#17 - Final Blogfolio

 1. Introduction Video

 

Standards Linked to this Assignment:

2a - Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. 

This standard fits this assignment because we were taught to incorporate a digital tool, video recording, to something simple like an introduction and turn it into a creative opportunity for learning. 

Assignment Reflection:

During this assignment I learned that posting a video recording of myself wasn't quite as scary as I thought it would be. When I first started this assignment I wasn't looking forward to it at all. I've never been one to that outgoing or like people looking at me, but I knew I needed to work on that if I'm going to be a teacher. So, I sucked it up and found out that it wasn't quite so bad. I think an assignment like this is good for students who may be shy in front of a classroom, but feel more comfortable with technology. I would integrate this into my class by possibly having them give oral presentations using video instead of doing a presentation at the front of the class, then the class could watch the presentations on the smart board projectors. 

2. Concept Map

Standards Linked to this Assignment:
1b - Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. 
3c - communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. 
These standards fit this assignment because I used real world issues, Natural Disasters, and taught it in a new, digitally fun format. The second standard fits because I was able to communicate the information about Natural Disasters to the students using digital aged formats.
Assignment Reflection: In this assignment I learned how to make a concept map in the program Inspiration. It was a little confusing at first, but after a while of practicing it became easier. The main problem I had with this assignment was how detailed my topic was and how hard it was to lay out the topics in a clean and organized manner. It took a while to organize and to look decent, but I finally got it down. The other problem I had was in posting the graphic organizer part to the blog. It wouldn't format correctly, but I fixed it by typing out most of the layout myself. In order to integrate this into my own classroom I would use it to teach topics in a fun and participatory way, but I think I would go with the Prezi program instead. It is more crisp and easier to organize for me.

3. Website 

Standards Linked to this Assignment:

3c - communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats. 

4c - promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information. 

These standards go well with this assignment because it provides information for both the students and the parents on what is going on in the classroom that month. 

Assignment Reflection: 

I liked this assignment overall. I had never made a website before and thought this would be a good thing to learn so that one day I'd be able to make one of my own for my classroom. I wasn't sure where to start so I had to Google examples of things to say as a teacher to parents. I had only a few problems choosing a layout and finding appropriate wordings of things, but I fixed the layout by playing around with the website and the examples I found on other teacher websites helped out a lot. In order to integrate this into my classroom, I would make sure the website was updated regularly and I kept the classroom calender filled with details for the parents. I would also make sure to add extra copies of the homework assignments or any other assignments that the parents might need. 

4. Window's Movie Maker

Standards Linked to this Assignment:

1a - promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. 

2a - design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. 

This assignment goes with the mentioned standards because it was all about creativity in the story telling process. We were given a goal, but were also given free range on what we could do our stories on. This process allowed us to learn about digital tools and technology but in a way that still allowed us to play with our creativity. 

Assignment Reflection:

I really enjoyed this assignment. I've always liked being able to use creativity with free range and making a story movie was a lot of fun. I knew my laptop had Window's Movie Maker, but I never knew how to use it. It was a pretty easy project, but I did have difficulty getting the pictures to show up after saving the movie as a project and trying to reopen it in the Lab. It was easily fixed though when I figured out how to resubmit them to the projects. This assignment could be integrated into the classroom easily. Students can make a book trailer about a book they've read in the classroom, or they could make their own story books using a camera and putting them into the movie maker. I think students would really enjoy this. 

5. TurnItIn Assignments

Standards Linked to this Assignment 

1b - engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. 
4a - advocate, model, and teach safe, legal and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
These standards fit this assignment because this assignment was all about plagiarism. Plagiarism is a real issue and Turn-it in addresses this problem using digital resources. This assignment also addresses the ethical use of information and technology. It also addresses the appropriate use of sources.
Assignment Reflection:   
I was familiar with TurnItIn before this assignment. I had to use this program at my community college for both Comp 1 and Comp 2. However, I had not purposefully plagiarized before and I felt really awkward and guilty being assigned a project that required me to plagiarize. I had a few issues with the TurnItIn. The first was I copied and pasted from 5 different sources but couldn't get above 86% on the similarity, even after resubmitting it with another plagiarized source. My revised submission was no problem at all. I always got 2% or lower in Comp 1 and Comp 2 so I wasn't really worried about that part at all. I think in order to incorporate this into my classroom, I'd need to use it on older students. Maybe 5th or 6th grade because they have grasped a better concept on ways to not plagiarize and the moral compass of the situation. You could show this to younger children but I'm not sure if the program would address a 3rd graders attempt on avoiding plagiarism.

6. Webtools

Standards Linked to this Assignment:
2b - develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own education goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress. 
2c - customize and personalize learning activities to address student's diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources. 
3a - demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
These standards fit this assignment because this assignment was all about finding new and fun/informative ways to teach and assess students. Trackstar allowed the students to use different technological resources to learn and assess, Big Bus Testmaker gives a digital form of a small test, and Rubistar allows the teacher to make a rubric easy in no time using technology.
Assignment Reflection:
During this assignment I learned a handful of things about how easy things can be thanks to technology. I especially liked the rubric maker. I had to make my own rubric recently in another class, using word. I wish I had known about Rubistar before I used Word because Rubistar was about 100x easier. The only issues I had with this assignment was with the links. I forgot the 4 in the Rubistar and Trackstar links and I got sent to 2 random websites that had nothing to do with teaching. Putting the 4 in the link fixed that though. Incorporating this into my own classroom would be easy. I'm not so sure I'd use the testmaker because I didn't really like it too much, but rubistar would be helpful for assessing students and trackstar is extremely useful for the computer area and giving the students a fun way to learn without them going to random websites.

