Journal #6 Building Your PLN NETS-T:3,5

Warlick, D. (2009). Grow your personal learning network. Learning & Leading With Technology (36)6, Retrieved from http://istelearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Grow-Your-PLN.pdf

Having the ability to connect with others, share information and new ideas is an extremely important factor when deciding to take on the career of an educator. By building a PLN (Personal Learning Network), it is a way to gather information and connect with teachers all across the world. Teachers are no longer on an island once the tardy bell rings and their door is closed.

This should be celebrated, not feared. In David Warlick’s article, he explains how to aggressively and successfully build your own PLN through three different avenues; personally maintained synchronous connections, personally and socially maintained semi synchronous connections, and dramatically maintained asynchronous connections. All three are different but in the end work towards the same goal, a happy, successful classroom with student who will go on to succeed. Warlick addresses the fact that building PLNs takes a lot of time, effort, and hard work but the outcome will always outweigh the journey.

Question 1: As a new teacher, how would I begin my own PLN?
Attending conferences are the easiest and most useful tools when it comes to your PLN. Networking with fellow educators will not only be a great way for you to share your ideas, but to gain a few along the way.

Question 2: Why is it important to maintain your PLN?
Once you begin your PLN, not only are you entering a network with your ideas but the ideas of so many others. The benefits from a PLN are so great that not maintaining one, especially in today’s society would be an educator’s biggest mistake.

All About Me Survey

Journal 5: Nets I

Boehmer, Curtis. (2011). Brain teaching with video games. Learning and Leading, 38(5), 28-30. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-february-march-2011.aspx

This article is about Brain Ware Safari.  It is a program that is used to help children develop their mental processing skills through attention skills, visualization, sequential processing, patterns, relationships, and other mental processes.  One study shows that it has an average of four years of cognitive growth in just three months.  The program uses videogames as a way to keep its subjects engaged.  Who would have thought, the use of videogames as tools for learning.  Studies have shown that using videogames to help children learn is actually beneficial.  It helps them think at a higher level, it improves their cognitive skills, and provides mental processing skills. 

Question 1: Will I use this in my classroom?

Absolutely.  I’ve never been one to bash on technology.  I’m always up for trying new things that could better my classroom.  Now I wouldn’t want to be one of those parents that uses game consoles to babysit, and I certainly would not want to be a teacher who solely used these as a way to get out of teaching but using it to help me, why not?

Question 2: What would be some flaws with this program?

Students may become so engaged in this program that when it comes time for face to face lessons, they may not find it as interesting, and only want to play the games.  This could be an obstacle but if managed correctly, face time will be just as beneficial.

Journal 4: NETS I-V

Schaffhauser, D. (2010, December 1). It's time to trust teachers with the internet:: a conversation with Meg Ormiston. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2010/12/01/Its-Time-To-Trust-Teachers-with-the-Internet-A-Conversation-with-Meg-Ormiston.aspx?sc_lang=en&Page=1

In this article, Meg Ormiston addresses the most common fears that parents and teachers have when it comes to the internet, and their children.  There are many things a child can run into online that we as adults want to shield them from.  However, the internet also has so many things that can be beneficial in the classroom.  Ormiston advocates the importance of learning to use the internet in a safe and responsible manner.  She feels as though schools waste so much time on restricting access to “inappropriate sites” that could actually be used to help the educational success of the students.  She understands that certain sites must be blocked, like those that contain pornography, but, limiting any and all social networks may hurt more than help the problem.  With all of the budget cuts schools are faced with, teachers are forced to come up with new ways to teach their children with half of the resources.  Sites like YouTube, which are free and extremely easy to navigate, have many videos that could serve as a teaching tool and yet it is blocked on many campuses. 

Question 1: By unblocking these websites, how can a teacher be sure that students won’t take advantage of it?

With today’s advancements in technology, there is no guarantee that the students are not already on these restricted websites with their cellphones under the desks.  As long as you let them know that you are putting your trust in them and that you expect they respect their privileges, they should be okay.  Throw in a contract for them to sign and you’re golden.

Question 2: How could I promote the use of technology in the classroom as a new teacher?

