PLJ14.
The OER website at first glance has a ton of information. Not in a bad way, but more to the effect of the faint angel sound "Ahhhhhhhhhh" that compliments the Holy Grail of new materials and resources available to teachers . As technology progresses, the more difficult it is to drag people set in their ways along with it. You can create your own profile and join the community or wiki for even more sharing. This website provides a modifyable search to help be subject specific. It also is grade level specific and provides current events and articles as well as the most recent useful resource discoveries. You can take a survey or even donate your own ideas. It's absolutely free to join, all you need is to create an account. I almost immediately noticed how there were tagged items at the bottom of the page, which to me gives them credibility for being up to date and demonstrating what they're all about. The specified search is also something that really stuck out to me because it brought up specific lessons or ideas for my subject area.
As for the community, it's got it all of the important topics covered, and utilizes those technologies in the process. You're immediately invited to join the wiki and become involved in the community. Blogs? Check. Wiki's? Check. Discussion Forums? Check. Conferences or Workshops? Check. The community has different topics and types that allow the user to choose what they like best.
It seems liket the site really wants to cater to everyone interested in making their classroom better. Regardless of skill or previous knowledge, it is all described or provided with examples. Teachers are always looking for ways to spice up their classroom (Baby, Ginger, Posh anyone?) and this is an excellent FREE resource that is easy to use. The coolest part to me, is that the community was already provided. In all of my experiences, idea generating always turns out better as a team or a group. They provide the means to do that and the best part is that youre not just limited to your own grade level, school, or city. You can reach people nationwide. Now, that's something to be excited about. I could use this to bounce new ideas off people or maybe see if anyone has tried a certain activity before. The opportunities and resources are really endless. You could use this site in so many different ways and have access to new information at any time.
To infinity and Beyond!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
PLJ13.
As a current student, I can say that I definitely have more than one opinion or stance on the topic of online education. There are serious benefits that I agree with that the first article from Highschool.com states like providing additonal resources to students that wouldn't normally have access. And that's just one example. But in my opinion with how online education is operated today, I think that online education might be a bit of a disservice. Throughout the readings benefits include time saving and access to an abundant amount of subjects. This is true. As a Business major, the majority of my classes are based online with the tests being the only physical aspect of the course. I am able to watch the lectures at my leisure; adjust viewing them to my own personal schedule. I have access to play settings so if I don't understand a subject, I can just rewind and watch the explanation agian. I can sit in a comfortable environement intstead of a stuffy classroom. I can even take class in the summer from a completely different state! These all are great benefits for online education. Want the real deal? Here it goes...
I don't watch hardly any lectures. Nope. Nada. How do I pass my class you say? In all honesty, it's easy. It's a little thing called $20 and SmokinNotes.
Play Settings. While I do find it very useful to be able to rewind or fast forward through lectures that I actually do watch, I find the most useful play setting to be double time. I listen to my professor, he just sounds a little Alvin and the Chipmunk-esque.
Summer Financial Accounting from North Carolina? Cake walk. Should a class about financial accounting be offered online with online tests? Hey I loved that A, so I say yes. But if you asked me to describe a basic concept from that class I couldn't. Debit or Credit? Still a mystery to me, I just know I have both types of plastic in my wallet.
To be really really honest, I find all my online classes boring and unengaging. I like to think of myself as an avid proactive learner and even I find it hard to keep up with everything online. I'm not confident in the material and feel allienated from my professors. For a student how already suffers from attention issues, online classes would be difficult to master. How do you adapt the classroom for students with ADD or ADHD?
From a teacher's perspective, it's just another thing to learn and adapt with that will take serious effort to perfect. But those who have put effort into their online classes have come out with great experiences. How do we fund training and technology at schools that can hardly afford textbooks?