7. Google Groups & Google Docs 

Standards Linked with this Assignment: 
1a - promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. 
1c - promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes. 
1d - model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleaugues and others in face-to-face and virtual environments. 
3c - communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats
5b - exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others. 
These standards fit because all the different things we did with Google (questions, story, and slide show) have everything to do with creative thinking and inventiveness. The questions promoted reflection and assessment purposes, the story allowed us to be creative while using a new technology and the slide show allowed us to use a new technology while assessing our knowledge and research.
Assignment Reflection: 
This assignment was a little confusing at times. The questions were easy to figure out how to do in Google groups and the story was easy to figure out in Google Docs, but I was a little confused on the Slide Show portion. I had to ask a group-mate for more detail on the assignment but we figured it out together. I actually ended up using the Google Docs at another time during the same week because it came in so handy after I figured out how to use it. I think I would incorporate this into my class for group assignments at the computer zone. Students could easily work on the same paper at the same time for group research projects or use the slideshow option to work together too.

OVERALL COURSE REFLECTION:

To be honest, at first, I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to learn in this class because I considered myself pretty tech-savvy. However, after going through the whole semester, I can honestly say that I learned quite a bit that I didn't know how to do, brand new technologies I didn't know you could use in your classroom, new rules and standards to incorporate in the classroom and things that children need to be aware of when growing up in a technological generation. 

One of my favorite assignments was the Movie Maker one. I really enjoyed adding pictures to music and making a movie story to go with it. It may have been because I could use it to tell a cute, cheesy and sappy love story, but I never knew how to do that before. Now, I can make movies with pictures for all the people I care about. I could even make one to go with my classroom for projects, parties, etc and share it on the classroom website. 

Overall, I had fun in this class. I can honestly say that I have things to take away from this class and the experience. I know have many different skills and abilities, I didn't have before, that I can take with me to my career and pass down to my students. I'm looking forward to incorporating all I've learned into my future.

#16 - Safe Practices for Life Online. 13 Q&A.

Questions 1 - 6 : Peyton Griggs
Questions 7-8: Jon'Marie Baucum
Question 9: Lauryn Heneghan
Questions 10 - 13 : Lindsay Fuller

1. Name 3 Social Media Sites

Facebook, Twitter, Snap Chat

2. Name the Consequences

If students threaten a faculty member, the school, fellow students, or administrators online, they will be arrested. For example, in Beaverton, Oregon, two students were arrested for threatening the school with a shooting on Twitter. In another example, a high school senior tweeted about something explicit that happened between himself and a high school teacher.

3. Define: 

Sexting - Sending suggestive, sexual, explicit messages or pictures via text messages or social media. ("Let's settle this once and for all: what exactly is sexting?" by sam biddle, 7/22/2011, Gizmodo)
Cramming - Try to learn a lot right before an exam.
Cookies - It is a small piece of information about your computer that web browsers use when visiting certain websites that allow you to access certain pages.
Trojan Horse - Virus on your computer that tricks your computer into believing that it is fighting viruses but actually fills your computer with viruses.
Phishing - Getting financial information from people online and claiming that it is a legitimate business.
Spyware - Software that allows a computer user to get information about another user's activity secretly.
Rootkit - Software that allows a user that is unauthorized to gain control of a computer undetected.
Zombie - A computer that has been compromised by a hacker, virus, or a Trojan Horse.

4. Why are these screen names poor choices? (Trashmouth, IHaveOnePairPants, BoogerDude, Pig)

These screen names are poor choices because they are degrading to the user and are immature and unprofessional.

5. Why might someone harass those with these screen names? (InYoFace, Badboy2U, Lookin4Luv, IMAHottie, FatMama, suPaFlirt)

Those screen names are degrading and inappropriate and can draw undesired attention to the user that chose the name.

6. What info is being revealed through the following screen names? (Tom_Evans34, Missy-13, AndyKarateKid, ViolinGurl, restlinmatch)

When you use a screen name that gives out information about your interests, full name, age, or location, you are risking someone taking advantage of that information.

7. Good and bad choices of screen names. Write whether you think these are good choices or poor choices and why.

i8sushi2  I think this is bad because this does not seem like it would be very professional

Soccerstar  This one does not seem like it is very professional but I think it is still ok for younger people who are not looking for a profession at the time.

Puppygirl1234  This one seems ok for little children but not for adults or teenagers.

KeKe1995  I think this one is fine. There is nothing offensive or out of line. It is just her name and probably date of birth.

Bookworm  This one has nothing bad, but again, it would not be a very good one for someone looking to be taken seriously.

2BorNot2b This one is not good at all. It is not professional

Choco-holic This one would be ok for children I guess. It still doesn't put off a good image in my opinion

CapitlOfens I don't even know what this says so that is frustrating. I feel like whether you are a child, teenager, or adult you need to have a screen name that can be understood!

AmrcanIdol2 This one seems ok for younger children and teenagers but it might need to be changed if this person is looking for a job it needs to be changed.

BellaIsabella If this is this girls actually name then this is ok for all ages.

DarkAngel666 This one is a very bad one to use because it can be very offensive to people who are big into religion

Karla-Love-1996 This one is ok for anyone and it depends on the profession if it's ok. It isn't offensive or bad but it might not be as professional as some people may like

SimpyMe I don't know if this is a name or suppose to say simply so I'm confused. So it may not be a good one to use because it might confuse other people.

gUn4hiRe I dont think this one should be used as an adult because it is not professional

BabyfaceLA this one is ok for teenagers, but once this person is in there 20s it needs to go.

