Cross Word Puzzle/ Nets standards 1, 2 & 3

This Excel Sheet was created to teach students new information in a creative and fun way. It uses clues and hints to make it easier for students to figure out the answers.

Journal # 7. Interactive Whiteboard

1) Interactive Whiteboard
This technology is used in many classrooms in the United States and it is replacing traditional white boards in many schools. It is more expensive than a traditional white board but it's benefits far outweigh it's cost. Having one of them in your classroom is like a large desk top that teachers can store and access information anytime they choose to. Unlike traditional white boards, the interactive ones are a lot more convenient and give the teacher way more options and better ways to teach and explain lessons. Interactive white boards are touch sensitive. Teachers and students can virtually use anything to write on them. They can erase what they want by using their palms and they can even move things around by using their fingers. The Interactive whiteboard is an intelligent tool that makes teaching a lot more fun. It also increases students' participation because it interacts with them. Children feel more empowered because they can manipulate the information on the board and get to move it around as they please.

2) The two threads that I followed:
How are you using your classroom whiteboard?
I read a lot of comments made by teachers on the thread and I learned a great deal about the interactive white boards. These white boards keep the students engaged in the classroom. They encourage collaborative work as they allow the students to look up virtually anything. It is like having a big computer screen where all the students can share their thinking and knowledge. They can also be used for math games that makes teaching more fun and enjoyable.
Another teacher commented that interactive boards knock down classroom walls by using them for group instruction. They are also used for virtual field trips.
Most schools still don't have them but few of the teachers who left comments on the thread wished they could have them in their classrooms.
Few teachers commented that the interactive white boards brought the scores higher and improved the students' learning curve.

Are Interactive Whiteboards Necessary?
After reading few comments made on this thread, I got mixed messages on how necessary it was to have an interactive whiteboard. Few teachers felt that a projector and a wireless drawing pad are less expensive alternatives to the interactive whiteboard . Another teacher felt that the interactive whiteboards were meant to make the teachers' lives easier and didn't necessarily help the students.
The majority of the teachers who commented felt that the interactive whiteboards enhanced teaching and made it a lot more fun. It made it more student centered because students had a lot more involvement and interaction with the screen. It certainly made learning more enjoyable.
The only drawback about having an interactive whiteboard is the issue with discipline. One teacher commented that it was harder on him to contain the excitement of the students and their reactions to the screen in the classroom.
I would say that the interactive whiteboard is a piece of technology that every classroom should have access to. It certainly makes learning a lot more enjoyable and enhances students' performances.

NETS power point Rubric/NETS standard 2

This Rubric was a collaborative work we created in order to critique and assess each other's work.

Social Bookmarking/NETS 3 & 5

1. I chose the "American Women" exhibit because I thought I needed to learn more about women's progress and the strides they made over the centuries in the United States. This exhibit talked about great American women in history and their struggles. It even talked about infamous American women who committed crimes and were considered an embarrassment to the rest of the American women. The exhibit talked about women over six eras starting with the colonies up to today. It also talked about the long way women have come: from being treated inferior to men to today's women who are running as candidates for president.

The value of using primary sources in the classroom gives teachers and students documented facts that would not be available else where. These sources also enrich students knowledge and offers them an insight into libraries and archives that they couldn't have possibly traveled to in the physical sense.

2. The student groups that experience achievement gaps are: American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian American and Pacific Islanders, Black, Hispanics and Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People.
The three areas that I feel might fit my teaching style in becoming a culturally competent educator are: a) Networking with parents, grand parents and other members in the community who are culturally diverse and inviting them to get involved with the school activities and curriculum. That will enhance the school spirit, instill cultural pride in students that come from ethnic groups and teach students that belong to the dominant culture, the importance of diversity and it's contribution to society. I can see myself doing that because I'm originally from the Middle East and I feel that I can reach out to other groups and families members that come from other cultures. b) Gather and organize resource materials related to culturally diverse groups to use at school. I can encourage parents and other community members to volunteer their time and resources and donate them to the school. They will see how that will directly benefit their children. I can see myself doing that because I'm fascinated with learning more about other cultures and sharing that knowledge with my students. Encouraging students to share their experience and culture with others will foster closeness and respect to diversity in the classrooms and schools. c) Networking with other schools that have a diversity and multicultural system working for them. I can get in touch with those schools and see what they are doing that is promoting cultural diversity and sensitivity. I could take that information and tweak it to make it work for our school. Each school will be unique in it's cultural diversity and finding a customized system to fit each school is a key success for developing and fostering cultural diversity. No two schools are alike just like no two students are alike.

