Final Reflection

I am glad that this class gave me a reason to experiment with these tools.  There is never time unless we make the time.  Many people have told me that I spend too much time at school, and as a result of their concerns, I try to only do what I feel absolutely must be done.  Experimenting does not fit in this category, and that is why I never took the time to even set up a youtube account.  Now I have and I think that will be a time saver in the long run.  I liked Storybird as a fun and easy way to create lesson visuals that are engaging.  Screencasting is another tool that will help me to be more efficient in my prep time, especially when I am preparing for a sub.  Google forms might save me from the annual task of filing artsonia.com permission forms.  Google docs could be a way to collaborate with other staff not only in my building but also with my job-alike group in other buildings.

The process of learning the tools was frustrating for my old brain at times.  I knew the thing I wanted to do was probably just a matter of finding the right button or link.  The blog format was extremely helpful in solving these types of problems.  I could look at the posts of others who worked on the same assignment and learn from them.  The open lab was also helpful because sometimes you just need a human being that you can explain your problem to and they can usually at least point you in the right direction.  Sometimes it is simply the process of voicing your problem that makes you realize the answer yourself.

Week 10: Free Choice: Google form

I am excited because I think this might actually reduce my workload once school starts.  Artsonia.com is an awesome website I have been using since 2006 to showcase student art.  It is super time consuming but worth it because students and families get excited about art through this site.

In the past, I sent home paper permission forms, waited for them to come back, asked the homeroom teachers to collect them for me and give them to me all at once.  Then I hoped I could read them and I hoped they didn't leave important information blank.

A google form permission form might save time because a spreadsheet would be created with all the information.  Would I be able to sort by homeroom teacher if that is one of the questions?  Would it be a hard thing to make sure the people responding actually are the legal guardians of the students they name on the form?  What issues have I not thought of yet?

Week 9: Fitness Assessment

Scenario 1: Collaboration = Harassment?
1.  Discuss the possible ethical issues involved.

We need to have a zero tolerance for harassment.
2.  Determine if the safety or well-being of anyone is in jeopardy.

The unnamed target of the harassment is the one whose safety or well-being is in jeopardy.  The parent's complaint about Jeremy's access to academic progress does not hold water.
3.  What advice, strategy, or policy would you recommend to individuals or schools based on this scenario?

I think Jeremy has already negatively impacted his own academic progress.  School administration needs to support this teacher's correct decision to suspend the student's account.  Jeremy will need to either complete the assignments in a different way, or have an adult stand over him as he completes the assignments in a new account. The adult will do the log in and log out so that Jeremy does not have access to the account outside of class.
4.  Share any real-life incidents or personal connections related to the scenario.
It bugs me when the school has to devote more resources and staff time to solve problems like this.  I do not have any specific story to tell here, just the general comment that these resources could do so much more if we did not have to spend them on reacting to people being idiots.  Could this scenario be avoided?  Parenting classes might be a good start.

Scenario 5: Email Complication
1.  Discuss the possible ethical issues involved.
I understand protecting the safety of the students by limiting the email accounts in this way, making sure they are used only for school communication.  It is extremely limiting also.  I don't think I would have thought of checking that aspect of this lesson plan.  An email account that does not accept outside emails?  Who knew. Not sure what is the best solution.

2.  Determine if the safety or well-being of anyone is in jeopardy.

The teacher!  I hate it when I look like an idiot in front of a class.  I am getting used to it, however.  :)
3.  What advice, strategy, or policy would you recommend to individuals or schools based on this scenario?

Whenever planning a lesson that involves students using a technology that you have not used with students before, it is a good idea to talk with the tech person or some other staff person who has done it before.  Who knows what quirks needs to be worked out.  Practice it from a student computer.  It would be helpful to have a bogus student account so we could practice things from a student perspective.
4.  Share any real-life incidents or personal connections related to the scenario.
I could relate to this scenario because it started by describing the teacher using the same powerpoint to introduce content for many years.  That's me.
Also, whenever I try to have students use technology, something like this always backfires.  I try it myself and practice it to make sure it will work, but there is always something I did not think of that causes a major problem.  Sometimes updates happen that change the way something works.  Sometimes a site crashes or a video is removed from youtube.  Sometimes the student setting is different from the staff setting.