EdTech Profile-NETS V

For this assignment we answered technological questions that shows our proficiency in technology and its use in the classrooms. Based of our answers we were then compared to others in our comprehension level of technological tools, this models our engagement and knowledge in technology and will most likely help any educator enhance their learning through the usage of more technological tools.

Hate crime-Psa-NETS III

For this assignment we were instructed that we would be using a program called iMovie to create a Public Service Announcement(PSA) about Hate Crimes and most specifically focused on the recent incidents in our campus. We used video clips and also music in the background to create our movies and it had to be about 30-60 seconds long. The main purpose of our movie was to celebrate diversity and to stop hate crimes.

Wiki-My own equizzer!-NETS I, II, III, & IV

For  this assignment, we were required to view some technological tools from the classroom wiki site. We  had to chose one tool to learn about  and create our own wiki page about the tool we chose. We then wrote about the tool and how we could use it in the classroom as future educators. Along with this description we were to create our own gadget from the tool learned and also display it on our blog.



If you want to see my actual page (with a cool sample), click here

Spreadsheet-crossword puzzle-NETS II & III

For this assignment we created an  EXCEL Crossword puzzle, to learn to do this crossword puzzle in EXCEL we had to watch some tutorial videos and then create our crossword puzzle using Microsoft Excel. Our crossword puzzle would be created based on a subject matter of our choice or about ourselves, I chose to create the crossword puzzle  about myself and my interests.

Copyright/safety assignment-NETS IV & V

For this assignment, we had to get into groups and  complete a project about copyright and internet safety. My group decided to write the report collaboratively on google docs. Since we were three in our group we all had two sections to complete. My section was about cyber predators and  piracy and plagiarism.

Wiki Assignment-equizzer-NETS I, II, III, & IV

For this assignment, we were required to view some technological tools from the classroom wiki site. We had to chose one tool to learn about and create our own wiki page about the tool we chose. We then wrote about the tool and how we could use it in the classroom as future educators. Along with this description we were to create our own gadget from the tool learned and also display it on our blog. This post here though shows the equizzer that I created.

Journal 10- Let the Kids do the Work-NETS I & V

Lawlor, J. (2010, March/April). Let the kids do the work. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20100304#pg32


I really enjoyed reading this article because it demonstrates how sometimes technology might encourage students who don't usually participate in classrooms to participate through the technology offered to them. This article is about a teacher that writes about how he was really proud and happy of his students because through the usage of Wiki his students became more responsible of their learning and learned how to use this technological tool to their educational advantage. After creating a Wiki, he realized that his students were more willing to participate and complete classroom assignments if they were being done on the Wiki page. This teacher also realized that even the students that did not participate in class where more outspoken in the Wiki and offered thoughtful ideas and better quality of work. Traditional homework was not very helpful with the students and so the teacher realized that most students "live" in the internet and that through the Wiki these students will be more willing and excited to participate in discussions and by completing more assignments. Another great example this teacher wrote about is about a student that was writing her essay. This particular student had posted her essay on the Wiki, her essay was not that long and needed much improvement. That same day this student received many replies about her essay from other students, that basically told her her essay needed more thought into. Later that night, she rewrote her essay making a few improvements, she then received more comments on her essay and rewrote it for the third time, this time she made so much more improvement. This example shows how this student and other students are more willing to revise and put more effort into their work if they have a chance to get feedback from their peers right away and the opportunity to complete these assignments online work as an incentive for many students to complete their work with better quality. Many shy students too found their voice on the Wiki page, they replied to other students' work and shared their papers with others. Many students too learned on their own how to customize the wiki pages, something that even the teacher did not know how to do! Now the teacher felt like the students were teaching the teacher instead of the reverse, this teacher was very proud of the students, overall he was mostly happy how all the students were more eager to complete assignments and put more effort in their work through the Wiki. He was very glad that he attended a workshop about how to include technology into the class because his students responded to this technology in a very positive way.



Do you think Wiki is a great technological tool for teachers to do? According to the article, Wiki made so much improvements in so many students. Shy students were able to find their voice through the Wiki and became more interactive with other students. Other students also learned how Wiki pages worked and how to customize them to their preferences. All of the student were more eager to complete their assignments and to create the best quality of work they could because they knew other students would be able to see their work and provide feedback on their papers.



