The Horizon Report

                                           

                                                  The Magic Has Unfolded

                    Like sand through the hour glass so are the days of our lives;

                   Exploring, teaching, and interacting with technology.

                  Technology has opened the eyes, as we guide our young minds;

                 Guiding them, in this 21st global connecting world.

                  We have a vision and also a mission;

                Providing comprehensive, technologically, enhanced learning

                                            experience, for our students.

                                              On your marks, get set, GO!

                 The Magic has unfolded as we keep technology current in our noble

                                                                 CLASSROOMS.

                                    

What is the Horizon Report?

As I read the Horizon Reports, I “magically” saw technology unfolded. I closely paid attention to the years 2008, 2009, 2010.  I was eager to discover what the Horizon Report is. This report describes the continuing work of the New Media Consortium’s Horizon Project, a qualitative research project established in 2002 that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, or creative inquiry on college and university campuses within the next five years. http://wp.nmc.org. Each year the Horizon Advisory Board studies, discovers and positions the most outstanding trends that affect the teaching- learning environment, and the inventive communications. They get their reviews from the media, articles, and globally, to discover developing or ongoing trends. These trends are rank according to their popularity and what might influence education through the use of technology in the next five (5) years.

What are the noticable Trends?

I mainly focused on thenumber one trends for years 2008, 2009, and 2010.

For the year 2008 the number one (1) trend – “The growing use of Web2.0 and social networking- combined with collective intelligence and mass amateurization.”

For the year 2009 the number one (1) trend –“Increasing globalization continues to affect the way we work, collaborate and communicate.”

                                                                    

For the year 2010 the number one (1) trend- “The abundance of resources and relationships made accessible via the Internet is increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators in sense-making, coaching and credentialing”

                                      

The Advisory board seemed to do very thorough research each year. I notice that for these three consecutive years there has  always been an expansion to  technology and how it affects or will affect education.

How accurate are their near projection?

On a scale of one to ten, I have given the projection eight (8). I do see accuracy in their projection. Clearly I see the growing use of Web 2.0 and social networking. Web 2.0 and social networking are here to stay. Nowadays, our students come to our classroom with a presence on Facebook, the latest concert as a podcast on their MP3 player, and experience playing games in virtual worlds. In some respects, students are more tech-savvy than their Information Systems professors. Research showing the benefits of collaborative learning is being conducted across disciplines. Definitely globalization continues to increase and affect the way we work, collaborate and communicate.” Bearing in mind that we are exposed to different cultures, therefore the onus is on us as educators to integrate and use technology in the classrooms so that our students will not be isolated but connected to this global society.  Truly we have been introduced to an abundance of resources and relationships made accessible via the Internet which has been increasingly challenging us to revisit our roles as educators in sense-making, coaching and recording.  Endless technology workshops and courses keep us up to date with the internet and causing us to have an interactive teaching- learning environment rather than a controlled teacher- centered environment. Within any planning or project you have some setbacks and concerns.  Will there be a significant impact on education with the use of technology in the next five years? Are schools and school districts working toward that goal? Are teachers well trained and equip to move with the change?

Where do we go from here – Are we ready for the task that lies ahead?   

These trends can be used as guidelines in creating a technology plan. Note that the trends are created based on current and substantial discoveries through the voices of the people or society. Therefore technology plans should support the views of the society so that the goals set will be accomplished. Schools and school districts must endeavor to provide the BEST possible tools and the most upshot training for teachers and administrators. I think it would be feasible to incorporate both the trends and classroom web 2.0, keeping technology current in schools. Using the Horizon Report will actually give us an important feedback of use of the internet or the World Wide Web. A strong, safe understanding of technology and its application are essential to develop a well-educated student.

Local School Board and Technology

Introduction

The National Education Technology Plan clearly outlines the vision the United States’ Government has for technology in schools. This plan was designed to transform American education by empowering and engaging students and educators to become effective in this globally networked society.

After reading this plan and carefully scrutinizing every aspect with a “fine teeth comb”, I believe that my local school board is definitely heading in the right direction. Local school boards have been an integral feature of the U.S. public education system for nearly 100 years, and they are widely regarded as the principal democratic body capable of representing citizens in local education decisions. The formal institutional roles assigned to school boards, and the designated position board members play as representatives of the community, would lead one to believe that the school board has a decisive role in public education policy and school system administration. In the minds of many lay citizens, school boards have considerable influence over educational decisions and provide a key social and political connection to the schooling process.

