Activity 9- Cellphones in the classroom

While there are problems with the use of a cell phone in school, many advantages to having one available exist. Schools need to weigh all factors involved in use of cell phones in order to make wise and appropriate decisions. Parents and students should decide together on the wisdom of taking the cell phone to school. This is a partial listing of advantages and disadvantages of cell phone use in high schools. A camera equipped phone can be used to take pictures and video related to school projects or develop photo essays. Camera phones can be used to record school events and field trips. They can prove quite useful for assignments involving photographs, particularly anything going to the web. Just snap a shot with your picture phone and use it for your web classes, which are becoming more and more important these days. This is especially useful given that cell phone cameras are getting better and better with time.

Cell phones can be a distraction in the classroom. Students whose minds wander during a lecture or discussion may find the temptation of texting instead of listening hard to resist. They are also potentially a distraction to the class if the student forgets to set their phone to vibrate rather than ring during calls. Even the vibration can be distracting, and it does not take much for a teacher to lose their momentum.

Pros:

1. Academic Help - The most significant advantage of having cell phones in the classroom is being effective and reliable academic tool. Cell phones have several features like cameras, calculators and internet connection that can certainly help students when doing research and home works. Students can also use several applications beneficial to learning.

2. Emergency Contact - Cell phones are undeniably useful in terms of contacting individuals instantly especially during emergency situations. Knowing that students have their own mobile phones make parents feel relieved and at ease because they can easily contact their children in events like change of schedule and plans, urgent messages and instructions and more. Cell phones also make it possible for parents and students to keep in touch with each other.

3. Security - Not only can students keep in touch with their parents but they can also contact emergency numbers, friends and relatives during urgent and complicated situations. This provides security to students and parents at the same time.

4. Versatility - Aside from school premises, cell phones can be functional in other places. Students can use their phones for all-around purposes such as communicating, researching, making connections and many more.

Cons:

1. Distraction - Texting and making calls during class hours can definitely be major distractions for students and this is one of the common disadvantages of having cell phones in the classroom. Distraction also interferes with the concentration of students and if these scenarios happen frequently, their academic performance might as well be affected.

2. Wrong or Illegal Usage - There are instances that students use cell phones for wrong or illegal activities and purposes like thefts, drug deals and the like. Instead of using these phones for academic purposes, students use these gadgets for taking pictures and uploading videos the wrong way. Cell phones are also being used for cheating.

3. Hostility - Only those students who can afford to have cell phones and this scenario creates social problems such as hierarchy jealously, ragging and thefts.

During my research, online discussion and reading of the course materials I believe the use of cellphones in the classroom pros far outweigh the cons.

Activity 8-Managing online communication and collaboration

Social media is here. It's just another resource and doesn't have to be a distraction from learning objectives. Social media is another tool that you can use to make your classroom more engaging, relevant and culturally diverse. Outside the classroom, many students already are using social media every day to communicate and gather information about various topics. By harnessing this interest, teachers can create an online environment that promotes the exchange of ideas and resources, and allows students to develop an understanding of the benefits of effective communication.

The current generation of K-12 students has been “completely normalized by digital technologies,” and is accustomed to using new media not only to gather information but also to create new things in new ways.

Some students will likely be more comfortable communicating online rather than in the classroom, where they may feel too intimidated to ask questions. Additionally, teachers may gain a clearer picture of their students’ progress through an online forum that is not constrained by classroom schedules and school hours. Through respectful and effective communication via a social media site, teachers can take the pulse of their classroom by identifying areas of instruction where students may be flourishing or struggling.

Incorporating the use of social media, particularly in middle and high school, also allows teachers to discuss the real-world implications of its use and the potential pitfalls, such as bullying, harassment and inappropriate content. Students may not realize that their digital footprint is difficult to erase and that the comments or photos they post online can have life-altering consequences. Creating a safe environment online for students is paramount, as is teaching them how to maintain such safe behaviors outside the realm of school-related posts. Enriched Learning Experience

Social networks and other digital technology can enrich the classroom experience by connecting students with peers and experts around the globe. Through Skype, for example, classes can use real-time video chats as part of collaborative projects with other schools regardless of their geographic location.

Meanwhile, video-sharing sites such as Vine and YouTube allow students to learn about topics from the viewpoint of professionals and other students, as well as providing a platform for students to create their own learning materials to share. Blogs also are a great way to encourage students to express themselves, share their knowledge and develop a following in their area of knowledge.