Would I use a Wiki page in my classroom? I definitely would because Wiki has proven to work as an incentive to many students that learn better through the usage of technology. not only that but it also helps shy students to participate more in discussions and to interact with others through the Wiki. artistic students too might become much more interested in the classroom work and be able to flourish their artistic skills. Wiki overall would be a great incentive to all the students , they would want to be a part of the website therefore they will be more willing to complete assignments and participate in discussions much more.

Journal 9- Playing with Skype-NETS II & V

Weller, T.J. (2010). Playing with skype. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/L.

Travis J. Weller writer of this article, writes about trying to figure out ways to help music composers connect with the students who bring their musical pieces to life and with the families who are listening to them play. The author finally found a great way to bring composers to live concerts using technology. This would be possible using Skype. The equipment requirements were not many, they would only need a computer with a broadband internet connection, a data projector, a couple of microphones, a webcam,adapters to pump the audio feed through the sound system and a projector screen. Mr. Weller was able to have all of this equipment because of a grant they received from the Classrooms for the Future. Noted composers then agreed to appear live at this concerts via Skype and they were able to introduce their pieces before the students performed them. Not only was this introduction meaningful to the students and families but to the composers as well. Composers were able to communicate about their piece and what they were really trying to project with their pieces. Mr. Weller believes that if the usage of technology makes for a richer educational experience then it is worth it. Skype is very easy to use and it only takes a few simple steps to signup for the installation of Skype. Composers also liked the usage of Skype because not only was it easy to use but it also allowed them to explain their pieces so that the audience and students can better identify with them. Skype's main purpose is for experts in subject areas to share in the classroom about this in real time without having to fly in from another state or country. Mr.Weller believes teachers should not feel intimidated by Skype but that they should use Skype to their advantage and try to get as much learning experiences out of Skype as possible.



Do you think Skype is a great digital tool to use in the classroom? I believe Skype is a great educational resource because it allows experts in any subject area to share their knowledge in real time through the internet. Students will be able to interact with this people and get a feel of what these presenters want to transmit to the people about their musical pieces, and or other works that they have accomplished. Skype is easy to use and it also seems to be very affordable, something schools need nowadays to enrich our students' learning experiences.


How would I see myself using this technology in the classroom? I think Skype would be great to use in the classroom because I could have experts talk about any subject matter that correspond to them and to what my students are learning about. For example, I could have a zoologist come to the classroom via Skype to talk about animals and their habitats when learning about animals. Skype will allow knowledgeable experts in any subject area to come into the classroom and teach about their corresponding subject area. After using skype I would have my students write a reflective paper about what they learned and about the experience they had having experts teach through Skype.

Journal 8- Navigate the Digital Rapids-NETS IV & V

Lindsay, J., & Davis, V. (2010, March/April). Navigate the digital rapids. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/L_L_March_April_2010.htm

This article focuses on how to teach digital citizenship to students and the pitfalls to avoid as a teacher. The main focus of the article is to empower student-centered learning experiences that provide vibrant and exciting learning projects through the usage of technology. It's important to teach our students how to use technology appropriately and how to use this technology safely without causing any harm to themselves and to others. This article talks about how students need different learning experiences so that they can always be engaged, unlike teaching them with the same old routine that remains unchanged throughout the years. Customizing our classrooms without forgetting about our national standards can lead to richer learning experiences. These teachers use digital tools in a variety of ways to create various learning experiences. These so called digiteachers do not let fear get in the way when they are presented with the standardized outcomes, instead they meet these outcomes with special unique learning experiences. By customizing their classrooms and providing different learning approaches it allows to connect to all students' unique learning styles and interest,which I believe too to be very important to effectively teach all of our students and meeting all of their needs. Educational networks are great for teachers to be involved in because knowledgeable people come together and offer advice, teaching techniques and pitfalls to avoid in the classrooms. In this educational networks also students and parents can be a part of, and they all must conduct themselves in a professional and culturally sensitive manner. It is also important to be careful with the type of language you use and the quality of the materials that they may upload onto these websites. The teacher's role of all these technology usage is to "gather, lead by example, and to make sure students don't cross the line" and that when misunderstandings happen the teacher is to coach students about responsibility and sensitivity. It is always important to have a plan of what to do when inappropriate usage of these technologies occur. A good thing about the networks though is that they are monitored 24 hours a day and new content is reviewed right away to prevent any inappropriate files to be uploaded. Overcoming the fear of technology citizenship is important as well, as new incomers to these whole new digital journey you will experience some fear and insecurities but as you start learning more about its usage you will be able to become more proficient and knowledgeable about digital citizenship. When you educate students about the internet you are making their internet experience safer. Everything these students do should be age appropriate. Sometimes some students may post off-topic questions as well and these off-topic questions, if monitored, can also provide new learning experiences. The Flat Classroom Project is a network created by Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis, that is for educators who want to transform learning through global collaboration. The educational approach is focused on helping students to become competitive and globally minded.



