Software Evaluation: Take That Math Circus!

I can't wait to get into evaluating some of the software programs available to our students at school. Most of what has been listed on our computers, up until last year, was total garbage in my opinion. Some of them looked like they were still running on the DOS operating system, if not made for Commodore 64! So now that I've dated myself terribly, lets get down to business. Crumby programs that serve no conceivable purpose beware... you are about to get a severe rubricized slap down!

I'm not quite sure where I will begin. I may ask students which of our programs are the most popular, or least popular. Which programs they go on when they have free time or what programs they find the most useful. I'd be interested to hear their responses. While my grade 5's are not as techno savvy as my grade 7's were, there are definitely a few who are old hands at word processing, power point slide shows and even some animations. I bet they would actually have some worthwhile suggestions that these software creators could take some lessons from.

On-Line Learning: Access – Collaboration – Innovation

After talking to my mom about all the night courses she had to do while teaching and raising a young family I am a firm believer in the fact that on-line courses are the greatest thing since bread cut into evenly measured slices by a bread slicing machine. Reading the PDF about on-line courses reinforced that fact for me. Under the heading of “disadvantages” the major flaws were mostly about people not having access to the technology. Once you do have the technology the advantages outweigh pretty much everything else.

One thing I personally struggle with however is the self-motivation needed to keep logging in and completing assignments on time. I’ll be honest. It’s tough. On the other hand driving to Brock in the evening when it is pitch black outside or driving into school in the summer while everyone else is golfing is not for me. So I will have to continue reminding myself how lucky I am that on-line courses like this exist, and keep on logging on.

While thinking about on-line learning for adults, I was reminded of the One Laptop Per Child program that has started making cheap, durable, wifi capable laptops available for children in developing countries. What a sense of freedom and opportunity those kids must have when they first log on. While I now completely take for granted the access I have to the Web, these kids won’t need to be worried about how to get motivated to get on-line and learn. So on-line learning is not only convenient for Western adults, it’s a whole new world for kids who may never have had a chance for any kind of learning period.

Internet Safety

Internet safety takes on many different meanings depending on your age and what you use a computer for. For younger children and students, we worry about them giving up personal information to dangerous predators. We worry about them being bullied and tormented with hurtful instant messages and facebook postings. For adults, we are terrified of contracting viruses or worms (like the one scheduled to bloom on April 1st) or having criminals gain access to sensitive financial information.

As teachers, our primary concern is always student safety and in the last few years that has meant that internet safety lessons are mandatory. Students need to realize that while the internet is full of information and does make it easy to communicate with friends, it can be a dangerous place as well. Part of learning about computers these days deals with not giving out private information and not speaking to strangers in a chat room. It also has to deal with reading information critically. Not everyone on the internet is an expert and blogs and web pages are full of opinion but may be woefully short on facts.

While the internet will be increasingly used in the classroom the academic focus must always have a "safety first" spin. That means teachers need to be prepared to explain and educate about how to be safe online. Passwords, sharing files, using your full name, address, and dozens of other topics must be addressed. In the 21st Century these rules will be as relevant as looking both ways before crossing the street. No teacher will want to feel responsible for a student that has found themselves in a dangerous or hurtful situation because of a school assignment.

A new problem that we have been dealing with is what to do with students who knowingly and repeatedly put themselves in dangerous situations online. Pictures and messages that are completely inappropriate are becoming more and more frequent as the line between whats acceptable online and in the real world become blurred.

EDUBlogs

Blogs have certainly made their impact on the world in the last few years whether the mainstream media or even mainstream educational gurus want to accept them as a meaningful way to find and experience information. That experience of finding information on a blog is much different than what we are used to when compared to old school encyclopedia research or even the first generation of websites we saw in the late 90’s and early 00’s.

Blogs allow us a very personal interaction with the information. We can access very specific topics and are even allowed to converse and make suggestions to the author. It makes information, and even entertainment, a two way street. We are not simply passive consumers of information that is programmed for us. We can seek out the content that is tailor made for us, and even affect the outcomes by becoming involved.

The other major difference is that we can very easily become the information/entertainment. You don’t have to be the editor of the New York Times to have people read your opinions and you don’t have to be the head of MGM Studios to let others view your creativity. This feeling of unlimited “reach” must be very empowering to young people and can motivate all of us to get involved and make ourselves heard.

The implications for education are huge. Not only can we "publish" kids work they can be working in the same medium as established writers and social commentators. No difference would exist between a students blog and a professional one. Numbered are the days of the poetry anthology bound with pink yarn. Students today could reach out to the world through their blogs. Safety and focus would be an utmost concern as they are in every facet of new technology, but that's why educators need to be prepared and ever watchful.

They're at the Post

Well here is my first blog post. It's technically not my first blog post ever, but as for being devoted to higher learning it's definitely classified as a first. Looks like a fun course and I'm happy I was able to get in. Looking forward to reading others blogs, posting, re-posting and maybe, just maybe... changing the world.