Why Twitter Should be Used in the Classroom

Twitter is a free service that is easily accessible through any computer with internet access and through smartphones.  Students can setup email and text notifications to inform them of important messages from their instructor and classmates, which helps them to stay up to date with classroom announcements and discussions.   Twitter can be used as an effective way to increase class participation.  Twitter breaks the shyness barriers that some students have during lectures.  Students that may not normally ask questions or offer face-to-face feedback, have the propensity to participate more when they can ask a question or post a comment online.  Twitter allows class discussions to continue long after the class has concluded.   Twitter also provides a landscape for students and facilitators to develop better relationships.

There are many creative uses for Twitter in an educational setting.  Here is a list of a few ideas:

A Message Board for Parents

Brainstorming Forum

Discussion Board

Make Announcements

Collaborate on Projects

Take a Poll

Share Resources

Knowledge Sharing

News Resource

Follow Politicians & Events

Social Cultural and Ethical Issues Surrounding Twitter

Since Twitter is a public social networking website that is open to all, there are many social, cultural and ethical issues surrounding Twitter.  The most prevalent issues among school aged students are cyberbullying, harassment and receiving sexual advances.  Cyberbullying and harassment on social networking sites can present itself in many forms including posting threatening messages, posting embarrassing photos and videos, teasing, spreading rumors, and publicizing private messages.  Cyberbullying and harassment can cause emotional distress on children and has been linked to many teenage suicides.  Pedophiles use social networking sites as a playground, searching for their next victim.  Pedophiles often disguise themselves as children in order to gain a child’s trust and lure them into harmful conversations and situations.    

Hackers use social networking sites to spread viruses and malware in order to steal personal data and information that is often times used to commit fraud and identity theft.  Oversharing is another issue with social networking sites.  Many users will post too much information about themselves including their age and birthday, address and phone number, relationship status, their place of employment and work schedule, their school, and actively use the “check-in” feature to post their whereabouts.  Posting “On my way to the airport. On vacation for 2 weeks!” is not the greatest idea.  It lets potential criminals know that if they want to rob you, now is a good time.  Many children have gotten kidnapped after posting their current location and their school or work schedule.  Posting birthdays, addresses and phone numbers is generally enough data for a criminal to steal a person’s identity. 

Proper safety precautions should be taken when using social networking sites such as Twitter.  It is best not to publicize any information that you would not want a perfect stranger to know.  Twitter updates are automatically added to a public timeline.  Twitter users should update their security settings to make their tweets (twitter updates) private so that only their followers (friends) can see them.  This can be done by following the steps below.

1. Log into Twitter.
2. Click “Settings” in the upper right corner of the screen.
3. Under the “Account” tab check off “Protect my updates”.
4. Click the “Save” button.

It is important that students are careful not to make inappropriate postings on Twitter.   Pictures and updates that students post online may seem innocent and harmless to the student and their peers; however, their pictures and postings can easily be misinterpreted by faculty members, employers, parents and law enforcement officials.   Employers are now using social networking websites to research potential employees to find out things that are not disclosed on a resume or found in a background check.  Law officials are using social networking websites to collect evidence and build cases against defendants.   College administrators are monitoring students social networking profiles and in some cases placing social networking restrictions on their students.  For example, some colleges are not allowing students who play sports to have profiles on social networking sites.  The monitoring of social networking sites has raised much controversy over the issues of freedom of speech and privacy concerns. 

Preparing for the Future

Whether we are educators or not, as adults we should embrace the advancements of technology in order to understand and keep up with future generations. This past weekend I saw my little cousin who is not even two years old doing the finger flick on a smartphone to change the screens. I was amazed. Eventually we will be living like the Jetsons. It is best to embrace it so that we will not be left behind.

How Instructors Can Address the Challenges with Using Electronic Telecommunication Tools?

