Week 2

Three of the issues shaping the role of technology in education are: Illegal downloads, privacy/safety, and viruses/hacking. Illegal downloads/software piracy has grown at an alarming rate over the past few years. Teens, adults, and even younger adolescents have all been guilty of thinking that they could get music, movies,and software for free on the World Wide Web. Due to the growth of this illegal act, many media companies have begun tracing and prosecuting Internet offenders for this crime. Because Americans are such a social group of people, safety and privacy has become one of the major issues faced by technology users today. With the ever growing popularity of social networks, comes the ever growing problem of predators and online scam artists. Children of all ages are creating MySpace and Facebook accounts, even though the age requirement is 18, that does not deter this activity. In the beginning of each school year, all students and parents in our county are required to sign an Authorized Use Policy. This policy is provided as a means of protecting the privacy of our students. School servers have been equipped with elaborate filters that protect the school's network as well as the students' privacy.
Viruses and hacking are both equally unethical and illegal. Viruses on ones computer, does damage to files, hard drives, and the lives of many people. Various virus protection software and firewalls are in place in schools to protect the network and computers from damage that could ultimately cost school districts billions of taxpayer dollars. Hackers cause irreparable damage to people's lives daily, by breaking into systems to gain illegal access to files and other personal data. Identity theft, as illegal and unethical as any of the above issues, is one of the terrible ways a hacker can be responsible for the financial and mental shattering of anyone involved.
Three things that I have learned from the history of educational technology that can shape today's uses are: Teachers will always be more important than technology, things change faster than teachers can keep up, and that older technology can be useful.
The concept that "things changing faster than teachers can keep up has been proven to be true, especially in my case. Teachers struggle to keep up with the most innovative, cutting edge technology because of a lack of time to devote to purposeful learning of program software ins and outs, professional development in which the new, updated technology can be either be used in our clssrooms or in our everyday life to make things easier.
Teachers will always be more important than technology because we're the human interactionthat students need to be successful. The teacher is the one person that a child remembers for most all of his/her life not some form of software. Computers are not student-centered, but teachers are, for the most part. Now, I agree that teachers need to understand the role that technology plays in society and stay up-to-date on current trends in technology, but as far as replacing a teacher with technology, that should not even be an issue. As our book states, "we need more teachers who are both technology savvy and child centered"(Roblyer, 2010).
Older technology can be useful because what has not worked in the past can be updated to work even better for the future. We began working with big old clunker IBM computers in the past, and have moved to small compact tablets and notebooks, which are convenient, easy to use, and provide numerous application software that make our lives so much easier.
For example, when a new gadget comes out and it or the software has kinks or problems, the developers take what they've previously created improve on it to make a more modern updated version that is more appealing to consumers. Technology is a wonderful thing, but it should never be a consideration as a replacement for a teacher. Even though teachers are not as up-to-date on technology as we would like to be, we still enjoy utilizing and emplementing technology into our curriculum as a way of enhancing education.

Week 1 Introduction

My name is Merlyne Kittrell. I live in Spanish Fort, AL. I have lived in Baldwin County for 9 years and I feel that I live in one of the most fabulous places in America. The gulf beaches are absolutely beautiful, even though we are overcoming such a tragic oil spill. The community in which I live is full of fascinating, friendly people and I feel very fortunate to be a member of the faculty at Bay Minette Intermediate School, in Bay Minette, AL. I have taught 6th grade for five years, 5th grade for two years, and 4th grade for two years at the same school.
The goals which I have set for obtaining an online degree are simple. I want to expand my knowledge base in early childhood education because my original certification is in middle grades. I expect to become more proficient in the area of technology, and I want to become a more efficient, accomplished teacher. I hope to gain valuable insight in order to better serve the population of students enrolled in public schools in my area.
I can not say that there is a favorite in as far as technology, but I am thoroughly excited about any and all new gadgets that I can get my hands on. Lately, my favorite gadget is my iPad. I enjoy portable technology gadgets, and I am eager to explore all the possibilities available right at my fingertips. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed when I see how fast technology is advancing, but with the proper training, I know that I will be successful and will be able to enhance the lives of others.
I have been married for 25 years and I have three wonderful children, all of whom are very supportive and they keep me motivated. I am very excited about this course, and I look forward to reading about and interacting with my colleagues during this semester.
Best Wishes to each of you!!