Last thoughts on technology in the classroom

I think technology is a modern blessing that has become a necessity in the minds of the masses. There is a convenience to technology. After years of development, people have information within seconds, and people are more connected than ever before in the past. But I often wonder is this a healthy direction for us? Are the relationships we maintain through social media and email substantial relationships? When we have information at our finger tips, are we actually learning?

We are missing out on so much when we skip the step of opening a book to learn. When our eyes leave the screen, we are exposed to more information. We see more than the things associated with the search bar, and we experience the pursuit of knowledge.

Students, as technology continues to reach the masses, are becoming evermore plugged into the digital age. There is a push in the pedagogy to introduce and make technology a main component in classrooms, but is this the best practice for our kids?

Digital natives are increasingly leaving behind the days of books and lectures. Eyes are more incessantly attached to screens, be it for socializing, learning, escaping. What I think needs to happen is less technology in the classroom. Students need to be reminded of life without the screens and learn in engaging and personal ways. The personal interaction between a teacher and a student are invaluable, and is best fostered with little or not technology in the classroom.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-astore/of-moocs-and-technology-o_b_3967397.html

School and Society

During this class I have learned a lot about the recent things going into the teaching fields today. I have found them very interesting. I am also very glad I am learning about these things before I become a teacher. Their have been many questions that are raised in my head about the future of education and how society is effecting the way our children learn. I find myself very intrigued about making changes about myself that might help later when I am trying to get a job. I feel like learning about things such as tenner and the core curriculum now is very helpful and makes me feel less scared of going into this new world of being a teaching. I truly think this is one of the classes I have learned the most in because all of the discussions were so recent and the blog post made me take a look at our society and see what kind of things are happing.

Bullying

Bullying in the United States has become a serious problem. There are many things people are trying to do to raise awareness about bullying and to make it stop. This website I found is all about the statistics about bullying. It says that " about 30% of students in the United States are involved in Bullying on a regular basis" that doesn't seem like a big number but that is throughout the entire united States. I also think that having it be on a regular basis is pretty astonishing. All the programs and things have done a good job raising awareness about bullying but it is still a big issue. I find it bone chilling how many stories you hear when it comes to teens committing suicide over bullying. One of the reasons I don't think bullying has stopped is because we have not found the root of it yet. The  best thing people have come up with is kids are mean, or its in kids nature, or even its the person getting bullied fault. I definitely don't have all the answers but I think having less competition would help. There is so much pressure on kids to win or do the best that it immediately gives the "winners" power over the "losers", and the kids who are normally the "winners" are the bullies in a lot of situations. I think testing also has to do with the constant mind set of competition and also kids who don't do as well or have a harder time understanding the content become the victims of scrutiny.

http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/school-bullying-statistics.html

Students Skipping Grades

I remember when I was in elementary school, the thought of being able to skip a grade seemed to be very appealing. Less time that I had to be in school, but you never think about the implications of having to skip a grade I was recently talking to one of my next door neighbors who has a nephew and he is a high functioning autistic boy. He has the ability to skip up to three grade levels if he wants to, but his parents are deciding to keep him in his current grade level. The boy is teased at school because of the fact that he is autistic in the first place. He would be ridiculed even more if he was three years younger than individuals in this own grade. By the time he is in high school, he will be grade above his classmates. At that point it is up to the teacher to become creative with their curriculum in order to keep these types of student engaged. 

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/attention-training/201302/gifted-children-skipping-grades

Foreign Language at an Early Age

The older that I become and the more that I think about the teaching students, the more I realize who behind we are as a country. I wish that I would have had the opportunity to learn a second language beginning as a child. Children are better able to learn languages at a younger age because their brains are better able to absorb the information. This is the same for if children begin learning how to play instruments sooner as well. Most countries across the globe learn how to speak English when they begin school, so by the time they are in college they will have master two languages. In today's society, it is important to know how to speak how that one language because there is such a diverse population of people in the United States. Employers are more likely to hire you as well because knowing a second language makes you more marketable. Language immersion schools are becoming more popular, which I think is incredibly beneficial for those who are able to take advantage of them.

http://www.columbus.k12.oh.us/applications/SchoolWebsites/SchoolProfile.nsf/(WebHome2)/Ecole_Kenwood_French_Immersion?OpenDocument

This link provides information about the French immersion school in Columbus, OH.

Calculators and Math

As a part of the last class discussion we had, there was a debate about how it seems unnecessary for students to learn everything there is know about math (such as, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction) because calculators have become such a common device in the classroom. Even starting in elementary school, students are given calculators to help them do math problems. While I understand the idea that some people may have when saying it seems unnecessary to teach all aspects of math, it greatly effects your future. Students need to know the very basic foundations of math in order to move up to greater level areas in math. How is a college students who is required to take calculus supposed to know what they are doing in a complicated math problem if they are never taught the basics. They will never fully understand the meaning if what they are doing. When a student is asked to add two numbers together, they will not understand what it means to add. How will they know when it is appropriate to add, subtract, or multiply? They won't because they will not have been taught they meaning of these applications and when it is appropriate to do them. This kind of thinking is why the United States is so behind other countries in Math.

http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/pros-and-cons-of-allowing-kids-to-use-calculators-in-math-class/

This link explores the pros and cons of calculators within general education classrooms.

Cyberbullying

I think that the concept of cyberbullying is quite foreign to my age group because we did not have to technology that is available now that we did at a younger age. It also seems that cyberbulling is something that is more difficult to stop because there are multiple ways to disguise one's true identity one the internet or through a text. I also think hat cyberbullying takes a greater tole on the people who are victims because the individuals doing it have free range to say whatever they want because the likelihood that they will be caught decreases.

http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/how-to-report/index.html

This link describes the various ways that one should react to cyberbulllying and how to prevent it all together. Some of the advice it gives is to not respond to whoever is gong it and to block them. The only problem is that there are few people who are able to ignore the fact that they are being bullying and there are ways for cyberbullies to get around the act of being blocked. I think that the advances in technology are the main culprit for this occurrence.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was a man who believed in education being the most powerful tool anyone can have.  He believed in life long learning and thought very highly of teacher. I think if he were in our school and society class he was agree that it isn't about testing it is about becoming a life long learner. I think that we should look at he way he looked at teaching. One of his great legacies is the Africa Edcuation Initiative. The initiative helps train teachers and make them very aware of what is going on in Africa but also they train the teachers on how to let children learn and become life long learners. Some of the things I found interesting are all the teachers have a data base they can get information of off that helps with this new reading program for primary school. So they are incorporating some technology into schools in Africa. Although they don't talk in detail about what the reading program is, it says that now 85% of kids can read the materials.