Watup? This one is ok for younger people but the horrible grammar will definitely turn off potential employers.

8.Create three different screen names that you think will met all of the following guidelines:

Unlikely to attract negative attention

Free of bad language

Don't reveal too much personal information

Don't reveal a real name, age, or gender

SouthernMiss15

USMprofessor

USMgoldeneagle

9. How likely is it that a password can be cracked? 

My current password has a score of eight based on these questions. It is important to access your password based on these and similar criteria in order to protect yourself from internet predators and hackers. Passwords should not use common or easy to figure out information because it would be too easy to crack and make the user vulnerable to hackers.

10. Most & Least common reason students' online accounts are broken into each year:

MOST: Others who know personal things about the student guess the password.
LEAST: A password cracking program is used to crack their password.

11. Malware Analysis: Drive-By Download Thoughts and Summary:

The video, while super cheesy, was actually informative. The man in the video is logging into an infected website with his own computer to show just how quickly your computer can get infected. He also is showing how sneaky and dangerous these websites are. He begins explaining exactly what is going on with the computer and what the program is doing. "Some attacks tip you off by crashing stuff, other times it does nothing, then shows itself later." The website he went to, specifically, was loading the site normally, but when he minimized his screen he showed what was really going on. His computer's desktop changed to a message claiming that he has a spyware infection on his laptop. In his tray there is a new icon also saying, "Your computer is infected. Windows has detected spyware infection!" He clicks the popup icon and a program pops up that he never installed claiming to be a virus scanner.
Other visual cues that a drive-by has hit your machine:

• Unusual apps in your program bar
• Your web browser's homepage changed
• Unfamiliar toolbar appears in your web browser
• Your browser has new bookmarks that you didn't make
• Pop-up windows display ads
• Unusual files in different directories on your computer

After he infects his computer he showed the viewers several different applications and spywares the Malware added then explains how you can prevent this from happening to your own computer. Such as:

• Keep up with patches - Malware uses tricks to get around old patches
• Harden your web browser - keep the web setting at the highest security setting
• Block dangerous file types at your firebox - http & https proxies (inbound and outbound)
• Use antivirus and anti-spyware software - keep it up to date

Watching this video made me a little paranoid about my own anti-virus scanner not working so I updated it right after. I knew how important it was to have a virus scanner and how bad malware and spyware can be, but seeing just how many programs can be installed on your computer in just one click, really puts it into perspective.

12. 3 Tests to Stay Safe Online 8 Tests

1. Is your computer protected?
   For this quiz I was at a low risk for being unprotected. The 2 questions that made the bar go up were "Do you have a wireless computer" "yes" and "Do you back up your files on a regular basis?" "no".
2. Are you protecting your identity?
   I was at a medium/low risk for this quiz. I got this score because I don't check my bank statement monthly. I know I have no money, so I don't bother checking. I should check anyway. I don't run a regular credit check on myself, annually, like you're supposed to do. I've done it maybe once before. I'm also really bad about not checking for HTTPS before I make any online purchases. 
3. Are you an unwitting accomplice in crime?
   I was once again at a medium/low risk on this quiz. I play a lot of online video games so many of these questions seemed to go against me asking about people I met online. 

13. False Sales Advertisements Lead to Financial Loss in Excess of $20 Million - A Summary

"From June 2009 to June 2014 the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received over 6800 complaints regarding criminals targeting online consumers by posting false advertisements for high priced items such as automobiles, boats, heavy equipment, recreational vehicles, lawn mowers, tractors, and other similar items. These complaints total more than $20 million in reported losses."

According to the article, criminals post false advertisements that put an item up for sale with a fake photo to entice the buyer even more. The criminal also uses a phone number or email, then the consumer calls or emails the criminal to buy the item. After the consumer gives the criminal their email, the criminal sends them pictures about the item they're supposedly selling and ensures the consumer's purchase will be safe and secure by using Ebay. However, it's not really Ebay. The criminal sends a false Ebay confirmation email that includes the fraudulent transaction number and expected delivery date of the item. 

If the consumer tries to call about their item, the calls are ignored or the line is "busy". Because of this, the consumer never receives their item and they lose whatever amount of money they paid the criminal. The article gives these tips to avoid this happening to others:

• Use search engines or other websites to research the advertised item or person/company selling the item.
• Search the Internet for any negative feedback or reviews on the seller, their e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, or other searchable identifiers.
• Research the company policies before completing a transaction. For example, ensure the seller accepts payments via credit card as Ebay does not conduct wire transfers and only uses PayPal to conduct transactions.
• Be cautious when responding to advertisements and special offers.
• Be cautious when dealing with persons/companies from outside the country.
• Maintain records for all online transactions.

