Journal 6: Microblogging

Microblogging is a new way to communicate with people in short posts using instant messaging, mobile phones, email or the web.
There are several services which offer microblogging, including; Twitter, Jaiku, and Pownce. The tools provide and easy forum to share.

People blog for all kinds of different reasons, and this microblogging is geared for the short quick communications. There was a study done which found that the intentions of most microbloggers were just trying to chitchat. Microblogging can be used as an "all alert." A few friends and I used to play ultimate Frisbee at night and we sent out group texts so everyone knew whether or not we had enough people. Using the appilcation twitter, you can do the same thing. Using a phone, or PDA you can send out an announcement to as many people as you want by clicking a few buttons. That kind of access is pretty cool. Especially because someone can set up everything on his or her PC at home and then access twitter on a PDA or by phone. This makes communication very easy, effective and efficient.

Microblogs can be set up for several people to converse or there is even a security feature, which only allows people who are registered through the administrator to post information.

The blog posts are very interesting. Some teachers comment on the problems of twitters or twitting in the classroom. One teacher points out the efficiency of quick communication, and another comments on the problems that may occur if kids get this kind of access in the classroom. It was actually pretty funny; one teacher mentions that he spent most of his day messing around microblogging instead of teaching.

There was some back and forth arguments on the benefits of a structured 55 minutes classroom included with a lecture, or if passing along information through twitter would be more efficient, because the students find this more interesting and more geared towards their understanding.

Many teachers around the country are experimenting with twitter and trying to find how it might be applied to help the educational process. Some seem to think it will help connect students on large campuses for field trips, or a type of scavenger hunt.

This brings me to my conclusion. As a coach it is often very difficult to get in touch with all the players on my soccer team. If you count football, then I have over 70 students to contact. But if I could use microblogging, and use the application twitter, than I can easily connect with the team and keep them abreast of any meetings, practices or team news.

Journal Five

Making Field Trips PODCASTIC!
Aliece M. Weller, John C. Bickar,
and Paul McGuinness


How might an interactive field trip help my students to better understand the lesson?
The article shows how students can explore in their own way and discover parts of the museum with their own guidance. I spoke to a student the other day and she told me she hated history. She said she did not find it interesting and therefore is unable to retain any information. Of course I could not believe her words. Who does not love history? After reading this article it makes a little more sense. If we took a field trip to the museum of tolerance and the students had interactive devices that they could navigate on their own, they will take more away from the experience. They get to go where they want to go. They can find an aspect of history that they do enjoy and that may expand or open their minds to history in general.

How might the idea of unlocking information help the students to learn important facts?
First of all, high school students love messing with technology. The idea of playing around on a Pocket PC through a museum would be much more beneficial than one of Mr. Chambers lectures. If they have to answer questions right to move on, this may help them to keep their motivation. I remember playing those kinds of games when I was in school and I always wanted to get to that next page. Nowadays when students seem to have the attention span of a toddler, it is refreshing when there are programs that interact with students and get them to the next page, rather than losing interest. In addition, this may lead to collaboration and interaction between the students. If this happens then the students are helping each other learn and that is fantastic.

With such a diverse student population, how can this interactive technology stimulate more learning?
First off, the article mentions that students go at whatever pace they choose. They facilitate their own learning and each other possibly. But by doing this it actually individualizes the learning. It is like a lesson plan tailored specifically to one student. The authors mention "customizing the learning for students, and how better to facilitate their growth than a customized education. If the educational shoe fit perfectly, we would have many more educated people walking around society.

Journal 4

Mind the Gap
It's a high-speed, high-def, Wi-Fi world. But not for everybody.
By Cindy Long


This articles talks of the problems facing disadvantaged kids in regards to technology. The students with less money and who spend less time online, usually perform worse in school that students who spend a lot of time online. The author talks about the importance of using technology in the classroom because they are people who do not have access to this necessary technology anywhere else.

Question 1- How will public schools find ways of helping lower income students keep track and avoid the digital divide?
The article mentions the digital divide that will grow between students with around the clock Internet access and students who are not as lucky. If a student has to drive a half hour to use the Internet he is already on the low end of the curve and things are getting worse. As educators we need to be conscious of the importance of technology and the digital world in terms of the students' futures. The idea of a universal Internet sounds rather exciting. If the technology is available to connect the country to the Internet, like PAC Bell connects our phones to dial tones I am in full support. Many times it is not the computer that is the unaffordable expense, it is the monthly access charge.

Question 2- What would high speed wireless Internet do for our educational system?
In the previous paragraph I mention the digital divide that is widening between students with Internet access and students without. This wireless accessibility may make that gap get bigger. but it would definitely help many students. With all the technology that my current students possess, I find it easy to believe that many would have lap tops if Internet was wireless. Some students bring lap tops now. As I am speaking they are typing away taking notes. The clicking is rather therapeutic. It would create a bigger divide between the haves and the have not's, but I do not see an answer to that question to ever present itself.

Question 3- If the students had instant access to the information of the web, how would that effect the classroom and the teaching?
What about the times I am wrong? I realize that I am fallible, I make mistakes all the time. i try to correct them but half the time I don't realize the mistakes I made on Tuesday until the following Thursday. The students would have instant access to whatever topic we were covering. It does not seem totally feasible at this point, but down the road it seems totally logical. I guess a better question is, how can we as educators start small and lay the ground work for the future of education and technology?

Question 4- There was a good comment in the article that made me think if teachers should start teaching students more navigational tools rather than teaching memorization?
My parents still tell me the problem with school is that there is not enough repetition for students to commit things to memory. They talk about education going the wrong direction. Now I don't think the direction education is going matters, because I think it will change again. We need to find new ways to teach the navigational tools to students who will live in an even bigger digital age than where we are now.