Students and Social Networking

What is Social Networking?

• When students walk out of the classroom doors, class usually does not end right then and there. The collaboration, interaction and socialization continues. Students interact with each other and with their teachers via online tools known as “social networking tools”. A social networking site is typically one where users set up an account with a web page and/or blog and can post photos, text and other content. They can create profiles and links to other community members through common interests. They post blogs and respond to each other. They are out there using social book marking, folksonomy, class wikis, creating podcasts and vodcasts and putting them online, using social imaging and many other tools used to encourage motivation and excitement in their ultimate quest for learning.

Why Social Networking?

• Social networking sites have taken us, educators, outside of our comfort zone. Like all other new technologies, we need to explore how we can continue to educate students on how to use these sites wisely. Blocking them from our school networks and encouraging our students not to use them has certainly brought a shift to our thinking. With social networking, students have their own online areas to work with, including digital portfolios, as well as community areas.

Pros and Cons

• According to Graham Attwell on using Personal Learning Environments, he believes the danger is that the education system will become irrelevant to many peoples learning needs. It will be seen as an imposition. Young people will turn to social spaces for communication and developing ideas. Access to quality learning provision for adults will be dependent on companies and private training providers.
  

The most compelling argument in favor of the social networking sites is that these websites allow students to shape their own learning spaces, to form and join communities and to create, consume, remix, and share material. Plus, students love them!


http://123elearning.blogspot.com/2006/09/social-networking-in-classroom.html

The Virtual Classroom

The Virtual Classroom: Virtual Reality in Training and Education

Are group choice this article that Jennifer posted.

http://www.scienceclarified.com/scitech/Virtual-Reality/The-Virtual-Classroom-Virtual-Reality-in-Training-and-Education.html


Here are our individual summaries and are general opinions.


Cassie's
In the United States and other developed countries, virtual reality is entering young people's classrooms as well. A 1997 report to the National Science Foundation stated that "VR improves learning . . . by providing the learners with new, direct experiences of phenomena they could not have experienced before, either in direct interaction with the real world or using other technologies." Virtual reality is one of many forms of computer technology that schools have begun to use often in the last decade. The U.S. Department of Education reported in late 2003 that about 90 percent of people aged five to seventeen use computers, mostly at school but also in libraries or at home. Students gather information from the World Wide Web for reports or use e-mail and chat rooms to work on projects with other students in distant parts of the country or the world. Sometimes they post the finished projects on Web sites of their own. Some students take complete classes online from "virtual schools."

Examples of school virtual reality programs are:
1.Touch the Sky-Touch the Universe. It uses an interactive 3-D model of the solar system to help students learn about astronomy.
2.Sunrise VR, teaches architecture "in its [natural] element-earth, sea, and sky."
3.Virtual Reality Education for Assisted Learning - helps students with severe hearing impairment learn life skills such as how to cross a street safely

Students can also create their own virtual reality projects with the Virtual Reality Development Lab, a kit of hardware, software, and instructions sold by Digital Technology Frontier in Phoenix, Arizona.

Judith's
As with so many ideas in education technology, Virtual Classrooms have benefits and drawbacks. The article, "The Virtual Classroom: Virtual Reality in Training and Education," sums it up the same way as so many other articles that discuss the pros and cons of alternate teaching techniques. It suggests that methods used in traditional classrooms with a live teacher not be replaced by virtual technology, but rather used in a balanced combination for total benefit to the student. I agree.

The "Do-It-Yourself VR" paragraph sounds similar to our VFT project in that it includes text, photos, audio, and video elements. And it can be posted to the Web, just like we are doing for our project.


Jennifer's
Virtual reality is taking the country to an entirely new level of learning in many different areas. It is being used in education, training and even our military.

Virtual reality in education is offering students the opportunity to experience different times and places that they could not have done before. It is being used to help students with learning impairments such as teaching social skills to students with autism.

Doctors are now able to experience the entire human body from all angles and even "fly through" organs.

Our military is using virtual reality to stimulate actual battle zones teaching soldiers how to think and act quickly under extreme pressure.

There are some experts that disagree with the use of virtual reality. They argue that appropriate behavior in different settings can not be taught when you are using the computer and that virtual reality can never take the place of face to face classroom instruction.


Kimberly's
Virtual reality began as a training tool for pilots, and flight simulators are still among the most popular virtual reality training programs.

Virtual reality is the best way to teach workers how to do jobs that are complex, dangerous, or both.

Virtual reality training programs are not yet widespread because they are very expensive to develop them. But they can save companies money in the long run by cutting down on the amount of costs in buying real equipment.

An interesting fact that I learned about VR is that some psychiatrists are using virtual reality to learn more about the bizarre worlds inside their patients' minds.