My School Board’s Involvement in Technology

My school is located in a very upscale community with citizens comprising of doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and politicians. Therefore the local school board is well equipped, and is very resilient. The community highly supports the school board and money is always invested in education. Technology is no exception. I spoke with my principal and she was pleased to say that all board members are in agreement that the use of technology in the school will:

1.       Increase academic performance.

2.       Develop positive relationship throughout the school community.

3.       Allow students to get connected with other students across the world.

The Technology Facilitator has been working overtime to education teachers and students on web 2.0, web tools and various soft wares. These can be used in the classroom and also at home. However the emphasis has not been placed to educate board members.  They are very interesting in contributing to technology in schools. I believe that it is very important for local school board members to recognize what is happening on the internet and its impact on educators and students. Bearing in mind they too make up the school community.

How should schools educate their board?

The local school board has a vital role in providing leadership for district schools, serving as a forum for citizen input relevant to public education, and inculcating the beliefs, behaviors, and symbolic representations that define the organizational culture of the school system. In this role, the board's responsibilities include adopting a unifying vision and mission, soliciting and balancing the participation and input of members of the community, and advocating on behalf of the educational needs of children at the local, state, and national levels. Consistent with this leadership responsibility, the local school board should emphasize the standard of continuous improvement for its own operations as well as that of the school system as a whole and undertake to evaluate its performance and improve upon that performance. Therefore because of this major responsibility, schools should endeavor to educate them on how technology will be used in schools.

1.       Schools should host workshops and also invite local schools board members to be participants. The workshops should entail internet safety, cyber bullying and various social network sites. These workshops will also outline on the negatives and positives use of the internet.

2.       Local school board members will visit classrooms, observing teachers and students using various web tools and soft wares integrated in the teaching learning environment.

3.       Schools should create social network accounts for board members so that they will be able to communicate via the internet with the school community (inclusive of educators and students).

4.        Schools should invite (at least once per quarter) local school board members to teach a lesson to students incorporating the use of technology.

My Vision

                   To  have  local school board members interact with students through the use of  technology in the classrooms.

To Block or Not to Block

 To Block or Not to Block- Internet Safety

A conversation between two teachers

Jenny: Hey girl!

Sarah: Hey, Jenny. How was your weekend?

Jenny: It was awesome. I spent most of my weekend planning for my students. We are actually doing the Animal Unit in Science and I did some research and serious preparation for them. I also found some really interesting videos on YouTube to help me.

Sarah: Wow! Good for you girl but I am so sorry to burst your bubble. We are unable to access You Tube in our building. If you type in the address you will see the message ACCESS DENIED

Jenny: OMG Sarah! Please don’t tell that. What am I going to do??? I have to run to my class now and change my plans for today. See you later!

To Block or Not to Block

As we are all aware, we are living in a technological era. Even babies have access to computers and internets. School Districts and schools have also caught the vision and are becoming more involved with technology. They are working diligently to improve technology in schools.

School districts are also encouraging teachers to participate in online courses to become more acquainted with web2.0, web tools and to upgrade their technology skills.

One might ask, “How far do schools limit usages of the internet to both teachers and students?” After reading the article “Blocking the Future”

http://www.aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=5390  I found it to be very debatable. There were aspects that I agreed with and aspects I did not agree with. In my opinion I have found Wikipedia very useful and if used effectively, a learning tool for students to enjoy. I am curious to know why the librarian posted “SAY NO TO WIKIPEDIA”.  I read the article (at least three times) searching for the reason(s) for her signs. I hope that her reason was a valid one which caused her to make such as drastic decision.

            I personally agree that students should have   access to their social network accounts at school (especially middle and high school students) once it is being used as a learning tool and not for pleasure. Of course social network can cause distractions during instructional time and even on school grounds. Also it is very uncouth to have students accessing their personal emails, having sociable online conversations in chat rooms when learning should be operative. Therefore, teachers should make sure  their lessons are  very interesting, capturing the minds and the attention of the students,discourging students to be easily distracted or bored.

I believe teachers should be mindful and only check their social network accounts for their personal use if necessary during non-instructional time. If I am not careful, I will spend hours on my social network sites. It can become addictive.