Lastly, they suggest that if you suspect you have become a victim of an internet-related crime to report and file a complain with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

#15 - Webtools

1. RubiStar

Story Telling : A Chair for My Mother Teacher Name: Ms. fuller Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Accuracy of Retelling A Story	The storyteller includes all major points and several details of the story s/he is retelling.	The storyteller includes all major points and 1-2 details of the story s/he is retelling.	The storyteller includes all major points of the story s/he is retelling.	The storyteller forgets major points of the story s/he is retelling.
Characters	The student is able to name the main characters in the story. (The unnamed girl, the mother, the grandmother, Aunt Ida, Uncle Sandy, and Josephine (the mother's boss)).	The student is able to name some of the main characters in the story, including the girl, the mother, grandmother, Aunt Ida and Uncle Sandy but not Josephine.	The student is able to name the girl, her mother and grandmother but not Josephine, Uncle Sandy or Aunt Ida.	The student is able to name the girl and her mother but not the grandmother, Josephine, uncle sandy or aunt Ida.
Setting	Lots of vivid, descriptive words are used to tell the audience when and where the story takes place.	Some vivid, descriptive words are used to tell the audience when and where the story takes place.	The audience can figure out when and where the story took place, but there isn\'t much detail (e.g., once upon a time in a land far, far away).	The audience has trouble telling when and where the story takes place.
Problem	It is very easy for the audience to understand what problem the main character(s) face and why it is a problem.	It is fairly easy for the audience to understand what problem the main character(s) face and why it is a problem.	It is fairly easy for the audience to understand what problem the main character(s) face and but it is not clear why it is a problem.	It is not clear what problem the main character(s) face.
Solution to Problem in Story	The solution to the problem is easy-to-understand and is logical. There are no loose ends.	The solution to the problem is easy-to-understand and is somewhat logical.	The solution to the problem was a little hard to understand.	No solution was attempted or it was impossible to understand.

2. Big Bus Testmaker

3. Trackstar

Track #456841

#14 - Creating Tech-Friendly Classroom Management Strategies

Strategy One: Do Your Homework

Make the lesson plan integrate technology. Such as, the internet snowman and writing a short story about their snowman using a power point template. You  need to make sure the computers in your classroom have the software to be able to support your lesson plan. You also need to make the websites you're using easy for your students to find by bookmarking them.

Strategy Two: Identify Learning Goals

You have to tell the students what they'll be learning, and what you expect them to learn from it. The two examples the article gave are: 

Example Goal 1: “After working with snowman shapes online, you’ll be able to describe the difference between an oval and a circle to a friend.” This statement reflects a goal that specifically relates to basic geometry.

Example Goal 2: “Before class is over, you will be able to identify and write down three details about your snowman.” This statement reflects a writing goal.

According to the article, telling the students what they're going to learn and what they can expect increases focus and keeps them on task. 

Strategy Three: Step Away from the Computer

If you sense your students becoming restless or agitated you need to pull them out of the technology and into good old fashioned auditory/listening/face to face learning. There needs to be a balance of all learning styles. 

Strategy Four: Capitalize on Their Desire to Explore

There comes a point when you need to let go and allow your students time to explore the technology themselves. People don't learn everything there is to know about technology in a technology classroom. Often times it's through person exploration. "When students are given the freedom to explore technology, many are naturally motivated to pay attention."

#13 - "Why so many kids can't sit still in school today"

Summary

More and more children are having a hard time sitting still in class. Not only are the children with ADHD suffering, but the other children as well. Students are being forced to sit still in classrooms and if they wiggle, fidget, or need to move they get in trouble. Students as young as kindergarten age are being forced to sit quietly for 30 minutes at a time. As a result their physical and balancing is all messed up because they need so much time to move around for their skills to develop.

How I plan to deal with this issue

When students begin to fidget and wiggle around, the problem lies with the teacher not recognizing the fact that kids need to move to get all that energy out so they can focus. I am quite fidgety in class. I've had this problem since childhood. Although, now I can't just get up and move during class. I've recognized that it is unacceptable behavior as I got older. Now I just play with my pencil, wiggle my feet, fidget with my binder, etc. However, this is still keeping me from paying my full attention to the teacher. There are several different things on pinterest I found to help keep fidgety students occupied. One was to attach a nut and twist to each pencil to allow the children who tend to be a distraction to mess with the pencil rather than cause a disturbance in the classroom. 

Also, I remember certain teachers allowing us to take a 5-10 minute break throughout the day to stretch and walk around the room before we started on the next lesson. This allowed students to break away from the sleepy haze that so many students, including myself, tend to get. 

#12 - Must Watch Videos on 21st Education

1. Classroom of Tomorrow

This video showed a lot of options for technology in the classroom or school setting. However, all it showed was students and teachers with their faces stuck to screens. There was hardly anyone doing any kind of personable interactions. While technology is an important and a nice addition to the classroom, I do not believe it should replace face-to-face classroom interactions. 

2. The Voice of an Active Learner - Education from a Digital Native's Perspective

This video encourages adults and teachers alike to keep up with the students of today and tomorrow. They are going to grow up in the age of technology. I agree that it is important for us to keep up in order to keep them challenged. However, the fact that the video said by 2019 it is projected to have about half of high school classrooms online...that doesn't seem like a good idea to me. I feel like by having high schoolers take most of their courses online, it's setting them up for unnecessary distractions, lack of face-to-face help when they need it, and just not doing the work. 

3. The Future Starts Now - 2012 Edition

This video was extremely well done. It had many valid points as to why we need to integrate and stay up to date with our technology in the schools. Technology does have a way of keeping people interested. I liked that the narrator mentioned using technology to help people better understand harder subjects via fun rather than cram sessions. I believe that technology could be so much fun if it's used in the right way. Interactive technology, like the kind the Narrator is speaking of, would be extremely useful both today and tomorrow. 

4. Designing Schools for 21st Century Learning

Stimulus rich environments improve learning. Research shows that if you don't have enough stimulus you're setting yourself up for failure. Your brain likes things that keeps it's interest and keeps oxygen pumping through. This video is about building new schools in at risk neighborhoods. The environment for a student is crucial. I like the ideas about the open classroom settings but for me, it would be extremely distracting. I could see how it would be useful for group work but for basic classroom instruction or initial teaching, I don't see it as a good idea. The architect believes that you should have floor to ceiling windows to feel connected, but this is not very feasible for the ADHD students. The students who get easily distracted by the slightest thing will be staring out those windows more often than not, unless there is enough going on in the classroom to keep them engaged. However, I do like the interactive atmosphere of their classroom settings and how close the students and teachers seem to be. The teachers in this environment seem genuinely interested in their student's success. 21st century learners need a different set of skills for sure.