Nelson Mandela was a very powerful man and if he believes in education being the most weapon i think we should pay attention to that and take notes on learning to be a lifelong learner and not to do good on a test.

http://literacyhub.org/documents/PNADG236.pdf

No child Left Untableted

The last few classes Mr. Glassman asked us questions about technology in the classrooms. We all had different opinions or some no opinion at all. Personally I found the questions hard to answer because I am so back and forth on this issue. I have found by reading this blog that many people are debating similarly. The article I found is actually an interview with Joel Klien Ceo of the company Amplify.  He discusses why technology is good for classrooms, and how the software would work. some of the key points that I found interesting is when he talks about children being able to work at different paces and the teacher getting feed back and giving feed back everyday. I think that the part where he says that the tablet would have a feature that the teach can send a message saying eyes on the teacher and all the scenes turn off. I am on the fence about this subject but I think this interview talks about a lot of the key points I am not sure about. One of the things they mention but don't go into detail about is where the money is going to come from. In the article it basically just says the money will come from spending it more wisely. I think this is the best way to put it, If they had a firm plan I feel like it would improve the idea and maybe even get people to take it more seriously. 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=225404574

The Class as a Whole

When I signed up for this course, I thought it was going to be a lot different than what it turned out to be. It also turned out to be way more interesting than I had originally imagined. I learned a lot about the different aspects of schools, and how they differ around the world, or even just in a different area of one town. This class made me learn more about myself as a person and forced me to really think about if I truly want to be a teacher or not. Learning about Professor Glassman's experiences as a teacher and our guest speakers that we had come in to talk to us about theirs was really beneficial, I think. Thanks for a great class everyone! http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_What_Makes_School/

Teaching as Art

Teaching as an art is something I've never really considered. I have always thought of it as a passion, but never as an art form. After taking this class and seeing all the alternative methods of teaching and the ways in which teachers are able to reach their students, it's astounding. I believe now that there is a true essence of art in this profession.
I found this article:

http://www.chicagonow.com/still-advocating/2013/10/good-teaching-is-an-art-not-a-mathematical-formula/ I think this really highlights how vital teachers are.

Bullying

We have been talking a lot about bullying in school lately. One of the topics that has been controversial is if you there always has to be an "other" I feel like there is no way you can not have an other group, but just because you do does not mean that there has to be angst or hate towards that other group. I think that it becomes a problem when individuals take it to a level when they seek out to hurt or torment the other group. That is when is becomes bullying. This article examines bullying in the classroom and how to stop it.

http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2011/06/25/bullying-in-the-classroom/

No amount of technology in the classroom will improve public schools until principals can fire bad teachers

http://cafehayek.typepad.com/hayek/2007/02/steve_jobs_on_t.html

The only way to get schools truly competitive is with vouchers tied to the student. That way entrepreneurs can create high quality schools, and "mom and dad" can send their child (and the money tied to him/her) to the best school available. The poor quality schools run out of students and go bankrupt, just like capitalism is supposed to work. Another benefit of vouchers is diversity in schools. It's not just being able to send your kid to the best school, but the best school that is right for their kid. Also, I find it amazing that my college education cost me less that the state paid for my high school years.

Tenure is a great idea with flawed execution. You can teach for what, 3-5 years, and then it basically takes an act of Congress to get you removed from your spot. Tenure was designed to protect teachers, but it also allows terrible teachers to stay teaching until retirement. Teachers' unions being overly powerful leaves me mystified as to why teachers are so consistently underpaid. The only thing the teaching profession has going for it is the security.

Technology in the Classroom

I was recently speaking to one of my friends who is a graphic design major. They are required to do a final project and he wanted to incorporate technology in the classroom for hers. I found it interesting because she talked how there is technology inside the classroom, but how you can extend it outside as well. I think that as a society there are a vast number of people who are very open to the idea of using technology inside the classroom, but many are opposed. Teachers don't want us to use laptops or phones, but why, when it can be a valuable resource.

http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html

ADHD Drugs Don't Boost Kids' Grades

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323368704578593660384362292.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet

The author writes, "Stimulants used to treat ADHD like Ritalin and Adderall are sometimes called "cognitive enhancers" because they have been shown in a number of studies to improve attention, concentration and even certain types of memory in the short-term." They don't fix motivation. The first treatment option offered children with ADHD is supposed to be behavioral therapy, not meds. Sadly, too many parents skip that step. If you're medicating your kid to avoid having to work with them, it stands to reason that the child isn't going to place a high value on hard work. The meds might help concentration, but that won't improve grades if they're concentrating on doodling. Positive reinforcement only works if it's guided. Just releasing dopamine by itself won't do anything but get the kid high.

To say the meds just improve concentration is an over simplification. The general populace has a very poor understanding of what ADHD is (I am not implying you do, i just mean it as a generic statement). ADHD is not a lack of concentration, in fact a tell tale feature of ADHD is hyperfocus. ADHD is a executive function disorder, i.e. folks with ADHD lack the ability to have self control which enables them to achieve their goals. Ironically they usually also lack the ability to switch tasks.

The supposition that a child that gets medicated will value hard work is very likely untrue (if there's good research that points to that I apologize for my ignorace). A very big challenge with ADHD medications is finding the right dose and the exact right amount. This may take anywhere between 3-4 months. If parents expect immediate results they will be disappointed. A lot of patients often quit before they've found their sweet spot because the side effects of the drugs are not exactly pleasant.

The antagonism towards medication for people who need it is unfair and disheartening to say the least, it's almost as bad as saying no to vaccines. The FDA launching its drug war by "cracking down" on ADHD meds is another asinine facet to this, but I digress.

Fear Gap

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/02/us/closing-a-fear-gap-so-children-can-achieve.html?ref=education&_r=0

In class we have talked a lot about achievement gaps and opportunity gaps, well this article talks about a gap produced by fears. In Texas, this former teacher and now union representative lead a professional development seminar to discuss this. There are many immigrants in Texas from Mexico, so many that now there are more Latinos students in the classroom than white students.

This Latino students face challenges like language barriers and the fear gap. They don't come from a society that is exactly the same as America, so many of the differences can be scary to a young child in school. There was a little boy at recess the author details who was afraid of a police car that drove by the school building. It is sad that there are so many gaps in our education system, but this fear gap is the most worrisome.

How To Be A Good Teacher?

