Reflection on Technology, Learning, and Culture Course

            During the past semester I engaged in many meaningful and valuable learning opportunities focused on Technology, Learning, and Culture.  My learning experiences have directly impacted my personal, social, and professional life in ways that have really changed my perspective.  I look forward to learning more about some of the Web 2.0 tools that we explored as I continue to work with them.  In addition, I am excited to share my knowledge with my colleagues, students, friends, and family.

            Prior to starting this class, I felt that as an educator, I was integrating technology into my teaching and family communication fairly well.  Yet, after this class I feel like I have so many new skills and knowledge related to Web 2.0 tools and their implications, that I have been able to expand what I know to integrate new things. My knowledge has also expanded into my use of technology in my personal life, where I have become more connected by utilizing Twitter and reading others’ blogs. 

            Throughout the course of this class, we utilized blogs to share information with our peers and in turn to gather information from others. I enjoyed creating a blog and reading the reflections by others in our class, however I don’t see myself using this in my personal life.  However, this tool has the capability of reaching a large audience, so using this to communicate with my students or the parents of my students would be very effective. I would be able to post entries about what we are studying, important dates, photos, websites for students, resources for parents, two-way communication with parents, and ideas for other educators.  Besides creating my own blog, I have become more aware of blogs written by others. There is a wealth of knowledge and ideas out there.  I have enjoyed reading blogs for my own professional development, lesson plan ideas, and on a more personal level, recipes, craft, and gift ideas. I am looking forward to utilizing a blog for my classroom. 

            In addition to blogs, we learned about Google sites and Wikispaces.  Both are similar to creating a website with many features that allow you to embed videos, upload photos and documents, and create surveys.  My school district uses a program called CMS4 Schools, which stands for Content Management System for Schools. CMS4 Schools is a website management tool for school districts to use to create low-cost engaging websites.  The program is very similar to Google sites and Wikispaces, however after this class I feel most comfortable with Wikispaces. My district did not provide me with and training in using the CMS4 Schools program, so I intend to link my Wikispace to the website provided for me by my district. My Wikispace will be a place for me to communicate with parents and share information and resources about Kindergarten and our school. 

            Google Docs is a unique feature provided for anyone with a Google account.  Google Docs is a user friendly word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation tool that allows individuals with Google accounts to collaborate, share, and submit files.  This tool is such a lifesaver.  In my previous school district, all of the employees had a Google account.  We were able to share documents and collaborate effectively.  I also enjoyed being able to retrieve my school files from my home computer.  Educators of older students were able to allow their students to utilize Google Docs for group projects or submitting assignments.  As a Kindergarten teacher, this isn’t realistic, however simply being able to collaborate with my teaching partner no matter where in the world we were, was priceless.

            One social networking application that we explored and utilized this semester was Twitter. Until this class I avoided getting an account because I just didn’t feel it was necessary.  I was already using Facebook, and I was able to connect with the people I wanted to that way.  However, Twitter has been useful in that I am able to follow some professional groups that post articles and photos related to education.  I now look at it as another professional development tool. We also explored social bookmarking, using Digo.  This was a new tool for me, but again very useful.  I used the site to bookmark websites for research, lesson plans, and personal gain.  It would be a great tool to utilize in middle school and high school education. 

            As a visual learner myself, I see great value in utilizing visual learning tools in the classroom.  I currently have a SmartBoard, which is basically an interactive computer screen.  I use it to share videos, provide hands-on lessons, and provide visual support.  In class we learned how to create our own Youtube videos utilizing Screen-cast-o-matic, as well as edit photos using Pixlr.  These tools can be used by educators to create lessons, but are also great tools for students to use to create presentations.  Prezi, another application that is similar to PowerPoint, is a visual tool for teaching and learning.  I have created Prezis for lessons in my classroom as well as presentations for graduate classes.

            In addition to learning about and practicing with Web 2.0 tools, we also spent time reading books about technology and culture.  Some of the titles were Web 2.0 how-to for educators, From Leonardo to the Internet, Cognitive Surplus, and The Shallows. I think this was one of the most important parts of the class.  By reading these books, I learned a lot about how culture shapes society.  I think that reading From Leonardo to the Internet was very important for this class because it helped me realize how all of our current technology came to be.  We never know where we are headed without knowing where we came from! Also, The Shallows and Cognitive Surplus showed how technology and culture are affected by each other.

