Article 3 (PP): Technology Integrations: Ideas that Work

APA Citation:

Starr, L. (2011, June 14). Technology integration: Ideas that work. Education World, Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech176.shtml

Article 2: Beyond Social Networking: Building Toward Learning Communities

Summary:

                The issue of social networking has had recent research and publication on how educators can build off of the skills that students are developing through social networking.  However, it is not social networking at the center of this educational development; it is only the start of utilize the deeper points of learning of connection and socialization.  In psychology, social networking builds on the idea of social constructivism where students can build and create their own educational environment to build knowledge off of each of the other students in the class.  The deeper issue is getting students to go past the social networking and begin the social construction of knowledge piece.

                There are important keys that professors need to keep in mind in order to further develop the student’s social construction piece.  Social networking is not only during school hours, it requires a constant stream of being connected.  As a teacher, make sure that you are customizing your attention to each student and how they are using the social networking site.  Teachers are, also, responsible for keeping issues on topic and continually growing.  Students may grow bored or completely take the topic in a different, non-productive direction.  The students have grown accustomed to multi-tasking so, more than likely, they may have multiple different sites going at once (blogs, facebook, wiki, video sharing, etc.)  Teachers, in addition, need to make it easy for students to be active members of this learning community.  Through successful implication of social networking tools in the classroom, students can learn to interpret and construct real-world processes, pool knowledge plus compare notes and learn to respect multiple perspectives and understand diverse communities. 

                NOTE:

                It is crucial to note teacher’s NEED to be careful when creating groups on social networking sites such as Facebook; any conduct that seems social in nature can be construed as creepy and unsettling.  Teachers need to be clear and provide specific instructions on how social networking will be used in the classroom. 

Response:

                This day in age, we have come to think of social networking sites as damaging to the educational community.  It has become a distraction from the learning/educational process.  It has, also, become an area of controversy on the amount of personal information that can be found on social networking sites.  There are stories out there involving teachers getting fired for what was found on their personal accounts; so why would teachers want to put themselves at risk by creating a social networking setting for their class?

                However, just like the introduction of everyday technology to education (document cameras, Powerpoint presentations, slideshows, video sharing, typing papers, etc.), social networking is an overarching topic that will join in the importance of educational uses.  By providing this gateway for student communication, we can use their skills in computer communication to get them to share and develop ideas on a deeper level.  I have heard of school districts creating classroom blogs where students and teachers have an online blog area where students keep blogs describing what they are learning and they can go and read what each other is gathering and learning in class.  This allows them to see different perspectives and learn from different viewpoints of the classroom.  This also allows the teacher to have a contained center where they can control what is being put on the blog and see how their interests are developing and changing.

                In colleges, many are using other Web 2.0 sites in order to promote sharing such as Blackboard.  Students can engage in communication and sharing of information through discussion boards.  Although this is not a social networking site, it provides the type of discussion that we, as teachers, want to create in a social networking environment.  We want to tap into the sharing capabilities and range of individual focus/resources that students can gather through social networking. 

                I believe that this type of research we need to continue in order to tap into the world of social networking and create it into an effective process for our classrooms; just like the growing technology development.

APA Citation:

Reynard, R. (2009, July 22). Beyond social networking: Building toward learning communities. Campus technology, Retrieved from http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2009/07/22/Beyond-Social-Networking-Building-Toward-Learning-Communities.aspx?Page=1

Article 1: The Role of Gender in the Design of Electronic Learning Environments for Children

Summary: 

This article discusses research completed about how each gender uses computer games to create their own experiences.  Mostly what we see in terms of educational software for kids are war, conquest or/and competition games geared for boys.  However, the market for girl’s games has been created as such that it is called ‘pink software’; games that play to the interests of specifically girls such as fashion, dating or/and personality tests.  With these segregated games and new technology being developed, it was time to challenge the stereotypes of learning games and tap into a learning game that could challenge boys and girls without the need to separate them.  After constructing research, The Center for Children and Technology (CCT) found ways to play to the virtual world that boys tend to desire and make it more pleasing for girls in a virtual community as well.  This software, called Imagination Place! in KAHooTZ, focuses on the general user’s creativity and desires rather than focusing on a given stereotypic behavior.  According to the article, “KAHooTZ is an Internet-based, multimedia construction environment that allows children to create computer games or cartoons which children can show to and discuss with one another.”  There is a large collection of clipart, easy animation tools and sound effects that the children can choose from in order to simply put their animations together without getting frustrated at the process.  While this program still has its issues and bugs to work out, the learning environment that this game gives children is beneficial to their development; not as simply boys and girls, but as actual people constructing their own knowledge through educational gaming.

Response:

I have always been interested in how varying education techniques affect boys and girls differently.  In my undergraduate career, I did a Thesis on the effects of differentiating discipline between girls and boys in the classroom.  What I have seen across different formats is that, while boys and girls benefit and react to stimuli differently, they benefit most from being treated as equal students as long as their general needs were met.  In my thesis studies, I suggested that teachers can implement the same type of discipline as long as they knew why it worked for both boys and girls.  For example, if a teacher took away recess time as a discipline, it would be discipline for boys because their time to be kinesthetic and run around is decreased and for girls the time to meet and talk with friends is decreased.  These behaviors are what each gender generally desires to do at recess time.  By creating software that is common ground for all students; it creates an even playing field and is less likely to promote those gender differences.  I could not find more information on this program as this article is 13 years old.  However, this type of research is important for the teachers to consider in this technology driven world.  If we can develop software that benefits all students, then we should invest in the equal opportunity for both boys and girls equally.

 APA Citation:

Bennett, D. & Brunner, C., (August 1, 2000). The role of gender in the design of electronic learning environments for children. Technology & learning. Retrieved on April 8, 2013, from  http://cct.edc.org/publications/role-gender-design-electronic-learning-environments-children