Paige's
Video games are not the only military training tools that use virtual reality. The U.S. armed forces spends about $4 billion a year on training equipment and programs involving simulations, and many of these feature some degree of VR. Simulations let commanders plan battles and try out different combat tactics, maneuvering platoons of virtual soldiers, vehicles, and weapons over thousands of square miles of terrain.

Virtual reality began as a training tool for pilots, and flight simulators are still among the most popular virtual reality training programs. Whether designed for military or commercial pilots, flight simulators greatly reduce the amount of time a pilot must spend in the air during training. Like the military and the air industry, large businesses are starting to see VR as the best way to teach workers how to do jobs that are complex, dangerous, or both. VR training programs are not yet widespread because they are expensive to develop, but they can save companies money in the long run by cutting down on the amount of costly real equipment, such as heavy machinery, that must be used in training. Simulation programs also reduce risk to machines, the environment, and even human lives.

Doctors, ranging from future physicians still in medical school to experienced surgeons, also do part of their learning in virtual reality. Rather than studying anatomy by cutting up corpses of animals or of people who have donated their bodies to science, students at some medical schools now use virtual reality programs based on pictures from CT (computerized tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), and other medical imaging technology.

Virtual reality is very commonly used in schools as well. The U.S. Department of Education reported in late 2003 that about 90 percent of people aged five to seventeen use computers, mostly at school but also in libraries or at home. Students gather information from the World Wide Web for reports or use e-mail and chat rooms to work on projects with other students in distant parts of the country or the world. Sometimes they post the finished projects on Web sites of their own. Some students even take complete classes online from "virtual schools."


Myrianette's
Virtual Reality is so interesting. At first it was made for aircraft carriers to help them train.

Some parents believe that video games destroy their children's brains as my parents did, which is why we were raised without playing video games. But what if they were told that video games could actually help. The military academy, West Point takes video games and modifies them to train them for those that are going into combat. Video games are actually a good thing. The actual military takes video games and modifies them to give them extra training. They are able to recognize the enemy and get rid of them.

It is the same with education. Many medical schools are using virtual reality to get more advanced while in medical school. Students are able to perform surgery or just look at a heart or within the body. It's pretty cool!

Well, why can't elementary schools or highschools use them? Kids are able to see what happened and be able to learn from the teacher and the video game. I think its a way to better education:"Schools can seldom afford fully immersive virtual reality, but they often use programs that at least provide three-dimensional graphics and interactivity. These programs run on standard computers. Some require free download able programs or inexpensive gear such as shutter glasses, but many need no additional software or equipment."

What is really cool too. Is that students just like us can create our own virtual reality game or world. Some VR programs also help students with special needs. I know my brothers could have used this in high school. They would have excel just like the rest of us in school. They both have learning disability. It takes them three times longer to learn something that takes us five minutes to comprehend. They would have definitely benefited from this.

VR programs can be download able and can be bought. The military spends over four billion dollars a year for VR programs to train. And schools can afford fully packaged VR programs, although not as good as the militar's, but it is definitely better than sitting down and listening to something a student could be interested in by actually experiencing it.

Virtual Reality

"Virtual Reality In Schools: The Ultimate Educational Technology"

The article that our group choose for this week is:

http://thejournal.com/articles/14132_3

Below are our groups summaries, reflections, and opinions of the article that we picked this week.



Jennifer Wrote:

I really like the quote from the 2nd page. "I hear and I forget. I see and I understand. I do and I remember." Virtual reality is no longer a thing of the future. It is here now mearly waiting for individual teachers and administrators to embrace it. Teachers are now given the full opportunity to become facilitators of learning instead of being heavily relied on to lecture and provide answers through traditional teaching methods such as textbooks. Student based learning is what needs to be encouraged in order for students to have a crystal clear understanding of concepts. Virtual reality labs can be set up in schools and used by students in the same manner as a library or computer lab is used today. Offering students scheduled time slots that they are able to utilize the lab to engage in further exploration of topics being learned. Issues involving the implementation of virtual reality, such as cost are no longer a burden. Virtual reality programs are now offered that can be used on any PC. Right now the only issue is showing teachers and administrators the benefits of incorporating such astounding student based learning outlets.


Paige Wrote:

Virtual reality is the ultimate technology used in schools today. Using virtual reality as an educational tool allows students to explore their schoolwork immersed in virtual reality, gaining a deeper understanding of their subjects. For the first time, virtual reality has been used in a non-research, public-school environment. During the summer of 1998, summer program students at the Coles Elementary School and the Ph'enix High School in Chicago used virtual reality to supplement their traditional learning. The objective of the pilot program was to discern the optimal ways virtual reality could be integrated into an educational curriculum, and to see how students and teachers alike reacted to the new technology. Traditional teaching methods have often not been effective in the goal of seizing these students' attention. Traditional methods often relegate students to a passive role in the classroom. new teaching methods and technologies must be pioneered to relieve teachers of the growing burden placed upon them by today's classroom and its changing role in society. In our video game-crazed society, new ways must be found to engage students. Traditional styles of education cannot compete with the excitement of a video game. Attention spans are markedly different from that of previous generations. Virtual reality programs, with lush graphical landscapes and textbooks full of information, surround the student, engaging and exciting them like no other video game.