 I read where some school districts have blocked access to social networks for both teachers and students. I also read an article by Jason entitled The Case for Social Networking in Schools which I found very interesting. He did a ‘test’ on social networking in schools and gave some advantages and disadvantages in his article based on his findings. He also outlined some pros and cons on social networking.

Pros

Networking and contacts – Students network and make contacts on their own whether we allow them to or not. Almost all of my students have both a Facebook and a MySpace account. Some even have Twitter and Google Wave accounts. Even without this, they exchange phone calls, text messages, and emails almost without thinking. It is a part of human nature to be in relationship. We can either encourage this or be a constructive part of their relationship building, which can help them in this process, or we can be a hindrance to it. Not allowing social networks, restricting student conversations, forcing the students to interact only on our terms when we see fit, all show that we as educators are far more concerned with our own agenda than with what students want and need.

International acculturation – Social networks are ideal methods to connect with others across the globe.  Social networks make it easy for teachers to meet other teachers around the world and for those teachers to help their respective students connect. This experience is really beneficial to students and helps to broaden their world view.

Increased productivity – When students are working together on a common goal (not just an assignment they were forced to cooperate for, but something they buy into and want to do), they will work harder to accomplish that goal. None of the students participating will want to let down the other students. Social networks allow them to communicate, collaborate, and keep each other up to date. A student was seen sharing notes (not cheating) and communicating a homework assignment on Facebook. The social network, instead of distracting, actually helped a student to get his work done properly and on time.

Increased openness and interdependence – Our school Moodle forums attest to the fact that boundaries that exist in person do not always exist online. Students feel more comfortable to be honest. When social networks are properly leveraged, the students’ honesty is rewarded with trust and cooperation. Students learn to value each other and to help each other.

Authentic, timely feedback – Unfortunately, many teachers still wait anywhere from 1 to several weeks to return work. Any waiting more than 2 or 3 days, and the feedback is no longer useful or relevant to the student. Social networks allow students to give each other feedback, sometimes even instantly. That feedback becomes a lifeline for students; it helps them learn and grow. Teachers who understand the value of good feedback can learn from this and participate by giving authentic, timely feedback via social networks as well.

Current information – Students often seem to live in the now, even if it sometimes makes it difficult for history teachers (past) and guidance counselors (future). Social networks tap into this. Twitter is a real-time search engine; Facebook has a “Live Feed.” Social networks help students to learn about the most current information on whatever topic they are interested in. Whether there interests lie in Aristotelian philosophy or their friend’s taste in clothing, we should still be giving them the skills to find the most recent information in the best way we can. To eliminate social networks entirely is to limit the students.

Teach students responsible Internet use – This has always been an important issue.  Educators are not meant to be the morality police.  I it very essential to block pornography and sites that promote illegal activity; however, the goal of education is to help students learn not to shield students from experiences. We need to teach the students how to use the Internet responsibly and how to react when they come across something undesirable. Social networks can help in this regard because each community of users set its own norms and keeps its members accountable to them. Students learn how to interact responsibly in a community and contribute back to it thoughtfully.

Cons

Distraction – Most administrators experience with social network involves students going to proxy servers to bypass the school’s firewall to message about topics unrelated to the content that they are supposed to be studying. There is a large risk of distraction when students are given free rein on social networks or poor assignments. This can be avoided by careful planning. When students want to do the work, they are much less likely to be distracted. Furthermore, when the teacher designs how the lesson around how the students will properly interact with the social network and make clear the expectations and the consequences for not meeting the expectations.

Inappropriate Content – There are two basic types of social networks: those that you run and those that you don’t. If you or your school installs Status Net, a Twitter clone, they can monitor and moderate it. It is installed on the school’s (or teacher’s) servers, so they ultimately have control over all aspects. Social networks like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace are much larger and beyond the control of a school district. Facebook has more users than most countries have people. The school or teacher has to teach the students about what is and is not appropriate online. There is the risk that a student may find something inappropriate. In fact, someone probably will over the course of a year, but that is not a great concern if the students are equipped with how to handle those situations.

Danger – There have been cases of young people meeting someone online and then meeting them in person only to be hurt, kidnapped, etc…, it is a real danger. It can be minimized by teaching students how to interact with others online and teaching them about safety. When students are properly informed, social networks in school are, in my opinion, much less dangerous than having a student walk to the bus stop alone in the dark. http://jasontbedell.com/the-case-for-social-networking-in-schools.

