1. Dr. Robert’s presentation was an interesting study of the media usage and exposure of students 8-18 years old. I found the data in this research very interesting and immediately wondered how it applied to my middle school students. The part I found most interesting was the idea that although media usage has increased slightly through the years, the exposure has growing incredibly. The fact students do their homework, while listening to music, and while watching tv was something that I was familiar with, and have often seen within my own classroom. Although Dr. Robert’s discussed this increase in exposure, he collected little data on the effects in the classroom. In addition, the data he did collect on grades was given by the student and may or may not have been truly accurate. If this study continued, I would love to have seen some qualitative data collected from parents, students, and teachers on the effect of media exposure in regards to classwork, grades, and participation.
2. After reading the NY Times article about the push towards online education, I had immediate concerns about the quality and accountability of these online programs. Who designs these courses? Are they developed using state standards? What accountability do students have when taking online classes? After reading Ravitch, I do believe that choice is an important factor within our American education system; however, all choices must have the same level of rigor and substance. The article states that online classes are growing, but some believe they are “click-click-credits,” which serve high-poverty districts, to graduate students, and still receive federal sanctions. Students should not simply be pushed through the system if they are not able to complete the required work.
I do believe learning how to participate in an online classroom environment is an important tool for the future, however the level of thoroughness must be accounted for. Online courses require a higher level of intrinsic motivation from students, and clear guidelines must be established for online classes. The fact that Daterrius Hamilton plagiarized an assignment from Wikipedia proves the online classroom expectations and guidelines were not clearly expressed to the students. Within my teaching career, I would be open to teaching online classes as long as strong content was established. I do see the benefits of students being able to complete tasks on their own schedules and at their pace. It also provides more opportunities for students that may struggle within the traditional academic setting.
3. Four Unfamiliar Links:
A. Chatzy.com- After exploring this website, I feel this site could be beneficial for literacy groups/online class discussions. I was impressed at how easy it was to set up a chat space for students to access. I also like the fact that students do not need to sign up for individual accounts. I will use this site for my literacy groups.
B. TitanPad.com- This online wiki space is similar to googlesites, however offers a color coded system for members. As a teacher flipping through the students’ wiki it would be very easy to identify which students had contributed the most/least.
C. Classroom20.com- This website would help with teacher development, especially in the field of technology. After looking at the site, I was impressed by the collaboration of teachers/ information collected online.
D. CNet: Cool Timer- I often use online timers but they were more aesthetically geared towards elementary school students. This online timer is a more basic tool that will allow students to stay on track during assignments.
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