iPads in class

Right now we are using iPads in our web 2.0 class. I think that the iPads are great and pretty easy to use. A negative part of the ipad is the touch screen. I don't Like using the touch screen keyboard. I think the touch screen keyboard takes much longer to type than a normal keyboard would. I do not like that you have to press a button to get keys with numbers and different symbols. Overall I do like using the iPad because it is easy to use.

Predictions of 2011

I just read an article by Ellen Ullman about predictions of 2011. Some predictions are there will be no textbooks in schools and technology will be used in schools. I think it would be great if textbooks were no longer used in schools. Most textbooks are big and heavy and a pain to carry around. If students could access books on the internet it would be much more convinent. I also think it is a great idea for technology to be used in schools. Technology can have a positive impact on the learning enviornment. Once technology is in schools I think students will do better in school. Technology makes learning more interesting and fun and I think students are more likely to pay attention if they are using technology which they are comfortable and familiar with.

Apple Ipads Available for Bulk Purchase

This article talks about the Ipads that are being sold in India. In India they are selling Ipads for a cheaper price. The only catch is that you have to buy the Ipads in bulk. This would be able to provide Ipads to buisnesses or schools for a cheaper price. I think this would be a great way to get Ipads for our school. They are only sold in bulk which is great because every student will need one. The Ipads are also cheaper which benefits the students who pay for them.

Assign-A-Day

Assign-A-Day is a great tool teachers can use to benefit students. It is an online calendar teachers can create. On this calendar teachers can post assignments and days of tests/quizzes. This can help students view assignments that they may have missed. It can also help students who were absent. This calendar allows them to view assignments due on the days they were out of school. Lastly, it can benefit students because they can see the days that tests will be given so they will have ample time to study for them instead of doing it last minute. Assign-A-Day calendar would be very helpful if all teachers used it. I think this should be required for teachers to use. If this calendar was used in all schools, I think that students would do better in school because this allows them to be more organized and it informs them on what assignments they have to do.

School Bans Pens and Pencils

This article talks about a school principal in North Brookfield, MA who banned pens and pencils in school. Mrs. Scott wrote a letter home to students and their parents informing them that the students were not allowed to bring and carry around pens and pencils. They banned students from bringing school supplies because they could be used as potential weapons. Students were provided with pencils from their teachers when they arrived to school, and they were collected upon leaving. In my opinion I think this is rediculous. These students are in sixth grade, they should be able to be trusted carrying around a pen. I could understand if this was a rule with yonger students in kindergarden, but not sixth grade. Students should have the right to simply carry around a pen/pencil just like every other student does in school. I feel like this is a lack of trust in students. Just because a couple of students have used pens/pencils inappropriately does not mean that every other student should not have the privledge to carry around necessary school supplies.

Should We Be Good at School?

I just read this blog by Tony Baldasaro. It talks about if being good at school has any relation to our futures. In some ways I do think being good at school can be beneficial to our future careers. Most people figure if you get good grades in school, then why wouldn't you be successful in the future. I also think that just because you were good at school does not neccesarily mean that you will be good at your career. I feel like schools have has the same routine for a long time. Students sit in assigned seats, listen to teachers talk, and go home and do homework assignments. In my opinion I don't think that really teaches us anything for our futures. Also, most schools do not educate students based on what career they would like to get into after high school. I think that being good at school is mostly irrelevant to being successful in our future careers.

Be Careful Posting On The Internet

Websites like Twitter and Facebook can be very useful and beneficial, if used correctly. Last January a man joked about bombing an airport on Twitter. Things like that can be completely prevented. People definately have to have good judgement when posting things on the internet. Even if something is posted as a joke, others can take things the wrong way. It just takes one person to be offended by a post and report it. Even though this man claims he was joking, it is still serious. People should not joke about things such as a bomb threat because someone is going to read it and report it becasue they may be concerned for others safety along with their own. Lately I have been reading a lot of articles on people getting into trouble for what they post on the internet. It is so important to be careful and to really think before you post something on the internet for everyone to see.