As a future teacher there are many things the go through my mind about what it will take to be a teacher and to get through to kids to make a difference in their lives. So I took a chance and google "how to be a good teacher" while many websites came up, including wikiHow, I sorted through all of them and came to this little gem...

http://ideas.time.com/2013/09/06/what-makes-a-good-teacher/

This article comes from Time magazine and discusses a new documentary coming out called "TEACH" which documents teachers in Chicago and other inner cities and what it takes for them to be a good teacher. Davis Guggenheim directed this documentary along with Waiting For Superman, which we began watching in class, along with An Inconvenient Truth, the Al Gore documentary about the climate change. With that being said, you know it is going to be a good one based on the popularity of his two other documentaries. Not only is this documentary meant to open your eyes, it is also a call to action and the realization of that in the next decade we are going to need 2 million teachers, hopefully many that succeed as well as those in TEACH. I know that I will be watching this very soon, it premiered on CBS in September, and I believe that those of us continuing on to be teachers should do the same thing.

School and Society

I must say, when I entered this course I really didn't know what to expect. I definitely thought some education loving, try hard teacher may lecture us on how to adjust our teaching styles to today's society and we would read a million scholastic articles while writing papers and reviews for homework before being tested on outrageous amounts of material to pass the class. This class was nothing like I expected. I think the open mindedness brought to the table during every class period helped me grow as a learner and thinker. I also think, looking at education from different perspectives was helpful in these blog posts and will also be helpful as I pursue my teaching career, if I do that is. No, this class did not turn me off teaching, but it did remind me there are other ways to teach and careers I can have outside of teaching. I am so young, with so much life ahead of me, why be stuck with a decision I made after graduation from high school for the rest of my life? Essentially this class gave me the tools and assets to explore education, to look deeper into today's issues with education, and to do what truly makes me happy, so I don't end up like the miserable teachers that quit after a year or two in the classroom that we talked about in class! Overall, I had a good experience in this class, although some class discussion would really get me worked up, and some had me leaving more confused than when I entered the room, I am glad I was challenged, rather than just handed articles to read and analyze all semester. So thank you, professor Glassman :) I hope this still counts as a blog post?!

(this course's syllabus https://bluprd0112.outlook.com/owa/)

Bullying

As we have talked about bullying in pretty great depth these past few weeks, I found it interesting because this story about a teen just a few minutes down the highway that recently committed suicide had just surfaced. Although in this article they say bullying claims were false, other news and media is claiming otherwise and that's a problem and fault I think our school systems have with bullying: denial. I think that there is little to no reason a beautiful, kind, smart athlete would take her life at such a young age unless some kind of bullying was involved, adult, at school, in a relationship or otherwise. There is all kinds of bullying and just because someone doesn't spit on you at recess and call you names in the hallways doesn't mean it isn't happening. I think school's need to stop covering their own reputations and start doing more bully prevention. Every school has a guidance counselor speak with students about why we shouldn't bully and the cause and effects of it, but no kids realize the extremity of it until a tragedy such as this occurs. We need to stop bullying before more innocent, great lives are taken and the schools need to help.

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/gahanna/news/2013/11/25/kelsey-thompson-school-community-mourn-loss-of-outstanding-student.html

Substitute Teaching

I found this article, http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/07/18/36substitutes_ep.h31.html, discussing the main concerns society has with student teaching and the ways in which we look down upon it. I found this article interesting, however, wanted to expand on it. While teacher absentences are detrimental to the students, at the same time they can be very beneficial to future teachers. My mom did not study education nor get any degree in it, she subs every day and has for years, and I'm convinced she has a better relationship with students and is all around a better teacher than many of the teachers she subs for. Why does this matter you ask? Well, I purpose the idea that student teaching and then being released into your own classroom is too sudden and not enough preparation. I think all students, should be required to spend time as a sub in a classroom. See kids from a different angle, having bad days, or acting fled up due to their teacher being gone. Subbing is a whole new, much harder ball game that I personally think we don't value enough. I think it would be great experience for a future teacher to determine whether or not they are actually cut out for this career path.

Adult Bullying

We discussed in class that most education about bullying occurs in the younger grades, specifically elementary school. While, I personally think that this does not make any sense because more kids will be bullied, and severely affected by this bullying while they are in middle school and especially high school. A lot of the bullying may be cyber but it does not change how the bullying affects people. As Americans we do not expect to be bullied once we are out of high school and moving on into the adult chapters of our life, but yet it is still happening. Many people do not know what bullying looks like when it is done by adults, especially if it is in the workplace. They may think it was not being told about a meeting or just forgotten about, but it could actually be them being left out, repeatedly which could be bullying in the workplace.

http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/bullying/adult-bullying

 This website discusses the many different ways that workplace bullying could be portrayed and how to   help yourself if you are the one that is being bullied. This website lists these factors as ways that someone could be bullied in the workplace:

• Being left out from work-related social events
• Coworkers storming out of the work area when you enter
• Others regularly arriving late for meetings that you call
• Being given the “silent treatment”
• Not being given the praise you thought you deserved
• Being treated rudely or disrespectfully
• Coworkers refusing to help when you ask
• Spreading rumors about you that aren’t true and that nobody denies
• Being given little or no feedback about your performance
• Others responding slowly to requests that were important to you
• Being yelled or shouted at
• Receiving put-downs about your intelligence or competence
• Your telephone calls or other communications are ignored
• Your contributions are ignored
• Someone interferes with or sabotages your work
• Being the recipient of mean pranks
• Being lied to
• Being denied a raise or promotion without a valid reason
• Being given bigger workloads or shorter deadlines than coworkers
• Being accused of making a mistake on purpose
• A coworker throws a temper tantrum when you disagree with him
• Being put down in front of others

Why Teach the Basics

I wanted my last blog post to support my view on why teaching the fundamentals of math is more important than letting a computer do all your thinking for you……but I found something even better.  This link will take you to an article written by a math professor at John Hopkins University.  The article discusses why it’s important to learn the fundamentals of math…..and how mastering these fundamentals will help you to succeed in college.   I, however, have found three sentences in the beginning of the article that I just can’t seem to get out of my mind…..the sentences are as follows:

Early elementary school mathematics is the same for all students because these students should have                   all career options open to them.

The system must not fail to offer opportunity to all students.

Basics are for everyone.

For me, these three sentences really brought to light why all children should be taught the basics of all subjects in elementary school.  We talked about this in class multiple times….”why should I be taught about volcanoes if I am not interested in volcanoes.” Yadda yadda yadda….  The systems should be fair for all students.  Student A may love volcanoes.  Student B may hate them.  Teach student A and student B about volcanoes anyway….maybe student B will find out they are actually interested in volcanoes.  Student A may hate dinosaurs.  Student B may love them.  Teach both students about dinosaurs anyway…..they should each be given the same opportunity to decide if they enjoy the subject after given it a fair chance. 

To elaborate on the first sentence…we have no idea where our elementary students will be in 10 years when they are making decisions about their careers.  We need to be fair to every one of our students and give them the basic foundations of the core subjects…no exceptions.  It’s not my job as a teacher to decide which student will like which subject best…it’s my job to present each student with a solid foundation.  A basic knowledge of the subjects.  It’s my job to make the subjects fun to learn and understand.  It’s the student’s job to decide what they like best and what they want to elaborate on.  