            In summary, I learned a great deal about technology, learning, and culture during the course of this semester. All of the technology that I am now able to use will help me to be a better educator, but the perspectives I gained on the history and culture of technology are just as important.  I look forward to continuing to grow in my Web 2.0 skills as an educator and in my personal life. 

Reflection on Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky

Reflection on Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky

            Our most recent book study focused on the book, Cognitive Surplus, by Clay Shirky.  In this book, cognitive surplus refers to the free time people have to engage in collaborative activities, with a focus on the tools that web 2.0 has brought forward.   Shirky uses several examples to support his theory that the way people are using their free time now, is much more productive and valuable than it once was.  In chapter one, Shirky compared the Gin Craze in London in the 1720’s and becoming couch-potatoes after World War 2 as examples of how society has and does use its free time in unproductive ways. 
            Shirky explains that watching TV is a very passive activity and lacks interaction.  Although this is true, “Americans watch roughly two hundred billion hours of TV every year.” (pg. 10)  Many people watch TV when they are feeling lonely and the characters in the programs are like “imaginary friends.” (pg. 7)  Today, the resources and opportunities that are available on the web, have given people other options.  Instead of acting as a consumer, people can network, receive information, blog, communicate, and so on.  Shirky states on page 63 that “Flexible, cheap, and inclusive media now offers us opportunities to do all sorts of things we once didn’t do. In the world of “the media,” we were like children, sitting quietly at the edge of a circle and consuming whatever the grown-ups in the center of the circle produced. That has given way to a world in which most forms of communication, public and private, are available to everyone in some form.”  
            This book caused me to reflect on how I spend my surplus of time.  When I think about it, I really don’t have much “free time.”  As an educator, I spend my days teaching and my evenings are usually spent planning or preparing in some way for my job or graduate classes.  This leaves me with limited free time, yet when it does arise, I do spend time online connecting with people, sharing ideas, posting comments, and reading articles.  As Shirky points out in the above comment from page 63, people, myself included, are spending less time watching television and more time interacting on the web.  Furthermore, I like to think that I have some sense of balance in the way that I spend my time outside of sleeping and work related activities. I find time to socialize (face-to-face), read, exercise, shop, in addition to watching television and utilizing the web. 
            After reflecting on the ways I spend my free time, I started to think about how my students (5 and 6 year olds) spend their free time.  When I was growing up, my parents made sure that my brother and sisters and I spent plenty of time being active.   Instead we spent time play make-believe, board games, riding bikes with the neighborhood kids, swimming, and with an occasional TV show or movie.  From what my students share about their interests, many of them do spend an excessive amount of time watching TV, movies, or playing video games. Is this because parents are spending more time on interacting with others the web and creating lolcats, than interacting with their children? Maybe. It is my hope that parents are taking the time to connect and converse with their children whenever it is possible. It really makes me think about how my own life will change when I have children of my own.  Setting an example and modeling appropriate behaviors and interests is one of the most important things that parents do.  I know that once I have children, many of the things I spend my free time doing now will change.
            In conclusion, Shirky makes a great case that the way society spends its surplus of time has changed drastically over time.  I found this book to be an easy read and very though provoking. I was glad to read that people are watching less television, and my hope is that people spend their cognitive surplus in a productive and educational way. 

Reflection on What the Internet is Doing to our Brains The Shallows by Nicholas Carr

Molly Demrow

EDL755

November 5, 2011

            This week our book study focused on The Shallows by Nicholas Carr. This book was very engaging and made some very interesting points about what the Internet and technology for that matter, is used for and what it is doing to our brains. It is clear that the Internet and other technological advances have played a role in our society, culture, learning, and in Carr’s opinion, our brains’ inner workings.  However, has it made all of us shallow thinkers as the title suggests?   

            In chapter one, Carr talks about the changes in the way his brain works by discussing his difficulty in reading and analyzing lengthy texts.  “Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.” (Carr, 2011, pg. 7)  He is referring to the difficulty he has in immersing himself in a book.  Instead he prefers to scan and skim blogs or online articles to do research. I know this is not the case for everyone, but I can see how Carr would feel that the Internet is changing the way we process information.  Personally, I have difficulty getting into books at times; however that is not always the case.  One of my most important jobs in teaching kindergarten is helping my students gain the skills and knowledge they need to learn to read. I hate to think that once my students get a bit older and spend more time online, that they will ditch their critical thinking skills and look to the Internet as their quick source of knowledge.    

