My Final Reactions to Fires

Fires in the Bathroom was an interesting read. It really got me to think about the students in my classroom and what they are dealing with in their daily lives. Having been in the classroom working with students I know that you never are really prepared for what you may hear or learn. I have learned a lot about students, and it is apparent that a teacher has to expect the unexpected in his or her classroom. There are so many aspects of a students life that come through in a classroom, but there are also a lot of things that are hidden. Teachers need to be willing to accept students where they are at and for who they are without judgment. A large amount of flexibility is always needed when working with students.

My Contributions to the WebQuest Wikis

1. I added a WebQuest called Science of Genetics to the Consensus Building wiki.
2. I also added a WebQuest called The Galapagos-Islands Suspended in Time to the evaluation section of the WebQuest components wiki.
3. On the same WebQuest components wiki, I added The Journey of a Water Molecule WebQest to the graphic section.

Maine Memory Network

There are many tools available today for teachers to use in there classrooms. One tool that is a valuable resource for teachers in Maine is the Maine Memory Network, which provides many articles, slide shows, and other mediums to explore Maine's history and uniqueness. As a future science teacher, I may use this resource in some of my lessons. One of the ways I may use the Maine Memory Network in my classroom is to have students read about the history of potato farms and blueberry fields in Maine. Students could then split into groups and compare and contrast the environmental factors that have influenced the growths of these industries. Using this information students can create plays illustrating environmental agents that affect potato farms and/or blueberry fields in Maine.

Copyright and Fair Use

There are many questions that can be raised when assessing what fair use is and how copyright works. When looking through the quiz on copyright, I was surprised that teachers could post student work on a protected site. It wasn't so much about the copyright I was worried about, but I felt it was an infringement on the students' privacy to have their work on the site without their permission.

Another question addressed a technology coordinator using audio from MP3.com. The explanation said that he could use the material because MP3.com pays for the archives. However, the coordinator doesn't pay and he isn't given permission to use the audio in his classroom.

One of the questions that made me mad was the one that addressed a teacher videotaping a rerun and having students edit themselves into the film. I don't understand how they can be allowed to change original content without permission.

I was somewhat surprised when I read that the teacher that uses various VHS clips as lesson starters. It doesn't seem that the showing of short clips is against the fair use, especially when the teacher is using it for educational purposes.

The question on a teacher allowing students to defeat copy protection so that they can incorporate clips from rented DVDs into a project made me mad. Not only is it going against the copyright, but it is using clips for their own purposes when they didn't even pay for the material to begin with. I do not understand why this is allowed.

One of the last questions that surprised me was the one that addressed a student copying a CD of ethnic music for a presentation. It doesn't seem fair that a student can copy an entire CD when she didn't pay for it or ask permission for its use.

How to help someone use a computer

An article written by Phil Agre addresses the difficulty of explaining how to use computers to someone who doesn't understand. It is hard for a person who knows what he or she is doing to keep in mind that what he or she thinks is apparent may not be so to the person they are explaining the concept to. I struggle to be patient with people when they don't see what I think is right in front of their faces. As a result of keeping in mind that people may not understand what I already know, it is also important that I avoid negative comments when addressing the person I am helping. I know that when I am trying to learn something, the last thing I want is for someone to tell me I am doing it wrong.

When thinking ahead to the project that my team and I will be working on, these ideas will be important for us to keep in mind. People may not originally understand or be able to recognize the importance of what we are trying to present. We cannot assume that they will know why applications are useful for educational purposes. It is also important that we stay positive in our presentation. If people have questions or don't understand how something works, we will have to explain it without acting like we can't appreciate their misapprehension.

Chapter 10 Going Beyond the Classroom

The last chapter of Fires in the Bathroom is about what teachers should do to go beyond the classroom in their teaching. Teachers were encouraged to lead their students toward internships and summer programs that fall within their interests. These opportunities can give students experiences with developing skills and habits to enrich their learning and help them in future endeavors.
The suggestion to encourage students toward summer programs and internships is something I believe should be looked at. When a teacher takes that much interest in a student that he or she informs them of opportunities for them to grow in their skills outside of the classroom, it really encourages the student and gives him or her confidence. Students need to see the usefulness of what they are learning inside the classroom to what is going on outside of the classroom, and teachers should support these prospects. When a student has the opportunity to learn more about a passion that he or she has, than they are more likely to see the importance of their schooling as a whole and they are more driven to succeed in their lives. Teachers need to keep programs that are available in mind and look for students who may be interested in them.

Chapter 9 When Things Go Wrong

The focus of this chapter is on what to do when things don’t go well or when a teacher messes up. One of the things that was touched on concerned apologizing when you screw up. The example that was given was of a teacher that made a remark that was taken as offensive by the students, and when he apologized the students forgave him (pg170).
The concept of apologizing after making a mistake is critical for a teacher to grasp. Students need to see this modeled to them, and they also see that their teachers are human. It is important for a teacher to be humble before his or her students, while still maintaining their role as authority figure in the classroom. I have been in classrooms when a teacher apologized for something that was said in class. Most of the time I wasn’t even aware that what they said could have been taken wrong, but it always impressed me when the teacher was willing to admit his or her mistakes. I hope that when I am a teacher I can have the same humility and be willing to own up to my faults.