Cassie Wrote:

Using virtual reality as an educational tool conjures up visions of a Jetsons-like futuristic scenario, students exploring their schoolwork immersed in virtual reality, gaining a deeper understanding of their subjects. Harnessing the awesome power of virtual reality for educational uses will permanently change the nature and course of how children learn. No longer will children sit idly by in classrooms - the opportunity is here to provide them with an unprecedented chance to explore, engage, and visualize schoolwork like never before. The beauty of it is that they will actually want to. Traditional styles of education cannot compete with the excitement of a video game. Attention spans (and neurological pathways) are markedly different from that of previous generations. Virtual reality programs, with lush graphical landscapes and textbooks full of information, surround the student, engaging and exciting them like no other video game. In virtual reality, students have the ability to push two molecules together with their own hands, with the perspective of being the size of a molecule. There is simply no other way to engage students as virtual reality can. Virtual reality is a cutting-edge technology that allows students to step through the computer screen into a three-dimensional, interactive environment. By putting on a special headset and glove, it places students inside of a simulated environment that really looks and feels like the real world. Through virtual reality, we're convinced we're in another world experiencing some event, and doing things that don't physically exist. Examples of how to use VR in the classroom: 1. A physics class experiments with a simulated virtual reality lab where they control the properties of objects, and observe them from any angle. 2. A social studies class uses virtual reality to travel back in time into the Battle of 1812. 3. A Spanish class visits the ancient Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. Benefits of VR 1.Using virtual reality in schools greatly eases the burden of teachers. 2.Teachers become learning facilitators as students explore and learn in virtual reality. 3.As opposed to merely supplying answers, teachers guide students' self-discovery and assist in building ideas. 4.Virtual reality is a giant step towards "perfect learning" - a learning environment that focuses on the student rather than placing burdens on teachers. 5.It creates a learning environment where students explore, discover and make decisions, while teachers assist and guide. 6.From a teacher's perspective, virtual reality creates a structured environment that focuses students on specific learning objectives, similar to good teaching. 7.Because the students are immersed in the virtual reality learning environment with a headset, there are no distractions to learning. 8.Students are totally focused with no unruly behavior. 9.Tied to the curriculum, virtual reality is an educational aid without peer. 10.It can be integrated into schools in a number of ways. Modularly designed programs work as a stand alone educational tool, as a classroom supplement or as a study aid. In an initial stage of integration, as with the summer program, virtual reality is best used as a supplement to existing coursework, allowing instructors to integrate the programs into learning objectives. The biology class where students are learning cell structure is supplemented by a trip to the virtual reality lab where students enter and explore a human cell.


Myrianette wrote:

"Using virtual reality as an educational tool conjures up visions of a Jetsons-like futuristic scenario, students exploring their schoolwork immersed in virtual reality, gaining a deeper understanding of their subjects." I agree that virtual reality is as good as any teacher wants it to be. No longer will he/she have to describe the scene and hope students understand, but they can actually watch it. Students love this! They learn by doing it and being engaged into the lesson. Virtual Reality does not replace the teacher because students will not learn everything from Virtual Reality. I agree with the article when it says that this generation's attention span is not as it was with the past generation. We were not able to know this type of technology because it did not exist, so we learned by imagination and our own presumptions, but here students can see what might have happened and learn from it. I was a student in the tradition instruction method and trust me, it didn't work out so well. I graduated with honors and made it to college, but it doesn't mean that I learned much about history because it was all lectures and most of us would go to sleep about a half hour later. The two companies did a study and some 98% of students would rather go back to virtual reality than to video games. This means that students are interested in learning, and we have found a way for almost all to actually learn and grasp what the subject is about. "Virtual reality educates, clarifies, and reinforces because subject matter makes immediate sense to students. For example, students have a difficult time grasping our Constitutional lawmaking process. In virtual reality, the process makes immediate sense as students were able to pick up a pending Bill (with their hands) outside of the virtual House of Representatives, and take it over to the Senate for a vote. Combined with traditional teaching and guidance, virtual reality makes a subject crystal clear." Here is a benefits of Virtual Reality programs: "Using virtual reality in schools greatly eases the burden of teachers. Teachers become learning facilitators as students explore and learn in virtual reality. As opposed to merely supplying answers, teachers guide students' self-discovery and assist in building ideas. Virtual reality is a giant step towards "perfect learning" - a learning environment that focuses on the student rather than placing burdens on teachers. It creates a learning environment where students explore, discover and make decisions, while teachers assist and guide."


