Journal Nine- "iPhony"

By: Tim Wu

Apples has been promoting their new iphone as a "revolutionary" device. Although Apple has changed the personal computer and music industry, the author of the article does not feel the iphone is revolutionary enough to change the wireless world. As a phone it has many qualities that will attract consumers including its style and user interface however, many aspects of the iPhone make it far from revolutionary.

The iPhone is also only available to AT&T customers, which the author feels is a unique partnership because the companies are founded using completely different business models. AT&T was found in 1870, long before Apple was developed, and follows the classic business model of owning the largest network and everything it surrounds. On the other hand, Apple was created in the 1970s as a hippie computer firm. This partnership is another reason why the iPhone is anything but revolutionary. If Apple wanted to revolutionize the wireless industry, the author feels they should have created a unlocked version of the iPhone that allows consumers to chose their network of choice or allows you to roam different networks and connect the different features on the phone to different networks. The iPhone has taken a step forward introducing the first phone with Wi-Fi access.

Questions

1. Why do you feel the iPhone is attracting so many consumers?
2. Do you feel the iPhone is a "revolutionary" device?

Answers

1. I feel many people are buying the iPhone because of the brand name and the way it was been promoted as "revolutionary." Many people in today's society want to have the latest version of electronics even if they do not know the difference between it and the other models. I believe people care more about the brand of an item then its practicality.
2. After reading this article, I do not feel the iPhone is a revultionary device. I feel the two companies have combined to form a product that is in their best interest. The iPhone is not going to change the lives of the people who have it, it is nothing more than a way for the companies to make more money.

Journal Eight- "Google Spy"

By: Michael Agger

Google has launched a new program called Google Street View, which allows people to access 360-degree images of the streets in popular U.S. cities including: San Francisco, Las Vegas, New York, Denver, and Miami. Images are captured by a van equipped with a camera. Numerous people feel Google Street View infringes on people's right to privacy. Although images are not displayed in real time, people are still being caught by the cameras in inappropriate place or doing embarrassing things. Google does allow people to report images they want removed and feel people should not be concerned about privacy issues because the camera captures the same public images a person would see when walking down the street.

Questions

1. How can teachers use Google Street View as part of a lesson plan?
2. Since the article states that Google Street View has displayed embarrassing or inappropriate images, do you feel it is suitable for a teacher to have her class view?

Answers

1. Teachers can use Google Street View to show students how various major cities in the United States look. The teacher can have their students compare the certain aspects of different cities. For example, can the student tell a population difference between New York and San Francisco by the amount of people walking down the street. The program can also teach students about the different architecture in popular cities. The teacher might have students compared the building in New York to those is Miami, to see that buildings are much taller in New York because space is limited. Finally, Google Street View will also allow student to see the difference in weather among the cities. For example, a teacher can have a student view three cities in different parts of the United States, Miami, Denver, and San Francisco, and have student come the weather.
2. I feel it is suitable to a teacher to have her class view Google Street View as long as they preview the material before displaying it for their students. If a teacher has not seen the images they are presenting to the students, they might show something that the parents feel is inappropriate. I would also recommend the teacher has the parents sign a permission slip stating the information about the program and any possible warnings. This will allow parents to decide whether their child should participate and possibly encourage the parents to access it, alone or with their child, before it is presented to the class.

Journal Seven- "In Your Face: How Facebook could crush MySpace, Yahoo!, and Google"

By: Christopher Beam

In today’s technological society, many people are turning to online communities and other social networks as a way to communicate with old friends and met new ones. The two most popular interfaces to accomplish this are MySpace and Facebook. Although MySpace is three times the size of Facebook, the author believes that has become showy and infested with spam. Facebook is the smarter choice for those people who want all the technology without all the clutter. However, Facebook has added a new tool kit called Facebook Platform which allows anyone to create programs, also known as applications, for the users to add into their profile. Out of the nearly 900 programs released on Facebook, the majority do not reach the potential they have to eliminate any use for the Internet. Although Yahoo! and iGoogle also allow user to add their favorite websites onto their homepage, they lack the social network aspect. If Facebook were to allow users to send real e-mails, not just messages, Instant Messages, and provide RSS feeds for real news, it will allow users to accomplish everything they wish to in one place.

Questions

1. Why do you believe social networks have become so popular among the middle and high school age groups?
2. Although Facebook is believed to be safer then MySpace it still allows anyone to create a profile, do you feel it is safe for children?

Answers

1. I feel social networks have become so popular with these age groups because it allows them to communicate easily with all their friends in one place. I feel social networks are also a form of high school popularity contests. Some people on the social networks want to be friends with everyone, even if they do not know them, because it makes them feel like they know a lot of people.
2. Facebook only allows people within the same network to view each others' profiles and privacy settings can further make it so a persons' profile can only be viewed by the friends they have chosen. With these features, I believe Facebook is a safe place for children as long as the parents or other guardian are involved in how the child uses the program. For example, I believe the parents should have the child password and be able to check their child's site everyday to make sure they are aware of everything being done.

Journal Six- "Filming Compassion"

By: Janet Bremer and Marilyn Clark
Many public and private school are now requiring students participate in service learning. Typically students have filled this requirement by: participating in after-school projects, individual involvement outside of school, or by taking classes. However, the authors of this article have discovered a new way that allows the hands on use of technology to fill this requirement. Integrating video production into the service learning requirement allows numerous more benefits then the traditions programs. The authors created a program were students are assignment to make a five-minute video for a nonprofit organization. Since nonprofit organizations usually lack the funding to make a video themselves, many organizations will jump at the chance to get involved in the program. Furthermore, students are learning to use various aspects of technology that are crucial in today's society.