What is the definition of Bullying to you?

Can schools isolate out bullying and become a place where all children/students are safe?  Its really hard to think of that being a possibility.  Every school has their problems especially with bullying.  Schools try to do everything they can do to prevent it in schools.  But its going to happen regardless of the effort. 

http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/definition/index.html This website defines bullying as a behavior that repeats itself over whether that be for the same reason or not.  When I read this it made me think.  Does that mean if you just do it once, your not being a bully and that’s just being mean? This brings up the question that we talked about in class.  I guess this website would define the event that if it happens once its being mean, but over and over its considered bullying.  I feel if you are being mean to someone in any behavior I think that’s being a bully to them, even if it is once.  You still shouldn't be doing this to the person. 

What do you think the definition of bullying is?  Do you agree with the websites definition? 

Key Features to A Effective School

After reading one of my peers post about school funding it made me think about what ultimately makes a school successful. Is it something bigger than good funding, educated teachers, and supportive administration? I came across an article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/10/24/five-key-features-of-effective-schools/) where the author talks about five key pillars for a effective school. I was interested to see that none of them had anything to do with money. They included:
• A coherent instructional guidance system, in which the curriculum, study materials, and assessments are coordinated within and across grades with meaningful teacher involvement;
• An effective system to improve professional capacity, including making teachers’ classroom work public for examination by colleagues and external consultants, and to enable ongoing support and guidance for teachers;
• Strong parent-community-school ties, with an integrated support network for students;
• A student-centered learning climate that identifies and responds to difficulties any child may be experiencing;
• Leadership focused on cultivating teachers, parents, and community members so that they become invested in sharing overall responsibility for the school’s improvement.

I think the most important factor in creating a successful school is having strong parent-community-school ties. With everyone being on the same page, there are more resources for students to use and more people trying to get students the best education possible. 

Calculators in Math Class

Math is one of my concentrations for my middle childhood education major, so it really interested me when Dr. Glassman talked about how calculators and technology could be ruining academic success. I for one don't think the advancement of calculators are making students any less smarter because student still need to know the concept of the material before they can even type anything in. This article, http://news.vanderbilt.edu/2008/08/calculators-okay-in-math-class-if-students-know-the-facts-first-62879/, would agree with me stating that, "... it is important children first learn how to calculate answers on their own, but after that initial phase, using calculators is a fine thing to do, even for basic multiplication facts."

Math, along with technology, is enhancing and becoming more complex. The material changes as time goes by and therefore, so does the teaching method and tools. It's not like the calculators are there telling us the answers to the problems, they're there to help us solve it quicker. It would be a hassle for students to have to multiply or take the square root of really long numbers. I think the purpose of technology in the classroom is to make teaching easier, not to think for us.

public school funding

My school district has put up 6 levies in the past three years. Each time, the levies have been largely voted down, but the truth is, my school district is in dire need of funding. Funding, I believe, it was mainly separates a good public school from a crappy one, and almost all public schools from almost any private school.

this article hits on frustrations many feel funding causes:
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/12/01/3348074/funding-model-for-public-schools.html

Funding really impacts a student's class size, course material, among other factors. One analogy I love is, when schools get unequal funding, it is like asking each school to compete in making the best poster; but one school might have crayons and printer paper available to use in the contest, while the next school has paint, glitter, and poster board. It is not difficult to pick which school would win.

Terrified Teacher

I absolutely love this article: http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/ProfessionalPreparation/PPDet/TabId/196/ArtMID/821/ArticleID/188/Helping-Student-Teachers-Face-Their-Fears.aspx

It talks all about the fears and hardships of new teacher's. This article really speaks to me, and hits close to home because I am facing so many fears and anxieties as the time between me and my future teaching career quickly narrows. I think today's society sheds such a negative light on the profession of teaching, teachers included, that it is hard not to be fearful. Many of us students currently studying education have countless conversations about how little of us there are left and whether or not we are making a good choice. I hope my fears of teaching subside and I am great someday, but after many of the stories I've heard, failure is always in the cards as well. Fingers crossed.

College Education

As we grow up, we turn 5 and 6 and learn what life has planned for us. If you come from one background, you may know that you'll drop out by high school,  join the gang all your family is in and make a living off robberies and killings. If you come from another background, you may know that you'll finish high school, only to go on to beauty school and become a beautician like many of you family members and marry a man with a nice job that will keep your family happy and stable. Or if you come from a background like me, I knew by age 6 I would go to college, graduate, get a job, get married and go on with life. The college part didn't seem trivial, it was just a given. I assumed college would be another stepping stone, 4 more years of high school to make it in the real world. Boy, was I wrong. I had no idea the kind of time and effort college took, or even getting into college takes! I also had no idea how different learning would be. College educations are almost imperative in today's society, and while I am extremely appreciative and grateful for mine, I also do not understand why they are so glorified. A lot of my education so far here, has been below par of what I expected. I had a lot more teacher's I would rave about to my parents in high school than professors in college. It's hard to value your education when so many teacher's stand in front of you and lecture you for 2 hours, 3 days a week, 15 weeks a year and then give you a huge exam to determine whether or not you should pass the class. I found an article about the salaries of college professors which I found interesting : http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/09/17/do-college-professors-deserve-a-living-wage/

Although I believe some professors deserve high wages and great salaries for how amazing they are, others, not so much. I do not say this to be a negative nancy, I just find it sad and scary some people pay so much, go in so much debt, for these college educations and some professors could care less about what they're teaching.

Private vs. Public

I find the arguments about public v. Private schools very fascinating since I grew up in, and graduated from a public school but my sisters go to private schools. It's a constant, classic family joke: which school is better, who's smarter, who will do better in life? Since we switched schools halfway through my siblings and my careers in school. I think there are many benefits to both schools systems. I think that I learned certain tools, and perspectives through going to a public school that my sisters may not learn tip they're much older. However, I think my sister's have learned certain values, and disciplines that I haven't yet, that will take an individual very far in life. It's hard to say whether one is better or worse. Honestly, I think it's very dependent upon the individual. Their families class status, their classroom and athletic performances, their test skills, and much more. I also think different private schools have different assists to offer. I think that many public school families assume private schools are all rich, snobs that don't want to help society grow, such as the author of this article:
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/08/private_school_vs_public_school_only_bad_people_send_their_kids_to_private.html

However, coming from a family of no rich snobs, I can attest. I think my parents would love public schools to better, since both of them teach in public schools. But, my parents know my sister's personalities and know they would not succeed as much in a public school as they do in their private schools.

