Netiquette Guidelines for 9th Graders

Be Internet Users Not Abusers

Netiquette Guidelines

9th Grade

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Communication Rules:

1. Be respectful to others by using formal language, avoiding all-caps text, and keeping your emails concise.
2. Do not speak badly about others via internet comments, anonymous or not.
3. Be prompt and thoroughly when responding to others or communicating ideas.
4. Protect your own privacy and the privacy of others by limiting the information that you reveal and where you reveal it.

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Research Rules

1. Use sites that pass the CRAAP test (Currency, relevance, authority, accuracy, purpose).
2. Be sure to provide accurate citations in your work to ensure that proper credit is given to original authors.

The Future of Education

In the "Classroom of the Future" videos there are many predictions from that time that are now actualities. It is easy to think of the technologies from today that mirror or at least compare to the technology prototypes used in the videos. I am impressed with the ability of the video makers to accurately hypothesize the directions in which learning would expand and grow.

One example of a prediction that was accurate is in the second video which shows technology that responds to voice commands. This is something that has become ever prevalent in our society as it is a must have feature on all phones and hand-held devices. In one of my recent classes, a professor encouraged students to utilize the voice command technology known as Siri during class to help provide quick information about various topics of discussion.

Another accuracy is in the first video in which it is shown that the injured student is able to do his work from home. For convenience, many technologies and software advancements have been made to allow people to do things from home for a variety of reasons. This is expressed through the prominence of online classes in today's education system, giving students the opportunity to choose to be present or not.

Blow Up the Grade Book: Reflection

The idea of providing students with an alternative to the tradition of deadlines and huge homework loads seems like an idea that has been waiting to be fully developed for years. With education standards as low as they are, and so many students failing to keep up with their course loads, it is apparent that the current way we, in education, are doing things is not good enough. I believe that we have kept the format of education where it is because it is comfortable and it's what we know. Maybe we are afraid of thinking outside of the box. However, the idea that the class curriculum can be treated like a game prevents us from having to change the way we already think. Humans are innately competitive and we always want to know exactly what we have to do to achievement something, to win. By changing the current status of curriculum we can help more students to learn what we want them to instead of putting so much focus on how the curriculum needs to be taught. Respond to the speakers ideas about changing the metrics of schools

Reflections of Assistive Technologies

While the latest smartphones are utilizing new innovations to provide us with entertainment and convenience, developments in technology are also being used to assist individuals with disabilities. Assistive technology includes equipment that caters to the special needs of people with various disabilities with the purpose of making day to day functions possible for everyone.

People who have Cerebral Palsy often struggle to communicate. This makes it difficult for these individuals to express their wants and needs. As a solution, an assistive technology called DynaVox was created. This technology has been provided to disabled students to enhance their learning experience by allowing them to communicate with their teachers and their peers.

Other assistive technologies are used to help the visually impaired. Some of these technologies include the Smartboard and a keyboard that types brail. Students can use this technologies to prevent their visual impairment from hindering their ability to write in class.

Disabilities shouldn't prevent students from participating in extracurriculars like jazz band. That's why an assistive technology was created to help students with limited mobility to play instruments using a joystick. This helps students to be involved in music, which is an important aspect of education for many.

Gaming in the Classroom

After playing Xbox 360,- I played a racing game I can't recall the name of at this moment- I have a new understanding of the benefits gaming consoles can bring to the classroom environment. I think that it is very important to recognize the popularity of gaming as well as the advanced technology that it provides. Giving students the ability to play in the classroom while still allowing for educational value may have been a stretch in the past, but now there is much to learn from the world of gaming. 

Bringing gaming platforms into the classroom allows teachers to provide a fun experience that challenges students' motor skills, inspires creativity, and channels memorization and strategy development. Used in the right proportions, gaming can raise the bar for learning as it goes beyond the interaction students have with textbooks and lectures. 

About Me

Hello everyone,

My name is Katie and I am a junior here at Boise State who just recently decided to pursue a teaching degree so that I can follow my passion for writing and literature and make English more accessible to secondary grade levels.

I started my college career in pursuit of a marketing bachelor's with a minor in business management, but it never seemed like a good fit. I jumped on that band wagon because my brother had just completed a business degree and I saw dollar signs in my future. I like to think I always knew that I wasn't doing what was right for me, but I know that the only thing that prevented me from carrying out a lifetime of unhappiness was Survey of Calculus, which I failed.

After some denial and a lot of naps, I took an aptitude test that is provided to students by Boise State and browsed through my results with a reluctant curiosity. When I came across "teacher"something clicked. I don't know if it was rational or not, but I instantly switched my major after that. That is not to say that I don't stand behind my decision, I most certainly do. I think that fact that I took the leap so quickly tells me that it was what I've been looking for. For the first time, I could picture myself ten years down the road teaching. That never happened when I was a marketing major.

I want to teach so that I can continue to learn each and every day and share my love for literature and writing with all my future students with the hope that they will develop a love for it as well.