Response #2: The Blue Nowhere

From what I have read in the book so far, I can honestly say that I am impressed with the author's ability to mesh murder mystery with technology. I was thinking that it was going to be more one than the other, but this book has a pretty good balance of the two. Althought this book is fiction, I think technology really has made it easier for people to find out way more about each other than ever before, especially if you know what you're doing. The scary thing is the internet doesn't discriminate...it will supply information to anyone no matter what their intent is. Jamie Turner is the only character in the book that I really like, and I'm hoping to find out more about him as we go along, but I'm not counting on it. I'm predicting that the book will go in a different direction and bring in several more side characters before it's over. I'm also curious, will anyone else on the squad be targeted by Phate?

Response 1: The Blue Nowhere

As I began to read this book, I noticed the glossary of terms. Hackers and people in the computer world really do have their own language. I find myself wondering how many computer criminals live around us here in Kansas, or if it is just a regional thing to areas that are very rich in computer business, such as Silicon Valley. I noticed that when the character Gillette is trying to cut deals with the cops if he'll help them, that all he really wants is his computer. I know a lot of people who really like computers, but I'd never thought about people having addictions to them. I also wonder how much of this book is based on fact. Is it really that easy for a hacker to find out all that information about me? Or is it just dramatized for the sake of entertainment?

Article 3: The School of the Future

I really have mixed feelings about this article. I think it's great that students are encouraged to use technology and they are given many opportunities to find information and apply it creatively to their own lives. It's just that the idea of students getting on their computer whenever they feel like it and going to virtual classrooms seems a little cold and isolated to me. I firmly believe that kids need to interact to develop social skills. I also think they need routines. They need to get up, come to school, use self-control to sit and listen and follow directions, go to recess and run around. I firmly believe this. If our schools of the future go totally virtual, (which I am skeptical about even really happening), I think our students will miss out on opportunities to learn from each other, laugh together, and empathize with each other. Techonology needs to be a part of a balanced curriculum in our schools, not the cornerstone of it.

Article 2: Is Technology Just for Boys?

I think girls feel alienated by the use of computes because they feel that computers don't give them a place to express themselves. When we look at kids who are really into computers, the majority of them are boys who aren't big on talking or expressing themselves. Teachers need to find a way to show girls that computers and technology can be used as a great tool for expression and communication. Lesson plans in technology should be flexible, where students an use their own interests and strengths to do projects. Technology certainly isn't one-size-fits all, so our approach to teaching it to our students shouldn't be either.

Article 1: How Teachers View Technology

I found it interesting that 80% of new teachers surveyed in this article thought that technology made their jobs easier and only 69% of veteran teachers agreed. I don't understand how any teacher could say that technology in their classroom doesn't make things easier! I think the big difference between these two groups is how comfortable older teachers are with technology vs. newer teachers. Many people hate change...and teachers are certainly no exception. We don't really like changing something that's working for us. And when we bring new technology into our schools, we're looking at an inservice to be trained on it. I think that's what holds some of us back, the time it takes to learn how to use the new technology properly. One thing that many teachers agreed on, though, is that the use of technology improves student learning and we'd better get them ready for jobs that require computer skills. We might as well just go ahead and educate ourselves while we're at it!

ISTE Standards Self-Evaluation

I graduated from Emporia State with what I thought was a really strong foundation of knowledge in technology. I've been in the teaching field for three years now, and after reviewing the ISTE Standards, I think I've fallen behind already. I do have some areas of strength. I use technology to communicate with parents and teachers and I use the Internet as a resource for my teaching constantly. I use my computer for lesson planning, word documents, Powerschool, and even Excel. I bring my students to the computer lab twice a week. Sometimes they have free time, other times I direct them to an educational website for a specified activity. I think what my classroom lacks in the area of technology is focus. When I'm planning my lessons, I don't reflect on my use of technology. I feel like I need to be more broad and adventurous when deciding how to present information to my students and not be limited by my own insecurities. I would also really like to give my students more opportunities to use technology to show growth and learning. I would like to find new ways to assess my student's understanding using projects with a wide variety of technology. Finally, cyberethics needs to be brought up to my students. They are only in third grade, but many of them spend ours on the computer unsupervised at home, so I need to take it upon myself to educate them in that area.