Second Life

I think that second life could be a fun thing for my students to do on their own, but I'd want to be able to make sure that they understand the risks with being on websites like that, and that they know to not give out any personal information to anyone. If its one of their actual friends from calss, I would prefer if they only give out personal information through a closed chatroom or e-mail, so that nobody can get their information exept for the person that they send it to. I'm not really sure that I could incorporate second life or an avatar into my classroom, but if their is a safe way to do so, I would be willing to try it.

"Ethics in Education"

The ethics article that I read was Jeremy Moss' "Ethics in Education." This article basically explores the tension that often seems to take place between community moral standards and free speech, especially as it relates to emerging technologies like the Internet, chat rooms, etc. A large portion of the article is given to difficult case studies showing different places this tension might occur.

One of the difficult questions that emerge from this article is: who judges what is to be censored and what is not? This is an especially difficult question to answer since most of our technology, like the Internet, is global. Our country may have certain moral standards, while another country's standards may be completely different. Actually, even within our own country this would be an almost impossible question to answer. I think the best way to address this situation lies in improving software that can censor specific information on individual computers or computer systems. Then smaller communites can decide for themselves how they feel about the issue. For instance, a person might work at an office, attend a university, go to a church, and go home and at each destination have a computer with different content filters. I think this is the best solution. Along with this local level content filtering, I'd advocate taking steps to make Internet Service Providers more accountable for what content they allow.

My own personal view would likely involve more censorship than will ever happen becuase I think many who abhor censorship believe that as long as someone out there thinks something or wants to do something that makes it ok--objective moral truths do not exist in their thinking. Others, I think, place less weight on the moral side of the scale than they do the practical side. For instance, it is ok to view this information, however morally offensive or dangerous it might happen to be, as long as it helps you get your school paper done. I don't have any expectations that this view of mine will be shared by enough people for it to actually happen though.

For a global technological community, there aren't easy answers to these (supposedly) hard ethical questions and they aren't likely to be answered satisfactorily in everyone's eyes anytime soon. We just need to keep working toward better understanding of the issues and better answers.

Avatar

Creating the avatar was interesting. I like how you can practically make the image look like yourself even though it starts out looking nothing like you. Avatars are a good way to put a face to posts on blogs, forums, wiki's, second life, etc. I think creating an avatar would be a fun project for any level of class.

Smart Board

Wow is all I can say about smart board! This thing is amazing and can be very very useful in the classroom. In essence it acts like a chalkboard/markerboard but with so many more functions. I was talking with my sister-in-law (who is a teacher) yesterday about smartboard and she said she uses one in her classroom that even records (audio and video) all of her lectures and everything she writes on smartboard.
The one negative I found was that it got out of alignment easily and it took some time and fix it.
All-in-all however I really like smartboard and hope that someday I will teach in a classroom that has smartboard.

Simulations/Second Life

I found the second Life program to be very very strange. It was almost like I was playing a game. I can't see spending too much time during my normal day exploring with second life. Maybe if I were younger without a family or even older and lonely I would spend more time exploring with it. I did at one point earlier in the year do a little exploring on You Tube and found some interesting stuff about Second Life...even a video about and O.U. Athens Second Life experience and it seemed somewhat interesting.
I'm not sure of the name of the simulation that I tried out but it had to do with building a virtual city. This to me seemed like a cool thing to do and something that could possibly be a good tool in a class such as government or economics. However I found it very hard to figure out and the instructions weren't real clear.

simulations blog

I started out using second-life when I did the simulations and I felt that it was kind of stupid. It reminded me of World of Warcraft but without the killing, and the undead monsters. I really felt that it wasn't worth my time, and I would have rather we did the real life simulation instead. Although I could have made that my second choice, I decided to go with Lemonade Stand since it's geared toward younger children. I did two days worth of lemonade selling in the simulation; the first day being sunny and I sold 39 cups of lemonade to 97 potential customers and gained 3% popularity. by the end of the first day I had no ice and very little other supplies so I had to go back to the store so I could purchase more. On the second day, it was raining, and I sold 21 cups to 93 potential customers with 83% satisfaction and gained 6% popularity. 29 of my remaining lemons spoiled that day. I actually enjoyed Lemonade Stand because when it came to the recipe they used whole numbers rather than fractions which was easier for me since I'm terrible at math, and you actually got to see people in the simulation buying your lemonade. I would use Lemonade Stand in my classroom.

cyber bullying

Before the video, I had a little bit of prior knowledge of how bad cyber bullying was. I noticed a lot of it in the news where a girl was beat up by 5 girls that she thought were her friends and they posted a video of the beating on youtube. Another thing I noticed in the news was about a girl who had been harrassed on myspace and ended up commiting suicide. These are some of the extremes of cyber bullying. I honestly didn't think 5 years ago that something as bad as bullying could reach the world wide web more intensely than just a few threatening e-mails every once in a while. It makes me feel that my own children won't be safe on the internet unless I monitor what they will be doing. In some cases, that would be a good thing, especially if the monitoring was a mutual agreement; which shows that you'd have to have the right approach with your children so that they don't think you're just being nosey about what they are doing on the internet. I mean, if your children can't feel safe sitting in front of their own computer, then where can they feel safe? I've never had a problem with bullying on the internet, but since my adolecence is from a different era than that of my children's, there's no way of telling how things will be a decade from now when my children are teenagers.

Simulations Blog

During our last class session, we spent time exploring simulation and second life websites. The two simulation sites I spent the most time on were Electrocity and Eduplace. From a teacher's perspective, I found both of these sites to be very valuable. In Electrocity, the student is able to create and run their own city. I think doing this simulation would help students get some hands on experience with the concepts of economics and politics, not to mention the implicit lessons on planning, responsibility, decision making, and consequences. At Eduplace, I looked at a 6th grade lesson on Energy, Forces, and Motion and a lesson called Continuity of Life. The former dealt with acceleration and weight with an entertaining elevator simulation, while the latter had several interactive bacteria experiments the students could take part in. All in all, I think the students would be more engaged--and so learn more--if these websites could be incorporated into the curriculum.
The second life website was fun for me and I'm sure the students would enjoy it. I found it to have limited educational value, though--at least compared with the simulation sites. Even so, it is good for a teacher to be familiar with such sites, as many of the students are surely involved with it.

cyberbullying

until watching the video I was unaware of the impact or breath that cyber bullying had on kids. I guess I always thought that kids were safe at home from bullies but with more and more kids spending time online the bullying can come to you in your own home. We as teachers and parents need to keep on our kids about treating one anoter with respect and understanding.

simulation blog

I spent time in class on monday exploring the world of second life and simulation. I found both experences enjoyable. They were a nice break and a good way to get away from the "real world". The only problems I could see is spending too much time in these created worlds and neglecting the problems and responcibilities on the real life of the user.

Simulations blog

In class we visited several different sites for simulations and second lives. I found these resources to be very helpful not only for students, but we as future educators in knowing what the students are dealing with and spending time with outside of the classroom.
I felt that the different simulations that we had the opportunity to play with were great resources for the students to use within the classroom. I really enjoyed the Lemonade stand, and I think that students can get a real life feeling of different adventures by doing it through these simulations. The students were able to create a lemonade stand and track the sales, profit, and inventory of the stand. This would be great for the students to do as a group project seeing whose stand would better achieve goals and make better profit if it were to be done in the real life.
The Second life was a nice experience of creating my own avatar and going into a whole new world making new friends. This site gave me the opportunity to make the avatar look more like myself and make new friends. I was able to walk or fly wherever I wanted to go. I could also chat with a person from somewhere else. I felt that this was a great experience as a future teacher to see what the children may be doing on their own time, and gives a better feel of the Second life.

