Blogfolio

1. Intro Video - Our first class assignment was to create a thirty minute video about ourselves while only using a cellular device (mostly iPhones).  This assignment matches NETS-T standard 1 which is to "use knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments" and standard 2 which is to "design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments...to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S."  It matches standard 1 because the class had the opportunity to make a creative and personal video of ourselves (henceforth the virtual environment) and use the latest technical devices.  This assignment matches standard 2 also because it taught us how to use our phones to upload videos to our blog.  Therefore, we gained more technical skills because it maximized what we already knew.  I will use this assignment in my classroom so my students will also learn how to record and upload videos to the internet.
2. TED Videos - The TED videos that we watched in class matches NETS-S standard 5 which is to "continuously improve professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources."  I personally enjoyed watching the videos because it deepened my concern about education even more.  In other words, I was inspired to do more than just impact my students.  I want to do all that I can for education over all.  If I teach high school English, TED videos will definitely be incorporated into my lesson plans.  I want my students to be aware of how important education is.  TED videos matches this standard because promotes professional growth and motivates educators of all kind to become academic innovators.
3. Concept Map - This assignment matches NETS-S standard 2 which is to  "design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments...to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S."   At first I had a little bit of difficulty, but I soon got the hang of it.  I learned that as much as I want my students to be actively engaged, they still have to 'pencil and paper' work (the boring part of class time).  I had plenty of activities for them, but not enough work that I could actually assess.  I'm glad that I had the opportunity to complete this assignment because I seen a personal flaw and was able to work on it.  The concept map really correlates with standard 2 because I literally "design[ed], develop[ed], and evaluate[d] authentic learning experiences and assessments.  I will use the concept map during classwork because it gives students the opportunity to put their thoughts on paper and make connections to what they already know and what they are learning.
4. Do Not Track Me - DNTM is a downloadable extension that prevents others from tracking your computer.  This extension is a great add-on and I really feel like my laptop is a lot safer.  It's active right now as we speak.  It even tells you who is trying to track you.  DNTM matches NETS-S standard 4 which is to "understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices."  I think this is a good correlation because DNTM makes one aware of the harm that other sites can do to devices.  I will use this in my classroom because it will inform students on the precautionary measures that need to be taken for online safety.
5. Augumented Reality - This is a downloadable app that matches NETS-S standard 1 which is to  "use knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments."  I personally did not like this app.  It provided only a limited amount of information and it became difficult to use.  It also had a numerous amount of glitches.  Augumented Reality matches standard 1 because it provides information, it does aid with technological experiences, and students can get creative with the virtual environments that the app has to offer.  If I use this in my class, I will be sure to find a better program for my students because the initial purpose of the app really does provide a great technological experience.
6. Voki - I absolutely love Voki.  It is very creative and fun for me and the students.  Voki matches NETS-S standard 1 which is to  "use knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments."  I can use Voki to give instructions and even make virtual announcements for parents instead of sending letters home.  I think that Voki will really catch my students' attention.  It matches standard 1 because it is innovative, it is a virtual environment, and parents, students, and teachers can use it as a means of communicating.
7. Web 2.0 - I really enjoyed the website I shared with the class.  I created an account with Socrative.  It is a website that allows teachers to create their tests, quizzes, and games for their students.  It's very easy to use.  Students only have to use their classroom number to log in and the teacher is in complete control.  Socrative will definitely be used in my classroom.  Web 2.0 matches NETS-S standard 3 which is to "exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society."  Because of this, teaches are able to engage their students with technology no mater the grade level while being professional in a "global and digital society."
8. Website - This assignment was the most fun and most tiring to make.  I had much difficulty with it because for some odd reason, my account always tapped into other people's personal websites.  I am now 'part-owner' of three websites (not including my personal website).  My website matches NETS-S standard 1 which is to   "use knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments" and standard 2 which is to  "design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments...to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S."  I will use the creation of personal websites in my classroom so my students can make positive changes in their school, community, and world.  Their voices can be heard all over the world and the possibilities are limitless.  After all, we are teaching future CEO's and business owners/leaders of America.  Creating websites matches standards 1 and 2 because it allows one to be creative while developing new skills and it advances student learning by providing them with the tools needed to be innovative and create virtual environments. 
9. Movie - Sadly, this was our last assignment.  I made a four minute movie about my senior year of high school as a cheerleader.  It was the last time I ever cheered.   My movie brought back a lot of memories.  It was nice to reminisce on good times.  My movie matches NETS-S standards 1, 2, and 3.  It matches all three standards because it is creative, innovative, facilitates student learning, provides authentic learning experiences, and exhibits professional behavior through a global society.  I think it will be fun to have my older students create movies.  My class read To Kill A Mockingbird and created a movie trailer for it.  I was the mean, old woman sitting in her rocking chair on her porch.  This is a great way to incorporate other subjects as well; like how my class incorporated 9th grade Accelerated English.

