Module 8 Diversity, cultural understanding, and global awareness

The New Literacy: Scenes from the Digital Divide 2.0:A Short History of the Digital Divide

In 1991, the "High Performance Computing Act" funded a project that would utilize high speed fiber optics, becoming known as the "Internet".  Without the connectivity to the Internet, home computers would have been glorified typewriters.  From 1991 to 1996 personal computers being used at home rose from 300,000 to over ten million. With the rapid amount of households using the Internet, jobs too began to be affected.  According to Rappaport, "60 percent of all new jobs were going to require fluency, not just on computers, but on the Internet as well."  During the Clinton Administration, the term "digital divide" was coined to express the divide between people who have access to the Internet and people who do not.  A story was published that told of the divide between two schools in California.  Students at a low impoverished school had to work with six year old computers at school, while students at an affluent school were able to go home and work on their Apple Macintosh.  Other reports came out saying that only 9% of school classrooms had Internet access. As the early 2000's came around, the digital divide was becoming less of an issue in society.

A Tech Prophet Predicts

"Smart Mobs" are "future generations with the tools of digital literacy and social networking increasingly wired into the brain."  These groups are able to form and adapt with ease to new ideas in society.  Examples of problems in society could deal with political, social, and economic. Howard Rheingold thinks that teaching social media will revolutionize education.  Students will learning how to get the facts and not memorize the facts that will be available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. 

Who Will Organize All of This Data?

Mike Wesch created a YouTube sensation called “Web 2.0". Wesch has won numerous awards, such as Case Western Reserve University's U.S. Professor of the Year award, and has been called "the explainer."  His video explains the importance of Google, Flickr, and XML, and lets the viewer know that we are responsible for organizing all of the knowledge that is available to us.

The Ultimate School Reform

There is a large shift in education from instruction improvement to the world of digital learning.  According to Rappaport, "A recent MacArthur Foundation study shows that each day, 80 percent of American teenagers use a computer. Half of them are creating digital-media content, and a third of them are sharing that content on the Internet. The research found that rather than replacing television or books, digital media will increasingly be the cross-platform driver."  It continues to say the classroom is the digital divide, because students regularly visit Myspace or YouTube.   If we ignore the shift in educational focus, another divide will arise, and that is the one between the students and teachers.

The New Literacy: Scenes from the Digital Divide 2.0

"The term ‘digital divide’ was coined in the mid-90s to label a growing gap between those with access to computers and those without."  This gap was narrowed with cell phones and digital platforms.  72.5% of US citizens, which is nearly 220,141,000 people, use the internet.  "Students and teachers who are facile with Web 2.0 tools, including wikis, blogs, micro-blogs, Twitter, linking, tagging, podcasting, forums, video sharing, vlogs, Drupal-based group blogs, social bookmarking, and virtual worlds.” If teachers are not using these tools, a divide will come up again. 

The Participation Divide: Content Creation and Sharing in the Digital Age

Developments on the web have eased the way people are able to share their views and ideas.  It does not cost much, and it gives the creator a high chance of being noticed by millions on the web.  The paper is written to decide if women or men contribute more content to the Internet.  A person’s socioeconomic status plays a large role in if they are likely or not likely to create content on the Internet.  A large factor that comes into play as to whether or not items are posted online is the writer’s "user skill", and you are not able to tell from the writing if it is from a male or female. 

Finding a Place in Cyberspace: Black Women, Technology and Identity

Three different venues are being talking about in this paper.  "The current discourse on race and technology (the digital divide), the experiences of black women who work in technology, and the figuration of race and gender on the Web"(Wright, 2).  What links all three of these together is whether or not black women can find their own place in cyberspace.  Latinos are the number one users on the Internet, followed by African Americans.  African Americans make up 13% of the population, but only 9% make up Internet users.  Whites use the Internet to keep up with family and friends, while African Americans use it to find houses, for religious reasons, finding a job or for hobbies.  In recent years African Americans’ use of the Internet has risen because of the price drop of hardware devices.  Websites such as "javanoir.net, Afamnet.com, verythingblack.com, sistahspace.com, new.blackvoices.com, bdpa.org, and africast.com" have been created to help the ever changing World Wide Web.  The number of black women attending college has risen over 400% and colleges such as UCLA, Notre Dame, and Yale have seen a rise of African American females.  Of the black websites, black men are dominate on the webpages.  They are historical figures or literary creations.

