Blog #8 Digital Tutorial

Tutorial -How to Generate a QR Code

Welcome to QR.net

Go to the website:  https://myqrcode.com/

Add an email to sign up

1. Choose a QR code type

        Pick website URL 

2. Name your QR code

        ex. Boys & Girls Club

        Add website address -https://epbgc.org/

3. Customize your design for the website URL QR code 

         Pick a style frame

         Pick a QR code pattern

         Pick a corner style

         Upload a logo you want to use

        "Scan Me" to check if code attached 

          Press Finish

          

Blog #3 Barbie

What is your relationship to Barbie or any kind of children’s culture (like Disney?)  How does Christiansen validate or challenge your views?

Christiansen's views on "secret education" seem to validate how I saw myself and the community around me. As a child, I used to love Barbie dolls. I played with them all the time, for years. We used to play pretend school in my room, making houses out of encyclopedias and using materials from around the house as furniture. When I played with my Barbies, I was always Teacher Barbie. Thinking back, my 5th and 6th-grade teachers had a heavy influence on my decision to go to school to become a teacher. I used to play out the day that I had in school with my Barbies at home so in a sense Barbie had an influence on me too, I thought that if Barbie could be a teacher I could be one too. So from elementary school age until adulthood, my dream was to become a teacher. If I remember correctly, I believe that most if not all my Barbies were white with the long blond or brown hair down to their butts. Playing with my Barbies most likely unconsciously influenced me to relax (straighten) my hair. I remember around the age of 11 or 12, yes I was still playing with Barbies at that age. I was going into middle school and I told my mom that I was NOT going into middle school with two braids in my hair, and I was adamant about it. So she let me get my hair relaxed. The Barbies were an example of the beauty standard that society thought we had to live up to.

Blog #6 Looking for the Girls-Pg 187

Dmx Video- "What They Really Want"-came out 15 years ago (2009)

Lil Kim Video- "How Many Licks?"-came out 14 years ago (2010)

 

Andrea Brown-Thirston, an African American woman wanted to know how young women were portrayed in music videos. She spent a day watching R&B and Hip Hop videos to see what images were depicted on the screen that young children could possibly come across. The videos that she watched, named above, were portraying young girls in extremely sexual positions, sexual innuendos, and grabbing genitalia.

Andrea wondered what effects that watching videos would have on children. What stereotypes are they promoting? What self-image are young girls going to try to live up to? What lifestyle will they not be able to obtain? What can we do to change the narrative? 

Teach the youth to watch media through critical lenses and openly discuss what they see and how it makes them feel. Parents, teachers, and the community should be positive influences for the youth to look up to to combat the negativity that they see in the media.

I watched these videos back in the day when they came out and didn't realize how sexualized they were. I sang along and danced like they weren't degrading women in plain sight. Putting on critical lenses makes you question everything.

Blog #5 Final Project-501 To-do List

 To-do list

• 
  Write a 1500 word Narrative about my “why”

• Explain positions on techno crates

• Discuss beliefs

• Draw from 3 texts that we used

• Demonstrate something new

• Link 5 external links

• Create 20 slides

• Craft the spoken piece

• How will it enhance teaching and learning

Blog #2 Digital Natives

What do you make of the (divergent) positions of Boyd and Prensky?  What do you hear each of them saying about who youth are?  Where do you stand on the “digital native” terminology?

• The divergent positions of Prensky and Boyd are:
• I hear Prensky saying that he believes that youth are digital natives. These digital native learners learn through technology naturally and he celebrates the young people's fluency in technology. Prensky believes that kids' brains are different from adult brains. 

• I hear Boyd saying that she believes that digital learners are not automatically masters of tech tools since they are natives of technology, they are not proficient in the world of technology. They deserve to be taught instead of assuming that they know more about technology than they do.

• "Digital natives" are youth who never knew life without technology. They are the young people who know about technology but may not be an expert with tech tools. On a spectrum, I am a tech immigrant, I come in between techno-traditionalist and techno-constructivist. I have learned so much about computers in the college setting with like-minded people. I feel as though I have a good grip on some technology and others I could use to take a class or two to gain some knowledge.

Blog #4 Final Project Idea- Pecha Kucha

 

As I was exploring the list of previous Pecha Kuchas, I was inspired by Katy's (giving students choice), and Jose De la Cruz (integrating digital tools into the classroom). I think I might have come up with what I want to do as my final project. This summer I will be teaching in a Pre-K classroom. I believe that all students should have exposure and access to technology.  By formally introducing and/or teaching young students how to use a tablet, laptop, or computer will get them familiar with technology. Introducing these young humans to technology over the summer before they enter kindergarten will set them up for success in the classroom in the fall.  

• I can add tech time as a center in the afternoon when they have free choice play. They could use apps like ABC Mouse, and play games reviewing/learning letter, color, and shape recognition.

• I can add the tech time in addition to the curriculum for the day. We are focusing on emotions for 2-3 weeks then ocean animals for the remaining 4-5 weeks. For example, if we are talking about octopi, we can have the students take turns in the tech center on a virtual field trip to see all about octopi. 

• In addition to reading books at snack & story time, I believe ABC Mouse has age-appropriate stories for each grade level. I haven't looked into it yet but the pre-k students may be able to choose a story to listen to at some point during morning quiet play as part of the reading time.

• I can add Class Dojo as a way of communication for the parents. I have used it before and it's a great tool to put parents at ease with a simple picture of their child being away from them possibly for the first time. They appreciate it.

Blog #1-About Me

My name is Tracy Jones. I have been married for 22 years and we have a wonderful, loving son. I am employed with the Boys & Girls Club of East Providence as a Pre-K Teacher for Kinder Camp for the summer, and then in the fall, I will be the director of the Free Pre-K Program in East Providence at Oldham School. 

This summer will be a lowkey kind of summer. I will be relaxing and tending to my self-care journey. I am going to stop worrying about everyone and focus on myself and my own wants and needs. I'll be planning a trip this summer as a graduation gift for myself, my family, and my friends.