Week 11 Reflection

While reading this section from Brave New Schools about an Internet scenario in “Explorations”, I couldn’t help but think how far we’ve come, as educators with the use of the Internet. At the time that this book was published—in 1995—the use of the Internet in the classroom setting was very new. Teachers were faced with the challenge of figuring out how to us it effectively while engaging students simultaneously. Ms. Reyes, the fifth grade teacher featured in this reading section, was very ambitious and embarked on a journey of her own to figure out how to create a unit around the topic of “explorations” with the use of the Internet. ERIC was a resource that Ms. Reyes found that provided her with an abundance of lessons and other resources that were useful for her planning of the unit. Furthermore, the use availability of Parents AskERIC, helped her to engage parents, as she often tried to do in her academic planning and teaching. I find this service to be especially important when students come from diverse backgrounds and varying cultures. My personal experience with diverse students has proved that it is often difficult to involve parents that either do not speak English or speak very little English. Thus, a service like Parents AskERIC seems like an excellent way for parents to be able to find information on their own about topics such how to aide in their child’s development and academic achievement. As an educator for students that come from diverse backgrounds, I find myself trying to help parents become involved in their children’s learning experiences in the classroom. Today, there are many different services that aim to help parents become educated and involved in the school setting. In my school, we hold Parent Group sessions, when the school social workers “teach” parents different coping skills that will help them to work with their children (who have emotional and behavioral difficulties). Once parents become involved with these Parent Group sessions, they become attached and really enjoy attending them. This in person service seems very similar to an online service that provides parents with important resources that can help with their children’s development. This makes me think, however, about which service is better—online or in person? My thought is that it would depend on the parent’s preference and ability to either attend a session or to simply find resources at their own leisure.
Ms. Reye’s experience with using a LISTSERV to both connect with teachers regarding theory and practicalities of teaching in addition to class to class collaborations is an excellent way to easily gather information that can aid in the planning and teaching process. Ms. Reyes simply sent a message on her LISTSERV and received one back from a teacher from another country. Ms Reyes was able to coordinate with this teacher and her students were able to compare their experiences learning about both historical ideas, in addition to their learning about space exploration. In my School Library class, I signed up for a LISTSERV. I was overwhelmed with the number of messages that I received daily about various topics. I was able to post a question in the form of a message, and within less than a day of sending it, I had received an abundance of messages in response to the question that I had posted about book banning. I found LISTSERVs to be very useful and helpful when looking for an answer to a specific question. However, they can also be quite overwhelming. Something that teachers must learn is how to effectively weed out the important messages and information received from the messages that may not be of importance to their own teaching experiences.
The use of the Internet in gathering resources for teachers is extremely valuable. Teachers can find resources that help them in their classrooms to both plan and teach lessons, in addition to helping parents access information to help them with their children’s academic achievement and development. When explored and used appropriately, the Internet can provide parents, teachers, and students with a wealth of information to help them as they progress through their educational careers in the school setting.

Annotations

Stevens, K. (2007). The development of virtual education environments to support inter-school collaboration. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 8. Retrieved from: http://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde26/articles/article_2.htm
This is a journal article that discusses the use of the Internet as a tool for collaboration between schools in Canada. The author discusses five stages that computers has experienced as they have become increasingly useful in the classroom setting. The use of the Internet as a network to connect rural and urban schools in Canada have opened up doors for students and teachers, as they become learners engaged in the world beyond the classroom walls.

The Global Gateway. Retrieved from: http://www.globalgateway.org.uk/default.aspx?page=4705
This is a website for a program, sponsored by the UK, but open to the world, where students can find schools across the world who may be interested in a collaborative project. The website provides resources to use in the classroom, in addition to a link that helps to find a partner school in countries all over the world. I find this website to be full of useful resources for the classroom setting.