Judy wrote:

"Virtual Reality In Schools" was an interesting article. I found myself remembering back to the 90's when I first heard about virtual reality. At that time, virtual reality was applied to video games. Kids and adults alike were fascinated with this new technology. I tried it one time where I wore a pair of big goggle-like glasses and had a controller in my hand. I truly felt like I was in the virtual world. The article had several interesting facts: "98% of [students] would rather return to the virtual worlds than play video games." I found that surprising. "Five years ago [1994], a $200,000 computer was needed to run a sophisticated virtual reality program." That much money was absolutely out of reach for me and my friends. "Neurological pathways are markedly different from that of previous generations." I wonder why. Without doing the research, I guess it's because so many of us have grown up playing video games that we're creating new and different neurological connections. The article defined perfect learning as a "learning environment that focuses on the student rather than placing burdens on teachers." From an educational perspective, virtual reality is used as a supplement to traditional teaching and guidance by making the lesson "crystal clear." As a prospective teacher, I like that virtual reality will allow me to facilitate the learning process for my students in a fun and engaging way.


Kim wrote:

I love in this article how they relate the "Jetsons-like futuristic scenario", to Virtual Reality. Being able to gain a "deeper understanding" of the subjects is very helpful thanks to Virtual Reality. a quote that stuck out in my mind was "Because the students are immersed in the virtual reality learning environment with a headset, there are no distractions to learning." You can relate any school subject whether it be Spainsh, social studies, or physics virtual reality can be brought into a classroom at any give time. I wish that when i was in school that this was used because virtual reailty seems like a great thing to further educate a student.

Streaming Video

"If an image is worth one thousand words, think of what a video displaying thirty images a second can say." Video streaming is a very powerful tool which can enhance the learning environment both in and out of the classroom. . Video streaming is accessible at any computer at any given time. "I like the video streaming idea because growing up in the DVD times I can’t tell you how many times a teacher of mine has put a DVD on to play and it is scratched. This is a big deal because if a DVD is too scratched you are unable to play it and that could throw off a teacher’s whole lesson plan for that day" said Kimberly.

There were questions raised about streaming videos like "Do they bring viruses?" The answer is "no" because streaming videos doesn't place files on the computer and a virus needs to be embedded in a file. Another question asked was why does it buffer a lot. The answer is to download the latest version of Real Player.

The reasons students are so fond of video streaming is because they can access the videos from home to study for exams, review information that they may have not clearly understood or watch the video to build on what was presented in class.

Streaming videos comes with benefits

Here are the benefits of streaming videos in total:
1. the player is free.
2. Videos can be seen anywhere an internet connection is available.
3. Substantial collections of video and audio are easily accessible.
4. Requires very little system resources
5. Links to videos can be placed in Web Pages or e-mails.
6. Since video is never entirely on students hard drive the student cannot save and share it illegally.
7. Helps Students who have trouble visualizing concepts and struggle to grasp information that is presented either verbally or in writing.
8. Since all students get the video from the same source, it is assured that they have the latest version.
9. Real Player with Sure Stream automatically adjusts for best quality depending on your internet speed.
10. Students can review information at their leisure

Here are the benefits for teachers:
1. Able to target many different learning styles in one lesson plan.
2. Enable students to retrieve information presented to them at an early time in order to offer learning to the full potential.
3. it’s free!

Here are the benefits for students:
1. being able to access information at their own time and pace.
2. Being offered a lesson in different formats.

So in this case everyone wins!

Podcasting In The Classroom

How can students get their voice heard, report school news, and promote learning using technology?

Link to our podcasting article
http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~nshelley/

Below are excerpts from each group member’s summary on podcasting.

Excerpt from Paul Salvatore
When first beginning it would be smart to give the students more time then will be allowed in the future to get the student acclimated with all the programs and just getting the general idea of it all. Maybe even give them a partner so they can learn from each other and after a few times of that cut them loose and let them have fun with getting their voice out to the masses.

Excerpt from Paige Knorr
The positive aspects of podcasting include:

Students learn the technical skills needed to record a high-quality
podcast;
Students brainstorm; Students complete pre-production, production,
and post-production of their Podcast;
Students ultimately learn project management skills, Podcasting technical skills, and actively use the Podcast as a medium for positive student expression.

Excerpt from Myrianette Figueroa
Podcasts gives teachers many benefits of teaching their students how to create a podcast and the benefits of teaching them that they have a voice that people want to hear, that they have opinions.

Podcasts can be about any subject in any grade level. First graders can talk about the alphabet, while eleventh graders can talk about the importance of democracy. Students decide what subjects they want to talk about and as they go they learn an abundant amount of relevant information.

This is really an advantage for students as well as teachers. Students learn their material and teachers teach how they create and are satisfied with the students outcome. Its really so impressive to what technology can do.

Excerpt from Cassie Sanderson
Some teachers are using Podcasting as an alternative to student produced newspapers and television shows. Others are using the medium to reproduce lessons for absent students or for students to present oral presentations of reports and assignments.