3. I picked the age range of children between 7-10 years because I feel that this is the age range I might be teaching. I took the quiz on cyberbullying and my score was 0. I'm thinking there is one of two explanations to this low score. I'm either a Cyber Saint, or I'm so technologically challenged that I don't even know how to do most of the stuff described in the questionnaire. The truth probably lies in between. I can't imagine myself bullying and terrorizing others but I also know that I have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to the ways of technology and utilizing Internet for my benefit and the benefit of my students. Taking EDU 422 has opened my eyes to the wonders of the Internet and the vast technological resources that is out there waiting to be harnessed by teachers who want to do the best for their students. So standing here before you "I do solemnly declare that I will try harder to incorporate technology into my life and use it for the benefit of my future students and their advancement". There... that wasn't so bad.

After reading more about cyberbullying, two main subjects spoke to me: Preventing cyberbullying and Taking a stand against cyberbullying. This is a topic I don't know much about and I thought reading about these two areas provided me with information that I needed to know in facing and tackling such a problem that seems to be spreading wider among students and schools. Educating students about the consequences of cyberbullying and the privileges they will lose if they attempted cyberbullying is a good place to start. Also talking to students about the harmful ramifications that they cause targeted students will teach them empathy and make them kinder to others. The article also talks about the difference between cyberbullies and the traditional schoolyard bullies. It also talks about the limitations that schools have on disciplining students that commit cyberbullying off-campus and outside school hours and the important roles that parents play in encouraging their children to come to them when things go wrong online.

Teaching kids to stand against cybebullying is another important thing that teachers need to be involved in. For example asking the children to cool off and walk away from the computer instead of reacting to a cyberbully. Students must also learn to stand up and defend their friends that are being targeted instead of participating in the cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying is a very serious crime that is affecting many kids. Providing children with tools to deal with it will make a big difference in the way they grow up as adults.
Practicing what I've learned about cyberbullying will make me a more effective teacher and more trustworthy. Hopefully it will encourage my students to come to me when faced with a bad situation online.

4. From "Subject Access" I picked "Entertainment & Travel". I found this site to be very helpful. It brings so many resources under one site. There are different tabs under each area and then each tab has different options that you could explore. For example under "Entertainment and Travel", I found seven tabs and each tab had a list of subjects that kids could explore. I could have a project where my students need to explore their hobbies. They could get on the website that will lead them to learn more about a hobby that they want to start. Or if they want to explore a place that they want to travel to, I could ask them to look at the "Travel" tab and plan their imaginary trip from buying the tickets all the way to making hotel reservations and visiting touristic sites. The possibilities are endless and children can learn skills that they can apply in real life.

From "Teacher Helpers" I picked "Kathy's Books". I found that very helpful because of the different books that I could buy to read up on certain subjects that I need to learn more about. A lot of these books talk about technology and how to use it in the classrooms. There are also educator's guide to projects for students and teachers. For a future teacher like myself, I'm going to need all the resources and help I can get my hands on in order to add to my knowledge and experience.

5. My three top intelligences:

a) Verbal-Linguistic 92%

b) Intrapersonal 56%

c) Interpersonal 44%

I watched the video"Big Thinkers:Howard Gardner on Multiple Intelligences".

I absolutely loved watching the video. It spoke to me in so many ways. I come from a schooling system that relied only on text books to teach the subjects and it was hard for me to learn that way. I often found myself having to memorize information just to pass a test.

Mr. Gardner talked about a new and revolutionary way of approaching teaching:

• kids have different ways of learning and that there should be more one way to teach students. Different students have different strengths and that schools need to asses these strengths and tailor each teaching way to a student.
• The idea of teaching students by reading text books is a myth because that method of teaching only reaches a limited number of students.
• Rote memorization. The knowledge that is brought through this method doesn't last in the students mind for too long because the students didn't get the chance to test that knowledge.
• Experimenting with the information, analyzing the data and deducing results is what teaches children critical thinking. Students can retain that knowledge and use it in their daily lives.
• Schools cover too many subjects that have no depth. Mr. Gardner thinks our system should change and teaches less subjects but go deeper into each subject so that students can gain a wider knowledge and cement the information into their minds.
• Most important thing we could teach students before they get to college is how to think scientifically. Carry out experiments on hypothesis, analyze and deduce results.

6. I picked 1-2 grade. and the subject "Reading and Language Arts" and for topic I chose " An Exercise in Kindness".

Teaching children to show kindness and tolerance to other children is a task that every teacher should practice in the classroom. This particular exercise benefits all students but particularly students that are ostracized by the rest of the class. The story that I read on "An Exercise in Kindness" was meant to teach students tolerance and kindness to a new boy who was recently transferred to the school. The teacher read a book to the students about a story of an unpopular man who wasn't liked by his neighbors and coworkers. The story goes on to tell how things changed for the lonely man who became popular among his friends, neighbors and coworkers. The teacher made up games that kids could participate in which paid off at the end because it taught them empathy towards other students that were rejected in the classroom. I can certainly rely on such books to help me facilitate exercises. Children need to learn about empathy by putting themselves in the shoes of other children that are less popular.

