Digital Imagery Websites of Interest

http://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/lessons/index.html

http://www.wacona.com/digicam/digicam.html

http://www.pembinatrails.ca/program/technology/digital_photography_in_the_class.htm

http://clipart.apte.school.aol.com/tools/photography/index.cfm

http://teachers.net/gazette/APR02/camera.html

http://www.esu9.org/~swegenas@esu9.org/midart/digital_web/index.html

Educational Benefits of Digital Storytelling

Initially, I could not rellay determine what types of benefits digital storytelling would hold. Through reading, it seems some of the most obvious benefits include helping students develop skills in voice, tone, mood, sequencing, cause and effect, planning and writing.

I think this type of resource would be especially beneficial for ESL students, non-verbal students and even those students who seem to be having difficulty in the area of reading. The following website was suggested by one of our classmates and it discusses everything from the goals and objectives of digital storytelling as well as provides suggested resources and examples. This site will be very beneficial for Assignment 3 for this class and for any teacher interested in introducing digital storytelling into his/her classroom.

http://www.coe.uh.edu/digital-storytelling/introduction.htm

Teaching hearing impaired students

This topic is especially important to me since my younger brother is deaf. I watched my parents struggle as they sent him "away" to a deaf school all week long from the ages of 3 to 7. I watched them stand at the end of the driveway on Sunday evenings while he boarded the bus to go back to school for the week. When the had finally had enough, he was enrolled in a "regular" school at the age of 8, however, the struggles did not stop there. Learning to communicate with teachers and peers who were unable to communicate with him was extremely difficult. It was 15 years ago when he was first enrolled in a regular school so there have been many advances today and teachers are more educated about students with special needs so they are better equipped and more confident (which is so important) to deal with such challenges. There are, however, simple things that teachers can do when there is a deaf or hearing impaired student in their classroom. Such things include but are not limited to:

• speaking slowly and clearly
• male teachers trimming facial hair (it obstructs mouth movements)
• do not shout (it also obstructs mouth movements and a shouted word does not look the same as it would if it were said in a normal tone)
• ensure the classroom is well lit
• ensure the student is sitting close to the teacher where he/she can easily see the teachers mouth (even if there is an interpreter)
• try to limit background noise (ie. overhead projector, squeaky chairs) because these can be very distracting and interfere with what is trying to be heard if the student is wearing hearing aids.

These are just some of the many things that we as teachers can try to do. Other strategies can be found at some of the following sites:

http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Article=3207

http://www.as.wvu.edu/~scidis/hearing.html

http://www.shef.ac.uk/disability/teaching/hearing/5_strategies.html

http://www.shef.ac.uk/disability/teaching/hearing/6_teaching.html

Audio Learners

I am really interested in studies about different types of learning styles, especially because I think we can all relate. Some of us can read something once and immediately understand, while others (like myself) learn better by "doing". The idea of podcasting and digital storytelling immediately benefit those students that we would consider to be "audio learners", those who learn best by listening.
Characteristics of audio learners that I found include:
Audio learners are very good at remembering what they hear
Audio learners may have difficulty remembering what they have read
Audio learners may have difficulty with reading/writing
Audio learners can find it hard to read facial and body language

These characteristics as well as suggested strategies for students to use and suggested strategies for teachers to use can be found at the following website:

http://www.trentu.ca/academic/geography/swurtele/slr/learningstyles.html

Educational Benefits of Podcasting

As I have been reading through information about podcasting, it occurred to me, if we can't beat 'em, we might as well join 'em! No matter how hard we try as educators, I do not think we will ever be able to compete with the ever-changing, ever-increasing world of technology that our students are so inclined to. So, why not bring this to the classroom? Could this possibly lead to an evolution in the world of education? Through my research, I have found some benefits of podcasting in the classroom which may help to encourage educators to consider attempting to use this new phenomena. Some of the benefits such as cost, audience, communication, usefulness, interactivity, creativity and fun, are outlined at the website below.

http://www.wtvi.com/TEKS/05_06_articles/classroom-audio-podcasting.html

"Podcasting" and "Digital Storytelling" from Wikipedia.com

A podcast is a digital media file, or a series of such files, that is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds, for playback on portable media players and personal computers. A podcast is a specific type of webcast which, like 'radio', can mean either the content itself or the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. The term "podcast" is a portmanteau of the name of Apple's portable music player, the iPod, and broadcast; a pod refers to a container of some sort and the idea of broadcasting to a container or pod describes the process of podcasting


Digital Storytelling refers to using new digital tools to help ordinary people to tell their own real-life stories.

What is Podcasting????

Taking a look at Assignment #3, I reliazed I cannot even begin the assignment because I don't really know what podcasting is! I think many of you probably feel the same and so I decided to try to educate myself a little bit about this fairly new phenomena. There is lots if information out there. Here is a little taste of something I found that I liked from http://andywibbels.com/post/272/.

