3 articles

The first article I chose to read and discuss is, Blogging in the Classroom: A Preliminary Exploration of Student Attitudes and Impact on Comprehension. This article was written by Nicole B. Ellison and Yuehua Wu. The main focus of their article is emphasizing the importance of technology in the classroom, specifically, blogging. The authors explain how there are many advantages to students blogging and how it can impact them inside and outside of the classroom. The research the authors conducted is evidence to support their thoughts on blogging. In the next paragraph I will name a variety of ways students can benefit from blogging and how technology in the classroom is a new way of learning for students.

This document states that students ranging from ages 8-18 spend 6 ½ hours a day using some form of technology. They usually use more than one at a time which makes their use of technology up to 8 hours a day. With the way students and young generations use technology these days, it would be wise to incorporate that with education. This article explains that reading blogs by other people helps students understand the course concept easier and faster. It also exposes students to new viewpoints. Using blogs on the internet allows students to express themselves freely and cooperate amongst each other, and the communication between the students and faculty increases. Studies in this article show that student engagement and learning increases through the use of blogging in the classroom. Another study explained that students now a day spend more time on the internet than in the library. The library is a good foundation for learning but as the resources to students continue to grow so must their accessibility to technology. Blogging enables students to write creatively and this also is a far stretch from typing an assignment and submitting it or handing in a traditional journal. When students share blogs they are reaching a bigger audience and this also highlights the individual. Blogs also build confidence, knowledge of the internet, and help students become more computer literate. The software skills gained by using blogs will be able to be used in other academic courses and in the student’s future even outside the classroom. Students also negotiate meanings of different blogs which the article showed is rewarding to students. Using a discussion board for blogging will remind students to check their other classes while online and this will translate to higher grades. Blogging allows students to create, compile, and edit. This will let the students see the progress of their work. This use of technology transfers responsibility and will enhance the attention span of students. This will transfer to other curriculum and students will pay more attention in school over all. Self knowledge, technology and organization skills development, and critical thinking skills are skills that can be enhanced through the use of blogging. Blogging is not simply used in the classroom as people can write about a particular subject over a sustained period of time. Conversations can be initiated through the use of blogging. If one person starts a blog, a person can follow up by responding to that blog and this starts a back and forth conversation between the two people blogging. Learning can be understood in a new manner and students will see the relevance of what they are learning instead of attempting to gain the knowledge in a textbook or work sheet. Both authors did an excellent job of naming the benefits from blogging in the classroom, they noted that this use of technology appeals to the students, helps their writing skills, and gives the student a chance to reflect on what they are writing after seeing it published online.

The second article I chose to elaborate about is Games and Simulations by Nathan Balassubramanian. This is another article highlighting the benefits of technology in education and how teachers can grasp student’s attention through games and simulations. There are various elements to gaming and simulations that are discussed in this article. The author mentioned how teachers choose which games to display for their students, where to look for these games, which games should be used, and how teachers evaluate the use of these games after students have used the games. In the following paragraph I will discuss how students can learn from different games and simulations and apply them to real life situations beyond the classroom.

The introduction of this article describes people using games are problem solvers, creative thinkers, more confident, and are more social. This is a clear example of how using games or simulations can help students outside of the classroom and beyond their academic studies. The introduction explains how students want learning to be fun, engaging, hands on, challenging, interactive, and thought provoking. If students find what they are learning engaging and fun they will desire to learn more and retain the information at a higher rate. Critics will offer that technology in the classroom, specifically games will be too much entertainment and not enough education but if the games are challenging students will still be learning and find their task at hand interesting. Student’s attention span can be very short because they are not intrigued by what they are learning and their minds often wonder or are not focused on the lesson plan. This would be eliminated by teachers using games or simulations in their lesson plan. The article describes how males and females are both intrigued by the use of games in the classroom. If both sexes enjoy this use of technology, then the whole class can benefit from games and simulations. Strategic thinking takes place through the challenging games as students have to be set goals and plans to conquer whatever level they are on. Students can also experiment, recognize patterns, and their decision making will be tested as the games will have time constraints. Studies in this article point out that student’s retention in math, physics, and language arts have all gone up. This is very pivotal because these games will help students learn and keep information for more than one subject. Teachers in different subjects will agree to apply these games and simulations to their lesson plans and both students and teachers will benefit. The research conducted for this topic highlights how games can be used for instructional purposes for math and science. Information processing, social development, academic ability, cognitive objectives being formed, process skills, students-centered learning, affective objects, and a sense of completion were all listed as outcomes students will gain through using games and simulations. Due to the fact challenging games will be used, students will use perseverance to answer the questions correctly and complete the different levels the game offers. Students will experiment with these new games and this discovery learning will lead to qualitative learning. After students begin to master the games and get a feel for them they can create and design their own games that can be used for educational purposes. Participation in the classroom will increase and the desire to learn new material will also rise. Teachers control the classroom when they are in front of the class lecturing or reading an article from a book, but students will feel in control when they are guiding their way through the games and simulations. This will be new to students and they will feel more empowered. In order for teachers to choose the correct games for students they will need to examine the content of the game, usability, quality, and if it is appropriate for the age group learning. There are many other beneficial ways games and simulations can help students inside and outside of the classroom but I have mentioned the arguments for games in a classroom that stand out the most in this arguement.

