Thing #9

Frequently, I will use a clip from a movie or a photograph from a particular point in history to illustrate a point that I am trying to make. I use photos with my class to get them to imagine what it would be like to live and work during an era.

I think that most students do not think about copyright or about getting permission to use music. We live in a world where kids think nothing of illegally downloading music and movies without asking for permission, paying a fee, or even giving credit to the original creator. I think that this is a problem with technology today. Movies, music, etc are too accessible and they are not protected enough. Even when we require our students to cite their work, they will plagiarize the majority of it. The saddest part is that they do not even realize it.

I think that when I assign a project or a paper I will discuss fair use and have my students complete a Fair Use reasoning tool WS. This may not fix the problem, but at least it might make them more conscious that they are taking copy written material.

Thing #7

I explored 2 wiki's from the list http://www.ahistoryteacher.com/~ahistory/apwhreview/index.php?title=Holocaust_Wiki_Project and http://schoolsthen.wikispaces.com/ provided and then my wife let me onto her school's wiki http://countyline.wikispaces.com/so I could compare. I thought that the first 2 wiki's were interesting project ideas for students. However, I found that the one my wife showed me was more useful. It contained teaching tips, ideas, and other resources. It was also very well organized (by grade level and department. The Holocaust project was well organized, but it was not that different from other pencil and paper projects that I have seen over the years. I guess that is the point-the use of technology can be as complicated or as easy as you want it to be. The second wiki was not organized. It was just a list. I thought that this was a waste of technology. Certainly, there are dozens of other formats that the information could have been presented in.

I think I could use a wiki. It is just a technology that I am not comfortable with. I would be more willing to use the professional wiki until I felt more at ease with the technology before I used it in the classroom.

Thing #5a

I found that having to sift through many of the links to find ones that I would want on my RSS was tedious. However, now that they are there I actually like it. My google reader recommended some other feeds that I might want to peruse. When I browsed for blog information on a band that I follow, I was surprised to see so many feeds pop up. The same was true when I searched for school related topics as well. I remember having to sift through tome after tome in the library to glean the articles and information that I needed for papers. Now it is at my fingertips. Kids today have it way too easy.

On a related note. I found it very interesting that the Library of Congress is now posting lectures and information on You Tube. I did not get to explore it as long as I would have liked, but I certainly have it fed to my computer when something new and interesting appears.

Thing #3

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/07/business/economy/07capacity.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

I rarely get time to check all the news sources that I want to check. I enjoy having the topics in which I am interested fed right to my computer. This is definitely going to cut down on the amount of time I am spending sifting through the various news sources.

Obviously, I follow the economy so that I am able to explain and discuss economic principles with my students. Having statistics and links to other websites like the Department of Labor helps me explain the far reaching and long lasting effects of our current economic situation.

Thing #2

I was struck by a couple of thing when I looked at the blogs. First, they were all very casual. Even Anne Davis' blog http://anne.teachesme.com/2007/01/17/rationale-for-educational-blogging/which was the most "academic" of the blogs was very informal. It seemed more like a conversation between learned friends than an expert sharing her expertise. The responses to the blogs read the same way. This bothers me and it inspires me at the same time. It bothers me because I feel that it signifies the death of correct, formal English. Yes, I know it has been dying for a while now, but blogging takes it down a few pegs. At the same time, the knowledge base is so much more vast than any one person could ever possess. It is every bit as interesting to see the links that people will attach to thier comments as it is to read the original article. It is like sitting at a round table and having everyone contribute thier thoughts and ideas. It is the modern application of the Socratic method at its finest. So the real question is, which is more important: the preservation of our language or the development of intellectual inquiry?

Thing #1-B

Web 2.0 has incredible potential to both contribute to the learning experience and the ability to undermine it. I would love to have my students get involved in blogs on economic issues that affect them now. Through the ever evolving web, they could take our classroom discussions and see how they compare or relate to what is currently happening in our nation. Frequently, I will read an article or blog on a news source (like CNN.com) that directly relates to what we are discussing. I can take that information back to my students and enhance our discussion. I can also utilize the Web by having them do the same. I would like to use this tool more. However, one of the most dangerous things about the web is that anyone can pass themselves off as an expert. I have seen students report completely inaccurate information as gospel simple because they read it on a blog. I want my students to be curious about the world around them, but at the same time I hope that they are more discerning than they sometimes seem to be.

Thing #1-A

Hello. My name is Todd Joiner. I teach Economics and American Government at AHS. I have been in education for 15 years. I am not the most technological person, and I feel that it is time that I join the 21st century. The modes in which we deliver material to our students is evolving and if I do not evolve with them, then I am doing them a disservice in the long run. I hope to not only gain a basic understanding of how blogging works, but I also hope to be able to integrate it into my teaching in the future.