Breaking Down Walls

The experience I had during the digital citizen website project was something different than anything I've ever done in my high school career. I've done group projects before and I have obviously worked with someone before, but making an entire class work as one unit is something that is new to me and it's also something that I prefer doing than group projects. During the creation of the website I learned the basics from other people in the class. I learned how to create a website from one of my classmates, how to edit a movie, and overall I learned how to work as class. What I learned from this project is not restrictive to my classmates opinions, we interviewed many teachers and administrators at Burlington High School. I found this to be very important because it allowed us to get an idea of what our teachers and administrators are thinking and why they do what they do. There used to be a wall between students and teachers, but during the project I was able to actually talk to my superiors as an equal. The project allowed me to work with people I would of never worked with before and talk with teachers and administrators that I would of deemed too intimidating.

A Debate That Will Last Forever

Waldorf's learning environment is vastly different from BHS's. I believe that Waldorf's environment is too extreme and they seem to be so adamant in the fact that technology is only a distraction. Waldorf seems to have such a negative view of technology that it seems that they have not even given it a chance. When Alan Eagle said, “The idea that an app on an iPad can better teach my kids to read or do arithmetic, that’s ridiculous.” it made him sound conservative, fearful of technology, and quite frankly ignorant. The teachers and supporters of Waldorf all came off as if they just despised technology because they simply don't believe in the potential it has to offer. I can definitely see the point that Waldorf is trying to enforce, however they give off the impression that they are against change and progression. They seem to only see one way a student can learn, when in reality no student learns the same way. Waldorf could possibly be forcing a student to learn their way when there are tons of other ways to learn as well. For example Eagle's child could also learn math by going on khanacademy.com, where he will be taught math, but in a different way. As I continue to write more about Waldorf, the more annoyed I seem to get. This quote in particular “It’s supereasy. It’s like learning to use toothpaste,” quite frankly pisses me off. At the basic level using technology is easy, but that's only the basic level. There are many shortcuts, tools, and other ways to improve learning that a student could only possibly learn by searching the web. The web contains an infinite amount of knowledge and if Waldorf's students do not access it often they are multiple steps behind. The students who access the web will tap into that infinite knowledge and expand their horizons, while the students at Waldorf will be lagging behind because they would only start to tap into technology's potential at an adult age. Waldorf supporters seem to live in a world where all their teaches are capable, all their kids learn the same way, and technology is only seen as a distraction. I don't want to come off as anti-Waldorf because I do believe that there methods can be successful, but I believe that they are limiting their options.

Social Media Fail

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/05/02/rashard-mendenhall-raises-eyebrows-with-bin-laden-tweets/

Rashard Mendenhall, a decent running back for the Steelers, decides to post something that is both controversial and a sensitive topic to the American public. First of all I am all for free speech, but Mendenhall was not thinking when he tweeted his comments. Mendenhall's point of view is definitely defendable, but at the time America, for the most part, was celebrating a victory against someone who has caused an enormous amount of pain to America. The fact that Mendenhall is also a renowned running back in the NFL, it wasn't smart for him to voice his opinions to openly because he has thousands of people following him. He is put on a larger stage than a normal person because of his status.  Many people lost an enormous amount of respect for Mendenhall because people could potentially view him as anti-American or something completely radical and unwarranted.  To sum it up Mendenhall was not out of line with what he tweeted, but it was something that had little thought behind it.

A New Alternative

I believe the independent project is an absolutely amazing idea. It's not only a great concept for people who don't enjoy the mundane school year, but it allows students to truly apply what they learn to real life projects. I believe another concept that is not taught enough in regular school is teamwork. Majority of jobs require communication and teamwork. The independent project allows students to work and communicate in a group on large projects. The large projects apply what the students learn and actually apply it to life, unlike our current school system. The independent project offers a new alternative, not a replacement, to the current education system that is simply not working for many student.
The back channeling process has its benefits. I for one enjoyed it because it allows students to express their thoughts in real time. Usually when students are shown a video we talk about it later it is finished. This causes thoughts to be forgotten during the time the video is played. I believe its effectiveness varies from each person depending how well they can focus and type at the same time. Some people could potentially be so focused on expressing their ideas that they do not follow the video. Others can multi-task perfectly fine. I believe it ultimately depends on the person on how effective the back channeling is, but I personally enjoyed it.

Error: No Internet Connection

"It will be very hard for people to watch or consume something that has not in some sense been tailored for them." ~Eric Schmidt, Google
Schmidt and Eli Pariser are correct when they say nearly everything on the web is personalized for a user. For example when I go to Yahoo News I don't really get news, instead I get sport updates. A trick play for football should not be considered news, but it is for me because I go on YahooSports.com frequently. The result of this personalization makes all of us limited and isolated in some way. Pariser believed that the internet was suppose to act as a way for people to connection, however it has severely crippled itself by limiting users. The balance that Pariser is not even close to equilibrium, which causes majority of users to be limited in the knowledge they could potentially receive, and because it's so personalized people truly aren't changing. This problem is indeed a huge issue because it creates a pool of people that simply do not know what is going on around them. It causes people to become blissfully ignorant of the world around them and that to a lot of people is a issue.

Applying 2.0 to Life

Well this whole week I have learned about Google Reader and the importance of creating a positive digital identity. I can use the Reader to save time and it allows me to stay up to date with my current events. I no longer have to go to a plethora of sites to get my daily updates. The reader will help me be more in tune with my own world and interests. Creating a positive digital identity is something that my teacher stresses because colleges can now view your digital identity more thoroughly. If I created a digital identity that is filled with crap, colleges will see that, however if I create a positive digital identity hopefully I will be more attractive to colleges. The most important thing I learned this week is building a positive identity that will benefit me in the future.

iPads More Than Just a Textbook

Morristown-Beard School in New Jersey is currently experimenting with the iPad with a small group. The article can be found here http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/09/nj_schools_explore_using_ipads.html
They instantly found the benefits of using the iPad. They use it for current and up-to-date information. The advantage they found is that textbooks are outdated and need to be updated regularly, whereas iPads have current information that can be applied to school. They also found that they spent as much on the iPad as they did with books per student. The downside to having the iPad is that there were twenty two broken iPads. iPads are also not an option for cash-starved schools because they are too expensive for many schools. Because iPad use in schools is in its early stages most schools like Burlington High are mainly using it as an online textbook even though it has greater potential. We are currently using it as a replacement to everyday school items such as calculators and books, but it can be so much more. Are we using it incorrectly at the moment? Maybe, but the reason why we are using it "incorrectly" is because we have yet to tap into the enormous potential the iPad has to offer.

Monitoring Students for Recruiting Purposes is Inaccurate

Colleges using the TargetX CRM Tool will not get the student they are looking for. The reason why I say this is because people act differently when there's a monitor in front of them. People will say things they would not normally say on the internet because there is a monitor protecting them. Colleges will not be able to see the growth of their recruits. For example people will say immature things on Facebook or Twitter at an early age, but they could change the way they use social media and networking as they grow older and are more aware of the power and the effects of social media. The TargetX CRM Tool is a great for recruiting, but ultimately it has its flaws. A college using the tool for all of their recruiting will miss out on great students that they overlook due to a mistake on the student's part, but at the same time they could potentially have a greater chance of getting the student they want.