Journal #1

"Finding New Ways to Connect" by Eleanor Yang Su

In this article Su describes college students whom she calls the “Millennial Generation” and the college professors who are faced with teaching them. These students are those who were born the 1980’s and 90’s and have grown up in a world of technology. Students sending text messages, playing video games, sending email and watching YouTube on their laptops are a few of the technologies that teachers are competing with in the classrooms. This generation has become very quick to multi-task, combing classroom listening with these other “skills”, which the article states is not advantageous. Due to the Web and other improving software, such as class Websites, professors are finding it a little bit easier to make an impression on their students. Su also explains that these advancing technologies are changing how professors and students interact. More and more colleges and professors are doing their best to keep up with the Millennial Generation and provide a great, technological education.

Questions...
1. What technologies can I use to make an impression on my students?
I would love to use technologies such as a classroom website and digital cameras to make an impression on my elementary school physical education class. Students could take pictures of each other engaging in activities an post them on myspace and/or the class website.

2. What can I do to keep kids focused on my lessons, as opposed to trying to “multi-task”?
To keep my students focused I can create lessons that are fun and that require 100% participation from each individual. In physical education, this task is much easier to accomplish. Team activities, volleyball for instance, can be fun for everyone, and require participation from the entire group.

Journal #2

"Breathing Fire into Web 2.0" by Justin Hardman and David Carpenter

While many schools seem to be far behind current technology trends, The Hong Kong International School (HKIS) is making good progress, due to their latest web-based classroom management system, according to authors Hardman and Carpenter. MyDragonNet is a web system designed specifically for HKIS. While it was originally designed for the simple task of storing files and display calendar tasks, it has since grown into something much more innovative and useful. MyDragonNet allows students and teachers to communicate and collaborate over an easy-to-use interface. This software incorporates many of the same attributes common to the new Web 2.0 sites popular across the internet. The solution is adaptable and expandable, paving the way for future needs and changes for technology trends. MyDragonNet integrates lesson plans, homework assignments, and other aspects of the course.

Questions...
1. How can a collaborative web environment help my students be more productive?
I feel communication between students is an important part of the learning process. A web environment will allow this to happen real-time, 24 hours a day. Normally communication would only happen in the classroom and this will allow better and more frequent communication.

2. If my school doesn’t have similar software, how could I still incorporate some of the same positive benefits into my class?
By using some of the free resources on the internet, I could enable some of the same benefits into my class. I could start a blog or register for a free forum for the class to use.

Journal #3

"Video in the Age of Participation" by Glen Bull

Technology is improving everyday. In this article, Bull states that “digital video is the next frontier in the technology world”. Many teachers have used films as part of their curriculum in class to help educate their students. With technology progressing, digital videos and companies such as The Discovery Education unitedstreaming Web site, teachers can now have short video clips that are aimed toward a certain part of their curriculum, grade level, and state standards. Bull also mentions that one company, Discovery Educator’s Network (DEN), is conducting an experiment where students and teachers can edit and remix licensed unitedstreaming content and repost it on the DEN site. This provides more knowledge to teachers on how to unite certain topics to their curriculum. With schools teaching mainly through text books and students going home to digital videos, there is a large potential for these two worlds to come together to further combine education and technology.

Questions...

1. How could I integrate digital video into a Physical Education class?
I think that it would be really be fun to use digital video to record activities that can be emailed to their parents or other family and friends. Also, video can be used to record progress throughout the year.

2. What would be the benefits of teaching with video, versus text books?
Movement concepts can be explained, however, I feel that students would benefit more if they could actually see the movement pattern. Video can also be beneficial when students are making corrections to their own movement patterns.

Journal #4

"From Toy to Tool" by Liz Kolb

In this article, Kolb gives an example of a time in her life when she thought that cell phones should be banned from classrooms and schools. She then realized that cell phones were devices that students used to interact with the world around them. Kolb decided that “as educators we can help students to use their everyday ‘toy’ as a ‘tool’ for constructing knowledge”. Through cell phones, students can develop multimedia projects, create blogs, and audioblog. Audioblogging allows students to conduct interviews and post those interviews to a blog through their cell phones. Cool features could then be used to edit each interview. These interviews can be subject matter specific. Cool, right? Well, there are, however, some concerns with audioblogging. Worries include privacy, copyright, cost, and control issues. Kolb points out that the benefits of audioblogging outweigh the concerns, and that integrating technologies that students use in their social lives will help them discover that they can also use these same devices for meaningful learning.

Questions...
1. Would I be able to use Audioblogging in my physical education class?
I think that it would be a neat idea for kids to conduct an interview with their cell phones, regarding health or athletics, and then be able to post it onto their blog for the rest of the class to see and learn from.

2. Besides cell phones, what’s an example of another “Toy” that could be used as a “Tool” in my classroom?
I think that “podcasts” could be used to send out announcements and assignments to my students. Students with ipods can hook them up to their computer and schedule audio downloads when updates are available.

Journal #5

"Cyberbullying: How to Fight the New Bullies" by Rosalind Wiseman

A new wave of bullying is taking place. It is called Cyberbullying. Bullies are now using technologies such as instant messages (IMs), text messages, photos, email, videos, etc. to put down and intimidate others. As Wiseman states, what makes cyberbullying so easy is that it is anonymous and can potentially have an enormous audience. Because this has become such a problem, legal and educational systems have begun to take action, placing cyberbullying into their bullying policies. School officials are permitted to get involved in incidents that take place outside of school if the activity impacts the child’s learning environment. The controversy has become whether school officials can “suppress student speech off-campus”. The decision has yet to be made. Wiseman also includes cyberbullying facts and tips for parents in this article.

Questions...
1. What’s my stance on this “off-campus” controversy?
I feel that bullying is not acceptable, no matter where it occurs. If the parents aren’t going to take the appropriate steps to put an end to this, then yes, I think the schools need to step in and do what’s necessary to protect the children.

2. What can I do to make sure my students have safe, fun online experiences, on and off campus?
I can keep my students informed of the dangers of the internet. Perhaps I could introduce them to the Netiquette guidelines, and make sure they are aware of who they should contact in the event that they experience problems online.