Why is the usage of technology in our classrooms so important? Nowadays we are presented with new digital tools and as teachers we should learn how these tools work and how we can incorporate them into the curriculum so that our students learn about them, not only will they learn how to use these tools appropriately but they will also be learning academics. Teaching our students to become responsible digital users is important so that they learn how to use them to their educational advantage and in real life experiences responsibly.



What else can a teacher do to make sure students use the internet responsibly? A great thing a teacher can do is to get parents involved in their children's learning. Parents and students can attend workshops that the school should provide, that teaches about internet usage and how to be safe in the internet. Having the parents involved is very important because these parents will have some knowledge about the Internet and can monitor their children better at home. They can also talk with their children and so not only will these students learn about internet safety and citizenship at school but also at home.

Journal 7-The Beginner's Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips-NETS I & V

Zanetis, J. (2010, March/April). The Beginner's guide to interactive virtual field trips. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/L_L_March_April_2010.htm


The article I read was very informative, for so before reading this article I did not know about Virtual field trips, also known as VFTs. Virtual field trips are field trips that are done virtually over the internet. VFTs are great because it allows students and teachers to visit other places that would not be economically possible for some schools and by doing the VFTs it allows them to do this. VFTs allows students to learn about so many things, it allows them to tour historic sites, witness scientific experiments, attending folk festivals and so many other events without ever having to leave their classroom. There are two types of VFTs, the Asynchronous VFTs and the Interactive VFTs. The Asynchronous VFTs are not delivered in real time, they usually have websites that are devoted to a topic or subject matter. These websites provide videos, text and audio about these topics and sometimes they have a podcast of a host guiding you through the website. Not all Asynchronous VFTs have great quality or vast substance and so the author of this article recommended us with some good websites that are of good quality and substance. These websites are efieldtrips.org, accessexcellence.org/RC/virtual.php, and gaillovely.com/VirtualFieldtrips.htm. Another type of VFTs is called Interactive VFTs. These Interactive VFTs are synchronous, real-time experiences that allows students to communicate with the people on the other side of the screen. The Interactive VFTs also take place in the internet using h.323 videoconferencing technology. The author does note that before people think this option might be too expensive that they should first ask the school if they have this equipment already because a 2009 study made found that approximately 30% of U.S. schools have this equipment installed. There are many museums, science centers, historical sites, and many other organizations that offer Interactive VFTs to schools. The presenters of these interactive VFTs are trained and adjust their lessons to the student's level of comprehension. They provide interactive lessons focusing on the subject matter being studied that also correlates with their organization. VFTs allows students and teachers to learn about and visit far away places without having to spend so much money. Students and teachers have found these VFTs to be engaging and very effective.



Do I see myself providing my students with VFTs? Definitely! I think VFTs are great opportunities for different types of learning. It is a new experience, that as I read in the article, seems to effectively engage the students. Students would be able to research these websites, visit far away places that they may have dreamed of visiting and not only will they be visiting far away places but they will also be learning about them at the same time.



Which type of VFT do I like best and why do I think this type of VFT will engage students and teach them better? I liked best the Interactive VFTs because they are real time field trips, where students can actually ask questions and get answers right away. They would be experiencing real time tours through museums, historic sites, and many other places that they may be learning about. The students will be able to interact much better than in the Asynchronous VFTs and I think it will be a great educational experience for all students.

