from each and be able to describe both to someone else. My parents are the exact opposite because they will turn of the television before they read their book; they claim that it’s distracting to them because they are attempting to focus on their book, not anything else.  I believe that it depends on the person because some people have difficulties focusing on numerous things whereas some people have absolutely no difficulty doing so.

            I believe that there is addiction to social networking sites and video gaming around the globe, as emphasized by the emergence of Internet Rescue Camps in South Korea, mentioned in the 2^nd film.  However, addiction isn’t an epidemic because many children don’t become addicted to these things.  Everything in Moderation definitely applies to internet use because as with nearly everything, heavy internet use can have negative effects on children.  This phenomenon could be considered to be a new way of living because younger children are using the internet more and more that their siblings and  parents.  For example, my sibling uses the phone and the internet much more often than myself; however, she isn’t addicted to it because she isn’t constantly online or on her phone or neglecting her schoolwork.  She understands that there are other means of socializing with her friends and family.  I believe that we should be concerned but it’s becoming easier and easier to notice addiction over prolonged use of the internet.  Children who become addicted should be helped and other children should be warned about the potential of internet addiction by both their parents and teachers.  

             Personally, as a person who plays video games relatively frequently, I believe that they aren’t a waste of time because they are oftentimes a means of learning something or socializing with friends.  I graduated from R.W.U. College over a year ago and still commune with my friends when we get together on Skype and game together.  For us, it’s a means of communicating with each other while being entertained; it’s much more enjoyable hearing a friend’s voice over Skype than just Facebook-Chatting an old friend.  Today, there is an entire genre of video games devoted to education so I don’t believe that it’s a waste of time at all.  If people understood video games more so, they would realize that they can both educate and entertain their audience. 

            Personally, I have always understood that a decent number of parents are aware of what their children are doing online.  When I was younger, our household computer was located in the dining room, where our parents could monitor its use by us.  In the 1^st video, the household computer was located in the kitchen because that Mother was often in the kitchen, either using the phone or doing other activities.  I realize that not every family is similar to mine or the one in the video, there are children out there who have parents who don’t monitor their use of the internet at all.  I believe that it’s the responsibility of both parents and teachers to teach children about internet safety and digital responsibility, not necessarily the Government or Local Community.    

            Many children and adults are indeed ruining their digital footprints by sharing too much information on the internet without realizing the consequences.  We were always taught to be very careful of what we put onto MySpace or Facebook because various Organizations and Companies are able to glimpse profiles of their applicants.  This information could definitely affect the applicant’s ability to get a position in said places.  Also, Colleges could potentially view profiles of potential students and decide whether or not this potential student was right for their College.  People should care about this because it will affect their lives greatly; it’s much easier to be careful and aware of what you post on social networking sites than to be reckless and post detrimental information.  This could also apply to the danger of Online Predators because these sorts of people are able to glimpse profiles of various people and attempt to contact them personally, over the use of e-mail, chat, or phones.

                    Overall, these were very interesting and intriguing documentaries about the use of the internet among both children and their parents. I knew about some of this information beforehand but it was informative to hear other people’s viewpoints about this topic.  Having a younger sibling, I have seen this near-constant use of technology but it’s not necessarily a bad thing in if done in Moderation.  Before children become addicted to the use of technology, their parents and teachers should teach them about proper internet use, ethics, and digital responsibility.    

Digital Citizenship

Before taking this class, I’ve heard about Digital Citizenship but was unaware of its true definition.  According to ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education, Digital Citizenship “occurs” when students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students should advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology, exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity, demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership for digital citizenship. (http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx)

I never truly understood its importance until understanding how pervasive technology truly is in the 21^st century.  Personally, I utilize Skype, Facebook, and participate in Online Gaming with both my friends and other people around the world.  I can only imagine that younger children are utilizing technology, both at home and at school, more and more everyday. Teaching Digital Citizenship at an early age will help them leaRN and understand how to be ethical online.

      The article, Why Teach Digital Citizenship, (http://www.techwithintent.com/2011/05/why-teach-digital-citizenship/) was very interesting to me because the students seemed very enthusiastic about their teacher and her teaching them about Digital Citizenship. They mentioned giving attribution if using someone’s work and having their permission to do so because plagiarism is becoming an epidemic in school districts across the country, both intentionally and unintentionally.  Plagiarism is treated very seriously and can result in expulsion. Teaching them about plagiarism and citing sources at an early age may help curb this phenomenon in the future. Digital Citizenship should be taught by both Parents and Teachers because it isn’t just a school-related subject; children should be responsible online, at both home and school, possibly even more-so at home because they aren’t as restricted online at home, in most cases.

Personally, I don’t believe that technology should be banned in schools because it is truly integral to  children of  the 21^st century. Students are online all the time, whether its Skype, Facebook, MySpace, etc.  The article, 'Banning Is Not the Answer' to Mobile and Social Tools in Schools,” (http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/04/11/banning-is-not-the-answer-to-mobile-and-social-tools-in-schools.aspx)  intrigued me because it argued that policymakers shouldn’t just consider the negative impacts of technology, they should consider the positive impacts as well before deciding whether or not to restrict Social Media and Mobile Devices. The 4 Critical Observations interested me because they reiterated realities we have discussed in class.  For example, the fact that Social Media and Mobile Devices are in widespread use by both students and teachers, both at home and at school.  School districts are beginning to adapt their own policies because of the students’ current interest in technology.