Slamming the Closet Door and Taking Control: Analysis of Personal Transformation and Social Change as

LGBT Podcasting Blazes a Trail of Democratization of the Media

This reading starts off mentioning that we are the creators of the Internet.  We are able to express our view points, ideas, and experiences by using YouTube, blogs, or podcasts.  No matter your age, experience or gender, you are able to voice your ideas by creating content on the web.  King "documented the development of the podcasting movement from a participant observer perspective and identify a clear pattern that the two largest segments in this first wave of podcasting is music, and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) podcasts."  King used a mixed research method approach which uses "data reduction, data display, data transformation, data consolidation, data comparison and data integration"(King 2). "Podcasting is the distribution of digital recordings via RSS-feed directories. That is, individuals record audio content with computers or digital recorders, post it on the Internet on a publicly available server, and create an XML script RSS-feed to string it together and deliver the episodes." After the podcast is reviewed for appropriateness and accuracy, it is then made searchable and it can be freely viewed.  Besides the podcasts being heard on the computer, they can also be uploaded to MP3 players and listened to based on the individuals’ own agenda.  Podcasting’s strength is that the user does not have to search for new podcasts every time.  Whenever the user wants a new podcast, they simply go to a podcast directory and it will "push" or refresh to the most update-to-date podcast.  The first wave of podcasting was music and the major group was the LGBT community.  With the LGBT population becoming "wanna be" disk jockeys, the positives that came out of this movement "developed empowerment, confidence, voice, and focus. As a group, many LGBT podcasts had matured from hesitant attempts to unbounded confidence, from self-talk to public education, and from self-indulgence to activism."(4)  Podcasts are beneficial in adult education by the means of ESL, French and Spanish pod casts.  Digital Natives had a problem adjusting to podcasts for information because they referred to radio, CD or cassettes for their educational needs. The negatives of podcasts is the amount of time needed to professionally and effectively produce one.  Personal and social change can be created by using podcasts.  They can be used as "design formats of small group dialogue, learner created media, class presentations designed as global resources and instructor created media; genres of: critical reflection, historical narrative, debate, first person narratives, storytelling, performances, and role playing; assignments as: in class, outside of class, individual, optional formats, group projects and continuing/long-term."(5)  The only limitations of this research prove to be the study could have lasted longer and a larger amount of LGBT participants could have been interviewed.

One Laptop Per Child mission

The goal for this organization is to create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children.  The laptop referenced is low cost, low power, and rugged.  This lap top is called "XO". 

The 5 core principals are:

1.  Kids keep the laptop

2.  Focus on early education

3.  No one gets left out

4.  Connection to the Internet

5.  Feel free to grow and adapt

Education is the foundation of all the other solutions.  It is low cost so a large amount can be made, low energy so it may be charged with alternate sources.  The screen can be also read in direct sunlight because for many students, their classroom is outdoors. 

Can One Laptop per Child Reduce the Digital Divide and Educational Gap? Evidence from a Randomized Experiment from Migrant Schools in Beijing

40 countries and two million laptops later, there is still little evidence that OLPC is working for the better. Computer skills rose by 0.33% and math scores by 0.17% after a 6 month study.  OLPC helped students’ computer skills and self-esteem rise, and time watching TV was lessened.  Three hundred 3rd grade students in Beijing were studied and before the experiment started, the students were given just one intermediate course.  The end of the study proved that the government should not put forth the financial support quite yet, because time and more study still needs to be put forth.  With the noted improvement, there are still ways for students to better themselves by using OLPC.  These improvements are for the computers to be updated with a "carefully designed package, including software and hardware, that can help them continue to learn (and learn effectively) at home"(Rozelle 26).

Reflection

"June 2008 Library of Congress speech now uploads more content in six months than all three of the major American television networks have presented in the past 60 years."  This stat is unbelievable!  There is a large of amount of television being watched, with Netflix, Redbox, and Hulu at our fingertips.  But the US government puts out more uploads.  Would this be a form of propaganda?  I would think so.    72.5%, which is nearly 220,141,000 US citizens use the internet. What about the other 23 percent?  What is the reason they are not using the internet?  I would venture to say poverty, location, and religion is playing a reason for this.  With people getting addicted to the World Wide Web, I see religious groups viewing this as a sinful act.