                                The Children Internet Protection Act (a federal law) http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cipa.html has caused many school districts protected under this law to be very cautious about how they expose their schools and students to the internet. They are responsible for creating policies that encourage internet safety, making sure that students’ access are appropriate and suitable for the teaching / learning environment.

How does my school district/school handle internet access?

My school district is very serious when it comes on to the use of the internet in schools. They do have a well-equipped technology plan that caters for administrators, teachers, and students. The plan is strictly designed for the safety of the students and educators. The school district has also invested in a social network accessible to all students and teachers called Gaggle. This is one way teachers communicate effectively with students such as informing them about missing assignments. If a student missed school they will also receive a notification of the lessons taught and the work that they need to have completed when they return.

 Like Jenny and Sarah, educators and students do not have access to You Tube and some social network sites, such as Facebook and My Space. Recently since the beginning of this school year they have blocked websites that are mostly used for shopping purposes, such as EBay. The technology facilitator in my school conducted a workshop outlining the safety policies that the school must follow, and how important it is to monitor the use of the internet in our classrooms and the computer labs used by the students.

My concerns away from school/ Should I also monitor students’ access at home?

“Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty.” I really believe in this saying. I do not think educators should monitor what students do at home. However as an educator, if you see signs that cause you to be concerned about student’s internet access at home, the professional approach is to report it to the administrator or schedule a conference with the parents. It is solely the parent’s responsible on how much internet access the child has.

My Role as a teacher

As I thought about this, I was very intrigued by the article Advocating Differentiated Content Filtering https://blackboard.vcu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_77574_1%26url%3D

The question that really caught my attention was: Does your school district trust you as an educator on the Internet more than they trust kindergarten students? I will continue to monitor my students closely as they use the internet. I will make sure that during computer lab hours, I will engage my students in accessible, appropriate learning websites. All the teachers at my school are responsible for teaching technology to their students; therefore it is my job to ensure that my students are safe while using the internet.

            Conclusion

            I will end with a video presentation that I found on You Tube- Internet Safety by David Henderson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qswceMRKSE .  Let us endeavor to practice internet safety in this WEB 2.0 global connection.

  

  

Fake My Space / Facebook Issues

Fake My Space / Facebook Issues

Are Educators at risk?

As I tried to put my thoughts together for this blog it was such a challenging task. Challenging because the readings were very controversial and as an educator myself I was very concerned on how students disregard us through the use of social networks.

            The first Amendment seems to play a crucial role in this issue; The “Freedom of Speech”.    So it is ok for students to voice their opinions in a very derogatory way against educators because of the first Amendment. The posting Fake MySpace leads to expulsion; lawsuit http://mycrimespace.com/2008/02/22/fake-myspace-leads-to-expulsion-lawsuit/trackback/ was very disturbing to read. The student posted inappropriate pictures of his principal/ school leader and was expelled. The parents filed a lawsuit stating that their son’s rights were violated. In other words he was just freely expressing himself. WOW!!! How can ones rights be violated after blatantly disrespecting the principal openly to the world. What message are we sending to our children?

I believe the level of respect for educators is decreasing daily. Educators should be respected by students, not just in schools but even outside of schools.  Students should never think it is acceptable to use the internet to voice their opinions about their educators. They should be held accountable for what they do online.

Their arguments maybe “I did not use the school’s computer, I did not say anything to cause disruption at the school, I used a fake name, I did not say anything to jeopardize his /her job.”  http://www.splc.org/news/newsflash.asp?id=1812

Students are so exposed today, that it really bothers me that they are using the internet /social networks for the wrong reasons. As educators do we have rights? Who is out there as our protectors? So should  I feel scared after disciplining a student because the reaction maybe a slanderous post on My Space or Facebook?   An administrator was not even conscious of the fact that a fake MySpace account was created with false statement about her, the school and even the students. http://www.adn.com/2009/04/04/v-printer/748805/abusive-myspace-page-draws-principals.html .How can students be so heartless and inconsiderate?

