EdChange

I did not do too well on the quiz. I was very surprised over some of the answers. One of the more strange points made was that when Bill Gates and Warren Buffett say they want to buy a small country, they might just mean more than one!

In a national study of college students, 27.5% of women surveyed said they had been the victim of a rape or attempted rape since the age of 14. What percentage of these rapes or attempted rapes was reported to police? I found these statistics to be unreal. Nearly one-third of women have either been the victim of a rape or an attempted one? Perhaps the answer was true, because I do not personally know of any woman who has been raped. Either they do not discuss it, or they just do not want to admit it to anyone.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the majority of poor children live in rural areas. This was another question that surprised me. Based upon all of the news reports and media, one is led to believe that most of the poor children live in heavily populated urban areas. I would like to see the details of the survey because my guess is that the majority of these children live either in the Midwest or the South.

What percentage of U.S. toxic waste dumps that do not comply with Environmental Protection Agency regulations are found in predominantly African American or Latino communities? 70% I actually got this answer correct. I have studied environmental science for many years and the cause of this is a lack of education and political clout/money. These two races have been linked with poverty as well as being undereducated. Toxic waste dumps have been located in these areas because those responsible for the dumping know they are least likely to be confronted with a clean-up notice any time soon.

What percentage of the world population regularly accesses the Internet? 2% I was wrong again. After some introspection, I came to the realization that most of the world's population is located in third-world nations that are overrun with poverty. The 2% figure probably represents the population of the Americas, Europe, Japan, and Australia. It's sad to think that such a great resource of knowledge and information is accessible by so few. The $100 laptop that is being built for children of poor nations might help boost these numbers.

http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/quizzes.html

Teaching Tolerance

The activity involved the reading of a true story about a Japanese family that had to endure the relocation camps during World War II. It details the conditions they were forced to live in and the way they felt about their ordeal. War makes people do strange things and the Civilian Exclusion Order No. 27 issued in 1942 seems unfathomable to me in our day and age. To better describe to students how the Japanese people must have felt at the time they were taken from their homes I chose this activity: Write a journal entry in which you imagine you have 30 minutes to gather a small suitcase of important belongings before being sent to an unknown place for an unspecified period of time. You may not take any electrical or battery-operated items such as a Walkman or hair dryer. What items do you choose and why? Describe how you would feel about being forced to leave your home.

http://www.tolerance.org/teach/activities/activity.jsp?p=0&ar=248&pa=1

Netiquette

It is easy to get caught up in an online discussion and let your emotions drive one's responses. The problem is, one cannot see the other person(s) visually who the typed message is being sent. One cannot judge the emotional response of the other person. This means the message being sent needs to convey a calm, intelligent meaning. The meanings of messages can often get lost if a student does not follow the guidelines of good netiquette when using the Internet for communicating with others. The use of proper grammar and spelling can help lend credibility to one's message. Also, the avoidance of curse words or words all in capital letters can help convey a calmer, more appropriate message. Too often, students think their responses are presented under the veil of secrecy. What they don't realize, is that someone is always watching. E-mail messages are generally recorded on a server somewhere and can often be used against an offending individual. The Internet needs to be a very sociable place. It is a place where everyone can equally provide input. Providing erroneous information on a bulletin board or in a discussion group, spoils it for others looking for reliable, relevant information. Treat your Internet discussion as if you were talking to your grandmother. Keep it clean, concise, and informative.

Multiple Intelligences

I have read numerous articles and information regarding Gardner's theories of multiple intelligences, so I am fairly familiar with the different aspects of learning and why they should be addressed individually. The problem I have encountered in my readings is that there were little examples provided regarding the integration of lessons in the classroom that addressed the needs of a variety of students with multiple intelligences. The resources page on this website provides a number of articles written about the individual intelligences and how teachers have used various strategies to better involve the needs of all of their students. One article I found interesting involved teaching students about geometry by having them evaluate the shapes of architectural structures. I felt this was a great way to teach to tactile/kinesthetic and spatial learners.

http://www.edutopia.org/modules/mi/index.php

Evaluating Web Pages

1. Before you leave the list of search results -- before you click and get interested in anything written on the page -- glean all you can from the URLs of each page. The URLs can tell the reader the validity of the website. For example, a URL that ends in .com is a commercial site and probably has an objective of making money. A URL that ends in .edu is a recognized University site and probably contains reliable information. URLs .gov and .mil are government sites and a URL that ends in .org should be a non-profit organization like a school district or foundation.

2. Evaluate the credentials of the author who is responsible for the publication. Ask yourself these questions: 1) Does the purported background or education look like someone who is qualified to write on this topic? 2) Might the page be by a hobbyist, self-proclaimed expert, or enthusiast? 3) Is the information on the page merely an opinion or does it contain factual information? 4) If you cannot find strong, relevant credentials, look very closely at documentation sources. 3) Look for a link called "links," "additional sites," "related links," etc. In the text, if you see little footnote numbers or links that might refer to documentation, take the time to explore them. Good, reliable sources will document their findings through more detailed notes or sources. If you find these sources pointing to reputable agencies, e.g. NASA or USGS, then you can be assured they are fairly reliable.

3. Check to see what date the page or information was created. Information changes often and many times the information posted on a website may be old and outdated. Check to ensure the information is current.

4. Find out what other web pages link to this page. Use alexa.com URL information. Simply paste the URL into alexa.com's search box. You will be able to see information related to the volume of traffic on the site. It will provide the traffic rank, subjective reviews from others, and site statistics including the page history and sites that link to the page.