7. The two questions I found very interesting on the quiz:

a) In a 2007 study, UNICEF rated the treatment of children in the 23 wealthiest countries in the world based on 40 indicators of child well-being. Which two countries received the lowest ratings? The correct answer was The United States and UK. That totally shocked me. I thought that these two countries would be the leading nations in treating children right. I picked India and China and I suspect that a lot of people would pick that answer too. I think it is very shameful for the U.S. and the U.K. to have such low rating in the treatment of children considering the amount of wealth and resources that we have at our hands. This also indicates how much improvement and progress these two so called progressive nations have to make in the field of child care and treatment.

b) The U.S. military budget is by far the highest of any country in the world. How much higher is the U.S. military budget than that of China, the world’s second biggest military spender? I picked 4 times higher and the correct answer was 7 times higher. When I picked my answer, I thought I was being too conservative but I realized I wasn't even close. It is sad that the U.S. spends so much money on military budget when most of that money should be going to the welfare of the Americans and their children. Education and social programs should be a priority in America.

8. I scored 80% on "The Netiquette Quiz".

It is very important to teach students about Netiquette because that will make them responsible and respectful online users d:-o. It will make it easier for everyone to get along and not offend others online :->. Reminding students that being on line is the same as meeting people in person is very important and that they should act and conduct themselves in such manner as if they were talking to people face to face -). It is easy to forget that you're communicating with another human being when you go on line because you don't get to see them in person. Adhering to the netiquettes is a good reminder that people should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of whether you can see them or not.

Journal # 5. Let the Kids Do the Work. (optional for extra credit)

Lawlor, J. (2009-2010). Let the kids do the work. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume37200920...

The author of this article is an English teacher who had a great experience with wiki. He had learned it from a workshop and decided to apply his knowledge in the classroom. The results were amazing and transformed his entire class into students eager to participate in classroom discussion over the Internet. The first time he asked his students to answer an essay question, he was overwhelmed with the responses that he received. All the students seemed to have an input and feed backs on each others' answers. He realized that there was a great amount of enthusiasm that was created among his students by simply posting their comments and feed backs. The teacher also realized how the new way of posting their comments on wiki motivated shy students to participate and have a voice.
Furthermore, the author learned so much from his students who encouraged him to improve his wiki, they even took upon themselves the task of improving the way it looked.
In the end, the author concluded that sometimes it takes a small unexpected step to change the course of learning and make it more enjoyable. In his case that was made possible through technology.


What would you do with students that don't have Internet access at home?
In this case, I would make sure that the student has as much access to the classroom computer as possible I might also encourage them to hook up with few of their peers who have a computer at home.

Will I enjoy learning from my students as much as they learn from me?
I truly believe so. In fact I would hope that I will always have few students in my classroom who will be very excited about technology and will always inspire me to use it in my classroom.

Journal # 4 Playing with Skype

Weller, T. (2009-2010). Playing with skype. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=March_April_No_6_1&Template=Memb...

The author of this article is a music teacher who wanted to bring live concerts to his music students. He got together with his colleague and came up with a brilliant idea to use Skype in order to connect his music students with live concerts. Then he goes on to describe the minimal equipment that was needed in order to make the connection possible. Then the author contacted three important figures in the music field. His students were going to play pieces of music that were composed by those three musicians who agreed to have a live appearance at the concert via Skype and introduce their pieces of music before the students played them.
The author then describe the great success that was made possible by Skype which was a free service. It is an experience he highly recommended for all the educators who can connect with experts in the same fields and contribute to enrich their students' experiences and knowledge.

How would I use Skype in my classroom?
As a multiple subject teacher, I will have the opportunity to talk to experts in different fields who can contribute to the enrichment of my students and their experience. I can see myself also getting in touch with other older retired teachers and educational experts anywhere in the world who can advice me on how to become a better teacher and get their opinions on different subjects.

Do I think students will like the idea of connecting with other experts through Skype?
I believe that students will absolutely love it. To a lot of them, this would be the first time they would have heard of such a technology. I think connecting live with others through audio and visual means will leave a big impression on my students and will help solidify their knowledge.

Journal # 2 Finding Students Who Learn With Media

Bull, G. (2009-2010). Finding students who learn with media. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=/Members...

This article discusses the different ways students have been learning through the media and even introducing their own work and linking it to formal learning.
I find this article particularly fascinating because I didn't know that students contributed to learning so much. For example the article talks about The Smithsonian American Art Museum allows students to create their own movies and that these movies contribute to a lot of the learning that the museum has to offer. The author also went on to describe how studies have shown that students who are involved with media technology tend to be more interested in learning. Also students who had inputs toward the content of such innovative media learning and teaching demonstrated a greater structural level. At the end the author stressed that students respond to learning differently and that evaluating their needs should be an integral part of designing different ways for them to learn about the media.

