Journal 9 – Science + Technology = Creativity (and Fun!)

Mader, Jared and Ben Smith. (Aug 2009). Science + Technology =
Creativity (and Fun!). Learning and Leading with Technology, Retrieved
Aug 3, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/
Publications/LL/Current_Issue/L_L_August.htm

This article addresses the need to use technological tools as a driving force for eliciting creative thinking and deeper investigation for high school science lessons. The classic mode of experimentation teaches a scientist to be methodical and careful, which tends to stifle creativity. These authors use technology to foster innovation. Their process is to change the process from a derected one into an open-ended and yet guided use of technology as a means to experimenting.
They postulate that by giving students experience with various tools in the early part of the year with clear expectations of performance, they can learn to go beyond the prescrobed curriculum in creative ways. By the end of the year, the comfort with the various tools tied with more vague and open-ended descriptions of end product requirements, allows students to use their new tech skills in unhindered ways that foster creativity.

Question 1:How is this different from "regular" teaching?
Answer 1: "Regular" teaching is teacher centered. It is good for those that desire social control in the classroom and easily comparable benchmarks in asssements. The creative needs of the student are often overlooked in order to keep on track in terms of getting through all the lesson plans of the year. This type of teaching is focuse on developing thinking students that go beyond the basic academic content and develop more advanced skills that are useful in real world situations.
Question 2: How do I foster these skills in ounger students?
Answer 2: I believe the core skills in such an endeavour is to have a really good grasp of the required content areas for the standards, have a good undersanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your students, access and understanding of a lot of different tools, and the courage to go for broke and just start experimenting. Each teacher is a student also and learns and grows from taking chances. Eventually you develop a larger personal toolbox to pick from so that students can learn in the best way for their style....now that is what is rewarding for a teacher....every child learning to the limits of their abilities.

Journal 8 - Choosing the Perfect Tools for One-to-One

Bouterse, Brian, Jenifer O. Corn and Elizabeth O. Halstead. (Aug 2009). Choosing the Perfect Tools for One-to-One.
Learning and Leading with Technology, Retrieved Aug 3, 2009, from
http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/
Current_Issue/L_L_August.htm

This article looks at the process of selection of portable devices for instruction in what is called a one-to-one learning mode. Individual students have part or full time access to a small computer for project or annual use. There are six critical issues discussed for proper selection of tools for your district’s use. The six considerations are: Purpose (single or multi-purpose); Operating system; Applications (installed or web-based); Content storage (local or web-based); Peripheral usage (compatibility and availability); Robustness against wear and tear; and Additional considerations (Total cost of ownership issues-such as training and installation costs).

Question 1: What role is there for instructors for purchasing one-to-one learning tools for a school?
Answer 1: It seems that since students are the end users of any technology of this sort and teachers know their students’ skills and abilities, I would think that any project of this sort would require close collaboration and input from instructors. The critical balance of having people who understand the strengths and limitations of the various systems, people who understand the skills and needs of the students and people who understand the political and economic environment of the district would be very important for starting and maintaining a program like this.

Question 2: How are these tools being used?
Answer 2: A school system I volunteer in has a new computer cart set-up for this one-to-one type of learning. Strangely enough this is in an upper middle class neighborhood and the cart is a very new addition. This type of technological use is still very rare. Few teachers have training in their use and fewer teachers use them often. The one long session I observed them being used, the instructor kept students in groups of four and had them experiment with modification of sound files in a music program. I wasn’t sure if this was to save getting out too many computers or whether it was intentional to force collaboration (There did seem to be a bit too much tussling over who got to control the buttons). This technology is still something that needs to have more instructors get trained in their use, and the small sub-laptop size computers seemed to be not up to the task of extensive work projects. I believe that these computers were from a grant from H.P., and the district had little control over the platform or size of computers.

iMovie Project (NETS 1, 2 & 3)

Here is a small one minute video created in iMovie. It is a spoofish movie based on the movies "Star Wars" and "The Lion That Roared" plus the late sixties revolutionary attitudes at UC Berkeley. It has scene splices, scene transitions, titles, special video effects, voice-overs, background music and end credits.

Wiki Page: CSUSM Web 2.0 Tools for Educators (NETS 1, 2 & 3)

Here is a Wiki page (a group editable web page) created at a web hosting site called Wetpaint. This wiki is embedded into this blog using an online file embedding service called Embedit.

