Journal 2

Anderson, S. (December/ January 2012-13). Learning without Borders. Learning and Leading with Technology, Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-leading/l-l-december-january-2012-13/feature-learning-without-borders.

Summary:
 Learning and Leading with Technology's article depicts a world that is becoming closer through technology because of this article encompasses the NETS-T standards 2,3, and 4. The educator is writing about her experience with a program called Greenleaf through Schoolwires that joins Chinese students and American students together via technology. Through this program she is able to incorporate all of the NETS for her students into six core units which are as follows: 1) Team building and digital citizenship  2) Where do you live? 3) Our futures in school and career 4) Global citizenship 5) Landmark locations 6) Iconic images. Through this program she also opens the door to learning about new cultures and how their own is view. She also breaks down the walls of diversity being viewed as otherness and difference with negative connotations.
  
 Question 1: As part of being a pilot group for this program, how many glitches did she experience?
Answer One: I could see this being an incredibly frustrating experience for her as the teacher but an learning experience for her as well. I would hesitate to incorporate this into my classroom, not because I think what it promotes is wrong but for the purely scary nature of trying a technological product that wasn't overly tested and all the "bugs" had been worked out. However, knowing my nature and wanting to give my students the best of what is available I would eventually concede and as Sue did make quick friends with the school's technology advisers.

 Question 2: From a economic standpoint, how much did this cost for students as well as the school? 
Answer two: Naturally because this was a test run for the program, Mrs Anderson and her school as well as her students probably got to enjoy this product for free or at least had a very nominal fee. In doing additional research on this product, I found the site to be incredibly vague and they wouldn't give out information unless you requested it with backing from a school district. This tells me that the product is expensive. How would funding be acquired for this program, with all of its merits I cannot see a lower-income school district "springing" for this product. What would the students be responsible for if it is as expensive as the illusive website implies? A fifty dollar fee is a huge amount for a low- income student and would they be not allowed to participate if they could not come up with the funding? Overall the concept is amazing, but perhaps it is only useful for those districts who are in wealthy areas and the areas with the resources to find such a program.