REFLECTION: IT 365 Fall 2013

          I can't believe the semester has flew by already.  I don't think I am quite ready to go just yet.  I really enjoyed this class.  I learned so much from the semester and I am really getting a feel of who I am as an educator.  I loved every moment of this class and will definitely not forget what I have learned.  I still feel that this generation will get too dependent on technology.  IT 365 has taught me that technology represents the potential we have as human beings and it is up to me to me provide ways that for my students to find their own potentials, talents, gifts, etc..  This class has also showed me different ways to incorporate technology into different subjects (I use this notion for other classes as well).  Each assignment we had was fun too.  So I know that my students will have just as much as I did.  I am a very hands on person so I'm excited about teaching technology and creating new ways to engage my students.  With that being said, this class was great while it lasted.

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

WITH LOVE,

          Jacqueline M. McMillian

From Advisees

The advisees had several useful tools that could be used in the classroom that would benefit teachers and students. Working a LMS was the first tool. LMS ensures that students are both college and career ready. Smartboards are another form of technology that should be used in the classroom. Teachers should also know how to incorporate BYOD as well. And lastly, familiarizing oneself with the SAMR model is important for teachers so that they know how to integrate technology into the classroom. Educators are expected to use these tools to teach their students in a variety of different ways. Therefore, it is vital that one learn how to use these tools for different grade levels. 

MyMovie

Kids Can't Compute/ A Conversation With A 'Bad' Teacher

        Mike Elgan talks about how people think that this generation is considered to be "tech savvy" simply because they are born into the technological boom.  This certainly isn't so.  We say that adults aren't aware of how to use technological devices, but they actually do.  When computers were first released, a lot of memorization went into doing the smallest task.  Whatever a person wanted the computer to do, it had to manually be done with the keyboard.  Now, technological devices do all of the memorizing and all of the work.  Everything is as easy a click of a button or the swipe of a finger.  This generation depends solely on the device all while benefiting nothing at all.  To be "tech savvy" in today's time means to actually know how technical devices are working and how they are being operated.  This generation must know how to work technical devices in order to get jobs and be part of the working force.  They will no longer be able to depend on technology doing all of the work if they are unaware of how to it computes.  This will continue to grow into an even greater problem because kids will become dependent on technology.  The only solution is to technically educate our children.
        Hana Maruyama interviewed John Owens on his experience as a writing teacher at "Latinate Institute".  Owens had been an author for three decades, but his education career had ended in less than one year.  He was considered a 'bad' teacher by his principal "Ms. P" because he refused to attend an all expense paid conference trip.  Instead, he wanted to stay with his students and continue teaching on those days, but "Ms. P" considered that to be "noncompliance."  Owens expressed how the school was not beneficial to the students because the administration focused on passing them instead of making sure they were learning.  Students were not taken serious and Owens was deeply heart broken.  Owens' book, "Confessions of a Bad Teacher:  The Shocking Truth From the Front Lines of American Public Education," was wrote in hopes of parents and communities standing up and demanding that the carelessness of the administration be stopped.

Cyberbullying Website

To view my personal website about standing up to cyberbullying, click here.

