Wow! What I thought would be my favorite project of the course ended up being a nightmare! I love the idea of doing the digital story, and I learned a lot about using Windows Movie Maker, and I am sure the next story will be much easier. I had massive computers problems this past two weeks that are hopfully cured with a new sound card. After receiving numerous error codes and having the computer just shut down, I was beginning to think my hard drive was going out. Not a big deal with two other computers in the house, until I remembered I had deleted all the pictures from my digital camera and had no photos to work with!! Another lesson I learned this week, don't delete photos until I am done with them.
The movie is about Kickapoo State Park, which is about 4 miles from my house. I basically grew up there and to go out and take pictures and tell a story about it was really gratifying for me. I had to keep cutting things out though to keep it around 3 and half to 4 minutes.
You can find my video at www.youtube.com at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNAWBB7hqOY
I was so impressed with all the videos done this week! I love to hear people's stories and find about what is important to them.
About Me
- CTER Blog
- A Blog created for EPSY 556: Analysis of Advanced Instructional Technologies
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
What about School Security
As some of my CTER classmates know, my school, Rantoul Township High School went on soft lockdown this week. At about 1:40 on Wednesday, October 1st, there was a man outside my classroom screaming and shouting that he was going to kill everyone. This is not normal behavior in our neighborhood, so we called the school office and reported it. Within a few minutes the police arrived and we were put on "soft lockdown". The building and surrounding grounds were searched and secured, and we all had to stay in our rooms with the doors locked until an "all clear" was sounded.
Technology has changed our security system tremendously! Within 5 minutes of the lockdown, 785 parents or guardians were notified of the situation either by email or phone! Every teacher in the building received the email as well! Luckily, the threats were not serious- apparently the man yelling was a local man who had a history of mental illness and has been known to do this sort of thing at the local IGA and the Family Video. If only we had known that!
But my real comment is about the technology... I think it is great that all parents are notified of the potential threats at their children's school. I would have probably felt better as a parent knowing what was going on when my children were in school.
Or would I? Does this technology and messaging system create distress and panic in the community? If I am at work 30 miles away, how will I react to the fact that my child may be in danger? Apparently many parents reacted just as I think I would... they left their jobs and their homes and parked outside the building. They continuously called the school office for updates, jamming the phone lines so bad that no one could call in or out! One parent must have called the media, bacause by the time our lockdown was lifted 45 minutes after it began, the local TV station was already there with a reporter and a camera.
I just don't know how I really feel on the subject. Until this past Wednesday I thought I was all in favor of the messaging system. But now I just don't know. I see both the pros and the cons. I see that as a parent, I want to be informed, and in a position to do whatever is necessary to protect my children. But also as a parent, I am not sure I would have the capability to react logically and sensibly in an emergency situation when my child is on the inside and I am on the outside! What would the consequences have been had there been a real threat to our safety and the phones had been jammed and parents had the bus lanes blocked so that we couldn't have evacuated students if need be? With so many vehicles around the bilding, how could we be sure of who the bad guys and good guys were?
I'll keep thinking about this one, and hope that we don't have to deal with a similar situation any time soon. I am sure as my teacher brain has a few days to rest and relax before the new week begins, I will be less negative about the idea!
Technology has changed our security system tremendously! Within 5 minutes of the lockdown, 785 parents or guardians were notified of the situation either by email or phone! Every teacher in the building received the email as well! Luckily, the threats were not serious- apparently the man yelling was a local man who had a history of mental illness and has been known to do this sort of thing at the local IGA and the Family Video. If only we had known that!
But my real comment is about the technology... I think it is great that all parents are notified of the potential threats at their children's school. I would have probably felt better as a parent knowing what was going on when my children were in school.
Or would I? Does this technology and messaging system create distress and panic in the community? If I am at work 30 miles away, how will I react to the fact that my child may be in danger? Apparently many parents reacted just as I think I would... they left their jobs and their homes and parked outside the building. They continuously called the school office for updates, jamming the phone lines so bad that no one could call in or out! One parent must have called the media, bacause by the time our lockdown was lifted 45 minutes after it began, the local TV station was already there with a reporter and a camera.
I just don't know how I really feel on the subject. Until this past Wednesday I thought I was all in favor of the messaging system. But now I just don't know. I see both the pros and the cons. I see that as a parent, I want to be informed, and in a position to do whatever is necessary to protect my children. But also as a parent, I am not sure I would have the capability to react logically and sensibly in an emergency situation when my child is on the inside and I am on the outside! What would the consequences have been had there been a real threat to our safety and the phones had been jammed and parents had the bus lanes blocked so that we couldn't have evacuated students if need be? With so many vehicles around the bilding, how could we be sure of who the bad guys and good guys were?
I'll keep thinking about this one, and hope that we don't have to deal with a similar situation any time soon. I am sure as my teacher brain has a few days to rest and relax before the new week begins, I will be less negative about the idea!
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