The digital divide in Ohio schools

Ohio schools continue to be funded based on local income, property values and local tax revenue as the main source of income for school districts. Even though the Ohio courts have ruled this format of funding unconstitutional numerous times. As a result of this economic structure for schools in Ohio, the haves and the have nots are very far apart in the opportunities that students are given to use technology in the classroom.
Technology varies from schools with computers at every desk, connected to smart boards that are in each classroom. To schools that have one computer lab that numerous teachers share. In most cases these computers are old, out of date, with minimal functions. This difference in opportunity happens in inner city schools as well as rural schools across our state. Teachers can help students curb some of this digital divide by encouraging use of libraries and community centers with computer access. However only a few students actually take advantage of these outside the classroom technologies. The students that need the extra push to open their eyes to these technologies rarely have the time or initiative to devote to learning outside the school on their own.
This difference in the quality of education in Ohio due strictly to the digital divide has a long term effect on employment and the social economic issues that effect our society going into the next generation. If our school funding is not changed into a more equal distribution of funds students from low income rural, and inner city alike will not have the opportunity to succeed that more affluent students have.

Simulation/ Second Life

I spent the most time investigating the game Electro City. This game was very user friendly. I can see it being used in both science and social studies classes to peak students interest in how energy and its by products effect our society. This game not only gives students an environmental look into society it also gives a cost impact. This game can inspire excellent classroom discussion on issues from taxes to what type of energy to use and their long term effects on society.

I also explored Second Life the virtual classroom with a tour of Princeton University. The game was not user friendly for beginners. Logging on alone took over 30 minutes. To use this type of game in the classroom a great deal of preparation would need to be used. The learning potential of the virtual classroom is endless with technologies advancing everyday. The ability to teach advanced science and math in a virtual arena would be phenomenal. However with any new technology on the web inappropriate activities are always a concern. With a proper monitoring systems the benefits out weigh the negatives.

Simulations/Second Life

One of the simulation websites I checked out was Old Favorites, with games like Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. I think it's funny that they call them "old favorites" because we didn't even have computers in school when I was growing up, but that's beside the point. These games can teach social studies, geography, budgeting, etc. I can see using this in the classroom if there was time.

Another site I looked at was Discover! Simulations Science. This is for elementary school kids and had audio with it. It was easy to use and the info was relevant, but I think kindergartners and first graders would get bored listening to the guy talk.

Some simulation games I am familiar with at home, although I do not play them are Roller Coaster Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon. It teaches kids all the aspects of running a business. They must build the park/zoo, have enough money to pay employees and run it, make sure enough visitors are coming to increase profit, and then they can add on. Another popular game around my house is Deer Hunter, where the player gets to go hunting with all that entails. Last but not least, my husband joins a Fantasy Baseball League every season. You get to run a baseball team with actual MLB players on your team. Whatever they do in real life you get points for. (You can tell I live with 3 males.)

Second Life could be fun and entertaining, and maybe have some educational value, but I would not use it in a school. There are too many dangers that could happen, like meeting strangers.

Simulation Blog

In class, I explored three different simulations: Electrocity, Discover, and Lemonade Stand. Electrocity was a game that allowed you to build your own city. You could be mayor and balance out the city’s growth, but you had to keep in mind the impact that your city had on the environment. Players had to take into consideration how much electricity was to be used, whether to cut down trees or save them, etc. I did not care for this software and would not have this in my classroom. Discover was a program that enabled you to choose from grade levels and topics. It would require students to enhance their problem-solving skills. This program was user friendly and I would have this software in my classroom. Lemonade Stand was an interesting program that required the user to have a lemonade stand and try to make as much money as they could in thirty days. The user opens their own business and has complete control over all the economics of the business. Students are responsible in how their business does, whether they make a profit or go bankrupt. This program is a good tool for math skills, but might be difficult to understand for younger children.

Second Life is a 3D virtual world that is used to create content and applications for the classroom. The user can join groups, chat, or have live debates and discussions with people around the world. It is neat to be able to have conversations with people around the world; I myself do not feel comfortable doing that on the Internet. It can be used as an instructional tool where learners are immersed in a virtual replica of another place. Users can go to foreign places around the world, go inside the mind of a person who is schizophrenic, or look at famous paintings. Students would be able to walk in someone else’s shoes for a day without leaving their house. I think this software is a little high tech for an elementary classroom.

Simulation Software

Second life software has many uses for educational purposes. It can be used to tour exotic places around the world, to explore famous paintings, to interact with professional networks. It can bridge language barriers, advertise products, be a virtual classroom or host a debate.
While I believe that the software has potential for many good uses, I do not believe that I would use it in an elementary classroom. I do not think it is appropriate for young users.

It was very interesting to “walk” around in the virtual world and to converse with people from all over the world. Perhaps with practice, I would find the program beneficial for personal use and professional development.

Discover is a wonderful science simulation software that is arranged by grade level and topic. It was very user friendly and enjoyable. It involved higher level thinking. I would definitely recommend this program.

Lemonade Stand was also a good program for elementary students. It involved consumerism – making money, supply and demand, etc. I also evaluated Evolution Lab. I felt the program was difficult to understand and not appropriate for young students.

Simulations Blog

Overall, the simulations seemed useful.  A few of them were not working right, but that may be because there was no animation or multiple slides.  The ones that worked were well done.  The Second Life program is a good concept, but there are several bugs to be worked out.  Mine had  so much delay that I could not even tell what I was doing.  I think that a program with a separate world/environment for each class, as developed by the teacher, would make a great learning device, but the Second Life's world is too big and complex for use in a classroom.  One major problem would be a lack of control, since the teacher has no way of making sure his/her students stay where they are supposed to.  Also, the teacher may not be able to control the content his/her students access.    

Simulation

In Seocondlife, a "virtual world", I felt it was a little odd and humorous because you can fly to anywhere you want. I had never done anything like that before and felt uncomfortable talking to a stranger in another world. You as an avatar could explore places that you probably would never go like to Japan or to a museum across the world, but I do not think I would use this in a classroom. Kids could have too much freedom and you could not really monitor what they were doing. You could build a school in Secondlife but every child may not have access to the internet or a computer. I think Secondlife is fine for an individuals free time but not a classroom.

I also explored some simulations; Nation States, Electro City, Discover, and Lemonade Stand. I really enjoyed having a lemonade stand. You were in charge of a lemonade stand for 30 days and you want to try and get as much money as you can in that amount of time. You have complete control over almost every aspect of your business. Including the inventory, pricing, quality control, and purchasing. One thing you do not have control over is the weather and that effects your sales and pricing, because a person is not going to pay the same amount on a cold day as a hot day. It teaches kids to monitor money and inventory and how some conditions change business sales. It is a great tool for math. I had fun playing this game as will many students.

