Journal 3

"Five Don'ts of Classroom Blogging" by Julie Sturgeon

Being in ED 422 and using classroom blogging, I am able to see how the "five don'ts of classroom blogging" that are mentioned in this article are important for academic blogging. If students who created blogs for a particular class were not given certain guidelines to follow, guaranteed things would not be as organized and problems would most likely arise. The article mentions how without given instruction on how to use classroom blogging appropriately, students would be more likely to use foul wordage and bully their peers, and while this may not be the case for students in a college course, grade school students would probably use classroom blogging inappropriately if there were no given guidelines. One thing that I am guilty of doing, that this article specifically says not to do, is confuse blogging with social networking, because I have always known blogs to be associated with things like MySpace and Facebook in one way or another. The last "don't" which states that blogging should not be left to the students was the one that I found to be the most important, because I honestly think that having the teacher/ professor post weekly blogs motivates students to post their own blog and be creative with it, just as Professor Heil has done for our class!!



Questions:
1. Would you use classroom blogging with your students?
Yes, because I feel that classroom blogging would allow students to be more motivated in their work and perhaps more creative since more than just the teacher would be seeing their work. I think it is important for students to put effort in their work, rather than finishing an assignment just to finish, and I think classroom blogging will push students to do so. I also feel that classroom blogging would be more fun, because students can get creative with it and go beyond the bare minimum of various assignments.

2. How would classroom blogging enhance student learning?
Classroom blogging could contribute to student learning in a variety of ways. Just like electronic discussion boards, students can share their ideas with their peers through their blogs. They can also help one another by providing comments on each other's blogs, giving students the opportunity to improve their work based on students' comments. And just as the article mentions, it can assist in student writing, as blogs can slowly but surely develop into paragraphs, which can then perhaps develop into an essay.

Journal 2

"Speaking Math: Using Chat in the Multicultural Math Classroom" by Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson

This article discusses how online discussions can benefit a classroom in many ways. In fact studies have even shown that online discussions provide some of the greatest improvements for student learning. Graham and Hodgson also mention how online discussion boards can help a group of diverse students come together to "become more affluent with the language of mathematics" or any other subject, for that matter. I think that online discussions for classrooms are a great idea, because just as the article says, it is a good way to have students collaborate with their peers on their own time. It also gives students the opportunity to get together and share their answers and ideas on electronic forums with groups that contain less people, for groups that have more people tend to come to less agreements with each other. And because online chatting and electronic forums are so popular nowadays, teachers/professors may see that students are more likely to participate in online discussions, not to mention how convenient they can be for students who have regular access to computers.



Questions:
1. Would you use electronic discussion tools in your own classroom?
I would definitely use online discussion boards in my own classroom, because speaking from experience, I know that they are and can be very helpful, whether you need answers or perhaps have answers for someone else. I think that they are great because they allow students to use it whenever they need to, which is something that can be very beneficial, especially for those who have super busy schedules. I also think students are more likely to ask questions on online discussion boards, thus allowing students to have a better understanding of certain things, rather than holding back their questions in an actual classroom and moving on without fully understanding something.

2. Do you think everyone can truly benefit from electronic discussion tools?
Yes and no. I think that if someone has regular access to a computer with internet access then they most definitely can reap the benefits of online chatting for class discussions. On the other hand, someone without regular access to a computer might not reap those benefits and online communicating for class discussions may be more trouble than it is worth for them. This is where electronic discussion tools in the classroom becomes beneficial for all the students in the classroom, because everyone will have access and the inconvenience of having to access a computer with internet is no longer an inconvenience, for the necessary tools to access online communicating will and should be provided in a classroom that uses such discussion tools.

Journal 1

"Social Networking for the k-12 Set" by Jim Klein

Although many teachers, and perhaps even students, are afraid of social networking, according to this particular article, social networking is very beneficial to student learning. Through the use of various technologies, both students and teachers alike are able to collaborate with each other and enhance their education about a number of things. Besides being able to grow in the world of technology, Klein mentions how "student engagement through the use of online profiles, blogging, secure file storage and sharing, and podcasting is not only measurable, but striking!"

Questions:
1. Would you use "Social Networking" in your class?
I think that using social networking in classrooms is a wonderful idea! Seeing that most students and teachers can access a computer with internet quite easily, whether it is at school or at home, it would seem as though there would be more participation. The reason why I believe this is because it is much easier for students, and even teachers to collaborate on their own time through certain web based programs like "blogging" then trying to find a time to meet and collaborate for everyone in a particular group.

2. How might "Social Networking" not be beneficial for students and teachers?
In the cases that computers and or internet are not easily accessible for students and teachers, social networking might not be as beneficial as we would like it to be. Social networking might also be more trouble than it is worth for students who are computer illiterate. While it may seem as though students nowadays are familiar with the use of computers and the world wide web, some less developed school districts may not be as knowledgeable about technology based programs as other school districts.

Introduction Letter

My name is Loubern Santos (that's loo-burn, yes like "to burn wood"), but over the past couple of years I have learned that going by "Lou" is much easier. I was born in Oakland, Ca, and no, I am not a Raiders fan. However, I have lived in Escondido since I was 3 years old, and since I am 21 years old now, I can say that I have been living in the same house for 18 years! I attended Miller Elementary for 6 years, from kindergarten to 5th grade. From Miller I moved onto Del Dios Middle School where I completed grades 6th-8th grade. Upon completing junior high I finally began high school where I attended San Pasqual for four years until I received my high school diploma in 2004. Unlike some people who have moved from school to school growing up, I finished all of grade school in the same school district in Escondido. I am currently finishing up my last semester of undergraduate level courses at San Diego State University, and I am proud to say that upon graduating this May, it will have only taken me 4 years to get my BA in Psychology.

It's hard to say how I am with technology, because I wouldn't say that I know absolutely nothing about technology nor would I say that I know everything about technology. I think this is because nowadays technology is everywhere, whether I am at school or at home, I am constantly surrounded by technology, from computers to HD TV to I-Phones. That being said I think it is safe to say that I know quite a bit about technology just by being exposed to the many advances that technology has had to offer and will continue to offer. I have always used PCs at home, but at school I like to use Mac's since they are different and a lot more fun and exciting to me. And because some of my friends are Mac users, I have been able to learn a little bit about the way they work. And while the computers at State are equipped with Microsoft Office 07' I am still using the older version of the program.

I did not read the CSUSM/COE Mission Statement prior to applying to CSUSM but after reading it, I believe that all that is stated within the Mission Statement is crucial to developing a top of the line public educational system. Because without diversity, equality, continued learning, and committed educators it would be rather difficult for teachers and learners alike to succeed. And from friends and friends of friends who have received their teaching credential at CSUSM, I am sure that this school has and will only provide the best education for learners who hope to be professional educators themselves one day =)