Web 2.0 Slide

Madison: 
MindMeister is used to create concept maps. It even allows you see your concept map in a slideshow. This website provides a 30 day free trial. It's worth using in the classroom, but the demo is a very limited version. 
Spider Scribe.net is a free concept map website. It's like the Inspiration app. You insert images and your location. This website is centered more for the business world. May not be beneficial for students but it makes organizing simple for teachers. 
Erica:
Bubbl.us is also a site for making concept maps.
Lino.com is an organizational tool for posting notes, calenders, due dates, posting videos, and creating work documents.  There is an app for easier access.  Can be used for both teachers and their students.
 Madison: 
Photobucket is a site for uploading and personalizing pictures. It can be thought of as Pininterst because you can tag and share pictures with others. 
Quintura Kids is a search engine that is kid-friendly. However, it doesn't do too much of anything or provide a good amount of information. 
Callie:
DuckDuckGo is also a search engine for children. It has a filter for the internet and provides a great amount of information.
GoGooligans.com is another search engine for kids with the addition of teens. Sadly, this site doesn't do too much of anything either.
Rebecca:
Padlet is a website where teachers can build a wall and let students post information.  Teachers can ask questions and the entire class can watch as their responses post on the wall.
Text2MindMap did not really work but it is supposed to be a website that creates a mind map using text.
Brittany:
Stormboard is a website where teachers can post questions and students will post their votes.  Students must have a code to be able to log in.
Ally:
Kidtopia.info is a search engine for children.  It was developed by a school library and contains a large amount of academic information.  The bad thing about the website is that it has a lot of random ads.
InstaGrok is a search engine that provides factual information in concept map form.
Victoria:
SlimeKids is a website that contains a lot of different kid friendly search engines.
WikiSummarizer branches off of the Wiki website.  It searches information in concept map form, allows one to edit, create keyword clouds, etc.
Tommi: 
PearlTrees is a combination of Pininterest and a concept map.  You can use the search box and pin information to your tree.
NetVibes is place where you can collect out of thoughts and place them on a dashboard.  It is also a search engine.
Katherine 
GloggsterEDU is a website to build timelines. It is used best for groups.
Audacity is a website for recording.
Lauren
Vimeo is a website that is kind of like Youtube.  This is probably not a good site to use for kids because it contains vulgar content and may not have a filter.
Wordpress.com is a social blog site where you can find friends and explore topics

Common Core in Action: How Two Science Teachers are Implementing Common Core

Teaching Science makes me uneasy.  I am not at all 100% confident about that or Mathematics.  However, I am good at English, Reading, and Writing and that is what these two Science teachers implemented into their instruction.  Katie Abole, Science teacher at Bronx Leadership Academy in New York, said "science literacy is different and requires different skills."  So in order to implement the Reading Standards into her Biofuel vs. Fossil Fuels lesson, she scaffolded literacy skills from reading and writing standards in different ways.  She used drafts and outlines, graphic organizers, direct instruction, and revision.  Through this, her students gained college level skills.  Next, she balanced literacy instruction with Science activities.  Christopher King, teacher at West Bronx Academy in New York, used a similar unit to Katie Abole.  He targeted Reading and Writing Standards by scaffolding strategies such as including a Socratic Seminar that supported argumentation and evidence skills.  This made his students willingly engage in academic conversations.

Evolving Classroom Education: Where is K-12 Technology Headed?

Because technology is moving at such a high rate of speed, we must make sure that our students aren't left behind.  Schools are starting new initiatives that allow children to bring their own digital devices or supply them with one.  This literally puts the world at their finger tips.  Schools' original mobile device policy is being reversed to support these initiatives.  Natural user interfaces (NUI) are motion censored and aid blind, deaf, physically disabled and autistic children.  NUI devices consist of Nintendo Wii, Xbox Kinect, and the Iphone Siri.  It has been said that NUI's have the ability to remove barriers such as social characteristics, geographic location, and physical or sensory abilities.  The milestones that public schools face today are time and money. As technology expands, schools have to try and stay up to date, but that can't be done ASAP due to budgets and approval.  This creates a difficult situation for students because universities and colleges are adjusting to technological advancements very rapidly.
Students and teachers can really benefit from technology, but this really does put us all at a stand still when some schools simply do not have enough money or time to supply students with devices.  Some schools do not even have books and computers or tablets are out of the question.  I do not know how this situation can be fixed, but whatever decision is made I hope it benefits all students across this country.