The third and final article I read was Adult Learner Participation in an Online Degree Program: A Program-Level Study of Voluntary Computer-Mediated Communication. This article stood out to me because I am currently in an online masters program through the University of Toledo. My whole program is online and this article highlights the student’s participation and how effective it is for them to be successful in a program such as mine. The article states how online programs have become more and more popular since the 1990s. With technology continuing to grow, this does not come as a surprise. This study explained that 2/3 of major universities have an online program. Colleges continue to work on offering more courses online as well as more teachers to teach these courses. This is a direct impact from an improving performance of students in these programs, the rise of more online courses and programs being offered, and the feed back universities get from their students. The introduction to this article discusses how research has shown how some students respond better to online courses and participation than face to face. It is said that America’s number one fear is public speaking. As a communication major, I did a lot of public speaking for my undergraduate degree. Although it did not bother me, I noticed it bothered a lot of other students. Without meeting face to face in an online program, students will be more eager to learn and give their all without worrying about the fear of public speaking. The introduction also mentioned how these online programs reflect on specific issues, build social networks, and encourage interactivity. As noted earlier participation is very important to the success of an online course and program. There are three factors that the reading mentioned that effect participation. Student’s experiences with online courses, the class, and the instructor are pivotal to a smooth transition to courses that are online. During my undergraduate tenure at The University of Toledo I had taken a few online courses that made the transition pretty easy for my program. The class is also important because if the student is taking a class where they need to be present to learn then they might want to take a class in a classroom. The instructor is the last factor the reading mentioned that will impact the effectiveness and participation of the student. I have had great teachers so far for my master’s online program and I am extremely thankful for that. If the teacher is not willing to communicate clearly or explain their assignments in detail then the program or course will be a failure. The instructor must also have an ample amount of patience because students will have questions and want to receive direct answers if something is not clear. I know in our current course, we have encountered several issues with programs not loading or being accessible at the time needed, and luckily Dr. Lambert has been patient enough to work with us and be understanding when something is not working properly. Finally, the study discusses how students at a major university participated in orientation to adapt to the program they would be entering soon. At orientation the students broke the ice with one another and did assignments that were relevant to the classes they would be taking. This proved beneficial to the students because they got a feel for what kind of work they would be doing. With people on the move and having busy schedules, it is not always easy to meet face to face and have class in a classroom. Technology growing and expanding allows students and instructors to meet in distance learning programs and virtual worlds and still learn valuable learning tools. I am glad I chose this article because I was able to learn how other students are adapting to online courses and their response and reaction to not meeting in class but in a distance learning program.

Theory assignment

C. Rogers discusses the purposes of experiential learning and how beneficial it is for a learner to feel involved during the learning process. Rogers begins by explaining the difference between cognitive learning and experiential learning. He describes cognitive learning as meaningless, while experiential is significant. I chose this theory because I found it very important that Rogers addressed the needs of a learner. Personal involvement, self interest, and the effects on the learning on what is being learned are critical to the evaluation the learner puts on this process. As many articles and movies throughout this course have stated, if the learner is not interested or intrigued by what they are learning they will most likely zone it out or not be as tuned in. With the learner seeing positive effects of what has been learned they will push themselves to learn more and have a new desire to learn new information. Rogers discusses the learner being initiated by self interest when something is being learned that is interesting. Many websites we have reviewed in this course mention that traditional learning through textbooks do not keep the attention span of students and this style is outdated. Using the internet in the classroom would be an example of experiential learning. The internet covers so much information and there is something out there that everyone can relate to. Another aspect of experiential learning is personal change and growth. This involves the eagerness of one to learn and the role of the teacher is to facilitate this learning. Just as the other websites have mentioned throughout this semester, it is the teacher’s role to create a lesson plan that is educational and that the students can relate to. The principles in Roger’s theories include: learning taking place when the subject matter is relevant to the learner, there is little threat to the learner, and when the learner is self motivated. Rogers does an excellent job of summarizing his theory by giving examples of how education can be fundamental and exciting at the same time. His research and principles are a great example of how he supports his information through the research that he conducted.

