Brave Enough for a Secret Identity

AR#3

          Granted I am not a Digital Native, but I do have some experience in creating websites. About ten years ago when I was planning my wedding, I created a website using HTML. It was just a basic website that guests could use to get directions, check our registry, and other necessary information. Similarly, I see the value in getting information out to my students in much the same way. A few years ago, I started using Schoolnotes. This is just a place to type in messages and information to pass on to parents and students. If you knew some HTML, you could make it look a little fancier, for example: type in the code and place a scrolling message at the top of the page.

I still have a classroom website to help keep my parents informed (along with our district using Progress Book for grades). However, I now use WebBlender 2 to create my website and update information. I have kept it simple: no scrolling messages, just the basics.

This week I was challenged to add a profile to my blog so everyone could connect to me as a person. Admittedly, I struggled with my on-line identity. I have tried very hard to remain hidden from students on the internet. I know of an incident where a student accessed a co-worker’s address and other personal information and death threats were made (not to mention other unhappy experiences). I even still go by my maiden name at school, so I guess you could say I already have a identity problem; One for my professional life and another identity for my personal life. I completed a few google searches and nothing came up about me, so I guess I have been successful.  In reading Future of Reputation by Daniel J. Solove, I read multiple stories where information was placed on the Internet unknown to the affected person.  Because of these incidents, I need to control my own reputation. For now, I am happy with “Rachel’s Grad School” being part of my on-line identity.

In the situation of creating my on-line profile, I simply started by answering the questions that Google’s Blogger asked. I then went back in to add a little more information and to be more professional. I had an easy time adding in bold and italics, but the HTML code only seemed to work in the about me extended information box.  I was unsuccessful in entering HTML code in any of the remaining profile boxes.  It seems it only wanted to link me to other Blogs with similar interests in movies, music, and books.  Finally, I have found I’m a little frustrated with myself this week.  I used to be able to understand HTML and I have come to the realization that I have lost that understanding.

 

A dynamic Ending to Excel or to me!

AR#2        

I increased my knowledge about operating systems and how they are needed to start running the different software that we often use on the computers. I use both Microsoft windows and Mac OS in daily life. (Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom by Shelly, Gunter and Gunter)  The students in my class and I often use Microsoft Word to write our papers. This assists my Florida 8^th graders who will take a writing test from the state in March. I am often trying to get them to use this software because it is hard to read their handwriting. It is important for the students to become aware of how to use computer programs because they will always be expected to use one. Most the students being digital natives, often surprises me that they do not understand how to organize files, This is what happens when we cut computer electives right. I was hoping to use Google Docs or even dropbox (as a school often complains I take up to much space) to help the students work in collaborative teams with group members who might not be in their class. In order to be a better teacher to this type of student I need to grow and learn about different software.

One example this week is being able to test my skills at Microsoft Excel. I use this software often to help me with list when planning a field trip or ordering t-shirts for students. Yet, I was really put to the test when I had to create a grade book because, I had to use Color, formulas and dynamically link form one sheet to another.

            Of course, I had used the color function before; since it helps the names pop out of a list if students have not paid for something. This is a very helpful feature and I tend to use certain colors like yellow and red. I was able to experiment and use some colors that I do not normally use.

Additionally, the formulas were very helpful in compiling an average for the students’ grade. I often use a formula to add up the total amount paid for a field trip but I had to look up the formula for average. I had forgotten how many functions that excel had. Thank you Microsoft for creating a help page to assist me in finding the formulas that were needed. While I was looking for features I found the auto filter option, undoubtedly this will save me time, using this function I was able to sort by any column I wanted to. In the near future I will be able to create my own excel spreadsheet for a field trip and have it tally how much was paid and filter (this is my favorite feature) each column.

            Pursuing this grade book assignment further, I tried to Dynamically place the students name on each sheet; this way whatever changes were made to one sheet would be made on the next one. My school’s transit rate went up to 38% so this function would be a great use to me. I used paste special, to allow me to change each cells and it appears on the other sheets. What if I had a new student enter? It did not allow me to add a row to add a new student, and that new student would not show up on the other sheets.

            Therefore, I thought this assignment would be easy, I was mistaken. I really learned a lot about excel help and how to use formulas. The goals of this assignment were accomplished. I was very frustrated in my inability to initially understand the term Dynamically link. In the end I figured it out.  I spent to many hours on trying to solve this one riddle.

