Documents Online, Web 2.0

Google Drive

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Google Drive (aka Google Docs) allows students to work together on projects via "sharing." This means that students can work with peers in their own classroom, in another school, and even in another country on collaborative projects. It also makes it possible for students to work on one assignment from multiple places with online cloud storage. Thus making it possible to work both at school and at home without having to email or use a flash drive.

Google Docs also makes it possible for teachers to critique students' work online without having each student print an assignment to hand in. Instead, they can just share the document with their teacher for grading.

Padlet

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Padlet is similar to Google Docs in the way that it allows many people to write at the same time. It can be used for group projects (to share many ideas at one time) or for feedback to the teacher. This website allows for the posters to be either anonymous or named, which can help teachers receive feedback as well as use the website to have students answer questions at the end of class or at the start of class. By doing this teachers are able to gauge how effective the lesson was and how much of the information the students learned and retained from lesson to lesson.





Trello

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Trello is a site that allows students to organize their work. This online tool creates "cards" that organize materials based on what list the user puts them in. Students could create to-do lists for homework, organize group projects, and keep track of sources for papers. Unlike the other two, this tool would be most useful at a high school age level (the others can be used with all ages), where time management skills are most essential. This tool will help students create a plan for how to manage their time, a skill that is useful beyond the classroom and into real life and the workplace.

Web 1.0 VS Web 2.0

Web 1.0

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The internet has not always been the interactive place that it is today. It used to be websites that were linked by hyperlinks. The layouts were basic, using framesets to organize information. Online shopping was not available, and watching a video online was still a very new concept (one that YouTube embraced in 2005 with it's first ever video). Websites were relatively bland, backgrounds were solid colors, and fonts were basic. Blogs were one sided and you could email someone, but chatting (such over AIM, G-Chat, or Facebook) was unheard of. 

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Web 2.0

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As humans, we are all about interaction. Web 2.0 brought that interaction to the Internet. The term was coined in 2005 around the same time that YouTube made live. Websites made for the 2.0 model of the Internet were designed to be collaborative and encourage interaction between users. This idea has brought on the advent of application such as Google Docs, Tumblr, YouTube, Wikispaces, and Ning.


Google Docs
Google Docs are a great way for students to interact on a project without necessarily being in the same physical space. This allows for collaboration between two people who wouldn't otherwise be able to collaborate. For example, a student working on a geography project about Switzerland could team up with another student who actually lives there and they could work together to learn and write about each other's cultures by sharing information over Google Docs.

Tumblr
Tumblr isn't just about the pictures of celebrities and cats. It can also be used as the basis for an online community. For example, Maureen Johnson uses it to reach out to the fans of her books. Teachers can use it to reach out to students and to have online discussions about images, videos, or articles--particularly in literature classes where novels are often related to outside sources.

YouTube
YouTube is a great way to learn. There are many channels that are educational that students can turn to when they don't understand a subject. Having these videos available to access at any time they need help gives students some power over their own education. It allows them to learn at their own speed and to re-watch a video until they understand what is being taught.
Physics-http://www.youtube.com/user/minutephysics
Chemistry-http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtPHzzYuWy6fYEaX9mQQ8oGr
US History-http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtMwmepBjTSG593eG7ObzO7s
World History-http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBDA2E52FB1EF80C9
Literature-http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOeEc9ME62zTfqc0h6Pe8vb
Math- http://www.youtube.com/user/numberphile

Wikispaces
Wikispaces are similar to Tumblr in that they allow for an online community. However, they are different in that students can ask questions and complete assignments. This tool is similar to a combination of Blackboard and Edmodo. It could be used in any subject to assess student learning.

Issues With Technology In Schools

Social
Teachers are concerned about the social implications of leading an online life. They worry about the privacy of their students, overuse, misuse, and the risks associated with social networks. Privacy is one of the two most prominent fears about technology. The article "The Web's New Gold Mine: Your Secrets" published by the Wall Street Journal, and written by Julia Angwin, looks at how our lives are no longer our own online. There are companies out there that track everything we do and say online. They know who we are, where we live, what we like, and where we shop.

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Teachers' second largest concern is safety, particularly safety on social networks. Safety risks of social networking are so great that the FBI has written a statement detailing risks and how to protect yourself from them. By reading through these, teachers can help their students understand more about social networking and how to protect themselves from the dangerous parts of the Internet; not to say that the Internet itself is dangerous, more that there are dangerous people on the Internet.





