Journal 4: Video Conferencing

Videoconferencing is a form of communication between two or more parties via the medium of video and/or audio. Video conferencing is a mode of communication that is meant to connect groups of individuals rather than individuals themselves.

The first post discusses an activity that the teacher was trying to put together, with the aid of anyone who would reply and assist. The teacher stated that the class was going to begin studying one of the states (in the United States) and wanted to be able to have the students have a videoconference with another class of students in the state of study. The teacher wanted the students to interview the students, in the state of study, to determine what is best about living in that particular state and what it’s like to live there.
I believe that video conferencing is a wonderful way to communicate. It is the next best thing to being in front of someone while you talk to him or her. You are able to take in all of the body language and facial expressions absent in telephone communication. A videoconference like one described above would serve to make the assignment more real to the student, and therefore more interesting. And stimulating interest is a very important strategy for involving students in what they are learning.

Inspiration

Journal 3

Journal 3

“Restructuring for caring and effective education: The possible futures of education”

This presentation was a moving and encouraging one. The theme of the presentation was centered on the question: What is the goal of education? The speaker asked the question and took several answers from the audience. It was an intimidating question in that it asked one to defend the whole idea of education. I answered the question for myself. I though, and still think, that the goal of education is to enable a child to be successful at whatever they endeavor to do in life. The presentation continued with the discussion of whether education should emphasize excellence of equity. Again the question was asked of the audience. The speaker delved into the possible outcomes of catering to one, and then the other. There were positive and negative aspects of both, but the final assessment showed that to emphasize to only one or the other ends up with dire consequences. It was decided that the only logical, efficient, and ethical course of action was to include both in the act of teaching. One of the latter and more important points made in the presentation addressed the best possible method of interacting with children with special needs. Evidence shows that the best way to see kids with special needs is to just see them as normal. It has been the case that, too long have special needs kids have been seen as different, and therefore should be treated differently (with such strategies as separation of these students from the “mainstream” kids). The best way to teach special needs kids is the same way to teach mainstream kids; look at them as being completely normal and include them in every aspect of the educational system that everyone else is.

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Journal 2

The Laptops Are Coming! The Laptops Are Coming!

McFarlane, S (2008). The Laptops Are Coming! The Laptops Are Coming!. Retrieved July 29, 2008, from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/22_04/lapt224.shtml

In this article, teacher Sarah Heller McFarlaine explains the frustration and difficulties she experienced after her school obtained monies to buy laptops for every student in the school. It would seem that this situation would be great for students; to have access to an infinite amount of information, to have a level playing field in the sense that there would be no student that without a computer, and all the other benefits that having a computer would yield.
However, McFarlaine reveals that there hidden dangers in having such a resource for the students. McFarlaine complains that an inappropriate amount of time is spent in preparing for teaching students by utilizing the computers. She also has many more complaints, including: too much time spent in front of the computer, too much time policing students to make sure that they were using the computer appropriately, making sure that the students were actually internalizing the information they were finding on the internet, students being exposed to advertising while surfing the web, and students who felt bad about their own technical ineptitudes.

1. Is there any hope for computers in the classroom, or are McFarlaine’s complaints enough to convince on to give up on the program? Of course there is hope. Just like any other process in education that has promise, yet runs into problems along its development are worth continuing. Although McFarlaine’s argument is strong and convincing, the potential benefits of such a program to a vast amount of students are worth the initial difficulties.
2. What are some ways to combat the negative aspects that McFarlaine discusses? There are many ways to combat these problems. For example, a teacher could have the students take breaks from computer time to get period of exercise, students who are proficient with technology could help students who are not as savvy. These are only a few ideas, and I know that not all of the problems have such easy fixes, but these are a step in the right direction towards success of the computer program.

Journal 1

Shifflet, R (2008). Extreme makeover:updating class activities for the 21st century.
Retrieved July 21, 2008, from www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjheil65.googlepages.com%2FJournal1.pdf&images=yes Web site: http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjheil65.googlepages.com%2FJournal1.pdf&images=yes

Mader, J (2008, July). Blogging Right Along. Retrieved August 5, 2008, Web site: http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjheil65.googlepages.com%2FJournal1.pdf&images=yes

This article seeks to expose the potential of Web-based applications for use in the classroom. It explores the possibilities of several different examples, discusses how they work, and the benefits of using such applications. For example, Shifflet discusses Collaborative Writing Tools, Social Book-marking, Blogs, and more. A major benefit of these Web-based applications it the fact that they are social. This allows collaboration from both teachers and students in order to enrich the applications being constructed. The article concludes with a discussion of the possible negative aspects of using such applications, but argues that the positive aspects greatly outweigh the negative ones.
The second article discusses the importance of Blogs in the classroom setting. The author uses the example of students a science class and the benefits students and teacher experience, including: sources of information, time line of progress of class, a view of who is participating in certain activities, and much more.

1. Out of the Web-based applications presented in the Shifflet’s article, which one would
most easily lend itself to use in a high school mathematics classroom?
This question would probably yield different answers from different people, but I would think that Social Book-marking would most likely fit into a mathematics classroom. There are a myriad of mathematics web sites that are extremely useful for many different uses. Social Book-marking could be used for both students and teachers in order to complete projects, homework, study, find formulas, and much more.

2. Could a blogging site be used for any classroom setting, such as art or music, or are they geared more toward a technical class only?
A blogging site can be used for any classroom setting. For example, sources that are made available by the blog need not necessarily be technical in nature. The sources could that of artistic or creative in nature.

Introduction

My name is Eric Flam and I was born and raised in San Diego County. I lived and attended school in Alpine until I was a sophomore in high school. My family and I then moved to Coronado and I continued the remainder of my high schooling. I went all the way through high school but did not graduate. I went to work and obtained my GED about eight years later. I graduated from SDSU in May of 2008 with a degree in Math for Single Subject Teaching.

I am a Mac person. I had quite a time transitioning from a PC, but am now a believer. I look forward to being able to afford an iPhone. I use my computer daily, and actually many times a day. Most of my activity is centered around school, entertainment, communication, and checking the surf. I am currently using the Microsoft Office 07 for Mac.

The portion of the Cal State San Marcos Mission Statement that speaks to me is the mission itself. The goal to "collaboratively transform public education" is one loaded with meaning. The word collaboratively implies that all concerned will be included in the process, which is compelling to someone new entering the system. The word transform implies that public education is an dynamically evolving entity that can always be changed. It also implies that it should be changed, and for the better. And also, "preparing thoughtful educators" and "advancing professional practices" seems to be an excellent method to achieving this goal.