Inspiration-NETS III

For this assignment we used a program called Inspiration. Inspiration is a  graphic organizer that has many tools and functions we can use to create our own organizer. To create this graphic organizer we had to have the NETS standards, choose two subsections for each of the NETS and describe for each of these an artifacts that we have done in our ed422 class that meets this standard, also depicting this artifact with a picture in our graphic organizer.

ED 422 NETS PowerPoint-NETS I, III & V

ED 422 PowerPoint For this assignment we were required to use  Microsoft PowerPoint and to create a PowerPoint showing our proficiency in using the program. Also, we were to create acitivities that met the NETS standards for the specific grade we chose and create activities of how we would meet these standards.  After completition of our PowerPoints we then presented them to our peers so that they can grade them.

PowerPoint Rubric-NETS III

For this assignment we as a class created our own grading rubric that we would use to grade our PowerPoints. Our rubric was customized for our class only and created a fun rubric based on our class enthusisasm. :)

Journal 6-Wiki-NETS III & V

         The tool that I learned about is called Wiki. Wiki is a webpage where you can create any document that can be edited by other people, all you need is a web browser and usually you will have to sign in to be able to have permission to read and edit any posts. Wiki allows you to create a document while at the same time you can share and edit with others. The best thing about this tool is that it’s an easy, fast, and free tool to use! Many people feel that having Wikispaces, as everybody’s individual pages are called, is a great way to build communities. It’s also a great tool that teachers can use to create lesson plans, or any other documents, with the help of other teachers. Teachers from anywhere in the world, if invited to help create and edit the document, will be able to edit and help make the perfect lesson plan. Not only can teachers use this tool with other teachers but they can also create Wikispaces for their students, where students will be able to create documents, look at assignments, etc. This tool  has been created to be a simple tool that everybody can use without having to know too much about technology. Wikis are often confused for blogs, but the difference between these two is that on the Wikis you can make changes to a person’s posting and work with others to create a posting. As for the blog, one only creates a posting and others can only comment on it but are unable to edit it. I believe this is a great tool for communities and schools to have because not only is this tool free, but it also enables others to collaboratively create and edit important documents that may help in the improvement of our society.

Journal 5-Do Students Need to Memorize Facts in the Digital Age?-NETS I & V

Mahoney, R.E., & Knowles, C.C. (2010, February). Learning and leading with technology. Do Students need to Memorize Facts in the Digital Age?, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201002#pg1

                 This article was about how important it is the need to memorize facts in the digital age. Robert E. Mahoney, one of the writers in this article, says it is very important to memorize facts before anything else. C.Curatola Knowles, is the other writer of the article, who believes students do not need to memorize facts in the digital age. Both of these writers argue very good points about each others’ opinions and so it is very hard to decide who is wrong and who is right. Robert E. Mahoney believes that “the failure to properly develop underlying declarative knowledge (facts) can have long term implications.” One example he uses was his experience as an algebra and technology teacher. In his experience he has observed that many students that don’t memorize multiplication facts are at a bog disadvantage when using a technology tool to solve a mathematical problem. He believe that these students are relying on technology to give them an answer but that it is not good to do this because these students do not know how and why they got the answer the calculator gave them. He thinks that the students who have memorized these facts are able to successfully grasp the entire concept of why they got the answer because they can recall their information already memorized that has been stored in their brains. He strongly believes students should first memorize the facts and from there they can build their critical thinking skills. He thinks technology should be used as a tool to assist their learning and not to be a necessity to be able to get an answer to their problems. On the other hand, C. Curatola Knowles believes that it is not important for students to memorize facts anymore. She believes it’s much more important for students to be able to analyze data which is the foundation of critical thinking skills. She explains that if our neurons have a lot of brain pathways students would be able to create long term storage of pathways to develop a better system of recollecting and using memory. This would all be accomplished by having students have critical thinking activities where they analyze their information continually challenging their brains. This would make long term memory storage to work more effectively from doing so memorization will occur because they will be thinking more about information instead of just storing data. She believes that if we only rely on memorizing that we would be reinforcing only short term storage of pathways. She thinks students will be better off when they have to make informed decisions because they would be able to analyze the situation much more in depth than if they had a few facts memorized.