Voki

Response to "Bully; The Documentary"

        "Bully; The Documentary" was very heart felt.  I had much sympathy for the kids and their families.  I know what it feels like to be teased, but never to this extent.  Kids should not have to go through this at what should be a safe learning environment.
        The second little boy touched my heart.  It seemed like he had a physical disability that made him different from the rest of the students.  So they called him "fish face."  He had no friends because no one wanted to get to know him.  I hate to see children yearn to feel accepted.  It made me question how could I stop this in my classroom.  I probably can't stop it in the entire school, but I can stop it when under my supervision.
        The next student was a lesbian.  She was basically excluded from her entire community.  What type of educator makes fun of a child?  I was totally disgusted with the entire school and community at that point.  I understand that religious people do not believe in homosexuality, but God loves us all and He can only judge us.  I myself am strong in my Christian faith and know exactly what the Word says about that, but I am not God.  I am here to love others just as Jesus loves me.  I feel that treating a child like that is very inhuman.
        After watching this movie, I want to take it to my old high school and junior high.  Although bullying in my community isn't near as bad as some other areas, the students back home should learn how to accept others for who are different than they are.  They should learn to look past those differences and create lasting relationships with people of all kind.  This is truly a life lesson.  Words really do kill and students can be really cruel.  We may not be able to end all forms of bullying, but I think we can get very close through effective prevention and intervention.

Augmented Reality App

Laura Devaney, author of "Augmented reality snags a coveted spot in classrooms" discusses how augmented reality blends real world with technology with interactive and enhanced content.  Using this app on a mobile device interacts real life scenes with an overlay of elements.  Theresa MaGee, a K-5 art teacher, used Google Art Project to help her students understand the difference between thin and thick brush strokes.  Students hovered their iPads over the images, requested different features, and instantly learned about techniques used to create the paintings.
I downloaded Augment-3D Augmented Reality.  There are thousands of different augment apps, especially cartoon ones.  The app that I have is quite interesting.  I haven't quite understood every aspect of it, but it is really engaging, so I understand why MaGee enjoys using it in her class.

Five Essentials to Create Connected Students

Vicki Davis, author of "Five Essentials to Create Connected Students" in EdSurge Article, discusses social learning and why it should be taught in the classrooms.  She says that students who are disconnected to social learning/media tend to abuse their technology privileges when online.  Disconnected students miss the knowledge needed to be successful because they do not know how to communicate through social medias.  Davis lists five essentials for children who are connected to social learning.  They are: a connected author, publisher, conversationalist, strategic disconnector (one that I favor), and a curious, lifelong pursuer of ingenious solutions.  Although connected students have a higher advantage, Davis feels that these five essentials are needed to know and truly understand the use of connecting.
"We educators must shift this generation from being consumers to being creators," says Davis.  I personally love that statement.  Davis' outlook on social media should make all schools re-evaluate their technological device policies.  My high school completely bands any type of technological device mainly because students are distracted by them during class.  Davis' fourth essential talks about students knowing how to strategically disconnect themselves to have a well-rounded life.  That is a discipline that schools should pursue.  That will show students that their technological devices are only an asset.  I also agree with Davis' idea of showing students the professional side of social medias.  Instead of broadcasting their personal lives to their world, they benefit others with their strong ideals.  I never thought of Twitter being used for social learning, but Davis has truly gave me an eye opener on what positive effects it can have on our students.

21st Century Skills

Ken Kay, president of Partnership for 21st Century Skills, talks about the lack of life and career skills that 21st century students do not have.  A new model for education is needed because technology has replaced workers who once performed routine work.  Also, doing well in school no longer grantees one a secure career as it once did previous generations ago.  The minority population is steady rising while American students are still scoring lower than average on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).  Innovative, creative, critical thinking, and problem solving skills are greatly needed.  Because the world is changing at such a fast rate, educational frameworks have to be revised.  The Framework for 21st Century Learning articulates creativity and innovation, flexibility and adaptability, leadership and cross-cultural skills for "all" students.
After reading this article, I found myself a bit puzzled.  I highly agree that teachers must be pulled out of 20th century thinking to give effective 21st century instruction.  After all, technology is booming.  However, mixing education with life skills can get tricky.  Some children are more independent than others.  Those students go on to be leaders in the working world.  Unfortunately, some children do not have an independent trait in them.  Do I feel like it's my job as a teacher to teach them how to be independent?  To a certain extent. Being independent in the classroom and the working world becomes two complete different things.  There are many ethnic backgrounds in the U.S. and each are accustomed to their own traditions.  Therefore, teaching a child how to find answers on their own does not necessarily mean they will be independent in the working world.  Also, the classroom is a controlled environment.  Everything happens under the guidance of the teacher.  So teaching innovative skills, along with adaptability, has its limits.  