Pros of using social media in the classroom:

1. Social media sites can increase student collaboration

Social media sites provide an avenue for students to easily contact one another regarding school projects, group assignments or for help on homework assignments.

2. Using social media in the classroom can encourage more participation

Students who do not participate regularly in class may feel they can express their thoughts through social media.   Although this should not completely replace in class participation it can help build the students’ confidence and encourage them to find their voice and be able to participate in class.

3. Social media sites can be useful for homework help

When students have questions about a class assignment they can easily post a message asking if anyone can help.  They can also write a specific question to the teacher on a wall that other students can see.  This allows the whole class to have access to the feedback from the teacher.

4. Share resources quickly when using social media in the classroom

If the teacher needs to direct students to a particular online resource they can easily share the site through social media sites like twitter.  If the teacher wants the class to visit a particular site all they have to do is tweet the website and the entire class can view it with one click.

5. Social media helps keep parents, teachers and students all on the same page

It is very useful for teachers to be able to post on social media sites about class activities, homework assignments and even school events.  This helps the teachers, parents and students all stay on the same page about what is going on at school.  Sites like facebook also allow teachers to easily communicate through private messages to parents and students without having to leave phone messages and wait for a call back.

5 cons of having social media in the classroom:

1. Social media can be a distraction in class

The first concern that comes to mind when using social media in the classroom is how it will be a major distraction to the students during lessons.  Students could easily be sidetracked from an assignment and it could be difficult for teachers to tell who is paying attention or not.

2. Improper use of social media in the classroom

Students might take advantage of being able to access social media in the classroom and use it for personal interactions instead of for school related activities.  If students are not closely monitored it will be hard to know how if they are using social media properly during class time.

3. Using social media in the classroom can detract from human interaction

If students are encouraged to participate in class discussions through social media websites this could impact their ability to interact in face to face situations.  Students still need to learn how to have conversations with people even in this modern technology based world.

4. Cyber bullying on social media websites

Some students have experienced cyber bullying through social media websites.  If social media is allowed in schools this could increase cyber bullying where students write hurtful messages targeting other students.

5. Posting inappropriate content on social media websites

One of the reasons social media sites are not allowed in schools is because it is difficult to monitor how students use social media sites.  A student may post inappropriate content such as pornography or foul language which would be both distracting and damaging to students.

E-safety

What are the guidelines in regards to e-safety provision in schools? How can a school protect and educate staff and pupils in its use of technology?, and what measures the school has in place to intervene and support should a particular issue arise.

As the framework is concerned with safeguarding pupils, it has to be a top priority for schools. Many schools might already have effective policies and systems in place, but those who haven't will need to revise their priorities to make sure this features are in place. As a parent and teacher, I want to know that my child and students are safe in school, I want to know that they are empowered with the knowledge to be safe when they go online, and I want to know that staff have a good understanding of what safe means in any context to do with technology. Many people  get very wrapped up in blaming the technology as the facilitator of risk, but this really isn't the case. Risk and behaviour are the two fundamental principles of e-safety. In other words, if you don't know what an online risk is, your online behaviour can put you at risk.

Learning about e-safety is a vital life skill. Empowering children at an early age with the knowledge to safeguard themselves and their personal information is something that needs to be nurtured throughout school to see them into adult life. Equally it is important to empower adults, particularly parents and teachers, with the right information so that they can identify risky behaviour, or mitigate the possibility of risk.

Activity7 Tablet devices in the classroom

Tablets have created an Equal Learning Platform in Classrooms

Some students are quick learners while others are not. Tablets provide all types of students an equal learning opportunity. The not-so-quick learners can repeatedly access the virtual teacher, without apprehension of embarrassment.

Education is Convenient on a Tablet 

Numerous educational apps are available which make learning interesting and educators have to select the right app. Teachers can also use their tablet for selecting simulation games for skill training and gauging how well their students learned. These conveniences free them to concentrate more on teaching and less on testing and grading.  

It’s also possible for teachers to try out different methods to turn education appealing.  The use of social media platform by students to post their assignments, hold discussions about it, and encouraging each other with proper feedback encourages collaboration. Educators can oversee this digital behavior to make sure it is along acceptable lines.

Uses of tablets are many. As an educator it depends on how innovatively you use it to maximize these benefits. Over time schools will conclude that the gains far exceed the initial cost spent on giving students a 1:1 learning device.     