Education has Direct Correlation with Economy

http://www.independent.com/news/2013/nov/29/education-strong-economy/?on


In this our class, we talked about the value of education in our society. Our government doesn't allocate nearly a much money to our education system as it does to our defense system. The education suffers because of under funding. When I was thinking about this, I wanted to look into the impact of education in our society.

The article above states that there is a direct correlation with our education and our economy. The stronger our education system is, the better our economy is because we have a smarter set of labor. If we expect to have a stronger world presence economically, then we need to invest in our education system. Politicians and voters need to understand this correlation and how it is vital to our country's success.

Effects of technology in the classroom

Technology in the classroom can be both beneficial and also not. Depending on how the teachers incorporate the technology, it could decrease motivation in students. However, technology that is integrated correctly, has the possibility to increase motivation and self-esteem in students. This article that I found online talks about this growing phenomenon: http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html. One thing it mentions that I found very interesting was the fact that kids were more motivated to complete work when it was an online task because they like to see immediate results. Seeing these results right away could possibly result in better self-esteem and in turn, this could increase students' motivation.

Effects of Technology in the Classroom

I really got to thinking about our discussion we had in class about the way technology can effect learning. Does it make one better at using resources and obtaining more information, or does it turn a student into a lazy, robotic type learner?
Honestly, I think the answer really does just depend on the person and the way the technology is used.
I found a really interesting article on the Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-astore/of-moocs-and-technology-o_b_3967397.html.
In the article, the writer talks about MOOC's, or Massive Open Online Courses, that he participated in while studying in the Air Force. He talks about how hard it is to give education the "spark" that it does in real life; it is hard to inspire children or even adults over the internet without personal social experience. He mentions that the classes were very mundane, in that you study the information, memorize it for the tests, and then he completely forgot everything he was taught. It can be hard to get creative with teaching methods over the internet, sometimes things are limited and it can be tricky to make the information engaging and not simply tests.
I think that this is something that is very important to keep in mind while we are trying to decide how much technology we should include in future education. Yes, technology has it's many upsides. It can be wonderful for students who think better with technological resources. Sometimes computer games or something of the like can be more fun to some students than a traditional hands-on experience. It allows for collaboration. With the internet at our fingertips, it can give us access to so many resources and new types of information that one teacher just simply cannot have in their mind. Finally, it can also allow students to become more independent and teach them how to learn by looking for resources.
However, it is important to remember how truly vital it is not to let this take control. Students need to have a base knowledge that can help them know how to look for these resources in the first place. They need to have some kind of knowledge already in their brains that we humans don't become so reliant on technology to give us answers all the time.
In my opinion, a good balance of technology and hands-on personal experience is key to having a successful education program in the future.

Teaching Teachers to Use Technology

I believe that as a nation we need to start incorporating technology in our classroom and I'm not the only one who thinks that. This article (http://education.tamu.edu/news-archive/2013/11/training-future-educators-integrate-technology-classroom) is about a course offered for future teachers to learn how to use technology in their classroom. The class prepares teachers for possible outcomes when using technology. The course wants teachers to use technology safely and responsibly and to be prepared for any situation that could arise.

The article talked about how technology to keep kids who are out sick, in the loop. I found this very interesting and really something I had never thought about. I can't decided what my opinion of that would be. When a child is sick the last thing they want to do is lay in bed and listen to their teacher teach them something they are probably not absorbing fully. I think this type of technology would be great for a kid who was suspended. But with all this technology I wonder will the need for physical schools diminish when kids can just attend school online?

Math and Calculators in the classroom.

 After having discussed the use of calculators in class on Wednesday, I decided to take a deeper look at the affect of calculators on students' maths kills

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/06/math_learning_software_and_other_technology_are_hurting_education_.html

This article talks about how calculators are ruining math. It also talks about how the common core is doing nothing to promote areas such as math and science.

A quote from the article says:

Computer technology, while great for many things, is just not much good for teaching, yet. Paradoxically, using technology can inhibit understanding how it works. If you learn how to multiply 37 by 41 using a calculator, you only understand the black box. You’ll never learn how to build a better calculator that way

It's a pretty long article, but it makes some good points, including: new text books make terrible analogies and make math confusing. Old text books are superior. It also appears that technology is being forced into the classroom, which doesn't help anyone.

cyberbullying

After our discussion on Monday about cyberbullying, I went online and found an article that gives step by step how to respond to cyberbullying. http://www.growingwireless.com/be-aware/cyberbullying?gclid=CLiGzrPWirsCFYl9OgodK2gAdg. One of the big things the article focused on how to respond to cyberbullying, was educating the parents. They suggest the parents get more knowledge about social networks. Before giving your child permission to join a social network, the suggest that you figure out how to block and protect your child from bully's. As I think this was a good idea, with good intentions, I however think a bully may not be who a parent would suspect. Often times parents are unaware that bully's can actually be one of your child's friends or someone you thought was your child's friend. Cyberbullying is seen more with technology becoming bigger. I think cyberbullying is something that needs to be taken seriously and if your child says someone is bullying them on the internet, take care of the problem immediately.

Technology Taking Over

             In class Monday we discussed whether or not technology is benefitting students. I do believe technology has provided students with useful tools for education such as search engines and the Internet. I think these tools allow students to be self-sufficient researchers. I also think educational video games and digital presentations with flexible teaching styles are good because they allow students to become engaged in learning on their own terms. However, I found a New York Times article written by Matt Richtel (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/01/education/technology-is-changing-how-students-learn-teachers-say.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1) that discusses teacher’s complaints about new technology.

            I think a teacher’s opinion is very important because they spend so much time with children every day and experience first-hand changes in learning over the years. The complaints are the same no matter what grade level; attention spans are dwindling due to the constant use of digital technology. Teachers have to work harder at keeping their student’s interested and engaged. According to the Richtel, “media use among children and teenagers ages 8 to 18 has grown so fast that they on average spend twice as much time with screens each year as they spend in school… there is mounting indirect evidence that constant use of technology can affect behavior, particularly in developing brains, because of heavy stimulation and rapid shifts in attention.” Technology is causing a shift in how students learn. Instead of fixing the problem teachers are adding to it by changing their lessons to accommodate the easily distracted generation.

             I think there are serious consequences such as the decline of analysis and depth in handwritten work, decline in the ability to persevere in the face of challenging tasks, poor face to face communication skills and poor critical thinking. Students have a “Wikipedia problem” because they are conditioned to have any information they want in a few clicks of a button. According to Richtel, “students’ ability to focus and fight through academic challenges is suffering an exponential decline… the decline most sharply in students whose parents allowed unfettered access to television, phones, iPads and video games.” I know I personally am very distracted by my phone and laptop in and out of class. Using these devices can sometimes make reality uninteresting.