What is Podcasting?
As RSS and feeds started to become more accepted into mainstream use (with still a while to go) the techie types needed a new media format to chaw on. And we got podcasting!
Let’s say you love listening to BBC World News online. You listen to it every morning and again at night to get the updates before you go to bed at night. But each time, you have to go out to the BBC website and click to download the latest audio file.
What if your computer could always have the most recent broadcast on your computer at any time?
What if it periodically checked to see if there was a new audio file and then quietly downloaded it until you were ready to read it?
What if it even put the most recent audio file on your iPod or other MP3 player?
Enter podcasting.
Podcasting takes the ‘customized newspaper’ idea that got everyone excited about RSS and feeds and transfers it to radio - your own customized radio channel. Along with the customization comes the ‘anyone anywhere’ element. Like blog publishing, podcasting allows you to easily distribute audio content easily and instantly.
The pod part is what makes everybody drool but you really don’t have to have an iPod to listen to a podcast.

Thoughts

If I had been asked about my computer skills before I had started this class, I would have responded quite positively because I was fairly certain that I was computer savvy. Or, I would have at least thought that I knew as much, if not more, than my students with regards to computers. However, since reading through classmates blogs and entries on the discussion board, I can't help but feel slightly discouraged. My computer knowledge has allowed me to succeed thus far in both my personal and professional aspects of my life but it frightens me to think that sooner than later, the younger generation will quickly surpass my abilities. Even with the programs and resources that filter and block inappropriate sites and track useage, I wonder if some students are still able to "outsmart" us. For my own protection and the protection of my students, I think I owe it to both them and myself to educate myself further in this field. This course is giving me a head start in the right direction and I hope to take it a step further sooner, rather than later.

Applying Blooms Taxonomy

I found a great site for further information on how to apply Blooms Taxonomy in the classroom. It provides suggested verbs to use for each level of thinking as well as sample questions and activities that relate to each thinking level.

http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/researchskills/dalton.htm

Threat of violence sparked penalty

Retrieved from: http://www.thestar.com/article/196286

Threat of violence sparked penalty


Mar 27, 2007 04:30 AM Daniel Girard Tracy Huffman Staff Reporters
A tip that an Internet site contained threats of physical violence against an east-end high school vice-principal led to a police probe and the school's swift suspension of five students.
While Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute is able to monitor the activities of its students on school computers, Toronto school board trustee Gary Crawford said it was "someone outside" who brought details of the derogatory comments on Facebook.com to their attention.
"We weren't actually out there monitoring and looking for this," said Crawford, whose ward includes the school in the Danforth Ave. and Birchmount Rd. area. "The information was given that this was out there."
When school officials saw "the severity" of the comments posted on the popular website, they realized board policy required them to contact police, Crawford said yesterday.
He refused to detail what was written on the website but Toronto police Det. Norman Brinn said it involved "comments, suggestions ... of doing some sort of physical harm" to the vice-principal.
Officers decided not to charge those involved with the postings but warned at least one student that the derogatory comments were inappropriate, Const. Victor Kwong said.
"He was cautioned by the police. ... His parents have been notified."
Last Friday, four teens were arrested and charged after a protest on behalf of one student – Brad Parsons – turned violent as police trying to direct traffic were hit by thrown bottles and a skateboard.
Parsons, 16, a Grade 11 student at the school, started the Facebook page. It has since been removed.
Parsons was one of five students suspended between five and 20 days last week.
While further punishment is still under consideration, sources say it's unlikely any of them will be expelled.
Parsons told the Toronto Star over the weekend that the students "were just talking amongst each other" and that even though the comments were mean-spirited and made fun of the vice-principal, they shouldn't be considered bullying because he didn't expect her to see them.
Parsons' mother has taken away his Internet access as a punishment.
Although the original derogatory comments have been removed from Facebook, discussion about the postings and suspensions have continued on the site. Many students are angry and say their rights have been violated.
"The question now is why do we have to be afraid to say what we want? Should we be?" one student wrote yesterday.
But school board officials and police say students who argue their rights are being violated miss the point – along with the ever-expanding technology comes responsibility to use it appropriately. And, they say, this case underscores the need to have a much broader discussion on the issue of Internet chat sites.
"It's beyond just our schools," Crawford said. "It's important we deal with it.
"Bullying is still bullying. Harassment is still harassment."
Students are made aware of their Internet responsibility through an online code of conduct by the school board, said superintendent Anne Kerr. But because this is "cutting-edge technology moving so fast, it's difficult to stay abreast or ahead of it" when it comes to laying down ground rules, she said.
"The safety of our students and staff is paramount," Kerr said. "It's important that while we take advantage of all that this technology has to offer we still ensure that we have a civil society."

