Technology Issues-Closing the Gap

Welcome Back Everyone!

One of the largest problems we see today especially when it comes to global learning is the technology issues that come inside the classroom. This is not only a problem that is happening in classrooms around the world, but also right here in our own country. Below is a link to an article by Janelle Cox to give a quick background of the technology issues faced here in the United States and also around the world.

Read the Cox article here: http://www.teachhub.com/overcoming-barriers-technology-classroom

BUDGET PROBLEMS

Cox describes in her article that technology is rapidly growing to where most schools can’t keep up with it. This is mainly due to budget restraints, which is the largest reason to why 3rd world countries can’t have technology in their classrooms. If these schools no matter where they are located, do not have the budget to have technology in the classroom they will remain behind as being a global educator. Time does not stop, neither does the world especially with the progress of man in technology. Schools are always in a race to keep on pace with each other, especially when it comes to technology. The schools that have the budget to spend on technology, they will continue to progress and become greater global educators. Technology is one of the main power sources behind global learning, without it especially in today’s world it becomes very difficult to connect with the rest of the world. Technology is what keeps the world and man moving forward in a positive direction.

Closing The Gap

Although a school’s budget might be seen as the biggest culprit to why a teacher can’t have the proper technology needed in a classroom, there is actually other reasons to this problem. In Julie Lindsay’s book The Global Educator, she quotes a speaker named Julio Rojas that states, “In our country Venezuela, we face great difficulties, one of which is precisely the technology gap. My society still sees with the skepticism the use of technology. My challenge is to demonstrate that technology can open up large and very important experiences” (Lindsay, 2016). Rojas is speaking on not budget issues to the downfall of technology in classrooms, but the simple fact that some communities do not believe in the use of technology in education. This is why global learning is so important because we can learn from each other around the world, to see what works in education and what does not work.

Making Everyone A Technology Believer

Examining the research and evidence that has been provided about technology in classrooms around the world we mark several notes.

We need to understand technology first.
We need to educate the teachers on how to use it properly
How technology can advance our students and the future that lies ahead
How technology can make our students be the best they can be

Below is a Ted-Talk Video presented by Jesse Woolley-Wilson who is an eLearning Leader who discusses the importance of education in the classroom. We need to spread this information to many schools, so they can understand the importance of technology in the classroom. Educate the schools first before we can educate the students.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @CoachKTech1

Technology Fire Sale: A Teacher’s Worst Nightmare

It appears that there is a weekly firing of a teacher somewhere in the United States for violating a law or rule in relation to technology. Almost always these same cases also result with criminal punishment. How can parents feel their children are safe where almost every person in the classroom has some form of social media technology? Even at the elementary school level you can find students who have some form of social media or technology. Teachers can’t avoid technology it is virtually impossible, but in this blog we will explore ways on how teachers can avoid the negative sides of it’s usage.

So here is our first thought…..

Why can’t technology (Such as Social media) be used as a learning platform?

Here is a video of a case from New Hampshire where a teacher was terminated for not willing to unfriend students from her Facebook account. Take a look.

Long-time teacher Carol TheBarge added many of her former and then current students as friends on the popular social media website Facebook. The administration told her to either comply by unfriending the students or should would be terminated. TheBarge did not comply so she was ultimately terminated from her job. She believes that social media websites such as Facebook can be used a way to connect with students positively and as a learning platform. The superintendent said she was terminated because the school has a policy in place where teachers can not interact with students over any social media platform.

Should TheBarge been fired? Should she have known better being a long time teacher? At her age shouldn’t she just comply?

Lets look at one more case of just how dangerous social media can be. Here is an article and video that shows a case of a teacher being terminated for using the social media platform Twitter in a way that you would never imagine.

See the article here: https://nowthisnews.com/videos/news/teacher-is-fired-for-white-nationalist-twitter-and-podcast

25 year old teacher Dayanna Volitish created a separate Twitter account under another name where she tweeted racist and extreme views. Although she did not use her own personal account and made a different account under another name she was still terminated. This case does even involve the classroom, but shows how teachers can still be affected by social media when outside of school.

Should teachers not be watched more closely by administration after seeing this case? I would say that schools should really put a close look into who they hire. It is almost impossible to watch every teacher’s movements on social media, with the number of platforms there are today. Especially when it comes down to making fake accounts to hide different sides of the teacher.

How To Avoid The Teacher Technology Firing Epidemic

Here is a great article on how teachers can be fired.

Read the Article here: http://www.nea.org/home/38324.htm

My way of summing up this entire article is: USING COMMON SENSE. If teachers would just use common sense (Granted not everyone has it), they would avoid the majority of these problems. Here are my Tips to Follow by, with doing the opposite of these will most likely get you terminated as a teacher….

Tip #1: Do not use social media to interact with students

-If you absolutely have to wait until later in life. You do not need to be friends with your students on Facebook or any other social media website while they are still in school.

Tip #2: Do not use social media to express thoughts or emotions about your school environment/Watch what you post

-There is always a parent or student who will take the lead in searching a teacher on social media websites. The article shows that teachers who post pictures of drinking alcohol or at a party can result in negative reactions from students and parents. Even if you set your account to private there is still ways for these posts or pictures to be reached.

Tip #3: Know and obey your administration’s rules & policies with social media/technology

Tip #4: Know FERPA

-FERPA is the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. FERPA does not allow third parties to access important or private information belonging to a student. The student must give consent for any information to be released. Teachers can avoid this by making sure there is no possibilities of private student information to be accessed by teachers or other students in the classroom.

Tip #5: Cooperate

-If a teacher or anyone in society cooperates, then the chances of being successful in life is that much greater.

Thanks for reading! Follow me on Twitter @CoachKTech1

Educational Tech Blog/Research Response

Hello! Welcome to my first Research Response! I searched #edtechchat on Twitter and came across an article called “How to Declutter and Organize Your Personal Tech in a Few Simple Steps” tweeted by @s_bearden and written by the New York Times.

Click the following link to read the article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/23/technology/personaltech/declutter-organize-personal-tech-few-simple-steps.html?imp_id=803222877&action=click&module=trending&pgtype=Article&region=Footer

I found the article to be enjoyable and interesting! It shows the reality behind on how many people actually do not throw away unwanted data or storage on their technology. The article hits on one key point on this topic.

We essentially become technology hoarders, and we sometimes don’t even realize it. The article speaks on how the main problem behind this is the number of wires we keep in our homes.

If you think about it, wires or cables you once used to charge your phone from years ago, you most likely still have it. The question is why? That same cable also most likely does not even connect to the new phone that you own. We tend as humans to keep what we have especially when it comes to technology.

Here are a few ways to avoid the problem…

The article states to avoid this, its best to gather all your cables and “purge” out the ones you no longer need.
It also says to have annual “check ups” or yearly storage clearance for unwanted files on your phone/computer. This will clear up so much space of unwanted technology data, and also keeps you on a schedule of doing so.
Have a spot in your house that is designated only for technology accessories. This will limit clutter around the house.
DON’T LEAVE WIRES OUT IN THE OPEN SPACE! This is not only a safety reason but also keeps the wires in good health.
Clear out those old photos in the library or send them to another storage device.

What are some ways that you avoid this problem?

My response to this question is jumping over the obvious fact of throwing away what you don’t need! I once owned an Android and when I finally joined the Iphone world, I knew it was time to let go of the Android. This is easier said then done, but you need to free up that space.

How do you resolve this problem?…..

Here is a video on how to delete unwanted space!

The article was very informative!

Thanks for reading/Commenting!