Excel Crossword (NETS 1, 2 &3)

Here is a crossword puzzle created in an Excel spreadsheet document that uses some of the features of Excel such as cell formatting, adding cell notations, filling in the background, conditional formatting to show correct letter placement and making a template file so students can work the puzzle. I followed online tutorials at the Atomic Learning website to learn how to make this document. It is embedded into this blog using a social document sharing program called Scribd.
Apollo Crossword A

Inspiration - Graphic Idea Organizer (NETS 1 & 3)

Here is a diagram created in the Inspiration visual/graphic idea organizer program showing how a graphic organizer works. This chart uses images and text in a flowchart format to show the relationships between NETS (National Education Technology Standards) and my class projects that met those standards. It also demonstrates knowledge of the ISTE NETS-T requirements for teachers which was used to help develop my narrative on Taskstream for my TPE-14 requirements.

Powerpoint slide show - (NETS 1, 2 & 3)

Here is a slide show created in the Powerpoint presentation program showing some of the features of Powerpoint such as custom slides, graphics, animation, slide transitions, and embedded hyperlinks. It also demonstrates that I have knowledge of the ISTE NETS-S and performance indicators (for 3rd-5th graders) This slide show is embedded into this blog using a social document sharing program called Slideshare.

Tech Lit Students

View more presentations from drcat1961.

Classroom Newsletter - (NETS 1 & 3)

Here is a classroom newsletter created in a Word document that uses some of the more advanced features of Word such as tables, columns, drop cap letters, graphics and bulleting. It is embedded into this blog using a social document sharing program called Scribd.

NewsletterDD

Journal 7 - Beyond Social Networking: Building Toward Learning Communities (NETS 1, 2, 3 & 5)

Reynard, Ruth (15 July, 2009). Beyond social networking: building toward learning communities. The Journal: Transforming Education Through Technology, Retrieved July 29, 2009, from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2009/07/15/Beyond-Social-Networking-
Building-Toward-Learning-Communities.aspx?Page=1


This article looks at the idea of using the increasing comfort with Internet social networks as an impetus to move students toward the development of student centered learning communities. The idea is that students already have social communities and that they can expand on the skill set and social relationships within them to create collaborative learning and knowledge building. In this framework the instructor moves from the center (the sage on the stage) to a leader of student centered knowledge accumulation and manipulation. The author gives several tips on how to engage Internet native learners:
• Be available beyond the standard 9-5 adult work schedule.
• Use a variety of tools for processing information because students are comfortable with a variety of internet tools.
• Model synthesis of knowledge and develop smaller areas where students can also learn to synthesize information. This is where the instructor can be the biggest influencer for student learning.
• Engage students by customizing tools and methods for each student’s learning style.
These skills in social collaborative knowledge construction will allow theses students to be able to construct dynamic models of real world problems, collectively develop knowledge towards a common goal and understand diverse perspectives in a complicated world. Certainly these are valuable skills for the 21st Century.

Question 1: How can instructors, who are generally not Internet natives, keep up with their students??
Answer: Historically teachers have been the keepers of knowledge and their goal was to pass on both their skills and knowledge to the next generation. Teachers now not only have to have the core knowledge, but know the guideposts and methods to get to that core knowledge through various methods. Teachers of the future will need to re-learn what it is to be a teacher by facilitating knowledge and skill acquisition from multiple perspectives. The role of teacher is getting more and more complicated.
Question 2: How will teachers do this?
Answer: In this paradigm, the role of training and professional development becomes much more important. Are there administrators that understand the increasing importance of training and are able to institute the time and resources needed to improve teachers’ skills for the tech heavy future? Or will there an even bigger push to make teachers be responsible for more and more skills without adequate compensation? It is a conundrum that will be another stressor on an already highly stressed educational system that doesn’t have enough highly trained educators.

Journal 6 – Don’t Feed the Trolls (NETS 4)

Richardson, Karen W. (May 2008). Don’t feed the trolls: using blogs to
teach civil discourse. Learning and Leading with Technology, Retrieved
July 27, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/
Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume_35_2007_2008_/
MayNo7/L_L_May_2008.htm

With many teachers turning to weblogs for reasons such as reducing paper usage, keeping historical documentation of work, having the ability to link to related and supporting documentation, and for the ability to improve and document collaborative learning, this author stresses in this article a different reason for using blogs. This author advocates the use of weblogs as a tool for teaching middle and high school age students the art of civil discourse. As a foundation of a democratic society, civil interchanges are an important tool for learning about others’ ideas and opinions without resorting to put-downs and angry responses. Weblogs aid this through their ability to document discourse. This documentation creates a history that is missing in verbal discourses which allows the blogs to be used as teaching tools for improvement of discourse language and technique. Her article gives guidelines for good civil discourse through a review of rules of behavior, ways to put the rules into practice, encouraging self-monitoring in order to develop an internalization of responsible behavior, and have teachers model good behavior and provide opportunities for students to reinforce positive habits.