Cyberbulling

Cyberbullying is becoming the new-age bullying for students using facebook, myspace, blogs, texting, emailing, IMing. There are many types of cyberbullying including flaming, online harassment, cyberstalking, and masquerading, and exclusion.
Cites such as facebook and myspace are places to connect with others but is also a good cite to get bullied. Anyone with an account can post anything on anyones wall where it is hurtful or not. I would suggest changing the settings on your profile so that no one but your friends can see you. The only problem is, your fiends may be the ones posting the hurtful messages.
Masquerading is someone getting online and acting and posting messages and photos as someone else and is a common way of cyberbullying. This is a result of letting your usernames and passwords get out in the open. Students need to pick usernames and passwords with caution by not using anything to do with you name or birthdates.
People who cyberbully think it is better to do online becasue they feel they can not get caught; they feel that what they post is annonymous. They usually say more online bullying than they would in person.
To prevent cyberbullying and fighting it, the police and investigators say that kids do it because they want to get a reaction so instead of fighting it out take action and tell an adult. If it severe keep a file of all the posts and the date, time, and the address it was sent from. They can use this information to catch the person quicker.
Cyberbullying can be so severe that it casues depression and suicide. So if you think that someone is having trouble with cyberbullying, step in and help the person emotionally so it does not lead to suicide.

Simulations Blog

I tried out KidsPlace when checking out simulations.  This site has a section for educators, students and families.  Students have access to their grade (K-6th).  Students are able to click on a different unit they are learning about, and make more discoveries.  The kindergarten unit allows the student to move a microscope over different objects and have more info read to them. Questions allowing them to click on the correct item are also present.  I like that each unit is simple and DAP.  I think it would be another extra tool to use in the classroom, and especially beneficial for the visual or audio learner.

I also tried out 2nd life by becoming an avatar.  I found a lot of it confusing and not as engaging as I was expecting.   In fact it was boring compared to what else is out there.   I can see how they tried to make it an educational place, but I would not want a child in my classroom exploring it. When I pushed on search at the bottom of the screen to try and change geographical locations, I found disturbing places for a child to visit.  When you clicked on an object you would be given educational info about it or the place you were in, but it was simply boring to learn about.  The designs weren't that stimulating either.   

Simultations and Avatars

created an avatar in second life. The process was simple enough, but I'm not sure how I feel about the whole idea of using it in a classroom. The simulations were a neat experience because I was able to communicate with other avatars. I was not sure if it was actual people I was talking to, or if it was a computer generated avatar. The idea of using them in a classroom would be useful to have multicultural interactions, but I don't think that it is a tool that I would use frequently. I am cautious about communicating with people especially individuals that you do not know. The problem is that when I created my avatar I could have simply lied about my age, and pretended to be whoever I wanted to be. In this sense I did. My avatar had its own name and background. I communicated with others. It was an interesting experience. I felt like I was playing a more advanced SIMS.
One thing I really did not like about the Second life was the fact that you can experience life as though you are someone else. The example given was being in the life of a person with schizophrenia. The avatar had people around him yelling "you are nothing." Repeatedly yelling insults to the avatar. That type of experience would not be beneficial in my opinion. Overall it was interesting to use the avatars, but I don't think I would use them in my classroom. If I did us them it wouldn't be consistently.
The simulation games were fun. i had to manage a lemonade stand and do the business aspects of it. I learned that business is not my strong point. However, I do think that this would be a useful tool in the classroom. The students would be able to have a pretend business and have to weigh the important costs, really manage things so that they receive a profit and don't lose money in their business. I would use these simulations in the classroom as a way for the students to learn about different responsibilities that go with different things. For example on one of the simulations the student can create their own nation, and they dcide what kind of governement they would create.

Simulation Blog

During the simulation blog I tried the Electrocity. This is a simulation website that you can create your own village and in order to keep residents you must purchase resources that encourage the villagers to purchase. The more money you make the more you can build. You must create a environment that you keeps your residents happy and the more you build and expand the better the city and invites more residents to live there. You can sell land and build ski resorts, farm land, industrial plants.

I personally was not very interested in this game and would choose something more on the level of pre-school age games. This game would be great for middle childhood education.

Simulations Blog

The simulation that I tried was Discover! Simulations. I found it very very informational. It gave many different grade levels and  many different activities for each grade level. I tried a couple different activities at different grade levels. The overall simulation was very similar but the information given was different. For all the grades the information was very bountiful. I do believe that if I could change something about this program I would make the simulations progressively harder as the grades get higher. In this program the simulations are as easy for kindergarten as they are for the sixth grade. I think that a kindergarten student could do the simulations for the sixth grader the only difference being the kindergarten student will not retain any information because the information is too complex.

Cyberbullying

After watching the video the general thing happening here is that more and more kids are using the internet to say hateful things about other kids for pretty much all to see. They do this is a multiple of ways. Some ways include stealing a password and acting as the person you want to hurt. They also are using blogs to degrade and attack other kids and get other kids to see that as well. They feel that posting things online is not as bad as saying to the person directly. I feel like this is very sad that kids are doing this to other kids because it can get very dangerous. Kids need to know that they should not give out their passwords to anyone and contact an adult if they are feeling like they are being attack so they can figure out what to do and not let the kids just get in deeper danger. By trying to handle the situation themselves. Even though most kids do not want this I think that parents should really be aware of the things their kids are doing online. Not peering over their shoulder but by having a relationship with their children where they feel safe going to their parents when they are having problems like this with other students.

Study Island Blog #2

Study Island is a program online that helps students practice topics built from the Academic Content Standards and tested on the Ohio Achievement Test and Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) from grades 3 through 12. Each topic is built from the American Content Standards that are used in the classrooms so that teachers can teach the requirements. I feel that most teachers are only teaching for the test and not going my more in depth. Study Island should be used as practice and the information should be integrated into the curriculum.
According to their website, “The academic material is organized in topics which contain a lesson and assessment questions with explanations.” When you take the assessments you can chose to take it in a standard test form, worksheet, or as a game. So there are a couple different options for different learning styles.
Study Island also lets teachers track the progress of students and the students get to work at their own pace. This can also help kids with text anxiety from practicing on Study Island it can reduce this problem. The only issue I have with Study Island is the cost. There are more cost effective programs like math blaster or programs that have to do with hands-on learning outside of books.
I think that Study Island does what they say they do, help kids get ready for Standardized Test and OGT. They also give students more practice on the topics they are learning in class at their own pace.

cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is becoming more of a problem with today’s children and there needs to be a stop put to it. The video defines cyberbullies as people who ‘posting hateful comments” about others on the web. Cyberbullies are individuals that can’t say what they want to the person to their face, so they have to go and post these things on the web in a hateful manner to purposely hurt the person. There are several different types of cyberbullies that the video lists and one that I have seen most recently is the masquerading. There was an incident that was on the news not to long ago where a families neighbor had created a myspace page and was acting as a young boy from high school and was sending mean and hateful messages to the girl next door telling her that she was ugly and that no one would like her and the girls action was to commit suicide over the words of this lady. If it weren’t for this lady acting as a young boy from the girls high school, her parents would still have their loving daughter around.
There are commercials on the radio about cyberbullying and how to react to it and what needs to be done. They say not to do anything. The best action is to not most anything back to the person who is being the bully.
I have been around to experience cyberbullying through my younger sister. She had some girls that she worked with that one day just turned on her and started sending mean and hateful messages to her on myspace and caused her to be very upset and depressed over some of the thinks that they would mention. They would talk about her weight and how her son’s father is not in the picture. They were words that hurt her feelings bad. They even had parents that were helping to participate in the name calling and the different things that would be said. Even the parents were threatening and acting way out of the adult level. I told my sister to not respond to what they had to say. If she was the one to stop the communication between them, then maybe they would catch on and not continue, so she stopped and they stopped. So the best action is none at all.

study island review

Study Island is a great resource for teacher and student to help advance and improve content areas. I feel that this is a great site for students to go on and practice different techniques while having fun and challengin their minds. There are several different tests and games for teachers and students to participate in. I like that it gives you feed back and lets you know which are wrong and which are right. I also like the fact that in the testing of different subjects and content areas it offers the opportunity for students to go back and get a second chance at the questions that were missed. It is not just telling the student right or wrong, it is allowing them to think and use that resource as a study guide to help perfect the areas that were missed. Overall this is a wonderful resource

Study Island Review

After looking back at my original blog on Study Island, I still believe that it is a great resource for kids to have a better learning opportunity. Not only can students learn from this software, but they also become more familiar with the idea of using a computer. Some students do not have access to a computer at home, but when they are at school the class has scheduled lab time. They gain new learning skills and are better prepared for the Ohio Achievement Test.