Now, a highschooler taking a science course online obviously wouldn't have a resource such as SmokinNotes. But when I think of my science classes, the things that really stick out to me are the lab experiments that were fun and hands on. How does an online high school student really get a good grasp of the science material without that physical aspect? No virtual dissection is the same as one in real life and I think every student should do at least one before they graduate high school.
With online education funded the way it is, I really do think that it is hindering some students education. While convenient and resource abundant these benefits do not outweigh the serious problems that are still occurring and that frustrate a 21 year old college student. Just as any other emerging technology, it will continue to get better, with good guidence that is. With technology moving the way it is, I'm sure it will live up to all of it's supposed benefits. How long till the teacher is a 3-D virtual hologram that can beam in from any location? I guess we'll just have to wait and find out.
As a current student, I can say that I definitely have more than one opinion or stance on the topic of online education. There are serious benefits that I agree with that the first article from Highschool.com states like providing additonal resources to students that wouldn't normally have access. And that's just one example. But in my opinion with how online education is operated today, I think that online education might be a bit of a disservice. Throughout the readings benefits include time saving and access to an abundant amount of subjects. This is true. As a Business major, the majority of my classes are based online with the tests being the only physical aspect of the course. I am able to watch the lectures at my leisure; adjust viewing them to my own personal schedule. I have access to play settings so if I don't understand a subject, I can just rewind and watch the explanation agian. I can sit in a comfortable environement intstead of a stuffy classroom. I can even take class in the summer from a completely different state! These all are great benefits for online education. Want the real deal? Here it goes...
I don't watch hardly any lectures. Nope. Nada. How do I pass my class you say? In all honesty, it's easy. It's a little thing called $20 and SmokinNotes.
Play Settings. While I do find it very useful to be able to rewind or fast forward through lectures that I actually do watch, I find the most useful play setting to be double time. I listen to my professor, he just sounds a little Alvin and the Chipmunk-esque.
Summer Financial Accounting from North Carolina? Cake walk. Should a class about financial accounting be offered online with online tests? Hey I loved that A, so I say yes. But if you asked me to describe a basic concept from that class I couldn't. Debit or Credit? Still a mystery to me, I just know I have both types of plastic in my wallet.
To be really really honest, I find all my online classes boring and unengaging. I like to think of myself as an avid proactive learner and even I find it hard to keep up with everything online. I'm not confident in the material and feel allienated from my professors. For a student how already suffers from attention issues, online classes would be difficult to master. How do you adapt the classroom for students with ADD or ADHD?
From a teacher's perspective, it's just another thing to learn and adapt with that will take serious effort to perfect. But those who have put effort into their online classes have come out with great experiences. How do we fund training and technology at schools that can hardly afford textbooks?
Now, a highschooler taking a science course online obviously wouldn't have a resource such as SmokinNotes. But when I think of my science classes, the things that really stick out to me are the lab experiments that were fun and hands on. How does an online high school student really get a good grasp of the science material without that physical aspect? No virtual dissection is the same as one in real life and I think every student should do at least one before they graduate high school.
With online education funded the way it is, I really do think that it is hindering some students education. While convenient and resource abundant these benefits do not outweigh the serious problems that are still occurring and that frustrate a 21 year old college student. Just as any other emerging technology, it will continue to get better, with good guidence that is. With technology moving the way it is, I'm sure it will live up to all of it's supposed benefits. How long till the teacher is a 3-D virtual hologram that can beam in from any location? I guess we'll just have to wait and find out.
PLJ12.
Gamer Vs. Non-Gamer (Me)
When I read the first article... the first thought that came to mind was, "Really? The world has actually given credibility to those nerds who sit all day avoiding reality?" But after really looking into I guess I have to give those nerds a little bit more credit. Ok... Alot more credit. My strong opinion was based on my own (very limited might I add) experience with video games. I can list, very shortly, the video games I have routinely played.
1. SuperMario Brothers/ Duck Hunt.
2. RollerCoaster Tycoon.
3. GuitarHero.
4. Frogger.
5. Dance Dance Revolution.
6. Wii Tennis and Bowling.
Oh and 7. Snake.
