422C- Journal #1

            Mobile Applications can be helpful for educators to engage students during instruction and class activities and can also increase educators’ understanding of how students think and process information. By integrating mobile applications into the classroom, students can illustrate how they process information and communicate their thoughts while they are working out problems (Soto & Hargis, 2014). Specifically, in mathematics, students can illustrate to the teacher what they are thinking during the process of solving a specific problem in applications such as Educreations or ExplainEverything and also have the ability to self evaluate their own process to see where they went wrong or where they need improvement. Through these applications, students can learn from their mistakes and educators can better understand students’ thinking so they can teach and communicate with students more effectively. Mobile Applications can also aid as a tool in different activities, such as a scavenger hunt for students, to help increase the engagement and learning within the activity. Regardless of the subject matter being taught, mobile applications can have a positive impact on students’ learning experience, while also helping students stay focused. By having students use mobile applications in group activities, educators increase students’ collaboration, communication with their peers, and social interaction, which helps build not only their academic skills, but their communication and social skills as well. Overall, mobile applications can help educators in many different faucets within education to help increase students’ engagement and learning experience and help create an environment that fosters students’ development to help them in their educational careers.

            Incorporating mobile applications into the classroom can help both educators and students in many different areas of both teaching and learning. Both educators and students can benefit from using mobile applications to assist in areas such as behavior and classroom management, class activities, assess and reinforce skills, knowledge, and abilities, and positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior. There is an extensive range of areas in which mobile applications can be used in the classroom that help educators teach material more effectively and help students illustrate their knowledge, learn, and become more active learners by helping to engage them in the classroom. Incorporating these applications help educators create an environment that fits students needs and helps students become part of the learning process. By implementing various applications such as Teachers Pet to help with behavior management, teachers can manage their classroom by giving students points for good behavior or taking points away for disruptive or inappropriate behavior. These points can be used to assess students’ eligibility to participate in a particular activity used as a reward. Teachers can also use this application in classroom activities or discussions to randomly pick students or randomly form groups for group work. Educators can also use applications such as Educreations or ExplainEverything to increase communication between students and teachers by helping students illustrate what they are thinking during the process of a specific activity, which can help teachers evaluate how to differentiate their teaching for each student to fit student’s individualized needs and learning style. Overall, integrating mobile applications into the classroom can improve students’ education by increasing student engagement and participation, increasing classroom management by creating structure and reinforcement of appropriate behavior, and providing students with multiple resources and related references to support their learning during class activities and lessons.       

References

Alston, D.M. & Deaton, C.M. (2014). Teach environmental science iPads, QR codes, and                                        StoryKit. Learning and Leading in Technology, 41(7), 29-30.          

Soto, M. & Hargis, J. (2014). Students explain everything using iPads. Learning and Leading in                              Technology, 41(7), 32-33.

Video Project-Primary Colors

Video Project- Primary Colors

Thinkfinity Internet Resources

Thinkfinity

Michael Eyerly

Education Technology 422B

Title of the Web Resource
Big Math and Fries
Name of partner site and Link for the resource
Illuminations: Resources for Teaching Math
http://illuminations.nctm.org/Lesson.aspx?id=3170

Grade level or Age group this Web Resource is appropriate for Grade Levels: 6-8
NETS Standard(s) addressed by the resource (if any), if none, explain why. This article addresses no NETS Standards #4: critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making and NETS Standards #3d.
Summary of why you feel this Web Resource is an excellent resource AND why it is powerful for student learning.
HINT: address both criteria in separate sentences, start the sentences with “This Web Resource is an excellent resource because….” This Web Resource us an excellent resource because it applies math skills by calculating calorie percentages and applies these skills with everyday nutrition choices. This resource provides students with an opportunity to calculate the percentage of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins with real life meals from McDonalds. This also provides students with an opportunity to apply math skills into calculating nutritional guidelines with their meals and what they eat. This is an excellent resource for student learning because they have to calculate the calorie percentages after being given how many grams of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins are in each meal and how many calories are in a gram of fat, protein, and carbohydrate. This let’s students mathematically analyze the food they eat and identify the relationship between nutrients and calories, while performing calculations, percentages, and conversions.