It was interesting to see how much the Study Island program cost for an elementary school. The school district that I live in makes use of the Study Island program in their middle and elementary schools. It does seem a bit extreme to pay $8,000 for a program that lasts only for a year. I’m not sure how an educator puts a price tag on the development and growth of a child. So, a decision has to be made about the welfare of our children. Do we spend the money on a valuable resource that could only have an effect on a few children? Or it could promote further advancement for several students in the classroom? There are other software programs out there, such as Bailey’s Book House, Math Blaster, and The Phonics Game. Who should make the decision on the wellbeing of our children…the parents, administrators, taxpayers?

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is becoming more popular among students as the advancement of technology keeps improving. The video defines it as the “posting of hateful information on the Internet concerning another individual.” As an individual who uses the Internet, I do not want to worry about seeing information posted on the Internet that is misleading or hurtful. Technology has become a part of the way we live; the World Wide Web is an abundance of information. In today’s society, everything is at the click of the mouse and for some individuals that can cause problems which will lead to major dilemmas.
These individuals who choose to make these derogatory comments about other people are happening on a daily basis. They log on to the Internet as someone else and they feel superior to everybody. The bully feels like an anonymous person who will not get caught. Most of the time their motive is to get a reaction from those individuals that the negative information was written about. Nobody likes to have a nasty rumor spread or other students’ gossip about them or the choices they choose to make. Cyberbullies will say more about someone else because they are not face to face with that person. The bad thing about these incidents is that some of this information is learned in their computer class on how to cut and paste images. As a result, they are using the knowledge they have learned at school. What is wrong this concept?
The video also talked about the different ways of bullying by flaming, online harassment, cyberstalking, denigration, masquerading, outing/trickery, and exclusion. If these individuals get a reaction from the student body or administration, they are more likely to do it again. If there is not a big concern made about the situation, the bully might be more likely to refrain from making phony or offensive statements. Most of the time they are trying to impress other kids or their friends; the feeling of being in charge and having the power to get away with it. Many of these individuals like to stir up trouble and cause controversy.
Cyberbullies will continue to do this if there is no punishment or consequences. Students also need avoid becoming a victim of this growing trend among students. I am not really sure what we can do to stop this, but there needs to be rules that are set in place for when there are occurrences. Action must be taken to stop this verbal harassment. Schools need to put in place the warning signs of Cyberbullying and sites that students should stay away from on the Internet. If the site seems uncertain, then the user should use caution and not give out any personal information. Tell a responsible adult if you feel uncomfortable; police have ways of finding out who is behind the bullying.

For research, case studies, fact sheets, and real life stories about Cyberbullying, check out www.cyberbullying.us/

Sexual Predators

The internet can be a wonderful, informative adventure. It can also a dangerous, and even deadly, place. It is easy to forget that not everyone online is who they appear to be. The incidence of sexual predators finding their victims online is becoming more and more prevalent. Children are very trusting. They believe that what they see online is true. They do not realize that you need to consider the source. They see information in print and that makes it believable.
People need to be very cautious with Myspace and Facebook. Anyone can create a profile to be whoever they want to be. It is important to not include identifying information – no address, birthdate, name of school, or pictures. Check out the Dateline story about cops posing as teens online, arranging a meeting and catching sexual predators. You will be surprised by what some of these men brought with them to the “meeting.”
It never ceases to amaze me how much personal, private information people put on the internet. Millions of people see this information – this includes potential employers, colleges, not to mention criminals. So, protect yourself. The internet is an endless supply of information. Use it wisely, and keep in mind that anything you post can be seen by others.

Study Island

I looked back to my original blog about Study Island, and I still feel that it is a reliable and helpful resource for the classroom. It has many different tools that pertain to the different learning styles. I agree with Tara, however about the price. It is a costly resource, but if the schools, such as Lancaster City Schools can afford them, then it is a handy academic tool to have.
It is helpful to have the resources from the Study Island website, but I don't feel that it is a necessity for the classroom. If schools are in need of other materials Study Island, because of the cost, should be a luxury in the classroom.
I do like the games and different activities that Study Island offers. I think they do a good job of making learning fun, but there are also other strategies that teachers can use to make learning fun, and interactive.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a serious issue and all children need to be educated about it. Bullies believe if they use offensive language online it is o.k. because they are anonymous and many feel they cannot get caught. There are many forms of cyberbullying including cyber stalking, flaming, denigration and masquerading.

Why do kids bully? Kids bully to get a reaction, to impress other kids, or to feel powerful. I believe also that some kids bully in order to try and avoid becoming victims themselves. It's the attitude of "do it to them before they do it to me".

I believe all students need to be educated about cyberbullying and ways to avoid becoming a victim. I found a good website called iSafe with the mission of educating and empowering students to make their internet experiences safe and responsible. Educators and parents can use websites like this to inform and educate children about this issue.

Due to the increase in cyberbullying, some police departments have "cyber detectives" whose job is to track down cyberbullies. The detective on the video stated that victims should try to keep a file with the incriminating evidence in it along with the URL and username. Kids need to tell their parents or a trusted adult if they are ever victims of cyberbullying.

The National Crime Prevention Council has posted ways to prevent cyberbullying crimes, comprehensive crime prevention action plans, as well as ways of getting the community involved. As with most issues, education and awareness are the first steps in addressing this issue.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is becoming more and more common. It is become even more dangerous to enjoy the resources and communications that come from the Internet. I think that one of the biggest mistakes is that will all the new chat rooms and the social networks such as Facebook, Myspace, and many others it is so easy to be who ever you want to be. What I mean by this is that when you fill out the online profile on any of these chat rooms or social networks there is nothing that prevent you from lying. The article "A Profile of Online Profiles" by Charles M. Blow discusses many studies and statistics about these online tools.
Brad Paisley even wrote a song called "Online"that jokes about how he can be anyone he wants to be when he is online. It may be funny in some sense, but it is an extremely important issue. When I was in Middle School the Internet was still pretty new, and the stuff that scared you on the news was typically about people being killed or murdered, now its the same story but with a twist. The twist is that people are pretending to be someone else online, and then tricking children and even adults into meeting them. Obviously this is quite dramatic, but unfortunately it is the harsh reality.
I don't know how cyberbullying can be prevented. I do, however, know precautions that students, parents, teachers, and schools can take to try and keep the Internet a safe place to be. The precautions that should be taken when using things such as myspace or facebook is to make your settings private. Don't allow just anyone to be your friend or view your profile. Second don't add anyone who invites your or requests your friendship if you don't know them. Even if you have mutual friends don't assume that just because they want to add or you they claim they know, they are a safe person. As parents and teachers we need to monitor the information and "stuff" that students are seeing and getting involved in online. This may mean creating a profile of your own just monitor the conversations or profiles of the students/children around you.
It is important that the Internet is a safe place to roam. It may seem that all the horror stories about things happening through cyberbullying are unreal, but unfortunately it is something that is occurring more and more. So it is extremely important to use extreme and I mean EXTREME caution when using the Internet, social networks, chat rooms, and any other form of communication when online.