Which opinion do I best agree with? It is very hard to agree with only one of these two opinions. Both writers had very good strong points to prove their opinions. I agree a bit more with Robert E. Mahoney because I think students should learn first facts and know how to use them to solve problems and only use technology as a tool to assist them. When they do use technology, they will be able to explain why they got the answer they got with the technology tool thanks to their memorization of facts.



Which method of teaching would I see myself using in my classroom? Based on these two opinions I think I would still use memorization skills first so that students can know what something is, how it works and why it works the way it does. For example, once my students are a able to use a calculator in math lessons I would expect them to be able to explain to me how the answer was obtained and what the process of obtaining the answer based on what I had them learn and memorize first.

Journal 4 -Finding students who Learn with Media-NETS I, III, & V

Bull, G., Alexander, C., & Ferster, B. (2010, February). Learning and leading with technology. Finding Students who Learn with Media, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201002#pg1




The main focus of this article was about how important it is for teachers to provide instruction and assign tasks that would meet all of their students’ individual needs. They have realized that online applications, such as Primary Access, automatically collects information about each students’ performance when they are completing an assignment without the usage of traditional assessment. These results would provide teachers information that would enable them to differentiate instruction earlier and for every student. These tools have now been used in schools since 2005 and since then more than 10,000 students world wide have used these tools and have created more than 20,000 short digital documentaries. These projects assigned align to the curriculum, enhancing both learning and technology skills. A result from students using these tools says that students performed as well on the examinations as those students who wrote traditional essays to complete the same task. Four different levels of learning emerged when assessing students’ engagement with the story boarding activities and with the historical content being taught. The levels were high technology/high content, high technology/low content, low technology/ high content, and low technology/low content. From these four levels teachers are able to analyze each students’ learning style and with those results they can design each lesson based on each students’ individual learning styles.



What do I think about using these online applications as an educator? I think this is a great way to be able to meet each students’ learning styles and this would improve their learning so much. I would be able to identify each of my students’ learning styles, which would facilitate how I give instruction based on each students’ individual learning styles. This would make a huge difference on their learning experience.



Would schools with limited funding sources be able to use these tools as well? I believe these schools would be able to because these online applications for the most art are free of charge so it wouldn’t cost schools any money at all. Now a days most schools have computers and internet installed on them so students and teachers would be able to use these tools to improve their learning experiences. There are a few schools that do have extreme limited resources and I think these schools should find other ways to be able to meet these objectives to learn how their students learn better. Schools should also have fundraisers to be able to buy a few computers and to install internet on them.

Journal 3 -Keeping the Peace-NETS IV & V

Levinson, M. (2010, February). Learning and leading with technology. Keeping the Peace, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201002#pg1

    From this article I was able to see the pros and cons of the problem presented with the laptops at Nueva School after laptops were given out to students.
Students started using IM that came with the laptops all the time, in and out of school. They also used ichat, which was video chatting. Parents became alarmed with what their children were doing in their laptops and felt that the schools did not let parents give an opinion about these laptops being given out to the students.  Teachers also were becoming frustrated because students were chatting during class. All of these frustrated people turned this into a big debate about what to do about this problem. A decision was made by the school and they decided to ban ichat on the school laptops. Many students were unhappy with this decision so they started doing student council speeches and petitions. Some parents were glad because they still did not know how to handle this technology and how to teach their children about appropriate use of these programs. Some parents were angry at this decision because they saw ichat as an opportunity for kids to socialize and one believed it broke the “clique” boundary. The school’s problem with the ichat programs in the laptops was that the academic purpose of the laptops was lost and that it had sadly turned into a social networking tool for students and that was not what they had wanted at all. After this while debate the school now has various workshops and trainings for students, teachers, and parents so they can all learn how to use these technologies appropriately and what they are all about.

What would I have done differently than the school? I believe I would have banned ichat and IM during school hours so that the students can focus on their academic work. After school is a whole different story so I think students should be able to use them, but it is the responsibility of the school and parents to talk to these students about appropriate use of these programs.