(#13) Why Tough Teachers Get Good Results.

Joanne Lipman talks about her orchestra conductor, Mr. K. She remembers him having a blunt way of teaching. He would sometimes call Lipman and other students an idiot if they did not do something right. Lipman says that if Mr. K. taught in this time period, he would no longer be employed.  However, she argues that Mr. K.'s teaching method is better because it pushes students to do their best.
I completely agree with Lipman.  In high school, I've seen so many "nice" teachers fail at having control of their class because they did not know when to be stern.  There is nothing wrong with being nice, but students will at least try to take advantage of that.  That is the moment when you must let students know that education is not to be taken for granted.  There is a time to have fun, but first things are first and that is education.  I do not want my students to fear me.  Instead I want them to feel comfortable asking questions while knowing I will push them to their limits and beyond.  Teachers are, in some cases, a student's number one fan.  Therefore, at the end of the day, being stern, yet genuinely caring and nurturing is our duty.

(#11) Inspiration Comments

Erika
Great Job!... Has a variety of useful information and engaging activities.  Topic is interesting and will definitely keep her student's interest.


Mary Katherine
Great Job!...   I loved how she incorporated the PBS kids website with her lesson.  Many students grow up with that network and will really enjoy that lesson.

Jennifer
Great Job!...  Her pictures are very appealing and compliment her lessons.

Amanda
Great Job!...  She used a lot of activities that included the student's opinion on what they wanted to write about.  Allowing the student that lead way catches their interest.  That is something that most teachers forget about.

Jordan
Great Job!...  Great activity.  It really reenacts what the hurricane was like.  Special guests talking to the students also leaves an everlasting impact on them so that's a plus for fourth and fifth graders.

Johnathon
Great Job!...  He used a great scene from Pearl Harbor to further explain his lesson.  The clip from D-Day is a wonderful add on as well.
 

DNTM Plus

With Google Chrome I was able to add DoNotTrackMe to my menu bar.  This really comes in handy.  There are so many hackers and tracking companies out there....and just when I thought I was safe.  My laptop is so precious to me and I would hate for it to be damaged by lurkers.  DoNotTrackMe is so helpful because it blocks over 600 tracking companies.  It even tells you when you are free of trackers with a Clear skies! No tracking found here message.  This is really a great extension and I definitely recommend it!

(#10) Second Grade Word Discovery

Word Discovery in "Fun With Dick and Jane"

Standard 7:

Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
Reading Literature (RL.2.7)
Use information gained form the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

I.       Word Detective

The purpose of this activity is to help second graders with vocabulary.

A.    TSW will discover new words in a book and create a three section diagram.

1.    Antonym-Synonym Tic-Tac-Toe

a.    First, TTW give a lesson on synonyms and antonyms.  Next, TTW choose a word with many different meanings and write it on top of the Tic-Tac-Toe board.

b.    The "X" player will choose a space to mark his/her letter along with a synonym.  The "O" player will do the same, but instead use an antonym.  The game will continue until one player has three in a row.

B.    TSW will write what he/she thinks the word means, look it up in a dictionary or on the Internet, and then write the actual definition of the word.

II.     Lotoria Board Game

The purpose of this game is to help second graders with their vocabulary.

A.    This board game is similar to Bingo.  Each player has a board with sixteen images.  The caller will select a card and either announce it or give a clue to what it is.

B.    The player who contains the image will mark it with a bean.  The first person to get four in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row or all four corners wins the game.

III.    Practice Language Skills With a Dance Map

The purpose of this activity is to help second graders with vocabulary.

A.    TSW draw "What" and "How" on a piece of paper.  The "What" section contains eight different movements and the "How" is eight adjectives that describe how to do the movements. 

B.    TTW help the student put his movements in pairs.  He/She now can create his/her own dance.  To make sure the student is learning, discuss how movements may be similar or different.

IV.    Read Out Loud

The purpose of this activity is to help second graders with fluency.

A.    TSW will read a sentence from "Fun With Dick and Jane" while TT records him/her. 

B.    TT will ask the TS if his reading was smooth, choppy, or robotic.  TT will record TS once again and they will both discuss what improved and what needs work.

V.     Write Your Own Tall Tale

The purpose of this exercise is to help second graders with comprehension.

