Social Bookmarking - NETS 2

1) On the National Archive site, I chose a link with information on how posters, film, and other types of propaganda influenced thinking during wartime. Using primary sources in the classroom gives students the opportunity to see artifacts, examples, and history right before their eyes.

2) From the list of "places to start" to become a "Culturally Competent Educator" I could see myself doing several of the actions listed. I would assist in gathering information and resource materials related to culturally diverse groups so that our school staff would have these references at their finger tips. I could also create a network of individuals at school and from the community who have the knowledge of the cultural, linguistic, racial, and ethnical diverse groups at our school. Having credible references to speak knowledgably about the issues would help the students and staff understand each other better. Lastly, I could see myself engaging in staff discussions and activities that would allow us all to better understand "the attitudes, beliefs, and values related to cultural diversity and cultural competence." Creating a safe climate to discuss the cultural diversity at the school would allow for staff to share the best ways to reach every individual in their classrooms. It is all about communication!

3) The site I bookmarked was found directly on Kids Click under the category Vocabulary. I chose the link for grade level 3-6 and the link is called "Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day." Each day a new word is defined so kids can click on this site daily to learn new vocabulary. In addition to word's definition, the site provides an auditory example to assist in pronunciation, an example sentence and a short reading on an interesting fact related to the word.

4) Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators is a resource I know I will use during my first years of teaching. I can see myself definitely referencing the lesson planning outlines and curriculum resources. I also like the creative bulletin board ideas and will access this site for inspiration and guidance.

5) This research is wonderful because it provides a foundation for moving away from the "one size fits all" philosophy of education. It places more responsibility on the educator to meet individual needs in the classroom so that all students can meet his/her full potential. It requires the skill of "effective listening," in which everything from the spoken word to non-verbal gestures, from cultural diversity and the climate in the room at any given moment must be heard and adjusted for. Reaching each student in this way will assist in keeping individuals engaged.

6) The "Celebrating Connections" activity will allow my students to get to know and appreciate the cultural or religious traditions of others in the class. It will give us all the opportunity to acknowledge any similarities between our own traditions and those of others. This will create a feeling of connection and tolerance. I would definitely use the "Celebrating our Lives" PDF document provided in the link to involve the families and plan for partner or group discussions and presentations. This would be a good activity to do early in the year to establish an openness and comfortable environment for the kids to come to every day.

7) I couldn't believe that the answer to #4 was The United States and the U.K. The question asks which two countries scored the lowest ratings in a 2007 treatment of children survey. Several of the countries listed in the other answers have a strong sense of family within their cultures in comparison to the United States and the U.K. I would be interested in learning more about the results of this survey and what it means. It is also amazing that in comparison to this, the United States' military budget is the greatest in the world and 7 times higher that that of China's. Question #10 is also incredible. I am shocked that there is a difference in the amount of powder cocaine and crack cocaine that would sentence an individual to a jail. If they both contain the same amount of drug per gram than this law seems extremely unfair. It makes me think about the injustices in this country that may go unnoticed everyday. Until you look at the statistics, like those shown through this quiz, you tend not to recognize how real they are. This quiz forces you to think about these issues and I will need to be understanding of them as an educator.

8) My score on the Netiquette quiz was 90%. It is important to discuss the concept and social rules of "netiquette" because it is a community they will be a part of for life. Just like we learn proper etiquette in the classroom, in public, or with our friends, it is important to understand the social appropriateness of our actions in cyberspace so that it will be a pleasant experience for all those involved and the user will more likely be c correctly understood by others in cyberspace =^D