After looking at that list, the fact that I came up with that amount even amazes me. I guess I'm just more of an active person and I'll like to be right there in the action without having to worry about any thumb bobbles or tragic finger slips on my controller. But after reassessing, I totally see how these extremely intricate interactive games could create a strong leader and good manager. My ignorance just stemmed from my limited gamer knowledge of only child, mostly rhythem games. World of Warcraft really is like an alternative reality with its own politics and conflicts. Clearly not just anyone can be a master of this game... I for one would'nt have a clue where to even start. The fact that the game requires interaction and unity to provide a strong team instantly transforms the principles of my coach potato theory into one that provides all the means necessary to mold someone into a great employee.
Even the military is having fun with games? Why not! Although sternly dubbed "Serious Games", I think that using games like Halo is a fun way to teach soldiers basic combat technique without taking big risks. It provides tools that allow soldiers to become familiar with equipment and teaches them how to actively survey their surroundings. I feel like this is a great way to teach soldiers how to adapt, be aware, and react quickly.
And how can we forget the infamous Oregon Trail game? Or even Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? I feel like these games were most engaging to me in terms of civic learning opportunities. Carmen Sandiego always had me traveling around the world learning about other countries governments and differences in cultures. The Oregon Trail always made me with that the president at that time couldn't help find a cure for typhoid fever. Darn. Regardless, I don't think that provoking civil activism in teens with video games would be too effective. At least not with any of the games I'm familiar with... so I could be very mistaken. I don't really know enough about alternative video games out there that could inspire civil activism. But with the ultimate success of other video games, I think the potential for civil activism will be reached just a short amount of time.
Gamer Vs. Non-Gamer (Me)
When I read the first article... the first thought that came to mind was, "Really? The world has actually given credibility to those nerds who sit all day avoiding reality?" But after really looking into I guess I have to give those nerds a little bit more credit. Ok... Alot more credit. My strong opinion was based on my own (very limited might I add) experience with video games. I can list, very shortly, the video games I have routinely played.
1. SuperMario Brothers/ Duck Hunt.
2. RollerCoaster Tycoon.
3. GuitarHero.
4. Frogger.
5. Dance Dance Revolution.
6. Wii Tennis and Bowling.
Oh and 7. Snake.
After looking at that list, the fact that I came up with that amount even amazes me. I guess I'm just more of an active person and I'll like to be right there in the action without having to worry about any thumb bobbles or tragic finger slips on my controller. But after reassessing, I totally see how these extremely intricate interactive games could create a strong leader and good manager. My ignorance just stemmed from my limited gamer knowledge of only child, mostly rhythem games. World of Warcraft really is like an alternative reality with its own politics and conflicts. Clearly not just anyone can be a master of this game... I for one would'nt have a clue where to even start. The fact that the game requires interaction and unity to provide a strong team instantly transforms the principles of my coach potato theory into one that provides all the means necessary to mold someone into a great employee.
Even the military is having fun with games? Why not! Although sternly dubbed "Serious Games", I think that using games like Halo is a fun way to teach soldiers basic combat technique without taking big risks. It provides tools that allow soldiers to become familiar with equipment and teaches them how to actively survey their surroundings. I feel like this is a great way to teach soldiers how to adapt, be aware, and react quickly.
And how can we forget the infamous Oregon Trail game? Or even Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? I feel like these games were most engaging to me in terms of civic learning opportunities. Carmen Sandiego always had me traveling around the world learning about other countries governments and differences in cultures. The Oregon Trail always made me with that the president at that time couldn't help find a cure for typhoid fever. Darn. Regardless, I don't think that provoking civil activism in teens with video games would be too effective. At least not with any of the games I'm familiar with... so I could be very mistaken. I don't really know enough about alternative video games out there that could inspire civil activism. But with the ultimate success of other video games, I think the potential for civil activism will be reached just a short amount of time.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
PLJ11.
