Reading Response Journals

Cassandra Wagner

RRJ Entry One




The Web 2.0

This section of the chapter was very intriguing. I was able to make several
connections with This section because it described someone like me. Im
that student that carries a cell phone, while checking my emails,
browsing on Google, and texting. Im not always proud of how much I
depend on technology, but because of it and its accessibility, I definitely
feel that Im empowered to learn or relearn what I want and when I
want. I read that in our society today, it is much easier to start a wiki or
blog of an event than it is to write an article or a book and I couldnt
agree more. There IS an immediate sense of personal empowerment and
having the ability to collaborate with others is not only fun but it helps
students view things from different perspectives.

As Wallis and Steptoe state: American schools arent exactly frozen in
time, but considering the pace of change in other areas of life our public
schools tend to feel like throwbacks. Kids spend much of the day as their
great-grandparents once did: sitting in rows, listening to lectures,
scribbling notes by hand, reading from textbooks that are out of date. I
agree with this statement. I graduated from high school in 2007 and most
of my classes were exactly that way. cant tell you how many times I was
given a fill in the blanks and completed it as my teacher showed us a
PowerPoint. I learned absolutely nothing that way. Once I become a
teacher, I hope to provide a different educational atmosphere. A
majority of that atmosphere involving technology.

RRJ Entry Two
Classroom management 5 ideas for classroom success
Establish class rules such as listen while others are talking or keep
your hands and feet to yourselves (Geared towards younger grades)
Provide consequences for student behavior. I would create forms to
record my students behavior or use a chart of some sort
I would Create a rewards system. By turning in homework on time and
by showing good behavior students will receive a gold coin. If they
have 5 coins at the end of the week they can pick a prize from the
treasure chest or have lunch with the teacher.
Communicate with Parent/Guardians on a regular basis. Each week
students will take home a folder enclosed with a bi-weekly progress
report/behavior chart that needs to be looked at and signed by a
parent or guardian.
Take a personal interest in your students. Such as complimenting
students on important achievements in and outside of school or
meeting them at the door as they come into class and greet each
one by name.

Example of a Behavior Chart
Neuroplasticity the role in learning and teaching

2. Considering neuroplasticity describes how experiences reorganize neural
pathways in the brain; lasting functional changes in the brain occur when
students learn new things or memorize new information. As teachers, our
job is to make sure we are providing our students with authentic and
engaging education.
Google-ized in the 21st Century

3. I think most teachers can agree that when it comes to web access and
associated tools, Google seems to have it all! There are so many resources
available through Google that a large amount of teaching and learning is
no longer accomplished simply through books or encyclopedias. Its great
because we are only one click away from thousands upon thousands of
resources. Google provides teachers and students many new ways to
quickly and efficiently share ideas, lessons, and assignments while building
on a familiar set of tools. Technology is evolving so quickly and having the
ability to retrieve documents, give immediate feedback 24/7 and simply
communicate with students all in one place makes life so much easier. Our
world has definitely been Google-ized!

RRJ Entry Two continued
RRJ Entry Three
Is Technology Worth It?
I think we can all agree that some teachers are using technology in the
classroom more frequently than ever before. I feel that technology is
worth it but, if used wrong, it can potentially do students a disservice. It
can take away valuable learning time, be overused, and it can also be
viewed as free time. However, just like Twitter, I think technology can be a
great tool to help teachers connect with their students and create
engaging and authentic lessons.

The same goes for the use of online resources. There are so many
accessible resources just one click away! Social media websites, apps like
Padlet, and search engines like Google have changed education
forever! In chapter 6, the author speaks specifically about the online
resource, ECHO, which is coordinated by the Center for History and
allows anyone to browse content by historic period from ancient to more
modern times. This resource can help teachers redefine learning because
it gives teachers so much useful information that they can incorporate in
lessons or the could have students research independently on a specific
time period and present it to the rest of the class in a form of a prezi or
padlet.

RRJ Entry Four
Sugata Mitra
Sugatas wish is to help design the future of learning by teaching
children all over the world to tap into their sense of wonder and work
together and embark on intellectual adventures by engaging and
connecting with information and mentoring online. He feels that children
that have access to technology can self-instruct themselves to use a
computer and the Internet.
I couldnt agree more! Ive seen this in my brother. When he was
four years old, he was introduced to video games and although I do not
agree with them entirely, hes learned a lot from them. We didnt teach
him how to play the games, he simply self-taught himself how to play
games such as Minecraft and Call of Duty. The same goes for computers
and tablets. I feel that if you give a child technology and a couple of
days, they will be masters of the product. Its natural!
Chapter Four Sakais
Aside from being free, Sakai seems like a great tool because it
enables teaching and learning and helps teachers and students share
knowledge and collaborate with the use of technology. Another great
thing that I discovered is that students can use Sakai ePortfolio to
showcase their work and help their teachers view progress and where
there may be room for improvement.




The World is Open chapters 8 & 11
One thing I never knew about and really connected with, is the 1kgs
Twin Project. Ive never heard of such a project and I think it is the
neatest venture. I think its great that the twin book is donated to a
child in a remote village because they deserve to have access to books
just as much as we do. Its also great because the books are inexpensive
to buy and once the child chooses what village they want it to go to,
they are able to write students from that village. Im considering looking
into this or having my students participate in this project!


RRJ Entry Five
RRJ Entry Six
My goals for integrating technology in my teaching!

Considering how much teachers and students can benefit
from iPads, my first goal is to integrate iPads in my classroom. I
Would like to use apps that are designed to assist students learn
across various curriculum areas and help with classroom
management, communication and time management.
My second goal is to try and use Social Media like, Edmodo,
Twitter and other social media sites to stay connected with my
students and their parents.
My third and last goal is to use tools such as Padlet, Word
Clouds, ThingLink, Popplet and Educreations to create a fun,
engaging, and authentic classroom experience for my students.