A.    TTW invite the student to unleash his/her imagination and then talk about the importance of setting and how one's region can greatly impact his/her tale. 

B.    Let the student begin his/her story in their hometown and then drift into another setting.  Watch as new tall tale heroes are born.  Let the students draw pictures to accompany their stories.  

lookstoogoodtobetrue Test Results

Test 1:

Are You an Unwitting Accomplice in Crime?	Yes	No
Do you chat online or visit chat rooms?
Have you received gifts from someone you met online?
Have you received packages to hold or ship to someone you met on the Internet?
Have you given your address or birth date to a friend or employer you met online?
Have you been asked to cash checks or money orders and wire transfer money to help your friend or employer?
Are you looking for a job that allows you to work from home?

I am low risk because I have given my birth date to a friend online.


Test 2:

Authentic or Counterfeit?	Yes	No
Do you advertise items on classified Internet websites or in newspapers?
Do you accept payments via cashier's check and/or money order?
Would you agree to receive cashier's checks/money orders that are written for an amount in excess of the asking price?
Have you been asked to keep what you are owed for the item and wire the difference to an associate of the buyer?
Do you have the authenticity of the cashier's check/money order verified through your financial institution?
Are there several names and addresses associated with the transaction?

I am low risk because I do accept cashier's check or money orders and because I have the authenticity of them verified through my bank.


Test 3:

Are You at Risk to be Scammed Through an Internet Auction?	Yes	No
Do you research feedback prior to completing purchases?
Do you do business with sellers/buyers from other countries?
Do you conduct transactions outside of the auction website?
Do you receive/make payments by a specified escrow website identified by the seller/buyer?
Do you conform to the seller's/buyer's wishes to use a unique escrow payment system identified by the seller/buyer?
Are several different names and addresses associated with the transaction?

I am low risk because I am an ebay shopper and love to purchase items from China and Hong Kong.

Malware Analysis: Drive-By Download'

I've just finished looking at Cory's video and he is a life saver.  He gave a lot of much needed information on how to keep your computer clean and how easy it is for other's to simply infect it.  I thought I knew the basics on computer safety, but after watching this video I am a lot more informed.

My mom just recently bought my dad the new HP Windows 8 laptop.  His previous laptop was slow and he often made remarks about other people tapping into it.  My mom and I laughed it off and thought why would anyone want to tamper with his belongings.  Now that I too have a more up to date laptop, I know a bit more about computer safety and precautionary measures.  I wish I would have known all of this a few years ago, though.  Fortunately my dad's previous laptop only had to be cleaned; no virus or suspicious activity was found.  Now I can go back and teach my dad how to look for suspicious activity and how to keep his antivirus and other security systems up to date.  I too will do the same.

'Safe Practices for Life Online'

Here are my answers to the questions given:

1.) Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
2.) Considering the fact that children have killed themselves due to cyberbullying, I agree with the consequences given to students who do not have proper online etiquette.
3.) 'Sexting' is having sexual conversations and sending nude pictures via text messaging. 'Cramming' is when one illegally adds extra charges to another person's phone bill.  'Trojan Horse' is a program that breaks into a computer's security system and causes damages.  'Phishing' is when fake companies defraud people's online financial accounts.  'Spyware' is software that allows a user to use their hard drive to transmit information from someone's computer.  'Rootkit' is undetected software tools that allows people to take control of someone else's computer.  'Zombie' is a computer being used by another to send spam and illegal things to other computers.
Google.23Sept.2013.
4.) These screen names are not appropriate because they are not professional
5.) These screen names give too much private and unnecessary information to the public.
6.) They all provide their age and/or reference to if they are a child or adult.
7.) Although I think that KeKe1995 is temporarily appropriate, all of the name choices are poor because they still provide too much private and unnecessary information to the public.
8.) jmmcmillian77@yahoo.com, klsmith@gmail.com, ccporter11@hotmail.com
9.) a.) no
     b.) no
     c.) yes
     d.) no
     e.) yes
     f.) yes
     g.) no
     h.) no
     i.) no
     j.) no
     k.) no
     l.) no
     m.) no
     n.) no
     o.) no
     p.) yes
10.) I think that the most-common reason is because students give their passwords to their friends, who then decide to use it or give it to others who use it.
I think the least-common reason is that other students see the password as the student enters it on a keyboard.