Teachers can apply Roger’s theory to their lesson plan by reviewing what students are most interested in and applying that to a lesson plan. This is similar to using the internet in the classroom where teachers must carefully choose how they want to use the student’s interest in an educational format. Rogers mentioned the learner being open to change and that will lead to them opening up and grasping new information. In the same respect if the teacher is open to change they can see listening to their students could be beneficial because this could lead to more students excelling in the classroom and participation going up. Not only would classroom participation increase but so would the information being retained. This can be applied to an internet based application because it involves the teacher basing a lesson plan on what students can relate to. Just as using the internet in the classroom would draw many critics, I am sure some parents and administrators would be worried that catering to the students would not be in the teacher’s favor. As long as the teacher did their research and spent time creating a lesson plan that is educational and not just pure entertainment, this could be valuable for the students and the teacher. This theory is a great summation of the other websites and movies we have reviewed throughout the semester as it analyzes the value in learning and how a learner views learning if it pertains to them.

10th grade English Teacher

After reviewing the articles and videos on the harm behind the internet, there is a lot to discuss involving not only students but individuals that use the internet. Although the internet has many great benefits for students, businesses, and everyday people, there are many draw backs that people should be aware about. Many people have been harmed by malicious content being posted which has cost them their identity, their job, and even pushed people to the extreme to commit suicide because of the humiliation they suffered. As a sophomore English teacher, I will present the issues behind using the internet in the classroom and the consequences that can come from this. The internet is a fun tool that allows students to research information faster and does have an upside to an educational use but us faculty members must remember not all information on the internet is factual, relevant, and too much time on the internet is not in our student’s favor.

There are many harmful risks in using the internet in the classroom. Sexual harassment, online bullying, pornography, violence, and privacy are all issues that concern me when my students surf the web. I have done thorough research to ensure certain websites are restricted. These websites contain nude pictures, advertising, or any networking websites such as facebook or myspace. If not monitored students can send hurtful comments to one another and take it as far as harassing each other by name calling or commenting on photos of others posted online. Bullying falls in line with this as well. I can see the physical nature of bullying, but students might discretely bully one another online assuming I can not access their information or what is being said in cyberspace. Pornography has skyrocketed since the birth of the internet. These websites are not to be viewed by my students nor is it appropriate for a 10th grade English classroom. Privacy is a huge factor to be considered when involving the internet. We all make mistakes, and I do not want my students making a mistake that can cost them their dignity, future job, or land them behind bars. If the wrong people wind up with my student’s social security numbers, address, or other important information that should not be disclosed this could be a disaster. There are many computer hackers and people who sit on the computer all day seeking to destroy other people’s lives by getting their personal information. Along with those who are looking to attain person information, there are sexual predators online who want to meet up with underage teenagers to engage in sexual activity. This is illegal and I do not want my students taken advantage of from them being naïve and not believing it can happen to them. If my students encountered rapist or a sexual predator by communicating with them during my classroom, I would take some of the blame for that so I am taking time to put a stop to this and make sure this does not occur. Students often go missing when meeting up with strangers and sometimes are never heard from again. This can be reduced if we monitor what students are looking at online and who they are communicating with. Although we can not view students internet activity all of the time, as teachers we can make an effort to make sure we know what they are looking at while in the classroom. After reviewing the Acceptable use article I noted uncensored websites can be destructive to computers and spread viruses all throughout computers. In my opening paragraph I mentioned the relevance and credibility behind websites online. Anyone who is computer literate can create their own website, therefore making not everything online accurate or relevant to my classroom. The Paper Mill article mentioned websites that give students essays or summaries to books they do not feel like reading. Such websites as sparknotes, pinkmoney, or school sucks are not beneficial to the learning of the students. Plagiarism may also take place and at our school that is grounds for dismissal. A pro about using the internet in the classroom I learned from Web 2.0 is the bigger community students are involved in when posting their work online. This tests students if they are communicating well and engages students to participate in online discussions and become more active in learning. On the flip side, Media Shift noted cyber bullying, sexual hook ups, posting indecent activity on youtube are not productive for students learning process. This websites also highlighted the negative headlines being promoted on the internet and how the wrong things students do often makes the news or is posted on the internet. This can be a snowball effect as other students mock what they see online and attempt to replicate what has been already done.

Today I have listed numerous reasons on why I am hesitant to bring the internet to my classroom. Although there are many features I like and can be productive in my lesson plan, there are just far too many concerns I have from bullying, harassment, privacy, and malicious content being posted. For this reason I stand strong with my fellow teachers in banning the internet from my student’s computers. I suggest parents investigate what their children are viewing while at home so these issues I have noted today do not become problems at home.