Educational
There are also many issues concerning technology use from an educational standpoint. There is a lack of funding, accountability issues, debates over what the best ways to incorporate technology are, and a growing reliance on online education. The major issue is funding. Netbooks seemed to be the answer, they are relatively inexpensive and allow for one to one learning with technology. In 2010, Education Weekly posted an article about this netbook revolution. This article looks at the way that one school in California dealt with the issue of technology in their schools. Instead of depriving the students of technology, each student in the middle school was provided with a netbook for use in their core subjects. This allowed students to not only learn how to learn technology safely and in a positive environment, it also allowed them to learn how to integrate technology into multiple subjects. While it may not be cost effective for all schools to give all their students a netbook, there would definitely be benefits to purchasing a set of them for a class at a time to use along with computer labs in the schools.


Cultural and Equity Issues

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Not everyone has the same access to technology. There is a digital divide between students in different socioeconomic statuses and between those at different learning levels. Schools with less funding have a harder time acquiring technology for their schools. This means that schools in inner cities or very rural areas are unable to teach the same information (or as thoroughly) as wealthier school districts (source). This divide causes there to be a discrepancy in knowledge between those who can afford technological resources and those who cannot. 

Legal and Ethical Issues

There are many concerns about what is "right" and "wrong" on the Internet. There are issues with hacking, safety (see above), dishonesty, and illegal downloading. Plagiarism and academic dishonestly are some of the largest issues that teachers and students are facing with the integration of technology and learning. The New York Times' article "Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age" looks at how the concept of plagiarism has unfolded and what is being done about it. When the digital information era first began no one knew how to cite the information they were getting, particularly if it came from a site like Wikipedia. Today there are guidelines and tools such as TurnItIn that provide an easy way for teachers to check where their students are getting their information from.

Focus Questions Week 2!

1. (1)Describe the three factors that help create the formula for effective technology integration?
1. Learning Theory Foundations--looks at multiple pre-existing/contrasting theories to determine how to best go about integrating technology (objective vs constructive)
2. Integration Planning Model & Tech-PACK--uses the TIP model to determine how technology based knowledge can be assessed
3. Essential Conditions For Integration--ISTE, technology works best in optimal conditions (set by ISTE)
2. (4)Explain how objectivist learning theories lead to directed technology integration strategies.


1. Computers can provide information in a specific order (ex. PowerPoint), much like an objectivist teaching strategy would. Computers can also provide information quickly, allowing all students information at a rapid pace, therefore providing the opportunity for students to learn more information for standardized tests. It also identifies weaknesses in learning, promotes automacy, and supports self review.
(5)Explain how constructivist learning theories lead to inquiry-based technology integration strategies.
1. Constructivism is very inquiry-centered. Through integrating technology, learners are able to look at what interests them and discover new information on their own rather than being told what they have to learn and when. It also encourages group work.
(9)Describe one essential condition for technology integration and explain why it is important (page 64-69).
1. Technical assistance is important because without it, if there was a problem with technology in the classroom teachers would have to constantly wait for someone for a simple problem. However, for more complicated issues teachers need the support of the school and a person (or persons) to help work out difficult technological issues (for example, the computer not recognizing its own hardware system).

Technology In My Daily Life

I use technology for pretty much everything. My phone is my clock, my means of communication, and often a kitchen timer. Each day it wakes me up with a song by one of my friends. Then I use it to check in with the world on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Throughout the day I use it to keep in contact with friends, keep up with my classes through email and the Blackboard app, and to check my schedule for the day. My computer is used primarily for video watching and paper writing. If I'm on my computer there's a 90% chance that I'm on YouTube, Netflix, or working on an assignment for a class (or watching YouTube while doing an assignment). If I'm not doing that then I'm on Facebook or Pintrest or Skyping with a friend at another university.

Technology has changed how I communicate with friends and family. I have family that lives across the country and friends around the world. With programs such as Skype and sites like Facebook, staying connected to them is easy.

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I also use technology for entertainment. Primarily I watch YouTube videos and read articles on sites (ex. Buzzfeed, or the Huffington Post). Most of the time I am on YouTube is spent watching some of my favorite vloggers, watching both their newer videos as well as old favorites. One of the vloggers I watch most often is DanIsNotOnFire, one of my favorite videos is below!