There are many ways that teachers can overcome the barriers or challenges involved with telecommunication in general. In order to deal with technical difficulties, the instructor should try to avoid them from occurring in the first place. Instructors should select the simplest technology available that will meet the needs of the project goal. There are many software options available and sometimes instructors choose the one with the most bells and whistles. Having too many useless features will often times confuse and or frustrate students enough that they do not participate. When it is a distance learning situation, a student may feel as though help is not available or they may not know where they can find technical support. Therefore simpler is better.

It is impossible to avoid all technical issues, and sometimes the simplest software will not meet project goals. When an instructor has to use a more complex software, the instructor should insure that technical support is available. 24/7 technical support would be a great perk, but it is not likely. I was really surprised when I called flashline support at a stupid time of day and somebody answered! I was informed that they were open 24 hours a day and I instantly felt a higher level of comfort knowing that help will always be just a phone call away.

Overcoming the battle with nonresponsive students and making sure students understand the goals and procedures kind of go hand in hand. It is important for the instructor to actively participate with the students and to provide constructive feedback. Instructors should be sensitive to different styles of communication and try to incorporate a nice balance between online discussions, interactive presentations, video and teleconferences. Video conferencing can supplement a student’s desire for face to face communication. Instructors should also provide a phone number with “business hours”. Emailing students updates, assignments, course information and feedback will increase participation. Even if all this information is available through the courseware, some students do not login as often as they should. Emails will encourage them to stay focus and remind them about important topics and deadlines. Consistent communication will encourage students to stay motivated and participate in the project. Consistent communication will also ensure that the students have a proper understanding of what is expected of them.

Technology Effectiveness in Classrooms

There are a lot of people who believe that a traditional classroom which does not focus on technology is the best way for students to learn. In my opinion, when educators show resistance to the use of technology in classroom settings, the resistance is generally based on fear and lack of knowledge and understanding. Technology adds so much value and so many benefits to learning experiences. I feel as though technology enhances learning for students of all ages, backgrounds, intellectual capabilities.

The chapter states that:
• Students can learn faster in computer-based instructional contexts.
• Students attitudes toward their classes are more positive when they include computer-based instruction.
• Children with special needs can achieve more in technology-rich environments.
• Students of all ages and levels can achieve more across the curriculum in technology-rich environments. (Egbert, 2009, pg 13)

The Department of Education conducted a study that compared course material taught online versus traditional classrooms from 1996 to 2008. The study examined students in K-12 as well as in adult learning environments. The study showed that “students doing some or all of the course online would rank in the 59th percentile in tested performance, compared with the average classroom student scoring in the 50th percentile. The study concluded “On average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.” (Berger, 2009)
I do not think that technology should or even could replace teachers or classrooms; however, technology is becoming more and more significant in our lives. There aren’t many occupations where technology does not play a vital role. Therefore, teachers should use technology not only as a means to enhance learning, but also as a way to help students become acclimated to its use and prepare students for the outside world.


Berger, N. (2009, August 19). Study Finds That Online Education Beats the Classroom. New York Times. Retrieved January 19th, 2011, from http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/study-finds-that-online-education-beats-the-classroom/

Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting learning with technology: Essentials of classroom practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Reflections

After my first semester back, I feel like I am back in the swing of things.  I really enjoyed this class.  I learned a lot and I used many different technologies that I was not familiar with.  I had never written in a blog before and I thought it was a cool assignment although I probably won't keep up with it after the class is over.  I was familiar with wiki's from using Wikipedia but I had never worked on one.  I am not sure how I feel about someone being able to change my work, lol.  I work as an information technology specialist providing support for my employer's intranet; however, I found the website assignment the most challenging.  Probably because I am not a teacher, so developing instructional material and quizzes was a bit overwhelming for me.  The podcast and webquest assignments were very fun.  I really enjoyed creating the podcast and I learned how to make an mp3!  All in all I really enjoyed this class and I can't wait for the next semester!

Assistive Technologies - Section 508

As a Department of Defense Civilian working as an Information Technology Specialist, Section 508 compliancy is something that is very important and meaningful in my everyday life.  Section 508 Compliancy ensures that people with disabilities have the same access to government documents as people without disabilities.  This law applies to all federal agencies that use electronic technology and information technology.  The government website for Section 508 compliancy defines the Section 508 law as:

“In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology (EIT) accessible to people with disabilities. Inaccessible technology interferes with an ability to obtain and use information quickly and easily. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, open new opportunities for people with disabilities, and encourage development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Under Section 508 (29 U.S.C. ‘794 d), agencies must give disabled employees and members of the public access to information that is comparable to access available to others.”