             I think people need more skills than working devices, typing and researching. Students need to know how to figure things out for themselves and problem solve without relying on technology. We do not know for sure what will happen in the future, systems could fail, the economy could suffer, and we might not always have access to this technology. If we can just  learn everything through a screen, why would we hire teachers? And go to class? We need that social aspect at school as well. We need cannot rely fully on objects. It supports the idea that we as humans are inadequate.

The Negative Effects of Using Technology in the Classroom

In class on Monday we discussed how the Internet has impacted education. Most of us growing up had dial up internet, MSN messenger, and AOL instant messenger. Now it seems that a new smartphone is coming out every few months not to mention tablets and apps. There are so many new technologies now than ever before. We debated in class over whether or not students should use a calculator to enter 5x5 or whether they should learn the basics of multiplication. Most of us agreed in contrast to what Dr. Glassman believes and that is that students still need to be taught the basics. Like someone mentioned in class if a student just enters 5x5 into a calculator or on a laptop they won't understand the concept of multiplication. I think technology is a great thing when it is used in a way that will enhance students' knowledge. Using technology in classrooms can have some downfalls though. I found an article that highlights several of the negative effects technology can have on the classroom. It mentions how technology is being used more than ever before, but that it can do a disservice to students such as that it can take away valuable learning time, it can be overused, and it can also turn educational experiences into games for students. "If the teacher and students are not experienced with technology in the classroom, valuable time is often wasted on technical troubles." I remember when I was in high school we would have to just sit and wait while she tried to mess with the smartboard. That time was just wasted and no learning occurred. Overusing technology in the classroom can lead to a variety of problems. "Many students learn best by physically and mentally interacting with what they are studying. If most of the teaching is done using a computer, these students' needs are not being met." What many students in class were trying to say is that "technology should be used to supplement the classroom curriculum, but should not be used as the sole source of learning" as the article points out. The article also states that often times students associate computers and technology with game playing and that if teachers don't address that then students will easily get distracted and off task. The link for the article is http://classroom.synonym.com/negative-effects-using-technology-todays-classroom-4130.html if you are interested in reading more. Technology is a great thing when used appropriately and the most important and should only be used as a supplement to the classroom curriculum.

Ways to Prevent Cyberbullying

             As we have been discussing in class, bullying has become a serious issue. Cyberbullying is one of the bigger bullying issues going on right now especially with the continuing advances in technology. I believe it’s hard for many of us at our age to really connect with those youth that are being cyberbullied because we grew up in a time where there weren’t as many opportunities for this to happen. The hardest part about someone being cyberbullied is the fact that it happens behind a screen, and no one may even know that it is occurring. The bully may feel more confident in bullying because they are not directly saying it to someone’s face, and the person who is getting bullied may feel ashamed of themselves and feel that they are able to hide what is going on behind the screen. This can create difficult issues because then no one may know that bullying is going on and it cannot be stopped. Just as there are ways that people and schools are trying to prevent bullying in schools through prevention programs, there are ways to try and prevent and recognize signs of cyberbullying. This article I found at http://www.reputation.com/reputationwatch/articles/how-recognize-and-prevent-cyberbullying lists ways in which parents can try to prevent cyberbullying. Some ways in which it lists are to keep a computer in a central location in the house, joining the social network themselves, monitor the children’s use of the internet, and teaching them to keep their personal information private. One idea that I thought was interesting was working with the teachers and other parents. This would allow parents and teachers to have a relationship and if they are able to find another student who is cyberbullying, they can work to put an end to it together. With the dramatic increase of cyberbullying and the fact that technology will only keep advancing, I think it is important to keep parents and teachers aware of ways that they can prevent any kind of bullying from going on. 

Who is to Blame

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/11/27/mother-of-bulliedgirlpushesforantibullyinglaw.html


In class we have talked a ton about bullying. Why is there bullying: is it part of the human condition or is it due to individuals' need to exert power? Also, there was an issue about if bullying is just people being mean or if being mean was a separate issue. I am glad we are talking about bullying because as future educators, we will definitely have this as a problem in our classrooms.

As a future educator and hopefully future parent, I think that it is important to teacher a child that bullying is bad and it is good to stand up to a bully. This article is about a mom suing over her twelve year old daughter's feather and the mother is blaming two girls who supposedly bullied her daughter. I do not mean to be rude or disrespectful to the mom or her daughter, but blaming her daughter's suicide on just the two bullies is wrong.

We know that there will be bullying and we can't change that fact, but we can equip our children with tools to combat bullying. If the mom had talked to her daughter and tried to see if anything was bad at school and if the mom had built up her daughter's confidence or if the mom had talked to her daughter about bullying, then maybe this tragedy wouldn't have happened. We know that there are many victims out there, so we should talk to children openly and tell them to have the inner confidence to stand up for themselves. The blame can't always be put on the bullies, we should equip our children to battle the bullies and stand up for themselves.

5 Ways to Prevent Bullying

5 ways to prevent bullying according to this website:

We’ve been talking a lot about how to prevent bullying.  So I decided to search around on the web and see what others people are doing to prevent bullying.  I came across the website edutopia which provides a lot of resources to school related topics such as bullying.  One of the articles I found gives five practical ways to prevent bullying…..

#1. Recognize and Respond

                It’s important to indicated what is considered bullying and to inform others to be aware of it when/if they encounter bullying.  The site suggests making an action plan to follow if you are ever bullied.   This will help you to have an idea of what to do if you are ever in the situation.

#2. Create Dialogue

                I think that most issues can be resolved when there is dialogue.  I think this is especially helpful if there is a 3^rd party, such as a mediator, who can facilitate dialogue.

#3. Encourage Bystanders to Become “Upstanders”

The more people who stand up for those being bullied, and do not bully back, the easier it will be to end the bullying.

#4. Foster Safety and Inclusion

                Environments that are welcoming and non-judgmental will encourage acceptance rather than fighting/bullying.

#5. Educate Your Community

If we all work together, then chances of ending bullying will be greater.

I think my favorite suggestion is #3 to encourage bystanders to become “upstanders”.  If we see bullying and we don’t stand up for the victim are we not at fault for the bullying as well?

Aziz Ansari Against Bullying!

Yesterday I was bored, you know hanging out with the home dogs and decided to watch Aziz Ansari's new stand up comedy on Netflix.  It was really funny.. I mean, he's always funny. During the show, he mentioned how he watched the documentary, Bully.  He said he was really touched from this movie, which I can definitely relate (I feel like we all can). He talks about how these mean bully kids need to be stopped and that the school staff seemed to have done nothing about this issue.  I could not find a clip of him talking about this issue from his stand up comedy show, but I did find this clip of him talking about this issue on Conan,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pClqS1gJT8E. The two are very similar. Start it at 1:35 to hear the two talk about the issue of bullying. It is really funny but it has some seriousness to it!