Educators need to careful

Many school districts are encouraging educators NOT to have students as their friends on social networks such as Facebook and MySpace. Some teachers may say they liked being connected to their students online to monitor them or build a good relationship with them.  I do endorse what school districts are doing. I do not think it is appropriate for educators and students to engage in social networking. Educators’ personal lives should not be entangled with their profession. I do not need to build a relationship with my students through social networks and my responsibility is to monitor them at school not what they do at home or in the presence of their parents.

Educators also need to be very careful as to what the post on their  Facebook page or MySpace page. Postings should reflect our characters. I definitely do not agree with a teacher or administrator who posts negative messages about students and other teachers. If educators are displeased with a student’s behavior the internet is not the place to showcase your thoughts or feelings. A math and science teacher was fired after she called her students ‘Germ Bags” on Facebook. A teacher was suspended after posting a note saying he “hated his students and his school. This is where it becomes controversial; one might say the teacher has the right to “freedom of speech” I totally agree but there is a saying that say “Character is higher than intellect.” ~Ralph Waldo Emersons, Having a good character is better than losing your respect and your integrity.

Some teachers and administrators are getting themselves in trouble with the law because they are friends with minors on social networks and it is alleged that they are using inappropriate languages. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/102810-teachers-students-facebook.html

School Policy on Social Networks

My school has not openly discussed the use of school networking between teachers and students. However the administrative staff along with the technology facilitator continues to hold workshops educating parents and teachers on internet safety, internet protection, and the use of social networks. One of the issues they stress on is making sure that our Facebook, MySpace and other social networks are very private. Sometimes students have access to our accounts because we do not check to ensure that our personal lives are not open to the world. A surprisingly larger number of school employees do not know about their settings and they assume (their information) is private.  One elementary teacher wrote on her profile “I only have two feelings hunger and lust.” Her settings were not private and one of her parents saw her post and reported it to the principal. The teacher was reprimanded and almost lost her job. Another teacher had photos on her Facebook account posing with a bottle of tequila and dressed in a skimpy bathing suit. Again her FB account was not private. She was displaced because she was a relatively new teacher on a probationary contract.

            Educators should be aware of the negativities that are associated with social networks. Therefore it is very essential to be seek information and  know what is out there in this global networking world. http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2009/8/7/guidelines-for-educators-using-social-networking-sites.html

 This YouTube link is interesting. It gives you an insight of what happens when you put all your information on  social network sites. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7gWEgHeXcA

Conclusion

Social networking can be a positive tool to use even in the classrooms.  Before the internet, life was good nobody knew your business or no one found/ had any information about you. Things have changed over the past years. Therefore it is very important as educators to monitor our social network sites, making sure settings are privateand  students are  unable to find information that they do not need to know about us. Also I honestly do not know how we can stop scandals against educators. All we have to do is to be CAREFUL.

Cyber Bullying

                                                        Cyber Bullying

                                                   A MOTHER'S STORY

It is such a delight as a parent to come home from a hard day’s work and be greeted by your own child/ children with such love and joy.

This did not happen on February, 2009. As I opened the door, I sensed an air of gloominess hanging over my house.

“Megan,” I called but got no response.  It was very quiet and still. I kept on calling three more times, still no answer.

Worried and concerned, I walked to her room with my heart beating like an express train. I opened the door and found my energetic, lively, and friendly daughter trembling with fear and weeping uncontrollably.

“What’s wrong Meg?” I asked. No words were spoken. A few seconds later she reluctantly pointed to her computer. I walked over to her desk and clicked on the mouse. It was nerve rocking, horrible and very disgusting to see what was written on my daughter’s My Space page. It damaged my daughter’s self-esteem, character, and most of all her future. She is no longer around to enjoy life to the fullest. (Based on a true story). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7WllPVA-A4

Cyber Bullying

One might asked, what could have caused a teen aged girl so much pain and hurt? My answer is CYBER BULLYING.

I randomly picked five (5) students and asked them what they know about cyber bullying. Two (2) out of the five said I don’t know, one (1) said, “When you bullying someone,” and the other two (2) were much more aware and said, “When someone use the internet and say bad things about others.”

Cyber bullying is the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person. By definition, it occurs among young people. When an adult is involved, it may meet the definition of cyber-harassment or cyber-stalking, a crime that can have legal consequences and involve jail time.

Sometimes cyber bullying can be clear-cut. For example, leaving overly cruel cell phone text messages or mean notes posted to Web sites. Other acts are less obvious, such as impersonating a victim online or posting personal information or videos designed to hurt or embarrass another child.