Questions

1. What technological skills did the student learn when making the video for a nonprofit organization?
2. What are some of the benefits of the video production program the authors have created?

Answers

1. The students learned a variety of technological skills when creating a video for a nonprofit organization. Among the skills they learned include: using a digital camera, importing video, editing, exporting video to a videotape or DVD. Students also learned how to film different types of shots including close-ups and long shots. Students also learned how to use Final Cut, a program that allows students to add text, introduce different sections, and provide credits at the end of each section.
2. The video production program, created by the authors, have numerous benefits. First, the students will learn first handed about the nonprofit organization. By touring the facilities and meeting with the staff, the students see how the organization is working to improve society. Second, the video created by the students will help to teacher other about the organization and show them way to get involves. Finally, when students evaluate their peers' videos, it helps them to develop critical and analytical thinking skills.

Journal Four- "Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Blog"

By Paricia Deubel

In this article, the author believes that Blogs are the new technological development to support learning in the Elementary school years. Blogs allow peer to peer learning because they permit students to generate journals and portfolios, encourage communication with parents and community members, and faculty coaching and classroom management. In normal classroom discussion, usually only a couple of students participate. Other students, whether they have something to say and are just to shy, avoid eye contact with the teacher and hope not to be called on. By using Blogs to engage discussions, students can respond to questions provided by the teacher or other students. Blogs also require that every student respond and participate, compared to the few who engage in the classroom discussions. It also creates a student-student center learning environment, where peer communication is another source of information aside from what is being provided by the teacher. If teachers’ wish to adopt Blogs into their teaching techniques, it is important for them to focus on one or two particular questions, identify expectations, and model examples. The author also gives numerous guidelines and ethical consideration when using Blogs in the classroom.

Questions

1. Do you feel Blogs are an effective way to increase discussions?
2. Do you feel Blogs will have any effect on learning disabled students?

Answers

1. I feel Blog are a great way to ensure that every student in the class in participating in a discussion. By requiring that students post or reply to a question posted by the teacher each week, it allows the teacher to ensure that all students are keeping up with their reading and are not confused.
2. I have always been facisnated when it comes to study the disabilities that affect students in a learning environment. Many students with learning disabilities do not participate in classroom discussions because it takes them much longer to process the question the teacher is asking. If a learning disabled student were asked to respond using a blog, it allows them the needed amount of time to correctly process the question and form an answer. I feel many learning disabled child experience a lot of frustration and anxiety when participating in classroom discussion and I feel incorporating Blogs would help eliminate the tension.

Journal Three- "Social Justice: Choice or Necessity?

By Colleen Swain and David Edyburn

According to the authors, technology use among students is an issue of Social Justice. Social Justice is a term used to describe how things, both good and bad, are distributed between members in a human society. In today’s education system, teachers are given the choice of when and how to use technology in their teaching and learning environments. However, research has shown that students who are not given regular access to technology or are not technologically fluent, are disadvantaged in regards to future education and employment. The U.S. department of Labor’s SCANS released a report in 1992 that stated that at least 80 percent of all jobs in the next two decade require the person to be technologically fluent. The article provides numerous examples, from a Social Justice perspective, regarding the unfair use of technology in classroom. The authors also provide suggestions about how to make technology fairly implemented into the classroom. Finally, the authors provide solutions for teachers who have limited or no access to technology in their classroom.

Questions

1. The authors state five criteria necessary to ensure that technology is fairly implemented in the classroom. State the five criteria and explain how educators can make sure they are accomplished.
2. Not all classrooms in the United States have the same access to the various aspects of technology. What do the authors believe is the most powerful resource for teachers who have limited or no access to technology?

Answers

1. According to the authors, technology is fairly implemented in the classroom when it is: available, used routinely, used in ways that reflect real-world applications of interest, complexity, and power, used to enhance learning opportunities for all students, and used to monitor teacher/ students progress over time.
2. In the article, the authors believe that the Digital Equity Portal and Toolkit is one of the most powerful resources for educators who have limited or no access to technology. This resources provides educators with over 150 strategies, resources, and solutions to technological issues.

Journal Two- "Real-Life Migrants on the Muve"

By Ross A. Perkins

A multi-user virtual environment (MUVE) is a communication and collaborative interface in which the user controls an animated character in a virtual environment. These programs, which have been around as early as the 1970s, allow interactions between not only peers but with the environment by allowing users to explore and build virtual landscapes, building, and objects. Many educators are beginning to use these programs to support the curriculum. Instead of traditional presentations, students are being asked to build virtual environment on the topic chosen by the teacher. This new technological development is allowing students to take more control over the learning experiences by enabling them to incorporate their passions, needs, and personality into their work while still thinking critically about the world.

Questions

1. What is one possible explanation that supports the research showing that a students' use of MUVES is related to greater self-efficacy and motivation?
2. After reading this article, do you feel it is important to incorporate MUVE into the classroom?

Answers

1. The author believes that virtual environments help keep the students' focus and attention better than previous disengaging material. This ability to focus leads to better retention of information and better performance in school. Students with non-traditional l styles of learning and those with learning disabilities, are able to learning the information better then when purely reading from a textbook. When the students feel they are no longer struggling, their self-esteem increases.
2. After reading this article, I feel MUVE would help student with disabilities and students' who learn by interactions. I myself have never used a program like MUVE so I finally as an educator, I would like to experience the program before I state whether I feel it will be successful or not.