It’s always hard to be taken seriously when you’re the new kid on the block anywhere, especially when you’re a first year student.   That is why I took this class.  There are so many wonderful tools we use, it will be easy to convince those in charge when I show them even a small percentage of what we did in class.  I might even get them to sign up for Twitter.

 

Journal 3: 100 Things That Make Me Happy

1.    Long walks on the beach

2.    Random food fights

3.    Being spontaneous

4.    Accidentally stumbling upon nude beaches (Thank God for Dark sunglasses!)

5.    Family

6.    Friends

7.    My pets

8.    The funny things children say

9.    Surfing

10.  Snowboarding

11.  Shopping

12.  Traveling

13.  Laughing

14.  Watching movies

15.  Flying

16.  My iPhone

17.  My laptop

18.  Massages

19.  Cruises

20.  Christmas

21.  The number 21

22.  Being 21

23.  My birthday

24.  Clubbing

25.  Weddings

26.  My humor

27.  My laugh

28.  Buckle (the store)

29.  Leggings

30.  High heels

31.  The fact that I can barely hold a serious conversation for an extended amount of time

32.  The beach

33.  Tanning

34.  New clothes

35.  My car

36.  My house

37.  Not having homework

38.  Water

39.  Music

40.  Water skiing

41.  Winter

42.  Summer

43.  Fall

44.  Spring

45.  Chuck Norris

46.  Old movies

47.  My bed

48.  My closet

49.  Fruit smoothies in the morning

50.  Breakfast in bed

51.  Cooking

52.  Not having to wash the dishes after cooking

53.  Serving while going to school

54.  Beer

55.  Wine

56.  Handles

57.  Bon fires

58.  Parties for no reason

59.  Men in Speedos

60.  Shopping

61.  Swimming

62.  Late night ice-cream runs

63.  Water fights

64.  Snow fights

65.  Food fights

66.  Monster energy drinks

67.  Boots

68.  Casinos

69.  Las Vegas

70.  New York

71.  Paris

72.  Rings

73.  Bracelets

74.  Necklaces

75.  Jokes

76.  Nail polish

77.  Chick flicks

78.  Pizza

79.  Pasta

80.  Chinese food

81.  Bonfires

82.  Taking pictures

83.  Traveling to exotic places

84.  ISTE

85.  Task Stream

86.  Blogger.com

87.  Facebook

88.  Twitter

89.  Black and White parties

90.  Perfume

91.  Name tags

92.  Stop signs

93.  Red Lights

94.  Taking risks

95.  Laughing

96.  Smiling

97.  Ed Hardy hats

98.  Making snow angels

99.  Dancing in the rain

100.Dancing in the snow

Journal 2: NETS II - IV

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the flock!. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx

Miller, S.M. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Leading and Learning With Technology, 37(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx

The first article is about the social network, Twitter.  For so long, I refused to get Facebook, I was fine with Myspace.  A few years later and I simply cannot get enough of it.  Not long ago, I refused to get a Twitter, and then who would have known, my very own professor would assign us to create one.  I never understood the fascination behind it.  However, after reviewing this article, my reluctance to the world of Twitter is at an all-time low.  This article breaks Twitter down into segments that make it much easier to understand.  At first, I thought of Twitter as a way for those with “Bieber fever” to know exactly what he’s doing at every second of every day.  Now, my ignorance towards this social network has diminished, and I realize that Twitter could actually be beneficial in my classroom.  Through one’s own Personal Learning Network, they can expand their knowledge beyond the classroom, and into the wonderful world of tweets. 

Question 1: Will I ever be able to use Twitter in my classroom of Kindergarteners?

To be completely honest, while I feel as though Kindergarteners are cognitively at the level of being able to use the internet, there wouldn’t be much for my students to do with the Twitter website.  The furthest I could go is having them post daily activities they did.  However, if I were to teach higher grade levels, I do feel as though this could be beneficial.

Question 2: Could using Twitter in the classroom have its flaws?

Absolutely.  Anytime you give children a keyboard, a mouse, and the freedom to write, there are risks.  But you cannot be breathing over their necks at every waking moment.  With freedom comes great responsibility and as long as your students have that understanding, very few “problems” will persist.

Inspiration

By using Inspiration, I created a flow chart connecting the projects I have completed in this course to the NETS-T they satisfy. (NETS-T 3)