5. Lastly, step back and subjectively think about all that is presented on the page. Listen to your gut reaction. Take a step back and think about all you have learned about the page Think about why the page was created, the intentions of its author(s). Ask yourself if the website is the best place to do your research or should you find other more reliable published resources.

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/TeachingLib/Guides/Internet/Evaluate.html

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

This is an awesome website! I am always looking for interactive sites that are content subject specific. This site has a number of resources I can use for both teaching and preparing lessons. I perused the mathematics sites and have used a number of them already, like the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives. I will use this website as a future resource.

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators

Kids Click

Spell Check is an interactive website that allows students to practice their spelling. The site provides a student with four words, one of which is spelled incorrectly. The student must select the one word spelled incorrectly and then correctly spell the word. There are two levels a student can select, easy and hard. This site accommodates reading levels 3-6. I will likely use this site with a fifth grade student I am working with who is reading at a second grade level.

http://www.funbrain.com/spell/index.html

NEA-Achievement Gap

As a future teacher, I hope to teach in a lower socioeconomic school, which will probably correlate with minority students. Most of the students at the school I am student teaching at are recognized as low-income and minority. They have tragic stories that contribute to their low academic achievement. As the students' teacher, there is not much I can control from their home life, however, when they step into my classroom, there is much I can control. Some of the factors attributed to underachievement in these students that I have control over are: 1) Insensitivity to different cultures, 2) Poor teacher preparation, 3) Low expectations of students, 4) Low expectations for student achievement, and 5) Lack of rigor in the curriculum. By creating an environment with high expectations and sensitivity to the various cultures, I hope to be able to make a positive difference in the lives of these children. To learn more about the achievement gap, access the following link to read the article published by the National Education Association:

NEA - Achievement Gap Article

National Archives

The National Archives site has numerous documents (mostly letters) that came from people who were directly affected by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. These letters are actual publications which can be read and interpreted by students, rather than reading someone else's summary and interpretation. Students will be able to chronologically follow some of the events and people's reports from these letters. I believe it will make them feel more directly connected to the event by reading the facsimile documents.

The website's actual description: The documents selected for this exhibit are primary sources that historians and other researchers study when they write about historical events. They are a selection from the files created or received by Federal agencies in or near San Francisco at the time of the disaster. They contain eyewitness testimony of the damage of the earthquake, the ensuing fires, and the desolation that was left in their wake.

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire

"CGI" Common Gateway Interface

"Common Gateway Interface," the most common way Web programs interact dynamically with users. Many search boxes and other applications that result in a page with content tailored to the user's search terms rely on CGI to process the data once it's submitted, to pass it to a background program in JAVA, JAVASCRIPT, or another programming language, and then to integrate the response into a display using HTML.

Glossary of Internet & Web Jargon

Introductory Letter

February 9, 2007


Mr. Mark Rounds
Cal-State University San Marcos
College of Education
333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Road
San Marcos, CA 92096

Dear Mr. Rounds:

My name is Eric Shirley and I am a student in your EDUC-422A class. I am embarking on a second career as a teacher after spending 25 years in the business world. I am currently enrolled in the Multiple Subject credentialing program at CSUSM. I graduated from Escondido High School many moons ago. The epitome of technology in the classroom during my high school days was the use of an electronic typewriter. Over the years, I have witnessed firsthand the evolution of the digital age.

My technology experience is fairly extensive. I have been using computers and associated peripheral equipment for over 20 years now. My first computer was an Apple IIe with a dot-matrix printer. One of my first formal courses in computers was learning to program in BASIC. Since then, I have become proficient in a number of software programs and operating systems. I have transitioned from DOS, to Windows, Windows 95, and finally to Windows XP. I am also proficient with Mac OS X and the wonderful array of Apple’s iLife 06’ programs. I have been a Microsoft Office user since its inception. I originally was a Word Perfect and Lotus 123 user until the Office package came along and became the unofficial standard of the business world. I am certified in Macola’s accounting software, as well as its accompanied eSynergy contact management software system. Both programs operate using a Sequel database, which I can run queries and reports from. When questioned about my operating system preference, my response is usually “what programs are you running?” For educational purposes and classroom integration, I prefer the Mac platform. The iLife programs are amazing and simple to use. The way they all interact with one another is a big plus. For business applications, Windows is my preferred choice, only because most large business software programs are Windows-based. I have a Windows XP operating system on my laptop, and an Apple iMac on my desk.

My wife, Kathy, is the Director of Education Technology for Escondido Union School District. She is also an Apple Distinguished Educator and co-founder of the San Diego County Office of Education’s IVIE awards. She is an educational consultant for Apple Inc. and visits Apple headquarters bimonthly for presentations to other school districts or to assist in projects. She recently finished co-authoring an Apple podcasting guide for education that will be published shortly. Education technology is one of the primary conversations in our home.

My decision to attend Cal-State San Marcos was influenced by logistics. I live less than two miles from campus. The College of Education’s mission statement is hard to disagree with. I am a firm believer of student-centered education, which technology must play a large role. I am also a proponent of public education and am committed to education equality for all individuals. Professionalism and life-long learning have, and always will be, something I strive for. I look forward to taking your course. I hope I can learn something valuable to incorporate in my classroom in the future.

Cordially,


Eric Shirley

First Entry

This is a sample posting. Hopefully, it will be the first of many.