Before reading this article I really didn't know what Podcast were. I had seen them on iTunes when using my iPod, but I did not know they were something that could be used in the classroom. This was a great article that Erin found and it taught me a lot about Podcast's and how they relate to the classroom!

Excerpt from Judy Hintz
The article by Nathan Shelley titled "Podcasting in the Classroom," summarizes podcasting as a method of communicating by using audio files and making them available to anyone who has access to the Internet. The podcast meets a NETS requirement for California.

Creating a podcast is easy. All that's required is a microphone, Garageband software (or similar), an RSS feeder, web space on the Internet, and iTunes (or similar).

Excerpt from Kimberly Davis
There are many good aspects on podcasting. Students can learn many things while working with podcasting such as:

Students learn the technical skills needed to record a high-quality
podcast.
Students brainstorm, and design the themes and content of their
Podcast with teacher guidance.
Students complete pre-production, production, and post-production of their Podcast.
Students ultimately learn project management skills, Podcasting technical skills, and actively use the Podcast as a medium for positive student expression.

How to keep employee training and education programs well-timed and available is a big issue for corporate America today. “Training is no good if it's not current," stresses Jonathan Graf, senior engineer in the AMR Training Group, World Tutor Division, Dallas, which trains American Airlines employees. This particular reason is why Graff and others in the corporate world as well as the education world are exploring the idea of individual multimedia programs with internet technology for web-based employee training and educational learning.

Today, companies are taking three approaches to Internet-based training, says Peder Jacobsen, a partner and vice president with Tobin Erdmann & Jacobsen in Minneapolis, a communications company that creates custom training programs for the Fortune 500. The first approach is a CD-ROM program running an individual’s desktop but retrieved through a Web browser. The second approach is internet-only training programs. The third approach is a combination of the two, which involves placing vibrant data on the server and high-bandwidth material on CD-ROM. Users log on as they normally would, but information is visibly recovered from both the CD and the server. While the future of Web-based training looks bright, it is in an embryonic stage says Ellen Julian, manager for IT training and education research at International Data Corp., Framingham, Mass.

The positive aspects of using internet based training comes from how effective the transmission of information is for the future employees and students. How much are they learning and how easy is it for them to manipulate the media in order to offer further learning? It is also a cost effective way to train a number of people at the same time.

The negative sides that come with using only the CD-ROM is that it does not have the ability to be constantly updated. Unless users are given a new CD the information will always stay the same. This could be bad for kids in school and university students because having some old information could be unreliable, it might have been proven wrong, or it might have changed just a bit. If employers and teachers are using the internet, it is also feared that important company information can be seen by other viewers that are not involved.


http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0SMG/is_n9_v16/ai_18615234

Wikis

Wikis

The outstanding article our group chose was submitted by Paul, and is entitled “For Teachers New to Wikis” by Joe Moxley, MC Morgan, Matt Barton, and Donna Hanak (link is provided at the end of the article). What are wikis? Wikis are free online writing places. Wiki authors do not claim ownership of the text they write because the writing in wikis can be revised and changed anytime. Each time the text is changed in a wiki a new version is saved. This article in itself is written like a Wiki would be, in that it had four contributors who came together and collaborated to get all the content they wanted in. One thing to note about wikis is you can also go back and see previous versions of the wiki, allowing the new author and readers to see the writing process. Credit for the work is given as a community and not as individuals. Wikis are designed specifically to be writing space and should be used as such.

If you’re wondering when you become a teacher how you could use wikis to facilitate teaching, writing development, and learning, then this is the article for you!

Some examples given from the article are:

• Provide a space for free writing


• Debate course topics, including assigned readings


• Share resources


• Maintain a journal of work performed on group projects


• Discuss curricular and instructional innovations

Another important aspect of our article was that it listed where teachers can find appropriate writing spaces for their students.

The four places the article suggests are:

• Writing Wiki


• Wikipedia


• Wiki Books


• Teaching Wiki

When it comes to the question of how to introduce wikis to your students our article is there again to save the day!

Examples of how to do so are:

• Introducing the students first to the rules for writing wikis.


• Develop a system for recording the efforts and accomplishments of individuals.


• Talk with the students about the conversations they will establish for co-authoring texts.


• Have students write a StyleGuide for their wiki. (An example of a StyleGuide is linked to our article).


• Ask students to play particular roles.

Like most new technology that teachers introduce there are always obstacles they can expect.

Obstacles that our article lists are:

• Students are sometimes reluctant to contribute because they lack confidence in their writing.


• Some teachers and students are uncomfortable about the advantages and disadvantages of public writing.


• Sometimes students don’t like having to learn how to use wikis.
  The use of visuals and design options are limited.


• Sometimes work is inadvertently deleted or intentionally hacked, and the editing process becomes a hassle.


• Finally, wikis conflict with traditional assumptions about authorship and intellectual property.

