What is MACULSpace?

I'm a little out of sequence, but if you want some details about MACULSpace, here it is.

MACUL stands for Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning and is a network of 373 members who are primarily educators who incorporate computer technology in their teaching.

In my opinion, this is a very beneficial site because it provides an opportunity for us educators to network with each other about technology issues - whether it be trouble shooting a problem or getting input and advice before trying something new. I can see myself using this site in the future for a number of things - from helping myself to stay abreast of new technology and getting ideas of how to use it in the classroom, to seeking experiential advice on new tools or online simulations that I come across and want to try in my classroom. I've already learned a lot just from reading other posts on this site.

MACULSpace SL discussion

There's a pretty interesting discussion thread recently started in MACULSpace about the usefulness of SL in education. Both Ben and Chris share some valuable perspectives on how realistic it is to incorporate SL into classroom instruction. Follow the link or paste it into your brower address window.
http://maculspace.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=612492%3ATopic%3A25099

MACULSpace - integration of tech

There is some interesting dialogue in the MACULSpace about the extent to which technology is integrated in the classroom. I think even if teachers do integrate technology in the classroom what often happens is that the students come with such limited technology skills (other than IM, ebay, Facebook, etc.) that it's dificult for teachers to expect much without taking the time to teach students how to use Word, Excel, etc. The students I've had in the past few years seldom use spell check, let alone headers/footers or even the beginning of Excel spreadsheets. This scares me because I think without these skills our students will be ill-prepared for the real world.

MACUL Tech issue

I joined the MACUL Ning site earlier today and was quite intrigued by one of the posts, which focused on the availability of web 2.0 in schools and the pros/cons of the security filters, etc. that most schools impose on their internet access. The blog discussion has been going on since mid-November and does an excellent job of examining the issue from both sides. I could relate to this because one of my frustrations as a technology teacher is that so many websites are blocked - from google to about.com, and what seems like a limitless list in between.

I appreciate and respect the community's and board's desire to protect our students from inappropriate information and images, but I also think that by the time students are 16-18 years old, they're old enough to be responsible for their actions and need to learn how to make good choices - how will they survive the real world if they can't be trusted to use the internet appropriately when there's an adult present?

Another issue that was poitned out, is that not all teachers are actively engaged in watching their students when they're on computers. While I'm sure there are some teachers who sit behind their desk and do their own work while their students are on the computers, I don't think this represents the majority of teachers. Perhaps I'm still too new a teacher to have a realistic view, but I think most teachers are actively walking around the room observing and assisting students who are on the internet, etc.

If you're interested in reading some of their arguments yourself, here's the link to the discussion. http://maculspace.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=612492%3ATopic%3A13305

If you're a teacher who uses technology, I'd be interested to hear your praises and/or frustrations with using technology in your district.