5. Tools and Resources for the 21st Century Educator

This video was a little odd. It was just music with a lot of apps being posted around for the 21st century educator. I felt as though this was a waste of 3 minutes because I could read a list of these apps with the description of what they do exactly rather than see the name, "Storify" and wonder what on earth it does. While it was a nicely animated video, I don't think it was the best possible resource they could have used to get their point across. 

6. A Vision of 21st Century Teachers

This video was about teachers integrating technology in the classroom, what it does to help their students, and how much time they spend integrating the technology. One teacher said she spends 4 hours a week maintaining a classroom website, another said she spends 20 hours a week working on interactive whiteboard lessons. Several teachers said their students participate in blogs and actually talk, including the shy ones. They make blogs, music, movies about what they learn, capture pictures of real life math situations, etc. Technology in the classroom in combination with face-to-face instruction is extremely helpful in keeping the kids interested in what they're learning. 

#11 - A Long Distance Love Story

#10 - Classroom Website

To go to my website please click the following link.
Ms. Fuller's Classroom

#9 - Cyberbullying - How to Prevent it in the Classroom

Cyber-bullying is very serious, especially in this day and time. Technology is everywhere, you can't escape it, so it's important that adults in all situations know how you could prevent cyberbullying from happening. I looked at two separate articles for my research. The first being Cyberbullying Ramps Up in Middle School and the second was an article by Scholastic, Cyberbullying: How to Make it Stop, on ways to prevent it from happening.
In the first article, it discusses ways that when children transition from Elementary School to Middle School, they're opened up to a whole new cybernetic world. Verbal and Physical bullying declines, but cyber-bullying goes up.

They also divided up students who were bullied into four groups (based on research done on 1,180 students):

11% were frequent victims.

29% were occasional victims of traditional bullying

10% were occasional victims of traditional and cyber-bullying. 

Half were infrequent victims of bullies. 

The bullies were divided up into categories too:

5% bullied frequently

26% occasional traditional bullies

69% bullied infrequently

They found that girls were more often the targets of cyber-bullying, verbal, and relational bullying. Boys were more often the targets of physical bullying. 

The first article mentioned a few ways one might prevent bullying. They suggested implementing anti-bullying programs in the school, ways to use social media responsibly, and the parents should  talk to their children about cyber safety. They also suggest supervising children while they are online and using mobile devices. 

The second article goes more in depth about ways to prevent cyber-bullying specifically. Scholastic's first major point is recognizing it as soon as possible. They use the example of Facebook teasing. You should take that teasing seriously when someone "repeatedly harasses, mistreats, or makes fun of another person". 

They stress the idea that school is the center of a child's life. If children are so worried about being bullied/cyber-bullied, they can't focus on their school work and their grades/social life suffer. "If schools are using technology to deliver education and instruction, they have a responsibility to educate students so they use it correctly" 

Scholastic recommends stressing the importance of children/students reporting any type of bullying. They suggest telling the child to screenshot the evidence and sharing it with an adult, otherwise the insult or comments could be deleted before action can take place. They want you to break the myth that the bully is the cool one and it's all the victim's fault. 

#8 - Common Sense Media, Why is it useful in the classroom?

The first thing I noticed when I went to Common Sense Media was how many resources there were for educators. On the homepage for Common Sense Education, there are three main points/links they have at your disposal.
- The first is called "Common Sense Graphite". Common Sense Graphite, finds the best websites, apps, and games rated for learning and has them mapped to common core standards.
- The second is called "Digital Citizenship" and it's whole purpose is to allow you to download the entire K-12 curriculum from iTunes as iBook textbooks for FREE.
- The final link is called "Digital Passport". The Digital Passport allows you to join an "exemplary group" of educators that have learned to integrate technology effectively in their own classrooms.

There is also a section on the homepage dedicated to The Common Sense Education Blog. When I viewed the homepage there were four blog entries to lure me in. Act Fast: How to Make an Awesome Digital Life, Build Community: Teach Digital Citzenship in Edmodo, How Can Parents Help Their Kids Make Great Choices in Their Digital Lives?, and Teach and Learn the Web with Maker Party. 

After playing around on Common Sense Media, I feel as though this website is a great resource for any educator or education student to have at their disposal. There are so many different links that could help make teaching easier, or inspire many different ideas to make the learning and teaching process that much more enjoyable.

#7 - Concept Map - Natural Disasters

      Natural Disasters in America

A. Causes

1. Weather
2. Movement of the Earth

B. Characteristics

1. Rapid-Onset Hazards

a. Pop up with little warning time (few minutes to a few days) or no warning at all.
(1) Earthquakes
(2) Tornadoes
(3) Hurricanes
(4) Tsunami
(5) Flash Flooding

2. Slow-Onset Hazards

a. Occur with warning or the effects are long term to become disastrous
(1) Drought
(2) Blizzard
(3) Flooding

C. Effects

1. Health Risks
When natural disasters strike many things can happen to affect the health of people. Electricity can go out, Plumbing can go out, people get stranded for days.
(I would give examples of natural disasters that placed people at risk for contracting diseases, like Hurricane Katrina) 

2. Food Scarcity
When Natural Disasters strike, often times your electricity goes out, or you don't have enough gas to get somewhere, or you run out of water.
(I would tell the children about all of these things and give specific examples, I would also mention Hurricane Katrina probably as a personal example of running low on food/water) 

3. Displaced Populations
Natural Disasters can sometimes rip people out of their homes, causing them to be homeless or having to find temporary shelter.
(For this tab I would show the kids pictures of destruction caused by natural disasters of all types, and allow them to see that the population of people in that area have been displaced. There are several children's books about/on natural disasters too, that we could tie into our reading/English lessons.)