FISHVILLE. Not at all to be confused with Farmville it's sister game, it is another virtual reality play place. It is an addictive game where you raise cute baby fish, feed them as they grow, and decorate your fish tanks with friends! It was created by a company called Zynga and is meant to be played through a facebook application. It was just recently launched in November 2009 and has already been ranked among the top applications to be added. It currently has 22,915,276 monthly active users. The fish range from a Mini Dart Goby to a Hawaiian Hogfish and each cost different amounts in coins according to growth rate and speed. Coins. You can earn coins by selling your fish when they grew or by exchanging with real money. Level and Experience Bar. This displays the current experience points that you have and how much more you need to level up. You gain experience when buying and selling fishes.
Fish Life Stages:
Eggs – You gain a small amount of xp when you first buy eggs. Eggs are the very first things you buy when raising your fish. You can not sell eggs as they merely take 1 second to hatch a baby fish.
FISHVILLE. Not at all to be confused with Farmville it's sister game, it is another virtual reality play place. It is an addictive game where you raise cute baby fish, feed them as they grow, and decorate your fish tanks with friends! It was created by a company called Zynga and is meant to be played through a facebook application. It was just recently launched in November 2009 and has already been ranked among the top applications to be added. It currently has 22,915,276 monthly active users. The fish range from a Mini Dart Goby to a Hawaiian Hogfish and each cost different amounts in coins according to growth rate and speed. Coins. You can earn coins by selling your fish when they grew or by exchanging with real money. Level and Experience Bar. This displays the current experience points that you have and how much more you need to level up. You gain experience when buying and selling fishes.
Fish Life Stages:
Eggs – You gain a small amount of xp when you first buy eggs. Eggs are the very first things you buy when raising your fish. You can not sell eggs as they merely take 1 second to hatch a baby fish.
Baby – When your eggs first hatch, baby fish will spawn and you will need to immediately feed them before they die.
Junior – This stage, fish will become larger and has a couple levels (4) with each taking the same time as it took to get to Junior. Each level in the junior stage increases displayed size, coins earned on selling, experience (xp) earned upon selling, and how long a fish can go without food.
Adult – From last junior level to this stage is same interval as before. Additionally, time that fish can go without food gets increased by a day. Ie. Sardines can go hours without food.
Feeding
Fish need to be fed at least twice while in the baby stage and at least once every level beyond. Once a fish hits level fourth, each level takes a day, regardless of initial growth rate. Time from full to starving is twice the growth rate. As the fish gets hungry, it will get a yellow food icon, red food icon, then the red food icon will blink, and finally the fish will die if not fed. Dead fish can be removed with +1 to your experience. At this time, dead fish cannot be revived.
Educational?
While similar to the responsibility of a tamogatchi, I think that this game can serve as an educational tool in economics and responsibility. While I think that these can be a stretch is is definitely entertaining.
PLJ10.
After watching these videos, I felt so provoked to take a different approach to learning and education. I think that Dave Eggers is a creative genius and has really created something that is going to make a huge impact on many childrens lives. You can so easily see how enthusiastic the children are about writing and going to 826 Valencia (not to be confused with after school tutoring.) The children who attend the school that has a democratic approach to education seem have a firm grasp on their own abilities and goals. As fascinating as all of this is to see, it also brings a feeling of frustration. Why? Because despite what most educators might think, it's not that hard to create an environment that reaches to every kid! Something as simple as creating a lesson plan where students have different options to complete the assignment is enabling an outlet for students to work with their strengths and incorporate them into their school work.
826 Valencia was such a moving story for me and makes me question why schools are forced into this structure that requires standardized testing and only caters to certain intelligences. Besides the obvious government legalities, I think that all schools should take on an approach similar to theirs.