That concludes the summary of our article and now here are some of our group’s thoughts and opinions about wikis.

• Having students revise a Wikipedia page would be a good exercise in editing, spelling, grammar, and readability.


• For those students whose writing skills need work, this exercise allows them to read the work of their peers and learn from it.


• A class essay provides an opportunity for students to work collaboratively.


• Wikis allow teachers to see improvements the student has made over a period of time.


• Through the use of wikis students learn what bibliographies are and know what plagiarism looks like.


• Wiki pages are good to help teaching especially for an English teacher because it gives students a reason to write and have a place to show off their work.


• It inspires and makes students revise their work because the students know it can be viewed by their peers. This makes them work harder because they don’t want to look uneducated.


• One good thing about wikis is you do not have to use HTML to use one! This makes it especially easy to use into the classroom.


• Wikis would allow students to be creative, and hopefully encourage them to exercise their writing skills to their best ability.

http://writingwiki.org/default.aspx/WritingWiki/For%20Teachers%20New%20to%20Wikis.html

Digital Imagery

More and more we are finding teachers using digital cameras in the classroom to aid them in instructional methods. Digital cameras offer a variety in lesson plans and student participation. No longer are prints taken and then sent off to be developed with hopes that most will come back clear and usable. Now, prints are shown immediately, easily manipulated and only quality photos are printed. This makes including digital cameras into lesson plans fun and gives the teacher and students a chance to express a different level of creativity.

Students are benefiting from the use of digital cameras because they love to take pictures of themselves! It is this factor that makes lesson plans more intimate. Students are able to add graphics right on the camera, which saves them the trouble of scanning and then editing. This promotes time management and efficiency. Students can witness first hand the ease and lack of waste when printing their own photos.

With every new advancement, however, there are some concerns with using a digital camera in the classroom. First, is that they cost money and students need to have a clear understanding at the appropriate and inappropriate uses. It is suggested that the teacher organize a sort of training program for the students where they are taught exactly how to use it, what is expected of them and what will be considered inappropriate. The teacher may decide to test the students on the information and once they have passed they may then begin using the camera. Second, teachers should always be careful when taking pictures of students. Proper permission slips need to be filled out and kept on record. Some parents will strongly object to their child's photo being taken and it is the teachers job to know and appreciate those wishes.

There are a few suggestions offered to teachers in regard to bringing the digital camera into the classroom. First, don't be scared. It is no secret that in this day and age technology can be intimidating. If you are worried about your knowledge you can ask a student to help you. This will make them feel like an important part of the learning process. Second, start slowly. Introduce the camera much before you plan on incorporating it into a specific lesson plan. This will allow time for the students to get used to it and may prevent some experimental goofing around when it comes time for instructional use.

This article provided many different ways to incorporate the use of digital cameras into lesson plans. I am citing a couple of those examples below.

1. Give students a portion of a digital picture and have them guess what the picture is of. A great site with examples of this is: http://takeacloserlook.homestead.com/ - Paula Fleischer, Peachland Elementary.

2. Give students a list of items to look for in the classroom or in the school. They must take pictures and compile a presentation (slide show, web page, etc.) of the things they found during their scavenger hunt to prove they found them all.

3. Photograph places in the community (parks, libraries, etc.). Have students compile reports to go with the photographs and print a brochure about their community.

4. Take pictures during the day to give a photographic record of classroom procedures. Print the pictures out and post them so students can review the procedures as needed.

5. Have each kindergartner choose a letter. Then, go on a walk around the school or in the neighborhood. When the child finds something that begins with that letter, take a picture of the child with that object. Use the pictures to create a class alphabet chart.

I encourage everyone to check out www.wacona.com/digicam/digicam. There are many more wonderful ideas for incorporating a digital camera into your lesson plans!

vIRtUaL fIeLd TrIpS

Our Thoughts

Virtual field trips are useful cause anywhere that you want to take your students is possible. All it takes is a little imagination, and from there with some unique teaching it can be a really helpful process. Any and all experiences are possible and it can be done over days and weeks instead of maybe one day. So to me virtual field trips are great alternate to help in teaching.
-Paul Salvatore



Virtual field trips are the schooling technique of the future. I really enjoyed learning about them. One thing that really caught my eye about virtual field trips as apposed to regular ones is that you are able to go places like outer space or Antarctica. they are free and on normal field trips students would not be able to vi st places such as these. its was also very intriguing to find out that basically anyone could create there own virtual field trip. This I have to say is by far the most interesting topic we have talked about so yet.
-Kimberly Davis



Learning within the barrier walls of the classroom are not longer the case. Virtual field trips are now being used by teachers across the nation. They are being used to break the chains of traditional teaching. No longer are students confined to only reading about history or just hearing a teacher lecture to them about it. Now they are able to take virtual field trips back in time and stimulate what land mark events were really like. It forces them to take an active, hands on learning approach and information is given to them in many different aspects. Now students with specific learning styles are all able to learn the best that they can and this is the most important job for a teacher!
-Jennifer DeHetre


I feel that taking a virtual field trip is a great idea for teachers. Virtual field trips are designed to be entertaining and educational. There is no time involved in travel and no money that has to be spent. The website will provide the field trip and all you have to do as the teacher is make it fun! You can go practically anywhere when taking a virtual field trip, and they provide opportunities for new discovery to be explored in the classroom.