Pedagogy

My class and I were asked to give an example on how we can use the The Pedagogy Wheel V2.0.  I am not sure if I have a good understanding of the wheel, but I tried my very best.  Here is how I would use it.

First, I chose Facebook IPad App to use.  Besides Google, it is very popular, fun, and easy to learn at the same time.  Because Facebook is a social network, it seems that all or most of the listed activities would be considered 'social networking,' so I will be a bit specific.  I will use Journaling and Commenting as my activities.  The action verbs that best fits my activities are describe, summarize, paraphrase, explain, compare, identify, classify, exemplify, interpret, and expand.

The Remembering/ Understanding section of the wheel is where I design a learning outcome.
My students will log into their Facebook accounts and complete their daily journal on an assigned topic.  The topic will consist of two or more of the above action verbs.  Next, they will get with their assigned partner, read each others journal and then comment on them.  Commenting requires students to recognize, list, describe, identify, retrieve, name, locate, find, etc., which are all remembering verbs.

Common Core Standards for ELA and literacy

What is the purpose of the college and career readiness standards?
The purpose is to supply students with the skills needed to be successful in college and their careers.

What are the benefits and challenges of the shift to reading and writing non fictions texts?
The benefits are that students learn to read closely and make logical responses.

What are the benefits and challenges of having standards for science, social studies, and technical?
The benefit is that it helps children learn how to read complex texts.  It also helps them write arguments, informative and explanatory texts, and read from sources.

Enhancing the Common Core With Arts Integration

        Simply put, integrating the arts (visual art, music, dance, or drama) will meet the expectations of the Common Core because it is meant to build leaders instead of followers.  Integration requires much engagement from the teacher and the student.  More importantly it requires research, collaboration, and alignment from the teacher.  Although Arts Integration is effective, it is also overlooked.  Many teachers feel that they are not capable of this integration because of their lack of artistic abilities.  However, there are a few strategies that can be used for first time users.  "Mirroring" can be used for students to share their understanding of movement, concentration, and problem-solving skills.  "Stepping into the Painting" is used for students to create stories by combining their interpretations of a painting.  Lastly, "Call and Response" is a music technique that involves building composition skills and fluency.  It can even be used for reading and math concepts.
        I have a strong background in music, cheer, and dance.  Therefore, I agree with the idea of integrating arts.  The arts will provide students life skills, show them how to be a team player, and to show appreciation for hard work.  I especially feel that music can brighten anyone's day.  Children love to move around and make sounds with their body parts and/or other objects.  MUS 361 showed me how to incorporate reading with music.  That class required plenty of engagement (that is indeed a requirement of Arts Integration).  Music can also be applied to many other subjects, but actually collaborating, researching, and aligning those Common Core applications really is the hard part.  I'm not saying that it is the hardest thing in the world, but once the hard part is over, the benefits will be worth wild for both the student and teacher.

John Hunter and The World Peace Game

Hunter works in the Richmond Public School District as a fourth grade gifted children's teacher.  He says that the World Peace Game started as a small game map that was interacting.  It is now a 4x4x4x4 structure.  There are four countries around the board and the kids make up the names to them.  It is a fictional Africa.  Hunter tells the children that there is a problem within the world and they have to fix it.  He says that "there collected wisdom is much greater than his."

This game has become a self evident analysis.  It is nothing he has planned and nothing that can be taught.  The students have put much emotion into this setting and really think carefully about the decisions they make.  Through this you can see how engagement really makes a difference in teaching.  The students are learning and obtaining more than what a book or lecture could probably teach them.  At such a young age, Hunter's class is aware of what the world is going through.  It may seem bad, but their "collected wisdom" is preparing them to be young, caring leaders.