Cyber bullying also can happen accidentally. The impersonal nature of text messages, IMs, and emails make it very hard to detect the sender's tone — one teen's joke or sense of humor could be another's devastating insult. Nevertheless, a repeated pattern of emails, text messages, and online posts is rarely accidental. http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying

Digging Deeper

I was very amazed after reading the statistics on the Eleven Facts about Cyber Bullying.  http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying.   As an educator, it is so touching to see how many of our students are affected emotionally, physically mentally and if I may say spiritually by cyber bullying.  Many kids and teens who are cyber bullied are reluctant to tell a teacher or parent, often because they feel ashamed of the social stigma, or because they fear their computer privileges will be taken away at home. The signs that a child is being cyber bullied vary, but a few things to look for are:

1.   Signs of emotional distress during or after using the Internet.

2.   Withdrawal from friends and activities.

3.   Avoidance of school or group gatherings.

4. Slipping grades and "acting out" in anger at home.

5. Changes in mood, behavior, sleep, or appetite.

We need to be cognizant of the fact that cyber bullying may be affecting either to the students that we teach a relative of ours or even our own colleagues. No longer limited to schoolyards or street corners, modern-day bullying can happen at home as well as at school — essentially 24 hours a day. And, for students who are being cyber bullied, it can feel like there's no escape.

Severe cyber bullying can leave victims at greater risk for anxiety, depression, and other stress-related disorders. In very rare cases, some students have turned to suicide.

Teachers too are sometimes victims of cyber bullying. Disruptive students often think that it is acceptable to be disrespectful to teachers through the use of the internet. Their excuse is I did not use the school’s computer I used mine. As teachers should we become complacent and encourage such abuse and continue to teach these students? (Food for thought).

  This is such a very crucial topic to discuss. The 1^st Amendment

clearly speaks about the right for “freedom of speech”. Does the freedom of speech gives the right to be disrespectful, harmful, and unfriendly?  Does the “freedom of speech gives the right to be hateful, mean and unscrupulous?

https://blackboard.vcu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_77574_1%26url%3D

Some states have seen the dangers that cyber bullying has caused, therefore they have tried to implement rules to prevent this gruesome act. http://www.unc.edu/courses/2010spring/law/357c/001/Cyberbully/state.html

It's essential that the whole school community understands what cyber bullying is and what measures are in place to prevent it and, if it does take place, what action should be taken.

The School’s Policy and Protection of Teachers and Students

The school district and my school work very closely in protecting our students as it relates to the use of the internet at school. Parents are asked to sign an internet permission slip, giving students the right to have internet access at school. Also teachers and students are only allowed to visit educational websites aligned with the Standard Course of Study. Because of this, cyber bullying is very minimal on the school grounds. Most of the social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and My Space are blocked. Students and teachers do not have access.  

What can we do to help?

Let’s face it the schools/ school districts may not be able to control cyber bullying. However students should feel comfortable to report any incident to their teachers, administrators or parents if they believe  they are victims. If a student reports to a teacher or administrator about being cyber bullied, the matter should not be taken lightly. I do believe that a thorough investigation MUST be done, contact the relevant authorities and endeavor to seek protection for the student. By getting involved, you may be saving a life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhn5ZEHFKWA

This You Tube video gives an insight on how schools and    school districts in  New Jersey are working together to prevent cyber bulling.

The mantle however falls directly on parents. Parents should be aware of what is happening in the social networking era. If a parent should discover that his/her child is being cyber bullied, be sure to discuss how it feels. Offer assurance that it's not your child's fault. Talking to teachers or school administrators also may help.

Many schools, school districts, and after-school clubs have established protocols for responding to cyber bullying; these vary by district and state. But before reporting the problem, let your child know that you plan to do so, as he or she could have concerns about "tattling" and might prefer that the problem be handled at home.

Other measures to try:

1.      Block the bully. Most devices have settings that allow you to electronically block emails, IMs, or text messages from specific people.

2.      Limit access to technology. Although it's hurtful, many children who are bullied can't resist the temptation to check Web sites or phones to see if there are new messages. Keep the computer in a public place in the house (no laptops in children's bedrooms, for example) and limit the use of cell phones and games. Some companies allow you to turn off text messaging services during certain hours, which can give bullied kids a break.

