Interactivity #5

The teacher that I interviewed is an all grade level high-school Science teacher.  His subject areas consist of Environmental Science, Biology, Earth Science, Physical Science, Chemistry, and Physics.  He teaches at a private school in Parsippany, NJ with most of his students residing in Morris County.  When I asked him if he was familiar with NETS-S/NETS-T, he said he had never heard of it.  We then looked over the standards together and he seemed quietly amused by the information I presented him with.  After reading over about half of the standards he stopped and said that most of the books we get (meaning teachers) now and days have supplemental online education resources.   

He said that although his school does not use NETS-S and NETS-T; they try to consistently use the 'supplemental online education resources' supplied by the textbook company, Glencoe.  He also referred to the online site, teachertube, which I confirmed to using as well.  

I wasn't necessarily surprised that the teacher was unfamiliar with NETS-S/T.  What did come as a bit of a shock was the lack of encouragement I received from him.  Rather than looking at the new information with an open-mind he seemed to trivialize it as something unimportant.  To be frank, it seemed as if he thought the education and production of well-rounded traditional teachers was being lost, and that this newfound technological aspect was alien and an unnecessary priority of mine as an educator going forward.  Although our interaction was friendly, I got the sense that he was weary of my future as an educator.  I was bothered by this, and left feeling cheated that I didn't have more time to prove my capabilities.

As a future educator I would verbalize the benefits of NETS-S and NETS-T.  The standards of NETS are fundamental and necessary in keeping up with the growing use of technology.  Educators and students need to meet these standards to ensure that our students have the proper tools to co-exist in a globally competitive world.  If the school I am at is unfamiliar with NETS, I will decide on meeting with an administrator to set up a staff meeting to overview NETS.  If the administrator does not feel it is necessary, I could show him a lesson plan of mine that meets these important standards. After all, I find it hard to disagree with the foundation that NETS is, "designed to help educators prepare today’s students to be competitive and successful in the digital age."  

American High School's Reading Curriculum: 5th-Grade-Level

The article highlights the expectations ATOS (Advanced Technology for Data-Driven Schools) set in regards to proper reading levels.  Educators are apparently setting the bar too low for students.  With high-schoolers "reading at an average 5th grade level."  As we look back at what we were reading in 5th grade, this stat seems hardly imaginable.  However, with ATOS's readability analyzer, we found out that the top 20 books high-schoolers are reading should appropriately be designated for a 5th-7th grade reading level.  This list includes: Mice of Men (4.5 grade level), Hunger Games (5.3), To Kill a Mockingbird (5.6), and Night (4.3).  So, the question at hand, how does this technological advancement take into consideration the depth of our reading skills?  The article states that, "Renaissance uses an ATOS readability formula that takes into account several predictors: average sentence length, average word length, word difficulty level and total number of words in a book or passage."  

I couldn't settle on the reasoning of this system, so decided to research it myself.  When directed to Renaissance Learning's website you are given the opportunity to actually use this analyzer.  I tested a reading on Althusser, a French Marxist Philosopher that we discussed extensively in my Pursuits of English class (Junior year, which would be grade level 15).  The results concluded that the reading's appropriate level was 16.5.  Which, if I am figuring this correctly, would be a Senior going on to Graduate School.  I chose one of my most dense readings, and as an English major we can expect to be reading some of the more challenging literacies.  Basically, there is a huge disparity between what got me interested in literature, (The Great Gatsby's, etc. which are rated at 5-6 grade levels) to what I am reading at the University level.  Why is this so, and is the ATOS Readability Analyzer really that accurate?

Interactivity #4

My Analysis Map

I chose this particular lesson plan because I feel it encompasses a wide range of technological skills.  Students have the opportunity to exercise these skills after they have learned the background knowledge to how Wikipedia came about and how it continues to flourish.  Through this lesson plan, students are taught to analyze the information they are presented.  As we know, much of what we get from the internet is fallacious information.  The lesson highlighted the importance of citing several different outposts of information to check it's credibility, and bringing them together in a collaborative and accurate manner.  

