Horizon Report

Horizon Report means Semantic Web, challenges, global audiences, and technologies to watch. Therefore,  the following presentation will help us appreciate challenges that are before us.

Horizion Report

View more presentations from Edward Sargent.
On the other hand the following issues will help us understand some relevant aspects about the Horizon Report: 2010, 2009, 2008.

2010

Critical Challenge
The way students are prepared for their future lives is changing. For instance emerging technologies must be used by students to gain experience in research, problem-solving learning, and creative work with mental flexibility.

Technologies to Watch
There are six technologies in each Horizon Report
1. On the near-term horizon
2. Mid-term horizon
3. Mobile computing
4. Simple augmented reality
5. On the far-term horizon
6. Gesture-based computing
Horizon Project
Emerging technologies are to higher education. Therefore, A wide range of articles,  are published and unpublished on small- to medium-sized businesses. Sometimes on the web sites as well.

Relevance for Teaching, Learning, or Creative Inquiry 
Mobile devices and the Internet are great materials in communication and learning experience through:
a) voice
b) text
c) multimedia
All this takes place in real time and data analysis is held more effectively around University campus.

The most relevant aspects of 2009 Report

• Semantic-Aware Applications.
• Smart Objects
• Cloud Computing
• Geo-Everything
• The Personal Web

Critical Challenges:
Information literacy, visual literacy, and technological literacy. The skills involved in writing and research have
changed from those required even a few years ago. Students need to be technologically adept, to be able to collaborate with peers all over the world, to understand basic content and media design, and to understand the relationship between apparent function and underlying code in the applications they use daily.
Horizon Report:
"The project uses qualitative research methods to identify the technologies selected for inclusion in each
annual report, beginning with a survey of the work of other organizations and a review of the literature with
an eye to spotting interesting emerging technologies." 2009 Horizon Report 

The most important aspects of 2008 Report

• Two technologies placed on the first adoption horizon in this edition, grassroots video and collaboration webs.
  

Critical Challenges: 
This challenge has evolved over the past year and is a crucial one for teaching and learning. As the gap grows
between new scholarship and old, leadership and innovation are needed at all levels of the academy.
Grassroots Video. Virtually anyone can capture, edit, and share short video clips, using inexpensive equipment (such as a cell phone) and free or nearly free software.

Horizon Project
"The project uses qualitative research methods to identify the technologies selected for inclusion in
each annual report, beginning with a survey of the work of other organizations and a review of the
literature with an eye to spotting interesting emerging technologies. When the cycle starts, little is known,
or even can be known, about the appropriateness or efficacy of many of the emerging technologies for
these purposes, as the Horizon Project expressly focuses on technologies not currently in widespread
use in academe. In a typical year, 75 or more of these technologies may be identified for further
investigation; for the 2008 Report, more than 80 were considered." 2008 Horizon Report.
Grassroots Video. Virtually anyone can capture, edit, and share short video clips, using inexpensive equipment (such as a cell phone) and free or nearly free software.

Comments on National Ed. Tech Plan

Collaboration is the key to succeed. If we want to compete globally, we need to innovate, that old educational system in which students did not even talk due to a complete quiet atmosphere with no interaction in the learning process. They were only objects in a great national investment.

Now it is necessary to create an opportunity for both students and teachers who are willing to improve and transform America and mankind at the same time. Therefore, The National Education Technology Plan is the key for a new "revolution". Perhaps this is one of the most important in human history because it transforms us, the only intelligent beings on Earth.



Success in the past, does not guarantee success in the present or even in the future. Therefore, a revolutionary teaching and learning method at all levels is needed now. Engaging and empowering learning focuses on the art of technology that has touched youngsters and adults in an electronic virtual era, not tangible for the previous generations who have been challenged by this new fast changing world, before our senses.

Technology learning motivates, and inspires students and teachers to share languages and different methods of acquiring knowledge in a continuous and lifelong learning as many live their lives with or for technology. Therefore, borders in the world have become virtual as well.

Now, the challenge we have in education is to leverage the learners and the new technology, personalizing students' education and the reality of their futures. However, it requires a flexible mind in order to empower them to take control of their own learning by providing flexibility on several dimensions. And for this, many teachers are not ready yet. Not because they do not want, but because what we learned in the past is considered the "only" correct way.
Anyway, it is significant to plan standard concepts and competencies for the nation and the global village(McLuhan)we are immersed in.


Therefore, School boards have to participate not only in designing plans but also in taking technology courses and to mentor several students in the area. They need to get involved in the process. Maybe small groups can benefit a lot more from the experience and knowledge board of educators may offer.