            This lack of critical thinking is a primary concern for Carr, as he elaborates on some recent brain research.  Michael Merzenich and Eric Kandel spent a lot of time doing brain research to find that the brain is “massively plastic.”  (Carr, 2011, pg. 26) Our brains change in response to our experiences.  The way that we use technology to locate, store, and distribute information can reroute our neural pathways.  This supports Carr’s opinions about how the fast-paced information library we call the Internet, can actually change how our brain responds to new information.

            In chapter three, Tools of the Mind, Carr talks about different technological advancements and their role in society.  The development of the alphabet, maps, clocks, typewriter, computer, and the Internet changed the way society thought at that time.  For example, the Greeks developed the first complete alphabet around 750 B.C.  The alphabet consisted of twenty four characters and was used as a system for writing and reading. However, “Recent brain studies reveal that considerably less of the brain is activated in reading words formed from phonetic letters than in interpreting logograms or other pictorial symbols.” (Carr, 2011, pg. 53)  This is very easily related to the use of computers and the Internet.  Not long ago (at least I’d like to think it wasn’t long ago), research was done by going to the library and searching for information in stacks of books.  This process took a lot of deep thinking and analytical skill.  Today, with the click of a few buttons, information on any topic you could imagine is readily available.  The deep thinking skills are unnecessary. It seems that while technology developments have made our lives easier, is that really what we want?      

             The Internet and technology have changed the way we find information, but it has also changed how educators meet the needs of their students. When I began my teaching career in 2008, I was lucky enough to walk in to a second grade classroom with all of the latest technological tools at my fingertips.  I had a brand new computer, SmartBoard, document camera, and a LCD projector.  Although I felt very fortunate, I thought back to when I was in second grade and how vastly different our “learning tools” were.  I always enjoyed school and found it very engaging, even though I was only able to use a computer once a week and the most popular technology in classrooms was a tape player.  In today’s world, educators must work hard to prepare students for life outside of the classroom.  This requires technology to be integrated into our teaching every day, however it does not dismiss the need to teach critical thinking skills and promote contemplation and reflection. 

            In my opinion, with society’s dependence on cell phones, iPods, computers, the Internet, to name a few, there is no turning back.  The use of these technologies (with more to come) is now a way of life.  Reading this book really made me reflect on how technology has changed how I live. I realized much to my dismay, that I am very dependent on technology.  I no longer need to know how to read a map, I have a GPS.  I don’t need to go to the library; I can research online and download books to my computer or a Kindle. There is no need to buy stamps, I can pay my bills and write emails online.  It will be interesting to see what technology brings to us in the future!

Reflection on Misa's Leonardo to the Internet

           Thomas J. Misa’s book, Leonard to the Internet, takes a look at the history of technology, dating back to the 1400’s.  Misa lays the book out in chapters that represent significant eras in technology development.  This book shows the progression of technology through the influence of cultural and social change.

            In chapter one, “Technologies of the Court,” Misa looks at the time period from 1450 to 1600.  This era covers the time period of Leonardo da Vinci’s life and was defined by court patronage.  This means that the wealthy would support an artist or scientist in his or her creations.  This was the case for Da Vinci.  He was able to create art and other technologies by having a patron.  I found it interesting to learn that Leonardo was very involved with the military, and wasn’t just an artist. In addition, during this time, the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg, which changed the way information was produced and shared.

            Chapter two is titled “Techniques of Commerce” and focused on the time from 1588 to 1740, also called the Dutch Golden Age.  Dutch merchants used technologies like herring fishing boat factories, windmills, and textile factories to develop international trade. During this time period, merchants found inexpensive items to trade with others for a large profit.  With the high importance of trade, many improvements were made to navigation, ships, trading routes and so on to make trading easier and more efficient.

            “Geographies of Industry,” Chapter 3, considered the time period from 1740-1851.  This time period is illustrated by the Industrial Revolution which began in England, then spread throughout Europe, Japan, North America, and eventually the world.  During this time there was a large shift from manual labor to machine-based factories. James Watt’s invention of the steam engine during this time helped factories increase their profits and production. Some of the other important inventions or developments during this time were: iron making, textiles, and also steam power. Factories were developed to produce products faster and cheaper to increase profits.

            In Chapter four, “Instruments of Empire,” Misa discuss the technological advances from 1840 to 1914.  This time framed encompassed British Imperialism, when many, many miles of land and thousands of people were added to the British Empire. Britain’s ability to take over so much land was due in part to the developments of the steamship and telegraph, which allowed for better communication and transportation. In addition, railroads were developed which transported goods and people.  It was “the next big thing” since the canal. Railroad systems were lined with telegraphs which improved communication as well. Furthermore, roads and harbors were improved which also improved travel, which were vital to the growing empire.   