Cyberbullying

It is apparent that cyberbullying is becoming more common. When it comes to cyberbullying, some people do it because they are often motivated by anger, revenge or frustration regarding someone or something. Sometimes they do it for entertainment or because they are bored and have too much time on their hands. Many do it for laughs or to get a reaction. Some do it by accident, and either send a message to the wrong recipient or didn't think before they did something. The Power-hungry cyberbullies do it to torment others and for their ego.

I feel that regardless what the reason there is no place for it. I believe it is cruel and smashing to the others involved. They are things you can do to prevent others from targeting you. Or, if you are a victim there are way to get help.

The best advice I can give is that if you are going to join sites such as myspace, facebook you need to make private so only those that you want to have access will! The internet is a wide open field where anyone, and anything can steal you identiy and make it their own with a click of the keys!

Cyberbullying

The thing about cyberbullying is that it is somewhat the same as any other kind of bullying, because it uses hateful words and acts to make someone or several someones feel bad about themselves, and just the same as regular bullying, it can go too far. The main difference however, is that in the case of most cyberbullies, they can say what they want, because they can use an online name that isn't the same as their real name, and therefor can get away with more. Cyberbullying is like bullying in school, but with no form of punishment.

The thing that bothers me is that parents want the schools to be able to put a stop to it, and the school system can't punish students who do something bad off of school property. They can tell the students to stay away from eachother, but what good can that do when all the bully has to do is click a button and be able to go right back into a world where there are no rules, and no punishment for doing something horrible to someone else.

The truth is, the school system can only go so far, and it is up to parents to at least try to know what their children are doing online. Parents have been trying to sue school systems because of cyberbullying, but schools can't do any more about that than kids that go to the mall and beat up a kid they didn't like in school. Schools can only help when they are around to do so, and parents need to be around to. I really don't know how best to get rid of cyberbullying, because when the new technology is there, kids will use it for good and bad, and that's one thing that is never going to change.

Study Island-review

I originally stated that I enjoyed the Study Island program. I loved how it had state content standards in each game and activity and appreciated that the user was not penalized for incorrect answers. That being said, when I read the price of this program being used in an elementary school I was flabbergasted! As much as I enjoyed the program, I don't feel it is worth spending that much on.

Children do love playing games and learning new skills through computers, that's a given, but I feel that there are programs out there that teachers can buy for a ton cheaper that get the job done just as well. Some of these programs include Math Missions, Clue Finders, and for some of the younger children, Millie’s Math House.

Overall, I still think Study Island is a wonderful resource for classrooms and/or at home, but for $8000, it’s just not worth it. There are plenty other programs one could use, and while technology is great, it is not the only way students learn and practice their new skills. Children need hands-on experiences to fully learn and understand information and that is something playing a game or taking a test on the computer cannot provide.

Cyberbullying

When I was in middle school, the internet was slowly starting to pick up popularity with my classmates. By the time high school came around, the internet was a huge part of our lives! Today everyone seems to have a Myspace, a Facebook, a screen name for IMing, an email address, and some even had online journals. While it is exciting to be connected with so many people via these websites and programs, it has become more and more apparent that there is a serious issue with cyberbullying. Cyberbullying happens every day to thousands and thousands of individuals across the world. 42% of children in grades 4-8 have been bullied online at least once while 53% of them have admitted to saying something cruel to someone online at least once. Cyberbullying can occur via websites such as Facebook, Myspace, and Blogger. There have been several “Burn Books” found on blogging websites and wikis. There are even instructional guides out there on wikis that detail how to create a burn book! That is just pathetic and scary.

Some may think that cyberbullying isn’t as bad as some make it out to be, but that simply is not true. Cyberbullying is extremely dangerous and can turn out to be fatal. Some cyberbullying cases turn into kidnappings, physical or verbal harassment, and suicide. A horrible incident of this is in the case of a 13 year old girl from MO named Megan Meier.

There is no one way to solve all cyberbullying going on, but there are steps parents, teachers, and children alike can all be taking. First and foremost be educated on what cyberbullying is and is doing! We cannot fight this battle with blindfolds on. Secondly take some action. There are steps that can be taken to help. And lastly, if you know someone who is being cyberbullied or is a cyberbully, let the proper authorities know before it gets to be too late.

Cyberbullying isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but together we can fight it and prevent more tragedies from happening. There is a wonderful website for children, teenagers, parents and educators about cyberbullying…I’ve listed it below.

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html

Cyberbullying

Cyberbulling is related to people who choose to post hateful things or steal passwords to cause harm to an individual. This can be done through text messaging, emails, chat rooms and other venues. The people who cyberbully tend to think it is not as serious if it's typed out, instead of directly said. The cyberbullies get a sense of power from preying on weak-minded individuals. Students need to be aware of this growing problem, and how to combat the issue.

For the top 10 ways to Prevent cyberbullying, click on the link. This site gives good concepts to educate students about their internet use. A resolution to the problem can only be done by an individual taking action against it. If a student becomes a Victim of cyberbullying, you don't want it to escalate, and result in what is shown in the victim link. You want a student to take action, whether by saving screen name or ip address to turn into authorities, or leaving the site they are being cyberbullied on all together.

Study Island

When I used the Study Island program I found it to be really boring and I do not see how it could keep a child focused because of it being boring. I was really expecting a type of program that is more hands on and not so much just a bunch of testing. There are many styles of learning and there are many students who are not good test takers and this program could really freak them out and make them even more scared especially if they are not doing very well on this program. I have seen better programs that have more creativity and other activities that I think work much better and keep the children more interested than Study Island does. On top of this the price for these programs are expense and probably comparable to other programs that engage children in a better way. I think that as a teacher this would be good for certain instances when children need to practice their test taking skills but to just learn something for the first time I do not think that it is a good product. Overall I was disappointed with it even though there are some pros to the program I believe there are more cons.

Study Island

When reviewing my study island blog, I still agree with all my earlier statements. As for the cost, I am not too sure that I agree with the amount of cost it takes to instill this into a classroom or school for that matter.

I do however feel that this is still a great tool in the case that someone needs extra help in area's that they are struggling. There are so many learning style with children and adults that this program and others allows you to better prepare your knowledge of materials. I feel that based on our growing demand to use technology in the classroom we as potential educators need to not only incorporate computer based software to enhance learning but also bring to the table the energy and fun that learning can provide when bring real life experiences into the education process.

I feel that in many case it is just as easy to incorporate a fun hands on learning experience not just a technology based program!

I think that study island can really help a lot of children with the standardized testing, but the way that children are tested differentiates their ways of learning. Standardized testing may be testing, but it works only for certain kinds of learners. It gives the visual learners an advantage over the other learning styles that exsist. For example, a student who is an auditory learner may suffer on standardized testing because they can understand questions better when they are posted to them through sounds and voices from their teacher rather than trying to understand the way that the questions are written out. Sometimes the way the questions are worded on standardized testing can confuse the students anyway, and if they are not visual learners to begin with, then the test scores will not show the true full potential of that particular student. So study island may help with the standardized testing for visual learners, and help students to know what to expect, but for some students, it may not help at all.