I think it's awesome that he is speaking out about this ongoing issue that many students (people) face.  I hope that this will eventually help reduce the amount of occurrences! 

Technology in Elementary School.

Here is an article that gives suggestions on how teachers can incorporate technology into their elementary school classrooms. After reading this article, there were definitely some good suggestions. Most schools try to focus on incorporating technology into their high school and maybe middle school. This shows that technology can be used even with elementary students. I liked how they warned teachers to use technology to enhance the material they want to teach. They further explained that technology should not be used just to say they used technology. They also mentioned how you can give students clickers so that the teacher can see what they are learning. I have never really thought about doing this for younger students. But it really does make sense. You are increasing the active student responding that will keep the kids engaged... and they will probably have fun doing it too! It was also nice that they mentioned that at Forest Lake Elementary (the school the article is written about), none of the technology equipment had been broken beyond repair! I think this is something that a lot of teachers may be worried about. Even the younger kids value technology and want to take good care of the equipment.

Cyber bully stats

I found an article online reporting some statistics about cyber bullying. Cyber bullying is a lot more prevalent than I think a lot of people realize. The article mentions that over half of all adolescents are cyber bullied and 1 in 3 have been threatened online. These stats are a little alarming to me just because of how high they are. It is sad to know that things like this go on in the technology world, but I think the biggest problem with it is that no one knows what exactly to do about it. That worries me because I don't think it is going to ever stop any time soon.
http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html

Bullying Prevention Grades 6-12

We all know that bullying is a major issue for people of all ages, from the day we are born until the day we die, we will all discover bullying. Even when we are out of school and don't think that we would be bullied by adult peers, it happens, it is a way of life for people. We have discussed in class how anti bullying is included in early education, but there is little to no discussion of it in upper level grades and especially in adulthood. Especially in high school bullying becomes mainly cyberbullying and it is when parents aren't able to see it along with teachers. Teachers and parents are not as open to being on the social media sites that students use and therefore may not even notice that the bullying is occurring. The link that I'm providing is to a curriculum for teachers to use for grades 6-12 nd it mainly focuses on cyberbullying.

Cyber Bullying - A Prevention Curriculum for grades 6-12 - Hazelden

This program strives toward achieving the following results:

• Raise students’ and parents’ awareness of what cyber bullying is and why it is so
  harmful.
  
• Equip students with the skills and resources to treat each other respectfully when
  they use cyber technologies; and help students know how to get help if they, or
  others they know, are being cyber bullied.
  
• Equip students with the skills to use cyber technologies in positive ways.
  

Cyberbullying vs. Traditional Bullying

In class we discussed the differences between cyber-bullying and traditional bullying. This website (https://sites.google.com/site/cyberbullyingawareness/traditional-bullying-vs-cyberbullying) talked about the differences and similarities. I found the most interesting part to be that cyber-bullying has longer lasting negative effects than traditional bullying. Traditional bullying is done face to face which is much harder to do than behind an online profile. Because of the anonymity of the internet it's easier for bullies to being meaner, more aggressive, and have a bigger impact. The website mentions that while traditional bullying can only happen during the school day, but cyber-bullying can be all day everyday. It doesn't have to stop. That's terrifying, I can't imagine logging on regardless of what time it is and potentially having a nasty message waiting for me every time. I think with more and more technology the worst cyber-bullying will become.

I wonder that if a cyber-bully gets caught cyber-bullying if they will learn their lesson or just resort to the traditional at school bullying?

Cyber Bully or Cyber Meany?

When trying to define the word "bully", I had a hard time distinguishing it from just being mean. I think bullying might be a severe case of meanness. A good point was brought up in class, that for it to be bullying it means it has been going on for an extended time rather than just one incident. I definitely consider cyber bullying to be bullying rather than just being mean. If the victim is feeling emotionally abused, tormented or attacked, it is up to the victim to decide if it is just another kid being mean or if they are bullying. 

Here are some definitions I found from a Psychology Today article that I thought had some pretty good distinctions between being rude, mean, or bullying.

Rude = Inadvertently saying or doing something that hurts someone else.
From kids, rudeness might look more like burping in someone’s face, jumping ahead in line, bragging about achieving the highest grade, or even throwing a crushed up pile of leaves in someone’s face. On their own, any of these behaviors could appear as elements of bullying, but when looked at in context, incidents of rudeness are usually spontaneous, unplanned inconsideration, based on thoughtlessness, poor manners, or narcissism, but not meant to actually hurt someone.

Mean = Purposefully saying or doing something to hurt someone once (or maybe twice.)
The main distinction between “rude” and “mean” behavior has to do with intention; while rudeness is often unintentional, mean behavior very much aims to hurt or depreciate someone. Kids are mean to each other when they criticize clothing, appearance, intelligence, coolness, or just about anything else they can find to denigrate. Meanness also sounds like words spoken in anger—impulsive cruelty that is often regretted in short order. Very often, mean behavior in kids is motivated by angry feelings and/or the mis-guided goal of propping themselves up in comparison to the person they are putting down. Commonly, meanness in kids sounds an awful lot like:
• “Are you seriously wearing that sweater again? Didn’t you just wear it, like, last week? Get a life.”
• “You are so fat/ugly/stupid/gay.”
• “I hate you!”
Make no mistake; mean behaviors can wound deeply and adults can make a huge difference in the lives of young people when they hold kids accountable for being mean. Yet, meanness is different from bullying in important ways that should be understood and differentiated when it comes to intervention.

Bullying = Intentionally aggressive behavior, repeated over time, that involves an imbalance of power.
Experts agree that bullying entails three key elements: an intent to harm, a power imbalance, and repeated acts or threats of aggressive behavior. Kids who bully say or do something intentionally hurtful to others and they keep doing it, with no sense of regret or remorse—even when targets of bullying show or express their hurt or tell the aggressors to stop.
Bullying may be physical, verbal, relational, or carried out via technology:
• Physical aggression was once the gold standard of bullying—the “sticks and stones” that made adults in charge stand up and take notice. This kind of bullying includes hitting, punching, kicking, spitting, tripping, hair-pulling, slamming a child into a locker, and a range of other behaviors that involve physical aggression.
• Verbal aggression is what our parents used to advise us to “just ignore.” We now know that despite the old adage, words and threats can, indeed, hurt and can even cause profound, lasting harm.
• Relational aggression is a form of bullying in which kids use their friendship—or the threat of taking their friendship away—to hurt someone. Social exclusion, shunning, hazing, and rumor spreading are all forms of this pervasive type of bullying that can be especially beguiling and crushing to kids.
• Cyberbullying is a specific form of bullying that involves technology. According to Hinduja and Patchin of the Cyberbullying Research Center, it is the “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.” Notably, the likelihood of repeated harm is especially high with cyberbullying because electronic messages can be accessed by multiple parties, resulting in repeated exposure and repeated harm.

