Stefan

 //Week 4 Reflection: Code of Best Practices//

As educators, it is clear that we have leeway regarding the fair use policies; however, i think way too much is made about this. There are obvious examples of copyright infringment that are a concern, but a kid playing a song in the background of his/her project or presentation, or embedding a video, this is a moot issue. We are reading and arguing about the jaywalking of computer / education crimes. Nobody is looking to make money here, so what is the problem if Johnny uses a song in the background? Seems like we are crying over spilt milk.

I feel that we have very little to worry about as educators...cover the basics, like plagiarism, and move on. Pictures, video, audio for non-monetary gain in education, regardless of its educational value, should be accepted. And when the wording of these copyright laws leaves so much gray area, it is easy for me to skip over. The fair use policies make mention length, and intention, and educational value - what does anybody have to lose with a little Johnny Cash in the background of their PPT? Anybody can come up with some abstract meaning for its "educational value".

Make no mistake, //I have a huge issue with plagiarism -// the copying of someone elses work and passing it off as your own //- however,// in these cases that we have discussed and debated, no student is trying to claim the latest Jay-Z song to be there doing, and that they are actually the songwriter, singer, or producer.

Just my thoughts....

//Stefan,

Curriculum and content first, technology second! I couldn't agree more. Technology is most certainly a tool (albeit a very cool and powerful one) and will never replace good instruction and pedagogy. The challenge is how to integrate in a way that is meaningful, relevant, empowering, yet fully focused on curriculum and content. Never flash over function. Thanks for sharing.

David//

Week 3 Reflection

I agree with the statement made it the book concerning "committed leadership, but a less focused technology plan," and how this is potentially a problem. I have seen my school district simply content with such things as technology and inclusion, rather than the process, or its effectiveness. Since when did status quo become acceptable? I guess it is easier to sell the public on what they have rather than what is being done and the improvement, or lackthereof, taking place. In the reading, the schools, St. John's, Ludlow, Longfellow, and Western Hills all stated that there was no obvious improvement in performance even with all of their technological upgrades. That's a tough pill to swallow after all of the money used to implement these programs. The leadership was committed, and it still did not improve scores. At times, there is clearly an issue with quantifying performance when dealing with technology.

Additionally, beyond the programs themselves and their effectiveness, there is always the opportunity for students to "play around" on computers (if thats what is being used), once again taking away from learning. This is a loose argument, however, as it is very important to find time for student to do computer-based research. This will happen from time to time, as educators we just need to be as vigilant as possible. There are programs to buy (Synchroneyes for one) that can help alleviate this problem, but you once again have to spend more money for this. Believe it or not, I am a proponent of technology in the classroom, but I always debate when does it become too much and: a) take away from reading and writing, and general content, and b) when does it cost taxpayers too much.

In closing, Pflaum makes an interesting point, suggesting that some schools focus more on technology rather than the curriculum and standards themselves. It is important that the curriculum and content continues to be the focus, and technology is simply a tool, not the teacher, and helps us reach our curriculum goals.

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 * //Stefan,

In reading your reflection, I would like to suggest for your research that you look into the academic benefits of things such as wikis, blogs, etc. I think you may be surprised (or not) by what the current research says. Just a suggestion. Additionally, I came across this article today and thought you may find it interesting. It is in the vein of your reflection.

David//**

WEEKLY REFLECTION #2

While reading the text, I constantly keep asking myself, what is the Risk v. Reward of revamping much of education to drastically incorporate technology in the classroom. I am all for technology that is practical, such as WORD, EXCEL, etc., and all for technology that TRUELY enhances learning in the classroom (or out of the classroom for that matter). However, I haven't been introduced to enough examples of EFFECTIVE use of technology in the classroom, just mainly "fluff" - by that I mean blogs, wiki's, etc.

I'm sure most are asking, "What risks could there possibly be?" so I compiled a list of the pro/cons, risks/rewards. The risks, if you will: -increased technology costs a lot of money. Increased taxes, funding, cuts to other programs, so on and so forth. If LEARNING drastically increases, and matches the cost, then so be it, but I am yet to see that. -Time spent educating the educators, and once again the money to do so, can be very comprehensive. And if tech. is exponentially changing, can districts truely keep up with these changes for all of their educators? -What about standards and curriculum? Does this take away from the curriculum? Everytime we blog in the classroom that takes away from reinforcing students' abilities to solve algebraic equations and reading and comprehending actual text. -Teachers can use technology as a crutch, simply in the name of "using technology in the classroom." For example, I have a student teacher that uses PPT and YouTube and thinks that these enhance learning. I have had multiple conversations about how they can be nice, but over usage can be a hindrance.

Now the rewards: -practicing 21st century skills - if these are definitely necessary skills. I am more concerned with effective use of EXCEL, WORD, and other programs that transfer directly into the business world. Whereas wikis and blogs may be used corporately, they are easy to use on a basic level, so I dont see us teaching kids how to use it as being effective practice - it can be figured out the first week on the job. -Student interest can be spurred through some of these mediums. My refute - are we educating or entertaining. Well, my answer is BOTH, however, learning is more important, and if we are just using the technology for entertaining, then we are failing our students and our objectives are not being met effectively.

In the text, Pflaum emphasizes effective technology and strong leadership go hand-in-hand, and I do agree with this. Technology in the classroom is trivial unless there are clear objectives and initiatives set forth by the district, where educators are taught how to use the technology to increase learning. Otherwise, without district initiative, it becomes a free-for-all, and technology in the classroom becomes PPT, YouTube, wiki's and blogs, and is more of that crutch for educators (I understand that I could be wrong here on my thinking, but I am waiting to be proved wrong).

So all of this reflecting brings me back to my #1 question: WHAT DOES HIGHLY EFFECTIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM LOOK LIKE? Blogs and wikis are nice, but debateable about their effectiveness. I am yet to hear or see effective use of these in the classroom, and therefore, I have a hard time expecting school districts to spend tens of thousands of dollars for entertainment, and marginal learning. In other words, the risk outweighs the reward....but once again, I am waiting for examples of HIGHLY effective use, not generic use. I am more inclined to lean towards software programs that are effective than just using technology simply to say "I use technology in my classroom via blogs, wikis, podcasts, YouTube, etc." As for software programs, it seemed as if Harriet Tubman's computer reading program was effective but very expensive, which leads to higher taxes and/or cutting programs. Once again, is it worth the money - $3,000-$4000 per kid over a summer?

I am not opposed to these technological mediums, but more isn't always, well, more.

I have an 8:30 pm bedtime!

Before reviewing NETS I thought their would be more practical use for these standards. They seem very similar to the PDE standards - vague and open-ended, not very clear (at least the Social Studies standards that I am used to).

The NETS are very general, and open ended. I thought it would be more geared toward technical skills that students would be able to use on a daily basis. Being that they are so general, it is hard to pin down the exact purpose of them. From an ethical standpoint, I think it is very important for students, and teachers for that matter, to know what is deemed appropriate and inappropriate computer usage.


 * Stefan,**

//**Although your reflection contains some interesting thoughts, it is my hope that you will try and go a bit more in-depth with your reflections. This seems short and superficial. You have several things above that you could easily expound on and explore further. The focusing questions provided can help. Once again, they are:**//
 * //**How does the content challenge/affirm my philosophy of leadership and/or technology?**//
 * //**What new philosophies are emerging?**//
 * //**How is the content different or similar to my current professional experience?**//
 * //**What transformational effect does or has technology had on our profession?**//
 * //If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me through this wikispace using the mail feature we discussed in class. Thanks.

David//**