I had not given much thought to having students create and maintain an e-portfolio prior to last week!   

     There are certainly many benefits to using e-portfolios.  It allows students the opportunity take ownership of their work, encourages students to exercise critical thinking skills, and provides the opportunity for both student and teacher reflection.  Students are able to work at their own pace and of course the ease of being able to revise and edit their work is wonderful as opposed to the traditional "paper and pencil" method.  The e-portfolio can be a "fluid" document, permitting the student to use it throughout school and into his or her career. 

     Certainly, as with anything there will be potential challenges.  Everyone may not have access to the technology requirements, the time for student and staff development could be a hinderance, and student's skill levels may vary. 

     E-portfolio's are a great way to be diligent in order to equip our students  to be "21st Century" ready! 

     I definitely can see where there is a digital divide.  There is a lack of professional development in the area of technology for teachers, there is a lack of internet access in the homes of our students, and there is a deficiency of computer access within the school.  In order to educate this generation of students, teachers need to be provided with the time and resources adequate for professional development.  It is not fair for teachers to be expected to implement technology into their curriculum without being given the time to be trained.  Furthermore, those students without equal access to technology will have a much more difficult time succeeding in college and in the workplace. 

     It is important for teachers to take it upon themselves to educate each other about technolgy and pull from available resources.  Technology standards need to be implemented at the local, state, and national levels.  Teachers should be held accountable for ensuring that technology is integrated into the standard course of study.  Students need to be exposed to updated and functional equipment.  Implementing the one to one computing could also be something that every district could strive for.  There is more than one avenue we must take in order to work to bridge the digital divide.

     Streaming video is certainly a great way to enhance student's learning.  When properly evaluated, streaming video is just another way to support learning in the classroom.  Video streaming certainly has the potential to grasp the attention of students.  With audio and video combined, it provides a clearer picture as opposed to using the textbook.  It can certainly clarify lessons that would be difficult to grasp.  I visualize this being an effective way to reach the non-traditional student. This could be a way to discuss current events and possibly have students view a live news feed on a particular current event.  Video has always been utilized to some degree to support student learning.  This just takes it a step further.  The students should be engaged and if possible interact with the video streaming.  Shepherd noted that "most educational experts agree that video is best shown in short segments so as to maximize learners' concentration."  Streaming video should be considered for integration into the curriculum when suited for the lesson.

     I particularly enjoyed this week's Elluminate session.  Wow...it is unbelievable how the world is changing and just how many tools are accessible to enhance learning.  Each week, my eyes are opened more and more.  I find that we have so much out there at our fingertips, but just never knew it existed!

     Google Earth is just fascinating to me!  I definitely intend to utilize this tool.  I feel that in our class we have definitely learned from each other.  I think that it is important that we pass the information learned along to others in our schools.  Sharing information among our Professional Learning Teams is crucial.  I have tried to disseminate as much information to other team members as I can.  I think that one important catch is that majority of the tools available are FREE! 

     I can't wait until our next session!

     Watching the video that Dr. H. showed us was definitely an "eye opener."  It is truely amazing at what a fast pace we are moving in the technology world.  It is almost to the point of being scary, especially when we think back when one of the only modes of communication was our rotary telephone.  I think that in one sense we are moving at a faster pace than we can keep up with and then on the other hand, I think that we are moving backwards.  I do take the position that the rest of the world is catching up to us and even passing us.  We used to dominate, however now we are in the backend - per se'.  Friedman made a lot of good points.  I do understand his identified ten "flatteners" as leveling the playing field.  I found it interesting that he made note that companies based in India and China provides labor from typists, call center operators, and computer programmers and in turn they have evolved into integral parts of global supply chains such as Dell, AOL, and Microsoft.  I think that Friedman came in on a more Business perspective. 