The gaps in curriculum goals and teaching strategies that I noticed were certain literary aspects.  For example, the lesson plan did not highlight the importances of character and plot development.  Some of the more fundamental literary components could have been touched on more, but overall the lesson plan highlighted a broad range of curriculum goals.  Figurative language was paramount; along with cultural experiences and themes of social issues.  The students worked on their analytical skills, and collaborated towards producing a coherent successful final product.  

The Wiki technology practice was essential in digging into the importance of being discriminatory of the information you receive over the internet.  Students need to be utilizing the internet purposefully, and digesting accurate information.  Otherwise, this beneficial means of attaining information will have a counter-effect and students will be taking in false information. 

Personal insight into the life of a struggling educator.

"Confessions of a 'Bad' Teacher"

I'm wondering how we find a balance, when, if at times we feel as though we have no control in our own classroom. His world came down around him, he felt humiliated to be a considered a 'bad' teacher in a 'good' school. 

Ban on public funding for students who wish to seek higher education

Must watch!


"Telling us that we cannot obtain higher education, that we cannot go to college or community college, even if we work hard and do our best in school, it is crushing dreams, it is crushing goals," says Keish Kim,

Interactivity Three

The group was authentic collaborative in many regards. Given the time constraints and busy schedules that we all possess, it was difficult to meet as a group.  Many of us had work or other responsibilities to tend to.  However, the assignment allowed us to collaborate in a way I’ve yet to encounter as a student.  Opening up our spreadsheet is like opening our own personalized database.  We have a plethora of options to choose from; whether it’s to gain personal knowledge, or as an aid to help in tutoring younger students.  I was really shocked to see how the finished product turned out so resourceful.  

In looking up different links, I noticed that not all of the sites rely directly on teaching English through technology.  If you look closely though, there will always be an interest, a question, or something that invokes thought and can be opened up in an English-based classroom.  

This interactivity shed some light onto the teacher observation I just completed for READ 411.  In my reflection, I felt that my teacher relied too heavily on technology in the classroom, specifically Power Point.  What I’m beginning to understand is that he just overly used one technology.  The Power Point presentation served as a lecture guideline, and I saw the class fall into the same boredom we think of in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The point is, technology wasn’t being used as a catalyst toward intellectual development.  If cites were used like planetlesson and huffenglish I personally believe students would become more involved and interested in pursuing the subject not only in educational spheres but on their own as well. 

"Why Teaching Kids Self-Regulation Skills Is Essential"

How parents and teachers can help students develop digital media learning strategies

This article focuses on the importance of regulating learning strategies in the digital media world.  Technological skills are likely to give students a competitive edge in their prospective work spheres, but handing a student a laptop does not guarantee he/she will use it in a creative or beneficial manner.  When so much information is exposed through technological means, how do we regulate our student's proper usage?  Also, the article talks about promoting self-regulation in our students, where they can use technology self-sufficiently in it's most efficient purposes.  The article gives some advantageous tips we can teach our students in analyzing and reflecting on the information they are exposed to.

Portlandia IFC

How the technological loop can overcome our best intentions. (funny clip)

This humorous parody doesn't stray all that far from reality.  At a time when social media consumption is unparalleled to anytime we've ever known, when does it become too much?  How do we regulate healthy technological habits?  Also, what constitutes a healthy technological life?

The History of Technology

In my efforts toward becoming a confident and well-rounded educator; I try and take as many real-life examples and attribute them to something positive and relatable in my prospective classroom.  My father always said to me, "Life's about moderation.  Too much of anything is never any good."  Of course, there's wiggle room with this, but I've always found that when I cut myself off from over-indulging in something, it most often proves beneficial.  In the article, A Social History of Media and Technology in Schools, the reader is reminded of the negative impacts of relying too heavily on one source of educating.  During the interview, Grace travels through her family's lineage of educators, and in just about every one, there is an instance where the educator was conscience of the dangers of becoming dependent on any one source (visual aids, radio/film, television).  The article shares the anxieties of these educators, “How can you compare something so spontaneous with something so scripted? How is a television going to stop and answer when a student has a question?” I think she felt her principal was trying to put a different spin on the same efficiency-oriented model that my grandmother rejected back in the 1920s" (Domine 45).  The more research I take in, the larger my anxieties often seem to get.  As I noticed in the article, some of these 'teacher anxieties'  are good, and are only attributed to the desire to become a better educator.  