Overall, this topic is extremely intriguing and relevant to both students and teachers of the 21^st century because technology isn’t going away; it’s going to continue to grow and expand throughout this century. School districts should realize this and adapt their own policies regarding technology. Teaching Digital Citizenship, by both teachers and parents, is important and should be done at an early age so that children will be responsible and ethical in their online interaction with other people around the world.

Digital Storytelling using the iPad

For my literature review, I chose this Webinar, Digital Storytelling using the iPad. (http://simplek12.com/tlc/on-demand/storytelling-ipad/)

Sam Gliksman, the founder of the iPads in Education Website, (http://iPadEducators.ning.com) is a Director of Ed. Tech at a California high school.   In this Webinar, he discusses the potential of students utilizing iPads in the classrooms.  The forum for his website is populated by roughly 3,000 teachers and administrators who discuss their opinions and methods about this opportunity.

 He tells us that Digital Storytelling is about the passing of information, whether factual or fictitious, from a teacher to student or even from a student to another student. It is a means of expressing knowledge through images, video, audio, etc.  In the beginning of this Webinar, he took a quick survey of who currently uses an iPad in their classroom or school, 56% of the viewers were currently doing so.  iPads are quickly becoming popular for school use because they are simple and easy to utilize among both teachers and students.

Digital Media is important in our current society because many children love technology, it keeps them engaged and interested in education.  Technology has always shaped education but for centuries, education has been text-based.  This method is cost-effective and simple; however, students are inundated with technology outside of school and quickly grow bored with textbooks, lectures, and frequent quizzes and tests about said textbooks and lectures.  With Digital Storytelling, a teacher can keep these students interested and active during their time in school.  Gliksman described a few different iPad Apps which students can utilize in order to create digital media. 

By using the iPad camera, his students were able to tell a story by using a single picture; these were called Student Photo Projects and both he and other teachers have been using this function of the iPad to help keep their students active and engaged in learning.  This helps students turn an abstract concept into something real; which they can actually touch and show to other students in the classroom.  One possible science project could be to go outside with your students and have them take pictures of trees, leaves, rocks, bugs, etc. and later on, research and analyze these pictures in order to better understand who or what lives in our environment.  Another possible project could be to have your students take pictures of various objects and identify their shapes with their corresponding geometric shapes.

Personally, I was interested in his 2^nd iPad App called Lifecards.  In this App, students are able to use up to 4 of their own photos and design their own Postcard.  The Postcard could also contain text, maps, images, stickers, effects, etc.  If I were to use this App for my future students, I could have them write to various historical figures and “tell” them about their accomplishments, achievements, and their effect on our current time.  In order for students to better understand Caesar, they could ask him what his life was about, whom and where did he fight across Europe, what activities did him and other Romans enjoy, etc. and then later, research and analyze him by library research or internet research. Since these are the students own questions, I’d assume that they’d be interested in discovering the answers.  Gliksman suggested students using 1^st person narratives on say, a travel around the globe with Marco Polo or Columbus experiencing the wonders of exploration.

By listening to this Webinar, I learned how the iPad can effectively promote student learning in the classroom by actively engaging students; rather than just being lectured to and being told to take notes for future quizzes and tests. With this new information, and the iPads in my classroom, I could increase my students’ interest in learning through using this technology. Going forward, my teaching practices could change even more because Apple releases newer and newer Apps for the iPad; Gliksman reiterates, throughout the entire Webinar, that iPads are effective for students’ learning because students are able to easily use the technology to learn and express themselves through the various visual, media, and audio functions.  Lastly, I believe that I, along with other future teachers, would be able to share this information from Gliksman’s Webinar easily through discussing the potential of utilizing iPads in the classroom.  

    

               

#1 - Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning.

#2 - Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to

advance students' technological literacy.

#5 - Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices

related to digital information and technology.

#7 - Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other digital resources

to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student.

#8 - Evaluate, adapt and reflect upon emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global

learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature

Week 1 - Intergrating Technology

After viewing this video, I couldn’t agree more that technology should be integrated into the classroom. When I was growing up, there were a couple computers in my elementary school classes; most of our teachers never bothered using them at the time because they were relatively old and outdated. By middle school, we began using our computer labs because newer and better computers were bought by the school to replace older models from the early 90’s. These computer lab sessions helped us learn how to use and operate computers with an actual teacher whose specialty was computer information. With even more technology in the 21^st century, as depicted in this video, I would say that technology should be integrated more and more into schools in order to help prepare students for college and their future careers. Many of these potential careers require proficiency in computer use and the use of various softwares, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.  These things could be taught to students at an early age; however, budget issues and other problems affecting schools could hinder this opportunity for 21^st century students. - SC