Global Nomads Group. Retrieved from: http://www.gng.org/home.htmlThis group, established in 1998, aims to create international programs for students about global issues. The website features information about programs sponsored by the group. Programs for the Fall, 2009, include Rapid Response, a program that focuses on emergency response from events such as Hurricane Katrina, 2-Part Pulse, a program that provides students with the opportunity to participate in virtual town hall meetings to discuss challenging issues today, and a few others. The website also features videos and other media clips for both teachers and students to watch in order to become educated on various global issues.

Week 10 Reflection

While reading this article, I couldn’t help but think how much the Internet and research has changed since the time that this article was written. However, though there have been so many changes with the Internet itself, the practices and importance of using the Internet in appropriate and effective ways has remained rather consistent. The importance of building learning communities using online sources has always been a focus of the Internet’s use in the classroom setting.
Even since the beginning of Internet use in the classroom, there has been a digital divide. The authors state, “The gap between “info-rich” and “info-poor” is demonstrated by the statistic: Schools with larger proportions of poor students are only half as likely to have access to the Internet versus students serving wealthier populations.” How could this have been prevented from the start? Was there a way? I feel like most of the use of Internet was learned as the Internet unfolded and its uses were learned. It is sad to know, however, that since the beginning of the Internet, nothing was able to be done that could have fixed or minimized this digital divide that exists more than ever across the country and across the world.
When students use the Internet, it is extremely important that they know how to be appropriate with it. Appropriate Use Policies (AUPs) are now put in place within schools across the country to educate students about the appropriate usage of the Internet. Students learn about, read, and sign these policies so that they understand the correct ways to use this form of technology. In addition to these AUPs, teachers must also educate students about how to evaluate online sources. We must teach students that just because information is posted online, it does not make it reliable. I believe that teachers and parents are responsible for educating students about biases that exist within information provided on many different websites. The article states, “Before students commit to a belief, they should become aware of the range of existing opinions and to identify, at least, some of the ones they do not accept.” I completely agree with this statement and think that it needs to be left to parents AND teachers to teach students this important principle. Just as students need to learn how to evaluate print sources, they also need to evaluate online sources. Furthermore, educating students about the importance of citing sources is a crucial step to take when using Internet resources for research purposes. If students begin learning about how to effectively evaluate and cite sources at a young age, it is hopeful that as they get older and progress through their educational careers, they will only become better writers and students, as a result.
The Internet, in addition to being an excellent resource for finding information, can also be used as a tool for communication. This communication can take place between students, students and teachers, or even teachers and parents. Blogs, wikis, and other Internet sites can be used as the place where students write and communicate their thoughts about a given content area. Teachers can comment directly on the website and parents can also access student work. Though this is of great benefit to teachers, students, and parents, I find that it can also become problematic. When parents have full access to work that is completed by students, they can become very critical and may begin to question the teacher about student grades and feedback. The article discusses the positive benefit of using the Internet as a communication board for parents to critique their children’s work. Though it is presented as a benefit, I find it to be the opposite. Parents can often be very critical of their children and giving them access to be able to critique their work online can either discourage their children or inadvertently offend someone else’s child. I feel that the Internet has great uses as a tool for communication between parents and teachers, but parent access should be limited and they should only be able to see their own children’s work without the ability of writing comments. The work that is done as a part of a school assignment should be commented on only by the teachers and staff from the school setting.
Overall, the world wide web has many uses in the educational setting. It has always been seen as having great potential as a learning tool. However, it has also been known that Internet usage within schools needs to be regulated and students need to be educated on appropriate use of it. Though there have been many transformations and changes with Internet usage today, the fundamental uses have remained the same. In time, I think that the Internet will continue to change and its use in the classroom will change, as well. However, we, as teachers, must be aware of how to educate our students about how to use this tool appropriately and effectively in order to enhance their educational experiences.

Annotations

American India Foundation (2009). Retrieved from: http://www.aifoundation.org/default.htm
This website for a nonprofit American development organization aims to bridge the digital divide that exists among children in India. The organization, which works out of New York and California in the United States, and New Delhi and Bangalore in India, attempts to bridge the divide by providing computers and other forms of technology to students in Indian schools that do not have such resources. It seems to be an organization that has raised money in order to help bridge this divide effectively.

