PC World -vs- Computerworld

PC World and Computer World magazines have two different takes on the success of Apple's iPad. PC World takes the view that the iPad will be an expensive niche device while Computerworld thinks it will be the greatest phenomenon since the Beatles. My opinion is not fully formed yet. On one hand, I can see where the iPad can fall into the category of expensive niche device. It doesn't do everything that a desktop can do, but then again neither can a netbook or any other laptop. I think of it in terms of my daughter. I think it would be great to have music, movies, pictures, games etc... all on one handheld, but I don't know if I would fork out the dough for a novelty piece.
However, if you look at the success of the iPod and the iPhone, these devices have had great mainstream success. People young and old have some sort of iPod. I think when you try to compare the iPad to netbooks, there really is no comparison. Netbooks are not advanced technology. They are just a cheaper version of what already exists. However, the iPad can appeal to all sorts of consumers. But that is just it. People who are consumers of products and want to buy applications, music, or games will love the iPad. One thing you cannot really do on the iPad is create. For those who want to create and edit movies will not be able to do this on the iPad. The one thing that most appeals to me is the graphical user interface and the sleek look of the iPad. I am still of the opinion that now would not be the best time to buy an iPad. I think we should wait it out. Let others buy them and test them out. Then Apple can tweak all that is wrong with the iPad and make it even more appealing. That is what they did with the iPod. They made it smaller or added more features blah blah blah. I will wait and see what the second generation iPad has in store. After all Apple always looks to improve their products to make them more appealing to a wider range of consumers.

Teacher Layoffs

The article presented in class about the number of teachers that are projected to be laid off due to budget cuts is astounding. Not only is it a difficult time to be looking for a teaching position in education, but it is difficult being a new hire. As a new teacher (not yet tenured) I find myself counting the number of teachers hired after me and going through scenarios in my head in which I may be cut. The sad fact is that while this hurts us as educators and prospective teachers, it is a truly sad time for education. The cuts schools are being forced to make are not because some schools are doing poorly and teachers need to be replaced or that some programs have been shown to be ineffective. No, these cuts are being made because there is no money to fund education. Looking at the situation optimistically, I hope that we can quickly move through these tough times and start making decisions based on what is good for students rather than what is good for our wallet. In just three four weeks I will be administering to my students tests that cost a lot of money and tell me very little about my students that I don't already know. How about saving a little money there?
While I am hopeful that I dodged the lay-off bullet this year, the rumor mill churns out fears that next year will be much worse. Some schools have reserves or grants that were already in place to help offset the loss of funds, but what about next year? Things will more than likely get worse before they get better. We can only hope, not just for ourselves, but for our children.

Presentations II

It was again another night of interesting presentations.
Green classrooms are a great topic this day in age. Many schools are looking at ways to be more environmentally conscious as well as energy efficient. In a recent conversation with our school media specialist, we discussed the use of a device that would daisy chain computers monitors together using a device that costs about $95. The device would allow another monitor and keyboard to run off of a single computer. It is very efficient. We hope to test it out soon to see if it works effectively without slowing things down.
I particularly liked digital storytelling. It offers different and more creative ways to share their learning. I would like to incorporate into one of my lessons to give it a shot.
Lastly, assistive technology is wonderful because it gives every student access to learning. The only technology that I have seen used to assist students in my school recently was an FM transmitter. However, I have the activsound in my classroom which helps students hear better. In my case, the assistive technology helps every student in my class.

Class Presentations

I found the presentations in class to be very interesting and informative.
Vadim did a nice job presenting how calculators can be used in class to save time and offer valuable instructional opportunities. I feel that there is a place for calculators in the classroom, but that it should be after students understand how to do some basic calculations. Students should not be using calculators to do math problems that they should be expected to do in their head or easily on paper.
I have never used a wiki before, so I liked having the opportunity that Jessica offered to look at how a wiki works and how easy they are to set up. Also, the classroom web pages were nice to see. This is something that I definitely want to get set up for my class in the near future. I am not a fan of toolbox pro, but having seen how easy it is to set up a website using Google, this may be a route I want to take.
Lauren 's presentation on the variety of interactive white boards was interesting because I did not realize how many different kinds there are. I am familiar with the Promethean Activboard and the Smartboards. Her presentation was a nice transition into my presentation on Promethean Activboards and the Activ Classroom.
I think we can all agree on some level that Project based learning offers so many more opportunities for students to understand, apply , and retain information that will be useful in the real world. Not only are they learning about a variety of concepts and how they are interrelated, but also they are working together to solve real life problems. I have seen projects that take place as a culminating activity after a unit is complete. These projects allow students to take what they have learned and apply it. I think for project based learning to happen in public schools you would need to have a strong community base and access to resources that many school districts may not have access to. Do I think it is great? Yes. Would I want my child to learn this way? certainly. I am just not sure how it could translate into public education without a complete overhaul of the system. Of course, what better time is there then the present when we have nothing to lose.