Question 1: Is this a useful article for younger students?
Answer: Although the content of this article is intended for older students, the basic rules are applicable for all students. The golden rule that younger students learn is equivalent in that they are taught to be respectful of others. This article just elaborates on these ideas so that older students can learn to deal with people who aren’t just peers in a controlled environment but also with strangers who may not have any respect for their youth and inexperience.

Question 2: How can I incorporate this article’s information into a primary grade classroom?
Answer: This article has some good suggestions for putting rules into practice: use “I” statements, avoid labeling, no name-calling, stay on topic, don’t respond to provocations and listen to others’ views. These are certainly good rules for any age.

Journal 4 - Interactive Whiteboards (NETS 1, 2, 3 & 5)

Interactive whiteboards are a tool for presentation of material in the classroom. They consist of a “board” that looks like a whiteboard but is actually a screen that has the ability to access the Internet and other forms of media. The user can interact with the screen through markers and hand movements. The resulting text and images can be manipulated and saved for later retrieval by students or the teacher. The board can also be used to present videos, websites and various interactive programs that are designed specifically for interactive whiteboards. The fast growth of the use of this technology and the resulting internet sites of projects, activities and games to support this growth has produced a large library of resources for using this tool.
I followed a thread in the Classroom 2.0 forum that deals with interactive whiteboards. Generally, the participants agreed that these tools are great at inspiring students to interact with the material. They allow shared thinking and exploration and accelerate learning and knowledge acquisition. These tools allow multimodal learning through classroom, internet and multimedia interaction; thus creating meaningful connections to the real world.
Because of the rising popularity of these tools, there are now a lot of easily accessible teacher resources (for every grade range) at third party sites. There are now add-on interactive assessment tools called Activote devices that allow instant retention assessment of a concept or process.
Even the length of this forum thread is an example of how much innovation and interest this technology is creating and spurring on! A quick search of internet resources specifically designed for these systems has unearthed hundreds, if not thousands of classroom projects, games and lessons (cross referenced with the educational standards that they are designed to address).
Here is a link to a primer on interactive whiteboards that was very informative. And here are links to the two most-cited interactive whiteboard products from this forum thread: Promethian and Smartboard. I definitely want to take one of these for a test drive.

Journal 3 – Assessment Made Easy (NETS 1, 2 & 3)

Zucker, Andrew A. (Jun/Jul 2009). Assessment made easy. Learning and Leading with Technology, Retrieved July 20, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/
Publications/LL/Current_Issue/L_L_June_July.htm


The extensive use of technology is instrumental in the success of this program. The need for a paper trail for assessment is imperative and the 1-to-1 student per laptop ratio system is almost a requirement for this to be successful. There must be a full integration of technology , policy and support in order for this to be successful on a school wide level. The article states that they use “instant feedback” multiple-choice and T/F testing that allows instant grading. This assessment method shows what a student does not know rather than what they do know. Essay examinations allow the student to show what they do know but are more time consuming to grade. This program uses both methods, which is a good compromise between speed and breadth. Feedback to teachers through analysis tools allows for a more focused and accurate teaching through instant feedback that can be instantly addressed before students and teachers move on to a new subject. The use of a re-teach week also allows for long-term intervention in weak areas of subjects that are discovered from the extensive classroom assessment data.

Question 1: To what extent does this system rely on the culture of the school system?
Answer: This system is utterly dependent on an open and innovative administration that is willing to both limit interference in pedagogy and regulations/restrictions on technology use as well as discover and continually supply financial and technological resources for the long term. It also requires a majority of the staff to buy into a new way of doing things and to have a certain comfort level with technology.

Question 2: How realistic is it to think that this framework could work in a typical school?
Answer: The Denver School of Science and Technology is a charter school that was designed from scratch to have a staff that is competent with technology. It has only been in existence for 5 years and serves a small population of 580 students. As with all successful charter schools, there are lessons to be learned but wholesale implementation of their techniques is usually impossible. The problem of crime and lack of funding combined with uneven teacher skills would make successful implementation of this program to inner city schools very doubtful. Even in places where there are more resources, there would possibly be much resistance from conservative elements in the community that would restrict the positive impact. This example will be expanded and it will very likely be the more progressive elite schools that will dare to try it first.

