Blog Assignment #3

Seanne Danielak

2/2/11

EDU 590- Blog Post #3

Professor: Mr. Bruce Umpstead

            Through recent comparative studies, I have found that there are many direct correlations between the seventh standard of the Professional Standards for Michigan Teachers, my undergraduate work, the objectives of this course and the education improvement plans that my employer adheres to. I will list a few areas in which some similar ideas apply.

            The initial concept that is addressed in the seventh standard is understanding the ethical issues surrounding the use of technology. The very first assignment that was researched for this course was on plagiarism, guiding us through the seriousness of this problem. Likewise, it is evident that through my undergraduate work, ethical issues in technology were also addressed when the two week unit on the copyright laws was presented. It is easy and convenient to copy an un-owned piece of music for educational purposes, to recite the biography of a composer in concert without citing the source or burn a piece of music without purchasing it, but it is absolutely the wrong thing to do in all of these situations. These illegal acts are happening quite frequently with the expansion and exposure to technology. It is now more important than ever to communicate this moral message when teaching technology.

            There is a professional development portion to the seventh standard that is listed as well. Through EDU 590, we are expected to create an eight minute YouTube video as a comparative presentation between the use of technology in the classroom versus a lack of it in the same lesson. This learning process is utilizing technology in a professional way which I have not been exposed to otherwise. Of course, throughout my educational career in college, this type of development was constant in order to complete the projects that were assigned such as using music notation software and MIDI. Furthermore, as an educator, professional development in technology has become standard and well sought after. The education department supplies teachers with constant training in areas such as computer usage and video conferencing tools.

            It was honestly very educational to read through this standard and reflect on how it has been adapted to fit into my studies as an educator and in my continual education programs.