            Chapter 5, “Science and Systems,” focuses on the time period from 1870 to 1930, which is also referred to as the second Industrial Revolution. During this time many new industries were developed and there was a high focus on consumer products.  This also brought about the importance of collaboration between research universities and government agencies.  Also, during this time there was a focus on improving current systems, instead of developing new ones.  This was done through the use of patents. One of the important discoveries of this time was coke, a by-product of burning coal.  Coke was used as fuel for many decades, was now used to make synthetic dyes, which vastly diversified the textile industry in Germany.  The German chemists “set the stage for  a science-based industry.” (Misa, 2004, pg. 130) One of the most important and productive inventors of this time was Thomas Edison.  Edison pursued full-time invention and built an invention factory.  In his most productive year (1882) he had 107 patents. He had 1,093 patents in his lifetime.  Edison developed Edison Electric Company, the precursor to GE or General Electric as we know it today.  He developed the classic light bulb which was bright, cheap, and long-lasting.  He also invented a lighting system. As Misa (2004) states, “The system-stabilizing innovations, with the heavyweights of industry and finance behind them, also created new mass-consumer markets for electricity, telephones, automobiles, household appliances, home furnishings, radios and much else.”

            “Materials of Modernism” is the title of chapter six, which covers the time period from 1900 to 1950.  This chapter discusses how the second Industrial Revolution helped to pave the way for modern culture, with focuses in art and architecture.  The modern movement or aesthetic movement was driven by science and systems technology.  Some of the important developments were machine-age glass and steel.  Benjamin Huntsman developed the steel making process. These materials were inexpensive and made it possible to mass produce housing and other buildings. There were three groups the highly influenced the modern style.  Those three groups were the futurists in Italy, De Stijl of the Netherlands, and the synthesis of theory and practice in the Brauhaus of Germany. Modern architects relied on the use of glass and steel to characterize their buildings with horizontal lines, pillars, large amounts of glass, and concrete.

            Chapter 7 is titled “The Means of Destruction.”  This chapter focuses on the technological developments from 1936 to 1990.  During this time, the driving force behind most technological advances was the military.  The title for the chapter describes the development goals of many countries including the United States, the Soviet Union, France, England, China, and Germany.  World War 2 and the Cold War forced these countries to work with large companies, universities, government agencies to develop military related technology such as nuclear weapons and communicative and digital computing technology.Also during this time, in the United States, the “nation became a factory” while working to develop nuclear weapons.  Some of the specific technological advances were: atomic bomb, transistor, and the Internet.  Although there seemed to be many technological advances because of the military influence and demand, the development of other technologies were hindered because of this focus.

            In Chapter 8, “Toward Global Culture,” Misa shows how globalization changed the world, which began with world trade.  This chapter focused on many of the advances of technology that are still in use today such as: fax machines and the Internet. Fax machines were developed much earlier in time, however the 1980’s was the first time when fax machines were able to communicate well with each other.  This allowed companies to work together to make products cooperatively. Also, McDonald’s was used as an example of the globalization of fast food. McDonald’s is the epitome of fast food technology.  These fast food restaurants are present in over 120 countries.  The World Wide Web was a huge factor in globalization.  It made networking easy and fast, which meant companies could share information. Also, micro-computers were developed in the 1980’s that were small and cheap enough for consumers to buy. Soon came electronic mail or email which made communicating even easier and faster.

            “The Question of Technology” is the title of Chapter 9.  This chapter focuses on three different technologies: unsustainable energy, information networks, and global shipping. Unsustainable energy is cheap and abundant; however it consumes fossil fuels at a fast rate.  Suburban sprawl was also discussed which has negative affects like global warming.  Information networks, while very useful and efficient, are also very vulnerable to hacks and viruses.  Global shipping, which is very important to the economy, has a lot of concerns with security.  This chapter detailed some important technologies that can be very useful, however they can also be harmful to our economy and environment.

            Chapter 10 is a summary of the book, which summarized each chapter in detail.  It is obvious that technology plays a large role in our world and will continue to do so in the future. Although there are concerns that globalization will end due to the lack of trust after the attacks on 9/11, I do think that it will continue to bring people and technologies together in the future.  In conclusion, it is apparent that technology has shaped our culture, but our culture has also been shaped by technology.  