Journal 2 - How Teenagers Consume Media (NETS 5)

Robson, Matthew (13 July, 2009). How teenagers consume media: the report that shook the city. Guardian, Retrieved July 16, 2009, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jul/
13/teenage-media-habits-morgan-stanley

This article, from the Guardian Newspaper in London, assesses the media consumption habits of English teenagers. Radio, newspaper and TV consumption are on the wane. Most consumption habits are done in the cheapest manner because of lack of funds. Money is spent on movies, music and games unless they can be had for free. Piracy is common. Twitter has no appeal to them, they tend to focus their consumption on entertainment, there is almost universal access to the internet, and social networking is very big. This report was created for Morgan Stanley in order to understand the consumer habits of teenagers. It shows that consumers in this age bracket are very reluctant to spend their meager assets and are very resourceful in finding other ways to get what they want.

Question 1: How relevant is this article to American Teenagers?
Answer: This research was most likely done only in the metropolitan London area so the transferability of this data to the US overall is questionable. It is probably fairly accurate if used for cosmopolitan cities that have extensive technological infrastructures. It is most likely an accurate assessment if used for North San Diego County cities because of the higher median incomes there. Talking to Professor Heil on this subject the other day I learned that even the lowest socio-economic members of San Diego have access to the internet somewhere. My own experience is that many if not most children have cell phones and the popularity of them increases with age.

Question 2: How can I use this information for teaching?
Answer: Habits of teenagers are different from younger children. Although younger kids may have same interests and technology usage habits as older siblings (where technology transfer would be high) not every elementary age child has access to a high technology user. The teaching with technology would have to start at a very basic level and many students will be bored with the slow pace of teaching. Many technologies seem to have possibilities for teaching even though they may be uninteresting to teens (eg: Twitter) Others seem to have little place in the elementary age classroom even though they are popular with teens (eg:Facebook). So, even though this article was very interesting, it seems to have little relevance to the classroom because the interests of teens in their own time has little to do with the interests of teachers in the elementary school classroom.

Journal 1 - Do Your Teachers Need a Personal Trainer? (NETS 1, 3 & 5)

Owens, Aileen M. (Jun/Jul 2009). Do your teachers need a personal
trainer?. Learning and Leading with Technology, Retrieved July
16, 2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/
Publications/LL/Current_Issue/L_L_June_July.htm

This article discusses how collaboration with a local university’s Ed tech department could help reduce the bottleneck of School District technology training. This system would be useful in training teachers in technology while also giving university students real world experience to pad their resumes. I can see how this solution for the bottleneck of technical training is viable for University towns and even for places where the local High School has both a community service requirement for graduation and the technological ability to train young coaches that are able to be helpful to teachers. In places that have the most need of trainers, I think there would be a dearth of qualified volunteers to help. But with the rise of two-way Internet conferencing, it looks like even in more remote places, this pattern may work. The weak links in such a system are always going to be 1: leadership to push such a program through and keep running for the long run, 2: enough hardware and software to be effective in both the training and instructional development and 3: a pool of well-educated trainers.

Question 1: How could this system work in the San Diego area?
Answer: Because of the severe funding problems at both the local and state level, this would have to be a grassroots effort. SDSU has a Department of Educational Technology that would have a large pool of qualified students that might need service experience. Qualcomm has a volunteer program that may be another avenue to pursue. San Diego is rich in high technology companies that might jump at the chance to increase their visibility in the community, so this type of program could potentially be easy to implement.

Question 2: What are some of the drawbacks of this system?
Answer: One drawback would be that because this is a grassroots program, it would have limited impact. There would be little advertisement of successes, and few teachers would have access to the program. Another drawback is that the unofficial nature of this program would make it very fragile in terms of longevity. It would take the personal dedication of the individuals involved in order to keep it going. Retirements, burn-out and changing social situations would threaten the entire program. A more formal institutional structure would reduce the chances of this happening.