In my mind, the perfect school is not exactly that of the second video but have certain ideas utilized. In middle school and high school I really began to resent everything about sitting in a classroom. To be honest, all my friends and I compared school to a jail. We had no freedom and were treated like we were not capable of any responsibilities. Some students need that structure, but as far as I was concerned, I HATED the fact that I was being treated like some immature child. I think some sort of structure is needed, but one that isn't so focused on mainstream subjects. A school should be somewhere that encourages free thinking and the ability to choose your own educational path. A facility that doesn't resemble a jail cell. With public schools being the size that they are, it would be hard to have this kind of environment. So a smaller school setting would be ideal. Similar to the kids that were interviewed from the second video, students would be able to focus on subjects that they were personally interested in and would focus that semester on those subjects. This would allow for smaller classrooms to ensure the most one on one teacher student contact.
As far as grading goes... out with the GPA. Being a junior in college I can personally rant about my grudges toward the GPA. I am so tired of having some stupid number be a measure of my personal worth! Whose to say that because my GPA is high that I am more intelligent or if my GPA is low that I am not capable of an honors class. I focus more on keeping up that number than I do on the actual material and I don't think that it should be an indication of your overall ability! I think that students with low GPA's are already predisposed to failure because they don't measure up with other students. Let's find another way to measure quality of work. EME for example was a huge relief for me because it wasn't limited to grading scales and points earned. It's focused on the quality and that what school grades should really be about.
An ideal school would also have access to large amounts of technology and be able to provide laptops to each student. As long as it was able to be monitored in some way, I think that now more than ever Internet access is most valuable in education. The Internet has so much knowledge at your finger tips and I think its very useful in everyday life. One disadvantage I thought of for the school from the second video is how I thought that these kids would not be prepared for real life. There are certain aspects of school that just need to be experienced and I think that much freedom could be hindering.
Having a teacher for a mom has always helped me see the other side of school... one of them being the fact that parent and teacher involvement is key. If parents aren't involved in their child's education then why should the child care about his education? Having a good relationship within the school allows the student to be held accountable for his actions and promotes progress.
Essentially, the ideal school would be catered toward the student, instead of test scores and GPA's. Let the students mold their own interests and abilities to help them understand themselves better and have an idea of what path they want to go down in the future.
After watching these videos, I felt so provoked to take a different approach to learning and education. I think that Dave Eggers is a creative genius and has really created something that is going to make a huge impact on many childrens lives. You can so easily see how enthusiastic the children are about writing and going to 826 Valencia (not to be confused with after school tutoring.) The children who attend the school that has a democratic approach to education seem have a firm grasp on their own abilities and goals. As fascinating as all of this is to see, it also brings a feeling of frustration. Why? Because despite what most educators might think, it's not that hard to create an environment that reaches to every kid! Something as simple as creating a lesson plan where students have different options to complete the assignment is enabling an outlet for students to work with their strengths and incorporate them into their school work.
826 Valencia was such a moving story for me and makes me question why schools are forced into this structure that requires standardized testing and only caters to certain intelligences. Besides the obvious government legalities, I think that all schools should take on an approach similar to theirs.
In my mind, the perfect school is not exactly that of the second video but have certain ideas utilized. In middle school and high school I really began to resent everything about sitting in a classroom. To be honest, all my friends and I compared school to a jail. We had no freedom and were treated like we were not capable of any responsibilities. Some students need that structure, but as far as I was concerned, I HATED the fact that I was being treated like some immature child. I think some sort of structure is needed, but one that isn't so focused on mainstream subjects. A school should be somewhere that encourages free thinking and the ability to choose your own educational path. A facility that doesn't resemble a jail cell. With public schools being the size that they are, it would be hard to have this kind of environment. So a smaller school setting would be ideal. Similar to the kids that were interviewed from the second video, students would be able to focus on subjects that they were personally interested in and would focus that semester on those subjects. This would allow for smaller classrooms to ensure the most one on one teacher student contact.