Internet Safety Rules for Kids!

Retrieved from http://www.cybersafety.us/step1.html

This is step 1.......the site can also guide you to step 2 which is for parents/guardians and step 3 which is helpful tools.

Internet safety rules for kids.
The Internet is a great information resource, and also a great communication resource. Allowing people to talk to their friends, make new friends, and find people with similar interests from all over the world. Utilizing chat programs (like MSN Messenger, AIM, ICQ), chat rooms, forums, and a variety of other ways. However, it is important to remember when chatting online with somebody, that you never know who they really are. People often pretend to be someone they are not during casual relationships online. Below are eight safety rules that kids should follow when on the web.

1. I will not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number, parents' work address/telephone number, or the name and location of my school without my parents' permission.

2. I will tell my parents right away if I come across any information that makes me feel uncomfortable, scared or threatened in any way.

3. I will never agree to get together with someone I "meet" online without first checking with my parents. If my parents agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is in a public place and bring my mother or father along.

4. I will never send a person (that I don't know) my picture or anything else personal without first checking with my parents.

5. I will not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make me feel uncomfortable. It is not my fault if I get a message like that. If I do, I will tell my parents right away so that they can contact the service provider.

6. I will talk with my parents so that we can set up rules for going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online, the length of time I can be online, and appropriate areas for me to visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their permission.

7. I will not give out my Internet password to anyone (even my best friends) other than my parents or guardian.

8. I will be a good online citizen and not do anything that hurts other people or breaks the law. It is important to treat people with respect, the same way I want them to treat me.

Latest Teen Buzz

Retrieved from http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=6350

Teacher-proof ring tone latest 'teen buzz' High-frequency sound can't be heard by most adults--and kids are taking advantage From eSchool News staff and wire service reports
A technology using ultra-high frequency sound to drive teenage loiterers away from shopping centers in the U.K. has been hijacked by tech-savvy teens to create an inaudible cell phone ring tone. Students are employing the technology to surreptitiously use mobile phones in class by creating ring tones that most adults cannot hear. June 14, 2006—In the latest example of how technology's rapid evolution has created new challenges for educators, some U.K. and U.S. students are downloading a cell phone ring tone that is too high-pitched for most adults to hear--giving them yet another way to pass notes or other information surreptitiously in class.
Known as "Teen Buzz," the ring tone is spread from phone to phone via text messaging and Bluetooth technology.
The ring tone is a spin-off of technology that originally was meant to repel teenagers--not help them. A Welsh security company developed the tone to help shopkeepers disperse young people loitering in front of their stores while leaving adults unaffected. The company called its product the "Mosquito."
Compound Security's Mosquito device, once installed on a building, emits a high-pitched sound, like a constant insect buzzing, to drive loitering teens away. The product is based on the idea that, as adults age, they are less able to hear high-frequency sounds.
The Mosquito's buzzing registers at 17 kilohertz (khz). As people age, many develop what is known as presbycusis, or aging ear--a loss of the ability to hear higher-frequency sounds. Young adults might be able to hear the sound, but older adults are less likely to hear it.
With this new high-frequency ring tone, students reportedly can receive text-message alerts on their cell phones without the teacher knowing.
Donna Lewis, a teacher in Manhattan, said her colleague played the ring for a classroom of first-graders--and all of them could hear it, while the adults couldn't hear anything.
Howard Stapleton, managing director of Compound Security, said he was "amazed" by the children's creativity. He said he was aware that the Teen Buzz craze had been sweeping through the area's schools. "I think it is a bit of a giggle," he said.
Stapleton said the Mosquito emits a modulated 17 khz sound, whereas the mobile phone ring tone is a constant 14.4 khz, high-frequency tone.
"This is the result of an astute teenager with a laptop," said Stapleton. "A teacher would only be able to hear the sound from a meter away. Teenagers could hear it from much further away."
The New York Times reported that news of the ring tone first hit British newspapers last month. Since then, the paper said, Simon Morris, marketing director for Compound Security, said his company has received so much attention--none of it resulting in a profit, because the ring tone was, in effect, pirated--that he and Stapleton decided to start selling a ring tone of their own.
It is called Mosquitotone, and it is now advertised as "the authentic Mosquito ring tone."
Education groups contacted by eSchool News said they were only just learning of the new ring tone themselves, and none had any comment about how to combat its use in schools, other than to keep a more vigilant watch for cell-phone use in classrooms.
"It's just another example of how kids are using technology quicker than people expect," said a spokesman for the American Federation of Teachers.
Links:
Compound Securityhttp://www.compoundsecurity.co.uk
American Federation of Teachershttp://www.aft.org