Technology is CHANGING the classroom

"Did You Know? 3.0"

After watching the "Did You Know? 3.0" video, I was completely blown away at how fast technology is coming out and thriving. It's amazing that people that are starting college in 2009, like my little brother, will be exposed to completely different information than I have been exposed to. This really adds to how old I feel(I'm only 21, I guess I better get used to the feeling). The fact that computers are becoming so crucial to society and how we live, makes me wonder how much things will have changed in 5 to 10 years. My little brother's college, Ringling College of Art and Design actually provides every incoming freshmen with a Mac book. The fact that his college has moved forward with technology that much makes me think back to how far we've come.

Thinking back ten years ago in 2000, my family had only one desktop computer that was occasionally used for school reports and work documents. It was mainly was just a form of entertainment for the household--many solitaire games and Oregon Trail(I probably still can't make it to Oregon, but you can't deny that the game was addicting). Now ten years later, every single member of my family has a laptop computer and a cellphone with text messaging. My family still has a desktop computer in our office, but because we also have updated from dial-up internet to a Wi-Fi connection, we all prefer our own laptops over the desktop. Not only have our computers and cellphones become more advanced, but video games too. I remember seeing old pictures(the paper kind that you had to get developed for all the kids out there) trying to play Duck Hunt on the old Nintendo system before I could even form a sentence. Today, my family owns a Wii, and several games (none of which you have to blow into to get them to turn on).


Mr. Winkle Wakes

The Mr. Winkle Wakes video raises questions like how and why technology should be used in the classroom. Teachers are supposed to be preparing us for the future, but how are they doing that by lecturing and not incorporating technology into the classes they teach? Many teachers complain about not having the funding, but there are many instances where teachers aren't using the tools that are provided for them. In the video, the classroom did have a computer in it, but it wasn't being used. This says a lot about our education system. We don't want to change our methods because they have worked in the past.

In the defense of my teachers, I have be exposed to many useful technology skills. I began learning how to use a computer at an early age, and was learning how to make a PowerPoint presentation by the time I was in 5th grade. It wasn't until high school that I really saw the benefit of technology as my chemistry/physics teacher was using a tablet that was connected to her computer. This contraption was projected through her overhead screen to show us how to work physics problems. I didn't understand the convenience of this until I enrolled in physics college course at South--my teacher's tools consisted of a few white boards and different colored dry erase markers. Time was wasted in class because my professor had to constantly erase old work in order to continue on with the new problem.

Ken Robinson Video Response

I agree with Ken Robinson. I believe that creativity is the classroom is killed through education. Children are taught at an early age that being right is the only way to succeed. By doing this mistakes are not only stigmatized, but children are being inhibited from coming up with anything original. Robinson uses the phrase, "educating people out of their capabilities". He continues to say that children are born artists because they aren't scared to be wrong. They take a risks, which allow originality.

Ironically, Robinson points out, that in every school system, the same subjects are emphasized and the same areas are ignored. Math, science, history, and language are all top priorities in schools worldwide. The Arts, on the other hand seem to be at the bottom of the academic hierarchy. The fact that kids are pointed in the direction of professions that they have no interest in, is depressing. Most children dream of being musicians, dancers, and various other creative outlets, but are inhibited from doing so because they are told they'd never get a job in that type of field. Because of this, many really talented individuals went to college, or even worse didn't go to college, and are now working at some empty job. Robinson encourages us to radically change the way we see intelligence, especially in the classroom.

Harnessing Your Students' Digital Smarts

Vicki Davis engages her students through incorporating technology in the classroom as well as using different methods of teaching to reach her students. Her tools include podcast, blogs, digital storytelling, virtual worlds, and other digital tools. Davis pays attention to her students' interests and what engages them in the classroom. She uses new terms and tools to encourage learning and discovery through the use of the internet. Students are also encouraged to share new information with each other, and students actually teach lessons from time to time. With this freedom of creativity, these students are being exposed to a lot more information than a traditional classroom is.

I think that it is important to understand that tradition teaching methods cannot reach every child. Most students retain information better if they are doing hands on work. Students are also being able to use their creative outlets in a class like this as they are allowed to explore their interest. With the use of the internet, students can learn more about the real world and can expand their knowledge outside of the four walls of the classroom. Also, if students understand their work is being shared with the world, they will take more pride in their work because it isn't just being read by a single teacher. Incorporating technology in the classroom is also beneficial to students in the future because they can take the knowledge that they learn and apply it in directly to their lives because technology is becoming such a crucial part of society.