Bridging the Digital Divide for Kids (2008). Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P6FP6JJazY
This is a YouTube video that highlights some of the work that has been done by the American India Foundation. Indian students are interviewed and the positive effects of this organization are highlighted.

Hoar, J. (2006). The Digital Divide 2.0. CBS News Online. Retrieved from: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/09/gentech/main1699023.shtml
This is an article that discusses the change that the digital divide has encountered, from simply being a disparity between the availability of computers to now being “more than lack of a machine.” The author writes about some of the ways that companies try to bridge the divide and the obstacles associated with make positive changes.

Week 9 Reflection

The framework of the ETIPS Digital Equity Cases seems to strive to achieve an equal balance between students’ access and use of technology inside and outside of the classroom setting. While reading the seven principles, I found myself hopeful that teachers can achieve and live up to these principles in their respective classroom and school settings.
The first principle discusses the importance of each student and family receiving equal access to technology within their community settings. Teachers, it states, can help families who do not have technology in their homes by providing them with information about where they can access computers within the community setting, such as Boys and Girls Clubs, libraries, or even by providing families with organization names that donate refurbished computers. In order to figure out which families are in need of such resources, it is recommended that teachers conduct surveys at the beginning of the year to find out the extent of access that each family has. One problem that I would face with this survey in my own classroom setting is the fact that often time, when I send papers home, they do not come back to school signed or completed by parents. It seems that the families that may be in the most need of technology do not have the time to complete a survey as they make work at night. Furthermore, even if we, as teachers, provide families with names of places that have computer access open to the public, these families may not have the transportation to get them there or the time to help their children get there. How do we, as teachers, help these families? I find that I am asking myself these questions with regards to my own classroom population.
The second principle focuses on the importance of educating teachers about how to effectively use technology. This is an extremely important step in contributing to the success of technology use in the classroom. Even if teachers are provided with computers or other forms of technology, they may not know how to use them effectively. Before enrolling in the Educational Technology Masters Program at Fairfield University, I was unaware of many of the tools that exist on the Internet for both teachers and students to use. Though I have been given a list of websites to which we have subscriptions, etc., I did not know of available sites, such as ICONN and other resources to help me as a teacher. Thus, it would seem correct to say that most teachers are unaware of teacher tools on the Internet. Professional development with the use of technology would greatly help teachers to both become more comfortable with using and teaching with technology in addition to showing them the many available programs and tools that can be used with computers. The importance of professional development is often left on the backburner due to things such as budget cuts, etc., and though it may not seem crucial to student progress, without training with technology, students are not learning to their fullest potential. Though it seems that many teachers are resistant to using technology, it might simply be due to the fact that they are not comfortable with it. According to the article, a major national study found that, “fewer than 5% of teachers using technology in their instruction, even though federal studies estimate that 97% of the nation’s classrooms have access to the Internet and computers.” Is this because of lack of teacher training? I think so. In my school, this is definitely the case. There are many teachers that would love to learn how to implement technology, but finding the time and the resources to learn gets in the way.
One step that educators can take in helping each other learn how to effectively use technology in the classroom is by communicating. If teachers do not feel comfortable teaching with or talking about technology, they often become silent. The seventh principle stresses the importance of all teachers to discuss what they feel needs to be done with regards to the use of technology in their schools, so that technology experts can help provide for professional development opportunities. Administrators and technology specialists should make all teachers feel comfortable and encourage all teachers to engage in team meetings, where technology use is discussed. This could help in increasing the comfort levels of many teachers in addition to sharing lessons that have been successful with the use of technology.
After reading about these seven principles, I was left with an important question that may not yet have an answer. Why are teachers held accountable for teaching content and meeting standards but are not yet held accountable for using technology? Will there be a point when students’ knowledge and familiarity are tested on standardized tests? I don’t think the answer in improving technology use in schools lies in testing, but it is an interesting idea for me to think about. Maybe if teachers continue to collaborate and discuss the benefits of technology use when teaching content, a trend will begin and technology use will increase across all student populations.

