Journal Response--B

As a teenager, I have done my share of social networking via the internet. The website I enjoy most is Facebook. Facebook has become amazingly popular since it was first established by Mark Zuckerberg in 2003, with over 400 million active users worldwide. And while the website is so widely used, there are both pros and cons of Facebook and social networking in general.

The pros of social networking are obvious. Through Facebook, I am able to chat with my friends, share pictures, keep track of friends' birthdays, be a part of certain groups, play games, stay in touch with friends far away, and much, much more. Being on Facebook is extremely entertaining, and a very useful way to communicate. There are countless applications that can be added to a user's profile on Facebook: Bumper Sticker, Farmtown, Top Friends, Quizzes, Social Interview, Music, SuperPoke!, Citizen Sports, and thousands more. Therefore, possibilities of communicating with others and being entertained on Facebook are endless.

But while Facebook has so many pros, it also has a long lists of cons. One obvious downfall of Facebook is that people tend to waste a lot of time online. I know for a fact I am guilty of this myself. Also, Facebook, as with any social networking site, is a big attraction to sexual predators and other dangerous strangers. Many teenagers are not careful about what information they provide to the entire world on their profiles. Cyber-bullying is another problem. Cyber-bullying is any kind of bullying through the use of technology, whether it be a cell phone, instant messaging, or a website. Therefore, Facebook is a very convenient place for cyber-bullying to occur.

There are many things schools can do in order to keep kids safe on Facebook. The main thing schools can do is to block social networking sites from their internet at school. Also, schools should educate their children about the dangers of social networking. Schools should also have a very strict, clear set of rules concerning internet use. Internet use should only be used for educational purposes, and faculty must uphold these rules when they are made. If these rules are broken, appropriate consequences should follow.

While schools will never be able to completely prevent the use of social networking, they can do their best to keep kids safe. Facebook and other websites have many positive uses when used responsibly, and if schools and parents continue to pay close attention, social networking can continue to be a positive thing.

Journal Response--A

Our world today is constantly changing. New technologies are continuously being developed, and the rest of the world consistently tries to keep up. This development obviously affects the classroom greatly. As our world becomes more and more advanced, children are growing up with newer technology each year. These technologies will play a big part in the rest of their lives; therefore, it is incredibly important that children learn how to use these new technologies to their advantage.

There are many different kinds of new technologies. One technology is becoming especially popular in the classroom: the Smart board. According to Charity Preston in her article "Technology Used in K-12 Classrooms," "Interactive whiteboards are essentially whiteboards that are hooked up to a computer and a projector. These resources can be used as a whiteboard, but with a benefit of being able to save each day's work as a computer file for future reference. This is a definite perk for those students that are absent and need to see the lesson taught over." I definitely agree with what she is saying. This way, when a student is absent, the teacher can be confident he or she will be taught the exact same lesson as the other students and will not be left out.

As well as being able to save files directly from the Smart board, this new technology is also perfect for presentations. The teacher can move from one screen to another by simply touching the board. It is attractive to students because it is colorful, and it is much cleaner than a chalkboard or whiteboard. The students are also able to learn a lot about technology in general just by being exposed to something like a Smart board. The Smart board has endless benefits and uses, and working with this kind of technology will make the students more techno-savvy overall.

In conclusion, I think it is incredibly important that teachers put new technologies to use. I think the Smart board is an amazing device, but I know that there are many more as well. If students are not exposed to new technologies when they are young, they will struggle later, as they will surely come into contact with it later in life. Not working with new technology will put them a few steps behind other students who are, and will cause many problems for them in their future.

Works Cited:
Preston, C. (2010). Suite101.com. Technology That Can Be Used in K-12 Classrooms. Retrieved February 15, 2010, from http://technological-teaching-aids.suite101.com/article.cfm/technology_used_in_k12_classrooms