So many Web 2.0 Tools : My Brain is Full!

Recently, a colleague and I presented a workshop to a group of foreign language teachers on Web 2.0 tools.  We decided that for an hour and a half maybe we would only be able to cover 40 "tools of the trade".  It was obvious, as we went along that we could have spent hours on these tools.  We all have different comfort levels with regards to technology.  We all marveled at many of the tools but also just as overwhelming is how to implement the tools in our lessons. The experience reminded me of my own experiences at the Apple store.  I have taken their One-to-One tutorial classes, ( which I highly recommend) and even though the sessions are one hour, I would often say after 30 minutes, "That's enough, my brain is full!"

Like Drinking Water from a Fire Hose by Frank Pileiro

This article's title says it all. These wonderful tools can be so inviting but you definitely need time to absorb what is being taught.  I wish our students could do the same instead of the regimented schedules that they have. There will always be more and more web 2.0 tools coming your way, so what's important is that you add whatever one or two tools you feel you could use in your personal or professional life and then, get ready for more!

The Myth of Multitasking

Students are always trying to convince me what great "Multi-taskers" they are.  I try to explain that there is no way they can read what is on the board, write or check text messages, and/or learn new material. They are just distracted. I don't have their complete attention; I have their partial attention. When learning new material, having their complete attention is very important.
I think the problems isn't just with students, it's with everyone.  I hear about more people texting while driving and more signs springing up at restaurants, shops, and businesses that don't want you to use your IPhone.

Much research has been done to the effectiveness and efficacy of our multi-taskers.
http://www.techlearning.com/Blogs/36994

When the Going Gets Tough, Do the Tough Get Going?

With the news that more young people are committing suicide because they can't find jobs, it is no wonder that some are being more creative in finding ways to cheat to get into universities.  The number of suicides last year topped the 30,000 mark. Among the victims, youths in their 20s formed the largest group, at 153, while six were minors.

Today's headlines in Japan are of a student arrested for cheating on an entrance exam at Kyoto University. This could possibly be the first person prosecuted for cheating in Japan.  He could face up to three years in prison or a fine of $6,000.

With unemployment at a high, the pressure on young people to do what it takes may be too much. Like the university of Kyoto, maybe we need to look for more ways to prevent cheating and not leave our students with temptations.

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110305p2g00m0dm011000c.html

Students Techno-Cheating

Well, most would say students have always cheated in school in some way or another, but smartphones pose new challenges for today's educators. Students can 'lift' directly off the internet for homework assignments, photograph the tests, texted answers, and google anything, anytime.  I routinely have to explain to my students that putting in a paragraph in English and hitting a Spanish translator button is cheating. It also doesn't work.  Translators aren't there yet.  I've had to explain to students that their paragraphs have grammar in it that they won't learn for another few years!  I try to convince them it's obvious when they use a translator.  I don't think most don't really believe me.

Temptation is very high right now.  How can teachers combat this?  I have heard about cell phone jammers that block cell phone use by sending out radio waves along the frequencies that cellular phones use. Some teachers collect cell phones before assessments.  Maybe it's time to create different types of assessments.Academic Cheating in the Age of Google

Can texting help your child's spelling?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8468351.stm


Clare Wood, reader in developmental psychology states that "If we are seeing a decline in literacy standards among young children, it is in spite of text messaging, not because of it." Interestingly enough the fact that students do so much texting, might be helping them with their spelling. Research shows that in texting words, such as "hmwrk," there is a certain 'phonological awareness' required.

Maybe it is with this type of research that schools will embrace the possibilities cellphones have to offer our students.

Siftables :Interactive Learning tools the size of Cookies

One of my favorite places to visit is the TED.com.  (TED: Technology Entertainment Design) Well, David Merrill, an MIT grad student, meets all those requirement as he demos Siftables. They are little computer blocks that you manipulate to create music, do math, play language games, and so much more. Merrill states that it is similar to how spatial reasoning helps us understand a lot of the world around us. This is a very exciting glimpse of what will soon be available to our children.

Preparing Our Children to be Responsible Digital Citizens

Digital citizenship is a tool to prepare our children for a world surrounded by technology. 

Our children’s online safety is a responsibility of parents and schools.  We often protect them by blocking sites or other forms of censorship. Are we teaching them how to be digital citizens?  One thought on the subject would have schools allow students opportunities to assess risks and provide guidance with online interaction.  How do we compare with the rest of the world?  

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-magid/digital-citizenship-inclu_b_780127.html