    The article "Finding a Place in Cyberspace: Black Women, Technology, and Identity" was interesting in the fact that an increase of over 400% black women are attending top universities.  This is great to see, because it is closing the gap between the poverty in the inner cities. I wonder if a divide is increasing or decreasing between white and black females.  

    I love podcasts; iTunes has a wide variety, and the one thing I enjoy so much about this is that they have "Push Technology".  Every time I connect my phone, the podcasts are immediately updated.  Watching the video on "XO" really motivated me.  I think it is amazing how technology can work for everybody. I loved the five reasons why it was created.  Each reason proved to be exact and efficient in supporting "XO".  If it can work in Beijing, I don’t see why it can’t work for the impoverished areas in Columbus, Ohio, such as my school?

Google Site

https://sites.google.com/site/professionaldevelopmentwkshp/references

Activity #6: Case study on fair use in a high school Biology class

Introduction of the problem

Students were creating a virtual zoo, and using photos off of Flickr.com.  The creator of the photos emailed both the teachers and principal. The students were referred to as "pirates". The email creator was "shocked that the school is also teaching children that theft is morally justified."

Analysis of the response

Yes, the teacher was justified and correct in allowing the students to use and site the photos off Flickr.com. The students were adding value in transforming the work.  According to Section 107 of Copyright Law,"The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes" fits within the parameters of this project.  The students were working on this educational project to understand and learn copyright laws, in addition to incorporating science into the project.  

What would you have done if you were the adult in charge in this situation? 

I would have done the same thing as the mentor did.  She has the knowledge and background to make sure the kids were using the appropriate sites, such as Flickr.com.   Creative Commons (CC) was being used to place the students in the correct area to safely use photos from Flickr.com. Creative Commons main responsibility is "helping the students by providing a free, public, and standardized infrastructure that creates a balance between the reality of the Internet and the reality of copyright laws."  I also approved of the teacher having the students give self reflection.  Many students realized how cool it would be if somebody was using their own work.  

Module 6 Legal and ethical uses of digital information and technologies

The Official Government Explanation of Fair Use

The owner of the copyright has "the right to reproduce or to authorize others to reproduce the work in copies or phonorecords" (U.S. Copyright Office 1). This is found in sections 107-118, with certain limitations in the copyright law.  In section 107, one of the most important limitations is titled "fair use." Court decisions over the years have changed the meaning of "fair use." Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, "such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research"(1). There are 4 factors that state whether the use is fair or not fair.  The "use" is either for non-profit or commercial nature, nature of the copyright, the amount used compared to the whole document, and how much value the information has that is being used. Deciding whether something is fair or not fair is not easily determined.  There is no specific rule that will say if something is fair or not fair.  Even if you site the course of work, it does not grant you permission for use.  In summary, the following gives you freedom of fair use:

1. quotations around the experts' review, and clarification of the observations,
2. summary of quotes or news articles,
3. reproduction of damaged copy, reproduced by the library.

The Educator's Guide to Copyright and Fair Use: A five-part series

Copyrights were developed to protect the author from others trying to copy their work.  They were also created with the goal to compensate the author when other writers wanted to use the original work. "According to Dictionary.com, the exact meaning of  the word copyright is "the legal right granted to an author, a composer, a playwright, a publisher, or a distributor to exclusive publication, production, sale, or distribution of a literary, musical, dramatic, or artistic work."  Authors do not need to register his or her work for it to be copyrighted, all it needs to be in is tangible form.  Copy right does not protect you against facts showed in work, systems or ideas, but it does protect the authors' expression of ideas and opinions.  When there is no way to obtain permission to use the copyright issued document, you should avoid using the writing at all.  If there are questions and answers that need to be addressed, you should contact an attorney.   There is a large amount of work that is copyrighted, and only a small set that is not.  Items that are not copyrighted are slogans, ideas, short phrases, or discoveries, to name a few.  There is a rule of thumb that experts go by on deciding whether or not a writing is copyrighted; "when in doubt, assume a work is copyrighted and ask permission to use it."  There are many loop holes in society, and this goes for getting around copyrights. "The fair use doctrine was created to allow the use of copyrighted works for criticism and commentary, parody, news reporting, research and scholarship, and classroom instruction."  Many educators claim this amnesty, and it is safe when you are using the information for instructional use.  A few guidelines as an educator to follow are; the reading must be only one chapter, working can't exceed two pages or 10% of the work, and a poem must be 250 words or less.  There won't be a prison sentence if you violate copy right issue, but if you do interfere with the authors' income, there will be some legal issues.  The internet is not in the public domain, and it is the code of the websites that is copyrighted.  "Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works" is a global governing body that watches the internet, but every country has different laws on copyright and the internet.  When using website you should avoid copying the site's HTML code and downloading graphics.   School use has its "cannot" also.  You cannot install shareware software on school computers, make copies of software owned by your school, and alter freeware for commercial use.  Part four mentions that educators have a set of guidelines go by when using multimedia projects.  Projects that are copyrighted can be used for face to face instruction, peer workshops and conferences, and directed student self study.  The reading continues to say to make sure you give credit to the source when it is due.  If you are worried that you have used the source on the web too much, the best to check it out is to compare it to the original source, and make sure it is not copied word for word.  Nancy Willard states that, "school districts are liable for any copyright violations committed by their staff, and the area with the greatest potential for liability is the district's public website."  Willard continued to give 5 steps the district should take to combat copyright infringements:

1. Establish a process to ensure that all materials on the district website are closely evaluated.
2. Provide professional development for teachers and instruction to students about defamation, invasion of privacy, harassment, and copyright law.
3. Include an immunity provision in the policy.
4. Take prompt action if accusations are made.
5. Be prepared to stand up for staff or students if false accusations are made.

Besides teaching the students new skills to help serve their society, teachers need to inform students on what a copyright is, and the duty on not breaking copyright laws.  

About Creative Commons

"Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization that enables the sharing and use of creativity and knowledge through free legal tools."  This nonprofit organization helps you set up your work so others people can view and use your work.  It gives you flexibility and freedom to let people edit your work, or use your work free from copyright infringement.  Songs, videos, scientific and academic materials are located on this site.  Allowing your work to be freely used gives you the power to let your ideas help other people and the people who have used your material can building upon their ideas.  Having everything centralized  will show the full power of the internet while not breaking any copyright laws.  

Creative Commons as it Specifically Relates to Education

Many schools do not have the financial responsibility to get updated text books.  So the teacher is teaching outdated material and in effect, the student is learning outdated material.  Open Education gives the teacher updated information and the information is continually updated by various teachers.  Open Educational Resources that reside in a public venue that have been released under an open license allow anybody to use and view them.  

Reflection

I originally thought that if you wanted to safely use information from the original document, you can go through the US Copyright Office, however I was wrong.  The safest way to obtain permission is to contact the copyright owner. I am curious with the steps and the amount of time this will take.  Towards then end of the reading on copyrights it mentioned, "it's important to recognize, however, that when you buy or download software not in the public domain, you do not actually own the software; you merely acquire a license to use it in accordance with certain conditions." I don't agree with this statement; if I purchased the software and the owner gained a profit with my money, I deserve to use it how ever I want.  They mentioned you will only get in trouble if you hurt the the creators profit.  I am helping the creators profit, not hurting it, so should be able to call the software mine.  Creative Common sounds really interesting.  I like how they mentioned that you have the choice about what people can do with it, whether it is editing or expanding their ideas on that particular topic.  Open Education is a great idea!  I really appreciate that it is free and teachers continually update the information that is presented.  Very impressive that the Obama administration plans to put two billion dollars into Open Education to make it accessible and a valuable resource in today's education.

Rubric Evaluation
Summary Paragraphs: Good,    5 points
There is one well-developed summary paragraph per reading.


Reflection Paragraph: Good     5 points
One or more reflection paragraphs are well-developed and show deep thinking about the readings.


Quality of Writing: Good      5 points
Writing is clear and contains no more than 1 spelling or grammar mistakes, with clear progression.


Connection To Readings: Good     5 points
Reflection paragraph make a strong and coherent connection to each reading.

Acrivity #5: Response to Email Scenario

Scenario 5

You set up blogs for your class so that they may journal about their learning in class and dialogue with one another.  All blogs are private and only students with a password may see what is on the site.  Although it is a choice to monitor all comments between students, you choose not to as your email inbox would be flooded with daily conversation.  Instead, you visit the blogs periodically and ask students to tell you about any potential problems.  Partway into the first quarter, you receive this email.

Dear Miss Ross,

My daughter, Ally McDonald, has been participating on your blog site and she enjoys the work very much, but lately another student has been leaving her mean comments.  They aren’t terrible or slanderous; they are more like underhanded nasty statements disguised as reasonable comments. For example, in the book you are currently reading, Logan jumped into the water to save Ben and Ally commented on this.  This student then said, “You are so insightful, Ally.  I’m sure no one could have guessed that would happen.  I wish I was as smart as you.”  Could you please look into this and let me know how you can help diffuse the situation?  Ally is quite upset by it.