If I were a parent what would I do to prevent my children from using programs inappropriately? If I were a parent I would set limitations to the usage of the laptop and IM programs. I would talk to my children about the problems they could encounter when using these types of programs. I would have them do their homework first and then set a time for them to be able to IM with their friends. I would try to monitor what happens in their IM conversations and whom they talk to. I think every parent should take responsibility to talk to their children about the do’s and don’t’s of these programs. If some parents don’t know much about technology maybe they can research and learn about it so that they can know how to approach these problems.

Journal 2 –Using Podcasts to Develop a Global Perspective-NETS I,III,& V

Maguth, B.M., & Elliott, J. (2010, February). Learning and leading with technology. Using Podcasts to Develop a Global Perspective, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201002#pg1

    Podcasting is an interesting new way to engage students in learning about other cultures. A school in Columbus, Ohio is using digital technologies, like podcasting, to have these students learn about other cultures. It allows students to learn how to use digital technologies, apply what they know, and it allows them to not only interact with one another but with the outside world as well. It allows these students to reach a global audience, all of different cultures and perspectives. These students were assigned a project about a global issue. One group researched  climate change issues ,they did their research and were very surprised about their results. Nations, politicians and scientists all had different views and opinions about this issue. When writing out their script for the project, students were required to include multiple perspectives into their global issue, by doing so these students learned to discuss multiple views. They were able to see the pros and cons of every side of the issues. It opened up all students’ minds and challenged them to think outside the box and see the other side of every issue. When doing their project they also learned how to adjust volume levels, rearrange video clips and even how to include commercial breaks. The last part of the project was putting this video on the internet meaning so many other people of different cultures, besides those in their class, would be able to see it. Students realized they had a responsibility to turn in the best work they could do.

Would I see myself having my students doing something like podcasting? Yes, after reading this article I think my students will benefit greatly from podcasting. Not only will they be learning new technology but they would be having more complex discussions about issues assigned to them. They would have to challenge themselves to think how other nations and cultures might feel about different issues.

Are other schools, besides the school at Ohio, podcasting? I’m wondering about this question because I think it’s a great way to have our students have more complex discussions about our global issues to learn and understand other cultures and about technology as well. All schools should do this, but I know some schools have limited resources so they should find other ways to be able to accomplish these learning goals using other less expensive resources.

Classroom Newsletter-NETS I & III

Classroom Newsletter
For this assignment we created  a newsletter for our "students". We were to pretend we were teachers already and create this newsletter that our students would read. In order to complete this project we used Microsoft Word and used all these different toold provided in this program. In my newsletter I welcomed my students into my classroom, wrote about how technology would be used in our classrooms and a section to students to fill out about themselves so that , I the teacher and the classmates can better know each student in our classroom.

 

Journal 1- Computing in the Clouds-NETS III & V

Johnson, D. (2009/2010, December/January). Learning and leading with technology. Computing in the Clouds, 37(4), Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200912#pg1 

    This was a great article to read, for so it could help many schools and people save a lot of money. Cloud computing is a set of programs that allow us to complete many tasks, such as creations of documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and surveys, best of all, these programs are free! Cloud computing will save you money and time, which is very important to know because we are all in great need of these two. The advantages of cloud computing are many: some of our local computers don’t have to hold much information on its hard drive, runs faster and you can work on any project anywhere no matter what computer you are using. No worrying about saving things into flash drives, nor keeping track of the latest versions of documents and even better no worrying about having the right software to open a file! I used to have so many problems with having the right software to open my files, it used to stress me out so much! This one is a great relief for so many people! Wiki and googledocs are two cloud computing applications where you can easily share and collaboratively edit your files with others and you can open these files in any computer! Another good thing about cloud computing is that it allows us to use less powerful computers such as netbooks. Netbooks are low cost computers and basically all you need is a web browser, antivirus, and spyware. Netbooks saves you some money and if schools were able to substitute their old computers for netbooks and use cloud computing programs then schools would save a lot of money, these savings can be used to improve our schools in so many ways and it would benefit our students so much. 

