Journal #3

Journal #3: “Bring the World Into Your Classroom” (NETS-T #II and V)

McDermon, L. (2010, Septmeber/October). Bring the world into your classroom. Learning & Leading with Technology, 38(2), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-september-october.aspx

Summary:
This article describes how teachers can effectively implement technology by using video conferencing into their lessons to help enhance their curriculum and/or lessons to be more meaningful and as well as to introduce the children to the new advanced technology that is used today in the Twenty First Century. That said, the author of the article describes two types of video conferencing programs. For instance, Megaconference Jr. allows ones students to participate in a live conference and/or webcam with other students from around the world in a twelve-hour time span. In other words, the children can communicate and collaborate with other children from across the globe from the time 7Am to 7PM. On the other hand, the other video conference program is designed to allow ones students to interact and to share their readings with another class via Wikis. Furthermore, the goal of implementing these digital media tools into ones curriculum and/or lessons is to help ones students become familiar with using such technology. These technology tools include the use of Wikis and Social media network websites (i.e.: Skype, Megaconference Jr,, etc). By an educator showing and as well as demonstrating to their students how these video conferencing websites work, the children will have more of a technologic understanding of these particular social media network websites. As result, the children will have a greater sense of knowledge about some of the technology media tools that are provided to us to use in the Twenty First Century. Furthermore, after reading this article I find that it is important for teachers to effectively demonstrate and implement technology into their lessons to help enhance their curriculum to be more meaningful. By doing this one can introduce their students to some of the new technology that exists today in the Twenty First Century.

Q1: With implementing the use of video conferencing programs in ones classroom, do you think that these programs will help enhance curriculum topics to be more meaningful and interesting to children? Why?
A: Yes, because the children will be able to share their projects by communicating via video conference with other children who are in another country. I find that this will motivate the children to want to do a good job on their projects. That said, perhaps some of the children may take this opportunity as a challenge to see if they can out do the other children who live another part of the world. Or perhaps some of the children will be interested and/or curious to see what other children from across the world had came up with, in regards to their projects.

Q2: In the article the author mentions some of the benefits that the technology programs provide for children. That said, what are some of these benefits?
A: By teachers implementing these technology programs into their lessons and/or programs the children will benefit from and as well as learn how to collaborate with their peers and as well as other children from across the world through; E-mails, websites, wikis and videoconferencing.