As far as grading goes... out with the GPA. Being a junior in college I can personally rant about my grudges toward the GPA. I am so tired of having some stupid number be a measure of my personal worth! Whose to say that because my GPA is high that I am more intelligent or if my GPA is low that I am not capable of an honors class. I focus more on keeping up that number than I do on the actual material and I don't think that it should be an indication of your overall ability! I think that students with low GPA's are already predisposed to failure because they don't measure up with other students. Let's find another way to measure quality of work. EME for example was a huge relief for me because it wasn't limited to grading scales and points earned. It's focused on the quality and that what school grades should really be about.
An ideal school would also have access to large amounts of technology and be able to provide laptops to each student. As long as it was able to be monitored in some way, I think that now more than ever Internet access is most valuable in education. The Internet has so much knowledge at your finger tips and I think its very useful in everyday life. One disadvantage I thought of for the school from the second video is how I thought that these kids would not be prepared for real life. There are certain aspects of school that just need to be experienced and I think that much freedom could be hindering.
Having a teacher for a mom has always helped me see the other side of school... one of them being the fact that parent and teacher involvement is key. If parents aren't involved in their child's education then why should the child care about his education? Having a good relationship within the school allows the student to be held accountable for his actions and promotes progress.
Essentially, the ideal school would be catered toward the student, instead of test scores and GPA's. Let the students mold their own interests and abilities to help them understand themselves better and have an idea of what path they want to go down in the future.
Friday, November 27, 2009
PLJ9.
When it comes to the Internet, the possibilities are endless; yet there is still that little voice that says, "Is this really trustworthy?" In my eyes, shopping online is a great characteristic of the Internet, but scares me the most in terms of getting scammed. We've all heard those horror stories of people buying or selling things on eBay and getting jipped out of the deal somehow. But its not just eBay, sometimes I get worried about my personal information just getting lost somewhere in world wide web only for it to fall in the wrong hands. I have in fact vetted with friends online about certain sites just to verify the reliability and security of certain sites. In marketing Word of Mouth is one of the most important attributes that a company can hope to manipulate. Family and friends are usually the most trusted people in one's life, so if my best friend recommends I should try a certain website, I'll be more likely to shop there. I did this for a website that sells designer clothes at really discounted prices. I wasn't sure that the low prices would mean the quality was sacrificed. After checking with my friends and talking about their experiences, I decided to purchase something from the site and it turned out that my friends were right! I had a great experience and will trust my friends online experiences in future transactions.
I also like to use the Internet to check for sales and look at merchandise that isn't available at my local stores. Sometimes I find the most perfect outfit, but of course they don't carry my size. Many times my solution is to go to the brand's website. They usually have all sizes and are able to ship it to you immediately. But shipping is also a downside to online shopping. Paying extra never makes that buyers remorse feel better.
Facebook also has affected my online purchases. I have friends that are brand representatives for company's like Victoria's Secret, Nike, even Johnson & Johnson that promote sales or events that drive my interest to the product. Victoria's Secret's Pink college line was heavily promoted online and by my friends (brand reps), and have gotten me to purchase University of Florida VS apparel. So I think their strategy to get college kids to promote their line was a genius idea because it's hard to say no to your friends, you always want to help them out. So do I really need that VS Gator hoodie? No. But after seeing Facebook messages and little coupons you better believe I need that VS Gator hoodie. Social media is something that is always being used especially by our generation. The company's that know how to utilize that niche are the ones that are going to see that spike in sales no matter how low economy dips. Social media's influence is easily that powerful.