I work on the ePortal which is the intranet for Defense Finance and Accounting Service.  It is my job to make sure that the ePortal is accessible to all people with disabilities, including the visually, hearing, and mobility impaired.  Part of my daily routine is to ensure that all documents that are placed on the ePortal follow Section 508 compliancy laws.  People who wish to publish documents to the ePortal must complete the proper training classes, get approval from a Community Manager and then submit a request to become a Content Manager. 

The ePortal’s documents are stored in a document repository called WebTop.  Acceptable documents are word files, excel files, PowerPoint presentations, and pdf files.  Currently Microsoft Access files and Publisher files are not acceptable due to the inability to check them for Section 508 compliancy.  In order to publish a document on the ePortal, Content Managers must initiate a workflow.  The Content Manager logs into their Webtop account and uploads a document.  I receive a notification that a document has been submitted and I go to WebTop and download the document to my machine and check the content for compliancy. 

Ensuring that documents are 508 compliant is a pretty simple task.  A document is 508 compliant if a screen reader can read the information properly.  In order to check word documents for Section 508 compliancy, you would need to press ctrl + A on your keyboard.  Everything in the document should be highlighted.   If there is something that isn’t highlighted, that portion of your document is not 508 compliant.  There are rarely any problems with the text in a word document.  Generally if there is a problem with 508 compliancy in a word document, the problem usually is caused by an image or graphic.  If you copy and paste an image from another source, the image is considered outside of the document and the screen reader will not recognize the image.  When pasting an image from an outside source, it is best to use the “paste special” option instead of paste.  All images, pictures and clipart must contain alternative text.  Alternative text can be added by right clicking on the image and selecting format picture.   In the dialog box that appears select the web tab and insert a description of the image.  The screen reader will read the alternative text to the user. 

It is important to remember to avoid using fancy fonts or a font under 12 points.  Background images and watermarks should not be used because it makes it difficult for people using screen magnifiers to see the text.  Most screen readers will not recognize a string of text as a word if all capital letters are used, instead the screen reader will read each individual letter.  Use capitalization appropriately.   PowerPoint and Excel documents follow the same principles.  With excel documents it is important not to use color coding as the only means to differentiate text.  A screen reader will not recognize color coding.

With the help of assistive technologies, students can use computers, conduct online research, and read and write papers.  Here is a diagram that I use at work when explaining the different types of assistive technologies.

There are many free high quality assistive technology devices available so there is no reason why schools and businesses should not utilize them.  A small of list of free devices can be found at http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/free-screen-readers.shtml.  In my opinion, the best free screen reader available is NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA).  The directory of free devices describes NVDA as:

“NVDA is a Windows screen reader that supports browsing the web with Internet Explorer and Firefox, reading and writing documents with office programs, sending and receiving email with Outlook Express, producing spreadsheets with Microsoft Excel, using command line programs in DOS windows (that is, the command prompt), managing the computer through things like My Computer, Windows Explorer, Control Panel applets and other general Windows tasks. It supports numerous languages, including English, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, and traditional Chinese. It works with the speech synthesizer engines that comes with Windows XP and Vista, although you can also use the open source eSpeak speech synthesizer, which is reputed to be clearer and easier to listen to.”

Schools should incorporate assistive technologies and Section 508 compliancy procedures as a standard practice.  Assistive technologies eliminate the barriers that visually impaired students face in their everyday life and allows them to function in our technological world. 

Resources

Section 508. (October 2010). Retrieved March 29^th, 2011.  http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?fuseAction=Laws

Heng, C. (August 2010). Free Screen Readers.  The Free Country.  Retrieved March 29^th, 2011. http://www.thefreecountry.com/utilities/free-screen-readers.shtml.