Do I see myself using a netbook? After reading this article I am more encouraged to buy a netbook. I have been wanting to buy myself a laptop and a netbook seems to be the perfect one for me. Right now I don’t have a computer and so its really hard to try to complete all my assignments on time, for so there is always many inconveniences that I run through trying to find the right time and computer to do my homework.  As the article describes the netbooks, it says they are very inexpensive, battery life is good, wireless connectivity is fast, very lightweight and all we need to buy is a web browser, anti virus and spyware. It would really save me a lot of money and time, best of all it would relieve me from some unnecessary stress!

What do I think schools should do? I definitely think schools should change to netbooks when planning to get new computers and to use cloud computing to complete all required work at school and home. If schools learn, train, and use this cloud computing system they would be saving a lot of money that can be used for other important programs in our schools.

Social Bookmarking (Delicious.com)-NETS IV

For this assignment we learned to create tabs and links to websites that we found helpful to answer various questions given by the teacher. We had to also become members of a social bookmarking website called Delicious.com where our tabs would be saved.
1. This document was about the Influenza epidemic, which says it swept the world in 1918 and killed an estimated 50 million people. One fifth of the world's population was affected by this deadly virus and within months it had killed more people than any other illness ever did in history. It is very important using primary sources in our classrooms because it helps to better help our students and have more tools that we can chose from as our learning resources.

2.The student groups that experience achievement gaps are American Indians and Alaska Natives,Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,Blacks, Hispanics and the GLBT.One area I feel fits my teaching style is the one that says to network with parents, family, minority group, and faith based organizations to discuss the needs of diverse students. I feel if we get everybody in the community involved that are concerned with these issues in the education of our students not only will the students benefit but also the community will benefit as well. Communities will function better becoming better educated and more accepting of each others' differences. Also, another one connected to this area is to build a network between natural helpers and experts whom have knowledge of the diversity in our schools. these way everybody involved can help out in the schools, try to raise some funding for school resources so that we can help our diverse students have more resources to learn better. Building a network between school staff and experts is important so that they can all offer input into how to implement instruction for our students.Third area I feel fits my teaching style is conducting a comprehensive cultural competence school self assessment. I feel I can conduct this because I will be able to develop a long term plan that has goals and objectives that will help and benefit our diverse students. The policies, principles and structure of the school can change thanks to this so that everybody will feel welcomed and safe in our schools.

3. For the cyberbully test my score was a 10:cyber risky. My bullying is not that terrible as the test score says and I believe it because whenever I "bully" someone its always a person I know that is close to me, like my sister. Her and I can say mean things to each other but we both know we are just joking and so nobody gets hurt in the process.I wasn't surprised to read that the cases of cyberbullying are increasing greatly. There are so many things that students do to each other to hurt the other and as the article says it only takes one email to start cyberbullying. By reading this I was able to learn that cyber bullying and cyberharassment are two whole different things and it makes sense because cyber harassment is when an adult is involved and so it does make a big difference in the extent of the consequences for these actions. It is sad to read that in some cases cyberbullying ends in a victim's death. As a future educator I will talk to my students about all kinds of bullying and the ways that they can prevent and stop being bullied.As I read some students might feel scared and reluctant to talk to an adult about their problems so  I will also make my students feel safe in my classroom and safe to come and talk to me when they are having any problems.


4. As a future educator there is a great probability that I will have a student with special needs in my classroom and so I read the special ed and counselors section under the subject access section. Being able to refer back to this section later on as a future educator is a great probability because I will have access to information provided that deals with special ed students and that way I can help my special ed students better learn. This interested me because it helped me understand different kinds of special needs students may have and ways to meet their educational goals accordingly to their needs.It also has websites to learn about gifted and talented children and websites that provide us with information about disabilities. Sign language is also a part of this section and I have always wanted to take sign language but have not been able to, I do hope sometime soon I can take a few classes on sign language.Under the teachers' helpers section I chose to read the critical evaluation information because it will help me and my students to be able to evaluate the authenticity of a website we are using. Sometimes students might do research papers based on websites that they read and the information they may be getting from these websites may be wrong so by reading this information on how to evaluate websites we will be able to get more accurate information. I do see myself using this website and sections as I will probably use the elementary level critical evaluation survey so that my students can use them and conduct better research.