I personally feel that television had the greatest impact technologically on the process and transcendence of education.  The article, I feel put it well, "It really drove home for me that TV and film - both as technologies and media - are powerful agents of history, politics, and society at large"(46).  Much of this statement is true, however, it's vital that we stay analytical.  Like when Bessie had her students analyze the marketing agenda of McDonalds.  Taking anything for face value can be devastating, by teaching our students to think critically, we will better allow ourselves to use technology in its most positive sense.  As Rethinking Technology in Schools wisely put it, “Technology is merely a vehicle through which the young consumer can attain social, cultural, and economic power" (p. 41) It's a progressive tool that allows us to create success for ourselves.  In retrospect, one can think back to the American Dream taking on a new wave, where we have access and ability to more knowledge and presumably a better life.  

Remember, "too much of anything is never any good." 

Works Cited

Domine, Vanessa. "A Social History of Media, Technology and Schooling." The National Association for Media Literacy Education’s Journal of Media Literacy Education 1 (2009): 42-52. JMLE. Web. 1 Feb. 2012. .

Domine, Vanessa. "Rethinking Technology in Schools Primer." New York: Peter Lang, 2009. Print.

Technology, In our Everyday Lives

Ranking Technological Devices:
1. Macbook Pro
2. iPhone 4s
3. Nikon Coolpix Camera

First and foremost, I have to get to know my students.  Olivia's life differs drastically than the one I am accustomed to.  You can't have blinders on as an educator, everyone has a different life (responsibilities, economic circumstances, interests, etc).  I enjoy using the philosophy that the personal is political.  In many areas of New Jersey, Olivia's living situation is commonplace.  Therefore, as an educator we have to be understanding on what we can and cannot assign.  Technology is not as accessible as it is in more affluent parts of New Jersey, and that plays a major role in our pedagogical teaching methods.  Olivia was very determined in her efforts to become technologically savvy, and not all of my students will share this same level of interest.

I look at my three technologies and think to myself, Man, I’m a slave to technology.  I have the latest computer, latest cellphone, latest everything.  The question as to how these technologies have shaped my life is more complex than I’d first imagined.  I can honestly tell you that I am a happier person with these material items.  But then, I look around a restaurant or a bar on a Friday night, and see the majority of social groups texting or updating social networking cites.  So, is this really the path toward occupying a more fulfilled happy life? I wonder if we are becoming more detached from reality with the advances in technology, or we as a society are just adapting to a new world centered around networking and technology.  I am not sure what the future brings, or whether or not I’m comfortable with my personal immersion into technology, but for the mean time I am going to continue “going with the times.”

Technology has helped me learn new information at a faster rate.  Answers to questions that sprout in my head are always readily accessible.  If you use these technologies to gain new information, and constantly remind yourself to use them positively, they can really prove to be beneficial.  My iPhone helps me become a more well-rounded person.  If I have a question about something from a different culture, I can look it up and at least get a brief understanding of what I previously had no knowledge of. Olivia’s heart-warming story brought me some guilt.  It’s hard to be appreciative of the items you possess on an everyday basis; stories like the one she offered us, remind me of how lucky I am.  I’m not sure if I would go the lengths she went to access technology if I were in her place.  It bothers me to say this, but I believe it would be the case.  Putting this aside, we both expressed ourselves similarly through the use of technology.  One of my favorite interests is posting meaningful pictures on the internet.  In her case, she posted pictures of her mother, big sister, etc.  I enjoy freezing moments in everyday life that arouse meaning.  Those times when the sun’s rays seem to hit you right, and given the emotional state you’re in... whether your thinking about a girl, or about how much you love your brother, or friends... all of these moments where the environment and your emotions come together to inspire you with feelings that seem inexpressible.  Take a picture, and you have it for life.