When it comes to the Internet, the possibilities are endless; yet there is still that little voice that says, "Is this really trustworthy?" In my eyes, shopping online is a great characteristic of the Internet, but scares me the most in terms of getting scammed. We've all heard those horror stories of people buying or selling things on eBay and getting jipped out of the deal somehow. But its not just eBay, sometimes I get worried about my personal information just getting lost somewhere in world wide web only for it to fall in the wrong hands. I have in fact vetted with friends online about certain sites just to verify the reliability and security of certain sites. In marketing Word of Mouth is one of the most important attributes that a company can hope to manipulate. Family and friends are usually the most trusted people in one's life, so if my best friend recommends I should try a certain website, I'll be more likely to shop there. I did this for a website that sells designer clothes at really discounted prices. I wasn't sure that the low prices would mean the quality was sacrificed. After checking with my friends and talking about their experiences, I decided to purchase something from the site and it turned out that my friends were right! I had a great experience and will trust my friends online experiences in future transactions.
I also like to use the Internet to check for sales and look at merchandise that isn't available at my local stores. Sometimes I find the most perfect outfit, but of course they don't carry my size. Many times my solution is to go to the brand's website. They usually have all sizes and are able to ship it to you immediately. But shipping is also a downside to online shopping. Paying extra never makes that buyers remorse feel better.
Facebook also has affected my online purchases. I have friends that are brand representatives for company's like Victoria's Secret, Nike, even Johnson & Johnson that promote sales or events that drive my interest to the product. Victoria's Secret's Pink college line was heavily promoted online and by my friends (brand reps), and have gotten me to purchase University of Florida VS apparel. So I think their strategy to get college kids to promote their line was a genius idea because it's hard to say no to your friends, you always want to help them out. So do I really need that VS Gator hoodie? No. But after seeing Facebook messages and little coupons you better believe I need that VS Gator hoodie. Social media is something that is always being used especially by our generation. The company's that know how to utilize that niche are the ones that are going to see that spike in sales no matter how low economy dips. Social media's influence is easily that powerful.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
PL8.
As a teacher, you always see all kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds that promote or inhibit that child's education. While many schools are fortunate to have kids that have technological resources, there are just as many that don't. Most teachers just accept this fact and teach within those boundaries. How can you escape them? How could you really make a difference?
I think the most important thing in changing this unfortunate situation is showing that you really care. You care about these kids on an individual level and you care about their future. New technologies are expensive which points to the main reason why this issue is there. Old fashion fundraisers are car washes and gift wrap selling; nothing that requires technology. This can be easily changed by the Internet.
I think one of the most simple things to start out doing would be to make a facebook fan page. Let all your student and your students friends become fans. On the fan page, explain that you are raising money to expand technology into the homes of those without these resources. The population of people on facebook alone is guaranteed to create some funding for these computers and other supplies. Next, make a twitter or a blog and publish to the world what your cause is. When people in your community become aware of your cause the more popular it will be. The best part is, it is not limited to your local community... it can reach the entire world. A little exposure is all that is needed. Because the cause is so current I think the idea would catch on and many people would donate to the funding for these students. It is so easy now a days to reach out internationally and people like to see teachers that are really engaged in their students and their lives.
As a teacher, you always see all kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds that promote or inhibit that child's education. While many schools are fortunate to have kids that have technological resources, there are just as many that don't. Most teachers just accept this fact and teach within those boundaries. How can you escape them? How could you really make a difference?
I think the most important thing in changing this unfortunate situation is showing that you really care. You care about these kids on an individual level and you care about their future. New technologies are expensive which points to the main reason why this issue is there. Old fashion fundraisers are car washes and gift wrap selling; nothing that requires technology. This can be easily changed by the Internet.
I think one of the most simple things to start out doing would be to make a facebook fan page. Let all your student and your students friends become fans. On the fan page, explain that you are raising money to expand technology into the homes of those without these resources. The population of people on facebook alone is guaranteed to create some funding for these computers and other supplies. Next, make a twitter or a blog and publish to the world what your cause is. When people in your community become aware of your cause the more popular it will be. The best part is, it is not limited to your local community... it can reach the entire world. A little exposure is all that is needed. Because the cause is so current I think the idea would catch on and many people would donate to the funding for these students. It is so easy now a days to reach out internationally and people like to see teachers that are really engaged in their students and their lives.
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