Study Island Review

Learning needs to be based on real life experiences (constructivism). Students will learn and retain more information when the information presented is relevant and actually experienced, rather than simply rote memorization. Learning needs to be authentic. The curriculum should be integrated.
Study Island, while an excellent tool to help students practice what they already know, is not worth the cost. The material taught on Study Island is already being taught in the classroom. In fact, Study Island is not really learning, it’s just practicing basic facts. If a student needs additional practice, there are several other software programs available that are not as costly, such as Math Blaster and JumpStart Math.
I had originally stated that I did not believe that Study Island was necessary in the classroom but that it could be used at home for extra practice. I still agree with this statement.

As educators when we assess software or any other tool in the classroom, we must ask ourselves if the program helps us to achieve our objectives. To discover the answer to that question, we must approach our research similarly to curriculum development by using a backwards design process. First, we must determine what our end goals are, and this requires us to evaluate our philosophy of education. Are we following a constructivist approach where the end goal is for learners to construct their own answer using a higher order, critical thinking processes, or are we striving merely for the rote memorization of facts in order to survive the next round of standardized testing? Is our job as educators to teach students how to learn, to help them remember the content, or a combination of both? Are we required to meet the needs of multiple intelligences and learning styles or are students required to assimilate the information no matter what format it is presented in? Should assessment be a traditional paper and pencil exam or portfolio based? Should it be a fact-based test or an authentic, performance-based assessment?

Once we know where we are headed, we need to determine how we are going to get there and how to assess that we have arrived. Software that we utilize in the classroom will fall into one of these two categories; it will either be part of how the student learns the content or how the teacher assesses the student. Sometimes program features will be designed to accommodate both needs. We now must determine if the software fits into our own philosophy of education and meets our end goals.

Let’s look at Study Island, an online software program used to prepare students for standardized testing, as an example. The purpose of Study Island, according to their Ohio website, is to cover the topics of “all of the Academic Content Standards that are tested on the state-mandated Ohio Achievement Test and Ohio Graduation Test in grades 3 through 12.” Right from the start we must ask ourselves pertinent questions such as, “What are the short and long term consequences of standardized testing, and do the concepts from NCLB fit into my philosophy of education?” Is standardized testing a valuable tool or an unfair measure of students’ abilities? We must also consider how we believe we should prepare for a standardized test. Do we teach to the test or attempt to add depth and breadth to the topic and take a chance on overloading or confusing the learner?

So what does Study Island actually do? Does it teach students the content or test their existing knowledge for a given subject area? According to their website, “The academic material is organized in topics which contain a lesson and assessment questions with explanations.” Is the lesson in a multimedia format or plain text? Does it differentiate and meet the needs of all students by providing for all learning styles (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, etc.), multiple intelligences, and varied cognitive levels? The Study Island website promotes, “In addition to allowing students to learn at their own pace, Study Island lets students choose their style of learning. Students can choose between a standard test format and several interactive games for their study sessions,” but are the games really meeting varied learning styles? Does Study Island promote higher order thinking or rote memory of random facts in the style of Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit? Does Study Island actually help those who do not know the content to learn it, or does Study Island merely track who knows the information and who does not?

While Study Island does have positive features – (1) it is based on the state content standards and indicators, (2) it allows teachers to track student progress, and (3) may help students reduce text anxiety because they know what type of questions to expect, is it really worth the cost (about $8000 per year for a small elementary school with less than 125 students per grade level)?

Now it is time for you to decide. Do you think Study Island really lives up to its promises?

Study Island

I enjoyed the Study Island website, I feel it's a great teacher resource. I went through the Social Studies tests and was impressed by the format. The reports allow teachers to keep track of the students progress, so you can see what areas the are struggling or excedding in. Also how the sites provides consice explanations when the student selects a wrong answer and it forces a ten second timeout when it determines a student is just guessing.

Study Island

I browsed through Study Island, and some of the curriculum. I liked the way it was set up. I think that its gets to the point with educating, but it also makes it fun for the students. The process was simple, and the questions were DAP. I think it is a useful resource to have in the classroom, and I like the fact that Lancaster city schools use the program.

http://www.studyisland.com

P.S. I have attached a link from the list of resources that the speaker in class have us. This link is great for articles depending on topics.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/databases/login/edua

no one likes paying for music

The idea of free downloads of music is something that I am very much in favor of. The idea behind the downloading issue really isn't the money. The thing that the record companies are fighting for is control of access to the information. If you think about it most if not all recording artist would love for the public to hear their songs on the radio. They would be walking on cloud nine if their songs were being listened to by millions of people for free as long as it was over the radio. So why do they get so upset about the same song being played just because it was rip off the net?
I have a large music collection at my home. I started buying Cd's with my lunch money in high school and even began collection old vinyl records. I also have a large collection of burnt Cd's for the early days of Napster. It was through Napster that I discovered many bands and artist that I was unaware of before. This is because popular radio doesn't play a wide variety of music. Through my discovery of different artist there were times that I went out and bought legitimate releases from the artist. I also spent way too much money to go and watch band in person. Some of these acts I would have never gone to see with out the benefit of hearing them first on the Internet.

Ethics in education

The article about censorship brought up many points. I believe in the rights and practice associated with free speech. I also believe however, that is the computer is use in the public domain such as a school or work place that there should be levels of acceptable standards placed on the content viewed. These standards should not apply to the use of a personal computer in the privacy of one's own home. At home one should be allowed to decide for themselves what is acceptable content and what is not. I believe that safeguard programs that limit what children can view in the home are great things. This prevents young kids from viewing things their parents do not wish them to see.
The case studies discussed at the end of the article show good points. First the student researching war advances has every right to do so. I feel that the school has a right to look over what kids are viewing at school on the computers that the school has provided. This might prevent a student who has alliterative motives who is looking at a web site on how to make a bomb.
The second case study is a little bit more involved. I believe that there is enough information available to kids that if a child was researching a topic that one or two blocked web sites would not prevent them from finding the whole story on a topic.
The third case is clear enough an issue of first amendment rights. I don't feel that the government should ban sites unless they show illegal activity.
Censorship is a great topic and something that we as future educators much pay attention to.

No One Likes To Pay For Music

At the beginning of this article the author told us about Mr. Boyle and his promoting of a "freeconomy" movement. This movement pretty much just stated that they "believe content such as news, books, film, games, but above all music should be free" as in free speech and "free for the taking". There has been ongoing arguments about these so called copyright wars and it was mentioned that Paul McGuinness tried to help solve this war. The article also mentioned how deep down if you look at these people trying to get "free music" most of the time they are only in it for that reason alone...free music. The author suggested at the end of the article making music seem free like they do with television and radio but, in returning making sure that the copyright holders get paid. Doing this by creating fees for different uses to download music not by the song pricing. He ending the article with the famous statement of "no such thing as a free lunch".
As for my opinion on the free music idea yes it would be nice but, I do not think that is right. I believe that the people who created the music should be paid. I also do not really believe that paying a fee once a month will really provide as much profit for the creators as just buying the music will. I think that people in our economy have been buying music for years and it has not been an issue for all these years because you buy it in a store. Buying music online should not be any different then that because it is hold we do things. You don't go into a music store expecting free music and an online store you should feel the same. Just because the technology has changed does not mean that we have to feel the need to have these things free. Would we feel this way had music never able to bought online?

study island

Study Island is a great website for techers and students. I played around in the social science test areas and felt that it would be a great aid to any student that is having a hard time passing state required testing.