Social Bookmarking - Delicious (NETS 1, 2 & 3)

1: National Archives Online Exhibit - A New Deal for the Arts. (Nets 1, 2 & 3) This was an interesting exhibit in that it was illuminating to see the varying reasons for having a New Deal art program that “employed artists, musicians, actors, writers, photographers, and dancers”. Some art was produced in order to be politically activist in nature. These promoted the social ideals and goals of the Roosevelt government. Another reason was to just basically employ more workers. A third reason was to document the fabric of American life. Another reason was to create useful art that furthered the efficiency, communication and growth of the economy.
This exhibit would be very helpful in the classroom in illustrating both the severity of the depression as well as showing the creative ways the government was addressing the problems of the economic crisis. I could also use this exhibit to show my students the difference between primary and secondary documents, show them what types of information can be gleaned from non-textual sources, and use that as a segue into a conversation on the importance of knowing the provenance of your sources.

2: National Education Association - Becoming a Culturally Competent Educator. (NETS 4 & 5) The “achievement gap” does not just apply to ethnic minorities. Achievement gaps can be documented in racial and ethnic minorities, students with disabilities, younger boys compared to younger girls, teenage girls compared to teenage boys, and students from low-income households. One of the main ways that a teacher can be proactive in lessening this gap is to be culturally competent. There are 11 tips on this site to aid a teacher to become more culturally competent. Some are group type suggestions that require system wide collaboration in order to implement. Things such as creating committees, conducting system wide assessments and changing mission statements are things that aren’t in my style of doing things. I would prefer to implement more classroom scale tactics that test out patterns and methods for dealing with cultural issues that can then be scaled up to a larger system if they are good enough to be more widely distributed.
One thing I could do would be to determine my own classroom diversity needs by inventorying the needs of my students and the school services that they are using. I need to target the needs of individual students to specific available resources.
I would also build a network of “specialists” in the school and neighborhood that have the skills that I would need in order to help these kids. People who know the details of the social, economic, cultural, religious, medical or whatever other forms of problems that a student may have are invaluable in determining and aiding me in overcoming roadblocks to learning. Teaching is a team effort that takes the resources of a whole community to achieve, so the larger my network becomes, the better my teaching will be.
The third thing I would take from this list of helpful hints is that of gathering resource materials related to diversity and achievement. By sharing these materials and techniques with my colleagues, the entire school environment is improved. The team effort analogy is then extended to other grade levels and classes and eventually the level of competence of everyone is improved to where overall achievement gaps start to narrow.

3: Cyber bullying (NETS 4) Quiz on cyber bullying: Score 6. The score says that I am “cyber risky” and should keep my behavior in mind and not repeat them. I think this score, even though it is rather low, is inflated. It gives me a high score for repeated cursing even though the behavior was done among friends in a particular context of adult friendly conversation. Other than that, my score is as I had expected. I am usually aware of how my text is being received by the person on the other end of a conversation and am conscious to not be offensive.
The speed at which a person can be insulted and harassed is increasing and the identity of the attacker can be hidden better with the use of new technologies. Just as flash crowds can be gathered quickly through the use of new technology, a person’s reputation or safety can be compromised just as quickly. Password security can be threatened by sharing passwords with friends that may not remain friends, thus leaving delicate or personal information open to malicious attack. Even though I will be teaching at the lower elementary grades, I can see how this site could be useful in deterring malicious behavior. Giving this knowledge to students will help them be more self-assured increase their self-esteem and maintain their safety a little better. There will definitely be a talk in my classroom on the dangers of the cyber world.

4: Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators. (NETS 1, 2, 3 & 5) I found a cute little tutorial on this site for kids to learn how to research and write biographies. It covers question development, research, synthesis and writing techniques. It looks to very useful and through in helping the upper elementary to middle school age kids to learn how to write great biographies. It would be helpful in teaching the children to research effectively and be creative in their writing.
Another page in the “Teacher Helpers” section has an extensive list of links to help teachers with grading rubrics. Since I am a newbie teacher, one of the main areas where I am weak is in assessment. This site contains numerous subject specific and more general rubric examples and generators that could be very helpful for me to come up to speed on assessment.

5: Multiple Intelligences (MI). (NETS 4 & 5) I have taken a longer Gardener MI exam and the numbers were a little different, but basically similar. I am very strong on the Logical-Mathematical scale (8 pts), strong on the Naturalistic scale (58 pts) and in the middle on the Interpersonal scale (50 pts). I believe that I was second highest in the body Kinesthetic scale in the earlier exam with Naturalistic and Interpersonal scoring a close third.
I saw the Video Multiple Intelligences Leaves No Child Left Behind. The first thing in learned from this video is that there are schools that teach to the Gardner model. I am pleasantly surprised and impressed that they have made their own integrated system that improves strengths and works on a harmonious balance of skills under the MI pattern. Their assessment system to gauge progress is also impressive in that they have found a way to appease the bean counters in government while still being able to stress their own focus on learning instead of testing.

