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Kindergarten teacher Chris Gathers tells about his experiences integrating technology into the learning experience of his students. He first teaches the children how to use the mouse and eventually progresses to making simple art projects and writing on the computer. The kindergarten students gain independence and confidence in themselves and their use of technology

This is not the link to the actual chapter, but a link about the book. I got the book from the library... In Chapter 8, Testing, Trying, and Teaching, John Bruer argues that standardized testing is not a fair way to test students. He mentions that putting a student into a percentile based on the score they get on a single test does not give a fair representation of the students learning and understanding of the material.

Sharon Pitcher's "The Literacy Needs of Adolescents in Their Own Words" discusses the problems that youth in today's classrooms face regarding reading comprehension. She examines these problems and seven case studies of students and their particular situations. Throughout her article, Pitcher argues that without classrooms' recognitions of when they need to modify their teaching techniques to its students' needs, the students will not fully develop the reading techniques that they need.

The book "Must-See Websites for Busy Teachers", by Lynn Van Gorp, deals with integrating technology into the classrooms and how it affects student learning. The article points out how using technology in the classroom not only benefits the students but also benefits the teacher.

In this article, Annette Lamb focuses on the importance of the students' use of social technologies. Although students have the right to free speech and expression, they are encouraged to be responsible for their own actions online. Decision-making practices will help students improve on their moral reasoning to make better use of social technologies.

In Social Anxiety and Technology the author Tamira Pierce did a study by examining teens, and the use of the socially interactive technologies. For example social sites, cell phone/ text messaging, and instant messaging. The position that social anxiety plays on how teenagers communicate with others from technology or face to face.

Annotation 1: In Social Anxiety and Technology the author Tamira Pierce did a study by examining teens, and the use of the socially interactive technologies, for example social sites, cell phone/ text messaging and instant messaging. The position that social anxiety plays is how teenagers communicate with others from technology or face to face. The people that participated were 280 high school students, statistics indicate that from those students, 35%-40% said they use cell phones/text messaging and online sites around one and four hours daily . In which females use more cell phones and social networks than males. After these results it comes to a conclusion and affirms a relationship between social anxiety, meaning students seem to be more comfortable to talk through phone, text or use social networks than talking face to face. Females tend to feel more comfortable communicating through phone or computer than males.

In this article, Social Networking Goes to School, by Michelle R. Davis it talks about how many schools are using social networking sites to communicate with schools from other countries. Social networking has changed the way teachers teach and students learn. As said by Davis in the article, "If you don't take that golden opportunity to teach students about the responsibility of using these things, you lose a teachable moment." If schools block them, they're preventing students from learning the skills they need to know."

Interesting article about students' perceptions of the visual and the implications for teaching.

The Great School Staff and its main focus in wrote testing in California on standardized testing in schools. The first part of this article talks about all the different kinds of test there are through out elementary school and high school. It examines how schools are given a target in which their student's scores should follow under. These targets are called API growth targets. After the testing is complete the schools will receive rankings comparing similar schools and also comparing schools within in state. It states that these test are mainly important for helping parents understand how well their child is learning, and also how well are schools preparing their students. The results of this test can affect the children, teachers and schools. I

This is a very interesting and informative article. I was interested in how texting can affect a students literacy level and this piece answered all my questions. Research has been done to prove that texting does not negate students' literacy levels. Professors all over the world accept the new form of communication and are willing to use it in the classroom

The article "Using Instructional Technology in Transformed Learning Environments: An Evaluation of Project CHILD," by Sarah Butzin, claims that students are able to learn more and are more motivated when they are able to use technology and implement the Computers Helping Instruction and Learning Development (CHILD) project. Butzin studied the effects of technology by comparing two schools that were both technology-rich. One school implemented project CHILD and the other school implemented a more traditional design. According to the author, the CHILD method involves a cluster of three grades that are broken into smaller groups and remain with the same teachers throughout those three grades (K-2 and 3-5.) The more traditional learning style still involved the use of technology in day to day learning, but every year the students changed teachers and only worked within their grade level. The CHILD implementation makes it so that children can learn at their own pace and switch stations that include bookwork, one on one or small group time with the teacher, working with technology, and hands-on experience. Butzin claims that this style of learning showed positive outcomes for testing scores, classroom motivation, improvement in behavior, and increased parent involvement.