Study Island

Study Island is a great resource for teacher and student to help advance and improve content areas. I feel that this is a great site for students to go on and practice different techniques while having fun and challengin their minds. There are several different tests and games for teachers and students to participate in. I like that it gives you feed back and lets you know which are wrong and which are right. I also like the fact that in the testing of different subjects and content areas it offers the opportunity for students to go back and get a second chance at the questions that were missed. It is not just telling the student right or wrong, it is allowing them to think and use that resource as a study guide to help perfect the areas that were missed. Overall this is a wonderful resource

Study Island

When navigating through Study Island, I first was unaware of the content of knowledge that you can acquire from this website. I like how this site was very user friendly and was easy to follow the directions to get you through to the area of interest. It was also nice to see that it is in class grade sections so that you can directly to the course and be able to further your knowledge in areas that you may be having difficulties. I like the fact that when you start the drills you get immediate feedback so you know if you answered the question right or wrong. I also enjoyed that they do not ask the same questions over and over so that the students does not memorize the answer but are required to think the questions through and they reflect the answer. The question are always changing and I think that is great way for students to have to dig a little deeper so that they actually asborb the material and understand what it is being taught.

When I was in middle and high school, computers were just evolving and students were not required to learn how to use the materials that are now available to help students that may need that extra time on specific areas. I really like the fact that this site can be used clear through the high school years. I feel with this type of materials that are available students will have a better grasp on what they are learning and can do it at their own pace.

Study Island

I liked the Study Island website. I believe it can be a very helpful website for both teachers and students. Anything that can help prepare students for the standardized tests is a plus in my book. I used a similar site when studying for the Praxis I and even though I am not a good test taker (and I get test anxiety), the site was extremely helpful and I easily passed the Praxis.
A very good feature of the site is that the teacher can track the progress of the student. I also like how detailed it is in giving feedback to students.

Study Island

I think the Study Island website is a good tool to be used by students and teachers. I think students will enjoy practicing what they are learning in this way and I liked how they could choose to play many educational games. Having the ODE standards right at the end of each line would really help a teacher to see what standards are being met. This website would be fun for students at home or in the classroom.

Study Island

I really liked this program that is provided for students and teachers. I think it is a good way for teachers to see the progress that their students are making individually or as a group. I like how it is based off of the Ohio Academic Content Standards. It divides the lessons into grade levels. Also, it gives lessons online and quizzes to test the students understanding of the information. It also provides the students to use this program with their unique learning style. Overall, I think the Study Island is a great tool for teachers to see the progress of their students and for the students to be able to practice at school or home.

"Ethics in Education"

In the article, "Ethics in Education," Jeremy Moss writes about the controversial topic of censorship. He defines censorship as "the restriction of speech or other forms of expressions based on its content." The major question throughout the article is if censorship is a good thing or if it is a violation to our right of freedom of speech. The internet gives an easy way for people to receive just about any information they want. There are two ways in which certain things on the internet can be censored or blocked. The first is at the global level in which the government can censor certain sites and there is the local levels in which schools, families, or workplaces can censor certain site.
There are many pros and cons to censorship involving the internet. I think that schools and workplaces should definitely censor many sites on the internet. I believe that there is a difference of what you should be able to access on the internet at school or work and what you can access at home. I think on a person's own home computer they should be given the right to any information that they desire from the internet. There are many programs for a computer to block certain sites in which parents can use to protect their children from having access to certain things that they should not be aloud to access; again that depends on the parents moral standards and what they want their children to have access to on their computer. That also goes along with television shows. Parents should be the ones choosing what their children watch. If a site on the internet or on the television offends you as an adult, then do not view it. We all have the right to freedom of speech. Overall, I do not believe that the government should be able to censor media and internet, but I do believe that schools and workplaces should.

Ethics in education

Censorship is a very sensitive issue for most Americas. We live in a country where our freedoms are cherished and we do not want any of them to be taken away. It goes hand-in -hand with the Bill of Rights and the freedom of speech that the Constitution enables us to have. Once you take one freedom away, there may be an snowball effect where more of our rights could be taken away. Take Prohibition for example; our government tried to take the right of alcohol away, and it did not work. Once you obtain a freedom, it is next to impossible to take it away. We all have freewill to decide what our moral choices will be.
As a mother, it is my choice to censor some of the information that my children come into contact with. It is my moral choice! This holds true for teachers. Teachers should take a proactive role in censorship within their classrooms. For example, if I would give an assignment where my students would have to do research on the Internet, I would give them the appropriate sites that is approved by me and the administration at the school. No other websites would be accepted. We do need to have some type of protection for our children from the trash that is out there and I think that it should happen on the local level (workplace, school, or family). Censorship can be a double-edged sword that can hurt someone if it swings too far in either direction.

Study Island

Study Island is a great tool for any teacher, at any level. I love the way it reports back to you so that you are able to see your students progress. In the day of standardized testing, Study Island is a great way for a teacher to equip their students for the stringent testing and get them more comfortable with the whole testing process. I plan on using this when I get out into the teaching world

Study Island

Studyisland.org is a wonderful website and resource to have both in and out of the classroom. The games are stimulating and fun, as well as educational. I chose to play Space Game and answered questions about ordering while shooting down space ships...fun stuff! I also took a test that dealt with ordering and symmetry. I love that this website has the state content standards in each test and game. Another praise for this website is the explanations it gives after getting an answer correct. The program gives a detailed reason for why the correct answer is correct. If a student were to choose a wrong answer, they are not penalized or forced to move on; they simply try again. Students don't have a specific amount of time to complete their tasks which helps make the time spent on studyisland.org more enjoyable.

Overall I really enjoyed my experience on Study Island. I plan on using this program, or one like it, in my classroom someday in the future.

Study Island

Study Island is a wonderful website. I like the fact that it is based on each state’s standards to help prepare children for testing. It allows students to learn at their own pace and own style (tests vs. games). Study Island has benefits for teachers such as instant reporting on results, the ability to monitor progress, and providing students with extra practice that can be accessed either at school or home. Worksheets can be printed too.

I reviewed the kindergarten math program for subtraction. I chose to evaluate the math game, Swat. You can have the questions “spoken” to you, read the words, or just look at the pictures. When you answer questions correctly, you get to “swat” at bugs. Each hit earns points, however, each miss subtracts points. The movement was a little fast for kindergarteners but overall enjoyable. Feedback is active and uses reinforcement. Correct response receives a gold star and the ringing of a bell.

Overall, I believe that this program could be used in the home to reinforce the classroom curriculum. I am not certain that it needs to be used in the classroom as the material can be taught in other ways. It could be used as extra practice.

Study Island

While reviewing Study Island I found it very usefull for preparing students for the Ohio Achievement tests. What seems to be the most helpful is that the programs are set up to simulate the Ohio tests. This gives the student a comfort level when taking the actual tests in that the questions are aranged and constructed in a manner the the student is now familiar. Some groups insinuate that this is just teaching students how to take tests. I would argue that this relaxes the student to accertain their true abilities. This seems to be Study Island's best assett, the ability to prepare students for state testing requirments.
Study Island does not replace in insights that teachers are able to give students while teaching a subject. It should not be used as a supplemental teaching tool as you can do with some softwear that is developed to involve to student in problem solving techniques.