D. Types

1. Earth

a. Earthquake

a series of vibrations induced in the earth's crust by the abrupt rupture and rebound of rocks in which elastic strain has been slowly accumulating.
(I would show a video clip of how an earthquake moves the earth, how a richter scale works, and I would teach about this one last under "Earth" and then lead into my Tsunami discussion because earthquakes can cause them)
- The Richter Scale is used after Earthquakes have happened to determine their strength.

b. Volcano Eruptions

When a volcano erupts, hot magma (molten rock), gases and volcanic ash are emitted. The explosiveness of the eruption depends on the consistency of the magma and the amount of pressure built up prior to eruption.
(I would explain to the kids how volcanoes work, how many are in America and how often they erupt. I wouldn't want to alarm the children, but I would show them pictures of eruptions, Hawaii, and the effects Eruptions have on their surrounding areas. Include a video. Could even have them make their own volcanoes in class) 

c. Avalanche

a large mass of snow, ice, etc., detached from a mountain slope and sliding or falling suddenly downward.
(I would explain to the children how avalanches happen and how dangerous they are by showing a video clip of an avalanche and a someone who's been in an avalanche) 

d. Landslide

the downward falling or sliding of a mass of soil, detritus, or rock on or from a steep slope.
(I would show the children different types of landslides and how they are formed. I would also give them supporting evidence on why they are so dangerous)

2. Hydro

a. Flooding
a great flowing or overflowing of water, especially over land not usually submerged.
(perhaps we could make a model that shows how areas can flood when a river gets too full)

b. Tsunami
an unusually large sea wave produced by a seaquake or undersea volcanic eruption.
(show a video experiment of how tsunami's work)

3. Meteorological

a. Tornado
a violent and destructive storm in which powerful winds move around a central point.

F0: 40-72 mph
F1: 73-112 mph
F2: 113-157 mph
F3: 158-205 mph
F4: 207-260 mph
F5: 261-318 mph
(In this tab I would show a short clip on how Tornadoes are formed and how destructive they can be. We would divide into groups and make our own tornadoes with coke bottles and water. turning them upside down and spinning it to make our own tornadoes. There is also a book called, "Toto the tornado kitten" that I could read to the class.)
(1) Fujita Scale - shows the strength of the tornadoes based on how much damage was done and how fast the wind was.

b. Blizzard
A storm with dry, driving snow, strong winds, and intense cold.
(In this tab I would show more pictures about blizzards and possibly a short clip illustrating how thick snow storms can be) 

c. Hurricane
a tropical cyclone with winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour or greater that occurs especially in the western Atlantic, that is usually accompanied by rain, thunder, and lightning
(I would ask if anyone could think of a Hurricane they might of heard of. IE - Hurricane Katrina, Camille, Isaac. I would also show a clip of how hurricanes are formed and their destructive powers)
(1) Hurricane Category Chart - Shows the strength and power of the storm based on how fast the wind is going. Predicts amount of damage that will be done.

d. Drought
(1) Drought Severity Classification Charts tell how bad a drought is.

E. Locations

I. North
A. Blizzards
B. Flooding
C. Landslides
D. Volcanic Eruptions
E. Avalanches

II. West
A. Flooding
B. Landslides
C. Avalanches
D. Volcanic Eruptions
E. Earthquakes
F. Tsunami
G. Drought

III. East
A. Tornadoes
B. Hurricanes
C. Flooding

V. South
A. Tornadoes
B. Flooding
C. Hurricanes
D. Drought


3rd grade
Earth and Space Science
Mississippi Framework #4, B&C
(Lindsay Fuller)

#6 - Podcasts for Kids: A Review

PODCAST NUMBER ONE
The first podcast I decided would be a good use was a story book being told over podcast. I got it from iTunes but their source was "Candlelightstories.com". The story I reviewed on iTunes was The Three Little Pigs.  I loved listening to the story on audio. The reader got really into the story and made it fun to listen to. I think that if I were to use this on children I would have to use it on K-2nd graders. 

Ways I could use the story to teach:
-The children to follow along in a picture book while they listen. 
-The children make their own illustrations for the story while they listen to the story on audio. Listening to the wolf's gruff voice would give them a visual on what he looks like and they could draw him on paper. 
-The children could make a comic strip illustrating the story in the correct order. 


PODCAST NUMBER TWO
The second podcast I decided to use was How The Grinch Stole Christmas performed by James Keenan and produced by the Radio Theatre Group on iTunes.  I thought about using this fun story for K-6. Everyone loves this story. Christmas time is so much fun around school time. I started laughing with the reader's mannerisms and the way he voices each character very well. He made his voice go really high for Cindy Lou-who and I couldn't help but laugh. I think children would love listening to this story. You could implement this podcast around Christmas time and it would be under poetry, literature, language arts, and arts and crafts. You could use this story just like the one I used above. 