Dear Mrs. Patton,

Thank you for communicating this dialogue to me and I am sorry that Ally is upset with this matter. Ally is delightful student and she is working hard on her dialogue with the book.  

Before the students were allowed to blog, students individually viewed a website on cyber bullying, and were forced to answer a set of questions, ranging from what it is, and how it is prevented. We came together as a class and talked about the questions they were to answer. I will do a refresher with the class on cyber bullying, and make sure nobody is cyber bulling anybody else on our blog. I plan to also talk to the individual who is responsible for the comment and make sure they understand what they did is wrong and considered cyber bullying.  

Thanks again for communicating this matter to me and I will do all within my power fix the problem. I have included below the website that talks about cyber bullying, so you can view what the students have learned. Please contact me with any questions and concerns.

www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/  

Thank you,

Miss Ross

Post #5: Safe and Healthy Uses of Digital Information and Technology

"Digital Citizenship in Schools (Second Edition)" by Mike Ribble Summary
     Ribble broke down 9 elements of digital citizenship, and these elements are used to "provide a framework for understanding the technology issues that are important to educators"(15).  The first element is digital access.  This is when the whole society has access to technology.  My individuals do not have access to technology by reasons of socioeconomic status, physical location, or disabilities.  Administrators and teachers need to be aware that technology will be the future basis for all students.  Appropriate examples of digital access are, "district administrators work toward providing technology opportunities for all
students within their schools"(5) and "technology leaders provide technology to students for use in school and out, such as a one-to-one laptop program"(5).
     Digital Commerce is the second element of digital citizenship.  The definition of digital commerce is electronically selling and buying goods online. This element is the worst to address in the classroom because educators don't believe they need to teach the students on how to be careful and informed educators. According to Riddle, "In 2009 America’s youth ages 8–24 (Generation Y) spent $220 billion online. Digital commerce plays a large role in students’ lives, so they need to understand all aspects of these online transactions."  By not talking to the students about digital commerce, it will leave the students vulnerable to get scammed and getting their identity stolen. Examples of appropriate digital commerce are safely purchasing items online and searching for the best price on an particular item.
     Element three is digital communication.  Cell phones, social networks, and texting has changed the way people communicate.  Digital communication provides the user with quick and accurate information.  Positive examples of digital communication are when teachers and students use devices to communicate all while not disrupting what is going on in the school or classroom.  Blogs and social networking sites are a positive digital communication because they can be used to relay to parents the happenings with classroom activities.
    The forth element is digital literacy.  Digital literacy is "the process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology"(13).  Online courses are an example of digital literacy.  They are designed to keep the student interested in the material.  Teachers are giving students new, innovate ways to locate information when they are away from the classroom.
     Digital Etiquette is the fifth element, that is defined as the electronic standards of conduct or procedure. The problem lies in that parents are not informed on what is and is not appropriate.  Many times parents and kids are on the same level on how to act when using technology.  Technology school teams are the answer to teach the students on the appropriate digital etiquette.  Examples of positive use of digital etiquette is when teachers and students decide on what information can be shared using cell phones or netbooks. When communicating in chat room users know the rules before starting.
     Elements six and seven are digital law and rights and responsibility.  Digital law is the responsibility for actions and deeds.   Sexting, downloading illegal music, and bypassing firewalls are all negative ways where students can break the law.  Students need to become aware of the rules and regulations of technology.  Rights and responsibilities is the freedom and requirements for everybody in the digital world.  Educators are to explain to the student their rights when using digital technologies.  Students are to share the right and responsibility, to site the website or other digital media source when they use the information presented on the site.
     Digital health and wellness is element 8, and element 9 is digital security.  The definition of wellness is "physical and psychological well-being in a digital technology world"(25).  Teachers learn how to promote health and wellness using technology, and model digital safety in the classroom; as a result teachers expect the students to do the same.  Digital security is to have precautions to guarantee safety.  Virus software is updated and maintained to protect personal information..  Parents and teachers talk to students about the dangers of giving out personal information to the digital world.

www.stopbullying.gov/www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying//