Title of the Web Resource
Heartifacts
Name of partner site and Link for the resource
Illuminations
http://illuminations.nctm.org/Lesson.aspx?id=778

Grade level or Age group this Web Resource is appropriate for Grade levels: 6-8
NETS Standard(s) addressed by the resource (if any), if none, explain why. This article addresses no NETS standards, however this article addresses NETS #4: Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making.
Summary of why you feel this Web Resource is an excellent resource AND why it is powerful for student learning.
HINT: address both criteria in separate sentences, start the sentences with “This Web Resource is an excellent resource because….” This Web Resource is an excellent resource because it addresses the connection between science and health and the field of mathematics. Students learn about the heart and apply mathematics by calculating their beats per minute, hour, and even day. As well they are required to find the number of quarts of blood per hour pumped by the heart. They also evaluate how exercise influences the number of beats per minute and quarts of blood pumped per minute. This is an excellent resource for student learning because this requires critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making by collecting and analyzing the data gathered after the different activities. Students are required to create a problem and solve their problem within the assignment. They also have to use mental computation and explain their answer, which also uses critical thinking skills.


Title of the Web Resource
Construct a Comet
Name of partner site and Link for the resource
National Geographic Education
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/activity/construct-a-comet/?ar_a=1

Grade level or Age group this Web Resource is appropriate for Grade Levels: 6-8
NETS Standard(s) addressed by the resource (if any), if none, explain why. National Standards, Principles, and Practices- National Science Standards: (5-8) Standard B-2: Motions and forces and Standard E-2: Understandings about Science and Technology. It addresses standard #2: Communication and Collaboration.
Summary of why you feel this Web Resource is an excellent resource AND why it is powerful for student learning.
HINT: address both criteria in separate sentences, start the sentences with “This Web Resource is an excellent resource because….” This Web Resource is an excellent resource because it applies content knowledge about comets and provides students the opportunity to transform their background knowledge about comets through participating in the activity. After introducing background information, students must use the scientific process to construct a comet, model the effects of solar wind on a comet, analyze and observe the comet, and draw conclusions based on a combination of their knowledge, observations, and findings. Students must also analyze the comet’s environment and how its environment influences the comet itself. This project addresses the 2nd NETS, Communication and collaboration because students must demonstrate the ability to articulate their thoughts through various verbal and non-verbal communication methods. This is an excellent resource for student learning because they need to use written and verbal communication throughout the activity to guide them to a conclusion. Students are also actively collaborating with others throughout the experiment by working as a team while also exercising flexibility and willingness to help and make compromises for the team to contribute towards their common goal. This web resource illustrates an excellent activity that would help students develop both communication and collaboration skills.


Title of the Web Resource
Adapting Under Pressure
Name of partner site and Link for the resource
National Geographic-Education
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/activity/adapting-under-pressure/?ar_a=1

Grade level or Age group this Web Resource is appropriate for Grade Levels: 6-8
NETS Standard(s) addressed by the resource (if any), if none, explain why. NETS standards #1; NETS standards #2
Summary of why you feel this Web Resource is an excellent resource AND why it is powerful for student learning.
HINT: address both criteria in separate sentences, start the sentences with “This Web Resource is an excellent resource because….” This Web Resource is an excellent resource because this activity integrates the information learned with creativity and innovative skills. After introducing foundational knowledge to students, students must then design a creature that could survive in the hadalpelagic zone. This requires students to understand and apply knowledge of the ocean zones and various animals that live in these zones to their creation of their own creature. This assignment uses both #1 and #2 of the NETS. It is excellent for student learning because it requires both communication and collaboration between peers to work in a group and collectively create the required characteristics of a creature that can survive this zone. Students must also make connections between the environment of that zone and the characteristics of the creature. This requires creativity and innovation to invent the characteristics necessary to live in that particular environment. Students can also show their creativity and originality through their creature and communicate, collaborate, and analyze with their peers to effectively prioritize the different characteristics of the creature and how pronounced they would need to be to live in their environment successfully. Students must create original work through means of personal expression while identifying possibilities. Students must also effectively communicate and collaborate with their peers to apply existing knowledge to new ideas to create a product.