-Follow along in our Dr.Seuss books. 
-Draw illustrations for the story.
-Make Christmas/Holiday crafts while listening to the story. 
-Could even act out the story while the narrator reads along (for older ages)

I like the idea of using podcasts as a story telling idea the most. I always really enjoyed listening to stories from my teachers or on a tape when I was younger and following along. Even using the *turn the page* option on my tapes was fun. I didn't really enjoy the ones that talked about a certain subject. I'm ADD myself, so I think if I tried to use those podcasts (without accompanying video) the children would get bored and stop paying attention. I know I would. However, story telling podcasts are really fun. I'd be very happy to use them in my future plans. 

#5 - Article two. Summary/Questions.

2 - Social Sites Leaving Kids Vulnerable to Hackers
Article Link

SUMMARY - 

Many social media sites like Shutterfly and Eteamz are lacking the privacy and security needed to be safe enough to use for children or things involving children. Hackers and predators can easily hack into the websites, add their names to the mailing list and have all sorts of information regarding the whereabouts of each and every child on the teams. These websites don't have HTTPS but instead have HTTP which makes them vulnerable to these sorts of intrusions. "anyone on a wifi network with you could see all of the emails that you read and write while you're logged in." They're worried that pedophiles will figure out how to use Cookie Cadger and gain access to unlimited amounts of information regarding children. You're not supposed to use these websites on an open wifi network. It needs to be a secure network with a legitimate password. Porterfield states that phone numbers and home addresses never be placed and saved on any social media network site. 

THOUGHTS - 

I agree with most of the things said on this article. There is way too much confidence placed in social media. Many people sign up for multiple social media accounts without thinking twice about what possibly could go wrong. People are crazy these days, you can't trust that something like this won't happen to you. It doesn't always happen to other people. Any predator could log online, enter a few little things and be into your account so fast. The social media sites need to take better care of this threat to ensure the safety of their "clients" and users. 

Questions On the Articles

1. What's the difference?

- The second article is talking about how an entire social media company won't really budge a bit to even possibly protect their users. 

2. Can the information be verified somewhere else?

- The second article even contacted some of the social media websites and got feedback on the issue. 

3. How does this information affect the way you'll be teaching?

- When I become a teacher I'm definitely going to do everything in my power to make sure my students are safe. I don't want their parents to have to worry about their well-being online at school. Using verified search engines, putting up safety firewalls, and using smart apps would be a great thing to do for my future classrooms. 

4. Do the articles help inform you on what you need to look for when setting up online classes or assigning students online homework?

- The articles absolutely help inform me on what I need to look for. I don't think I'll be setting up online classes because I'm Elementary Ed, but I will definitely look for safe ways for my children to be able to surf the web and finish their work in a safe and secure setting. 

#4 - Article one. Summary/Questions

1 - With Tech Taking Over in Schools, Worries RiseArticle Link

SUMMARY - 

Multiple schools across America are implementing different technology bases in their classrooms and even in their cafeterias. Such as scanning fingers in the lunch lines or behavior monitoring apps in the classroom. However, some states, like California, don't like all the information this technological age is spitting out. They're the first state to try and restrict how that information is given out. Californians passed a law that "prohibits education sites, apps, and cloud services used by schools from selling or disclosing personal information about students from kindergarten through high school". The law is to keep personal information personal and to keep outside parties from learning things such as: learning disabilities, disciplinary problems or family trauma. “Parents, teachers and kids can now feel confident that students’ personal information can be used only for educational achievement.” With the law in place, sensitive information can remain sensitive and parents/teachers can confidently continue to buy apps to help the children learn. Tony Porterfield said it best when he said, "

THOUGHTS - 

I think that this law is a great idea. One of the fathers, Tony Porterfield, said this about it, "Can you imagine a college admissions officer being able to access behavioral tracking information about a student, or how they did on a math app, all the way back to grade school?" I think this put it into perspective for me. A college having access to this information could drastically change the outcome of that child's future. I talked too much in Elementary School and my grades started to slip in middle school, but that shouldn't be my deciding factor in my future. Personal information should remain personal, and I think this law will allow that to happen. 

Questions On the Articles

1. What's the difference?
- The first article is talking about a state going to great lengths to make sure their children are safe while having anything to do with apps, technology, and/or social media. 

2. Can the information be verified somewhere else?
- Each article has information that has been cited somewhere else, meaning they got that information from a secondary source and it is backed up. 

3. How does this information affect the way you'll be teaching?
- When I become a teacher I'm definitely going to do everything in my power to make sure my students are safe. I don't want their parents to have to worry about their well-being online at school. Using verified search engines, putting up safety firewalls, and using smart apps would be a great thing to do for my future classrooms. 

4. Do the articles help inform you on what you need to look for when setting up online classes or assigning students online homework?
- The articles absolutely help inform me on what I need to look for. I don't think I'll be setting up online classes because I'm Elementary Ed, but I will definitely look for safe ways for my children to be able to surf the web and finish their work in a safe and secure setting. 

#3 - Horizon Report (Notes)

The NMC Horizon Report: 2014 K-12 Edition notes on integrating technology in the classroom are as follows:

Rethinking the Roles of Teachers & Shifting to Deeper Learning Approaches

• Teachers are required and/or expected to know a wide variety of technology based content, to collaborate with other teachers both in and out of school, to act as mentors and role models to their students.
• "Singapore offers a noteworthy model in which every teacher is entitled to 100 hours of training per year, and each school has a special fund allocated to supporting these learning opportunities."
• An independent charter school in Indiana is doing a great job with their flip. Students watch videos at home, then complete computer simulations during class. 
• "Project-based learning, problem- based learning, inquiry-based learning, challenge- based learning, and similar methods foster more active learning experiences, both inside and outside the classroom."
• Education leaders are working together to have more professional development opportunities for teachers so they can get deeper learning and more creative, hands on learning in the classroom.