Many students like virtual field trips better than going on a field trip because they can do it at their own pace and aren't sitting in a room listening to someone with a monotone voice talking to them. Anyone who can navigate through computers can create a virtual field trip, even students. Students get excited to visit places that they normally would never be able to visit.
-Cassie Sanderson



I like the way this articles mentions the positives of a virtual field trip. No money, no hassles, its what everyone would love to have. Its also more useful than going on actual field trips because many students can't afford to go. Its nice for some students that want to learn and that are excited to learn about new places and they can go to them virtually. I also like that this article put links to where you can make your own virtual field trip. Its an effective way for students to learn about places without paying or stepping out of the classroom.
-Myrianette Figueroa


In the article, "Get Outta Class With Virtual Field Trips" by Sherril Steele-Carlin, she explains how virtual field trips take students out of the classroom without ever leaving the classroom. Virtual field trips (VFTs) also "provide opportunities for new discovery in the classroom."

A high school student named Emily gave her personal testimony about a virtual field trip being "better than listening to a boring speech about exhibits." Emily goes on to say how much she enjoyed the VFT because she could take her time looking and exploring. She wasn't rushed through each exhibit. This reminds me of my ninth grade field trip. We went to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, DC. We were given a 4-page worksheet and told to answer all the questions by going to the exhibit and reading the information. The task was overwhelming and chaotic. I was so busy hurrying to get the questions answered that I was robbed of any learning. The trip was a chore. A field trip is designed to be learning experience, but if the trip isn't fun, you might as well forget it!

The article listed many links to existing VFTs. I went to one called The JASON project where the group's goal is to increase the learning of young students in the area of science and weather. They also offer online professional development, workshops, and coaching to teachers who want to be qualified to use JASON in their classrooms.

The article mentions software called Tour Maker that assists a user in creating a VFT in an easy, inexpensive way.
-Judith Hintz



Instead of having a classroom filled with restless students aching to get outside, why not actually a take a field trip? Perhaps your class does not have the sufficient funds available you say, then why not take a virtual field trip on the computer? The web provides the resources, you provide the fun. Virtual field trips have accompanied every grade level and are springing up all over the Internet! Trips range from the simple, such as a photo tour of a famous museum, to extremely detailed and high-tech field trips that offer video and audio segments to make the visit more interactive and allow the students to feel more involved. On a virtual field trip, you and your students can go just about anywhere on Earth -- or on out into the solar system. Any teacher, or student, who is even remotely computer knowledgeable can create a virtual field trip. It's as simple as taking a camera along when the class goes off on a field trip. Take plenty of photos, then upload them to your computer and add them to your class or school Web site. There, you've created your first virtual field trip. Teachers Education World talked and seemed to really enjoy using and creating virtual field trips with their students. Students seem to value them as a way to learn about places they might never get to visit. "I decided that the World Wide Web offered an excellent way to access these places, events, and opportunities," said Gary Gillespie, a Seattle teacher who has created a number of virtual field trips for his students. "Students can explore the sites and use the information and pictures for reports or speeches."
-Paige Knorr



I believe that the whole idea of virtual field trips(VTF) is awesome, this is the first time I have ever heard of a VTF. There are many pros to the idea of a VTF, yes it is cheaper for schools who cannot afford to provide students with actual field trips. Also teachers don't have to waste time and worry about all the preparation that goes a into field trip. All that is required is for the teacher to make up the VTF. Overall this idea is an more economical way to plan a trip, and can be more educational.
-Christopher Noe



Never having heard of a virtual field trip before, I found the idea to be quite interesting! This is just another brilliant example of how much impact technology has had on out education system in just the past couple of years. Just think, now kids can take virtual field trips to places like Antarctica, or Asia when they are studying Polar Bears, or Elephants. I don't about you, but when I was in school, a field trip to either of those places was unheard of. I think this is a great way for kids to really get out there and learn about places interactively, without having to hire a travel agent! =) Also, it is great for teachers because, although there are still precautions you must take when venturing into the Web, there are not nearly as many as if you were to actually leave the classroom. No bus arrangements, or lunchtime hassles, and the stress of losing kids is a simply unheard of.
The web page posted at the bottom of the post is a great informational source for all your virtual field trip needs, it even gives ideas on how to create your own virtual field trip!!
-Erin Fobb


VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP WEB PAGE

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech071.shtml

FGCU EME2040 Blog Five- Storyboarding

A storyboard is a sketch of how to organize a story and it includes a list of its contents. It helps find the “holes” that are in the story by identifying the resources needed to complete the story. You can consider putting video, audio, still photos, etc… in the storyboard to get a clearer view of the story. When breaking a story and making it into a storyboard, it must be “non-linear”. Storyboards are good for giving the person reading a story a clearer picture of the importance. You can also add other texts such as interviews and recordings.

