Technology reflections

Forum I

Fair Use of Copyrighted Material , Copyright Crash Course, and A Proposal For Educational Fair Use Guidelines For Digital Images from the University of Texas at Austin.

This technology reading brought home to me very clearly how easily the issues of fair use and what is public domain have been blurred in our age of electronic information. I remember when people were very wary of making copies from books, yet these days no one thinks twice about printing out mass quantities of copyrighted material found on their office or home PC. Teachers can and must teach fair use and remind students of copyright laws, but they must also set a good examples themselves by fair use of teaching materials in their own classroom, for example, not copying entire books or works not in public domain, by not making large quantities, and by not using the same copyrighted material year after year in the same applications.

Hosken, Patricia. October 2000. Making Technology Work for Every Child.ENC Focus 7(4) p.39-40.

What I liked about this article was the equality this particular program afforded every child, especially the 40% of children in the program who did not have access to a computer at home. I feel like the Freshman Foundation program is a good example of the sort of “classroom of the future” that we as Americans must implement if we are to remain in the forefront of ‘world leadership’, for lack of a better word. Special technology like the CAPS infrared ceiling access points that enable teachers to keep students on task and not pass email notes or play games while the teacher lectures, are fantastic! The teacher training the program afforded was also essential—students are often two steps ahead of adults in their knowledge of computers and teachers must be current to be effective. But I wonder about the money part. This program is in its infancy and was funded by two grants given by the state of California—one a one-time grant. How will historically poorer states, such as Mississippi (or districts within these states) keep up? Should programs like these be federally funded to avoid the dangers of being limited to students in wealthy districts who probably have access to computers anyway?

Tech Forum 2

Computers as Mindtools for Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking by David Jonassen, Chad Carr, Hsiu-Ping Yueh, originally published in Tech Trends, v43 n2 p 24-32 Mar 1998.

The authors of this article propose to us an idea: rethink the way we think about computers! Computers need not be just machines that store information people pull up and refer to when they need it, but a device that can be used to construct learning to build knowledge. The author writes, "Mindtools scaffold different forms of reasoning about content." Constructivist learning with the computer engages the learner in new ways of thinking critically about his subject. Above all, when using Mindtools, the learner must know his subject very well in order to find and construct ways of relating this learning through the machinery of the computer. The authors list different types of Mindtools, including

  • Semantic organization tools
  • Dynamic modeling tools
  • Information interpretation tools
  • Knowledge construction tools
  • Conversation and collaboration tools

In this very class, Computer Problem Solving, I have had to use several of these different Mindtools while building my webfolio.

Actively participating in the construction of the Excel project, the PowerPoint presentation, the rubric, the goals sheet, the scavenger hunt--these have engaged by mind about the subject in ways I've never dreamed! This has NOT been easy, but has been ultimately very satisfying, and I know I will someday pass this knowledge along to my own students.

Learning to Teach with Technology: From Integration to Actualization by Belinda Gimbert and Carla Zembal-Saul

This article is a overview of a professional development school (PDS),a school/university partnership between Penn State University and the State College Area School District involving education majors in their final year of preparation before teaching. To understand the context of this article, we should know that these final year students participated in a program where they learned to teach with technology based on the following framework:

  • Learn content in a tech rich environment
  • Learn about the technology
  • Examine exemplary curriculum materials and infuse technology
  • Teach children in a supported setting using technology, and finally,
  • Teach children using technology

The prospective teachers, after learning the technology and curriculum, then went out and taught students units using the technology they had leaned. The results were so exciting--students were able to use websites for research, graphing programs to show mathematical relationships, and even build their own webs!

There is no doubt in my mind that this is the way of the future.

My 10-year old daughter is fond of telling me: "You can find everything in the Web!" While in our day students must still be taught traditional methods of research such as the library, periodicals, etc, computer access to the +known knowledge about a subject will continue to be refined and expanded until I see a day when research using only the World Wide Web will be dependable, trustworthy, and of course the most expedient method of all.

Tech Forum 3

Internet Safety and Ethics for the Classroom by Martha Dillner

What really reached me in this article was that Mrs. Wohfiehl really took into account student's native intelligence-- making them partners in the dialogue about plagiarism, privacy, and internet safety by allowing them to build a set of computer rules together with her. I believe when students are allowed input into a process, they "own" it and are more likely to take it seriously. This list should be renewed for each class because successive classes may add great new ideas! I also agree strongly with her policy of educating students about ways to deal with offensive or undesirable material they may encounter. Talking about delicate or potentially embarrassing materials may be very difficult for some educators, but isn't an once of prevention worth a pound of cure? The article was written in 2000 and mentioned the students were fourth graders. Most children in 2004 are already computer savvy by the fourth grade, so I believe this education must begin in our schools from Kindergarten--as soon as possible. Of course parents should be involved in the process! Forum contributor Rebecca Stone suggested that worksheets that list child-friendly websites / fair use sites should be part of the student's notebook and posted in the classroom. Great idea, but let's take that resource a step further and include these reference sheets in a take-home packet that includes those usual permission slips and computer use rules that parents are already so familiar with!

Web Watch: Addressing Issues of Internet Safety by Chuck Kinzer

This article by Chuck Kinzer was written a year after Martha Dillner's previous article and deals with five basic ways to address child safety on the Internet:

  • Place responsibility of child safety on students and parents with a responsible use agreement.
  • Physical arrangement of classroom
  • Filtering software
  • Using only child-friendly browsers
  • Allow children to access only prescreened sites.

These points all have merit, and all have their place. Number 5, for example, reminds me of the article "Making Technology Work for Every Child" by Patricia Hosken, in which Freshman Foundation teachers were able to keep students on track through infrared ceiling access points called CAPS. The teacher is thus able to completely control a student's access in his/her classroom.

This would be valuable in the classroom where technology is being used as Mindtools. Younger children would certainly benefit from filtering software and child-friendly site lists, but Mr. Kinzer does not really address the idea of the teacher educating the student in ethics as does Ms. Dillner, and I am afraid that a watchdog type approach might be taken as a "challenge" for some students to overcome, perhaps, especially, the student in secondary school. Children's minds and what I believe is their inherent goodness should be respected and teachers should not convey the attitude or message that they are police "on patrol" in the classroom (even though they must be aware of what is going on.)