Title of the Web Resource
Why Does It Rain?
Name of partner site and Link for the resource
Wonderopolis
http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-does-it-rain-2/

Grade level or Age group this Web Resource is appropriate for Grade Level: 8th grade
NETS Standard(s) addressed by the resource (if any), if none, explain why. This activity uses NETS Standards 6a and 6b.
Summary of why you feel this Web Resource is an excellent resource AND why it is powerful for student learning.
HINT: address both criteria in separate sentences, start the sentences with “This Web Resource is an excellent resource because….” This Web Resource is an excellent resource because it explains the cycle water goes through within our environment. This article requires students to watch a short video, read an article about a page long, and after take a short quiz on the subject. This article provides detailed information regarding the stages water goes through such as evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. This article also provides interesting facts and introduces the process by answering a question, which would be a good way to introduce topics to students. This is an excellent resource for student learning because it helps students answer basic question they may not know and also helps them realize that there is always more information about a subject area that can be learned. As well, it is powerful to student learning because it illustrates information in a way that is easy to learn. This article addresses NETS standards, such as this is a great resource for students to explore different areas they are interested in and how questions can be explored further.


Title of the Web Resource
Holocaust and Resistance
Name of partner site and Link for the resource
EDSITEment
http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/holocaust-and-resistance

Grade level or Age group this Web Resource is appropriate for Grade Levels: 9-12
NETS Standard(s) addressed by the resource (if any), if none, explain why. This lesson and activity addresses NETS Standards#1: Creativity and Innovation and #4: Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making and
Summary of why you feel this Web Resource is an excellent resource AND why it is powerful for student learning.
HINT: address both criteria in separate sentences, start the sentences with “This Web Resource is an excellent resource because….” This Web Resource is an excellent resource because it requires students to analyze and discuss the evidence of resistance to the Holocaust and the various questions and dilemmas associated with confrontation and resistance against the Nazi Regime. In the lesson plan, there are four individual activities students can participate in along with completing a worksheet. Students then write as if they were relatives to those who are resisting the Nazi Regime. Students also reflect in a journal format their own roles in keeping the spirit of resistance alive today. This resource is excellent for student learning because this not only requires research and knowledge of information, but also requires critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making. Students need to first put themselves into that event in history and critically think and make decisions about how they would react and what actions they would take. Students need to also reflect on how they are keeping the spirit of resistance alive today, which requires both critical thinking and communication skills. Students also need exhibit creativity through applying existing information to generate new products such as the journal entries and letters they write. Students also create individual works as means of personal expression through the journal entries.

Title of the Web Resource
Factorize
Name of partner site and Link for the resource
Illuminations
http://illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id=3511

Grade level or Age group this Web Resource is appropriate for Grade Level: 6-8
NETS Standard(s) addressed by the resource (if any), if none, explain why. The content is numbers and operations. This activity addresses NETS Standards #4: Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills and #6a and #6b.
Summary of why you feel this Web Resource is an excellent resource AND why it is powerful for student learning.
HINT: address both criteria in separate sentences, start the sentences with “This Web Resource is an excellent resource because….” This Web Resource is an excellent resource because it teaches students about factoring by using an interactive platform in which students have to find the different factors of the number shown. Students need to find all the factors of a particular number to move on to the next number. This is powerful for student learning because it teaches students to factorize numbers in mathematics in an interactive way by creating rectangles to resemble the different numbers. This is also important for student learning because it teaches them how many factors are in a particular number and lets them find the factors themselves. This activity lets students get the wrong answer and keep trying until they get each of the factors of a particular number. This activity’s content involves numbers and operations. This activity requires students to understand and use technology systems while also using applications effectively and productively. This activity also requires critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making to effectively participate. This is beneficial for student learning because they can easily practice and memorize different factors of numbers at an early age through an interactive and engaging activity while allowing students to either choose their own numbers or have the computer assign numbers at random. This activity is valuable to further their education in mathematics and provides a foundation in which students can build upon.


