Journal 3: Commercial Concerns in the Social Web

The author of this article brings up some major concerns and good points about the danger of being connected via social media.  He makes the reader aware that advertising is the real customer of the service or site, not the user.  Websites such as Google, Facebook, and Digg, use information provided by the user to give specific advertising on their homepage.  According to the author, this takes away from a free and clear learning environment.  One specific example the author uses is the "like" button on facebook.  Will there ever be a "dislike" button?  The answer is NO!  The reason behind this is because advertisers will not want users to "dislike" them and have the ability to give negative feedback on them.  If these sites were about learning and connectivity, then the "dislike" button would be a no brainier and be used accordingly by the user of thing they truly liked and disliked.
Q 1: Why can't we educate the user about this information instead of shying away from it?
A 1: I think the author is absolutely on point with what these sites are trying to do, but I do not agree that it is enough of a deterrent for people not to make use of these sites to their advantage.  Using the internet can been a very dangerous and confusing place to be, but if educated and monitored properly, the sky is the limit.
Q 2: Why doesn't the author see that this is business as usual?
A 2: This is business marketing 101.  You have the right not to click on those links that the company is advertising.  No one is forcing anyone to click anywhere.  If they are annoying and you don't like to use them, then create another service that accomplishes the same thing and do not use ads.  This is what business do all the time and people need to keep up to speed.  It is up to the user to use their discretion on how to surf the internet and use websites with caution.

Journal 1

Van Keuren, D. (2012, May 29). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://flippedapush.blogspot.com/

Summary: Flipping the classroom has a lot of myths surrounding it and the author of this blog goes through the myths and debunks them.  What started his rant, was that while on the College Board Website, someone suggested that a flipped classroom was just a way to do less teaching and have the students do all the work.  He believes that a teacher who flips the classroom the correct way, in ways, is doing more work.  Coming up with genuine learning activities that involve higher order thinking skills require more work than just "standing in front of the class and vomiting content."  He goes on to counter the arguments that the flip classroom is about the videos,  the kids won't watch the videos, a flipped classroom is a "fad", and the flipped classroom is the end all be all of education reform.

Q1:  Where can I find more information on how to flip my own classroom in a meaningful way to achieve a higher order of thinking?

A1: I could look online at the College Board website to find threads about flipping the classroom in a APUSH setting.  I can also look on the internet for teachers websites and contact them directly if I know what school they teach at.  Of course they would have to be open to sharing their material.

Q2: How could I prove to my administration as well as colleagues, to approve and acknowledge that a flipped classroom is a worthwhile experience that benefits the students.

A2: I think to start off, I would have to find some data on students achievement and if it would helped improved their AP exam scores.  I also think that this article only talks about videos in the flipped classroom and I believe there would have to be more more than just videos to make it work.