Final Journal Review

Social Justice: Choice or Necessity?
By Colleen Swain and David Edyburn

In today’s technology based society, a strong computer savvy is no longer and bonus skill, but rather a necessity. All papers are written on computers, and all research and information acquisition is via the internet. The lack of a proper technological education is almost equivalent to an inability to read. It is mind boggling to believe that we will be preparing our students for careers that do not even exist yet, According to the US Department of Labor in the next few decades 80% of all jobs will require technological intelligence.
One of the biggest issues with teaching through technology is this issue of social justice. Educators must strive to provide instructional technology accessible to the classroom, and make this a staple part of the learning process. Some of the greatest restrictions on a quality technological education are simply lack of proper access, if any at all to sources. Once sources are gained, the task is proper utilization. New resources are popping up daily, so educators need to effectively decide which to take advantage of and how to use them in the classroom.
We as teachers can help to eliminate the educational learning gap, if we go about it the right way.

Question 1: How are we supposed to as educators prepare our students for careers we don’t even know about yet?
Answer 1: The best we can do for our students is to learn along with them. We can prepare ourselves as best as we can, and use ourselves are examples.

Question 2: How important will correct social justice play into our classrooms?
Answer 2: Social justice will be an ever present factor in our technological instruction. We will have to decide as educators what is proper for the classroom and not just correlated to our own personal preferences.

Journal Review 8

Growing Your Personal Learning Network
By David Warlick

This particular article was about PLNs, or Personal Learning Networks. The concept of PLNs is not a new concept by any means. For years, we as people have relied on resources and those around us to formulate the basis of our knowledge. Even before the convenience of technology we were connecting with people and the world around us.

It seems as though new PLNs are popping up everyday. There are 3 main types of PLNs. The first is a personally maintained synchronous connection. This is the standard PLN that includes consulted people and places for answers and information. The second is a personally and socially maintained semichronous connection. This type of connection consists of an alternate time reference. It is not synchronous, it just simply exists. The final type of PLN is a dynamically maintained asynchronous connection. The prior two connect people with each other, this type connects us with sources we deem as valuable.

It’s funny because I chose this article for the same reason I chose the last, in that it made a reference to what we were discussing in class this week. Diigo was used as one of the main examples.

Question 1: What relevance does this article have to current events in technology?
Answer 1: Basically, this entire article is everything that is current in technology The internet and all its components are such an ever-flourishing market, and these PLNs are just some of many examples of that.

Question 2: How can I use this to relate to my students?
Answer 2: I always try to put myself in the position of the students and how I could better understand their angle. For me, Myspace was the site in high school. I was about 15 when the site came into full swing, and I remember everyone just had to have a Myspace. Now there is Facebook, and Twitter, and who knows what else. But I’ll always remember my first experiences with mastering the site.