Title of the Web Resource
Factor Game
Name of partner site and Link for the resource
Illuminations
http://illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id=4134
Grade level or Age group this Web Resource is appropriate for Grade Levels: 6-8
NETS Standard(s) addressed by the resource (if any), if none, explain why. This activity addresses NETS Standards #2; #4; #6a and #6b.
Summary of why you feel this Web Resource is an excellent resource AND why it is powerful for student learning.
HINT: address both criteria in separate sentences, start the sentences with “This Web Resource is an excellent resource because….” The Web Resource is an excellent resource because it helps students to practice factoring in an interactive and collaborative way. This is an online game where one student picks a number and the other student tries to find all the factors of that number. Each turn is scored based on how many numbers are found. If a number’s factors have already been used previously, it cannot be picked as a factor again. This activity is played with two players and requires communication and collaboration between players. This activity addresses NETS Standard # 2 by requiring players to communicate information and ideas successfully and #4 by identifying problems or questions that require investigation. Also, students must collect and analyze data to identify a solution while understanding and using technology systems and using applications effectively and productively. This is a powerful activity for student learning because students must collaborate and communicate with their peers to play the game successfully. Also the game requires students to use critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills to successfully obtain factors in the game. They use problem solving skills to factor numbers picked by their peer, use critical thinking and decision making skills as well to pick numbers strategically so one can achieve a higher score. Students also use technology systems and applications effectively and productively while playing this interactive game.

My Personal Learning Network

            The Personal Learning Network I have built by using various social media, blogs, and RSS newsfeeds have increased my knowledge with the field of Education and has given me countless resources to utilize for my own benefit as well as students’ benefit. I use the RSS Newsfeeds to help keep myself up to date on news and current issues within the field of education. The different RSS newsfeeds helps illustrate issues that I may have been unaware of and brings these issues to my attention. Feedly.com provides great resources for teachers in their RSS newsfeeds to help them develop all areas of their pedagogy such as teaching styles, instructional materials, technology, activities, psychology of student learning, and even how to relate to students and help them become more engaged in their education. I have subscribed to many feeds on feedly.com but the most beneficial feeds I have found is the Edutopia RSS newsfeed and Education Technology newsfeed. These are great resources to help teachers become more aware of the technology available and how these resources can increase student learning as well as make themselves a more efficient and educated teacher. Students can also benefit from the RSS newsfeeds by being exposed to specific topics and issues within education and help them gain a perspective of their environment and how they fit into their environment. Overall, I am able to research and learn about almost everything within the field of education to help me refine and perfect my pedagogy for my future students.  

            Twitter has also been a useful tool to learn and explore different areas within education. Twitter allows me to search for specific areas within education such as common core, education news, or various resources and follow the conversation regarding that specific issue. Once I have followed the conversation, I can then either add to the conversation or just read and learn from what is being said within the conversation. Resources such as articles, websites, blogs and other sites are posted on Twitter as external links, which can add to my learning and can help me develop my pedagogy further. Some of the feeds I am following on Twitter that I have found beneficial are Education week, Discovery Education, KPBS News, Huffington Post Education, DML Research Hub, Edutopia, and National Geographic Education. These have been shown to offer various resources for both teachers and students and can also illustrate issues within the field to help broaden students’ perspective and develop their critical thinking skills. Since I am fairly new to Twitter, the only discussion or hash tag I currently follow is our class hash tag #422sp14 and school #csusmedu. Since I have signed up for a Twitter account, I have only tweeted once for our class. I have not had any responses from that particular tweet, however I plan to use Twitter for my personal and professional growth in the future to help keep me up to date on current issues within education. Overall, I believe Twitter is a great tool that can help teachers collaborate and communicate with each other on various issues and help keep the lines of communication open between teachers and people within the field of education.   