    Cyber bullying starts with sending mean and inappropriate text messages or emails to individuals.  Mean rumors, fake profiles, rude pictures or videos are also versions of cyber bulling.  Cyber bullying is different because besides getting bullied in person, the child cannot get away from it because it happens online as well.  Cyber bulling can happen 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  It is difficult to trace who the bully is because many posts can be done anonymously.  Kids getting cyber bullied has gone up from 6% in grades 6-12 in 2009 to 16% in 2011 in grades 9-12.  Parents can prevent bullying by knowing the sites their kids go on, telling your kids that you might view the sites that they look at to make sure they are safe, ask for their passwords, ask to be friend or follower on their social media sites, and to encourage their kids to communicate to them if they feel they are getting cyber bullied.  To report cyber bulling, immediately block the bully, don't respond to the bully, and keep evidence of the bullying, for example, date, time and the description of the event.  

When Playing Video Games Means Sitting On Life's Sidelines

    Located in Seattle, Washington, a rehab clinic named "Restart" helps young men kick the addiction to video games.  The clients take care of chickens and a garden, has a huge tree house with a zip line, and a large grassy back yard.  "Restart" treats all technology addictions but primarily those addicted to video games.  Many addicts come from the same type of family life.  Parents are split up, and they move around a lot, shy and lonely.  They will find escape with the laptop by playing video games and watching movies.  Many people can hide behind video games and feel like a a person again.  Gaming gives these people an opportunity to act different from who they really are.  Being addicted to the internet gives the addict a high or a sense of relief.  Unhealthy addicts started to game at a young age, with a compulsion that has been growing for many years, and have been building relationships online rather than going out to socialize with others in person.  When the students go to college, parental support isn't there anymore, so the addicts are online all the time.  Some don't even know how to cut a tomato.  One addict has a tough time finding a job that doesn't require using a computer and the internet.  When they must use the internet they will set a time frame for use. Other activities that help addicts recover are reading, exercise, having a job, and a social life.

Reflection
    In connection to "The Digital Citizenship in Schools", it surprised me that over 220 billion dollars was generated over purchased products online, and this statistic only includes 8-24 year olds. Clearly there is a large age group beyond that that makes online purchases as well. I know that I also used online sites to purchase items and I am 31.  In reference to how to act when using technologies, many parents have the same skills are their children.  I agree when Riddle said that it is the duty, as teachers, to teach the parents and students the same skills.  Cyber bullying is a big problem.  There have been appropriate steps take to prevent bullying.  You are able to report cyber bulling to online sites, and to law enforcement.  I think that is a great idea to get the law enforcement involved.  Because as a teacher, we can encourage and promote safety online, but when the student goes online on their own time, we cannot tell them what to view and not view. Stopbullying.gov is a great resource to prevent bullying.  It has many resources to prevent and correcting bullying, and if the need presented itself, I will pass the site along to a parent.   "Restart" was a great NPR segment. DSM is used by doctors to diagnose the technology addiction.  It is shocking that these males will play on a computer for 48 straight hours!  I also never knew that 80% of social interaction deals with non-verbal communication.

Self Evaluation

Summary Paragraphs  5/5  Good
There is one summary paragraph per reading. Each paragraph is substantial and well developed.  Used facts from the reading to support thoughts and ideas.  

Reflection Paragraphs 5/5  Good

Made connections to the readings, and showed a deep understanding. 

Quality Writing   5/5 Good

Proof read multiple times and didn't find any spelling errors. The writing was well organized and easy to follow.

Connections to readings  5/5 Good

Reflective paragraph has strong connections to all the readings and media.  

Collective Intelligence Reflection

    It is very interesting to view each other's ideas on education.  All of the input plays an important roll in education.  My fellow classmates talked about making a connection with society and education.  Besides making connections to society, there were also quotes and pictures that motivated the teacher and student. A quote that really seemed to fit education was, "to educate a child, means to turn walls into doors."  It represents that by being a teacher, you have an opportunity to help an individual reach their dreams and goals, and that even though there are obstacles in life, everybody has a chance to be successful.

    The collective intelligent group would be beneficial in the classroom because it gives a chance for each individual to express their ideas and view the other students as well.  By viewing the comments from other students, it forces to you view other opinions, and possibly change your views to help society in a positive way.  Besides viewing others opinions, a collective intelligent group also can prove to be a motivation because you want to put in as much time and thought as your other classmates have.  Putting your best effort will not only help you, but it will force your classmates to make well thought out statements concerning the topic being discussed.