Annotations

Bridge the Digital Divide. Retrieved from: http://www.bridgethedigitaldivide.com/
This is a website sponsored by CNET Networks and UK charity Computer Aid International that aims to bridge the digital divide across the country. The site can be used to make PC or financial donations or to learn about the digital divide and its effects worldwide. I think that site is one step in the right direction to help fix this problem that exists worldwide.

Worldwide Community Schools (2008). Retrieved from: http://www.myworldwide.org/
Teachers can use this website as a starting point to help students in other countries receive appropriate educations. Support can be given in monetary donations of any amount, which can be put towards building new schools, sponsoring students to go to schools, or giving teachers the tools they need in order to educate students in developing countries. Though the site serves a good purpose, I don’t know how teachers or other individuals would find out about it or be inspired to donate.

The Center for Global Education. Retrieved from: http://www.globaled.us/
This site, managed by Loyola Marymount University, promotes international education to help students understand multicultural awareness. Projects sponsored by this center include study abroad programs, and resources to assist in research about study abroad programs. This Center seems to promote global education to a college aged population.

Week 8 Reflection

I have a difficult time facing the fact that the children that I am currently teaching will be the future of our society. I think this is due to the fact that they seem so young and naïve with regards to societal issues that face the world today. However, when looking at the abilities of these children with regards to technology, it is no wonder that they hold the future. My students, made up of a diverse population of students ranging in socioeconomic statuses, all have an intense desire to use technology in addition to a strong knowledge base of how to use various technologies both inside of and outside of the classroom setting. Thus, it seems that with the integration of technology and content areas, students can be engaged and enthusiastic about their learning.
“Preparing Disadvantaged Youth for the Workforce of Tomorrow” is an article that focuses on the use of technology with disadvantaged students and how it can positively impact their futures. According to this article, the use of the Internet is increasing across all socioeconomic categories and families with children and more than likely to own computers. This increase in technology use in the home setting has contributed to the awareness that young children have with how to use technology and the endless possibilities that are available when learning with technology. In my classroom, my students are able to use the internet to find new games and information that they find to be interesting. Though these students have not received direct instruction with using computers, they are able to effectively find new websites and programs that they find to be interesting. The article states, “Not only do they [youth] comprise the next generation of workers and citizens, but they are uniquely able to make use of technology” (p.20). Their creativity with technology provides students with the opportunity to be creative in the classroom setting. I feel that if teachers give students the chance to use technology in the classroom setting, their creativity and knowledge with technology can shine through. It is important to give students guidelines for a project, but the opportunity to be creative with the use of such technology is extremely important and good for the self esteem and success of students.
Of key importance to technology use in the classroom is teacher training with it. The authors state, “Among the key challenges [to advancing the agenda of e-inclusion]: creating partnerships, encouraging training and integrating with existing youth development programs” (p. 22). It is imperative that both teachers and students receive the proper training with using new technologies so that is can be used appropriately. The proper balance between training and allowing for creativity is difficult to maintain, however. I find myself in a struggle with how much leeway I give my students when using technology as far as their creativity goes. As I previously stated, students can be creative with technology use and should be able to express such creativity in the classroom. However, where do I draw that line? When teaching students from disadvantaged backgrounds, it is important to set standards for technology use and make sure that students are both appropriate yet creative simultaneously.
Striking a balance between allowing for creativity while maintaining standards and boundaries with technology use is difficult. It is my hope that with proper training with the use of technology, teachers can help students to become efficient users of it. This would mean that teachers are able to teach students how to use technological tools in the classroom appropriately, while letting the creativity of all students shine through. By maintaining a balance, disadvantaged use can take full advantage of the positive effects that technology has to offer and apply such benefits to their career fields in their futures.