            Diigo is another tool I found to be useful for developing educators’ pedagogy and professional development. Diigo allows educators to join different networks that are interesting or useful in their profession, research these issues or topics, and contribute to their network through articles or other forms of information. This helps educators gain perspective and knowledge within a specific area. Also, Diigo offers educators research articles within either their network or even community to help them in their teaching profession. Some of the groups in my Diigo library are EduBlogs, Wikis in Education, and Teachertube. These pages offer many different resources to help teachers understand the nature of school and help students achieve their full potential. I have learned from these pages that there are many different methods to teaching and resources available to help teachers with their professional development and pedagogy. Overall, Diigo provides resources to teachers to help them develop professionally and provides a community for educators to collaborate and communicate resources with one another.

            The Ning Group I explored was the “Classroom 2.0”. I also applied for a membership with both Educators PLN and Classroom 2.0. The most interesting part of Classroom 2.0 were the blogs and articles posted within the site. There were over 1000 blogs to search and vast amounts of data within each blog discussion. These blogs provide endless amounts of information for educators to perfect their pedagogy and help their teaching become more efficient and engaging for students. Articles and blog posts include technology in education, classroom management, teaching styles, activities and lessons, and even resources to help students better understand what skills will help them succeed in school. I found articles within the site relating to the common core, which would help educators transform their lessons to meet the new common core objectives for their subject and class. These are all great resources to help teachers gain the knowledge they need to help students to the best of their ability. As well, teachers are better equipped to convert their teaching methods and material over to the common core. Overall, The Classroom 2.0 site has shown to be an excellent resource for helping educators prepare their students so they achieve their best in school and helping teachers provide the necessary tools and information to their students to assist them with their educational careers.

            My overall Personal Learning Network experience has taught me that there are great resources online for teachers and educators of all types and as long as educators are flexible and open to new information, educators can benefit from developing a Personal Learning Network. These resources can help educators develop professionally by providing tools, such as lesson plans, behavior management plans, communicate and collaborate with other educators, ask questions, assist other educators, share experiences or information, learn how to integrate technology into classrooms, and more. Educators can become prepare themselves to shift their lessons and material over to common core standards and use technology within the classroom to help guide instruction and engage students’ activities. I have learned from developing my own personal learning network that I can find almost any resource within my personal learning network for developing my teaching strategies and pedagogical practices to better my students’ educational experience. I have also learned through developing a personal learning network that education is a profession of continuous learning and that I am committing myself to a lifelong commitment to my education as well as my students’ education. Overall, I have learned that my personal learning network will continue to grow as I continue my education in the teaching credential program and develop my pedagogy as an educator. 

Classroom 2.0 Badge

Visit Classroom 2.0

Classroom 2.0 Badge

                                      

Mobile Learning for Education

Mobile Learning (iPad)

Student Pledge for School iPad Use

1. I will always keep my iPad cover on my iPad at all times.

2. I will always keep my iPad with me at all times, if I don’t, it must be safely and securely locked up (i.e. in a locker, backpack, or other secure area).

3. I will care for my iPad (ex. carefully plugging in cables, cleaning the screen only with a soft clean cloth, NEVER using water or any solution to clean the screen, ect.).

4. I will not download or remove any applications without prior permission from authorized personnel (Teacher, Teacher’s Aide).

5. I will ONLY use my iPad for educational purposes (i.e. Educational games, educational research, and other activities related to my education).

6. I understand that my iPad is subject to inspection at any time, for any reason, without notice.

7. I will NEVER bring my iPad into the cafeteria for any reason or have food or drinks near my iPad, as this may cause significant damage.

8. I will be the only person using my iPad and will not let anyone else use my iPad for any reason, unless my teacher gives permission.

