AT week 4 Read&React- Is it worth the risk?

Read & React
Digital Diet: This weeks chapters gave a how to step by step on Skype, Twitter, Facebook and Voice Thread. This book offers such a great step by step, it's a bit like a crutch when I am not able to use this book, I struggle through. Skypes set up was pretty easy once I was able to get a hold of a functioning camera, turns out the one I had died. I will be updating after I make my skype call. I like the suggestion the book made about bringing in a guest speaker (artist). My family has used skype in the past when family was deployed over seas and hearing their voice is great, but seeing someones face makes it that much better. Twitter was easy enough to use, especially with the explanations from the book. I really enjoyed the video that showed the history professor using twitter in her classroom. Love her statement, "It's going to be messing, and I'm going to have to come to grips with that. Messy doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be bad." I admit being a Facebook user myself, I simply jumped to the part about classroom use. I had no idea that you could create a course and assignments on fb. Voice Threads ended up being a very easy program to use. The book suggests using this as a way for students to give their presentations over specific material. This is a fantastic alternative-although I still feel it is very important to learn how to handle the nerves that come with speaking in front of an audience.

Brooks-Young: Brooks looks at the use of Facebook, video gaming and more to cater to the needs of  the igeneration. The investigations of how immersed our students are in technology is fascinating. As Brooks points out, the more world simulated environments we put them in the better they are at gaining a realistic understanding. Brooks gives examples of the different way that students and teachers can connect over a period of time, or instantly and how it is creating a community feeling with a less threatening environment. Students who are typically shy are more likely to chime in by text than face to face."Certainly there will always be classroom instruction, and the teacher will still be the teacher. But the use of virtual worlds for instruction changes the focus of the learner from a passive receptacle to an active engager, ever more responsible for his own acquisition of knowledge." This statements towards the end of the chapter is brought while discussing the use of a program called Second Life. This statement speaks volumes about education today. The kids are being held more accountable for their own learning and research, basically turning themselves into a teacher, especially when they get excited about something and share/show it to friends.

Risk taking?
Here I am going to react to our reading and also give my social media reflection. I feel that after the readings, my options are slightly different. These topics are frustrating not only because of my mixed feelings, but because of how they are viewed by the media and handled by school districts. We have VERY STRICT policies in place when it comes to the use of social media. Thanks to a few bad apples, another tool that has great potential in the classroom is ruined before we really get a chance to explore and prove its benefits to students. I may get a little "preachy on my soap box" but that is what happens with tough subjects right?
As for facebook and twitter, I have reservations about what it has done to society and yes even myself. We have become a very self centered universe where we feel the need to share our every more as if the whole world is interested... And yes I've been there, and sucked myself into reading these things as well. Can you imagine if people used these networks for educated conversations... ALL the time? Maybe I would be more keen on the idea of twitter if it wasn't about what someone was doing at every second of the day. What if it was for the posting of ideas and pinging (only)? Yet I do enjoy keeping up with people and how their families are growing, even if it is in a less personal way. I feel that the use of technology has become a crutch for people to hide behind their words, would you really say all of those things to my face? or maybe you don't have it in you to say them out loud personally- than should it be said? It allows people to be a bit of a coward- or are we helping those who are very intelligent voice their opinions without facing their social fears? As a personal choice, and then eventually a district/state policy- I absolutely do not connect with my students on fb.
Skype- Many colleagues have suggested using skype to have a visiting artist/speaker. I love this idea, but i have had so many problems in the past with speed of :Internet, computer etc. that I can see it not working correctly and my students loosing interest. To me Skype is so "the jetsons" :)  You can see the people you are talking to even if they are across the planet. It seems so futuristic yet it is here and was a huge gift to my family when military members were deployed. I know people who get to see brand new family members all the time through Skype, it gives them the give of facial communication when you can't get there in person. For these gifts it is a powerful tool. But the speed problem is still very frustrating! Another great avenue for skype would be a student with an extended absence-hospital stays etc. They could either skype during their art time, or I could have a quick art lesson with them at a later point.
Voice Thread- I love this idea for me to be able to create lessons/lectures in advance to not only save my voice and time, but in case of an absence. As we all know- a substitute will never be you or close to you. It was fairly simple to use and I think it would be a great tool if I could design this and my students could be responding at home, after they have had time to digest the pieces we are looking at. I really liked the idea of using voice thread to present. I would so totally do this with my 5th graders if we had more time together- never enough time for art :(
Screener seems to be a fascinating tool. My kids are so much smarter with technology than I am. I guarantee they could make tons of "how to videos" about aspects of technology they use everyday. This would also be a great tool for students to be able to back track on a "how to lesson" instead of me showing and doing the exact same thing a million times.
Video gaming- this is a subject that always requires a soap box. The reason I tend to dislike video games, is that they have not be used as an "edutainment" tool like Brooks says, but as a babysitter for parents. I'm not saying that everyone does this, but in my little neighborhood, parent don't monitor what their kids are playing. I had a student last year in 4th grade who played "Call of duty"- He as well as others who have played this game think that "war is cool." But now for the really big one, he said, "I think it would be cool to kill someone and watch them die." Let's just say it totally lit a fire under my behind. If we could hold parents accountable and they might actually use video games, educational ones, as a means of keeping their child busy, then maybe I would be on board. Another thing that technology has done to my students... Totally Sucked the creativity out of their brains!!!! They don't go play outside, or read books, play board games, play make believe-AHHHH this is where I am so unbelievably frustrated. Our students spend too much time in front of their box device (whatever that may be, TV, Phone, computer) and have lost the time and creativity that you gain from just being a kid and learning to play. Side bar :)  The importance of play is one of my Books that I am using for our extra research. Video games can give creative outlets, but far too many children use video games for the wrong reason.
Well overall- The verdict is still out folks. There are so many great tools that could be used here. But I am currently limited by policies that will not change due to the fear of lawsuits. Again accountability is to blame here- we are a lazy society that is more afraid of holding our employees accountable, than we are of letting them be responsible teachers who use great resources wisely. They only way I would agree to any of this, due to the fact that I am K-5, is if the parent was actively engaged with their little learners on these accounts. Besides then we would be teaching even more the great good of art! Now that's an Artopia kind of idea :)