     I think that it is critical that we become more innovative and our employability skills should align with the 21st century.  We need to continue to update our skills as technology changes.  As discussed during our Elluminate session, there are so many obstacles to overcome in the field of Education in order to keep up with the fast pace.  There is the issue of an economic deficit, staying in alignment with the NC Standard Course of Study, accessibility, and connectivity.  I think as we increase our 21st century workforce skills, the workforce will become more adaptable.  As Friedman noted, there has been a dramatic decrease in the percentage of professionals in the United States employed as Scientists, engineers, and mathematicians...we need to inspire our students to for growth in these areas. I found it interesting that Friedman compared the Industrial Revolution to the IT Revolution.  It really gave me something to think about. 

     While we have no way to know how history of the 21st Century will unfold, Friedman definitely puts another perspective on it and gives us something to ponder.

     I must say that I never even imagined that there were so many educational games out there. There are adventure and role-playing games, business games, combat games, board games, word games, logic games and puzzles. Tutorials, simulations, drills, and the list goes on.  Simulations are a great way for the students to connect to reality.  It is unbelievable what is out there and waiting for us as educators to tap into to assist our students.

     I definitely think that educational games can be beneficial for students.  As educators we must know how to ensure that the games are directly correlated to the learning objectives.  Gaming does involve structure and rule following along with motivational engagement (Attewell and Savill-Smith 2003).  The common goal should be to have students think creatively.  Educational gaming can integrate constructivism as well.  It can assist with the development of new skills and allow the students to participate in new social roles.  Other skills which can be enhanced is visual analysis, hand-eye coordination, strategic decision making skills, and critical thinking skills. These are all needed 21st century skills.  Games should be fun and the competitiveness or winning should emphasize the goals of the game.  According to Kurt Squire, gaming builds “intrinsic motivation through fantasy, control, challenge, curiosity, and competition."  There are other benefits to educational games as well.  Students can improve their motor skills, visual analysis, learn how to strategically make decisions, and improve their critical thinking skills.  Also, it can increase their collaboration skills and exploratory learning.  In sum, educational games can prepare our students to be productive in the 21st Century!

Well...I must say that I feel that although we are early in the semester, I know more than what I knew when we began.  However...I must also add that I have a LONG way to go!  I have learned to utilize Ning, create a webblog, but I am still trying to figure out how to create a Podcast.  I think that I am making it out much harder than what it is.

I will begin to rehash this semester thus far.  Learning in the 21st Century is definitely technology driven.  It is so important that we learn to integrate multimedia into our K-12 curriculum.  It is essential for our student's long term outcomes.  Learning in the 21st Century promotes collaboration and the critical thinking skills needed to be a productive and skilled worker in the 21st Century.  It is critical that we teach our students to effectively filter through credible and non-credible sources on the internet.  This should be a priority of educators, since so much work is research driven.  We then proceeded on to our 1:1 laptop debate. Our group were proponents of 1:1 computing in the public schools.  One to one computing would bridge the digital divide.  All students regardless of their socio-economic status would have access to the internet and computing 24/7.  Other benefits would include promoting self-directed learning, increase engagement in students learning, lessons could be made more interesting, and it would be easier to differentiate student instruction. 

Now...on to Gaming.  Until now, gaming was so foreign to me.  I can see the benefits of integrating educational gaming in the classroom.  Infusing gaming as an enhancement to learning, it could really spark the student's interest and be of benefit.  However, I must emphasize that I promote educational gaming in the classroom, not leisure gaming.  If we choose to integrate gaming into our curriculum, as educators we need to be trained and remind ourselves of our objectives and goals for the students.  If it is not related to the educational objectives, we need to "take a detour." 

North Carolina's drop out rate is at an all time high.  It is important to integrate technology in order to spark their interest and provide our non-traditional students with another avenue of learning.

I have included the following link to DPI.  It discusses the IMPACT grant and the school systems in NC that received additional funding.

http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/newsroom/news/2009-10/2009-10/20090910-01

Well, goodnight all!  Have a great week! :)