9. I will charge my iPad every night so it is charged for school the next day.

10. I will NEVER use my iPad for cheating, plagiarism, or anything construed as dishonest or inappropriate.

Printed Name:__________________           Signature:____________________   Date:______________

Application Evaluations

Conent Based App Evaluations #1

Conent Based App Evaluation #2

Content Based App Evaluation #3

Criterion Based App Evaluation #1

Criterion Based App Evaluation #2

Criterion Based App Evaluation #3

          

422B-Reading Reflection #3: Build an Assistive Technology Toolkit

Build an Assistive Technology Toolkit

            The article “Build an assistive technology toolkit” and the video “Universal Design for Learning” communicate the importance of building a curriculum that fits all types of learners. We can achieve a “Universal Design” curriculum that accommodates all learning styles by incorporating various tools and assistive technologies, and by practicing flexibility within our lesson planning as educators. Since all students’ learning styles are unique, educators need to incorporate different tools and techniques to accommodate students’ individual needs, strengths, and interests. Educators need to support students’ unique learning style through demonstrating flexibility within their lessons to allow for students to learn in their own way. Educators can accomplish this by being flexible in their techniques and presenting their lessons using a variety of different instructional materials such as verbal content, visual content, animations, pictures, and videos, and highlighting important content in the lesson. Presenting varied representation of the material in a lesson is extremely important so it can accommodate all types of learning styles. Visual captions, animations, and graphics can be utilized in lessons to accommodate all types of learners as well as students with varied disabilities to help fit their needs and create the least restrictive learning environment possible. Demonstrating flexibility in their action and expression is also important in the development of all learners. Allowing students to demonstrate what they know in different ways and supporting their unique expression of the material is important to their development and autonomy as an individual. As educators, we can support their individual expression through positive feedback and allowing freedom of expression in assignments by promoting creativity and innovation in the classroom. Also, giving students options for engagement helps maintain students’ interest and allows students to stay engaged. Offering students different choices, while engaging them in activities permits students to find what interests them the most and what teaching methods and environment create the best learning environment. As educators, we should strive to minimize the barriers while maximizing the learning experience for all students to help reinforce an effective learning environment for all students. Overall, flexibility and accommodation are key components to creating an effective learning environment in which all students have the opportunity to learn and develop their skills.

            I completely agree with both the video and the article and believe all educators should advocate for creating the best learning environment for all students’ individual learning styles. Educators should inform themselves and seek professional development opportunities to better their students’ learning experience and increase their opportunity for growth in the classroom. Educators need to be flexible and open to new ideas and approaches of instruction to create this atmosphere for students. This would not only help educators find the best approach for teaching individual students, but would also help educators find the most effective and efficient method of instruction, which would increase students’ learning opportunities and development. I also believe educators need to be open to self assess their instructional techniques and methods to create a universal design for learning. This requires constant self assessment of an educator’s communication style, instructional techniques, instructional materials, activities, and the tools used throughout instruction and activities. Educators should be open and flexible to changes that could positively influence students’ learning opportunities. Educators’ self-assessment should drive their instructional approach in their classroom. Overall, I believe the more educators remain flexible, open to change, and committed to their students’ as well as their own education, the more engaging students’ education will become and the more learning opportunities will develop.

            The ideas in the article and video about integrating various types of assistive technology and tools to accommodate students’ unique learning styles and create a universal design for learning connects to a number of NETS standards. The first standard illustrated is NETS standard #1, creativity and innovation. Through changing curriculum to minimize barriers and maximize the learning opportunity, students can explore more options and develop their creativity and innovation with the various activities and assignments introduced in the classroom. Also, when educators are flexible in allowing students to approach learning tasks and demonstrating their knowledge in their own way, students increase their creativity and innovation in other learning experiences as well. The second NETS standard addressed is #6, technology operations and concepts. While educators need to incorporate assistive technology and other tools in their classroom to increase students’ capacity for learning, students need to demonstrate their ability to use these different tools and assistive technologies. Students need to learn how to effectively transfer the knowledge they are learning to new technologies to help create a less restrictive learning process to effectively complete tasks. Students will also need to use these new technologies effectively and productively within the classroom to ensure the learning environment is safe and effective for all students. Although assistive technology may only be used by a small population of the class, the use of this technology affects all students and should exhibit a positive influence on the entire student population. Overall, educators need to promote an effective learning environment through the use of various tools and assistive technology to support students’ needs, interests, and strengths to create an effective universal design for learning, which minimizes barriers while maximizing the learning for all students.                     References

Ahrens, K. (2011).  Build an assistive technology toolkit. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(3),             22-24.