Bullying verus Being Mean..

We started out our discussion today in Dr. Glassman's class and he asked if there is a difference between being mean and being a bully and like some other people stated I think there is. I don't have an exact number but bullying is repetitive aggression towards someone while being mean is taking your frustration out on someone once. I found an article that sets up two scenarios one showing a girl (Sophie) being mean and another showing a girl (Isabella) putting another girl down and singling her out on purpose.
The article then goes onto talk about how scenario one isn't bullying because this girl gets mad at another girl for trying to sit with her. The girl was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sophie was mad about a lot of things that had gone wrong that day and she took her anger out on this girl. She was trying to single her out this girl just happened to come up and wanted to sit with her while Sophie just wanted to be left alone. Later Sophie apologizes for being mean and explains it was wrong of her to take her anger out on this girl. The second scenario is about a girl Isabella who purposely puts this girl (Chloe) down because Chloe "stole" Isabella's lead role in a play and is becoming more popular than her. Isabella decided that she would start spreading rumors about Chloe and make sure that no one wanted to be her friend. Isabella took pride out of Chloe being sad. I think this article does a great job of showing the difference between someone who is being mean because they are angry about something and someone being mean and deliberately becoming a bully.
The article then goes on to talk about how bullying is portrayed differently than someone who is just being mean and a bully usually bully's someone because they want to feel better about themselves. Someone is mean usually because they are having a rough day and our taking their frustration out on someone but not on purpose and they usually feel bad about it at some point. Bullies don't usually feel bad about their actions.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/teen-angst/201211/mean-vs-bullying

Why Integrate Technology Into The Curriculum?

In class today, Professor Glassman asked us what place does technology have in school. I agree with a lot of what you all were saying, that there should be a curriculum that incorporates technology into the classroom but it should not be used without a foundation of learning the concepts of whatever lesson is being taught.As far as the calculator debate today, students should definitely not rely on a calculator, the basics need to be learned first and simple math should be able to be done in our heads or on paper.
Technology should not always be used as shortcuts in life and I think it's important to apply that when teaching with technology. We should want to use our brains still and not completely rely on machines and technology. (Has anyone seen WALL-E?) I thought of all the technology they had and how it made them lazy and dependent on it.

Anywho, I wanted to look into why it is important to integrate technology in the classroom and came across this article. I liked this article because it gives an obvious reason that is a great argument on its own. The fact that our world is advancing in technology, requires us to get involved. Learning how to use technology is beneficial in keeping current with the world and our studies. The article states that when properly used, technology will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly technological knowledge-based economy. The article also says that technology changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means.

Do you agree? Or can technology in the classroom pose as a distraction? Should teachers be required to teach with technology and be familiar with how to use it?

Bullying Turns to Tragedy

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/16/us/felony-charges-for-2-girls-in-suicide-of-bullied-12-year-old-rebecca-sedwick.html?_r=4&

When I read this article I was heartbroken at the tragedy of a 12 year old girl taking her own life. The thing that disgusted me was when I realized after seeing Bully that this is a widespread problem and not just an isolated incident. The truly despicable thing is that the attacker showed no remorse after stalking, harassing, and mentally torturing the victim. The thing is that as future teachers, it's hard to say what is appropriate and what's inappropriate as far as intervention in the situation. Everyone jumps at the chance to blame the school, but nobody knows what to do. When Mr. Glassman asked us in class what, as teachers, we would do about bullying, I suddenly realized how difficult of a situation it is.

Thanks to the internet, cyber-bullying like the case in this article, is impossible to remain anonymous. The part that sucks is that putting something on the internet is nearly permanent, and can be a constant reminder of the hurt even after the insult is first thrown. Luckily, the police were able to apprehend this young girl, and charges will be pressed against her. But, I think that the responsibility for cyber-bullying lies with the parents, despite the fact that it's usually a conflict between students. Schools don't have access to what goes on at home on computers or even cell phones.

However, the bigger problem of bullying in general, and at school in particular, is a big issue. I think it's important that schools have qualified counselors who are invested in the children's lives, and are able to freely talk to children and parents and find out what's going on, and help settle disputes between students. Also, it's important that teachers and administrators monitor the students during common free time, like lunch periods or recesses. Cooperation between the faculty and parents is crucial, and having a strong, well functioning PTA is a way to create the sort of community that can change situations, so if a PTA is lacking, it's important that the faculty cultivate better relationships.  These aren't revolutionary ideas, they've been done, but schools that lack in any of these areas, are doomed to suffer at the hands of bullies.

How to Deal With a Bully

In class, Dr. Glassman faced us with a very tough question that arises in the seemingly endless bullying cycle. In the midst of all the campaigns to stop bullying, we have children who are being hurt, so how do we actually deal with a bully? This includes being the victim and being the parents of the victim.
We all know how tough this situation is, especially since it can be so hard to deal with a loved one who is being bullied. Like we discussed in class, the first thing we want to do is to beat the snot out of the bully, which is very irrational. And as we have heard before so many times, although it is a natural reaction, it is not the reaction that will give us the most beneficial results. It will only "fuel the fire" so to speak, leaving both parties guilty of hurtful actions and where both the victim and the bully are seen as equal, which is not why you would have acted in the first place.
From personal experience and from observing others, I can attest to the fact that bullying comes from some kind of personal problem or self esteem issue. Most "bullies" or even plain mean people do what they do because they have some kind of issue. Even if they are doing it just for kicks, that definitely hints at something wrong with their behavior/attitudes. They need some kind of release for their personal issue, and as we know from modern psychology, projection (taking inner conflict and taking it out on someone else) is a common issue that is used when dealing with problems within ourselves.
Therefore, the best thing to do with a child/family who has to deal with bullying is just to stick it out. As parents, be supportive. Although we did talk about how this is not always possible, it is important. It is important to make home feel like a place where the child can talk about what is going on, vent their feelings and emotions, and receive love and support and positive encouragement. Home or being with family is an important safety net for a child who feels as though they are being bullied. As a child, the most important thing to do is what we have been told from the beginning: ignore it. Bullying is a problem with self-esteem for the bully; they are trying to project their inner feelings onto others. The best way to stop it? Don't let that happen. The best thing for a victim to do is to keep confident and make it seem as though the bullies efforts are a waste of time and they are not making you feel any different about yourself. From what I have noticed, this usually ends the bully's ways and can in truth reveal their behavior to others.
Here are some further tips on ways to keep your self image positive and how to ignore bullies:
http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/bullies.html#