Realizing that I needed help I went off in search for an excel expert. I found that many teachers did not know much more then I did. I also tried to look Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom by Shelly, Gunter and Gunter. I found a similar assignment but still no explanation to how to Dynamically link the names. I have found that Microsoft has a great help program but there are limitations to everything. My hope is to grow and learn….could you help me in this endeavor?

 

Protecting the Innocent or Free to Explore

RR#3-I come into school early excited about a lesson that I am about to teach. I log onto the computer and enter the website that I was going to use to enhance the lesson. I receive the notice that the web site has been blocked. I am sure this has happened to everyone at some point. This is just part of our job. I feel that it is more unethical to allow students access to objectable content, security threats or my classroom “hogging” the network.

Consequently, they are minors; most of them have an innocence still surrounding them. I do not wish to explain why my students were viewing inappropriate material on my watch. I do try hard to keep up with every student while in the computer lab. I do understand that they are in a hurry to grow up, but there are still some things I do not want to spend my precious class time explaining to them. If there is a web site that I would like to use then I just send an e-mail with my justification as to why I would like to use it. I have had a few web sites unblocked for me. I am lucky to not have to ask multiple times like the schools I read about in Balance Filtering. Then in about a week the web site is up for me to use, again I have to plan ahead.

Obviously, the security threats to our network is also a serious threat. All over our school have signs about not being able to bring in flash drives or CD’s to protect our network.

Admittedly, I am one of the teachers “hogging” the bandwidth. I am always trying to incorporate video into my lectures. I have stayed away from Youtube.com since it is blocked. I like the idea from eschool news written by Dennis Pierce as I am not just interested in showing videos during my lectures but having the students use it for appropriate lessons. I have tried to have my students compete in the C-Span Student Cam contest, which a lot of students look up C-Span footage. A few times we were unable to use it because it was a high volume day. I have to plan ahead to make sure it is not one of our busy days (I have to be sure it does not interfere with a grade due date as everyone is on at the same time). I also check with the technology coordinator to make sure the video is not to long for that day.

Therefore, if I am teaching my students to plan better then I suppose I need to as well. I need to check to make sure I can have access to a web site, if not I can request it to be unblocked. I need to plan according to make sure the students are not using my class time to hack into the computers or spread viruses. Finally, I need to ensure that a day I take them to the computer lab is not a day where all teachers in the whole county are attempting to input grades on our on-line grade book.

 

 

Are you plugged in?

RR2-

The first computers were meant to be stand alone and have a task to fulfill. No doubt, that today’s computers have moved away from this. (Integrating Technology and Digital Media in the Classroom by Shelly, Gunter and Gunter) Computers communicate with each other by connecting to networks. There are multiple types of networks, Local area, Wide Area, home and even Classroom networks. The connectivity of the computers really comes back to a persons ability to gain access to the network.

People using computers can now communicate thanks to networks. I can look up my students’ grades in other classes as well as their home phone numbers. This connectivity has been very helpful when I am trying to help a student write a paper, I can see what scores they have gotten in their Language Arts class. I can see their scores. This has been very helpful since our school has moved away from teams in middle school and I do not always know who their other teachers are.

I can also connect to parents using a on-line grade book. We are connected through the internet and the families do not have to just wait until progress reports to know what their scores are.

I use to work at an inner city school, my first year there I had to go to the media center to update my grade book and check e-mail. The next year my teacher computer was hooked up to the school’s network and internet. I was then able to show pictures and expose my students to the world outside our city. Since I was now connected we were able to take virtual field trips. Geography was starting to make sense to them because the connections could be made using the computer.

Imagine what I could do if I use twitter or a Personal Learning Network like Joe Dale suggested. The options again seem to open me and my students to a whole new world. I also liked the 19 ways to use twitter in the classroom what a great idea to set up an account and have parents and students “follow” me. They could have a communication tool with me. The students are comfortable texting and typing why not connect to them in a way that makes them comfortable.

I am not plugged in, yet. I plan to move farther away from Digital Immigrant (someone who did not grow up or comfortable using digital media) and closer to my students who are Digital Natives (use and grown up with digital media). I hope to create a twitter account just to connect to my students, now!