Ethics in the classrooms

The following website which I found in my research for copyright problems gives a good outline for all the copyright issues involved in a classroom, as well as how to deal with them:

http://www.copyright.iupui.edu/fairuse.htm

This brings the question of how I will evade copyright issues in my classroom.  I will do this by trying to stay away from using these materials. If i do decide to use them, then I will stay within the requirements. If i decide to use a movie, I will show the clips of the movie that pertain to my lesson, and try to keep the length under 15 minutes. If I have pictures in any of my presentations, I will make sure to cite them. If I am to use a book that is not required for the class, I will copy the parts of the book I want to use for the students. Dealing with copyright can be tedious if one does not know the regulations. If a teacher knows the regulations, than the only problem they should have is incorporating them into their lesson.

technology in my classroom

As a history teacher in high school, I see myself using technology as much as I can in my lessons. I see myself using power point presentation,s webquests, scavenger hunts, videos, and maybe websites. I believe that technology is a useful tool that allows the students to further understand what they are learning. The only thing is I have to watch my use and make sure that technology does not become a crutch for my lessons. Technology is great for the students and the teacher if it is used correctly.

My view on technology in the past seven weeks has been for the better. Before this class I was only aware of the limited uses of technology in the classroom. Thanks to this class I have learned about webquests, scavenger hunts, podcasts, creating websites, and so much more. All this information helps give me ideas for lesson plans because it allows teachers to be more creative with their lessons, which will allow the student to get more out of the teachers lesson.

When I begin my student teaching I will treat student teaching as if I am a staff member at the school, being paid to teach the class. I would try to stay away from the teaching style that I had observed because the class was not creative in any sense. The teacher would feed the students the answers, and the students were expected to remember them. I would want to allow my students to find the answers themselves. I would have them do independent or group research so that they can find the answers for themselves, and they are getting something out of the lesson. I would try to incorporate technology in my class as well. I feel that technology helps keep the students attention because it is something that they are not acclimated to having in the classroom, and it can be something that they can look forward to. I want it to be a learning experience for me as well as an enjoyable experience for the students. School should be fun for students, and I would be there to teach them, and help them have fun.

Once I graduate from Susquehanna and start my first teaching job, staying on top of the latest trends on education and technology will probably be the hardest thing for me to do. Technology is changing every day, so that makes it harder already to stay informed of changes in technology. With all the work I will have in teaching, it will make it even harder. One way that I believe can help me stay on top of the latest trends is by talking to other teachers. One of the best ways to learn about teaching, is learning from your piers. You can talk to other teachers by going to workshops, talking to teachers in your school face to face, or by researching blogs on the internet. Another way to stay up on trends is to see what is new in technology. Wired is a good magazine for the advancement in technology. Just because something is not created with education in mind, does not mean that i cannot be used in education. Teachers can use creativity with new technologies and implement them in their classroom. Another way to stay on top of the trends of technology in education is by visiting other schools. You might be able to visit another school that may be more advanced technology wise then your school. There is also the chance that you visit a school who is in the same boat as your own.

ShiftHappens

The video "shifthappens" was an eye opening experience for me. It helped me realize that our country is not emphasizing education as much has other countries in the world. To hear that China will be the largest English speaking country in the world, and that more chinese students took the English AP exam was astonishing, and is not right. I believe that our country should be spending more money on education, because it will help every other aspect of our lives if people are educated.

I feel that my role as a teacher is increasing day by day. With the status of our country today, I feel the problem is in education, because the people are not recieving the best education they can get because schools are underfunded, and under resourced. I feel that teachers have a major role because the future of our country depends on the education of students. If no one becomes educated, then no one will know how to deal with problems in our country, and therefore our country would not be a "superpower" any more.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhnWKg9B2-8

Week # 2

As of right now, there are a few challenges that prevent me from integrating technology in the classroom. The first is that I do not know how to properly integrate technology into a history class. I know that there are ways to do this, and I look forward to learning them. The second challenge that is presenting me, is the inexperience of being a teacher and creating lessons. This is something that I am practicing now at Susquehanna. As I learn how to create different lessons, I can create ways to implement technologies into those lessons. The last challenge that faces me, is the fact that I do not know the full extent of how technology can help my lessons. This is a challenge that I can face in this class, because this class will hopefully teach me inventive ways of of implementing technology in my classroom.

Blog Assignment #1

The two blogs i used for this assignment were http://www.bethknittle.net/WP_Blog/ and http://weblogg-ed.com/. After the first week of class and reading these two blogs, I am starting to see the importance of technology in the classroom. Before taking any education classes at Susquehanna, I saw technology as something teachers used as aids for them, and not the students. This tech in education class is helping me realize that the technology not only helps the teacher, it helps the students learn more efficiently. Technology includes visual, kinesthetic, and auditory learners. Technology has to be used properly though for the students to actually learn. That is why I am taking this class. I want to learn how to effectively use technology in my classroom. I am unaware of the vast uses of different technologies, all of which could be affective in my classroom. I am excited to start teaching in a few years, but I still have alot to learn, which includes implementing technology in my classroom.