6: Teaching Tolerance: Teach for Peace. (NETS 1, 2, 3 & 4) This lesson is for 6th to 12th graders. This lesson focuses on geography and cultural awareness. The lesson guides students to become aware of the differences between cultural and personal traits/ preferences. If I were to teach 6th grade, this lesson would be very good for teaching about tolerance, cultural awareness and geography. This age group is starting to see themselves as part of a larger society and this lesson will help them learn to interact in proactive ways to make a difference in their multicultural communities.

7: EdChange Multicultural Awareness Quiz. (NETS 4) I was impresses that I managed to get 11 of the 15 correct. I had heard of quite a few of the statistics stated in this quiz, but two stood out. The first question is not too surprising but is still disturbing - According to the National Center for Education Statistics, what is the percentage of U.S. schools with no teachers of color on staff? Answer: 40%. Sure there are still many places that have very small numbers of minorities in their community, and there are large numbers of rural communities that have little diversity and that the majority of teachers are white, but one would think that at least in the educational community, where there is more liberalism and diversity, that there would be a somewhat larger number of minority teachers.
The other surprising question was number 4 - In a 2007 study, UNICEF rated the treatment of children in the 23 wealthiest countries in the world based on 40 indicators of child well-being. Which two countries received the lowest ratings? Answer: The United States and the U.K. I haven’t read the study but I can hazard a guess as to why this is so. It is most likely the high poverty rate, violent crime rate and less productive school systems in the United States and the high unemployment/ poverty rate combined with the high public debt load of their social safety net that is dragging down the UK. Both the UK and us are known for our civil liberties and wealth, but we have a long way to go to improve our protection of the underclasses.

8: Netiquette. (NETS 4) My score was 90%. ☺ It is important explain the rule of net behavior to students because they need to understand the role and power of non-verbal communication. Students tend to have very fragile self-images and they should learn that netiquette helps them reduce hurt feelings and misunderstanding.

Introductions

My name is David Daymude (one of those rare surnames that occurs less than 1 in 3 million when you try to search for it on genealogy sites) and I am originally from here and there. My father was in the Air Force when I was a kid - which meant that I was also in the Air Force - as a dependent. I was born in Everett, WA and lived there until I was 2 or so. I have also lived in Alexandria, VA (just across the Potomac River from Washington DC); Alconbury AFB, England; Lakenheath AFB, England and Vandenberg AFB in California. Those were just my elementary school years! I went to high school in Santa Barbara. I have also attended eight colleges: UCSB, Santa Barbara City College, National University, Alan Hancock College, Miracosta College, Palomar College, CSULB, and I just acquired my bachelor’s in Social Science from CSUSM. I will be in the teacher-credentialing program in the fall. So, yes, I have been here and there, but mostly there.
In terms of technology, I am somewhat competent with technology, but times have changed faster than I have and I am currently in a learning curve to catch up. In the early 1980s I was cutting edge! LOL. Yeah, I know, that’s the dark ages in terms of technology. I am absolutely a Mac person. I use a Power PC G4 running 10.4. I hate the new Microsoft Office suite (and Microsoft products in general) and use Office 2004 for Mac. I depend on technology daily (as everyone does) and use texting, IM-ing and email almost daily. CSUSM has given me beginners experience with Excel and PowerPoint. I have a fair knowledge of the workings of the web and I crawl there daily for news and just plain peeking into corners.
The COE Mission Statement has a section stating that the school is committed to social justice. Although this is a highly worthy statement and goal, I find it difficult to see how public schooling, which is certainly the most politicized institution in any nation, can be very effective in achieving this goal. Our nation is founded and holds dearly to the notion of individual freedoms and rights and many, many parents will fight tooth-and-nail for the “maintaining” of “social standards” and other notions of conservative thought processes that are antithetical to this notion of justice for all. Many parents believe that justice is only for them, their children and others that think and look like them. For them, conservative “standards” must be maintained or reverted back to, and that notions of social justice are but a loosening of standards and the bane of civilized society and the “American way of life”. So, although I personally may agree with the notion of social justice as a goal, to put it in a mission statement of a public higher learning institution seems to be somewhat overly idealistic. The COE mission statement was not a factor in my decision to apply to CSUSM, but it is certainly a grand set of worthy goals to try to achieve—even if they are pie-in-the-sky idealistic goals.