CCSS's Fundamental Trouble

        Valerie Strauss uses the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) reform to present her argument.  She says it was a failure during its active decade and people should take that into consideration when promoting the Common Core.  Instead of the NCLB benefiting the students, it only caused many to blame the schools and teachers for its mistakes.  The NCLB reform required students to be tested in grades 3-8 and again in high school.  Unfortunately, this resulted in over half the schools in the nation to fail.  Strauss sees the Common Core as worsening the situation.  She says that students, teachers, parents, and communities should have more of a voice rather than bureaucracies and democracies.
        Strauss is very concerned about the result of the Common Core.  Her opinion is highly respected and should be heard by many.  However, being part of the NCLB era and being a future teacher, I have faith in the Common Core.  Some teachers are and were the blame for students being left behind.  I am a witness to that.  That is why I truly feel that teachers play a fifty percent role in the success of students.  Therefore, I differ with Strauss' reasoning of why the NCLB may have not been the best choice for failing schools.  For example, although we have produced some awesome, well rounded students who have gone on to do wonderful things, my high school was considered a failing school while I was in attendance there.  Now that they have gotten a new principal, the school has been on the right track for the last past year.  So I do not think it was the reform that caused us to be a failing school, instead it was the leadership.  I know this may not be the case for other schools, but Strauss' evidence can be debatable.

Biggest Fallacy of the CCSS

        Diane Ravitch says that the CCSS have made so many promising claims that are, in reality, "ungrounded predictions."  She says there is no evidence to prove that the Standards are beneficial to anything.  The promotion of College and Career Readiness (CCR) has influenced everyone to climb aboard the Common Core.  Many people including the Council on Foreign Relations and the nation's major corporations and chambers of commerce feel that the Standards will better the economy and military.  Ravitch is skeptical and that is quite normal.  She makes a good point by stating that forty-five states have adopted the CCSS while referencing Obama's Race to the Top federal funds of 4.35 billion dollars while leading her readers to think that maybe that was their reason for doing so.  But, is this necessarily a bad thing?
        I completely agree with Ravitch.  Nothing is promising especially when it comes to leveling all students.  However, I think the Common Core is a move towards the right direction.  I'm not sure if the Standards will benefit the economy and military, but I highly feel that our students will get the best out of this.  It takes time for anything to work properly.  It's a matter of trial and error.  You don't want anyone to suffer, but those are the consequences.  Ravitch uses percentages to back her claim up, but my opinion still remains the same.  Yes, everyone is not meant for college, but the same professional skills you learn in college must be used in any career setting.  The same way one applies him/herself in the classroom will be how he/she reacts on the job.  Also, the CCSS require more of the teacher.  That is something Ravitch did not mention.  Teachers must engage their students more.  That will determine how students react with more difficult work.  Ravitch feels that students may give up when approached with these tasks, but if the teacher abides by the standards of the Common Core, then I think our students will be prepared for those challenges.

Teachers Integrate Tech in CCSS

        Fred Sitkins says that there couldn't be a better time to see technology integrated into the Common Core State Standards.  While the CCSS are being adopted and adapted to, educational technology is making its grand entrance.  This brings many possibilities for children.  It puts the world at their fingertips.  Educational technology makes sharing and interacting with others easier than ever before.  While students  read iBooks they can define words and share notes with their peers and teachers.  This process is easy for teachers as well.  This transformation clearly shows how students are learning.  Through educational technology students obtain knowledge, demonstrate what they have learned, and share it with the global community.
        Yes, I would consider myself as an advocate of educational technology, however, I feel that this may handicap our children.  In high school, my math classes were in the process of converting over to the complete use of calculators.  So I had the privilege of learning how to answer problems with and without one. Therefore, the question is will students become so dependent on technology that they get lazy.  Traditional educational models are not a bad thing.  It takes more work though, but neither is that a bad thing.  I do not want to create students who are dependent on anything else other than their God given brain.  Unfortunately, this world is becoming technical based and may, as a consequence, handicap us all.  Some people are lost without their phones, but wasn't it only thirty years ago or less that cellular devices were invented?  I want students to gain as much knowledge as they can, but I do not want to leave them dependent on anything prone to failure.  In the next twenty years will students know what wood pencils are?  Will they know how to sharpen one?  Is the world being at their fingertips really a good thing?  Would they use the perks of technology responsibly or take advantage of it?  Of course I think that this integration is a good thing, but I do feel that the consequences of it all will leave our students dependent.  I would like to see technology used as a convenient accessory.  However, our growing technical world says otherwise so I do feel that this integration is for the better and will greatly benefit our students in and out of the classrooms.

Introduction

Hello, my name is Jacqueline McMillian!

I am from the lovely city of Moss Point, Mississippi; a coastal area.

I am an Elementary Education major and Speech Pathology minor.

I am currently a junior and will graduate in May of 2015.

As much as I love to be outdoors, indoors is even better.

I like to walk on the beach, exercise, and watch movies.