On other notes:
The NYS department of education is looking into cutting some state tests as a way to save money. At last- good idea! Hope to hear more about this soon. I know the NYS Social Studies test elementary through High school is one that may be possibly cut. I was unaware of the fact that NYS is the only state that administers state tests in social studies.

I was pleased to hear this past week that some of my former students who are in seventh grade now have been creating websites based on the reading series "Warriors". I would love to check these out. Cool to hear kids are doing creative things like that and that it is about reading! Been thinking about how I might be able to use blogs in my classroom. Might be cool to have students respond to one another in a book club through a blog. Just pondering...

Web-Cam Lawsuit

I think that parents have every right to sue the Merion PA School District for violating their privacy by activating web cameras that are on laptop computers. The laptops were given to students for their own use. The school district failed to inform parents about the anti-theft measures that they would use if the laptop was reported stolen. Parents paid $100 plus an additional insurance fee for their students to have access to the laptop. If parents paid insurance then why was theft even an issue? I might feel differently about the issue if the school had notified parents of the anti-theft tracking system before parents agreed to let their children have one. Many students reported that most of the time the laptop was left on all the time in their bedroom. If the camera is activated for any reason the school is violating a persons right to privacy. The school reported that out of 2300 laptops only 42 were reported stolen. Of those 42, 18 were recovered. If you ask me 42 out of 2300 is pretty darn good numbers. I realize that in the instance that a computer was stolen that a picture taken with the web-cam is worth a thousand words, but it comes at a high cost for the school. There are other ways of tracking a lost or stolen computer that do not involve spying into people's lives.

Rip, Mix, Burn Copyright Video

As I mentioned in class, our school has sent out reminders and pretty well holds true to what videos we can watch in our school. That is not to say that they will not turn a blind eye to what we do, they just make it difficult to do it. For instance, if you want to show a video during a class party before Christmas break it has to meet several bits of criteria. It has to be rated G and it has to be linked to the curriculum. It is more difficult than you think to find a video to show that fits both of these categories that you would want to show. Teaching fifth grade I would like to be able to read a book and then show the movie that the book was made into and then compare them, but most books we are reading in fifth grade end up being rated PG or PG-13.It is funny that we can read about it, but we can't watch it. Our school has access to a server called Safari Montage which has videos that we have purchased access to and we can show in the classroom.
The video Rip, Mix, Burn, the MPAA did not want a fast forward button on the VCR, but were not successful. Yet today manufacturers have found a way to prevent us from fast forwarding through the previews at the beginning of a DVD.
If anyone want to check out a cool video about acceptable use Google "A Fairy Use Tale." It is very funny and you don't need to watch the whole thing to get the point.

Crash Course

The amount of information presented in Chris Martenson's Crash Course was mind blowing. The sad fact is that much of the information was not necessarily new to myself. The depth of which the iformation about the economy, environment, and energy was enlightening, but the fact that the world is in trouble was not surprising. If it wasn't for his optomistic outlook, I would have been terribly frightened by the end of the seminar! It is hard to imagine what one person can do in the face of all the changes our world will face in the next 20 years. Some of the areas of my life that I have control over are the amount of money I save and the amount of debt I have. It is in my best interest to prepare for a financial catastrophe. To do this, it is in my best interest to save money and limit the amount of debt I have. Another thing to consider is how my choices affect the environment. We are such a commercial and consumer based society that maybe it is time to think about our needs as opposed to our wants. It is time to think about what we can do for the sake of our community instead of what we can do for ourselves. As I stated before, I found this video very enlightening and plan to pass it on to friends and family to check out. The information about the economy and inflation was especially important to me because I live on a single income while taking care of my daughter. As the cost of living increases, it becomes more difficult to meet our basic needs.