For instance, I belong to an Advisory Council at a school where one of my sons attends, different to the one I teach. Parents, and community members are also in this council and we meet once every two months to discuss and improve different plans at school. One of them is the "School Improvement Plan".
This plan shows that Principal, assistant principals, and teachers have been working conscientiously to improve everyday in this fast changing technological world.

Technology/Internet Acceptable Use Agreement.

     "In Wayne County Public Schools, technological resources including computers, other electronic devices, programs, networks and the Internet, provide opportunities to enhance instruction, appeal to different learning styles and meet the educational goals of the board. Through the school system's technological resources, users can observe events as they occur around the world, interact with others on a variety of subjects, and acquire access to current and in-depth information"  (taken from Policy code 3225)
     Therefore at CBA, there is an agreement that has to be signed by students, teachers and parents in order to use the Internet and technology resources. So, please watch the following video:


Websites
It is the philosophy of the Wayne County Public Schools to provide accurate and current information to the public(board Policy 500)
The district website and the school websites are essential elements in providing timely, accurate and relevant information.
Policy 3226 outlines requirements for creating and maintaining the district web site and individual websites.
Purposes:

1. To serve as a public relations/information tool for Wayne County Public Schools
2. To provide web-based information to employees, parents, students, and others.
3. To provide for information access and accessibility.
4. To support the mission of Wayne County Public Schools.
5. To provide and support a 21st Century education.      

Responsibility and Approval

     The Superintendent will designate a person to serve as the district webmaster(site director) to be responsible for management of website operations, including user authentication, technical design, logistics, training and support.

     Each principal will designate a person at his her school who will be responsible for management, production, and maintenance of the school's website .

Ethical Guidelines

     All Wayne County Public Schools Board policies will be adhered to and all web pages hosted on our academic portal are the property of Wayne County Public Schools.

     All copyright laws will be followed. Pages will not contain unauthorized  content, no links, no links to social networking sites, chat rooms, illegal, pornographic, violent, obscene, objectionable, offensive material or offensive language.

    Teachers and staff are prohibited from using web pages hosted by the district server to advertise personal or commercial business venture. (Board Policy 7730)

     Security

Teachers, staff, and students need to be registered users.

The district webmaster has the right to make changes to web pages at any time.

Hyperlinks

All links must serve an educational or administrative purpose

Privacy

Web pages will not publish information that Wayne County Public Schools would not also publish in other formats

Photographs and images 

Student photographs used on web pages will not include personally identifying information, unless authorized by a signed release.

Nonetheless, look what is happening with Internet Security:

Slanderous Messages

INTRODUCTION

How easy is it to cope with Slanderous messages?




There are slanderous sites that defame a person's reputation and the result is similar to someone who climbs up to the highest peak of a mountain on the planet, then takes a hen, plucks her all and decides to throw her feathers all over the Earth. Later he or she realizes it was a mistake. So, he/she decides to gather the feathers and put them back in the hen. The result ???


Does it happen in the field of education?


In Wayne County Public schools it is forbidden when at school. As a matter of fact, all social networks have been blocked. However, if a student is caught violating this rule and breaks every denied access at school computers,the comprehensive disciplinary plan contained in the student's handbook begins to be applied and the consequence takes place immediately and results depend on the due process and harm caused by this action. Nevertheless, no one can really stop the possible bad effects from Facebook on you.

Cyberbullying -Online Harrassment

Cyberbullying-Online Harrasment

      Internet is a system of interconnected networks using different electronic devices such as computers and cell phones. This way of connecting one another, started with the idea of satisfying our most important need: "to express our ideas, feelings, thoughts, culture, traditions, customs and even who we really are".

       Internet  is a world wide network that serves billions of people who work, study or simply entertain themselves using this means of communication.  It carries a broad array of electronic and optical networking technologies that may be beneficial or hurtful, depending on the mind that is interacting in it.

     Many people enjoy using the Internet or the cell phone to send text or images intended to hurt, embarrass, threaten, harass,or humiliate another person, specially a child or teenager.

      Most of the "online" harrassment is addressed to kids or teens who have a private communication without permission. In some cases it is forwarded or simply posted publicly. However, many teenagers say that most of the bullying takes place when someone has posted an embarrassing picture of them.

       
Cyberbullying is not limited to children. Adults also practice "Cyberstlaking or Cyberharrassment"  with the tendency of sex encounters. 



     Our challenge at school is to stop this bullying that most of the time takes place outside school.

CYBERBULLYING NOW?

CYBERBULLYING NOW?