422B-Reading Reflection #2: One Man's School is Another Man's Prison

One Man’s School is Another Man’s Prison

            The article “One Man’s School is Another Man’s Prison” questions the purpose of our education system and argues the position for increasing the quality and diversity of education rather than the quantity of education. The argument that children should be in school six days a week twelve hours a day was introduced by the U.S. Secretary of Education,  Arne Duncan, and ignited debate over what our education system needs in order to encourage and sustain a leading economy and society in the world. The argument for increasing the quantity of education in our schools asserts that students should not have three months off in the summer and vacations if students are falling behind as a nation. The U.S. Secretary of Education claims that to compete with China and other nations, students need to be in school longer and participate in more rigorous testing and assessment to catch up to other nations in the subject areas of math and science. The counter argument for increasing the quality and diversity of children’s education arose as a response to the Secretary of Education’s comment. Clearly, many people within the field of education did not agree. Their position argues that students don’t need more time spent in schools doing the same things that are not working or more standardized tests or assessments, but rather students need a more diverse education from teachers who are more qualified to increase the quality of the students’ educational experience. They argue that increasing teachers’ professional development and students’ educational experience through introducing a wider variety of subjects is more likely to increase the quality of education within our society, which would influence our educational standing around the world. Overall, education is a key component of our society and as a society we have to decide what the purpose of education is in our society and what we want to gain in providing education to our society.

            I completely agree with the position of the article that children don’t need more time spent in a classroom but rather more qualified teachers in the classroom along with a more extensive curriculum that covers a broader range of subject areas, such as art and music. This introduces them to the subject matter of a wide range of disciplines, helps them develop a broader perspective by integrating different learning experiences, and increases their range of knowledge. This foundation of diverse experiences will help students find a subject area or discipline they feel passionate about, which will increase their overall interest in school and learning. Educators should encourage this personal growth and passion within students to explore new ideas. This will help students in their future to keep exploring new areas of interest and further their education, which will increase their commitment to lifelong learning. Encouraging students’ exploration of their interests and supporting their personal growth to create educational experiences is one of the most important roles of educators in our society.     

            The ideas in this article debating whether students should spend more time in school or not and the purpose of our education system does not specifically identify any NETS-S standards. However to better our education system and find out the purpose of our education system, students’ education should encompass all the NETS Standards. The position that is supported within the article connects with NETS standards #1, creativity and innovation, because instead of spending more time in school practicing rote memorization, this article supports spending less time in school to support creativity and innovation in various student and teacher led activities. Innovation and creativity are supported through learning a variety of subjects and providing a well rounded education that introduces many different subjects to students at an early age. Students spend time applying existing knowledge to new ideas to create new processes and products as a result. This helps students develop a broad perspective and keep an open mind when they encounter new situations. The position in the article also supports NETS standard #2, communication and collaboration, which supports socialization skills and communication skills among peers and even students and teachers. Supporting collaboration and communication between peers opens up new opportunities for students’ growth and interest in new ideas. Students also develop social skills and learn effective communication by interacting in group activities with their peers. By increasing the quality of education, this article also connects with NETS standards #3 and #4  by requiring students to support their opinions and positions with research and through requiring critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making skills to evaluate their research and develop conclusions. In school, students should be involved in critical thinking during every activity instead of mere rote memorization. The article’s views that quality of education outweighs quantity supports why students are involved in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and activities that support creativity and innovation in school rather than rote memorization or long hours in school. Overall, education is a continuous process that requires educators to be highly qualified to teach a quality education and requires students’ motivation and interest to create a quality educational experience.  

References

Fingal, D. (2009). One man’s school is another man’s prison. Learning and Leading with   Technology,               36(8), 40.