Here are some steps we could all follow to make a rough storyboard:

1. Divide the story into its logical, nonlinear parts

2. Decide what pieces of the story work best in video

3. Decide what pieces of the story work best in still photos

4. Does the audio work best with video, or will it be combined with still photos?

5. What part of the story works best in graphics?

6. Does the story need a map?

7. What part of the story belongs in text?

8. Make sure the information in each medium is complementary, not redundant

9. Include interactivity, which gives the reader both input and control in a story.

An example that Judy gave our group on a storyboard is a story that her son’s class is reading, Maniac McGee. She wrote an example on how this story could be turned into a storyboard adding still photos, audio, video, graphics, and text.

A narrator could be the AUDIO for the lead (or nut) paragraph.

A STILL PHOTO could be used for the lead character and others in the story. The reader could click on the photo to listen about that character while reading along with the TEXT.

As Maniac McGee swiftly runs to the next place, a VIDEO could show him arriving at the baseball field or coming face-to-face with the thugs on the street where he doesn't belong.

GRAPHICS might include an INTERACTIVE MAP where the reader clicks on the area he/she wants to go. The link would bring the reader to a place where Maniac McGee is leaving home to begin his journey or to the place where he talks with the girl about borrowing her book.

These elements should be arranged in a non-sequential order. This way, the reader can control the way the story is told. The storyboard makes clear where the "holes" are so that the missing content can be included by using the most ideal elements for that missing part.

Since a storyboard does not require the hands of an artist, most students can use this tool in organizing a story.

With Judy’s example on how her son’s teacher can make a storyboard with the book Maniac McGee, it seems that many students will learn; although this article if this is an effective way for students to comprehend stories. From personal experience if I may, I have seen students learn effectively through storyboards. They comprehend what the story is about and what were the important things and what they didn’t need concern about. Audio, visuals, graphics, etc…are a creative way for kids to learn and be active and look forward to reading and writing.

Edited by mmfiguer

FGCU Group 5 -- Blogging 101

Using blogs as a learning tool benefit students, teachers, and parents. Students possess a natural interest in posting blogs. They have a boundless supply of topics about which to write and a large audience who can read them. Teachers facilitate student learning by incorporating blogs as a vehicle for good writing skills and as an outlet for student’s to express their ideas. Parents can be reassured their children are acquiring the benefits of learning through technology while being kept safe from inappropriate material through the use of protective software.

In the article, Blogging 101—Web logs go to school by Alorie Gilbert (November 7, 2005), the author reports that seventh- and eighth-grade students post blogs on a variety of subjects. Some topics are controversial like racism and abortion, and others are educational topics like AP calculus, music theory, and Mandarin. One 8th grader wrote this cute blog:

"When I Grow Up"
From "i am canadian," by G.W.
http://www.classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=7729

When I grow up, I'd like to be in the National Hockey League. You can make a lot of money playing in the NHL. Millions and millions of dollars. If I never become good enough to go in the NHL, I would like to be a lawyer because you can also make a lot of money doing that too, but if worse comes to worst, I'm going to be a bartender.

Gilbert’s article points out the impact on students of realizing they have the entire world as an audience for their blogs. Students from small schools and small towns recognize that their “little” voice actually turns out to be a “big” voice because of the vast number of possible readers. A fifth-grade teacher named Hillary Meeler finds that her students at J.H. Elementary School in Conyers, Georgia put forth greater effort in writing creative, grammatically correct blogs in hopes of encouraging repeat visitors to their site.

Teachers play a critical role in using blogs in the classroom. Will Richardson says blogs are “learning tools.” He is the “Learner in Chief” of Connective Learning and he has authored a book about using educational technology like weblogs, wikis, RSS, audiocasts, etc. in the classroom. He also gives presentations and training sessions to educators. Gilbert’s article explains how some teachers allow their student’s blogs to be read by anyone. Others carefully read each student’s blog and decide whether or not to post it.

Concerned parents want to know their children are safe. Blogging provides wonderful and exciting learning opportunities, but allowing open access has the potential to cause damage and be negative. Software is available to help protect children. MSN Filter and ePals Classroom Exchange are designed to block inappropriate material.

Pew Internet and American Life Project did a study and found there are about 8 million people who have created blogs since 2004. Technorati did their own study and estimated that every five months the number of blogs doubles.

In conclusion, students can use blogs to further their learning and expand their horizons way beyond the confines of their own classrooms. Teachers and parents should direct and monitor the student’s use of blogs to provide them maximum benefit and safety.