Reflection on Visual Learning Tools

            This week our class focused on several different visual learning tools.  Prior to class I had little experience in working with any of the tools; however I found them all to be very user friendly and useful.  I am looking forward to incorporating the use of these tools into my professional, educational, and personal life.

            Screencast-o-Matic and other similar websites make creating tutorials very easy.  At this time, I am not quite sure how I could use this tool with my kindergarten students; however I see many benefits and possibilities in creating tutorials for older students and parents.  The school district could create a tutorial for parents explaining how to use Skyward Family Access, which is an online program that allows parents to see their student’s grades.  At this time I believe the district has an instructional handout for parents to use as a reference in how to use the program.  By creating a tutorial, parents would be able to see exactly how to utilize all of the features of the program.  The tutorial would be available at all times.

            I am very excited about the possibilities there are with YouTube.  I currently use YouTube and TeacherTube to share educational videos and songs with my students. However, now that I am able to upload my own videos, I could record student performances, special events, writing celebrations, and so on that could be uploaded to YouTube and linked to my classroom website.  Parents who were not in attendance would still be able to enjoy the performance. In addition, students would be very excited to watch their performances and be proud to share them. How engaging! One issue that I can foresee is privacy.  There may be parents who do not wish for their child to be videotaped or photographed, so that could make it difficult when recording. 

            I enjoyed using the many different photo editing programs, however the options were a little overwhelming! I think it will take some practice for me to get the hang of all the tools.  I have used Picasa 3 as my photo editing program up to this point.  The program was free to download, and it is easy to use.  PixLr has significantly more options and tools, however.  At this time I use photo editing programs for my own personal use when scrapbooking.  However, I could use PixLr when I add photos to my weekly newsletter. 

            This week’s lesson on visual learning tools was very beneficial.  Being a visual learner myself, I can see how engaging the use of visual learning tools is.  I plan to continue using YouTube videos as educational resources in addition to trying to create some of my own videos.  

Why Use Technology in the Classroom

• Why Use Technology in the Classroom

  Slideshare creation about why the use of technology is so vital in the classroom!

  tags: technology

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Social Networking and Social Bookmarking

            This week’s lessons on social bookmarking and social networking were very exciting for me.  I currently have a Facebook page and previously had a MySpace page so I am familiar with social networking.  Until this class I really had no interest in setting up a Twitter account.  It just seemed like too much for what I used my social networks for, which is mostly to stay in touch with family and friends. However, there are so many ways to use networks for professional, educational, and personal use.

            There are several ways that I could see myself using Twitter or Facebook in my professional life. I coached high school swimming for the past 3 years.  Setting up a team Twitter account would have been an easy way to communicate with the athletes and parents. While I was coaching, parents would email me regularly asking questions about upcoming meets, practices, or other important information.  By setting up a team twitter account, I could direct parents, families, and athletes to follow the team on twitter. I could provide meet results, meet line-ups, and other important news to everyone, instantly!  It would also be great to have had one of my team’s managers post updates on Twitter while the team was competing. That way, parents and family members who were not able to attend the competition would be aware of what was happening.

            Additionally, I can see setting up a Twitter account for my classroom.  The account would need to be monitored regularly, and would be a private account, but could be used for a variety of purposes. I send home reminders, homework, newsletters, permission slips, and so on every day.  Using a Twitter account, I could share important information with parents. However, this would not work for every family since not everyone has access to the internet on a regular basis.  This would mean that I would still need to send paper copies of notes home with students, and it can get difficult to manage which students need paper copies and which don’t.

            Social bookmarking is a whole new world for me.  I have created bookmarks before, but they were stored on my computer not on the web. I am currently working on a research paper for another class, and since I have a Diigo account, I have been using it regularly. It has taken some time to get used to all of the features and gadgets that are available.  I look forward to exploring it in more detail.

            Diigo holds a lot of value in the education world. It can be used to collaborate on projects or research, or less formally to share things of interest.  In my current position as a kindergarten teacher I would like to set up a group with my fellow kindergarten teachers at school so that we are able to share websites with each other, without clogging our school email accounts.  Furthermore, I plan to set up a list specifically for educational websites for my students. Many times I find myself emailing websites (to myself) for use when my class goes to the computer lab.  It would be very beneficial to find a way to add my students to a group so that when we go to the computer lab, they can log-in to Diigo and all get to the same website independently.  Likewise, it would be an excellent resource to provide parents with educational websites for their children to use at home.  The possibilities are endless!