Increasing Focus on Open Educational Resources & Increasing Use of Hybrid Learning Design

• Open educational resources are growing in number and quality, along with the use of the materials in classrooms. 
• Open does not mean "free of charge"
• Utah has been leading the front for OER since 2012, uses open textbooks in schools and universities throughout the state. 
• "Resolving intellectual property issues has been crucial to supporting the movement toward OER."
• "As teachers and students alike become more familiar with and adept at using the Internet, classroom-based learning increasingly includes online learning components, hybrid learning strategies, and an increased focus on collaboration within and outside the classroom."
• "Hybrid learning is seen as a way to level the playing field for rural schools by providing more access to a variety of high-quality courses."

Rapid Acceleration of Intuitive Technology & Rethinking How Schools Work

• "It is already common to interact with devices entirely by using natural movements and gestures. Smartphones and tablets, Xbox Kinect, Nintendo Wii, the new class of “smart TVs,” and a growing list of other devices built with natural user interfaces (NUIs) accept input in the form of taps, swipes, and other ways of touching; hand and arm motions; body movement; and increasingly, natural language."
• "A 2013 report from the American Institute of Research, Are Personalized Learning Environments the Next Wave of K–12 Education Reform?, examines the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top-District (RTT-D) grant program, in which personalized learning was a major focus. The initial 16 grantees — awarded a total of $383 million — include 11 school districts, three charter agencies, and two consortia."

Complex Thinking and Communication & Safety of Student Data

• Kids need to learn the difference between human and artificial intelligence as well as understand all the technology they have around them.
• Data Visualization, Imagery, Narratives and other communication techniques are more key skills needed to make complex ideas understandable.
•  "According to a 2013 Gallup poll, three out of four Americans polled believe that schools need to teach critical thinking and communication to children in K-12 education. This statistic aligns with what employers, educators, and students have expressed — young learners need skills to analyze information, communicate effectively, and collaborate in global environments to solve complex problems."
• "Schools around the world are adopting cloud computing to support adaptive learning, promote cost-savings, and encourage collaboration, but sometimes the safety of student data is threatened when third-party vendors provide low-cost software as a service in return for access to student data that they then profit from."
• Privacy is a big deal in the student technology area, but in order to keep them safe, both students and teachers need to be educated about how to pick technologies and systems that are secure.

Competition from New Models of Education & Keeping Formal Education Relevant

• "According to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, there are more than 6,000 charter schools in the U.S. alone with more than 1.9 million students enrolled, compared to over 98,000 public schools where 49.4 million students are enrolled."
• "As new platforms emerge, there is a growing need to frankly evaluate models and determine how to best support collaboration, interaction, deep learning experiences, and assessment at scale."
• "As teachers’ roles become more multifaceted, their ability to manage social interactions in safe and productive ways is taking on more importance in the total school environment."

Important Developments in Technology for K-12 Education

• Seven technologies, tools and strategies for their use that the NMC monitors continuously"
• Consumer Technologies - tools for recreational purposes
• Digital Strategies - ways of using devices and software to enrich teaching and learning
• Enabling Technologies - potential to transform what we expect of our devices & tools
• Internet Technologies - techniques that make networks easier to use
• Learning Technologies - tools & resources developed expressly for the education sector
• Social Media Technologies - evolving at a rapid pace with new ideas, tools & developments
• Visualization Technologies - taps the brain's inherent ability to rapidly process visual information, identify patterns, and sense order in complex situations. 

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

• the practice of people bringing their own laptops, tablets, smartphones, or other mobile devices with them to the learning or work environment.
• Like what most college students do in class. 
• Since implementing BYOD the company has reported 5 million hours of annual productivity gains. 
• Over 95% of educators surveyed responded that they use their own device for work purposes.
• "BYOD has profound implications for primary and secondary education because it creates the conditions for student-centered learning to take place. 

Cloud Computing

• Refers to expandable, on-demand services and tools that are served to the user via the Internet from specialized data centers and consume almost no local processing or storage resources.
• "Cloud computing has become widely recognized as a means of improving productivity and expanding collaboration in education."

Games and Gamification

• "A 2013 study by the American Psychological Association highlights the cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social impact video games have on human behavior; this significant body of research underlines the overwhelming potential of games to teach new forms of thought and behavior."
• "Gamified learning environments in practice can motivate learners to engage with subjects in an emotionally stimulating way."

Learning Analytics

• "The goal is to build better pedagogies, empower students to take an active part in their learning, target at-risk student populations, and assess factors affecting completion and student success."
• "Students are beginning to experience the benefits of learning analytics as they engage with mobile and online platforms that track data to create responsive, personalized learning experiences."
• "MyDistrict360 provides a customizable portal for teachers and administrators to visualize student data and financial information, with the aim of enabling schools to more effectively provide personalized attention to students and forecast budgets.

The Internet of Things

• Network of connected objects that link the physical world with the world of information through the web. 
• Useful for:
• tracking objects that monitor sensitive equipment or materials
• point-of-sale purchases
• passport tracking
• inventory management
• identification
• similar applications
• "Embedded chips, sensors, or tiny processors attached to an object allow helpful information about the object, such as cost, age, temperature, color, pressure, or humidity to be transmitted over the Internet"

Wearable Technology

• refers to devices that can be worn by users, taking the form of an accessory such as jewelry, sunglasses, a backpack, or even actual items of clothing such as shoes or a jacket.
• benefit:
• conveniently integrate tools that track sleep, movement, location and social media.