5.My top three intelligence styles are Logical Mathematical(81%), Intrapersonal(69%), and Musical(63).It surprised me to read the description it had for the Intrapersonal intelligence for it said that people with a intrapersonal intelligence will do great in various job, including being a teacher! It was the one I connected to the most.  The video I watched was Big Thinkers:Howard Gardner on Multiple intelligences where Gardner talks about how it is so easy to forget things that we learn in school. We try to memorize so many things that later on we will not be able to remember. As he says and as I believe in as well there has to be more meaningful lessons designed for our students so that they can remember better and longer what is taught to them. Teachers need to find ways to meet each students' learning style so that every kid in the classroom can have a fair and equal opportunity to learn as the other students.

6.I chose the early grade 3-5, subject: language arts,reading, ELL, and social studies and the topic was Hate Crimes Legislation.I chose the hate crime topic because many kids at this age are victims of hate crimes and some may be the ones doing hate crimes. By having my students understand what hate, hate crimes and hate crime laws are and hopefully they will be able to prevent this from happening and stop being hate crime victims. Since I chose the early grades the lesson is very easy to follow, I would have my students talks about the things they hate and why they hate them, after discussing them I would have them find other ways to rephrase hate and to be more specific of why they dislike something. Then I would have my students research about laws, what are the laws, who implements laws, and how are laws made.Then I can discuss with them the importance of laws to make our country safe and that their is a law against hate crimes so that they can live by it and be better citizens.

7.The two questions that I found to be the most interesting were the one asking about median annual incomes for Latina and Native American women who have received a graduate degree and the one that asks what is the percentage of schools with no tecahers  of color in the US. The answers to both of these questions were surprising. The median annual incomes for Latina and Native American women who have received a graduate's degree is between 50,000 and 40,000 dollars respectively and so it seems really unfair because the white male with a graduates' degree makes an average of about 80,000 dollars! And also what is shocking to know is that 40% of US schools don't have a person of color on staff! These two issues should be addressed and make equal to everybody!

8.My score on the netiquette quiz was 70%. I think its important to teach students about netiquette because they will learn how to look good online. Not only that but they will also learn and understand the limitations of online communication. It will help them be corteous online and that they should always be aware of not hurting people's feelings while being online. :^D

Elizabeth Bedolla's Into letter-NETS I

HI everyone! My name is Elizabeth Bedolla and I am so excited to be in the process of pursuing my career in education, pretty sure all of you are excited as well! I am 22 years old and I live in Lemon Grove, California with my husband ☺ I was born in Michoacan, Mexico on November 30th but at the early age of eight months my family and I moved to San Diego, California. During the summer vacations my family and I enjoy going back to Michoacan, which is so much fun and the food is amazing! I completed all of my schooling in San Diego, the elementary schools that I attended were Balboa Elementary(Kinder-half of 2nd grade), Emerson Elementary (last half of second grade-4rth grade), and Cesar Chavez Elementary( 5th grade-6th grade) . The middle school I attended was Memorial Academy and the high school I attended was San Diego High School. After graduating high school I applied to San Diego City College, got my AA on Liberal Studies and transferred to CSU San Marcos!!!!

My experience with technology is not so great ☹ I am more of a PC user but I am now trying to learn the Mac life ☺  I had a computer a few months ago but now I don’t have one anymore so I am saving to buy myself a laptop! For now all of my class assignments and homework assignments are done at school and at Lemon Grove’s public library, it s not that fun! So I am hoping to get my laptop as soon as possible ☺

The reason why I applied to CSUSM  was  because I heard that it had a good program for prospective teachers and so I decided to apply here. A part of the College of Education Mission Statement that I really liked was  "We are committed to

diversity, educational equity, and social justice, exemplified through reflective teaching, life-long
learning, innovative research, and ongoing service." I believe this is a good quote because  diversity is something we should all be aware of and we should make it a very important part of our lives since there is much diversity now a days and we should make each and every student feel welcomed and safe in our schools. It is very important for us as future teachers to take the role of life long learners to heart because we will always be learning something new to be able to become the best teachers we can and be able to help our students learn effectively.