Module 5 Reading Reflection

After reading "5 Considerations for Digital Age Leaders," I had many thoughts. The first suggestion is that each school system needs to have a district wide goal. I agree with this completely, but I think it is very difficult to implement. Being consistent district wide is important because it teaches the students what to expect and what is expected of them. In some respects, our district is on the same page. Each classroom has had a SmartBoard for nearly a decade now. However, I know that there are several teachers who do not use theirs, or do not use it to the fullest. As a high school math department, we try to implement the latest and greatest technology when it comes to graphing calculators. However, this is not the case in the lower grade levels in our district. I believe that technology is an important factor, but like it was stated in the reading, it is difficult to convince teachers to implement more technology when there is such heavy pressure for students to perform well on tests. The article talks about developing yourself professionally in order to do so, but I know that in some districts such as the one I am in, there isn't much money laying around for professional development and therefore it is not a strongly encouraged topic or a high priority for the district.

Module 4 Reading Reflection

After reading the article, Social Networking Goes to School, I had mixed feelings. I am able to see both points of view. I think social networking has become such a huge influence on this generation of students that it is brilliant to incorporate their interests into the classroom. However, social networking does not come without risks. We have had several incidences in our high school where students have been bullied or threatened via means of social networking. In addition, there have been police reports filed for cases where students have made harrassing statements about teachers on social networking sites. The key to bringing social networking into the classroom is keeping it private, monitoring what is being said, and making it your own. For instance, when using a social networking site with a class I think it is necessary to create an entirely new account- whether it be for Facebook, Twitter, or any other networking site. This way everyone is expected to have a school appropriate profile and must obey school rules at all times. I understand the points of view in the article. This is a very fine line to be walking, but I believe it is necessary to make these leaps if we are going to stay current with technology and the interests of each generation to come.