Journal #2 - Social Networking for the K-12 Set,” by Jim Klein

In Jim Klein’s article, “Social Networking for the K-12 Set,” he discusses several issues why various school districts have either not integrated technology into their schools or what happens when the integration of such devices are just either singular classroom based or site based rather than district wide. Issues such as currency and relevancy along with the problematic concerns of internet safety and security tend to plague these feeble attempts. He however offers a system he implemented in his school district, SUSD, that seems to be very successful, manageable and affordable by all sites within his district. His quote on the system he created, “access-controlled, centralized file store that allows them to share, store and retrieve their data from anywhere…” succinctly defines the fascinating nature of what he has created for his district. He also discusses ‘Teacher Communities’ and ‘Student Communities’ which allow each student to log on to this ‘social platform’ and share their work, opinions and learn from one another.

Key Question: How can teachers become prepared for this type of technology and its integration into their classrooms? Technological requirements such as ‘technology and literacy’ and even possible implementation courses offered to teachers as part of their curriculum would be the most effective way to get this message out. Further for those seasoned teachers, offering district in-services are critical to the future successes of our students. Technology is just as important as teaching methods. We have tons of teacher trainings on the job about ‘direct instruction’ or ‘responses to intervention’ but yet technology is something we are left to rely on our own devices to implement. The districts we work for, tells us we must integrate it, but a lack of effort on the ‘how to’ leaves many teachers floundering for help. Fortunately at San Marcos, technology is always a consideration and even for the first year intern online projects, power point presentations and blogging are all part of the daily curriculum

Key Question: How should school rules change to accommodate technology? After reading this article and the reference was made to IPODs another MP3 players being utilized for educational purposes I was struck by a thought, “at my site we are told to take such devices from children.” The reality is, kids are embracing technology at such a quick pace we cannot stop it; nor should we. Instead we should take these devices and employ them for educational purposes. In special education I allow my students to use their players as a reward for good behavior, or for those students who need the stimulation to be successful. I am a lone teacher in this process. Too many teachers stifle and attempt to control how their children learn and use the old annoying overhead as a teaching method. We have come too far for this! We must encourage kids to bring their devices just to use them at more appropriate times and in the right ways. That is, use technology to enhance their learning experience.