Annotations

Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) (2009). Retrieved from: http://www.ccsso.org/
This is a website about the non-profit organization, CCSSO, made up of public officers from around the country who head elementary and secondary education in the United States. The website has a list of available projects for teachers to read about. Also, there are many articles about the CCSSO in the news. I think the goal of the organization is great, but the website is a bit difficult to navigate.

Foreign Policy Association (2009). Retrieved from: http://www.fpa.org/
This non-profit organization tries to educate American citizens about world issues that affect the lives of everyone. The site focuses on secondary and college level topics and themes and provides blogs, videos, articles, and various updates about world issues such as Human Rights, Cuba, Global Food Crisis, and many others. This site seems very useful in a higher education classroom.

SPICE (Stanford Program On International And Cross-Cultural Education). Retrieved from the Stanford University website: http://spice.stanford.edu/docs/about_spice/
This a program sponsored by Stanford University that provides resources for teachers in K-14 schools that focus on international themes across all discipline areas. Teachers can purchase different curriculum materials or take advantage of free videos and information about various international topics on the website. Videos and other resources are available with a focus on many different age levels.

Week 7 Resources

Annotations
Global Education Partnership (2009). Retrieved from: http://www.discoveryglobaled.org/who.html#oldtab1
This site, run by Discovery Education, provides information about the Global Education Partnership. This program provides underprivileged countries with information about educating students, using mediums such as TVs, and providing teachers with training about how to use television as a learning tool. I think that this program is an excellent way for the U.S. to help countries in need. This site can be used in the classroom to help students understand the differences in education across the world.

CISV International (2008). Retrieved from: http://www.cisv.org/index.html
This site is an organization of a global community of volunteers who create opportunities for children to interact with children from other areas of world in the programs that they offer. Programs include camps that promote global friendship and range in age groups, from age eleven through twenty-five plus. The programs offered seem like a great way to get students to interact with students from many different countries in person. The only information that I couldn’t find was where these camps are located.

The Choices Program. Retrieved from: http://www.choices.edu/index.php
This is a program, through Brown University, that has a mission of empowering students with the skills and knowledge based to become global citizens who are able to address international issues through dialogue and other means. There is a great wealth of information for teachers to use in their own classrooms, in addition to professional development opportunities.

