Belief about Technology

I believe many different things about technology in the classroom. First of all, there is the belief, borne of my own education, that pencil and paper is the best way to teach and learn a lesson. I grew up thinking that if I used the computer, I was taking a short-cut and not learning the "true" lesson behind whatever task my teacher set for me. Now that I have become older and gotten more involved in technology, my beliefs are beginning to change. Technology can be useful in the classroom and it does help teachers reach students on a different level than ordinary lessons. Coming along with that, though, is the risk that any person takes when they use the internet for anything. So I am left feeling confused about using technology in the classroom.

Technology and the Classroom

For this post, I thought it would be best to respond to each link that I either viewed or read individually. For each, I will put the link to it at the beginning so that anyone interested in viewing it who is not in my class may have the opportunity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o
This video is so extremely true. We are living in a time when technology is booming and a lot of colleges and universities are not taking full advantage of what is out there. Many schools are still stuck in the sedentary students watching a teacher at the front of the class mode of learning which is not very affective. Classes should be much more interactive and stimulating for students, even without the technology aspect. This video is very moving and a little bit over dramatic but it gets the point across nicely.

http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/?p=84
I thought that some of the points made in this video were interesting. It is good that the web is becoming so much more accessible for ordinary people to use but I still can't help but think about all of those people in the world and our country who don't even have computers and have no idea what Web 2.0 is at all. It is almost like there are two different worlds: the world with computers and the world without. While Web 2.0 is advancing the world with computers and getting everyone more involved and connected, what is happening to the world without computers? They are being left behind and children in some schools will never be able to do the things that other, more privileged children will be able to do because they don't have access to those advances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEFKfXiCbLw&feature=related
I agree that technology is something that can get students more involved in school. Some of the ideas that were in this video were a little age specific, targeting towards older students but, overall, the ideas were great. I remember sitting in class when I was in middle school and high school daydreaming instead of listening and I was one of the best students! If my teachers had used more technology, I certainly feel as though I would have been more interested. Again, though, I have to think about all of those students who do not have access to the same technology as their classmates. For example, on the cell phone and texting assignment, some students will not have cell phones and some of the ones who do have cell phones will not have texting available on their plans. So this idea seems a bit impractical. It is a wonderful idea but I'm not sure if it will be available to all students.

http://www.infinitethinking.org/2007/03/itm-6-and-walls-came-tumbling-down.html
I really don't like to repeat myself so much but, after viewing this video, I still feel like a significant portion of students will be left out. The idea of using online social communities in a classroom is a wonderful idea on paper (or, in this case, on a blog) but I'm not sure how it will play out in a real-life situation. There are so many different scenarios and situations that could leave students out. But, with that in mind, I do feel as though teachers can still use technology to get students more engaged but they will have to be creative and wary of how they have students get involved.

http://everyonelearns.blogspot.com/2006/04/do-something-disruptive.html
This is my favorite link of all of these. I feel as though this blog entry was able to explain more efficiently the practical uses of technology in the classroom. The whole point of using technology is to change the way that we teach because, obviously, something is not right with the current school system, seeing as how 50% of students drop out before they graduate. If we embrace this new idea of teaching, we will be able to reach more students and cultivate their creativity and eagerness to learn. Even those without the sane access to resources as others will benefit from this new idea of teaching as it trickles down the system. We as a society need to change our focus and realize that the most important areas of the country are our public schools and they need money so that all students will be able to live up to their best self.

A Change

Originally, this blog was created for my EDU 125 class last semester. I have now discovered that I need to have a blog for my EDU 302 class this semester. How thrilled was I to remember that I already had one set up and everything? Since I've decided that I do, after all, enjoy having a blog I have decided to change the title of it and keep it around for a while. Unfortunately, I can't change the URL but it will be a nice reminder of my first ever official class on education.