Journals 1-5

Journal 2
Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Classrooms?

I really enjoyed reading this article as it gave two very different points of views from two educators. I found it quite interesting to read an opinion of cell phones not having a place in the classroom, because parents can find plenty of unnecessary ways to spoil their children, to a completely different perspective supporting the use of cell phones in the classroom from a technology standpoint.
This article supported many good reasons of why or why not students should be allowed to use their cell phones in the classroom.


Question 1:
Should Cell Phones Be Banned From Classrooms?

After reading this article, I understand both perspectives, but I definitely agree students should have the opportunity to use their cell phones as a use of technology in the classroom. As many students are out in the working world as they are going to school, or right after they graduate, I feel it is essential to teach students the benefits of how cell phones can be useful in a professional environment, for note taking, or retrieving specific data. Liz Kolb gave a great example in the article about a project where students can go on a class field trip, take pictures of what they see on their trip, and create a digital slideshow for a class project. This would be an excellent project.


Question 2:
How Can Cell Phone Use Be Controlled In The Classroom?

When you give High School students the “okay” to have their cell phones in the classroom, there has to be boundaries set for the respect of the teachers, as well as fellow students. A good topic to cover when setting up those boundaries would be Cell Phone etiquette. Not only for the classroom but in the world outside of school, teaching students about what is appropriate when using a cell phone would be a great tool. When a teacher begins class, he or she should take the first 3 minutes of every class to remind students “cell phones off” unless they are using them for an assignment.

Journal: 3
The ABC’s of Privacy Practices for Educators

Over the past year, there have been a number of reported cases of confidential information lost because of stolen laptops, lost USB flash drives, and misplaced PDA’s.
These trends have school districts concerned with issues violating private information. This article was a great article to read as it addressed essential practices school administrators and teachers should consider for preserving and protecting the information they handle daily.

Question 1:
What is a Privacy Policy?

A privacy policy is a written statement that articulates how an organization handles the personally identifiable and private information it gathers and uses. The policy should be developed based on answers to the information identification questions, and confidentiality requirements.

Question 2:
What specific pieces of information need to be protected & how will you protect them?

Examples of private information would be students’ health information, reduced lunch lists, as well as grades. To protect this information I will be sure to have all of my students confidential information filed under a disguised file in my computer. The file will not say “Confidential”, or “Private Information” as that would lead to a trespassers curiosity. Also, to go into my computer, I will have a username and password set so I will be the only one who has access to the personal information of my students.

Journal 4
Digital Principals

Principals support technology integration by their students and their teachers, but they do not see themselves as strong users of technology. Many principals are familiar with word processors, email, or browsers, but when it comes to organization they rely on old methods which are out dated and time consuming. A good example would be a digital calendar. By shifting to technology tools, administrators can save valuable amounts of time. Online or offline, once a principal has made the transition to a digital calendar they can have their schedules on a variety of time saving features that can help them with tier daily tasks.

Question 1:
How can an administrator benefit by the use of technology with their fellow administrators?

Many new computers have built in microphones and cameras. If an administrator wanted to hold a video conference from their office in a face to face meeting with local, or state, peers to share resources, and strategies, they can cut down on travel time and expenses by using their computer as their way of communicating through video conference.

Question 2:
Why use digital tools?

There are many benefits to using digital tools in a school setting that is not only beneficial to administrators, but to teachers as well. Administrators can set up individual calendars for district vs. schools events, run multiple calendars for district meetings, days off, and Holiday celebrations. And by having a digital calendar, an administrator can send out his or her daily calendar, so teachers, and administrative assistants can know when the principal is on or off campus, or what their meeting schedule consists of incase they need to set up one on one time with the principal.

Journal 5
Get CNN Student News via Video Podcast

CNN Student News presents a powerful way for educators to help students learn about current events using a multimedia rich learning resource. Students are provided with a 10 minute commercial free newscast covering major new stories from the previous day in an engaging format that helps them understand current events. Broadcasts include the days top stories, special reports, and interactive elements like quizzes on current events and geography.

Question 1:
How would CNN Student News be beneficial to students?

Unfortunately with the everyday busy lives students have with school work, extra curricular activities, and social lives, many students loose touch of what is happening in their world outside of school. By bringing CNN Student News casts to students this will be an excellent way teachers can keep students in the “know” on what current events are taking place in the US and in the rest of the world.

Question 2
What types of ways can teachers use CNN in their classrooms & is CNN appropriate for Elementary School viewers?

Certain segments of CNN Student News can be viewed in Elementary Schools as long as they are previewed by a teacher. Watching the student news casts would be a good habit for Elementary School students, so they can understand the importance of growing up knowing what is happening in the world around them.
A good way teachers can incorporate Student News in their classrooms would be by beginning every day with a current event. Students can write in their journals after viewing a news cast, and after taking 10 minutes to write down their thoughts, students can have a 20 minute class discussion on what they wrote, or their thoughts on the current event.