Mankind has been, since creation, influenced by a being who wants to destroy us with deadly messages. The first one: a serpent mentioned in the Bible, manipulated by an invisible force, spoke up in the Garden of Eden in order to embarrass, humiliate and destroy God’s reputation. Accomplishing its task of making the first couple on Earth, misinterpret God’s command of faithfulness to mislead them until their death.
Later Zeus, a chief god in Greek Mythology, his goddesses and sons, who used to celebrate their feasts on the Mount Olympus in Greece, bullied all human beings, inferior to them, with verbal and physical communication for centuries, until they disappeared from Earth.
Centuries later, Alexander the Great, at a very young age, conquered many territories using his knowledge and skills nurtured by famed philosopher Aristotle. However, he, himself was forced to turn back by the near-mutiny of his troops in 323 BC.

This empire advanced and invaded other nations with intimidating messages. Greeks bullied many peoples and reached power. Then, Romans started to bully the rest of the nations and obtained the same world power. They, using the figure and messages of Julius Ceasar, humiliated a significant number of human beings in order to experience glory and satisfaction on the misery of others. Moreover, Jews were humiliated. Then, State Church of the Roman Empire humiliated a humble man who walked on Earth. Jesus Christ, the son of God. Afterwards all Christians were bullied and assassinated.

Likewise, Byzantine Empire, as a continuation of the Roman Empire, bullied other peoples to rule over them. However, there were many Christians emerging as an opposition to this kingdom. Therefore, Constantine paying attention to rumors, started to favour Christianity, with a strategic plan to dominate others as follows:

Constantine got a lot of Christian advisors at his court to tell him what the Christian God wanted, so he could be sure to keep God on his side. His advisors told him that God wanted Constantine to give a lot of money and land to the Church, and that God wanted the Church not to have to pay taxes, and Constantine did all those things.

Consequently, the Church manipulated power and started to rule over mankind for more than 1600 years with the ideas of threatening all, using a Latin Bible, for people not to read it or accessing it, since it was a language no longer spoken. The idea was to threaten humans and control them with an invisible force.

The same force emerged through many ingenious scientists, who discovered the atomic bomb and invisible waves used in “technology” seeking mankind advance.
Nowadays, the Internet, the cellular phone, and any other electronic devices are used to communicate one another. Nevertheless, these means have been used to harm other people’s reputation and to annihilate mankind.

Therefore, is there any advancement for us? The answer is: YES.

A new and sophisticated way to use the same invisible force, present in the Garden of Eden whose purpose was to wipe out our race through tormenting, threatening, harassing, humiliating, or embarrassing others. Especially teenagers, with the improper use of the Internet or mobile phones; almost 24 hours a day.
“ About one third (32%) of all teenagers who use the internet say they have been targets of a range of annoying and potentially menacing online activities – such as receiving threatening messages; having their private emails or text messages forwarded without consent; having an embarrassing picture posted without permission; or having rumors about them spread online.
Depending on the circumstances, these harassing or “cyberbullying” behaviors may be truly threatening, merely annoying or relatively benign. But several patterns are clear: girls are more likely than boys to be targets; and teens who share their identities and thoughts online are more likely to be targets than are those who lead less active online lives”1

How are we going to stop bullying?

1:By Amanda Lenhart, Senior Research Specialist, Cyberbullying and Online Teens . DATE: June 27, 2007

Audacity Tutorial Experience

There is always a first time for every little thing that takes place in life. Creating and posting a tutorial about Audacity is a very meaningful experience in the fields of both telecommunications and education.
I personally started from scratch opening an account in Blogger.com. Then, posting simple messages and later, a tutorial on basic aspect about using Audacity. All these aspects were developed using a computer screen in only a few weeks to learn, apprehend,or make concepts mine. Moreover, to teach others what I "know". It is not an easy task to accomplish. There are infinite ways to comprehend what we see. Besides, to try to think what other people would think about our product is a challenge. Thus, the path is just opening as I approach it. I still need to learn how to maneuver all tools that are suitable for teaching kids who belong to the technology era, not to the "chalk board"-teacher centered classroom. But, Are we ready to incorporate what we are learning? Are we allowed to experiment new tools?, do we perceive support? So, a new horizon is showing up. This is our "Teaching Leading" opportunity to shine!
I have personally enjoyed this project, even though I stumbled several times during the weeks, I still do. But, I will never give up. My brain continues working while I am asleep. Hence, dreaming and hard work are present; I am holding them. This is my commitment. Moreover, I want to find out how to do tutorials in the classroom, without using "The Internet" but the teacher's laptop as the only resource in critical "Budget times"