Week Fourteen

How and for what purpose did ISTE establish NETS? What standards are currently in place? ISTE prepared and released a document called Technology Foundation Standards for Students from its new project called NETS (National Education Technology Standards). ISTE initiated the project to create a series of national standards that could be used to facilitate the use of educational technology by students, teachers, and administrators to promote school improvement in the USA. The NETS project created standards used to benchmark student achievement in specific technological areas proven to be critical for success in society and industry and to measure teacher technology preparedness. NETS teaching standards include not only the student standards but then extend beyond them to ensure that teachers can use technology appropriately and effectively in both academic and administrative tasks.

 

The NETS for teachers are as follows: I. Technology Operations and Concepts-Teachers demonstrate a sound understanding of technology operations and concepts. II. Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences- Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology. III. Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum- Teachers implement curriculum plans that include methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student learning. IV. Assessment and evaluation-Teachers apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies. Productivity and professional practice – Teachers must use technology to enhance their professional practice. V. Productivity and Professional Practice- Teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice. VI Social , ethical, legal, and human issues – Teachers understand the social, ethical, legal and human issues surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools and apply those models in practice.

 

The NETS for students are as follows: 1. Basic operations and concepts. 2. Social, ethical, and human issues. 3. Technology productivity tools. 4. Technology communication tools. 5. Technology research tools. 6. Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools.

For more information on NETS, visit the ISTE web site at http://cnets.iste.org/

Week Thirteen

What are the four questions related to the fair use guidelines should teachers ask before using copyrighted materials? Fair Use Guidelines describe circumstances under which a teacher can use copyrighted materials in face-to-face instruction. The TEACH Act offers similar guidelines for the use of copyrighted materials in distance learning. The easiest way for educators to use such materials is to ask them selves four basic questions related to use of copyrighted work. The four questions are as follows: 1.) Purpose and Character of Use; What is the intended use? Ask you self , Are you using it for education purposes? Ask you self ; Is the use noncommercial in nature? 2.) Nature of the Copyrighted Work; What type of work is it? Ask you self, Is the work primarily factual in nature? Ask you self; Does the work contain relatively little creative or imaginative substance? 3.) Amount and Sustainability of the Portion Used; How much of the work do you intend to use? 4.) Effect of the Use on the Work's Marketability; What impact does this kind of use have on the market for the work? Ask you self; Would the use substitute for purchasing the original? Ask you self; Would the use negatively affect the market potential of the original?

 

If the intended classroom use of copyrighted materials falls within fair use, then… Use the work only in face-to-face teaching situations; for distance learning, follow the TEACH Act guidelines. Limit copied materials to small amounts and avoid unnecessary copies. Include copyright notices and attribute all work. And, limit the use to a single class once a year.

 

Asking yourself these four questions before using copyrighted materials in your classroom will help you to avoid copyright infringement, an illegal act. It is the educator's professional and legal responsibility to stay aware of the changes to the law and to model its application in his or her classroom. Heed this information, stay out of jail and avoid costly fines your measly salary can't handle.

Week Twelve

What is distance education? What types of support are critical to the success of distance education? Why?

Distance education can be broadly defined as the delivery of instruction to students who are separated from a teacher by time and or/ location. The teacher may be located at a school site, but the student may be "attending" the class at home, using technology to bridge the gap. Or both teacher and student may be at either the same or different locations but available to work on the course only at differing hours. Once again technology serves to bridge the gap. In such cases, instructional events and interactions occur just as they do in traditional settings. Distance learning systems require that teachers and students be ready to work within a new environment. There are two key aspects to their necessary readiness: readiness to accept new roles and readiness to work with new technologies. Teachers who use distance and alternative learning techniques might find themselves surprised by an increase in the demands on their time. It is critical to insure that adequate technical support is in place. In addition to the teacher being present for clarification andf questions, a media center offering a wide variety of resources is also typically present.

Week Eleven

Contrast Internet broadcasts, live cams, and Net meetings. How can each of these Internet-based video technologies be used in teaching and learning? Internet broadcasts, live cams, and Net meetings use a technology called dedicated compressed video system which digitizes the video and transmits an image and sound as clear as broadcast video. . Internet broadcasts range from musical and scientific events to talk show and interview programs. Internet broadcasts use streaming video technology which compresses and plays back the digital video while it is being received. All you require is a player installed on you PC. The player software is available free off the internet. The sponsor of the event being broadcast may also add links as to allow viewers to see what the live audience sees. The Internet broadcasts technology is most appropriate for viewing live entertainment at less cost that TV where as the live cam is useful for producing a surveillance type image for the viewer. The camera is pointed at an object such as a high traffic tunnel or bridge. The viewer can go to the cameras website and watch live images and discern if they wish to visit that location. This technology is useful to monitor a subject or area of interest. There is no commentary usually provided and the audience can make their own assumptions about the material being survived by the camera. Where as the Internet broadcasts, live cams are one-way communication, the Net meeting allows the subjects two-way interface without leaving their office or home. This software allows for the cost effective management of importune meetings without the hassle of the participants commuting to a central meeting place. The net meeting technology allows for viewing of and audio of all participants. Power Point or other presentation material can be broadcast and the participants can comment and interact with colleague as if they were in the meeting room together. All three of these technologies have application is the classroom. The live cams could take a class to the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone National Parks for observing wildlife. The Internet broadcasts could be used as a classroom observation of a lecture presented last week at a local college. And the Net meeting could be a truly virtual classroom where high school chemistry classes from two different states come together for a common live lab experiment presentation.