 3. A parent must know your child's/ children’s online world. They should as frequently as possible check the postings and the sites children visit, and be aware of how the children spend their time online.

4. Talk to your child or children about the importance of privacy and why it's a bad idea to share personal information online, even with friends.

5. Encourage children to have to safeguard passwords.

Conclusion

As educators, we should constantly remind our students to be cyber safe. These are some important tips you can share with your students as they continue to practice cyber safety.

1.   Never post or share your personal information online (this includes your full name, address, telephone number, school name, parents’ names, credit card number, or social security number) or your friends’ personal information.

2.   Never share your internet passwords with anyone, except your parents.

3.   Never meet anyone face-to-face whom you only know online.

4.   Talk to your parents about what you do online.

REMEMBER THE INTERNET CAN BE YOUR BEST FRIEND, AND ALSO YOUR WORSE ENEMY.

Reflection on my Tutorial - Google Maps

                                                 Reflection on my Tutorial - Google Maps

“If we do not rise to the challenge of our unique capacity to shape our lives, to seek the kinds of growth that we find individually fulfilling, then we can have no security: we will live in a world of sham, in which our selves are determined by the will of others, in which we will be constantly buffeted and increasingly isolated by the changes round us.” -- Nena O'Neil

This quotation spoke directly to me as I gathered my thoughts and my ideas for my tutorial on Google Maps. I saw this assignment as being very challenging and “nerve rocking”. It took me at least three to four days to start my preparation. Some days I cried, some days I was feeling confident and some days I just did not know what to do.

I felt like giving up and “just throwing in the towel”. I did not know that was going to be able to meet the requirements and even the dead line. I was also confused; I did not know what aspects of Google Maps to cover and how well I would be able to deliver a good tutorial to my fellow colleagues.

“Success never falls in the beaten path. You have to blaze through a new track in order to create your destiny”. That is exactly what I did. I decided to unfold a new track in my approach to the assignment in order to allow my creativeness to gleam.

I tried various web sites but was not that successful. Not being a quitter, I decided to try You Tube. I saw so many videos on Google Maps but the one that stood out most most was the video post done by Brandon. He was of great help and was able to give me ideas on how to do the tutorial. Also I got help from my school technology facilitator, Mr. Williams, my fourth grade team, and my cousin Ms. Palmer.

I worked three days nonstop, sleepless nights, over ten attempts to record, you name it. It was not an easy road but I made it. I did my tutorial fighting against all odds.

I have grown to appreciate technology and what it has to offer. WEB 2.0 and WEB TOOLS are in effect and may replace textbooks, whiteboards, notebook papers, and other materials that have no form of technology use. Our classrooms will be transformed to 21st century learning, and technology will be the way to go.

I will always have an open mind and be ready to learn more technology and not only learn, but use technology.

Our students are exposed to various upscale phones, the internet, various web tools, and also web 2.0. As a teacher and a prospective administrator I will definitely stretch my teaching styles in order to gain more knowledge on technology rather than be complacent and watch it pass by. Technology is a fun topic that covers a wide range of interesting areas including the Internet, video games, computers, cell phones, robots and more. These technology facts are perfect for students; the imperturbable information will keep them interested as they learn some important ideas and concepts along the way.

A tutorial is one method of transferring knowledge and may be used as a part of learning. More interactive and specific than a book or a lecture; a tutorial seeks to teach by example and supply the information to complete a certain task. . Tutorials are very informative, visual, manipulative and just pure fun.

I think I would love to do another tutorial for my students. This will help me improve my strengths and work on my weak areas. I enjoyed reading my fellow colleagues’ tutorials and also I really learned from them.

 I applaud those schools that are on that technology path to expand learning. With the implementation of technology in schools, (using various web tools and making connections with Web2.0) students will become high achievers and this will be evident in their grades/scores on assessments.

Finally I believe it is very important to give students guidelines, so that they will be able to meet the teachers' expectations. Not all students have internet access, computers at home or the ability to use the web effectively. Therefore guiding these students, will enable them to explore, interact, and overcome the obstacles/ challenges of  using the web tools. Also  they should be motivated to discover what is web 2.0.

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/methods/technlgy/te800.htm

Google Maps Tutorial

This is the video that I had used to get Ideas for my tutorial on Google Maps