What is the realistic number of students that actually learn from and contribute to learning through the media?
I would say older students are more successful at contributing to learning through the media and that students in more creative fields tend to be more attracted to such learning methods.

What is the percentage of teachers who encourage students to participate in such innovative ways of participating in media learning?
I think it has a lot to do with school budgets and the availability of such technology to the students and staff. I think most teachers would love to see their students more involved and excited about learning.

Journal # 3 Navigate the Digital Rapids

Lindsay, J, & Davis, V. (2009-2010). Navigate the digital rapids. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume37200920

This article talks about the importance for teachers to become technologically savvy in their classrooms while keeping everything in check and under control so that students do not abuse or over step the boundaries. Teachers should opt to customizing their teaching plans and approaching technology in order to reach a wider range of students. Customization makes learning easier for students who reject one-plan-fits all learners.
The authors also stress that teachers must enforce the rules for behaving professionally on the Internet when students are connecting with other classes or websites. Furthermore, the authors encourage teachers to engage students with technology at an early age. In fact students can be introduced to the Internet and connecting with other classes at the age of six.
The author also recommends different websites to give teachers ideas on how to create classes with less boundaries and connect their students with other classes through technology.

Will computers and laptops make text books obsolete in the classrooms?
I think this will probably happen sooner than we might think. As more and more schools are introducing technology into their classrooms and making it more readily available as a mode of learning. I can see affluent schools adopting such innovative and new ways of learning much sooner than the less fortunate schools due to private funding that will give them that edge.

What can I do as a teacher to become more comfortable with with technology and encourage my students to become better at using it in the classroom?
I would probably have to attend workshops and learning sessions that will introduce me to new technologies and keep me updated with the latest. I think that the more I work with technology, the more comfortable I get at using it and teaching it to students. I also think that schools should make it a priority to train older teachers and the ones that don't feel very comfortable with technology in order to get them up to date so that their students don't lack the use of technology in their classrooms.

Journal #1 The Beginner's Guide to Interactive Virtual Field Trips

Zanetis, J. (2009-2010). The Beginner. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http:www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?=March_April_No_6_1&Template=/Member

I found the above article to be very informative and eye opening. It talks about the two different educational virtual field trips that students can take without ever having to leave their schools: The Asynchronous VFTs are existing websites that students can access on line. These websites present information through text, audio and video resources. The second type is the Interactive or Synchronous VFTs. This type of VSTs is more expensive and students get the chance to interact directly with experts anywhere in the world. They can discuss and learn about certain subjects by watching live demonstrations through large-group videoconferencing.
The author also suggests websites that are helpful for both kinds of virtual field trips.
The article even talks about how to start the interactive virtual field trips at your school.

If my school's budget doesn't allow the introduction of Interactive VFTs, how do I come up with the money to fund it?
I can see myself working with the school's principal in order to talk to parents about the importance of Interactive VFTs to their children's education. I can set up parties to raise funds from the parents that believe in the benefits of Interactive VFTs. We can even go over how this would save the school money in the long run by not having to do actual field trips.

How do Interactive VFTs help students become better learners?
Students are fascinated by technology and visiting other parts of the world that are outside their communities. Introducing Interactive VFTs to students gets them outside their daily routine of classroom work and gives them something new to look forward to. It broadens their horizons and puts them in touch with a multitude of people that they would have never met and sends them to places that they would have never visited had they never had the option of Interactive VFTs.

Souraya Shoucair-EDU 422/ my last prerequisite course

My Name is Souraya Shoucair. I was born in Kuwait but my parents are from Lebanon. I lived in different countries and went to more schools than I would like to admit to. I had a crazy life full of traveling that offered little stability. I have lived in the United States since 1987. I've never gone to elementary or high school in the States. I went straight to college.

I 'm definately a PC person. I'm fairly comfortable with computers and I get what I need from mine. I certainly need to learn more and get more comfortable with technology because it is becoming more and more important in our classrooms. I mainly use yahoo E-mail. I also use Microsoft office 05 and I'm looking forward to learning more from this course.

After reading the CSUSM/COE Mission Statement, the part that spoke to me most was about "...preparing thoughtful educators and advancing professional practices..." I did most of my schooling in the Middle East where teachers hardly received any training. Students were expected to excel in school and were held responsible for all their performances without holding the teachers any accountability. It took me many long years to realize that it is the teachers' responsibility to work with students and make sure they understand what they are being taught. I learned that students are as good as their teachers and that they should never be made to feel inferior or stupid because they do not understand something.