Week 7

“The Web and the Plow”, chapter two from the book, Breaking Down the Digital Walls, presents the revolution of technology in a very interesting way. The analogy that was made between technology and a plow in the fields was very interesting and true in my eyes. As the text states, technology comes so fast that we never feel fully confident about what we’re doing. This is the same with the case of the plow and the farmer in his fields. Before the use of plows on farms, Louie—the farmer—gave animals names, which demonstrates the ideas that the plow is not just an ends to a means. Similarly, teachers should treat technology with the same respect. It cannot simply be used as the ends—it needs to have a higher purpose. Technology needs to be used as the medium to achieve content learning, not as the end in and of itself. However, this task is often difficult because technology is always changing. I see the constant changes in my own classroom with the availability of new technology that exists on the Internet and within varying computer programs. For example, in my school, we recently learned how to use a website that serves the purpose of allowing teachers to create and edit Individualized Education Plans. Shortly after learning how to use the web-based program, they revamped it and changed many of the important ways to work on documents. Though this program is not for use in the classroom setting with students, this example stills goes to show how after learning something, it changes shortly thereafter. This makes it extremely difficult to keep up to date and to be able to effectively use technology in the classroom setting.
An important point that the authors make in this chapter is the fact that skills with the tool (technology) doesn’t imply that comprehension of the material has occurred. I believe that technology, when used correctly, should cause students to understand the material. If students do not comprehend the content of the lesson through the use of technology, then it is a good indication that the technology is not used effectively or to its fullest potential. Furthermore, the idea that computers can distance people from learning is not correct in my eyes. Again, if teachers seek out and use technology correctly, then computers can achieve quite the opposite. Websites such as E-Pals help to connect students from different areas of the country and even the world. Programs such as these serve the purpose of closing the gap between cultures and helping to create global citizens in the classroom setting worldwide.
Chapter two concluded with the idea of telecollaboration. This term refers to an activity that is not simply technical. Rather, it is a type of activity that helps students to search for opportunities for growth. Chapter four, “Utopian Visions, Dystopian Worries”, continues to discuss this idea of telecollaboration and the differences between it and telecomputing and telecommunication. The authors state, “Telecommunication was too ambiguous a term to describe it [the work that they did with their students]” (p. 63). Telecomputing refers to the general activities that can occur online. Telecollaboration, however, implies collaboration between human beings and human interactions through the use of some technology. Telecollaboration was the emphasis of the project carried out by Monke and Buddy, across seas. The first project—Project Utopia—focused on a comparison between Asian students and students of the Midwest. After carrying out the project, Monke realized that the project needed to have more of a concrete topic/focus in order for students to reap the most benefits possible.
The importance of having a focus/theme before planning a unit is great. Before I began to plan my unit that I will design for the final project of this course, I came up with a theme that I wanted to carry out with my lessons. For me, the theme is to highlight the similarities and differences between young students of Venezuela and young students of the United States.
Another obstacle that they encountered through their work was the lack of physical presence between students. This created communication that was impersonal. It seems that in today’s world, however, this might be different. Programs such as Skype can allow for more of a personal communication between people across the country or the world. In my final project unit, I plan to incorporate the use of Skype so students can have a more connected experiences with those that they communicate with in Venezuela.
The South African’s Elections Internet Project of 1994 was the project that was planned after implementing Project Utopia. Because Monke and Buddy had learned from their “mistakes”, they were able to make this unit more engaging for students. This is a common way to teach and plan units. After teaching one unit, teachers are able to learn from their mistakes and make necessary changes. This is the way that I have experienced teaching. As a third year teacher, I feel that I have improved my lessons and unit plans every year. The South African project had a focus from the start, which helped to engage students and give them a purpose for their learning. Especially with older students, it seems that setting a purpose for learning is a necessary step before teaching. By doing so, students can understand why they are participating in various activities and focusing their learning on a given topic.
One thing that I found interesting about this project was the fact that they were struggling to find people around the world to participate in the project. However, within a short period of a time all of a sudden, this changed. There was a huge influx of messages to Monke about participating. What caused this sudden change?
An important part of this project that I really liked was the fact that students weren’t graded on what they learned. Rather, they learned from the experience of communicating with others about a specific topic. In today’s public schools, it seems that it is quite the opposite. Grades are always focused on what they learn and how much progress they make as far as testing goes. No Child Left Behind has put such a strong emphasis on testing, that often times, experiences such as collaborating with others are often left on the backburner. It is my hope that the focus will shift yet again and students will be given opportunities to engage in activities that promote global citizenship rather than focusing on testing procedures.
Even though this project was successful, there were, of course, still some problems. One of the problems faced is something that many teachers face today. Because the teachers were faced with the fact that AP exams were coming up, they were forced to end their project and focus on preparing for the test. Again, it seems that these activities, which promote teamwork, global communication, and hands-on activities with others, are put on the backburner for testing across all age levels. This is a sad reality that, as I had said, I hope will change in the near future.