One question that I wanted to find more information on was what types of digital media can be used in a classroom. I found a online video clip at http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-new-media-classroom-tips that had seven different clips with six different authors who were educators themselves using technology in their classrooms. Each clip talked about some type of way to communicate to students by using technology and they explained their way of teaching in four minutes or less. It seemed like these people were trying to get teachers comfortable with the media world and letting them know that in order to have a good connection with your students you are going to have to get on their level.

They have even looked at a study called "Mistakes Are a Fact of Life: A National Comparative Study" and have found that the number of errors found in writing has remained the same for around a century. In this study Andrea and Karen Lunsford found that the number of errors was in the range of 2.11 to 2.45. The type of errors has changed though. Spelling errors have lessened and wrong word choice has taken the top spot. One explanation for this could be spell check not catching the wrong usage of nouns. Technical writing and composition professor Cindy Raisor said that the only change that she has seen is that students have stopped caring if they make mistakes.

interesting student creations of multi modal texts

Laura Robb the author of "Multiple Texts" realizes that students are individual and that by being in the same grade doesn't mean they are at the same reading levels. By using multiple texts that are at wide range of reading levels on same or similar topics will let every student contribute and participate.

In "using the technology of today, in the classroom of today" authors Eric Klopfer, Scot Osterweil, Jennifer Groff, Jason Haas start to give basis to the argument that technologies such as videogames and social networking sites help shape learning. They focus on how they are learning outside of school but in completely different ways than teachers focus on. They argue, "Nearly all institutions- business, industry, medicine, science and government - have harnessed aspects of these technologies for decades. Games and simulations have been a key component of training doctors and military personnel, but even businesses like PricewaterhouseCoopers used a game about a mining company in outer space to teach its employees about derivatives. Although that may seem a bit "off the wall," the fact is major corporations, the Department of Defense, and the medical community would not use these tools if they were not highly effective" to illustrate how corporations use videogames so the educational system shouldn't reject it them as a learning tool. They point out how videogames can serve as a simulation for real life just as mining in outer space can teach about derivatives. Videogames are also a highly interactive learning environment. Instead of being told information, students are right in the middle of the action and the learning. They also discuss how social networking is a new way of collaborating with other about a wide variety of subjects including school work. The authors write, "Of course, educators have long been aware that learning is a social activity, where learners construct their understanding not just through interaction with the material, but also through collaboratively constructing new knowledge with their peers" but teachers reject the use of social networking as means of learning because of the other aspects included safety or privacy. But what teachers can learn from social sites is that "'knowledge cultures' assembled in these o

This article is very rich with information that has to do with how digital games, social networks, and simulations can be involved in classrooms. With the involvement of them is more than just entertainment that children or people actually learn stuff from them.

In the article, "Why Schools Should Learn To Use Online Services Like Facebook & YouTube Rather Than Banning Them," Mike Masnick argues that incorporating Facebook and other social networking sites, would be beneficial to both students and teachers. He says that by trying to fuse these social media sites with the teacher's curriculum, it will make education and school work more relevant to the students lives.

This article by Amy Garmer, talks about how society is all about digital literacy and improving test scores and every thing through text but how this is a big problem because many students with parent who lacks in knowlegde with technologies aren't able to help their students study. So instead they go online and use computers for entertainments instead. She comes up with an idea about having gov. funded institutes for parents to learn and become skilled with digital literacies so that they can, therefore, help their kids do better in school and on tests.

"The entire educational community must share responsibility for the development of literacy skills for the older student. This requires a paradigm shift from common practice where literacy instruction has been viewed as the sole responsibility of specialists instead of general educators. "

This website is made of a survey done by The National Campaign. This sight has all of the facts. The articles states that this "sexting is the new craze" . These students aren't even high school. I like this website because it gives me facts of the people in this world, I know it is a small survey compared to the entire world but they are good statistics to work with. There is a movie called The Odd Girl Out. This movie portrays how harmful this subject is. This teenage girl starts high school and "makes friends". She soon finds out that these friends are fakes. She chops her hair off, she over doses on sleeping medication all because these "friends" are calling her fat and other degrading words.