Ethics in Education

Cencorship on the internet is a very controversial subject, for many reasons. The internet is full of many wonderful sites that can educate, entertain, and give timely insight as never before. However the internet is also full of dangers that are hard to detect at first sight. It also contains many area's not fit for children or most adults. The internet is just like walking around a large city. Think of letting your children walk around New York City by themselves, or as an adult walking around the city without knowing where you are going. The same danger lurks. Does this danger need to be cersored? I think the answer is no. We have the ability to put filters and use protection when on the internet to give ourselves and our children protection.

The wrong kind of protection is censorship. Cencorship can elimate the freedoms this country is based on. The differences of ideas, whether an individual agrees or not should not be censored. All censorship can accomplish is leading us down the road that China has taken. The great firewall of China is an outstanding example of what happens when censorship is used. Read more about this at: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2008-04-22-internetbandits_N.htm

Study Island

I believe that Study Island is a great opportunity for kids to have a better learning opportunity. This is educational software that should be utilized in classrooms around the world. Study Island is generated from the Academic Content Standards, in which they are tested through the Ohio Achievement Test and the Ohio Graduation Test in grades 3 through 12. What better way to study for this important test than the software that was built for this purpose? Also, students can become familiar with the idea of using a computer for school lessons. Each topic contains a lesson and questions that provides assessment for each child. If a student is not sure of the answer or how they got the answer, there is an icon that gives a detailed explanation on the answer. There is also a tips button to try and give little hints. There are also reports generated for each subject area that the teacher and parent can look at to see how their child is progressing. Students are able to learn at their own pace and not feel pressure from other students. Study Island is user-friendly and can be taken in the form of a test or interactive games. It can be used for several grade levels and students can reach their full potential. In my classroom, I would definitely use Study Island for an interactive learning experience.

Ethics in Education

This article discusses the many aspects of censorship. The main form of censorship this aricle focuses on is internet censorship. My take on the whole issue of censorship is this: if I don't want to look at something or listen to something I don't have to. And in the same sense, if I don't want my child looking at something or listening to something then I will take measures to ensure he doesn't. I understand the reasoning behind censorship but ultimately I feel like it is a personal censorship. If I want to censor it for myself or my child then I will. But that doesn't mean somebody else needs to be censored from it.
However when it comes to viewing things in a public setting ie: internet at school, billboards, etc. I do believe that censorhip is needed. I will not be able to be at my child's side 24/7 to censor what he sees and hears. Therefore I have to rely on the government's good judgement that they will not allow age inappropriate material in public places.

Study Island

I found Study Island to be a useful source for students wanting to prepare for the Ohio Achievement test. It would be a great tool for teachers because it allows them to see how their students are progressing. Teachers can use the information to see what areas each student needs to work on.

Nobody Wants To Pay For Music

This article discusses the ever growing problem of illegal downloading of music. The reason it is so controversial is because the musicians, writers, producers, etc. do not get paid when people download their music free on the internet. The author gives a solution to the problem that would both allow fans to download music for free, and allow the musicians to get paid for their music. I like the idea that the author proposed but I also think there are other ways to ensure everybody remains happy. The first way is to charge a fee for the computer programs that allow people to download and share music and part of that fee could go to the musicians. Another way is to charge a monthly fee for a music service (much like satellite radio). Instead of charging a fee per song, the fee would be one set fee per month regardless if you download 1 song or 100 songs. Then the majority of the fee could go to the musicians.
While I understand the musicians being upset about people downloading their songs for free, I have a hard time believing that any of them actually felt the effects of it. If you've taken a look at concert ticket prices these days you'll see that they are extremely high. Musicians are making plenty of money by performing live at concerts.

Study Island

While I was evaluating Study Island, I found that I really enjoyed what it had to offer. I was a great idea that to allow students to get online to a safe site and practice math, science, or whatever subject it may be and have fun doing it.
I liked the fact that it gave you a lesson then you had the choice of taking a standard test or take the test in a game style. The games were set up so if you missed the question you did not get to play for that question. If you got the question right you got to play for the amount of questions you answered correct. These games were fun but also help students learn or want to learn.
This site also had a link to help students prepare for the OGT.
Overall, I loved Study Island and the fact that it can help kids in all grades through school. Also the fact that is allows the teacher to see how the child is progressing and how they are doing in that subject.

music downloads

this article was about music downloads and whether it should be copyright protected, or free for the public to access whenever. it talks about all types of media ranging from news to music to be open for all to take without copyrights. In part, I agree that some of it should be accessed for free, such as the website for the logan daily news. they used to give full articles on the internet for you to read, but they currently give you a small blurb to read on the website unless you have a subscription to the paper. i feel that is unfair for people who would rather access these articles through the internet rather than go out and pay fifty cents a day to purchase the newspaper. in the aspect of music being downloaded for free, i feel that to a point, it's rather harmless. I know a lot of musicians are complaining about people downloading for free, but in all reality, they are not hurting for money, b/c they still make money from concerts, and merchandise that it shouldn't matter that people download their songs off of sites that don't charge for the downloads. it's not like the American public is plagarizing their material.

censorship article

this article was about how people feel that pornography access at work is wrong. I agree with this in the aspect that I would not want to be working in a cubicle and walking by one of my collegaues while they are accessing such a site and physically doing something with that site. In my opinion, as long as the guy doesn't bring his pornography to the office, nor does he execute the "roughness" of the content while at the office, i don't see what the difference is of someone acccessing whatever they want to when they are at home. My issue is when they want to do it while they are at work. It takes up time that could be used productively toward his daily tasks, it's offensive to co-workers, and if it's something where the guy was part of a team project, and he wastes time by watching porn during his shift, he's putting the jobs of his colleagues in jeopardy.

Ethics in Education

This article discussed the topic of censorship mainly on computers. Censorship is a really hard topic to figure out based on the fact that everyone has different morals and values. It also states that information can be put on the Internet by anyone with basic computer skills. Which can create problems when doing research because some sites are credible whereas others are not credible by any means. The article mentions different types of censoring down at a local level. Including schools, work places, and an individual's home. At a school the censorship is there to prevent students from looking at inappropriate things according to the school's regulations. At work the regulation my be that no site can be accessed except sites that have to do with work issues. Maybe because management has decided that too much time is being used on none work related sites instead of employees actually working. When it comes to ones home it could just be a matter of what one would personally want censored from others in the house whether it be a spouse or children or whoever. For the first case study I believe that websites should be censored based on content not on word related items. This means Jason would have more access to sites that may not be entirely bad. I also believe that if at all cost he was prohibited from seeing a certain site since books are available, they should be used also because as the article stated not all websites are credible. Jason should not just limit his search to just the Internet and it would not have really been a problem. As for case study two I believe that it is Alex's right to view what he wishes at home as long as he will not use it to offend others. I also believe that he should be prohibited from viewing such things at work but, in my opinion it is not fair to keep someone from accessing websites that they would like to access in their own home. Even if some people do not like the content of the site if he is not hurting anyone than he should be left alone in the privacy of his own home.

No one likes to pay for music--or much else

In this article a man by the name of Mark Boyle is trying to promote the values of "freeconomy" movement. Boyle feels that the Free Culture movement such as news, books, film, games, and music should be free. It is also mentioned that there should be no censorship over how culture is used. This I disagree, even though it may seem that there is no harm in having access to free downloads as far as information may go, this is saying that those that come up with the idea maybe getting paid for their ideas, but in the long run why are people not having to pay for these things as if they would in a store. Now a days we all know nothing is free, so why should we be able to access information through the internet for free? Like mentioned in the end, even though we think we are getting things for free were not. These things catch up with us, meaning that we think music and or other things such as movies are free but really consumers are really paying for these things at the cash register in the end.