Tablets are Cost- effective 

It’s becoming an accepted fact from the various mobile learning projects around the country that by reading on a tablet instead of physical books, journals and newspapers alone, the initial cost of deploying a tablet can be recovered. Being lighter than a laptop, it gives access to an array of study materials, making knowledge available at the fingertips.

Activity 6 Pros and Cons of 1 to 1 learning with ICT

Today’s generation is full of a bunch of little digital natives. Therefore, today’s classrooms and learning tools need to evolve and change to better appeal to and engage these students. Today’s classrooms are moving away the traditional lecture style classroom setting and educators are now focusing in on engaging and empowering their students by utilizing mobile device technology in the classroom as a valuable learning tool.

Mobile devices like iPads in the classroom help give today’s  tech-savvy generation has the ability to experience things like gaming, blogging, reading eBooks, and even taking virtual field trips right from the comfort of their classrooms. Mobile device technology in the classroom has made learning more interesting and exciting than ever before!

Pros:

-Uniform integration of technology in every class eliminates digital inequality.  The school won’t have to worry about who doesn't and who does have the right devices.

-Since everyone has the same mobile device and is on the same platform teachers know whatever apps they use on their device will work on their student’s devices.

-With all the new technologies like iPhones, iPads, and laptops you can easily introduce stimulating online games and listening exercises. You can play games together, listen to podcasts, watch movie clips, or have a heck of a good time exploring YouTube together! Whatever you choose to introduce, be sure that you always have interactive language activities, discussions, and vocabulary exercises to make the most of your time plugged in.

Cons:

-iPad in the classroom With all the cash-strapped schools nationwide, it will be difficult for them to find the funding to support this method.

-The 1-to-1 model will require both teacher and student training of the device the school decides to use.

-With 1-to-1 there are long-term maintenance costs, but with BYOD the students would be responsible for their own maintenance on their mobile devices.

It has the potential to get boring. If this is the case, the student-teacher match-up may not be a good fit, or perhaps your student is just not cut out for all this student-centered attention. You can battle this by having a lot of tools at your disposal and by over-prepping for lessons. If you find yourself stuck in a boring lesson, try to make the best of it and switch gears!

Activity 5 Interactive Whiteboards

Interactive whiteboards are great tools to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom. It provides greater means for engagement,interaction and direct manipulation of the learning resources among the learners and teachers. With careful planning and implementation students become more excited about their lessons and collaboration is increases in the classroom.

Some benefits of  IWB are as follows:

•      They help in broadening the use of e-learning because they rapidly demonstrate the potential of alternative modes of delivery.
•            They make it easy for teachers to enhance presentation content by easily integrating a wide range of material into a lesson, such as a picture from the internet, a graph from a spreadsheet or text from a Microsoft Word file, in addition to student and teacher annotations on these objects.
•          They allow teachers to create easily and rapidly customized learning objects from a range of existing content and to adapt it to the needs of the class in real time.
•          They allow learners to absorb information more easily.
•          They allow learners to participate in group discussions by freeing them from note-taking.
•          They allow learners to work collaboratively around a shared task or work area.
•          When fully integrated into a VLE (virtual learning environment) and learning object repository there is potential for widespread sharing of resources.
•          When used for interactive testing of understanding for the entire class, they can rapidly provide learner feedback.

Activity 4 One Computer Classroom

The one computer classroom is basically defined as a classroom that has 1 or up to 4 computers in a classroom. This is beneficial by means of eliminating the need to schedule lab time with the rest of the school. The teacher will have the convenience of having the computers in the classroom  and do not have to regularly travel to the lab to integrate ICT. Groups can now be easily monitored by the teacher while others are meaningfully occupied and the teacher has quick access to online resources saving time.

Assignment 2

This was an awesome assignment. I really enjoyed planning the budget. I tried to make it as realistic as possible and related it to my school. I choose to allocate some of the funds towards teacher training and initial setup etc... The reason I did that was because I believe if you are going to spend that amount of money USD 50,000 on purely hardware, it would be unwise to not consider installation cost and other additional expenditure that comes with the process. Secondly why have all this new computer labs or one computer classrooms when teachers are not proficiency and unable to use them effectively to improve teaching and learning  and helping the students to develop 21st century skills? However, I did enjoy the experience of creating my presentation and adding my voice to it. I would have like to do the YouTube video but was pressed for time. I will definitely try and use that in the future.