Week 6 Reflection

While reading chapter 1 of Breaking Down the Digital Walls, by R.W. Burniske and Lowell Monke, I recalled the conversation we had in class a few weeks ago about this topic. Because this collaboration took place in 1987, I found myself very intrigued by the differences in type of communication that occurred throughout the collaboration between teachers. The internet in 1987 was barely available, which caused collaboration then to be very different than how it could be in today’s classroom settings. Furthermore, the standards and values that people had were very different, which also contributed to the wide differences in collaboration that occurred.
Lowell and Burniske’s meetings in the Manabi Hut served the purpose to inspire students to become engaged in open minded inquiry. However, it was noted that they, themselves, encountered difficulties in engaging in such discourse. This brings up an extremely important point when collaborating and planning lessons for the classroom. I believe that teachers must be open minded and eager to guide their students towards discussions in which the students are genuinely interested and engaged. If teachers are not able to engage in such discourse on their own, it is very likely that students will not be eager to do so either. Thus, in order to ensure that teachers provide positive models for engaging in open minded inquiry, it is important to use resources in the classroom that provide students with varying opinions on a given topic. In the chapter, the authors discuss how the purpose of a text is to inspire dialogue rooted in the belief that “truth was found in dialogue” (p. 10). I think that this refers to the idea that because language was the only way to convey ideas, what we read is based on the truth of such language. This idea is extremely important, but it is equally important to note that in today’s world, there are multiple ways of conveying information and ideas, including video, radio, and other forms of media that can convey meaning without using spoken or written language. Though the media has changed the way we tell stories or information, such information has not changed. Technology has provided us with news means to the ends; not new ends.
I found the story of the lion and the man very interesting. The man claimed to the lion that he was stronger and because the lion didn’t believe him, he proved it to him by showing him a statue of a man defeating a lion. Though this statue may been a source of proof for the man, it is important to note that the man made the statue. Thus, what is the truth? This story can be translated to the classroom setting by telling students that there is truth in specific articles or textbooks. The truth that is spoken in such resources may be skewed to convey the ideals of one particular viewpoint. In one of my undergraduate classes, I read a book titled, Lies My Teacher Told Me. This book discussed history that is taught in classrooms across the country and the problems that lie within such teachings. Because we read from textbooks made in the United States, we often do not get the entire truth about negative aspects of our own country. The book discusses the fact that these lies are purposefully kept from students so that they see our country as superior. Though I am not quite sure I believe this text completely, I do believe that it is important to use resources that vary in opinion so that students can see multiple perspectives of a situation, and therefore FIND the truth on their own.
Another point that was made in this chapter was the fact that as teachers, we need to move beyond the technique of students answering questions that we present. Instead, students should gather background information about a given topic and then create their own questions to answer. I feel that this would make learning meaningful to the lives of young students. Elementary school children are often interested in only what revolves around them. Thus, if they are able to create questions that they feel are important (with the guidance of teachers), the learning that will occur will becoming meaningful to them and therefore make a difference in their lives.
The chapter concludes with two important questions that teachers should ask themselves when planning lessons. “What might students gain from this? What might students lose from this? (p.13)” These questions are extremely important and can absolutely help to guide teacher instruction and student learning. When using technology or other resources to plan lessons, teachers must look for the student benefit as far as content gain. If the technology is simply used as the ends of purpose of the lesson, then it may not positive impact student learning. If, however, the technology is used to deliver the content, then there may be more of a positive impact on learning outcomes. These two guiding questions can help teachers to create and teach lessons that have as much of a positive impact on learning experiences as possible, thereby enhancing overall student learning outcomes.

Annotations

Heifer International (2008). Retrieved from: http://www.heifereducation.org/site/c.lwL0KlN1LvH/b.3993181/k.BDA8/Home.htm
This website, run by Heifer International, provides teachers with information and resources to help achieve the organization’s mission of ending poverty and caring for the Earth. The resources vary from lesson plans to online games and activities that help students learn more about hunger around the world. In order to access resources, teachers must create an account with a username and password.

Nobel Prize (2009). Retrieved from: http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/
The Novel Peace Price website provides individuals with information about the history of the Nobel Prize and also provides various educational games online that are based on the works of a specific Nobel prize awarded throughout history. Though the site is based on the Nobel Prize, I don’t feel that the activities make a true connection to helping to create global citizens in the classroom setting.

Explore Africa Today (2009). Retrieved from Discovery Education from: http://africatoday.discoveryeducation.com/
Discovery Education provides teachers with lessons and activities that explore the country of Africa in depth. Teaching guides include vocabulary, writing prompts, and interactive media including videos. I think it’s great that students are able to compare their own culture to cultures of different children across varying African countries. Furthermore, the website breaks down the topics covered so that students are able to directly compare facets of American life, such as the environment and culture, with those of life in Africa.